New Year, New Me.

In November, I discussed my weight loss journey. Now, I'm back with an update on fitness tips, my body, and motivation. So, far I have lost thirteen pounds, going from 186-173lbs. My weight loss goal is 140 pounds. I plan to be at my goal by March 1st! "I changed my lifestyle because I want to live longer, have more energy, have better skin, avoid diabetes, cancer, heart disease etc. and look good naked! :-)"

What I do:

Workout: 1 hour a day, min 3 days a week and max 5 days. I usually take a day of rest every other day if I choose to workout 3 days a week. For a 5 days a week workout, I will exercise 3 days in a row, one day of rest, and 2 days in a row back in the gym, than rest. My personal preference is working out 5 days a week. However, with my workload and school schedule for the past few weeks I've been doing 3 days a week and my results have declined. 

My Workout Plan:

20 squats

30 lunges

10 calf raises

50 sec wall st

30 leg raises

20 chin-ups

50-100 crunches

Treadmill

Elliptical 

My suggestion: workout 5 days a week!!

Eat healthy: I had to discipline myself so that I wouldn't make eating right a choice, but a lifestyle. My first step: Changing my grocery list! If junk food isn't in my reach I know that eventually I'll forget about it. (logically speaking, it takes 28 days to break a habit, I've been on this journey since November)..  I also had to cutback on eating out. (which was hard, living in a dorm with a terrible cafe). But it's possible, I bought a hotplate pots, and pans and did what I had to, NO EXCUSES! 

My grocery list:

Bell Peppers

Onions

Olive Oil

Green Tea

Tazo tea

Water

Lemon Juice

Lettuce

Apples                                                      

Oranges 

Mangoes

Brown Rice

Banana Chips

Dried Cranberries

Yogurt Covered Cranberries         

Eggs

Light Soymilk

Raisin Bagels

Potatoes

Tilapia

Salmon

Turkey 

skinless chicken breast

broccoli

flax seeds

olives

avocado

light butter (low in cholestrol)

feta cheese

blue cheese

Spinach

Grapes

Dates

Granola 

L-R: Olives (target store), water bottle is lemon juice and water DETOX, spinach and feta cheese omelet, healthy snack, banana chips

L-R: Lipton tea, Kashi granola cereal, Nestle drinking water

helpful apps: Spark recipes, and calorie counter

Detox: I detox at least twice a week. In order, to get healthy you have to get unhealthy. My favorite is the lemon juice and water.  Flush all the unwanted waste from your body, greasy foods, junk foods, etc. Also, I have eliminated beef from my diet, since it takes longer to digest than turkey. Beef sits on the stomach causing that excess bulge that is so hard to get rid of. One of my favorite foods is hamburgers, but I had to leave that behind because as much as I love burgers, I love me more. 

Self Motivation: In order to achieve anything you must think it first. Come up with a plan and execute it! Through Rain, sleet, and snow I still make it to the gym. However, before I had access to a workout facility I used in home videos, apps on my iPhone, and nature to help achieve my goals. I would run the "Big Dam Bridge", walk around the track of my school gym, and do yoga right in my suite. My slogan is "have a summer body all year around." In fact, old pictures are sometimes enough motivation to keep the weight off. My recommendation is to always track your progress, if you see just a pound drop that means there a more pounds to shed. Good luck!!

Suggested Instagram Pages to follow for healthy eating and motivational quotes:

1. fightforfit

2.instagramfitness
3. drcmd (me)

My Progress (Pictures):

Top: November, Left: about a week ago, Bottom: Goal!

This coat made me look 3 times bigger, but the style was to sag, not fit, I started to let myself go. Glad I caught myself, I'll never lose me again.  (Right side: October, Left side: December)

My face begin to clear up, no more outbreaks. Why?No more  pop/soda! Water only, or tea if I really need flavor (don't use too much sugar!)


P.S. Congrats to my President Barack Obama, I am very proud of him! I hope the Obama's enjoy their day of history!!