2018 Updates

It certainly has been a while. In fact, I had to think hard of what my blog name is since I have not updated it in years. So why now? Well... I need an outlet to write down my health journey. Despite this being on a public platform, I've always felt compelled to share my journey because there have been numerous times when I've read other blogs and felt so refreshed and inspired. My hope is that someone out there will read this, and say "I can totally relate!" to even take it a bit further, I hope that this blog will empower those who feel defeated, tired, and scared. These emotions are what I carry as I feel an extra 20 pounds in my body that I know does not belong here. I look at my reflection and see a person who knows this is not the best version of herself. This crazy roller coaster of losing weight, gaining weight, and losing weight again is exhausting. However, it seems that the lack of ability to maintain my goal weight is due to changes in life that often lead to a change in trajectory. Healthy habits, established routines, and wellness commitments lay on the wayside as I turn my attention to other pressing matters like working full time, moving, and buying a new house. All are crazy changes that I feel comfortable attributing to my weight gain (lol) whether those are excuses or legitimate reasons, I'll mention them anyway since it makes sense to me right now.
Before and after pictures used to be really motivating to me. Crossing off calendars days that mark my work outs, counting down remaining days until a program is finished were also once motivating. However, now I feel like an old and rusty car that needs more than an oil change or a jump start to get started. I need an overhaul! I don't know what that looks like, but I know I need it, and I need it soon.
I go back to work in two months. My wish is that by then, I've already set an established routine of meal prepping and consistent workouts. Lord help me... this feels overwhelming.

Week 1 Day 1

Awesome work out! I sweated like I haven't in a while. I like the variety and I feel like I've done an awesome work out.

Time to go grocery shopping for some clean eats!

Put the Pizza Down!

So, it's 2014 and what's new? 

I hate to share this, but my exercise regimen have dwindled into 0 workouts a week and haven't been following a clean diet. I started grad school and we are in the process of moving. While the list of reasons/excuses could be endless, my purpose for this entry is to announce my official stand against becoming fat .. Again !

So tonight I say,  I will make time! I will prepare my meals! And I will exercise! 

Yes , I have projects upon projects due and yes I have three kids that are on summer break and yes I still have to pack/unpack..and  repeat.. 

Regardless of my current situation I will choose to find the time to work out for 1 hour a day. I realized if I don't meal prep we Will eat junk food and somehow I already feel sick and bloated thinking we've eaten pizza for two straight days this week! This is not the example I intended for my kids! So, today for me marks another deliberate choice to a healthier me. 

This will serve as my "before" picture as of June 25,2014. I plan to lose 8-10lbs in the next month. I'll be doing Jillian Michael's rip in 30. I will post my 2week & 4 week progress 

Clean Eating Day Begins

We've made clean eating a family affair so that I am not cooking two different type of meals. I took recipes from pictures in Pinterest. There are tons! So, don't feel you have to buy a recipe book to start. I also check out Instagram, Pinterest or other blogs to get inspirations or recipes. It's fun for me to look at the calendar and see what's on the menu, and going grocery shopping was super easy since most of my ingredients were on the outside aisles. I think I had to go in the inside aisle for almond butter but that's about it.

Today's Menu

Breakfast: Egg Muffin, Protein Pancake, Pears

Snack: Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Almond butter + strawberry preserves on whole grain bread, strawberries & clementines

Snack:  Not very good choices on this one. Taro Bubble Tea, eek! 350 calories

Dinner: Chicken Teriyaki with noodles, samosas

Today's Exercise Activity:

30 minutes Interval Exercise

45 minutes of walking

Well, I do hope to improve our menu as I get the hang of mixing up fresh ingredients. I must say our downfall is when we are out and those darn yummy treats at the mall. The only solution right now is to start packing up snacks when we go out! Till next time!

A Year Later...

I started blogging last year (2012) to keep myself accountable of the fitness goals I hoped to achieve. Shaun T's Insanity work outs proved to be the jump start I needed to get me from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active and health conscious one. As I look back into 2012 and look forward into what remains of 2013 I am overwhelmed by the change that has taken place in my life as well as the continued success I hope to achieve (in terms of getting fit and healthy).

I am 5'3 and last year I weighed 175lbs! Scary, I must say because that definitely put me in the obese category. To date, I am 140 lbs, that's 35lbs lesser! Incredible what one year of hard work can accomplish and it's by God's grace, He kept me healthy and focused on my goal so that I can cheer "success!" However, my husband continues to challenge me. My husband knows a lot about exercise since he just completed Army Basic Combat Training, an intense and rigorous 10 week training.

 He enouraged me to lower my %body fat and get in better shape by lowering my BMI. So,  I've set another goal to lose 20 more pounds. I intend to pump up my cardio, follow a clean eating program and start lifting weights.

Here are 10 simple things I want to share from what I have learned so far:

1. Always carry a water bottle! Drink water and for me, it's one thing I don't leave home without, besides by pocketbook.
2. Invest in a heart rate monitor watch! This allows you to check if you are not working hard enough or pushing too hard (depending on the model, some also show the amount of calories burned during your work out)
3. Get at least 7 hours of good sleep! No lights, no TV-cellphones-tablets-laptops,etc.!
4. Take a multi-vitamin
5. Drink a pre-work out and post- work out protein drink
6. invest in comfortable work out gear (including a good pair of sneaks)
7. Use myfitnesspal App to record your caloric intake
8. Do something active for an hour a day even if it's not at the gym or at home working out. Play outside, go swimming, go for a run, play tag, garden, clean the house. Seriously, all these activites use energy and it's better than sitting on the couch watching TV or playing video games. 
9. Use a mirror to make sure you are using proper form during work outs
10. No HFCS : High Fructose Corn Syrup

Well, I'm sure there is more but that's it for now. Cheers! 

               Current At 5'3 and 140 lbs.

JULY 2011- 165lbs. or more Size 12-14

JULY 2012: 156 lbs. Size 8-10

JULY 2013: 140 lbs. Size 4-6

Guest Blogger in The House: "Exercise Is a Team Sport"

Hello and good day friends!

Allow me to introduce myself, I am the husband of this lovely lady's blog and had recently graduated BCT (Basic Combat Training) from Fort Jackson, SC otherwise known as "Relaxin' Jackson" even though it didn't necessarily feel that way considering we had reserve Drills and CO's come in every two weeks.  Nevertheless, this isn't about my quips with BCT since that would require an entire blog entry, or more.

I'll start off by giving you a little insight on my fitness journey and how being fit and healthy has inspired me to do more with my life.  Once upon a time in an enclosed office far, far away on a 'dangerous' island known as Manhattan I worked everyday of my life crunching numbers and ensuring the bosses' money was still intact.  I often wondered on my frequent 15min breaks if there was ever more to life than this gray office, rugged keyboard and decrepit computer screen.  Not doing my part in educating myself,  I had fallen victim to the rat race for nearly 10 years! I was going to do 9-5 till retirement, which for my generation won't be 65.  I did engage in a few active hobbies such as: BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) basketball, volleyball and the like. However, I was never consistent with these activities.  I always made up an excuse ranging from monetary concerns to keeping my wife company as during this time she was in her final trimester.  I never realized the damage these excuses did to myself as well as to my family.

I made a lot of excuses that in the end made me feel angry and frustrated. I pointed fingers at anything and everyone, but regretted to not point that finger to myself! After lots of thinking and praying, I said "no more!"  I began networking and was able to sit down with my super cool brother-in-law who told me the truth: The line of work I'm in is not for me, that desk job, 9-5 is not for me indeed.  Through his encouragement, as well as the support of my incredible wife I thought to myself: "What better way to do something more meaningful with life than to become a public servant?"  Gone were the days of reporting to my bosses and expressing some colorful language in my head of how I felt about them.  I was excited about this new direction God was taking me.  Although, I can't say this adventure wasn't without its hardships it certainly has been a great learning experience.  And by God's grace, I was given a second chance to do something more with my life and leave a solid legacy for my children to be proud of. 

Now, you're probably wondering what's with the title, "Exercise is a Team Sport"? Well, here's the deal: If I didn't have my wife to push me and tell me to get off the video games and get on the floor and start pushing, I probably wouldn't be here typing about how I'm in the best shape I've been in about 10 years! My wife and I have done some amazing workouts together. A lot of which involves the fitness program INSANITY by Shaun T. but our cooperative activities aren't limited to just exercising. My wife now encourages our family to do healthy eating although we do have our occasional 'cheat' days we make sure we try to keep each other accountable.

I'm not as consistent with the workout as my wife, since I'm following a different regiment that I learned from my Drill Sergeants.  We were fortunate in BCT because we had a few DS' who pushed us to our limits, and because of them I reached a threshold in my fitness level that I thought I would never achieve, given my current situation: having a young family to raise. One of the Drill Sergeants is a reservists and owns a Cross-Fit gym down in Charlotte, NC, he is also a U.S. Army Ranger. So, you can imagine the workouts he put us through were the real deal!  Another DS who is a BEAST is a highly decorated soldier with 3 Purple Hearts and a ton of experience with the 25th Mountain Division.  Yes, they were both 11B Infantry so we did get our butts handed to us, see not so 'Relaxin' after all.   Anyway there are a few workouts I carried over from BCT that I also have my wife trying to do and I have them listed below.  I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it.  For additional references regarding a good military workout I refer to former Navy Seals blog Stew Smith at http://www.military.com/military-fitness/

20 minute circuit
Jumping Jacks 2 min. (warm-up)
Push-Ups 2 min.
Sit-Ups 2 min.
Forward Lunges 2 min.
Squats 2 min.
Mountain Climbers 2 min.
Left Crunches 2 min.
Right Crunches 2 min.
Forward Crunches 2 min.
Reverse Crunches 2 min.

1 min. rest in between each circuit and 10 sec. between each exercise then repeat the circuit and cut it down to 1 min. per exercise then go down to 45 sec. then for the last circuit cut it down to 30 sec. and finish the workout with a 1 min. plank and a 15 min. run.  Enjoy and stay strong!

"Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Here are some before and after pictures:

 

2007-2012: Weight- 220 lbs.

 

 

 

 

2013: Weight-175 lbs. 



2013 Goal: Get into tip top shape!