How have my eating habits changed

I have dramatically changed my eating habits.

1. I ONLY DRINK WATER
2. Eat veggies daily
3. I eat fruit almost daily
4. I eat salads more often. (I couldn't stand to eat salads before a month ago)
5. I snack on more seeds and nuts
6. I try not to eat too soon before bed (Still working on this one)
7. I haven't been eating fast food
8. I keep vegetables around so that I won't have an excuse to eat something else
9. Everything in the refrigerator is healthy.
10. My breakfast is usually oatmeal, an egg sandwich, or yogurt.

July Weight Loss Update and August Goals

For the month of July, I dropped an inch from my waist, and a 1/2 inch from my hips. I did not start my transformation journey until July 13th which is the reason my results are not very dramatic. I am proud of the inches that I have lost and it even showed noticeable changes. I do not have a scale and I have not weighed myself which is great. I know that I started around 147 pounds for my 4’11” frame. The scale has always been detrimental to my weight loss so I am glad to do without it. I may not get on a scale for at least another month which is great for me. Measuring tape has become my best friend.

Goals for August

1.       See a difference in my waist

2.       Eat more vegetables

3.       Complete each work out for the entire month

4.       Weigh 136 pounds

5.       Waist from 36 to 34 inches

6.       Hips = from 38 ½  to 37 ½  inches

7.       Arms = from 12 ½   to 11 ½ inches

8.       Neck from 13 ¾ to 13

9.       Chest from 40 to 39

10.   Under chest from 30 to 29

11.   Thighs from 38 ½ to 37 ½

My Motivation

      1.       Being able to where clothes in my closet that actually look nice on my.

2.        Constantly being told by my mom when I look like I’ve gained weight. She has never done it out of spite, she only wants me to be happy and she knows that I have never been happy with my body when I am over weight. She also doesn’t want me to get really big and have twice the amount of weight to lose.

3.       Remembering all of the compliments I received when I lost weight before.

4.       Wearing a bikini for the first time in my life one day without an ounce of shame.

5.       Working towards a weight loss goal that I have attempted numerously over the past two years and actually accomplishing it.

6.       Seeing other women who can wear whatever they want. [At one time, this demotivated me because I would see these women and believe that I could never look like them no matter what. I would end up eating whatever I wanted and would stop exercising. Today when I look at those girls I think to myself, “girl, just give me a few months, I am going to be looking just like you”.

7.       Seeing my exercise calendar full of exercises that I have already crossed out. Seeing a visual image that shows that I have already come so far keeps me going.

8.        Having comparison pictures.

9.       Making my family proud and encouraging them to do better.

10.   Seeing those every day changes in my body.

11.   Telling people that I am doing or have completed Insanity. Insanity is the most difficult program that I have ever attempted and my devotion to the program shows my mental strength.

12.   Not dying young. No one wants the pains that come along with age. I want to meet Mr. Right and be married for 50 years or more. Older couples are adorable.

13.   Having a waist! lol

14.   Having the chance to shape my body the way that I want. We always complain about certain body parts when All we have to do is do certain exercises to make these body parts more flattering. Exercise will only go so far of course but changes are very possible.

15.   I want it to be obvious that I keep my body shape.

Working in Denver

I am currently in Denver for a few months working. This place is absolutely gorgeous. There are beautiful parks everywhere and it seems like a wonderful place for a person to become fit. At any point of the day (or whenever I am not working) I can go out for a run. The scenery is is exceptional especially when looking at the mountains. I did not bring my car here simply because I chose to use the bus system during my stay. I love having to walk to the bus stops in order to go different places because my car has made me extremely lazy, especially since I graduated from college. If I want groceries, I have to walk to the store and coming from the store I have a load of heavy groceries which help me burn extra calories.

Back home, everyone around me eats unhealthy and it has been a great experience to come here and escape the negative influences. In college, a few months ago, I was one of the few out of many of my friends with a car. Anytime and every time I would attempt to eat healthily for a long period of time, friends would call and ask for a ride to McDonald's, Wendy's, Checkers, or any fast food restaurant around. I would try to explain to them that I was trying to cleanse myself from fast food, but I would ultimately feel guilty and give into the foods that began to surround me again. That is partly the reason I love it here in Denver. No car, no problems. Even if I were to choose to eat fast food here, which I have done twice, I have to walk my big behind there first and then have to walk back especially since the nearest fast food restaurant that is open is about a mile away from me.

When going to work, I bring 2 bottles of water, lunch, and a snack or two. It doesn't bother me if the person next to me has a pizza and I have a salad because I already brought my lunch and I don't care to spend money on food when I already have some. I am very proud of the changes that I have made in DEnver, it is a breath of fresh air. Its the change that I needed to give myself that push.

My Work Clothes

When going to work, I feel very uncomfortable in many of my outfits. When I wear dresses, my lower stomach sticks out of it, my "love handles" or "hate handles" mess up even the most gorgeous dresses, my thighs rub together too much, showing my arms takes a bit of courage, my back rolls are noticeable, the cellulite that I have on my lower body shows through the dress, and even my shoulders seem to be more rounded from my weight gain. There are women who have had multiple children who look more flattering than I do at work. Although this may seem depressing, I am a very happy person to be around and I do not allow my weight to control every aspect of my work day. I get things done with a smile on my face because I do exceptional work and I enjoy every minute of it.

I am an ambitious, productive, and capable person on the inside, but my exterior does not show the same qualities. This is one reason that I have chosen to make this transformation happen. When I look back at this entry, I will remember where I started and I will be grateful to be in the place I will be.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16