Transformation Tuesday: Seven Months Later

Like a lot of women out there, I’ve been battling my weight for a long time. It started with pregnancy weight, and then there came stress weight (the life of a military wife), and then the weight just kept piling on.

I remember the first time I had to try on a pair of jeans with a double digit size. I practically cried in the dressing room. And then the sizes just kept getting bigger. I started tracking my BMI (body mass index) and had another break down when my BMI said I was no longer just overweight, but I was obese.

OBESE. I am 5’3” and weighed 185lbs.

Before: Feb 2012

I told my husband, who just stared at me. I don’t think the poor guy knew what to say. I held myself together long enough to beat a hasty retreat to my bedroom, where I had one heck of a freak out.

I felt like I had tried everything, and nothing worked. I had completed P90X and only lost 10lbs for pete’s sake! What more could I do? Every time I lost ANY weight, I gained it all back (usually with a few more for good luck, it seemed).

I was trying to exercise at least 3 times a week. I cut my portion sizes. I didn’t snack after supper. I thought I was doing it right. Later I found out, I was only doing it half-right.

Little did I realize the struggle my husband was having with his own weight. In the Marine Corps he was always pushing his weight limit, and like just about every other guy that gets out of the military, he let himself go a bit. He tried working out with me before, but always quit on me within a couple weeks.

Of course, without support, I quit too. I quit Insanity--twice.

Then one day in December, The Hubbs surprised me. He surprised me with Focus T25. We were gonna do it. We were going to get in shape, once and for all. We were going all in. We did the 7 Day Quick Start with the meal plan. Boy, did it make a difference!

I only lost 3lbs, but The Hubbs lost about 5. The benefit wasn’t in a jumpstart in our weight loss, it was getting our bodies used to eating differently and learning the moves in the videos.

We saw a new part of each other during T25. Some of it was great. Some of it wasn’t so pretty. I guess I get pretty intense when I sweat. But it was worth it. It was SO worth it.

We learned to eat clean (cleanER, anyway). We got into the habit of exercising 6-7 days a week. We finished the WHOLE program (a feat in itself). And, (drumroll please ...) I lost 20lbs and The Hubbs lost 25lbs. What-what?!

But the best part was, it didn’t stop there. We took what we started with T25 and let the ball keep rolling. I went on to Insanity and finally finished it! The Hubbs went to the gym to bulk up. I lost another 15lbs and he gained back almost everything he lost (at least it was all muscle this time--hubba hubba!).

I’m doing Brazil Butt Lift right now. I’ve only lost a couple pounds with this program, but, man, there has been a transformation in my body. And even more than that, there has been a transformation in ME. I’ve learned so much in the last 7mos. It’s not just how MUCH you put in your body. It’s WHAT you put in your body. Exercise isn’t just going through the motions. It’s about giving all you’ve got and then some. And most importantly--results don’t come easy. There is no quick fix. Especially not a permanent fix.

I’ve lost close to 40lbs, but I’m not done. There is still work to do. There are still things I WANT to do! I’d still like to lose another 10lbs. I want to become a runner. I want to do a Tough Mudder event. And I want to help others FEEL the way that I feel right now. I want to help YOU feel the way I feel right now.

Much Love,

You can join me on Facebook or Twitter.

Jesse's Girl vs the Scale & the Tape & the Grocery Store

So, I've been absent for awhile. Not gonna lie, I'm going through some things. Number one being it's still winter. (I'm so ready for July, it's not even funny.) Number two is this diet lifestyle change that The Hubbs and I have been doing.

And that's where the story starts ...

Obviously it didn't happen overnight, but my Oh Damn moment happened in early December. I stepped on the scale and it read 185 pounds. (Then the thing mocked me by asking if I wanted to save my weight to a profile. Yeah, right.) One Hundred Eighty-Five Pounds. The only time I have ever weighed that much was when I was 8-9 months pregnant with my third child. (At least then I got a cute little baby out of it.)

I was the heaviest I have ever been. (And on the frame of a 5'3" Asian woman? Not the prettiest picture.) I was so overweight, I fit the parameters for taking Lipozene--that was a depressing thought. I almost seriously considered quitting eating all together, but, let's face it, I like food too much.

On a whim (which he has many of), The Hubbs ordered Shaun T's Focus T25 (Late at night, while watching the infomercial--but that's another story.) without telling me. Apparently The Hubbs had an Oh Damn moment of his own and thought this would be good for both of us. (Isn't there a thing about husbands buying exercise related things for their wives???)

We did the Quick Start program. We bought supplements. We cut our calories. We got super cute workout clothes. We cleaned up our eating. The Hubbs started taking Sports Nutrition classes. We're lucky we haven't floated away with all the water we drink. We are the annoying couple that doesn't go out to eat, because figuring out what won't ruin our eating plan is a pain in the ass.

It's now been a little over two months. I've lost almost 25 pounds. That's amazing. That's a significant amount of weight loss. That is a major accomplishment. Until a couple days ago, when I realized (again) that I had an extra 25 pounds to lose. And, I have about 30 more to go. That's depressing.

I've reached an impasse in my mental turmoil. On the one hand, I'm really proud of myself for putting in all the hard work (and reading all those food labels is HARD WORK) and getting results. But then on the other hand, I'm really disappointed in myself for letting things get so far out of hand. I've done P90X. I've done Insanity. How did this happen?!

So that's where we are today. I've dropped two pant sizes. I've gotten rid of my old jeans. I still struggle with what to make at almost every meal. And I have one cheat item every day. Usually it's chocolate. I've been sick. The kids have been sick. The Hubbs is just getting over being sick. We made it through the holidays without gaining, luckily. And it took until well into the New Year for me to finally come to terms with the idea that I cannot compare my husband's weight loss with my own. Also, I gave in to the scale and I record my weight loss (and inches lost) every week.

That next 30 pounds? I hope to have it gone by the time I finish Insanity. Wish me luck!

Also,

Much Love,

Still Baby Weight, or Just Fat?

There are MILLIONS of women across the United States that have given birth. And of those MILLIONS, there are still MILLIONS of us that are unhappy with our bodies. It’s no joke, growing a baby wreaks havoc on your body. I gained anywhere from fifteen to forty pounds every time I was pregnant.

So here is the question I pose: When does baby weight become just plain fat? 

I love and adore my daughters. They are truly my sunshine--most days, anyway ... After every birth, I’ve lost some of the weight. Usually not ALL of it, though. And, I still have yet to lose the weight gained from carrying my youngest.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m a weak-minded person. I don’t have much as far as willpower and self-discipline. (Hello? Can’t say no to my husband, remember?) If I want a piece of chocolate cake with double fudge frosting, odds are, I’m gonna eat it.

I try to exercise everyday, on top of my normal physical activity chasing kids and dogs around. So, while I’m not LOSING weight, at least I’m not GAINING any, either. As of my last weigh in, I am about forty-five pounds overweight. That’s obese, people! Yikes!

Seeing as my youngest daughter is three, has too much time passed for me to call it baby weight? I know, I’m pulling at some pretty flimsy strings trying to blame this on pregnancy. But come on, if I say it was the baby, then it can’t be MY fault, right?

I ask, because (1) I really wish I could still call it baby weight, and (2) I know someone that was incredibly overweight at the age of sixteen and tried to convince everyone that she was still heavy from when she actually WAS a baby. I think they made a saying for her: “That’s not baby fat, that’s just FAT BABY.”

That was harsh, sorry, but while I’m just being silly, she was serious.

Losing weight on my own is hard! Kudos to everyone that is able to do it. I have so much admiration and respect for people that can lose weight by eating right and exercising. I think about not having chips and soda, and I have a physical reaction. My heart starts racing and I begin to panic. Yes, the idea of not having junk food gives me anxiety.

And here we are, back at willpower again. I wish it were that easy for me to cut out sugar and carbs. I would be SO much smaller if it were. But, alas, it’s not. (I’m the fatty on the couch watching The Biggest Loser, while chowing on buttery popcorn. Sad face ... ) I learned about this new concept that seems to be working for me, though: Portion sizes.

Did you know there are certain AMOUNTS of food that you’re supposed to eat? And crazy enough, 16 ounces of Ribeye steak is too much. Dang. No, seriously, I’ve started watching my portions. I’m weighing and measuring, and putting food on a smaller plate. I’ve been doing it so long that my stomach has stopped complaining about not being constantly stretched to the limit. That huge steak? Now it’s two meals-SCORE!

But I digress. I guess they say that it took about nine months to put on the weight, so you should count on about that long to take all the weight off. Since my nine months was over two years ago, I think I might be pushing the baby weight claim.

This is my story, though; I’m gonna stick to it. At least until someone calls, “Shenanigans!” And after that, I guess I will have to start making dates with Tony Horton. I hope that’s still a ways down the road ... I’m not in the mood to “bring it” any time soon. (another sad face ...)