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.
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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:
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! :)
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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
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