My big wake up call was when my aunt passed away in January at the ripe age of 52. The Lord had been speaking to me about how I've been living my life, but quite frankly I just didn't care. Then when my Aunt Candi passed...
I knew I wanted to be around for a long time to see my niece (and any future nieces or nephews), children, my grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren grow up. So I knew something needed to be done. The problem is, as it has been every time I had reached this point, where in the world do I start! It's such an overwhelming obstacle to try and overcome. I'm not a health professional, nutritionist, or personal trainer. And the amplitude of information that is out there, how do you know what's legit and what is right for you!
So I used that as an excuse.
Until....
I found this video. Guys, it changed my life. Truly. I'm a bit addicted to YouTube, specifically the Beauty and Hair Guru's. I have learned so much! But this video spoke to me. And it was how I was able to feel like I could start my journey to a healthier life.
This is Kaylie. Shes freaking adorable. Loves Jesus. And has impeccable hair turorials.
Which then in turn lead me to this video and blog...
http://simplymarlena.com/weight-loss-journey/
I know what you may be thinking...that is so common sense Kayla! It's nothing complex. But kids it stuck with me. And it grounded me enough and organized my thoughts enough to come up with a plan of action. It helped me break it down to two simple words...
BABY. STEPS.
I can't do it all at once. Yeah some people have and they have had great results. I've tried that multiple times and failed. Miserably. So I started taking baby steps. I had already started to replace my regular sodas with diet soda but I was ready to take it a step further. So these were my starting baby steps:
--Replace my soda (diet or regular) with Sweet Tea (I make myself, not McDonalds!) Now remember, I had already started working on this so I had pretty well moved from regular soda to diet which was technically my first step.
--Eat at home more than you eat out
--Aim to drink half your weight in ounces of water
--Do some kind of activity 3 times a week. (this could be something as simple as housework, the goal was to get myself off my couch)
--Replace sweets with fruits
And it's with those that I started my journey. I am proud to say I have overcome my addiction to soda. I've been 'freed' from it since Feb. (You may laugh as that sounds funny but it so isn't. It's a very serious thing kids. I was truly addicted to soda. It ruled my life. Ok, now I'm starting to feel silly, but it was a serious thing to me at the time.) I hardly ever have it. If I want something other than water it's normally tea that I crave. Here lately I've been working in a little Gatorade here and there as a request from my doctor. When I told her how much water I was drinking a day I thought her eyeballs were going to pop out. She said I should probably try and substitute every now and then with a Gatorade so I'm not washing away all of my nutrients. I do limit my Gatorade tremendously as I hate the High Fructose Syrup that’s in them.
As I stated in my previous post I have been working a lot lately. Only this time I wasn't going to let that beat me. I stuck to my new baby step rules and came out on top! Thankfully I didn't have to workout since I was on my feet so much and constantly moving. But I stayed with my babysteps and limited my caffeine and ate at home more than eating out. Which is soo easy to do when your life is absolutely hectic!
Side Note: Oh and I forgot to mention that I did try taking Thinogenics for about 3 weeks. I had been stuck at a certain weight for ages and I could. not. break it! Which I guess in a sense is great b/c I remained the same size. But I was just ready to break that line. So I tried it. And it gave me the success I wanted. I broke 170 and got down to 164 at one point and went down a pant size and was able to wear dresses I haven't worn in 3 years. BUT I ended up getting really sick. I think I just ran myself down and got a bit of a flu so I stopped taking them. That's when I realized how constipated I was. Ok, if my mother is reading this I can definitely hear her saying TMI KAYLA T.M.I.!!!! So I will stop there, but ya'll I was sick! It took me almost 2 weeks to even me back out. I've never been so happy to poop in my life! (Yeah Mom, I just said that!)
Looking back, I am definitely glad I did do the Thinogenics b/c it helped me break a plateau that I so badly wanted to surpass. I learned the difference between actual hunger and an appetite for food. People, we really don't need that much food to survive. We need water more than anything. And honestly that was a huge shocker for me. So I do not for one minute regret taking them. It was definitely a life lesson I needed to learn. Will I go back on them, no. I'm happy with what I'm doing. And I think I was becoming obsessed with my weight instead of my health. TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS!
--Be aware: be aware of what you’re body is saying to you. Not everything is meant for everyone (to a certain degree of course). Be aware of what you are addicted too. Be aware that you do have a problem and you need to DO something about it. I finally, for the first time in my life, bought a scale. I only weighed myself once a week. I actually put it in the entrance or my kitchen as a reminder of what my choices will cause. If you’ve had problems in the passed of being obsessed with your weight, then come up with something else. For me, this is what I needed to do to help remind myself of what I was working on.
--Surround yourself with encouragement: My momma introduced me to PrayFit. Jimmy Pena has a devo book that has exercises that is amazing, and he also sends out a daily devo that is so encouraging. I highly recommend it www.prayfit.com is where you can sign up for the daily email devotions and read about the book, etc. I also bought another devo that was health related and read this at lunch. My goal when I first started out was to continuously remind myself of what I wanted to accomplish and how I could accomplish it (through Christ). I am constantly texting a couple of friends/family about my results or my struggles/failures and they keep cheering me on. (More on this in another blog). There are tons of blogs out there that can help encourage you as well. Google it out baby!
--Stay consistent: Whatever you decide to do, STAY WITH IT for atleast a month. If you haven’t seen results then maybe switch it up a little. You know what’s healthy and what’s not. Just stay with it. It’s how you see results. Trust me.
--Go easy on yourself: We are not perfect. God didn’t make us that way. So when you mess up, IT’S OKAY! Don’t send yourself down that spiraling slide of depression. Just say to yourself that it’s ok and that TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY! I did this A LOT. (Remember I've been on this journey since Feb.) Or if it was a breakfast you goofed up on then say, okay lunch is a NEW MEAL. I will do better. I’m way to hard on myself to the point that I was setting myself up for failure. Which is another reason why baby steps are the way to go for me. Be your cheerleader, not your enemy.
--Take baby steps: I think I’ve touched on this enough but still I need to say it. It’s okay to take on one thing at a time. That’s how we create habits.
this is up at both of my desks (at home and at work)
Alright my dear friends, that's it for today. I've had this post hanging over me for too long and just wanted to get it over with! I have so much I want to tell but my fingers just can't keep up with my brain. So I apologize in advance if it was all mumble jumbled up!
Until Next Time...
