mind-spirit-body

[mind-spirit-body]

11/1/24

5 months postpartum

Start weight: 239.3

November Goal #1: 235

November Goal #2: 230

End Goal: 200

Stretch Goal: 180

When I ended off last year, I got down to a low of 210 lbs before getting pregnant. The point of the weight loss was not only to get healthier, stronger, and build confidence, but to also be healthy enough to carry a baby. My husband and I had been married for almost 2 years and we had been trying for a little over a year. I had issues with my monthly cycle and had been off birth control for over a year. About 2 or 3 months after quitting my birth control that I had been on for almost 12 years, my cycle just stopped. For reference, I got off birth control in August 2022, had a period for September and October, and then completely stopped in November. I didn't have a period from November 2022 to April 2023. I had to go to the OB/GYN to take medication to jumpstart my period. At that time, I knew I needed to make a change for good.

I started my weight loss journey again in May 2023 because I thought my weight, eating habits, and exercise were part of the reason behind my irregular cycle. That was when I dropped down from almost 270 to 210 between May 2023 and October 2023. I was consistently losing about 10 pounds each month through monitoring my eating, exercising, drinking plenty of water, and it didn't hurt that my husband was on board with me (he went from 315 to 260 during this time too). The biggest thing was cooking more homemade meals that were high in protein.

Then I finally got pregnant in October 2023. Of course, I gained weight back (so did my husband) and we're starting back again albeit not as high as we were in the beginning. I had my little nugget in May 2024. He was almost a month early but completely healthy and a good weight. Now, my goal is to get back down to the weight I was back in October of 2023 and then lose 20-30 lbs beyond that in preparation for baby #2.

Here's to starting the journey again!

[mind-spirit-body]

10/13/23

At my last check-in, I had gone up a little in weight, but I'm currently sitting at 211.8 lbs. That's the lowest I've been in about 5 years and it's a far cry from the 267.6 lbs I was back in the beginning of June this year.

I'm starting to get compliments from people around work and from my family about my weight loss. Being taller for a woman, I was always told that I carry my weight well so I think it's taken a little longer for people to notice my weight loss. I feel like I carry most of it in my hips and upper back/chest area.

I've been taking my measurements as well. I took measurements at the end of August and the beginning of October. I'll have to share them because I think it shows where most of the weight is coming off.

I think the most important thing is that I'm sleeping better. Before, I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, but I can tell it's getting better.

[mind-spirit-body]

10/7/23

Time for a brief update!

Well, my weight has been fluctuating this week. I've gone up to 215.9 lbs. I've been doing my strength training for a solid week with one rest day so I'm hoping some of this is due to building lean muscle. I'm pretty confident I'll be back down to 212.8 lbs by the end of next week.

I'm going to try a new recipe today for high protein Philly Cheesesteak. I have a lot of meal prepping to do for the next week today and I'm hoping that'll keep me motivated and focused on my goals.

[mind-spirit-body]

Baked Zucchini and Chicken Parm

This is one of my go-to high protein/low calorie meals. It's super easy to make. You simply stack the ingredients on top of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Fold the parchment paper over the stack of food and roll it tight to seal it in. Bake it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes depending on your thickness of chicken.

Here's the ingredients:

4 oz. Skinless Chicken Breast

1/2 Large Zucchini chopped

2 Tbsp Marinara Pasta Sauce

2 Tbsp Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 tsp Parmesan Cheese

Add any seasonings you want to your heart's desire. I generally add seasonings that don't add calories or they're negligible. I do a spritz of olive oil as well.

Here's the breakdown:

Calories: 283

Protein: 43.7 g

Carbs: 8.8 g

Fat: 9.8 g

[mind-spirit-body]

Consistency is key.

[mind-spirit-body]

October Body Goals

Starting Weight: 213.1 lbs

Monthly Goal Weight: 203.1 lbs

Ultimate Monthly Goal: 200 lbs

It's the beginning of October, my favorite time of the year! My current weight is 213.1 lbs which is a great starting weight for me. My monthly goal is to lose 10 lbs but I'd love to end the month at 200 lbs or less. Either way, I'll be happy to reach my normal goal.

My other goals that don't involve the scale are these:

Strength Training - I want to finally complete the 30 days of strength training on my strength training app. I've been doing it sporadically (at least 3x/week) but not in a consistent manner. The program is meant to be followed over 30 days. Generally you workout for three days in a row and have a rest day and it goes like that over the course of 30 days. I think I could benefit more from doing this and increase my strength and muscle mass. Lean muscle is important to keep my metabolism burning. Also, I hear it helps with tightening loose skin that may occur with significant weight loss.

Yoga - In addition to strength training, I want to get back into yoga. I used to do yoga a lot when I was in college and I was rather good at it. Mainly I'd like to increase my flexibility. I think it would help with my strength training exercising and keeping form. Also, I want to do it for the meditative aspect as well. I want to start with once a week.

More Green Tea - This might seem like a strange goal but hear me out! I love coffee like the next person and often drink it in the morning. However, I discovered some articles recently that talked about while coffee is great at curbing your hunger and giving you energy, the amount of caffeine is high enough to mess with your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone that makes it a little harder to get rid of stubborn fat. So, they say green tea is a better alternative. I did start drinking green tea in the mornings over my usual coffee and I've been losing a little more weight. I still have my coffee on Sunday mornings, but I think green tea will be better for my hormones overall. I drink mine unsweetened and yes, it's an acquired taste.

Those are the things that I want to improve on for this month. The strength training app I use is "Lose Weight in 30 Days" on my phone because I like the interface, it's free, and I don't have to use weights. Sometimes I just want to my workout at home in front of my T.V.

Bring it on October!

[mind-spirit-body]

September Results

The results are in!

Starting Weight: 226.3 lbs

Ending Weight: 214.4 lbs

Total Lost: 11.9 lbs

My monthly goal is to lose 10 pounds and I surpassed that so I'm really proud of myself!

[mind-spirit-body]

9/28/23

Time for a little update:

CW: 216.1 lbs

I took an extra day before posting because I wanted to make sure it was new weight that stuck. I'm down another pound! I am so proud of myself for this!

I feel like I'm making the progress that I should. After taking a week off my strength training, I started it back yesterday. I'm feeling great and I've noticed that I'm able to do more with my body that I have before. Yesterday was a huge lunge day on my strength training app so I powered through it, but also took my time ensuring that I got the deepest lunge I could get. I felt like taking my time made it more enjoyable because I wasn't just going through the motions to get to the finish line. I was being conscious of my body the entire time and it felt like a more fulfilling workout.

While I want to lose weight to look better, I also want to feel better. It's important to me that even if the number on the scale doesn't move, that I'm feeding my body the way I should to increase lean muscle.

I'd love to lose at least 1 more pound before the end of this month, but I'm looking forward to what October will bring! Of course, my goal is the same from month to month: 10 lbs/month. I hit September's goal already and will officially post the results on Saturday.

Now, time to drink my green tea!

[mind-spirit-body]

friendly reminder

🌸 you don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight

🌸 listen to your body. eat when you’re hungry

🌸 exercise is not one size fits all. do what feels good for you

🌸 weight loss is your choice and yours alone

🌸 your weight is no one’s business but yours

🌸 your weight does not define your worth

🌸 your weight does not define your worth

[mind-spirit-body]

9/25/23

Down from 218.5 to 217.4 lbs.

It's crazy. While I set goals in 20 lb increments, one of my smaller goals is to lose at least 2 lbs/week and shoot for 10 lbs/month. This is the only way I know how to hold myself accountable. When I hit 216, I'll officially be down 10 lbs this month which is awesome for me.

But the biggest achievement overall is that I'm down 50 lbs since the beginning of June this year. I never thought I'd see that kind of weight loss again because I felt so hopeless.

Every time I feel like giving up, I just tell myself to look at how far I've come. It's the best motivation I have. I only have 17 more pounds to go before I'm out of the 200s and that is a huge deal for me. Perhaps I'll buy myself some new clothes when that happens. It's starting to feel more attainable each day.

[mind-spirit-body]

Successful weight loss isn't diet and exercise. It's discipline and willpower.

[mind-spirit-body]

9/24/23

Current weight: 218.5 lbs

2nd Goal: 220 lbs

3rd Goal: 200 lbs

I've done it! It's been years since I've been this weight. I think the last time was back in 2018. A lot happened that year...

I started gaining a lot of weight in 2018. I ballooned from a healthy 160 lbs up to over 200 lbs. Then in 2019 I got to my heaviest weight yet. Not to make excuses for myself, but this was around the time my relationship with a narcissist was ending. A person who told me when I went from 160 lbs to 170 lbs that I was "getting fat." A person who when I started working out told me that they couldn't tell. And then when I was depressed and eating more, and did eventually get to my heaviest, told me that no one would love me.

When I finally stood up for myself, it pissed them off. Eventually, I came to the realization that they were projecting their own insecurities onto me. They said those things to me because it was easier than saying it to themselves. My love for them turned into pity.

I met my husband at my heaviest weight. He's one of the reasons I want to be healthier. Not only for him, but for us and any future children we decide to have. My husband deserves to see me the way I was before all the trauma. It's not fair that I spent my healthy years with such a toxic person.

And the real icing on the cake is, I saw my ex after COVID once and karma was a real bitch. For someone who called me fat at my lowest weight, he sure found all the weight I've lost.

[mind-spirit-body]

9/22/23

I've almost surpassed my 2nd goal for my weight loss journey. I'm only half a pound shy of 220. I'm so close that I can almost taste it and the motivation for it is so sweet! I keep setting my goals 20 pounds down to help with encouragement. 20 pounds is a lot to lose for each goal but I feel so accomplished when I surpass it.

While hitting the numbers are great, my ultimate motivation is a full body transformation before a cruise in January and my husband's brother's wedding in February. My husband's family has never seen me thin. They've never even seen me at the weight I currently am. I don't see them often, but I want people to gasp when they do. I want them to say things like "I can't believe how much you've changed!"

I don't know why, but that validation for all my hard work just feels so good. This isn't the first time I've been on a weight loss journey. Life gets in the way sometimes. But this time feels different. This time feels like I'm heading in the right direction.

My clothes are getting baggier. They're starting to fall off. My rings are too big for my fingers and even the temporary ring I bought is starting to loosen. I'm not as winded when I go for walks or hike. I'm not out of breath just from walking and talking with friends. My self esteem is going up. It's going to be awesome going through my old bag of clothes to see which clothes I fit in again. There was a dress that I really loved that I was going to take to Goodwill because I felt like I would never fit in it again...but now...maybe I will in the next couple of months.

Only time and discipline will tell.

[mind-spirit-body]

[mind-spirit-body]

Chopped Wrap

1 Joseph Lavash Bread Sheet

2 Romaine Lettuce Leaves

1/2 Cup of Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Roma Tomato

2 oz. Deli Ham (I use Kroger Black Forest Ham)

3 oz. Grilled Chicken Slices (I buy these frozen and air fry until warm)

1 Serving Turkey Pepperoni (about 15 slices)

2 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp Honey Mustard

Chop all veggies and meats together. Store in mayonnaise, honey mustard, and cheese. Place all ingredients into the Lavash bread and roll into a wrap.

Calories: 591

Carbs: 32g

Protein: 57g

Fat: 23g

This is one of my favorite meals because it's so filling! It makes a rather large wrap so you can cut it in half and eat each half at different meals. It keeps very well in the fridge and helps to get your veggies and protein in.

I use a kitchen scale for the meat ingredients. It's very helpful. If you want to cut some calories, you can skip the cheese and reduce the sauces.

[mind-spirit-body]

9/9/23

I've had a pretty awesome morning despite having to work at the crack of dawn every Saturday for my job. Here's why:

9/8/23: 225.2 lbs

9/9/23: 223.6 lbs

I've finally broken my 225 plateau! It's not a real plateau since a real one generally lasts for 6-8 weeks according to studies, but being stuck at the same weight for a little over a week sucks. Let's be honest. If you're on a weight loss journey, it's hard seeing your weight stay the same or actually gain.

I weigh myself every day to keep myself accountable. There are so many factors that can mess with the numbers on the scale, especially if you have a menstrual cycle. I've had to incorporate different things to confuse my body whenever I hit one of these "plateaus." Either I have to do more strength training, cardio, restrict calories, intermittent fast, or some sort of combination. For this one, I switched my intermittent fast times from eating in the latter half of the day to an eating window in the morning. I also had to incorporate more strength training which was where my phone app "Lose Weight in 30 Days" came in handy. Believe me when I say I've been sore for a couple of days, but sometimes you have to put on some lean muscle to get your metabolism back into gear.

I plan on continuing down this path until I hit my next "plateau" which is inevitable. Instead of being upset about day to day changes on the scale if I gain, I use my Fitbit to help track my weekly weight average which has generally been a loss of 2 lbs each week.

I'm almost to my 2nd goal weight of 220. Once I reach it, my next goal is 200. It's been years since I've been this weight at the moment and that's a huge win. My husband and I are getting ready to go on a cruise for his brother's bachelor/ette party in January. I want to look my best for it.

[mind-spirit-body]

9/8/23

Never underestimate a good meal. If you enjoy what you're eating, you'll have an easier time sticking to your calorie/macro intake. If you hate the taste of the 'healthy" food you're creating then you're more likely to binge leading to a downward spiral of guilt and shame. Take it one day at a time and plan your meals.

Here's my lazy chicken salad that I sometimes eat for lunch or divide into snack portions.

Lazy Chicken Salad

1 Can of Chicken (I buy Kroger brand premium chicken)

2 Tbsp of Sugar Free Sweet Relish

2 Tbsp of Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise

Calories - 420

Protein - 60g

Carbs - 7g

Fats - 14.5g

You can cut the recipe in half for a snack portion and you're still left with a high protein/low cal snack. I generally eat my chicken salad with celery sticks so I can get in some fiber. I love the sugar free sweet relish because it has no calories!

You could also eat this as a sandwich. I like to use the Keto Bread or Ole Extreme Wellness Spinach and Herb Wraps. Joseph Lavash Bread is also a good brand because half of each sheet has 6g of protein at 60 calories.