Friday!

So this week was one of getting myself back into the gym and boy did I feel it. Monday I did  squats  and today is Friday and I'm STILL feeling it. I'm also retaining fluid like no ones business. 

For those of you who have this same problem after working out hard, your body is telling you that more water is needed. I have been horrible at drinking enough lately. I run a photography business and chase 3 kids. Sometimes I just forget. 

Another thing I've learned too is rest is just as important as the workout. 

But don't confuse rest with a damaging binge diet on those days. 

Rest allows your muscles to rebuild and water keeps you hydrated, there for keeping the water retention down from a crazy peak. There will still be some but it'll be much more manageable. You'll also feel less tired and sluggish., which for me is big since  I've been struggling again recently with my thyroid. I'll probably be getting a n ultrasound on it in January or Febuary to monitor a spot on my thyroid that isn't going away. Oh! Another thing is keep an eye on breads and grains and hug e sodium or sugary items as they can trigger swell-hell, too.

So as Christmas is only  2 weeks away, the craziness is growing and everyone is scrambling. 

Keep up with your hydration and don't throw away all of this years hard work! Let's finish the year strong and charge right into 2015 with some fierce momentum!! 

I also have 3 months to get myself ready to Cosplay Cammy White from Street Fighter  for a comic convention coming here to Houston. Any of you  guys Cosplay? This will be my first time! 

Here's a progress photo of  Cammy so far..

 

And what she looks like..

So I'm not too far off! 

Squats and I will be BFF in order to get ready to portray her best! 

Anyhow, that's all for now! 

Xoxo

Meg

My current {rehab} program.

So last night I posted about my tummy tuck and how

 my trainer Joe has me on a rehab program for getting back in the gym after my surgery.

 Not going to say that anyone can't do this.. 

because if you're not regular at the gym and working out, 

this could be a great starter program for you too. 

I did this Monday, the Stairmaster for 20 mins on Tuesday, 

and Zumba for an hour last night.

My legs literally are screaming treason right now.

For some of y'all out there I challenge you to a gym session at my rehab program and tell me what you think. I have about 4 weeks doing this before I am allowed to jump up on equipment and weights. I my head I'm still where I was at over the summer lifting very heavy, but I realized very quickly this first week back that I am no where near that condition at the moment and that I'll have to work on it for awhile to rebuild.

I'll post progress in a few weeks once I get my next phase! :)

In the meantime, I'll post again tomorrow with more current events.

XOXO

Follow me on Bloglovin!

Hey Guys!

Follow me on Bloglovin for all my recent updates!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13295395/?claim=ghc2x7anhvv">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Follow me on Facebook and IG.

One more quick update!

Don't forget to follow me on FB

Momma Chan gets Fit!

and on IG!

mommac_x3 on IG

XOXO

3 months post!

So here we are.

3 months post.

It seems like it was yesterday that I had my surgery and time is flying by with the recovery.

I'm currently sitting at around 163-166 lbs 

and this week began my detox from all the junky foods. 

Ive been struggling to get to this point but today for lunch 

I had some pasta and it wrecked my entire system, 

leaving me lethargic and with an upset stomach. 

Grains and a thyroid disease don't go together so, 

hard lesson learned, I'm off of that stuff for awhile. 

Right after Zumba tonight. Not too swollen! :)

Here is my incision. It's pretty pink right now, and finally it seems that no more sutures are popping through. I had a few that flipped skin-side and split through, making little holes and I'd have to snip them and pull out as much as I could tolerate until the stitchings went back in and dissolved. 

Not a fun thing but it's pretty common.

Eventually over time this will fade into a flesh tone, but it'll probably take about a year, or two.

Remember my before photos?

1 week post baby #3 (and c-section #3, the 2nd is a few weeks before surgery this past summer)

Crazy how much you can change when you just keep pushing yourself.

Here is how my new belly button is looking.

I still have some teeny stretch marks below, but I don't mind them at all.

And the scaring is fading nicely and pulling in as my doctor had stated. 

Over all, I'm loving my new belly button.

This was what it looked like just before surgery.

All of my stretch marks above my belly button are now just under and very minimal.

They ended up removing 5 lbs of skin which I'm still trying to wrap my head around. 

Pretty crazy, huh?

I started my regular workouts this week, and to be honest I'm more sore in my legs from squatting 

(no weights yet, as I'm doing a rehab program for about a month. I'll share in a later post. It's still pretty kick ass. Anyone who's not working out might like it! )

Potty breaks have been.... torture LOL.

You know, leg day and sitting?

I also got some new specks this week. 

Working a photography business has damaged my eyes some since I literally sit for hours on the computer if I'm not exercising or chasing my kids. Just another step in the transformation!

I'm digging them right now. They have that pin-up vibe :)

Expect some pin-up photos soon, too.

It's been awhile since Ive done anything creative due to work being very hectic this year.

And since I'm finally in a good spot I can actually find some things to put together. 

For this post I was going to do a really nice fitness shoot in black and white, but I want to have a consistent month working out before I do that.. so probably for my 4 month. 

---

This is my starter back shot.

 I lost some tone in it from the summer, but eventually I'm going to build this up too. 

My entire body is going to transform, so stick with me on this new phase!

I'd actually love to have some of y'all send me your photos - start and current!

I love transformation stories and I think they are awesome in keeping everyone motivated! 

One thing I've learned since losing 70-75 lbs in the last year and a half is that anything is possible.

Yes, my surgery helped me with my skin, but it wasn't for weight loss.

I had a muscle repair from a massive hernia caused by pregnancy damages and big big babies, and a dramatic weight loss in a short amount of time. All I lost weight wise was the skin they removed.

Since this has been done, I know there is a process that has to happen first before results will show.

And it's not always a fast process.

So I have to stay focused and believe in myself with my workouts and stay true to my diet and adjust it accordingly in order for my new goals to appear.

Same thing applies to y'all out there reading.

You can transform too.

:)

---

So right now as I had mentioned, I'm back on my detox before we begin doing the advocare cleanse again starting January 2nd. I have 3 people under me at the moment, plus myself and my husband.

Cleaning up my diet before then will make it less challenging in the long run.

10 day Advocare Cleanse. Peaches and Creme.

Check it out here if you're interested in joining us! 

It's only 10 days and you'll feel really good.

My first round I lost 8 with a clean diet, which I'll share the guild lines in another post.

I hope to lose about 10-15 more pounds by April and add some more muscle.

 Believe it or not, I lost some muscle during my 3.5 month recovery and wasn't eating the greatest. 

I have some vices I was avoiding over the summer, but I got into a comfort zone at the visual changes that were made and I'm now having to pick up the bricks again and start rebuilding. 

I'm human and make mistakes, so now it's time to be responsible and fix them.

Out with the bad diet, and back to the good stuff.

Mentally I've been trying to get myself back into that mode of clean eating

 I was in over the summer and it's been a struggle. 

But I'm getting there. 

I have to.  

Currently my status are: 

3 months post

Neck: 13.5

Arms: 12

Pit: 34.5

Bust: 38 

Rib: 32

Waist: 30.5

Belly button: 37.5

Hip: 39

Thigh: 23.25

Calf: 14

Weight 165.6

Goal: 140-145

Also my body fat is at a 26.3

I had hoped it was closer to 23-24 post surgery but bad eating habits I'm sure have prevented that.

My goal for off season fitness competition mode is 18-21%

So I have some work to do.

I probably won't be competing next year, but in mid 2016. 

I have a lot of core rehab to do, as well as muscle building. 

And if I'm going to compete, I want a standing chance going in.

I also would like to run a 5k or do an obstacle course this year.

Something I've never done before.

Something I always felt I couldn't do before when I was heavier.

It was a huge mental block and looking back on it now, 

I wish I hadn't let that insecurity stop me.

2015 will be a whole new ball game for me.

(Nicole Wilkins - 4 time World Champ in figure!)

This is my goal to look like her one day!

My dream goal now is to have that athletic build. 

Before it was just to look good in clothes and have a flat belly.

And while yes, it has been so nice since the surgery that my muscle repair has been said and done, and the skin has been removed... I can still look over myself at the point and find new things I'd like to work on and improve. I love the look in the photo Nicole has.

The beauty and strength she has.

Her body is a status symbol of all the hard work she's poured in at the gym and every meal choice she's made. That right there is something I want to achieve.

Having said all of that, my journey is far from over.. in fact, I think I'll always be working towards something; Be it visual or a physical challenge.

Thank you again everyone who has been following me and 

I hope that I am helping inspire some of you out there. 

I have a whole new bout of stuff to bring in 2015 and I'm starting the year off full force.

In one of my next posts I'm having a guest post for me, my personal trainer and coach, Joe Gassler.

He's going to share my story from his perspective. 

I'm looking forward in seeing how much I've tortured, haha.. I mean, what all he's learned and gone through with me in the last year and a half.

That's all for now. 

Stay tuned.

Also! Follow me on FB

Momma C' gets fit!

and on IG

mommac_x3 on IG

XOXO

Feeling worthy.

I remember last year after I had our son (our 3rd bitty), and a few months after his birth I was still very over weight, trying to suck in the fat around my midsection that made me look 6 months pregnant still.
I always wanted to stay covered up and hidden.
I had reduced myself to a dark shell, built off of insecurity and doubt.
I felt unworthy of doing all the things in life I wanted to.
Too many people around fat shame and I was scared to death I'd be part of that.

So I hid and put off everything.
I cried alone at night.
The scales, measuring tapes, and clothes all were above and beyond anything I had ever imagined myself to be at 25 years old. Holy crap.

Not only that, but I wasn't 100% with my husband. My kids. Friends and family.
I  walked around feeling sorry for myself and ashamed of my appearance.
Why can't I bounce back like some of these other moms? I'd ask myself frequently.

If you've read my blog, you'll already know 19 months later I'm 75 lbs down, lost the weight, had my tummy tuck for a hernia repair and excess skin removal (it's not a weight loss surgery, it only removes stretched skin and fixes your muscles) I never expected to have a transformation story. Ever. After my first 2 kids, I pretty much looked the same.. maybe 10-15 lbs lost after.. but 185-190 was my base and I couldn't escape it. Before kids I was 165.

Something I've realized since I started my journey is that there are many many many women out there going through the same thing. Even guys with weight loss. It's a long, hard, and rough road to travel down, and even harder to u-turn and come back around from.
But it's do-able.

In the last year I've talked to tons of other women, and men, about where they are with their health.
Fitness, gym talk, and weight loss is part of my daily convos at some point.
I just want to say this to my readers, my friends, my family:

I know it's hard.
It's a pain the ass!
And it freakin' hurts too.
Your knees, your joints.
Every muscle ache.
Your cravings for all the bad shit you wanna eat. And maybe you do cave sometimes. Hell I do still.
Shin splints and headaches.
Friends, I feel it!
The struggle is so there and so real, and it feels so incredibly slow while you're trying to u-turn around from your starting point.
But you know what?
You can so effing do this!

Something inside me snapped at the end of last July.
A light maybe? It just sparked.
And suddenly after weeks of starting slow I saw progress.
I competed with myself.
Comparing myself to others wasn't good, because I'm not them.
I am me.
And I always will be.
So my future fit self as to compete with my current being.

You have to believe:

I can do this.
I'm going to finish this workout today.
I can eat this heathy _______ meal/snack and give this junk food for now. I can get through today.
I will drink water.
I will not smoke and do drugs that will harm my body.
I will get rest because my body needs it to heal and rebuild.

I had to do this day-by-day.
Make it a chore list, or a competition with yourself.
You MUST finish it daily. And then before you know it, it's Friday.
Weigh in, and measure, and take photos.
Do it again next week.
And again the following.
Make it your appointment with yourself.

Some weeks might have tons of progress, others might not.
But you keep pushing.

Think of this. 
You start to draw a photo.
When the pencil touches the paper, your whole sketch isn't done right from the get go.
Sometimes we mess up, and have to erase and start lines over again.
Some times we have to take our time to get tiny details right before we can move on to a different part of the drawing... but eventually you get to a point where your ideas are on paper, and they are recognizable and before long your drawing is an image that everyone can see what it is!

Go even further and you can color in your drawing.

Point being is.. it will not happen the second you start. But it adds up.


I had to do this.
I busted my ass for this.
Tracked every few days till it was routine.
Routine is so important.
I got excited to see progress.
And even if there wasn't any progress, then I knew I hadn't finished my work yet.
I had work to do again the next day, and then the next after that.
And when progress did show, even if it was 0.5 of an inch loss, or 0.5 of a pound gone, that kept me going.

Whoever you are reading this, if you are on a journey right now.
Don't stop.
Our lines might not be straight, and we might have to back track and erase a few things and start over, but your dream image in your head is happening, you just need to keep sketching(working on it!)

Any feeling of "I'm not worthy, I can't, I'm to big" will be washed away.
I felt like I wasn't worthy of doing all the things I loved because of my struggle in the beginning, but as progress happened, I started to feel good, and proud of what I was accomplishing.
You WILL feel powerful, and strong, and beautiful and SO worthy because of all the effort, and sweat, and tears, and just sheer will power to get up and push yourself past the limits.

If you're wondering if it's possible to lose 10, 20, 30, 40, 50+ lbs. IT. IS. POSSIBLE.

And you know, every moment you struggle in your workouts, sweating your ass off, pushing yourself  (at home, outside, at the gym, wherever you workout), and every sacrifice you make in the kitchen when you eat -- is so worth it!

And if anyone tries to poke fun of you, or detour you, or just bring negativity in your life during this, then you kick them out. Because you do NOT need that!

Your self worth, your confidence, and maybe even your happiness you're missing right now at the start of your journey (how I was feeling when I started) is there. You won't have to step outside of the box, you're going to shred that thing apart, and when you do, you're going to come out on the other side feeling amazing, and powerful because you'll know, you can do anything and that nothing is impossible, and that most of all, you are worthy of all the happiness in the world. <3

Early goals for 2015!

So can y'all believe that 2014 only has 31 days left?

Thanks Giving has come and gone and it was sooooooo good.

I ate my weight in meat.

I mean, stuffed.

Meat sweats aren't fun after. 

LOL

This week I'll be 11 weeks post tummy tuck and I have learned a few things since then.

I don't drink enough water, and that not only makes you feel tired and sluggish, but you will retain so much fluid by doing that it's not even funny.

Like 5+ lbs of water weight.

I actually in the past week put on almost 10 lbs from water retention, and in the last 48 hours I've managed to rehydrate and sweat or use the restroom to rid myself of all the extra fluids.

Sodium ( salt ) can make everything taste so good, but it's the devil when it comes to packing on water weight quickly. Carbs in excess..(breads, pastas, and rice) can absorb even more of that and retain, adding on the weight right after eating a big feast like at Thanksgiving, or going out at your favorite restaurant. 

We have one more holiday to cruise though before it's 2015 and I'm not sure I'm 100% ready mentally for that. I mean, this year has flown by SO fast!

So, talking to my husband who is also my part-time workout partner...

We both agreed that we were going to do an Advocare cleanse in the first of the year.

I've done these twice and they always make me feel pretty good at the end of the 10 days it lasts.

It removes all the gunk built up over time in your system and cleans you out... kinda like draino for a clogged sink pipe!

You function better and feel better too.

Our kids take gymnastics, as well as taekwondo and the schools have no affiliation with each other, but both use and support the Advocare products because they really work! 

I'm also going to order some more Spark because early mornings are sometimes hard for me after editing photos all night (I'm a photographer here in Houston) and I just need an extra kick without having the crash or jitters later. And spark tastes really good and comes in tons of flavors. I love the fruit punch. The pink lemonade is pretty tasty too. :)

Here is the link for the cleanse if any of you are wanting to join me and my husband a few other people who have already ordered ahead of time to do this in the beginning of the new year. 

Advocare 10 day cleanse.

And Spark!

Advocare Spark drink. 

The first time I did the cleanse, I lost 8 lbs at the 10 day marker, and I also learned how to eat properly after. All the toxins from crappy foods had flushed so I had a good, clean start. And it's gentle on your body.

Let me know if you're wanting to jump in! 

My goals right now are to get out of the 160-165 weight range and be at 150-155 ultimately.

Put some new muscle on and finish tightening in some of my trouble areas which are around my inner thigh, under arm, and love handle region.

I'll post NEW progress photos either tonight or tomorrow. 

Also, anyone on Instagram?

Follow me on there: Momma C's IG!

Have a blessed 1st day of December! 

xoxox

So what is that arm band thingy you wear?

I've received this question many many times.

"What is it? What does that armband do?"

This armband I wear is called a Body Media Band.

They come in two different models.

The CORE, and the LINK. 

(I have the LINK)

The CORE allows you to log in online to the Activity Manager to track all of your status. 

{I'll get to that below.}

The LINK allows both online Activity Manager tracking, as well as an app on your phone to see a mini version on the go of your Activity Manager. 

{I like the LINK because if I'm out and about, or say at the gym, I can upload on the spot and see if I need to crank up the intensity, or get some more steps in before I can say I'm finished.}

For those of you who really need accountability on tracking food and really seeing what your body is doing on a 24/7 basis.. this thing is perfect. I lost 70+ lbs using this to my full advantage.

Not only could I access it, but my personal trainer who lives all the way in Vegas (I'm in Houston) was able to keep track of my activity and bust me if I wasn't eating properly or moving enough. ;)

First off, most of y'all have probably heard of the My Fitness Pal App. If not, and you're wanting to track food... Down load this. It's free and has a huge range of foods listed, a scanner for anything store bought in the barcode of the packaging, and pretty much any chain restaurant and their menus. 

(Mom and pop places, or non-chain places usually aren't on there but it doesn't hurt to look them up 

sometimes they have similar things on there.)

Also things like... eating too many carbs, or not enough fiber?  The interface online will tell you this at the end of each day, too.

I say this about My Fitness Pal (MFP) because that app actually links up to the armband. 

They also link up to several other 3rd party apps which I'll provide the link here incase some of you use these already.

Body Media 3rd Party Apps.

Now I'm not 100% sure about the CORE band since I have the LINK.. but I will share with you what some of this stuff looks like. I love that I can see this at any point of the day, too.

This is your Activity Manager face which will break down even further than what you see here.

You can see the little blue boxes along the sides of the categories listed and that will point out everything you need to be aware of if something needs improving, or if you broke a personal record it'll tell you as well.

Oh, did I mention this thing will record your every move 24/7. 

Calories burned for example: this is what you burn ALL DAY. Not just when you work out.

You burn calories when you sleep, cook, drive, go to the bathroom, read a book, eat lunch, ect...

That'll tell you around how fast or slow your metabolism is, too. 

I was able to over the span of several months, get my body to burn more for me with a better diet and lots of regular, consistent, and challenging exercise.

You've got your calories consumed, so you can see what you're taking in verses what you're burning.

Calorie balance let's you know what you've got left, or if you've gone over.

(that's a new feature I haven't uploaded yet but it's pretty self explanatory) 

The next couple of bars begin to cover your activity levels.

Moderate and Vigorous Activity. 

You'll set your goals and it'll gauge what amount of each you'll need a day.

Sometimes when I'm cleaning around the house I'll hit my moderate goal pretty quickly.

Going to the gym and lifting heavy, or running will hit my vigorous but there are other ways to do this too. (Zumba is my big one!)

(This is the back of the sensor and how it tracks everything on your arm)

Next is the Steps Taken Bar.

Basically a pedometer.

I posted a few days ago about the 10k step challenge.

When I first started wearing this arm band in July 2013.. I learned quickly I only got in about 2500-3000 steps a day. I thought I was moving way more than that but this band proved me wrong.

After a few weeks of figuring out a few ways to get in the 10k steps needed, I had lost 20 lbs in about a months time. From there on I was hooked on this armband because I could see what I needed to do every day. Everyone can get in 10k steps a day, you just gotta get up and walk and march it in. Some days I couldn't get to the gym so I'd march in place while we watched a show on our DVR. I might have looked silly, but it totally worked.

The last bar is your sleep. 

This is soooo important.

The three big key's to weight loss is:

 calories consumed, 

calories burned, 

and quality and quantity of sleep. 

If you're up and not getting enough sleep, your body doesn't have the rest it needs to rebuild and heal from the day, or from a stressful workout. This raises cortisol levels, which then slows your metabolism and you store fat. 

BOO.

Plus, lack of sleep, or staying up super late makes it easy for us to want to go and snack on things late at night after we have long finished out day and it will just sit and collect over time. 

If you're not sleeping well either, this will also cut into how much rest our body is getting and will effect our system too.

With this band, it'll record when you are at rest, and asleep. 

I remember at first when I started wearing it, I noticed my sleeping patterns would be off around 3am. I was in a lighter sleep tossing and turning, or had to get up to use the restroom and go back to sleep. You might even be laying there and still, but if you're awake, it can sense this and will show it on the interface when you upload and check. Pretty cool if I do say so.

This is a quick screen shot of the iPhone app for Body Media. 

The dashboard can also be turned to the side and you can access more in-depth info on each category where it picks apart what you've been doing all day and night

Few pointers. You do wear this 24/7. On the 14th day you usually take it off to charge it over night, and then put it back on. I remember the first few days it was weird wearing it, but after time I forgot it was even there until it beeped to let me know I needed to charge it.

Also: it is NOT water proof. So you can't wear it in the water which kinda stinks if you're swimming but you can record that in there as well on the side.

Weight loss and good health is a commitment you have to make and if you're needing a little extra help monitoring it, I'd recommend this 150%. 

{This is a few weeks before my surgery, but you can see where you wear it on your arm.}

Hope this answers any questions about the arm band I use. 

Also, if you wanna keep up with my next workout phases and get some freebie tips and mini workouts follow me on my IG: mommac_x3

Have a safe Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend! 

XOXO

My first workout program: The 10,000 step challenge.

So if you read my last blog post about how I lost 75 lbs in 18 months, 

this should be a great part-two post for you to read.

Did you know that the average American doesn't work out? 

That labels them as 'sedentary'. 

A Sedentary person usually gets between 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. 

That's not a lot of movement.

Last year my trainer started me off with a nifty little gadget called the "Body Media Armband" and it not only tracked what I consumed and burned all day and night, 

It tracked steps -- amongst other things.

 (Another post to come about this awesome tool!) 

You can access the bands main info/data page online, as well as a smaller app on your phone to see progress as you're on the go. I love love LOVE this thing and it has been a major part in my learning process.

This 10,000 step challenge was my first month of official working out

before I started in the gym.

 Just walking. 

That's it. 

Wear what is comfy to you.

Strap on some tennis shoes.

Be barefoot if you'd like!

And go! :)

After having my 3rd child I quickly realized that I had fallen into this 'sedentary' category.

My metabolism was slow as hell and I was clearly not moving enough to be burning any extra calories I was storing, hence why after having my babies I wasn't budging on the scale much.

I also liked it because it was kind on my knees with the extra weight and I could set my own pace.

I still aim for this to this day. 

I get a sense of accomplishment.

And if I go over then I know I did very well haha. :)

So pairing this 10k steps a day challenge with a cleaner diet, my trainer and I began to notice some major changes and FAST. Around 15-20 lbs gone actually in the first month for me. 

(this will probably vary per person depending on your metabolism, diet, and how dedicated you stick to things.)

First off. 10,000 steps is roughly 5 miles. 

2,000 steps is in one mile if you break that down. 

And if you were only getting in 1,000 to 3,000 a day... 

you're only walking a mile, maybe a mile in a half at most. 

You do NOT have to be a runner, or a gymnast, or an experienced athlete to be able to do this challenge, and in fact, it can be a very simple way to get in some exercise daily, even with a very busy schedule. 

This can get your movement and goals kick started.

So check this out. 

Iphone/Smartphone users.. there are FREE apps you can download that have nifty little tools called pedometers on them that will count the steps you take. Just drop that phone in your pocket, hit play on your favorite play list and plug in your ear buds and get going!

(And no you do not need an armband, I just wanted to share what I was using.)

If you somehow don't have a phone that carries apps,

then Walmart carries pedometers for $5-20 dollars 

and you can clip it to your pants and keep track that way!

What if I don't have a gym? Or a big neighborhood? Or the weather is poor? Ect...

The beauty in this is if you don't wanna go outside, or can't go to the gym on a treadmill, you don't have to. You can march in place... which I'll admit, once I started seeing weight go, I was doing this like CRAZY. I would watch movies or what we saved on our DVR and just marched in place. Sometimes I'd do it really fast to get in higher numbers. Sometimes I just marched slowly or walked in a circle while carrying my baby. It was a great way to get him to fall asleep too haha. 

Carrying baby adds resistance! That helps ya too! :)

*Actually I think my husband has some videos where he filmed me because I got so into this. I might post these later so you can see what I was doing in the early months of my weight loss. :)

You can do it cooking, cleaning, going out to get the mail, around your neighborhood, up and down your yard. The locations are endless! This is what makes this challenge perfect to kick things off.

Start off with this and take measurements and photos to track your progress.

Good luck to all of you out there and let me know if you're planning on taking this challenge!

The holidays are amongst us and this is the perfect time to keep the pace going for our fitness! 

Keep looking forward my friends!

Part 3 on how I lost 75 lbs will be coming ASAP.

XOXO

How I lost 75 lbs in 18 months. What changes did I have to make first?

Before I lost the weight, I remember being on the other side of the fence looking at other success stories on how some women, or men, were able to lose 30, 40, 50, 60+ lbs.
Some even pushing 75-100 lbs lost!

I'd scroll the internet, hunting for stories on how they did it.
I'd find photos to compare my physique to theirs, wondering if I'd ever get myself down to a point where I could get close to them. I did this right after I had my first born and all the way into the beginning of this year. I still do to be honest.
New goals and a new journey.

Remember, it's not a race. It's a journey. 

Journeys are not supposed to be smooth sailing, or straight lines.
I cannot tell you how many times I'd take a quick exit and find myself being comfortable in bed at night instead of working out.
Or snacking on something sweet that I KNEW I shouldn't have had right after a workout, but I did.

I learned quickly though that moderation is KEY, and that a clean diet will trump any quick fix such as a diet pill (I did not use any of that to lose the weight), or that a body wrap thing would be the answer. They are temporary fixes and you will not get far with them.
Having said that, I didn't learn the diet part over night though.
It was something I had to experience a few times before it clicked.
I mean, I'm still learning about the diet part.
It's a science!

This was the morning I went into labor with our son last April. We were actually leaving when we took this last belly shot. I weighed 235 lbs and had no idea my journey would lead me to where I am today.

This was in January of this year (I'm on the right in the neon green jacket)

I was around 190 after having our third. It didn't come off fast.

I had just started getting serious about weight lifting and my diet at this point. 

(That jacket was skin tight on me and showed everything.)

This is now. I'm hovering at 160 currently.

And looking at the calendar it'll actually be 19 months this week.

---

So, how did I get here? How did I start?

To begin, you have to be mentally ready.

Not just say "I wanna __________"

You have to have a goal in mind on what you want to achieve. 

Without that, in moments of weakness or doubt... you won't have something to grip onto.

The next big thing once you become ready mentally is write down your goals. Pin them to your mirror so you see them every morning when you first wake up to remind yourself.

Set realistic goals at first -- if you have 50 lbs to lose... aim for the first 15.

Treat yourself to a new pair of workout pants or something useful towards your journey!

( I became obsessed with Old Navy workout leggings because they were comfy and didn't shrink on me or lose the color. Cute workout clothes keep you feeling great, too!)

Reset your goals once you've reached the little ones. I cannot stress HOW much I had to adjust and sculpt this as I went along mine. 

I had 75 lbs to lose. 

75.

I would have burned out FAST in the beginning if I hadn't done the smaller increments at first.

Once you've set some goals, 

you need to decide on how you will do your workouts and where.

Do you have a gym membership? If so great!

Will you be at home? 

I know I had to start off here, and not everyone can or wants to have a gym membership.

Maybe you can't because it doesn't have day care or you have to work during the day, and cannot get out with your kids or don't have someone to watch them... and that's OK!!

Find an area where you will be focusing on your workouts and make sure you have enough space so you don't injure yourself or break anything. 

Are you a runner? Where will you run? Can you track your distances and routes?

Write this down or mark it on a marker board.

If you're in school, sometimes they have student gyms, or apartments have little workout centers.

Find your sweat center!

NEXT!

When will you workout?

Are you stay at home with a schedule or lots of freedom?

Do you work a 9-5 or another schedule outside of this realm?

Perhaps you are a nurse (I've seen a lot of posts on this on the web) and you work long or crazy shifts?

Don't stress.. you can do some stuff on the side that will get your metabolism moving and grooving.

Decide on when will be the best time you can workout according to your daily schedule.

Make it a priority like you would a meeting with your boss or a doctor.

This is an appointment for YOU.

Moms out there, you take care of everyone else... 30-60 minutes a day set aside for YOU,

even if broken up, should be an important appointment on your schedule.

Write down a log of your meals.

Discipline yourself to note everything you allow past your lips.

Track calories with the app "My Fitness Pal"

You will see where you're at very quickly on your diet.

Fitness is 80% diet and 20% workout.

Did you know this? 

You cannot out work a bad diet, and this is where a lot of people struggle and get frustrated.

They slave themselves working out and a few weeks later see hardly any progress.

Over consuming calories will make you gain,

 and under consuming will make your metabolism crash and sluggish. 

It really is a big science project, huh?

Now I'm not a nutritionist but a site that I love and that has helped me gauge where to stand on calories is this site:

IIFYM Calculator

I plugged in and screen capped mine for right now. It's different than it was in the summer but this will be an example on how to read it.

TDEE is the amount of calories your body burns in a 24 hour period, sleeping working, exercising, playing and even digesting food!

Your BMR is what you burn at rest - what your body NEEDS to consume to stay alive daily.

The 1200 calorie diet is crap and a myth so STOP if you are doing that right now.

You are starving yourself and killing your metabolism. 

Think of this. FOOD is FUEL.

GOOD good is fuel.

Crap food is sludge and makes the body harder to maintain.

Just like you wouldn't put crap in your car instead of gasoline.

It wouldn't work very long right?

You have to put the right stuff in to make it work!

So you should have your calorie intake at the bottom.

To lose weight on the bottom left, and to maintain your weight second, and to bulk third.. but unless you're body building or competing, don't worry about that third one.

{I will make a separate post on all the stuff I did to tweak and change later on but for now this will give you an idea on where to begin.}

Sleep is important too. 

Staying up too late - which I am guilty for - raises cortisol levels which messes up your metabolism and therefor makes it harder to lose fat.

You also get late night hunger strikes staying up which causes you to munch and consume empty calories too.. so get that beauty sleep!!!

DRINK YOUR WATER!

I bought one of these cool things from Walmart for under 5 bucks.

And I drink at least one of these a day. It carries 8 glasses of water in them. I try to push for two.

Dehydration is a spell for water retention and swelling, as well as constipation and will not allow your body to flush out all the yucky gunk that has collected so along with that, it'll make you feel sluggish if you don't drink enough water.

We are trying to avoid that right?!

So drink up! :)

---

Now. 

Before I make my next post on my diet and even some workout gear like bras and clothes that made me feel good, I wanted to say one more thing to do to get ready.

1. Weigh yourself at the same time every day. 

Record it. Do this once a week.

Daily will drive you crazy.

2. Take weekly photos.

Tracking this progress will help you see the changes you've made when you're having a slower week!

You'll be amazed at how your body will transform in ways you probably didn't realize.

I never thought my bust would go below a 42EE after I had my last baby, and now I'm down to a 34/36 C. So take those photos!

3. Get a measuring tape and measure up. 

Inches lost are WAY more visible at first than anything else. Don't forget to record.

I went from a 45 waist right after my 3rd delivery and now I'm down to a 29/30 waist.

I like to have a binder or a folder of this kinda stuff to stay organized.

Making a motivational wall in the bathroom is another great step to see your goals and progress daily! I'll make one this upcoming weekend for 2015 and you guys can do one with me too! I wanna see everyone's unique motivational walls! 

These are the things I did to get me started and it helped me out tremendously. :)

This is all I have time to post now, but I will make another soon on what tweaks I did to my diet and the gear I love to keep me moving along!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

XOXO