It's been LOUD in my head for months - yet it's taken me MONTHS to put things into action. Last summer I started using Advocare products in conjunction with clean eating and exercise to lose weight. I was doing great, feeling great, and then.....I got tired. The fall came around, the family birthday parties and holiday hosting came around, and before I knew it, I wasn't feeling as good as I remembered feeling in the summer. I knew I was slipping in too many baked goods but I was also keeping with my whole grains, lean meats, veggies & fruit. It just wasn't the same. I became very frustrated with my self and have been for the past 9 months. I avoided the scale, skipped the gym, and told myself that I was just too busy to workout. But when do you decide enough is enough?
What I learned through this season: When they say "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change," they TRULY mean it. It really is not about exercise until you lose weight and then it's ok to get lazier and still eat well. I secretly hoped that I could continue to eat healthy but skip the gym and the weight would at least maintain. Well I'm here to tell you, it doesn't work that way.
{Here is where I get a little lot more personal}
From July 2013 to September 2013, I lost 15 pounds and was back to my pre-preggo weight. I still had a ways to go but I was definitely in a place where my body was shedding the weight & the inches. When I went to the doctor last week, I realized that I had gained 31 pounds since October {do the math: 3.875 per month = NOT OK}. YIKES! It hit me really hard. There had to be something other than the lack of exercise that caused that much weight gain. My doctor did some lab work on me and {thankfully} ruled out pre-diabetes and thyroid issues. So the weight gain does not appear to be medically related. Just lazy-related. uggh!! Doc asked me to start taking my Omega-3 & Calcium supplements again and to start exercising at least 45 min/day - 4 days/week. Pretty sure that is more than what I was doing last summer.
All this to say: I truly believe in the power of {great} supplements and exercise for healthy weight loss. It's the only thing that worked and the only thing that made me feel good about myself. Weight Watchers did not compare! I am COMMITTED to getting back into Advocare's supplements and getting back into exercise. Today I went to a group exercise class at the YMCA during my lunch. And to help me stay committed, I've scheduled out the next 3 weeks of classes to take on my work calendar - because I look at that calendar all day, every day. What's my excuse now?
I have a NEW number of pounds to lose and a new number of inches. These numbers are not based on what pant size I want to be or how I want my body to LOOK. They are based on where I need to be to get into the healthy BMI for my age. So, I have a long and hard road ahead of me but I am DETERMINED to be that woman who is a fighter and who is strong and who LOVES HERSELF & HER FAMILY ENOUGH TO CHANGE!
Wish me luck. <3
And remember -
BE THE BEST YOU.
