lasheacemex’s BodyBlog

Okay I know I am not supposed to really be only relying on what the scales says but boy did I have a disappointing moment last night. My husband and I were leaving the supermarket and he decided to get on the scale. I have been feeling so good lately. I have new smaller clothes that look great and I am working hard on taking things all the way. Why the hec did I have to be like a little kid and follow his lead? I got on the scale too and it read that I was 8 lbs heavier than my home scale read just 4 days ago! I was devasted. I have been eating healthy and I have also increased the amount of cardio I have been doing, I just thought how could this be. I wouldn’t care if it read 2-5 lbs more but eight pounds?! It is that time of the month for me but I still have never seen the scale go that high just because of that. I got really scared for a minute like "oh no am I turning fat again?" I regained my rationale like 30 minutes later and realized that the state of my body is in my hands. I am never going to be a fatty fat fat again and I am the one who can and will control that. And even if it was a legitimate 8 lbs I lost about 20 lbs so I am no where near where I started. I had to do a lot of positive self talk to try to get myself together just from getting on that scale.  I refused to get on the scale once I got home because I didn’t want any chance to verify that 8 lbs. The only good thing that came from getting on that scale is that I am going to be scrutinizing even more everything I put in my mouth and I am going to be working even harder in the gym. I am still baffled at the situation.

I have been quiet for a little while but I am still working at it….hard. I am a little disappointed because everywhere else on my body is looking very slim, except for my lower abs. I have a very large bulge that is completely unnoticeable while I am clothed yet when I am undressed I am confronted with it. The good news is that I am so not discouraged and I know that I can get it flat. I am ever so grateful for the progress I have made. When I first started back in June, I was a size 10-12. Now I am a size 6! I have lost over 5 inches off my waist!! So I am very happy and proud. I am willing to do what it takes to completely reach my goals. I am making excellent progress in the gym and I have never been as athletic in my life as I am right now. I love working out and I even love eating right. Most of times, at least when I am not confronted with food obstacles. For the most part though I am not even taken out by temptation anymore. My new goal is to get exactly where I want to be by the end of the year and I am fully persuaded, based on how far I have already come that I will certainly achieve my goals. One annoying thing though is that when people see how much weight I have lost they are like "man you are skinny!" I don’t think saying something like that is any different than somebody saying something like "man you are fat!" It is kind of rude. And to top it off I am not even skinny. I just haven’t bought a complete new wardrobe yet so some of my clothes are pretty roomy. Luckily for me that kind of talk just fuels my motivation even more because everybody who says that to me is overweight…go figure. LOL!

Last week I stopped the eating plan that I had been on for about 12 weeks. I got a lot of results with that eating plan. I read somewhere that it is good to switch things up after about 12 weeks to shock the body. Well I did that and have seen great results in the last week. On top of that since I’ve joined the gym, it has given me the opportunity to do exercises I was unable to do before and I’m sure that is another reason my body is changing before my eyes.  In just a short time I’ve found that my body is capable of way more than I ever expected and it actually feels good to safely challenge myself. Even when I’m huffing to get through one last rep. : )  I am concerned now about "cutting" and "bulking" though.  It just makes sense that one will not be able to eat the same for "cutting" as for "bulking". I want to lean out and get rid of the rest of the flab on my body but I also want to get firm and build sexy muscle. Is it possible to do this simultaneously? Do I have to absolutely wait until all the fat is off before I start focusing on building muscle? Is it even good to lift weights in the capacity that I am if my caloric intake is for fat burning? The good news is I listen to my body and I certainly am not trying to abuse it for the sake of results. I am taking my time to make sure I am not comprimising the muscle I do have or hurt myself in some way because I absolutely love working out nowadays and I have to be careful not to overdo it.   Sometimes the "science" behind all of this can get tricky but I am so into this lifestyle that I am up for the challenge. Right now it isn’t even just about the results of what my body looks like and feels but it is just the power of inspiration that other people get by my example of taking control of my health. Besides it is fun! : )

Last Saturday my husband and I finally joined the gym! Up until last week I was using workout DVDs and my treadmill. Which has been working out pretty well. But everyday I am like aiming higher and the heaviest weights I have in my house are 15 pounds. I know if I really want to grow in strength and see some serious results I am going to have to increase the weight. The other thing is the gym has so many machines and options. On my first day I was a little intimidated because I was like "how the hec do you use that?" to almost every machine. But husband was there and I had a ball! Come to find out I can do more than I thought. Now I can’t stay out of that place and it seems like I am going to be the proverbial "gym rat".

I am super excited because I lost another pound and a half ( can’t leave off that 1/2 pound) and another inch off my waist and an inch off my hips. But lately I have been hungry as all get out. This past week, on most days with the exception of like Thursday and Friday I worked out twice a day. Maybe that’s why my butt is hungry? I really don’t know. Regardless I am still pressing forward and dealing with the hunger one day at a time. This week I am going to pay close attention to everything I am doing to try to determine why I was more hungry this week then I have been in a while.  This is going on week 2 of my second 6 week cycle and I am confident that I can stay on track. My constant progress is motivating me everyday. Not to mention the motivation I am giving other people in my life is also empowering and kind of serves like some type of accountability. I have a long way to go but I have come a very long way too and everyday I am grateful to God what I have accomplished thus far.

This weekend marked the end of my 6 week eating plan that I can most definitely credit my 10 lb lost to. (Big shout out to my boy Jarueba!) But this is really so the beginning. I have always had a passion for eating healthy and fitness and health. However my lack of results all of these years was so discouraging. Now that I actually see results I feel unstoppable! I am doing another 6 week cycle until I lose another 15 lbs of fat. I took my motivation to a whole other level when I bought the sexiest swimsuit I’ve ever owned from Victoria’s Secret last week.  My body may not be completely ready for the swimsuit yet but I am fully persuaded that it will be in no time. I plan on increasing my exercise as some weeks I am exercising 5 times a week and some maybe 4 times. The eating has been pretty easy to stick to. As long as I am eating every 2 to 3 hours I am good and don’t become a victim to too much temptation. My husband and I plan to join a gym in the next upcoming weeks so that also is super exciting. I am hooked! Now that I know why I wasn’t seeing results with what I was doing previously, the flames have reignited between myself and fitness. My whole thought process has changed and I am ready for this lifetime journey of health and wellness. Oh and I am so looking forward to never seeing the former chunky girl ever again!! No matter what.

I am so proud of myself. Since I really, really started getting serious 4 weeks ago when I started a nutrition plan from Taylored Nutrition my biggest concern was how I was going to overcome obstacles. I frequently thought about this particular holiday weekend as every year my husband and I visit my lovely grandparents to celebrate. I have overcome every other minor obstacle these last couple of weeks but spending the weekend at my grandparents’ just seemed to intimidate me the most. First of all my granny keeps MAD cakes, cookies, chips, candy and ice-cream in her house. She often tells me that she ONLY has one dessert a day herself. WOW! On top of the fact that the temptation is around she basically doesn’t get my efforts because I am the smallest person in my family. WOW again. Anyway I had the revelation   a couple of weeks ago that the journey is almost more of a psychological one rather than a physical one. It seems harder to change your prospective about health and fitness than to actually eat clean and exercise.  After an email from my "fitness/nutrition coach" I also realized how we give food way too many props. It isn’t even that serious half the time. I am so focused I am not even tempted like that. I DON’T have to have anything. I am not going to die if I reject that piece of cake. I am pretty much still following my plan, eating every 2 to 3 hours and that in itself is helping me to feel satisfied and not seeking any "unclean" foods to indulge in. Not to mention when talking to my fitness coach earlier this week he’s like if you want something eat it just basically don’t overdo it. That comment in itself changed everything for me. I didn’t feel "restricted". It didn’t seem like such a big deal. He also said food isn’t the problem the way people perceive food is. Overindulging is a problem. That too as simple as it seems was way profound to me. I haven’t even struggled and I have been here since Thursday night. Usually the minute I walk in the door my granny is offering all types of foods and "comfort" foods as that is her way of expressing her love for us. And I always receive her offerings. : ) I have still exercised and eaten clean. Still drinking my water and taking my supplements. No big deal. It is about adaptability. But I guess like everything else you want what you think you can’t have and it is almost like since my converstation with my fitness/nutrition coach It’s just not that serious! I have goals I am working on and quite frankly I want to achieve my fitness goals and maintain them way more than the instant gratification of foods…in particular for me sweets.

I weigh myself and take my hip and waist measurement every Sunday for my fitness coach. This week I didn’t lose any weight but I did lose an inch from my hips and an inch from my waist. I am excited about that. I almost got carried away and was disappointed when I saw the scale didn’t move but when I measured myself that confirmed that there was definitely progress this last week. This week starts week 4 of my 6 week eating program. I am motivated enough to do what I have to do to maintain whatever weight loss occurred and to achieve more fat loss. However I often wonder "what next" after the 6 weeks? I am going to take this all the way and I can accept that there are changes in my lifestyle that have taken place that will keep me from ever being the girl I was…weight wise, shapewise and my mentality about all of that in general. I am concluding that I just have to take it one day at a time. I will approach "what next"? after the 6 weeks is over. In the meantime I have been consistent with my exercising and eating and have definitely been seeing results. It is tempting to want to see results quick fast and in a hurry but I know my eating and exercising is a thing that are always going to have to remain constant if I want to be set apart from the rest permanently.

I am excited because I lost 4.2 pounds last week and another inch off of my waist. I am still in shock at losing that much weight in such a short period of time. I used to think I was like the Slimquick commercial where the cartoon talks about everything she does to barely get one pound off while her husband simply stops drinking soda and loses like 10 pounds. It is amazing how seeking help, tweaking things up a little and getting on bodyspace has changed my prospective completely. As I said  I am elated yet taking it slow as I know this is a lifetime experience and maintenance is going to be crucial for my permanent success. In addition to my eating clean I have been doing full body resistance training 3 x a week and cardio 3-4 times a week. I’m getting stronger and feeling more energized daily! And I really like exercising. That is 6.2 pounds down and 2 inches just since June 8th. Looking forward to what the upcoming weeks are going to bring. I have gone from just losing weight, to wanting to lose fat, to wanting to gain muscle to transforming my body. Oh and I also have just noticed that I have nice shoulders. : )

My schedule at work was hectic today but I still didn’t let any obstacles stop me from eating my meals and drinking my water. I am seeing subtle yet noticeable changes in my body which makes my eating restrictions worth it and makes me push harder during my workouts. I am realizing that in order to lose fat and stay fit there are more than physical adjustments that need to be made, such as eating healthy and exercising. I am realizing the lifestyle really starts in the mind. You truly have to consciously choose to be set apart from the rest and really not make excuses for falling off the wagon. Obstacles are everywhere! Family and friends are not supportive and it is merely ignorance not even that they don’t care or that they WANT you to be fat and unhealthy they just don’t get it. But even aside from the obstacle of people not understanding, it takes some real serious mental agility and determination.The want for it  has to be greater than the snack temptations, the opinions of those who don’t understand and even the hard workouts. But I am so MOTIVATED.  I’m in no rush and I have never felt more confident that I really can and more importantly will do this. I know everyday won’t be easy but I have made my mind up.  : )