I Built This Body To Relax In

FITNESS & HEALTH

 My Weight Loss Journey:

My New Lifestyle

“No one wakes up in the morning and says, 'I want to gain 150 pounds and I will start right now!’” (Cunningham) It sneaks up on you – the pounds – and before you know it your scale suddenly must be broken. When I was 184 pounds (seen below) I knew my scale was not broken; although I wish it was. Truthfully, I knew the only thing that was broken was my spirit. Once, I muscled up enough courage to stop feeling sorry for myself and take action, my journey began. It was not easy.

The pounds slowly crept on and off. Today, almost five years later and over 50 pounds lighter, I am still on my journey. When I tell people how much I use to weigh they’re usually in disbelief and they tend to ask “What did you do,” so I figured I would share my story.

The day it all started, the day I decided to go to the gym was the same day I declared a change. I did not wait. I did not say tomorrow, or next week, or next month; as soon as I was ready for a change, that same day, I walked myself straight into the gym. I stayed on one machine, the elliptical machine, barely 30 minutes before grabbing my empty water bottle and leaving the gym in a hot sweat. I told myself that night that, “If I am going to this thing, I am going to do it right.” I mentally prepared myself for the challenge that I knew was ahead of me. Those 30 minutes were difficult, but eventually – with time – 30 minutes turned into 40, which turned into 50. The process was demanding. However, over the course of time my body became conditioned, and my minutes spent at the gym extended well over an hour.

Gradually, I incorporated healthier eating habits. When stopping for a quick bite to eat at McDonalds I no longer order cheeseburgers, fries, and sodas; instead, I opt for salads and water. I noticed that the healthier I ate, the longer my stride, the faster my pace and the more energy I had for running – an activity I always relished in before the weight gain. Shortly thereafter, I hired a trainer – P90X. Although, P90X is an exercise program, it felt more like a trainer yelling "bring it" than a set of dvd’s with strategic workout routines.

Today, my goals have shifted. Weight is no longer the focal point. Now, I am concentrating on simply maintaining my health and toning my body. I eat foods I enjoy in moderation and track my calories. Yes, I am a calorie counter. Counting my calories has helped me maintain my figure while keeping me accountable for my actions. When logging my calories I consider how well or poor my eating habits have been; if I notice that there were one too many calories, especially due to sweets or fried foods I make sure not to skip a workout or I tend to stay an extra 30 minutes in the gym.

Click here, to learn more about calories!

 Moreover, I constantly research and familiarize myself with significant developments in fitness and health to assist me with my fitness goals.   

Additionally, I have immersed myself in numerous activities. As mentioned in, Work it Out, I have found it to be extremely refreshing and exciting to engage in different exercises and activities like: African dance, Brazilian dance, bellydance, running, swimming, yoga, Zumba, spin, etc. 

I believe the key to loosing weight and staying healthy is: courage, determination, support, and health/fitness awareness. Without courage I would not have been able to take the first step towards my journey and without determination I would have stopped a long time ago. Furthermore, the fitness awareness I have acquired along with the support of others has been critical in the maintenance of my health.