I know my body has changed, but I'm a normal woman and was feeling as though I still hadn't made enough progress. People will comment on how I look and to be honest, it is such a slow process sometimes I don't feel like much change has happened.
Bobby must have had enough of me talking about my progress, or lack thereof, and had me take a picture in a swimsuit to look at. Most women dread bikini pictures, and I am no different. I started to look back at old pictures of myself and comparing them to the one he took. This was so important to me because for the first time, I realized how far I have come! I am more motivated now to stay fit and keep going to shed some more body fat and pounds.
*Yes, I'm wearing sparkly heels...if you know me, you know I had to. **Yes I used a freakin' filter. I am a mom, don't be ridiculous ;) *** I was going to post a before pic, but ain't nobody want to see that!
There are some things I have learned along the way about myself and being healthy that I'd like to share.
1.) Just make up your mind and do it. Once you make up your mind you will have to keep making up your mind everyday, at every meal, at every workout. Sometimes your mind will say, "No way!" and it will take you to the In-N-Out drive thru. That's OK. Don't blow your whole day or week. You can make up your mind again and get back on track at the next meal.
2.) BE REALISTIC! Be realistic about your body type and shape. Be realistic about how long progress will take. Be realistic about your lifestyle and how this will all fit in.
3.) Do it for yourself. You really have to have a drive that says you are in competition with yourself. Besides all the people who will look better or be stronger than you, you will be a better version of yourself and that's what counts most. And you have to know it is OK to invest time in yourself!
4.) Celebrate EVERY POUND and success. Give yourself a pat on the back for every good decision you make. It's hard, you deserve to smile, no matter how tiny the victory is, it's HUGE!
5.) The smaller the goal, the better. I was so overwhelmed with my long term goal. I used to feel the same way about long drives. I would break the drive up by making it to certain monuments or exits and it seemed shorter. Everything seems manageable for a short period.
6.) Plan, plan and plan. Meal prepping helped me stay on track more than I originally thought it could. When my meals were already made, it makes it simple to make the better choice. Also, when I go out to eat, I make up my mind about what I'll have before I go. I look up the nutritional values and make the healthiest choice. We are a very social bunch and this part is important, as we eat out a lot. I wasn't going to bring in my own food, but I always have a plan for when we do go out. I pretty much know what I will eat at EVERY restaurant in town!
7.) Surround yourself with people who support you and cheer for you. Positive people can really keep you on track.
8.) Play tricks! I tell myself totally weird things, like that junk food will make me sick or give me food poisoning. And I believe myself.
9.) If you buy it, you will eat it. Seriously, I'm addicted to chips. I can't buy them.
10.) Don't deprive yourself. A little bit can go a long way if you crave it! Two chocolate kisses after a meal will do the trick!
This post will seem super positive and happy but the truth of the matter is, I really go through times where I am not positive at all about exercising and clean eating. I get down about progress and have low self esteem. But my attitude overall, about life and health and fitness has improved. And I am so thankful and proud of what my body can do! For example, I never thought I'd be running for 3 miles! I still don't love running, but feel the need and even crave a good run.
I still have months of work to reach my final goal. I thought it would be a good time to share my journey and how great I have been feeling. But I do mess up and cheat. I don't even want to call it cheating. I make a decision, that sometimes living is more important than cellulite. If we are celebrating with the kids at the ice cream shop, I am not going to sit that celebration out. I just get the smaller size now! I will not miss any of my kids practices or games or really anything in order to look better. Two hours in the gym a day is not really practical with our schedule. And I will still have an adult beverage to relax after a long week! But I do what I can, when I can to be healthy.
There are some people who I want to mention in this post about my journey because I think so many people will play a role in your success or failure in reaching any goal.
There is no way I would have stuck to it if I didn't have Bobby as my biggest support. The man is smart!! I am so glad he talked me out of doing fad diets and convinced me to only eat in a way I can maintain for the rest of my life. I will not drink shakes for the rest of my life or never again eat a carb. He really always took time to explain to me about balance. It also helps that no matter what weight I am, he whistles at me when I come downstairs after getting ready. I am lucky he always has made me feel good about myself! I also appreciate the fact he is dead set against surgery or quick fixes! I used to threaten that liposuction is much faster than this process. He convinced me that we are do it yourself people and this was no different. How easy is it to hire someone to do stuff around the house? How accomplished do we feel when we do it? He was right! I feel pretty proud of the work I put in. He is super patient with me, well, either super patient or can tune me out really good, especially when a Dodger game is on.
This journey of mine has really become a journey for our family to be aware of a healthy lifestyle. We still have fun and live, but we are always aware of foods and exercise. Some of my favorite workouts are as a family, whether it is riding bikes or having a dance party or just challenging each other. No better way to make it fun! The kids ask questions about eating healthy, and calories and exercise. I hope this has created a foundation for fitness in their lives.
My friends have played such a huge part in my fitness journey! It is so important to surround yourself with positive people who will cheer for you and pick you up when you are feeling down. My good friend Penny and I decided that instead of sitting at our kids' baseball practices and talking, we should run instead to try and get a workout in. I don't know how long I would have stuck to it if she wasn't encouraging me on days I didn't feel up to it. We really held each other accountable and made good use of our time. She is one of the sweetest people and I really would have given up if it wasn't for her.
Our husband's would probably tease us to no end if they could read the texts, my friend Melissa and I exchange in a day. She is so supportive and it is so fun to have someone to text what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We totally get each other and laugh and complain about the roller coaster that is dieting and exercise. I would probably be insane if I couldn't vent to her.
I am excited to talk about my trainer Jesse! This is one of the best investments I have made in myself. Women will spend money on so many things to make themselves feel better, let me suggest taking that money and putting it towards a better you. At first it was hard to justify adding the expense into the budget. Like many moms, spending money on themselves, instead of on their family, seemed like a foreign idea. Having a trainer started out as a luxury to me, but has become a necessity. My success couldn't have come without him. When you make a date with yourself and you know you are paying, you are less likely to cancel or come up with a reason not to go. I always knew he would be expecting me and I knew I had to fit it in- no matter how busy I was. The workouts are planned, he counts my reps and holds me accountable. It is a couple hours a week that I have to myself, and something that betters me. I always leave feeling a million times better than when I walked in, even when I can barely walk out because my legs are shaking. I really have developed a friendship with my trainer and can't say enough about his positive attitude and willingness to help others with their fitness journey. He definitely has found his passion and place in the world transforming people's lives.
OK, sorry if that was a little acceptance speech-ish. I thanked everyone but my mama! Speaking of my mama, my family is the most awesome cheerleaders. But they love me and cheer for me at any weight and always tell me I'm good enough already. I didn't win any award or trophy, I know, but just wanted to acknowledge some awesome people who have really made all the difference in my quality of life.
One of the most exciting things to celebrate is my health. My mental health and physical health has improved so much. People have asked me what I've been doing to lose weight so I thought I'd write about it and really share my excitement and passion for fitness. I really hope I can keep this up and that you will want to start, or keep up your hard work! I've lost 10% body fat and have 4% more to lose! Wish me luck!!
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