How many times have you caught yourself talking your way out of plans? I know I do it all the time. When faced with an outing with friends or a night of dancing, I find myself making up excuses like “I really don’t want to go out until after my hair appointment next week” or “I don’t want to be seen with this huge zit on my face” or my favorite “I’ll be too tired the next day and won’t feel like doing anything”. All of those excuses are valid points and might cause any reasonable person to ditch their Friday night plans in favor of Netflix or a hot bath, but what a lot of people don’t realize is how destructive these thoughts truly are.
When you start allowing a thought of what might be control what will be, you are contributing to your own self destruction. For example: The excuse “I’ll be too tired the next day and won’t feel like doing anything”. You don’t know that for sure. Your group of friends might end up leaving early and you could end up going to bed at a usual time. Or maybe you will stay out late and lose a few hours of sleep. During that time you will be surrounded by people you enjoy being around, and the memories you make in that night will last much longer than the tiredness you feel the next morning. Another example: “I really don’t want to go out until after my hair appointment next week”. How do you know there is every going to be a hair appointment next week? Things happen, and even cosmetologists call in sick every now and again. What if you don’t end up going to your hair appointment for two weeks? Not only have you missed a chance to see your friends, but you’ve passed up the chance to make valuable new memories and maybe even meet some new friends. And plus, all of these people have probably already seen you with roots extending an inch from your scalp – why should this particular time be forbidden? I had potential plans on Saturday night, and found myself using the excuse “I don’t want anyone to see my braces”. While I was waiting to find out the rest of the details, I decided that my excuse was really really stupid. What, am I just going to avoid public outings for the next year? What kind of sense does that make? My plans ended up falling through, but I decided that I wouldn’t allow my appearance to hold me back from life any more. There are so many things that can hold you back if you let them: your height, your weight, bra size, shoe size, financial situation, etc. Do not allow yourself to be restricted by things that most people won’t notice or care about.
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Happy Friday, everyone!
Yesterday I took the day off of work to go to the dentist and have a cleaning and my initial orthodontic consultation. As a child, I was recommended for orthodontic treatment but for whatever reason, my parents decided not to go through with it. I spoke with my orthodontist about what I wanted to fix about my smile and told him that my deadline for any potential work would be the summer of 2016. Before I knew it I was filling out paperwork and to my surprise, they fit me in! I got my braces bonded onto my teeth yesterday. I was at the dentist literally all day, so I didn’t have a chance to have breakfast or lunch. When I got home, my teeth were starting to hurt so I had some noodles. I ate them and prepared myself some macaroni and cheese to eat today at work. Unfortunately, everything I’ve heard about braces is correct. It hurts SO BAD. Once I fell asleep, I woke up about every hour (according to my FitBit). At the time I just remember waking up with my mouth wide open, so I would take a sip of water and close my mouth and go back to bed. By 2:00 this morning, the pressure of closing my lips on top of my braces caused me such pain that I couldn’t go back to sleep. Luckily I make my own hours. I stayed in bed for a while scrolling through social media and finally decided to just get up. I was up getting ready for work by 2:45. I threw some Tylenol and Excedrin in my backpack along with 2 of my Fiber muffins and headed out the door. I drank cold water on the way to work which helped sooth my teeth some. I remember wondering if I should stop by McDonalds and buy a hash brown so I could have something on my stomach besides Tylenol. I decided against it and tried to eat my muffins when I got to work. Using a fork, I picked off small pieces and put them on my tongue, attempting to soften them and swallow them without chewing. I’m sure I looked hilarious doing that. It took me about 30 minutes to eat a muffin that way, and I ended up giving the other muffin away. In the middle of the morning, I heated up my macaroni and cheese and had a sudden wave of nausea come over me as I tried to eat it. My boss said that was probably a side effect of the pain, which makes sense because it couldn’t have been something I ate. By lunch time I was irritable. My boss bought me a chocolate milkshake from Whataburger which I half-drank and half-ate with a spoon. I made sure to swish it around in my mouth. I didn’t think it would help that much, but the difference was day and night. I had decreased sensitivity and irritability, and increased energy and tolerance for the pain. It’s been about 2 hours since I ate, and my mouth is becoming increasingly sore and sensitive like it was before lunch. I’m going to try to eat some soup tonight or maybe mashed potatoes. As I said in my last post, LIFE HAPPENS. To everyone. I had no idea I would be getting braces just a few days after that post. I’m going to try to take my own advice and forgive myself for going off my diet for the next week or so. I’m going to try to moderate what I eat, although I’m limited in my options, and only eat small servings of things I wouldn’t otherwise indulge in. I’m going to try to keep going to the gym and having some sort of physical activity every day, which I can already tell is going to be difficult. Not only am I eating poor quality foods which aren’t giving me the natural energy I normally have, but I’m also in a fair amount of physical pain that I can’t really control. Like happens, and you just have to stay positive. I know I’m on my way to a better smile and a healthier lifestyle, and for now, that’s enough to keep me going. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to eating. Every meal is 15-30 minutes of pure heaven where I’m clocked out from life and all that matters is me and my fork. With that in mind, I only prepare food that I can be excited about eating! After my struggles with consistent and sustainable dieting in the past, I live by the concept of “eat more good stuff and less bad stuff”. Dieting is a balancing act inside your head. I don’t believe you can eat 100% good stuff and be truely satisfied, and I know from experience that eating 100% bad stuff will leave you bloated, sick, and unhappy. I had my work cut out for me when I started my diet, because growing up “vegetables” meant either canned green beans or buttered corn. As a child, I had never been exposed to healthy foods except for the few times when my Uncle David came to town and gave me grammar lessons at the dinner table over a steaming plate of asparagus and artichokes (which I still hate, sorry Uncle David).
When I started my diet, I knew I needed to prepare nutritious meals that would not only fill me up, but also discourage my long-standing affair with drive-through restaurants. With visions of Pinterest meals dancing in my head, I drove to Starbucks with a notepad, a pen, and a 100% charge on my iPhone. I got to work, Frappuccino in hand, scrolling through various sights writing down ONLY the things that actually looked appetizing to me. When I got done, I looked at my list and was shocked. It was foods I already liked eating, but prepared in a healthy way! I made my way to HEB late that night to ensure I would be one of the only people in the store and could take my sweet time looking at the labels on the food I was considering. It took me several hours, but I made what I thought were healthy selections and went home to prepare the meals for my first week on my diet. Starting out, I prepared a lot of steamed vegetables and granola bars. Not joking. That’s what I saw heathy people eating, so that’s what I prepped. However, I realized that as the week went on and I grew tired of the bland meals in my lunch box, I was more vulnerable to cheating and ultimately falling off the diet wagon for good. I noticed my body craving carbs, sugar, and meat on a daily basis, even when my belly was full from a recent meal. I know that when pregnant women crave weird things, it’s because their body is lacking a mineral found in that food. So with that concept in mind, I altered my very strict diet to include food I’m eating today, like whole wheat tortillas, high fiber blueberry muffins and sourdough pretzels. Imagine a smoker whose been smoking for years. They are without a doubt addicted to the nicotine in their cigarettes. Now imagine that person stopping cold turkey. The nicotine cravings would be horrible (which is why most people start smoking and never stop). New studies support the idea that a body can become addicted to refined sugars and caffeine just like it can become addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. My body was taking in between 3000 and 5000 calories a day, most of that being carbs and sugars. To try to stop that intake cold turkey and go to fruits and vegetables wasn’t healthy for my body and it was downright destructive to my mindset. Looking back, I realized I could not have made a better executive decision. For me, the choice was easy. It was a choice between eating vegetables and granola bars and inevitably cheating several times a week, or making meals I enjoyed with a healthy serving of carbs and lean meats. This won’t be my diet forever. I’m slowly adjusting my carb and sugar intake, such as a smoker might adjust their cigarette consumption when trying to quit. My mother always taught me to listen to my body – and that principle has truly shaped the way I diet today. My body tells me it needs carbs, I give it carbs. My body tells me it needs caffeine, I give it caffeine. And since I have started allowing my body small, healthy portions of carbs and caffeine, my cravings for fast food and processed drinks have decreased almost to the point where I don’t have any at all (maybe one a week). Allowing my body to have healthy amounts of carbs has played a monumental role in my weight loss. I truly cannot hype this enough. I no longer cheat during the week and when I go out to restaurants on the weekends, it’s second nature for me to choose a healthy option whereas before I might have overindulged and ordered the worst thing on the menu without a second thought. Dieting does not have to be a death sentence to you happiness. I guess sometimes you CAN have your cake and eat it, too. This weekend was one for the books. As I mentioned in my previous post, weekends are hard for me. I struggle a lot with the temptation of unhealthy foods and the lack of structure which dictates my workout schedule. However, this weekend was different. I allowed myself a cheat meal Saturday night and another on Sunday morning. I also managed to make it to the gym on Saturday night, and Sunday I took a long walk in the afternoon. My hard work and dedication payed off this morning, when I weighed in and saw that I didn’t weigh more than I did last week. This came as a huge shock to me because normally I gain at least 2 pounds back over the weekend. It would have been very easy for me to deviate from my diet this weekend. I had to be at work at 4am Saturday morning, and when I left at 10 I could have easily swung through the Starbucks near my work. But I decided against it. Saturday afternoon I went to my nephew’s birthday party. I indulged in the snacks, but only allowed myself 1 slice of cake. When dinner time came, I had no problem indulging in the pit burgers on white bread and potato chips (I can’t even remember the last time I had white bread). Sunday morning I let myself have whatever I wanted for breakfast with my family at Denny’s, but didn’t go to Starbucks at the outlet mall or indulge in a milkshake from Whataburger like my grandmother. I didn’t eat another meal Sunday – just spearmint tea before bed. It would have been equally easy for me to skip physical activity this weekend. By the time we got home from the birthday party on Saturday, I was exhausted having been up since 2:30 that morning and wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with my sister and watch Netflix until we fell asleep. But instead we changed clothes, took off our makeup, and went to the gym (where I broke my personal leg press record). Sunday I was mildly active throughout the day because we went to the outlet mall and grocery shopping. So I could have easily justified taking a bubble bath instead of going on a walk. But instead I threw on my sneakers and hit the road, puppy dog in tow. I added an extra 3,000 steps to my daily total and 31 active minutes. It just goes to show that by being dedicated to a healthy lifestyle, you can achieve your goals. No one stood over my shoulder and counted the chips I put into my mouth to make sure I didn’t overeat. No one lectured me when I got home and told me I had better get to the gym. I am completely in control of my own health. By keeping myself focused on my health goals over the weekend, I was able to make the choices that brought me so much happiness this morning when I stepped on the scale. Working on shoulders this weekend. Photo taken by my sister Emry.
When I first began my weight loss journey back in February, I was completely lost. I had no idea how to go about dieting, exercising, or working out. I turned to social media and began following several accounts on Instagram for inspiration. I am going to list my favorite accounts below.
Personal Inspiration: @sheridan.kimble Mother and wife, Sheridan lives in West Texas. She gained a significant amount of weight while pregnant with her daughter (also featured on her account). Her daughter is now more than a year old, and Sheridan is in amazing shape. Sheridan works at Complete Nutrition as a Nutrition Consultant, so she always has very helpful suggestions and recommendations. @moveslike_kesha Madi works as a bartender at several places in the Houston area. She loves her boyfriend and her fur baby. She isn't working to lose weight like most of the accounts I follow, she is working to make her body more fit and toned (and doing a great job). Instagram Inspiration: @fighting2getfit - 136k followers Official Instagram account of Ashley Jeske. Ashley is down 74 pounds. She posts lots of non-scale victories, side by side transformation photos, and frequently replies to comments you might leave on her page. She is one of the first people I started following and I love her account so much that I'm actually subscribed to her posts (which means I get a notification when she posts a new picture). She is super active on Instagram and posts at least once a day, but normally multiple times a day. @weightlosswithannamarie - 37.6k followers Annamarie Rivera has lost 185 pounds naturally. She posts a lot of selfies and motivational quotes. Thanks to her I've discovered Trimino water, which is flavored water infused with protein with zero sugar, zero carbs, and zero caffeine (I ordered my 4-pack sampler last week and will do an in depth review when I've had a chance to try all the flavors). She was featured in Women's Health Magazine for her amazing natural weight loss. Take a look at her web site and article in Women's Health here! @roxi_fitness - 22.3k followers Roxi has lost 113 pounds in 11 months, without surgery or products. She posts tons of side by side comparison photos, in addition to her healthy meals and their calorie counts. This is a great account for anyone and everyone to follow. She was also featured in Women's Health Magazine, read the article here. @itsmiamotivated - 2558 followers I follow Mia because our stories are so similar. In some ways, I relate to her more than anyone else I follow. She posts tons of side by side comparisons, healthy meals, selfies, and non-scale victories. She is almost to her goal weight, and has lost a whopping total of 82.5 pounds so far! I’m very blessed to have a job I love, that just so happens to make it easier for me to lose weight. I am on my feet all day, overseeing jobs and monitoring the actions of other employees. I work long shifts, which not only increases the amount of physical activity I do throughout the day, but it also enables me to take short breaks which I use to eat.
My typical day looks like this. Wake up at 4:45, leave the house at 5:15. Drink a cold bottle of water on my way to work, and clock in at 6:00. I normally drink 32 oz of water between 6:00 and 9:00. At 9:00 I eat my breakfast, which is normally 2 high-fiber muffins or a Special K Protein Shake. Between 9:00 and noon I normally down another 32 oz of water. At noon I eat my biggest meal of the day, always. No matter what I have prepped to eat for the week, I always eat the meal that takes up the most room in my lunch box at noon. Between noon and 2:00 I drink about 16 oz of water, and at 2:00 I have my snack. My favorite snack is either cubed cheese and gluten free pretzel sticks, or 2 hardboiled eggs. Between 2:00 and 3:30 I drink another 16 oz of water. I normally go to the gym right after I leave work, putting me there around 3:45 of 4:00. I drink at least another 32 oz of water while I’m at the gym, sometimes more. When I leave the gym I either drink my protein shake or a small Gatorade, depending on what I did in the gym that day. I normally get home between 5 and 6, shower, and go to bed shortly after. **disclaimer: I really really really like sleeping** So that’s my daily routine. Water all day long, as much as I can drink. 3 small meals, and 1 workout. Any given day I take between 5,000 steps (just a light work day) to 15,000 steps (heavy workload and cardio after work). My biggest challenge on a daily basis is drinking water. I hate water. But water is ESSENTIAL to weight loss. My smallest challenge on a daily basis is cheating. When I’m at work, I only have the food I brought with me that day. I don’t keep snacks in my filing cabinet and I don’t keep candy on my desk. Cheating is literally the last thing on my mind. On the weekend, though… That’s a totally different story. They might as well slap a sign on my forehead that says “Caution: Struggle bus coming through” because I struggle with everything. I struggle to get exercise, because I normally have plans all weekend long and my gym is 25 miles from my house. I struggle with the temptation of food, because it’s all around me. I struggle to get enough sleep, because somehow my weekends are busier than my weekdays (really don’t know how that happened because I love sleeping). I struggle with water intake, because I’m normally running around a shopping mall or getting my nails done. Weekends are really hard for me. I try to choose healthy options at restaurants. I try to eat smaller portions of home cooked meals. I go for a walk around the block if I can fit it in. But weekends aren’t typically good for me. Yet somehow, through the cheat-induced weekends with little to no exercise and little to no water, I’ve still managed to lose almost 30 pounds in less than three months. I credit my success largely to the strict schedule that I maintain throughout the week. I give my body the nutrients and calories it needs to keep going – no more. I don’t indulge. I eat small, prepared meals throughout the day. I track my calories eaten vs. calories burned with the apps Lose It! and Fitbit. And I try to get a workout in at the very least three out of the five days of the week. I sleep as much as I can, but at the very least I get 7 hours a night. I'm not saying life doesn't happen, because that would be a lie. If I have to come to work at 4:00am, I still eat my breakfast at 9:00. If I have to stay late, I will have a shorter gym session and not as much sleep. If I have a headache, I might down a Coke Zero. If I have a bad day, I might go out to eat with a friend. Life happens. And the main difference between my current weight loss journey and journeys I've taken in the past, is that NO MATTER WHAT I get back on my schedule the very next day. So I broke down and went to McDonalds. Okay! I'll just try not to do that tomorrow. So I was craving Starbucks and went and got myself a Venti Caramel Frappuccino with no whipped cream. Cool! Don't do that again for a while. Forgiveness is important. I forgive myself for cheating the same way I forgave myself for being fat. I accept it, and try every single day to change it. |
I already know what happens when I give up. I want to see what will happen if I don't. Archives
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