How I did it!

I lost 71 pounds...From a size 18 to a size 8(getting close to a 6).

So the big question is how did I do it.

230lbs August 2011

I remember when I hit 230 pounds, I remember looking into surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck, gastric bypass.   I was depressed and thought that if I had surgery it would cure my problems.  Well I believe everything happens for a reason because suddenly my world was turning around and everything in my life got crazy over night.  I felt like I was losing everything, I was leaving my husband, moving in with my parents.  I didn't have a job because I hadn't worked when I was married.  It was just crazy.  This happened in September 2011.  I decided the day I left my husband that it was time for change.  I accepted that my life was going to be temporary difficult, but I also accepted that I was going to change.  I decided I was going to become a better brand new person in every way shape and form.  That meant changing my eating habits and losing weight!

In the beginning I would have been more than happy to just get back into a size 14.  In a size 14 I looked alright, guys still thought I was cute, I could still fit into cute clothes.(When I got into my biggest at size 18 I had to visit Target, Kohls, Walmart, plus size department).  I'm not sure what mentally changed me.  I think it was just me tired of being lazy, tired of not living, tired of sitting around doing nothing while the world was passing me by.  When I was big I didn't want to go out because I was embarrassed, so I spent most of my time at my house cleaning and watching movies.  I was only 24 years old, that wasn't how I wanted to live.  We only get one life, and everyday passes by and we only get older.  I was watching myself get older and unhappier every day.  I think that's what changed me.

Around 230lbs June 2010

The first three months were the hardest.  I bought P90X as a challenge.  It looked hard, I wanted hard, I wanted to push myself. I started losing weight by doing P90X and running.  My running wasn't pretty. I was 5'5 and 230lbs, I was slow.  It took me about 16 minutes to do a mile and then I was done!  P90X was hell.  I was this chubby girl running around doing crazy things.  But I envied the people in P90X, they were strong and pushed themselves, I wanted to push myself.  I got involved with the beach body community, and met several of the coaches who are awesome! Met others trying to lose weight and better themselves.  I used facebook as a tool to friend people who were into fitness and weight loss as well.  I'm a shy girl, I'm not the type to just go to a park and chat with the joggers.  So I used facebook to meet others who were into fitness as well.  Coaches, trainers, weight-loss successors, anyone! the more positive people you surround yourself with the better motivation you will have.


With doing P90X and doing short runs I started losing some weight.  I believe I hit around 210-215lbs around the holidays(Thanksgiving and Christmas).  I was still big, but I was in a size 16 now, not an 18! I felt so much better about myself and more confident.  But something was wrong.  I wanted to push myself harder and further.  I was trying to run 3.7 miles at my favorite park, but I also just felt out of breath and weak and tired.  It was my eating habits.  My diet at the time consisted of Pizza, chips, hamburgers, fries, cookies, candy, ice cream....and anything else bad.  I refused to touch healthy food.  But when my body wasn't allowing me to further fitness wise, I knew it was time to fix things.  I started counting calories.  Turns out I was eating 3000-4000 a day...and that's shocking and sounds gross, but I can bet that's about what most Americans eat, unless they are watching their diet.  Calories jump on fast, a single piece of pizza can be 500 calories!! Then if you eat three that's 1500, almost your entire day! Go get a burger and fries, and BAM 2000 calories. Done!  If you don't take account every piece of food you put in your mouth, you're going to get fat!

When I started doing research on food, is when I became a food nut.  I thought I loved food before, but it was more an addiction.  I was addicted to eating crap.  Mmmmm a slice of pizza, some cookies--well I'll just eat ten of them.  Mashed potatoes--oh so good--how about another serving. Salad--yuck no.  That was my attitude.  When I opened my eyes and saw that food could either be dangerous, poison, or it could be fuel and medicine; that is when I learned to love and cherish food.  I eat a lot, I tell people I eat a lot, my parents tell me I eat a lot.  So why am I 159lbs still losing weight, healthy and full of energy?  Well let's put it this way, I can't remember the last time I ate something from the freezer or out of a can, and I can't remember the last time I ate fast food.  Well I eat subway--whole grain and grilled chicken with lettuce and onion, hold the cheese. So now that were talking about food how about I tell you my diet, what I eat:

I do enjoy protein supplements, I drink muscle milk and actually just started drinking it a few days ago, and my arms feel super tight.  Muscle milk is excellent for building lean muscle, so if you're not looking to bulk up its a great protein supplement.  Sometime if I'm doing a morning workout and don't have time to eat breakfast I'll grab a muscle milk or protein bar. Some of my other breakfast choices include; all natural oatmeal, peanut butter on 100% whole wheat bread, fruit(berries, pineapple, oranges...), eggs fried in oil not butter!, 100% whole wheat English muffins.

For lunch I eat turkey on whole wheat, peanut butter on whole wheat, grilled chicken with broccoli, salad with a half tablespoon of light ranch onions spinach kale and other greens, chicken kabobs, grilled shrimp

Dinner could be a salad again, sushi, grilled chicken , shrimp stir fry with cayenne pepper, broccoli, onions, peppers, ginger root, I also use sea salt instead of regular salt!! Much healthier.  Mai Mai, Salmon.  The key is you gotta learn how to cook and eat whole clean foods!! IF you stick to whole clean foods your good to go!

Muscle I'm building

So back to the story: I remember it was somewhere at the end of January when I hit 199.  I was so happy, I was finally under 200 pounds!! I hadn't been under 200 lbs in a few years.  I was in a size 14 now, and so happy about it.  But the thing was, I wasn't stopping.  I was happy but I knew my potential was greater.  I had lost over 30lbs but that was just the beginning.  I started pumping it up, lifting more weights, eating better, I was running much more(I think my mile was around 11-12 minutes).  Instead of 3-4 days of working out it was more like 4-6 days now.  I was pumping it and pushing myself.  Every time it got easy I pushed myself another step forward.

185 pounds came and went, I joined golds gym in April and took my fitness to another step.  I started taking classes, Zumba, cycling, Pilate's, yoga, body combat! I was beginning to spend 1-3 hours in the gym daily! I Was getting stronger and leaner and happier and more confident everyday. I pushed my running further as well, I just kept pushing and pushing.  I finally hit being able to run 8 miles, and in June I did my first 5K, 39:10! Not the best, but I passed a lot of people up! My last weigh in was 159lbs!!!! I am now in a size 8, and between a small and medium shirt!! I can't believe my results.  I look back and I really don't even know who I was at the time.  The person I am not is the person I love!! I love my body, I love my heart, I love everything about who I am and I wouldn't change that for the world.  Fitness and health are a wonderful gift and I am just so blessed I have come this far.

I want to keep pushing myself until I hit 120lbs.  It's tough work and the smaller I get the harder it gets,
but I will make it!!
























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