...and i'm damn proud! not that cocky/arrogant/conceited/obnoxious kind of proud but the kind of proud that comes only as a result of knowing that you put your very all in to something (or close to it!) and have reached what you're hoping for. i'm talkin' about firmer thighs with "very acceptable jiggle" (c) Mikaela Joy, flatter abs, beginning definition in my biceps, toned calves, no more back fat, a firmer tushie, and as God is my witness I can run nearly 2 miles now!
now, let me give you a little history on this... I have a 4 year old daughter. pre-pregnancy I weighed 162 lbs. post-pregnancy I was 180-something. I did the whole Atkins thing and dropped to 160 and was quite proud of that; I subsequently managed to lose 6 more lbs. however, all through this I exercised only once. yes, that's right... ONCE. so while I'd lost the "baby weight" I still wasn't fit. through seasons and life drama and whatever I managed to gain some of that back and after a "love-makes-you-fat" phase I shot up to 168. skinny jeans no longer fit... even my safety jeans weren't working quite as right. the same Mikaela Joy once told me "you're good as long as your jeans still fit" welp, they didn't so something had to be done!
so, I endeavored toward some extreme thing like: no bread, no soda, no sugar, no rice, no pasta, no meat, no nothing! Zee... the Foodie?? yeah, right girlie. so, I went to plan F and just decided to eat healthier and resume my goal of running ING in 2 years so I got to it! a very amazing thing happened early on... my stomach shrunk! no, seriously... I COULD NOT consume my "normal" quantities... it was equally gratifying and frustrating. after the stomach shrinking came the junk food rejection... my body no longer seemed to love popeye's or pepsi or chinese food. while this might not seem like a catastrophic conclusion... i LOOOOOVE popeye's and pepsi and chinese food holds a very special place with me.... or at least I used to. however, I've realized that my body is just rejecting foods that aren't so great. ahh... it *could* be worse!
and now, I'm going to continue documenting what I expect to be a truly amazing process. I informed my FB friends about rounding out my 20 and got a lot more of a reaction than I expected... so many people offering their support and so many mothers/women who are in the same process. so, ladies... this is for YOU and me... to support eachother. I'll share as much as I can... food recipes... highs and lows... challenges... milestones... and accomplishments.
I truly do wish you all the absolute very best!! remember that this healthy thing is a constant ongoing journey... at 50 you should be pushing yourself as hard as you are now... you CAN do it!
these are my do's and don'ts (except on "cheat days"):
-no soda or juice
-no white rice... brown rice instead
-no friend anything
-3-4 servings of fruit/veggies per day
-68 oz of water
-on a good day60-90 sit-ups & 60 squats in the am
-run/jog/speed walk
-on the days I can't run, work out at home which includes:
-sit-ups..... 10 reps of 15
-push-ups... 4 reps of 10
-squats.... 10 reps of 20
-side leg lifts... 2 reps of 20
-lower ab/lifts... 3 reps of 10
-eat whole wheat anything...bread, pasta
-walk as much as possible (I usually walk my daughter to school instead of taking the bus/train... saves me some $$ too!)
-portion control, portion control, portion control... whatever starch is on my plate is no more than the size of my fist and I pay attention to serving size as per nutritional facts
-watch my caloric intake... any snack that's more than 120.. stays right where it is
-no late night meals. this is HUGE for me because 11:30pm seems to be my witching hour so I'm constantly battling some starch/sugar craving around that hour
-no guilt on cheat days... they are just that... my day(s) to eat whatever I want and then it's back to business
**something to keep in mind: as far as the work-outs... do what you can while being honest with yourself. we're good for self-defeat. when you feel like stopping ask yourself if your body really can't take anymore? chances are, it can. push yourself to 5 or 10 more of anything. be your own cheerleader! remember that you're not the only one doing this. for example, if you're out running/jogging... use others as encouragement... if they can do it, you can too! hell, even Jillian Michaels wasn't always Jillian Michaels!
OK that's enough for now... more on this later. ;-)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Wow I really like this Zulay! Though I'm jelly on your immediate belly loss. I've lost everywhere but my belly. Sticking to me like hot oatmeal. Please continue to share your success. I'd like to hear more about losing the last 10 lbs or how they are maintaining their weight loss, as well as how to fit a social life, and/or love life with a healthy life style.
ReplyDelete