Hey guys! I feel like I haven't written a post in forever... Anyway, Happy Valentine's day! And no, this post is not going to be about dating advice, how to find the perfect one, or any of that other mushy stuff. Today I want to share with you my journey. My journey from being an obese 180 pounds (doesn't sound like much, but on a short person, it's a lot) to the healthy 130 pound girl I am today.
I had been trying to lose weight for a little while. Just shed a few pounds, eat a little healthier (and by healthier I mean smaller portions), nothing too major. Then, on my 15th birthday, I realized that I was the largest person in my group of friends. After that day, I looked in the mirror and hated everything I saw. A double chin, a bulging belly, thighs that chaffed too much to walk comfortably. And I decided to change. The very next day I started working out-- obsessively, mind you. I had no clue what I was doing, and I hurt my body a lot. I thought that I had to eat fewer calories than I burned (which I thought made sense: burn 400 calories, only eat 395. Which was COMPLETELY WRONG but I had no help, and no clue what was going on). This went on until about December ( my birthday is in October). Then my pastor got up for the New Years sermon and talked about what he had done to lose 20 pounds that year. He didn't weigh himself all month, and he just worked out and ate well. That was another of my problems- I weighed myself every single day, and focused too much on the number. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THE NUMBER DOES NOT MATTER. You are SO much more than a number, guys! You're a beautiful soul, hand crafted by God Himself! Do you realize how incredibly beautiful and handsome that makes you?! When God made you, he didn't put a sticker on your forehead with your daily weight for a reason- it simply doesn't matter. Now I'm not saying that you can't look at the number and not like it, so you decide to change. No no no. I'm saying that no matter what that number is, you're still a beautiful soul. If you want to change the outside, go for it! I believe in you! Just don't let it rule your life.
People tell you all the time that "the pounds will just FALL OFF if you take this pill" or "it's easy to lose wight with THIS NEW SURGERY". Well, I'm here to tell you the truth. That stuff doesn't work. Oh sure, they might make you lose about 10 pounds in a month- by dehydrating your body and robbing you of the nutrients you need to survive. Once you stop the pills, you gain it all right back, and then some. The weight loss surgery? Nope. If you don't put your MIND to losing weight, you can override that surgery, and gain even more weight. There is no simple fix, guys, and I'm sorry to have to be the one to slap you in the face with that truth. But I'm telling you right now-- The Journey Is Worth It.
After a few months of not really going anywhere weight-wise, I decided to get smart. I researched for hours, tried out new things, and found what I did and didn't like. I did like walking, I didn't like running. I did like pilates, I didn't like weight training. I did like eating healthier, I didn't like eating LESS. People would call me obsessed- I called it dedication. I was DEDICATED, heart, mind, and soul, to reaching my goal. Some people just don't understand that. Pretty soon, the number stopped dropping. I leveled out at about 155 lbs, and I still wasn't happy. So I did the only thing that was right for me- I became a pesco-vegetarian. I only ate fish, and I mean tuna and salmon. The rest of the time I focused on being completely vegetarian- Lacto- ovo (which means I still ate eggs and drank milk). I was vegetarian for almost 2 years when I decided that i wanted to try something a little more "extreme', as some might call it. I decided to go... duh duh duh... Vegan. Yes, I said it. Hardcore, extremist, vegan. However, I am not like that anymore! After being vegan for about 10 months, I had to revert back to vegetarianism because of a mission trip to Thailand. Since then, I have stayed vegetarian, only going vegan for one week every month to kind of cleanse my system.
I think the most important part of this journey was learning to love health and fitness. The goal is no longer to be thin. It's to stay active and be as healthy as possible. I want to live every day to the fullest, so I don't want anything getting in my way. I started running last spring, and I have the long term goal of someday running a half marathon. But for now, I just enjoy simple 5Ks that benefit charities. I don't know if you've ever heard of her, but I love Cassey Ho, the creator of POPpilates. Look her up on YouTube! The most fun you'll ever have dying. I also love yoga, and I teach one 90- minute session every Monday to my best friend. I would love to someday become a personal trainer or yoga instructor, as well as a missionary.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, losing weight is a process. A journey, and a wonderful experience. It's not easy, and the beginning is probably going to suck majorly. But If you just hang in there, if you just see it for what it really is, I know you can do it. But guys... It's gotta be a lifestyle change. And I know you always hear that, and it's super cliche, but it's true. You've got to keep it up and maintain it. So if you want my personal tips on how to lose weight, here they are:
1) Don't depend on a scale.
2) Don't starve yourself.
3) Add lemon to your water- and no sugar. FRESH lemon. As in, buy the whole lemon and squeeze a little bit out.
4) Start where you're comfortable. Don't push yourself too hard. That being said, it IS important to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone. But take baby steps- you don't want to exhaust your body or scare yourself away from the journey.
5) Take progress pictures. Also don't rely on these, though.
6) If you feel uncomfortable doing this by yourself, find a workout buddy! Two are always better (and more fun!) than one.
7) Try to go organic as often as possible. I'm so dedicated to organic foods that I bought a bottle of orange juice last week that was $6.19... And I only got about 6-7 glasses out of it.
8) Try one new healthy food each week. Maybe you've never tried tofu (check out my recipe!), or Asian pears, or anything! Try and make it as fun as possible, and as healthy as possible.
9) Try and be active every day. Even if it's just a 30 minute walk around the block after school, it makes a difference.
10) SLEEP. Don't deprive your body of the sleep it needs! Sleep lets your mind refresh itself and work out all the problems you face in daily life, and it allows your muscles to repair and rebuild themselves.
And there you have it! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me or leave a comment in the comment section below! I believe in you guys. Now you have to believe in yourselves.
I had been trying to lose weight for a little while. Just shed a few pounds, eat a little healthier (and by healthier I mean smaller portions), nothing too major. Then, on my 15th birthday, I realized that I was the largest person in my group of friends. After that day, I looked in the mirror and hated everything I saw. A double chin, a bulging belly, thighs that chaffed too much to walk comfortably. And I decided to change. The very next day I started working out-- obsessively, mind you. I had no clue what I was doing, and I hurt my body a lot. I thought that I had to eat fewer calories than I burned (which I thought made sense: burn 400 calories, only eat 395. Which was COMPLETELY WRONG but I had no help, and no clue what was going on). This went on until about December ( my birthday is in October). Then my pastor got up for the New Years sermon and talked about what he had done to lose 20 pounds that year. He didn't weigh himself all month, and he just worked out and ate well. That was another of my problems- I weighed myself every single day, and focused too much on the number. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THE NUMBER DOES NOT MATTER. You are SO much more than a number, guys! You're a beautiful soul, hand crafted by God Himself! Do you realize how incredibly beautiful and handsome that makes you?! When God made you, he didn't put a sticker on your forehead with your daily weight for a reason- it simply doesn't matter. Now I'm not saying that you can't look at the number and not like it, so you decide to change. No no no. I'm saying that no matter what that number is, you're still a beautiful soul. If you want to change the outside, go for it! I believe in you! Just don't let it rule your life.
People tell you all the time that "the pounds will just FALL OFF if you take this pill" or "it's easy to lose wight with THIS NEW SURGERY". Well, I'm here to tell you the truth. That stuff doesn't work. Oh sure, they might make you lose about 10 pounds in a month- by dehydrating your body and robbing you of the nutrients you need to survive. Once you stop the pills, you gain it all right back, and then some. The weight loss surgery? Nope. If you don't put your MIND to losing weight, you can override that surgery, and gain even more weight. There is no simple fix, guys, and I'm sorry to have to be the one to slap you in the face with that truth. But I'm telling you right now-- The Journey Is Worth It.
After a few months of not really going anywhere weight-wise, I decided to get smart. I researched for hours, tried out new things, and found what I did and didn't like. I did like walking, I didn't like running. I did like pilates, I didn't like weight training. I did like eating healthier, I didn't like eating LESS. People would call me obsessed- I called it dedication. I was DEDICATED, heart, mind, and soul, to reaching my goal. Some people just don't understand that. Pretty soon, the number stopped dropping. I leveled out at about 155 lbs, and I still wasn't happy. So I did the only thing that was right for me- I became a pesco-vegetarian. I only ate fish, and I mean tuna and salmon. The rest of the time I focused on being completely vegetarian- Lacto- ovo (which means I still ate eggs and drank milk). I was vegetarian for almost 2 years when I decided that i wanted to try something a little more "extreme', as some might call it. I decided to go... duh duh duh... Vegan. Yes, I said it. Hardcore, extremist, vegan. However, I am not like that anymore! After being vegan for about 10 months, I had to revert back to vegetarianism because of a mission trip to Thailand. Since then, I have stayed vegetarian, only going vegan for one week every month to kind of cleanse my system.
I think the most important part of this journey was learning to love health and fitness. The goal is no longer to be thin. It's to stay active and be as healthy as possible. I want to live every day to the fullest, so I don't want anything getting in my way. I started running last spring, and I have the long term goal of someday running a half marathon. But for now, I just enjoy simple 5Ks that benefit charities. I don't know if you've ever heard of her, but I love Cassey Ho, the creator of POPpilates. Look her up on YouTube! The most fun you'll ever have dying. I also love yoga, and I teach one 90- minute session every Monday to my best friend. I would love to someday become a personal trainer or yoga instructor, as well as a missionary.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, losing weight is a process. A journey, and a wonderful experience. It's not easy, and the beginning is probably going to suck majorly. But If you just hang in there, if you just see it for what it really is, I know you can do it. But guys... It's gotta be a lifestyle change. And I know you always hear that, and it's super cliche, but it's true. You've got to keep it up and maintain it. So if you want my personal tips on how to lose weight, here they are:
1) Don't depend on a scale.
2) Don't starve yourself.
3) Add lemon to your water- and no sugar. FRESH lemon. As in, buy the whole lemon and squeeze a little bit out.
4) Start where you're comfortable. Don't push yourself too hard. That being said, it IS important to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone. But take baby steps- you don't want to exhaust your body or scare yourself away from the journey.
5) Take progress pictures. Also don't rely on these, though.
6) If you feel uncomfortable doing this by yourself, find a workout buddy! Two are always better (and more fun!) than one.
7) Try to go organic as often as possible. I'm so dedicated to organic foods that I bought a bottle of orange juice last week that was $6.19... And I only got about 6-7 glasses out of it.
8) Try one new healthy food each week. Maybe you've never tried tofu (check out my recipe!), or Asian pears, or anything! Try and make it as fun as possible, and as healthy as possible.
9) Try and be active every day. Even if it's just a 30 minute walk around the block after school, it makes a difference.
10) SLEEP. Don't deprive your body of the sleep it needs! Sleep lets your mind refresh itself and work out all the problems you face in daily life, and it allows your muscles to repair and rebuild themselves.
And there you have it! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me or leave a comment in the comment section below! I believe in you guys. Now you have to believe in yourselves.