My Fitness Journey: How I Lost 20 Pounds!

Happy #TransformationTuesday!

So in my recent vlog, I ranted on and on about how I lost weight and my fitness journey. Well here it is in words and less...chatty because I went on and on and on... for ten whole minutes.

Let me first tell you how I started and where I am in my fitness journey, and then I will share with you how I accomplished it.

My Unhealthiest Self:

Starting weight - 185 pounds

Neck - 14 inches

Chest - 42.5 inches

Arms - 16 inches

Waist - 37.5 inches

Hips - 41 inches

Thighs - 27 inches

Calves - 17 inches

I have only ever had minimum stretch marks on my inner thighs, sides, and chest. By the time I exceeded 35 inches on my waist, I started getting stretch marks on my stomach. I got stretch marks at 19-years-old when I could have prevented it easily by starting my fitness journey earlier. 

I started running on January 12, 2015 where I would do 30 minutes on the treadmill - running and walking. Then I would do a little bit of weight training. I would gravitate toward the weight machines  at my school gym and only do free weights at the apartment gym (which I rarely go to). By the end of January, I was 10 pounds down, 175 pounds, and so very proud of myself and my accomplishments.

I would fluctuate between 170-175 pounds depending on how I go about my week. Because I was so proud of my new body, I went back to my old eating habits - same amount of food, but I cut out sweet tea. Sweet tea was probably the biggest factor in my weight gain because it is loaded with sugar, and I was hooked on it. I found my love for water - simple and hydrating.

I never went below 168 pounds in the first eight months of my "yo-yo dieting." Sometimes I would take into account what I eat, other times I wouldn't.  I would still go to the gym pretty much everyday, 3-6 days a week, depending on my course load for school. I would have weeks where I went to workout no matter how many hours of sleep I got - one time I went after two hours of sleep and an exam.

I did not see any permanent results with my inconsistent diet. But that's what factors most into weight loss - your diet. Well, I shouldn't say diet, but your lifestyle.

I don't want to say "diet" because I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I eat big meals, "candy bars," and you know what, I still eat fast food. Although I don't encourage you to keep fast food in your meals, if you are able to avoid it. But, if you feel like you can't avoid fast food and it's convenient...baby steps.

If you're just starting out, I would cut down on how much you eat out, I used to eat a whole meal at McDonald's - let's be real - but I started going back to kids' meals and smalls. Another weakness of mine when eating out, I would feel bad if I didn't finish my food, and in some restaurants you can't order kids' meals unless you are of age. But recently, if I can't finish my food, I would just take it home to the family or just avoid going out altogether.

Another way to avoid going out and getting fast food is to plan your meals and fill your house with good and clean food.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."

Not gonna lie, I think about food all the time. All. The. Time. But you know what, that's ok. Because now I think about what I am going to eat the next day, and I can plan according to my schedule. I am not saying go meal prep and make a week's worth of food, but check that out if you feel like that'll help. Knowing myself, I don't like leftovers and I get tired of food very easily if it's not fresh or hot like it's supposed to be. So, I'm opposed to meal prepping, but I will say it's convenient for on-the-go people.

Starting out, I used to restrict myself from foods I liked and that's how I lost ten pounds very easily. However, I would only eat eggs or a protein bar for breakfast, salad for lunch, and carrots with hummus for dinner. Not a lot, right? I was starving my body and not giving myself enough fuel to take on the day. 

In order to see long-term results, you need to find a lifestyle that suits you. You only know yourself. Starving yourself will give you quick, but temporary results.

I recently came across the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) program where they provide you with a calculator to find how much macronutrients you need to take on the day.

Macronutrients include your fat, carbs, protein, as well as your calorie intake. It's a program you just have to trust. It doesn't explain into detail how it works, but it just does. 

It's simple: go over your macros, expect a bit of weight gain; go under, expect to lose a little. 

This is to go without saying that you don't need to obsess how many calories you burn during exercise. This is simply how much you can consume for fuel to go about your day. They can calculate  macros for those who want to lose weight, bulk up, or maintain their weight.  A nifty little device.

Ever since I started counting my macros, I have done nothing but lost weight without restricting myself from food. 

Here are some of the meals I make:

• Salmon with avocado, side salad
• BIG bowl of salad with chicken
• Chicken breast with mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and veggies
• Chicken sausage with eggs, mushrooms, and onions
• Literally, Wendy's value fries and chicken nuggets - not gonna lie
• Veggie Pizza...c'mon!
• Sushi buffet <3 

Yeah, there are some of my cheat meals in there, but again... I don't restrict myself from food and I get to eat what I still want to eat, just in moderation and without going over my macros.

Here is my body today:

Current weight - 163 pounds (-22 pounds)

Neck - 13.5 inches (-0.5 inches)

Chest - 40 inches (-2.5 inches)

Arms - 14 inches (-2 inches)

Waist - 33 inches (-4.5 inches)

Hips - 38.5 inches (-2.5 inches)

Thighs - 25.5 inches (-1.5 inches)

Calves - 16 inches (-1 inch)

Overall: I lost 22 pounds and 14.5 inches all around.

As a little disclaimer, in no way am I trying to say that fast food is healthy for you or that IIFYM is something you have to do. I am just trying to stay true to what I share and what has worked for me.