The World Didn't End So Now You Have to Stick to your New Year's Resolution

Since we've seemed to have survived the prophesied Mayan apocalypse (I haven't checked outside to see how bad the damage is but my internet is still working so I'm sure everything is fine) I thought I would give you some tips on making and sticking to your resolutions for the coming new year.


Come up with a plan: Have an actual plan, coming up with stuff like "I'm going to eat better" or "I'm definitely going to exercise" or "I'm never going to watch t.v. again" can be vague and drastic. If you've been eating nothing but junk food for the past year or so then you probably aren't too keen to start eating nothing but fruits and vegetables, and even if you are, unless you have a plan in place you probably won't stick to your resolutions for very long. 
Buy a food and exercise journal so you can track how many calories you are taking in, see how often and what you are eating, and see what exercise you are actually getting (yes, taking the stairs does count.) So you know where you are starting out and so you can plan on where you want to go from there.
An example of a plan would be:
 Drink one less soda a week
Write down what I eat in my food journal everyday this week
Take the stairs at work
Cook one healthy meal this week

Notice that none of these things are vague, if you are vague about your plans they are easier to work around or not do at all, but if you have a solid beginning plan you are off to a good start.


Start out slow: I emphasize this a lot but it is one of the best things you can do. Starting out slow gives you time to adjust to your new lifestyle. The reason why most people go back to their old habits is because they didn't have time to establish their new ones. The goal in mind should be to change your lifestyle for good if you want to keep the weight off. Make sure that the changes you are making are things you are comfortable with and that you can see yourself doing the rest of your life.


You may want to avoid the gym: After New Year's you can bet that just about everybody that made a resolution to lose weight or get healthy will be at the gym. If you want to avoid the crowds you can buy workout dvds, if you live in a warm climate you can choose to exercise outside, and if you really want to, you can go workout at the gym, and remember, you can be proud of yourself as the days and weeks go on and you are one of the only ones left at the gym from the initial crowd.


Rules are meant to be broken, or at least rewritten: As I said before the first thing you should do when making your resolutions is to come up with a plan, but over time your schedule can change, your fitness level can change, the taste of foods you want can change, and so can the plan that you made. I have made plenty of adjustments to my weight loss plan over the years and it has helped me to stay on track and know where to go next. So remember, it's okay to make adjustments that you need to keep on top of your weight loss goals.

A Word About Motivation: Motivation is great...in the beginning. The thing about motivation is at some point it's going to run out and that will probably make it difficult to stick to your plan. If at some point you do lose your motivation, think of working out and eating healthier as something that just needs to be done, like brushing your teeth or sleeping. At some point working out and eating healthier will just become a part of your life and that's exactly how it should be, that's when you know you are doing it right.

Starting out something new can be exciting but can also be a little scary. I hope that these tips have helped or given you an idea of where to begin. I wish you good luck in your upcoming endeavors and you will be hearing from me after the new year.

A Brief List of Some of My Favorite Workout DVDs

It can be difficult to know where to begin when it comes to finding what workout you like. Personally I prefer to workout at home. I don't have to worry about going to a gym, or worry about what the weather might be like. So, here are a few of the workouts I've enjoyed doing at home:

Walk Away the Pounds: These are great workouts for people who are just starting to exercise. They range from one to five miles and Leslie Sansone is extremely motivating. The workout structure is basically walking in place with other moves added in such as kicks, stepping side to side, leg kick backs, and she also adds in arm movement. You also have a choice of using weights or stretchy band which help to build muscle.

Biggest Loser: The biggest loser workouts are more for people who are in an intermediate stage of fitness, but with some modifications a person just beginning can do these workouts as well. You can choose between Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. Personally I prefer Bob because he is more motivating and challenges you but makes exercising fun. There are a few variations of the Biggest Loser workout dvds, I did the Last Chance workout with Jillian and Cardio Max Weight Loss with Bob. Both workouts are a mix between cardio and strength training. Be prepared to feel SWEAT!

Tae Bo: I love Billy Blanks Tae Bo. He is very motivating and there is a separate tutorial portion on the dvd to help you get better acquainted with the moves. They workout is a mix between martial arts, boxing and dance moves. There are punches, kicks, twists, and strength training moves. It can be really tough at times so make sure you are at a fitness level to safely do the workouts. The Tae Bo line has quite a few dvds but my favorite are Tae Bo: This is Tae Bo, Tae Bo Get Ripped, and Tae Bo Cardio Explosion. And remember, like Billy Blanks says, "You gotta push through the fire."

Fitness Blender: This is an excellent source for free workouts online. They have everything from High Intensity Interval training, to strength training, Pilates, and beginner workouts. The people who put it together, Daniel and Kelli, do an amazing job. The workouts are often broken up into two or three rounds of a few different exercises and they often tell you what exercises you are doing and they give an estimate of how many calories you burn during each exercise.

Bob Harper Total Body Transformation: This workout is tough. Again make sure you can do strength training and cardio for an extended period of time. I love Bob because he helps you to get in the shape you want to be in. This is also another workout with a mix of cardio and strength training. There are squats with weighted arms swings, plyo sumo squats, dive bombers, around the world push-ups and more. This workout is definitely a challenge. In fact he states in the video that he get asked for help a lot with people wanting to break their plateaus, and that is exactly what this workout will do.

I currently switch between Tae Bo, Bobs Total Body Transformation, and fitness blender for my workouts. Maybe give some of these workouts a try and see how they work for you.

I hope this has helped. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions feel free to leave a comment.

A Few Tips for Starting Your Weight Loss Journey

You want to lose weight and get healthy, but where do you even start? There are so many directions to go, so many changes to make, and so many pounds to lose. Here is a list of a few things to help you start out on your weight loss journey.

Start out slow: You promise yourself that Monday you will throw out all of your junk food, start exercising an hour a day five days a week, and quit drinking soda. You may have a lot of motivation to start out strong in the beginning but that motivation can quickly turn into procrastination. Start out slow, because making smaller changes over a longer period time makes it more likely for your new habits to become regular ones.

Keep a food journal: I may stress keeping a food journal quite a bit, but it really makes a difference. People may not realize just how many calories they are eating and keeping a food journal is a great way to see how much you are eating. You don't necessarily need to count calories when you first start your journal, but it's a good starting point to monitor how many calories you are eating versus how many you should be eating.

Cut out sugary drinks: Soda, energy drinks, frappuccinos, they may be tasty or perk you up but they add a lot of unnecessary calories. You don't have to completely cut them out right away, but try and slowly ween yourself off of them. Even only drinking one less soda a week is starting somewhere. As far as what you could be drinking, try water with a splash of lemon juice, or if it's the carbonation you crave try flavored club soda, no calories with the same bubbly feel.

Get in exercise any way you can: Parking further away from the store, taking the stairs, or if you have limited mobility, just sitting down and using weights can help burn extra calories. It may seem like starting out slow doesn't make a difference, but every movement counts whether you realize it or not. Just because you can't do a push-up or run a mile now doesn't mean you won't be able to in the future.

Create goals: Whether you want to do a pull up or be able to walk around the block always have a goal and challenge yourself. Even when you become more advanced in your fitness level set goals, it will keep you on track and help you to realize that even though you have come this far, you can push yourself farther.

Find a reward system: Food may seem like a great reward system, but that often feeds into binging and a bad relationship with food. Instead of food you can reward yourself with a new dress,or  Even better try to make your rewards fitness related. Buy a new yoga mat or dumbbells.

Brace yourself for plateaus: You've been consistently losing weight over the past couple of weeks and all of a sudden the scale just won't budge. Stay calm and be patient. It can be frustrating with all your hard work to see a standstill on your progress but there are many reasons why the number on the scale isn't going down. You may need to eat fewer calories, add in more exercise or even eat more calories. Sometimes it can be a lot of trial and error, but if you stick with it and find why you aren't losing weight it will pay off. Also remember that the number on the scale isn't the only way to measure progress. Measure yourself, you could be putting on muscle and losing inches. Remember while weighing and measuring yourself can be a good way to keep yourself on track, it isn't the number but the way you feel. If your clothes fit you and you feel happy in your body, that is a better indicator of your health than any number on a scale.


I hope this has helped. If you have any feedback questions or suggestions for other blog posts please leave a comment.

PMS and Weight Loss

If you suffer from PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) like myself you may find it can be tougher to stay on track during that time of the month. The cravings, the mood swings, the body aches, the bloating, feeling tired, did I mention the cravings? With all of these things combined it can be hard to get motivated to workout and to eat healthy, but I have a few things to look for and tips on how to make it a little easier.

Did I mention the cravings? During your period it can be hard not to give in to eating everything you want. If you know that you crave certain things during that time of the month, make a list of foods that you crave and pick out certain days to eat them. Yes, it's okay to give into your cravings, just don't go overboard. If you think chocolate would make you feel better, have some, a tuna sandwich with pickles and ice cream, sure go ahead. Just make sure that you stay within your calorie range and you pick a time to eat your favorite treats.

Cut down on salty foods: I said earlier that you can eat what you crave, and most of us crave salty foods. Pick a day or a time when you are going to give in to your craving. Remember to drink plenty of water. It will help with bloating.

Don't freak out when you step on the scale: You step on the scale to weigh yourself and oh no, you gained seven pounds. How the heck did you gain seven pounds in two days? Blame water retention. It can be very discouraging after all your hard work to look at the scale and see so many pounds added on. Remember it is most likely water weight and will go away when your period is over.

Exercise: When you have cramps, your body aches, and you're tired it can be easy to want to stay in bed and skip your workout. Before you completely put off your exercise routine think about how good you feel after a workout. Try doing a warm-up first and see how you feel. You can do cardio, lift weights, or just go for a walk outside. The rush of feel good hormones will make you help you feel better and burn calories.

Limit caffeine and alcohol intake: Caffeine and alcohol can exacerbate the effects of pms. You don't have to completely cut them out but try limiting it to a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine before bed.

Know your body: By now you have probably been going through the monthly routine for a while now so most importantly just listen to your body. Learn your mood swings, when and how you feel. Learn what you crave, when you are tired. If you can find the pattern during your cycle and you listen to your body it can make it a little bit easier.

It is easier for some women than it is for others. We are all different in our cycles and we all need to learn the way our bodies feel and work. If you feel that your PMS is harder to control think about seeking professional help. It can be a very hard syndrome to live with. If you are having severe depression, or thoughts of suicide please seek help immediately. It may not seem like it now, but finding the right therapist or doctor can help immensely in the way you feel. Severe PMS is treatable.

I hope this has helped. If you have any questions or feedback feel free to comment.

My Eating Habits For Weight Loss

Many people when beginning their weight loss journey believe that they have to stop eating all the foods they like and do it overnight. I too once thought this and it is probably one of the biggest setups for failure there is in dieting. I believe one key to success as far as diet goes, is everything in moderation. The times in the past when I had tried to lose weight before I found what worked for me, I would automatically cut out sweets treats and anything that I liked. It was tough going from eating Twinkies and potato chips to salads, plain tuna, and fruits and veggies only. My point is you don't have to sacrifice your favorite foods forever, and you shouldn't have to. Here are a few of my eating habit tips:

Know what you like: Knowing what you like is important because it can be a foundation for healthier alternatives or for knowing what you need to eat in moderation. If you love pizza you can make pita pizzas, tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you like on a piece of pita bread. I love burritos, they are cheap and easy to make and they are packed with protein and vitamins. I buy tortillas, canned re-fried beans, low fat cheese and salsa and I have myself a tasty burrito. Sometimes I will add onions, jalapenos, guacamole, chicken whatever I'm in the mood for but I make sure that I measure it out, which brings me to my next tip.

Keep measuring cups on hand: One of your best friends in the kitchen will be measuring cups and spoons. I make sure to measure the correct portion out so that I know how many calories I am consuming. It's easy to look at an entire bowl of ice cream and think, "yeah, that looks about like one serving." when in reality it can be two or three heapin' helpin's.

No food is off limits: If you can't have it you're going to want it even more.

Keep a food Journal: A lot of people don't realize how much food they are actually consuming. Whether through boredom, depression, or even social eating it is easy for the calories to accumulate. If you keep a food journal you can see just how much and what you are eating, and you can modify your diet and calorie intake based on what your habits are now.

Quick fix diets: I can't wait until I can eat another cheeseburger. Have you thought this before? You shouldn't have to. Many people go on quick fix diets that require eliminating certain foods. While I wouldn't eat cheeseburgers and pizza or the like all day, it is more than acceptable to give in to your craving every once in a while. Like I said earlier, no food is off limits, just limit your portions.

Be mindful: If you find yourself in the kitchen looking for food when you're not hungry, take a minute just to think. Why do you want to eat? Are you craving anything specifically? If you eat what you are craving how will it make you feel? Happy? Nourished? Guilty? It can be tough to just sit with the feeling of wanting but often times if you sit long enough and think about the reasons why you want to eat other than out of hunger the craving will pass. It will take time for you to get used to it, but try it and see how it works for you.

Food and rewards: Yay! You got a promotion! You lost five pounds! You climbed Mt. Everest! How are you going to reward yourself? It is so easy to think of food as a reward system. Lets celebrate with ice cream, or by going to that new restaurant. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to eat your favorite treats or trying that new food joint, it shouldn't necessarily be your first thought for rewarding yourself. You can buy yourself a new dress, a new watch, go to the zoo, buy a bouquet of flowers, or even reward yourself with things related to fitness, try that yoga class you've been wanting to go to, buy yourself new weights or a new workout outfit.

It can be tough but it is possible to change your relationship with food. I still struggle with cravings, and sometimes I do eat more than I should but I don't let that get me off track. Instead of feeling guilty tell yourself there is always my next meal or tomorrow to make better decisions about what and how much I eat.

I hope this has helped. If you have any questions or your own feedback feel free to comment.

Going From Fat to Fit: What is it like?

When I was overweight I had always wondered what it would be like to be skinny. I thought about what it would be like to fit into smaller clothes, what walking or running would be like, how I would feel in my own body as a thinner person. I thought about whether people would notice me, and I wondered if I would feel more like a real person. Since I have lost so much weight I thought that I would share with others who are overweight and wondering what it is like, for me at least, to essentially be in a different body. 

It's more comfortable: I can say it is definitely more comfortable to have lost much of the excess fat. I can remember what it was like being so overweight that when I sat down it felt like I was just this pile of fat. My huge stomach and back fat rolls would mold me into this uncomfortable, stuffy blob. Now I feel freer. When I walk my thighs don't uncomfortably rub together. Finding looser fitting clothes is much easier since I don't have to go into the triple x's to find something that will be loose on me.

A new body: When I was overweight I felt very much like I had an apple shape. I gained weight all over, but I gained it mostly in my stomach and my back. The more I lost weight, the more I realized I was an hourglass shape. I have a very narrow waist compared to my hips, and I have a large rib cage. Because you can't choose where you gain and lose weight, and if you haven't ever been slim before, you may be surprised where your body loses the fat.When you lose the weight you are, for me at least, living in a new body. It can take a while to adjust to looking at a new person. People often wonder why people who have lost weight get their hair done and change the way they look, for me it's because I am more comfortable in my body and  I feel like I deserve to find out what I feel comfortable wearing and what I like as far as style goes. When you lose the weight a whole new world of fashion opens up to you.

Being Athletic: Some people just plain don't like to exercise and they have to find what works for them to keep them moving and motivated, but for me I had always wanted to be athletic. I would always give up because it was so embarrassing jiggling about and huffing and puffing my way through exercise. You have to start slowly and work your way up but the more you challenge yourself, at least for me the better it feels. I am still not at my goal weight, but it's nice to flex my arms and see a little bit of muscle definition. It's nice to do squats and feel the muscle that I have built. It's really nice to jog or run and not run out of breath three seconds into it. Exercise can be a way to help you feel good about yourself in so many ways. For me, it lets me know I am challenging myself and doing what is evolutionarily right, humans have evolved to be active. It gives you a nice rush of feel good hormones and it can help you look better which in turn can give you more confidence. 

Your Mentality: One of the most important things I would like to talk about is how your mentality will change. It can be very difficult not just physically but mentally going from being overweight and out of shape to slim and athletic. One of my motto's is: You have to go through the mental preparation before you can go through the physical transformation. I would meditate a lot when I first started working out and keeping my food journal. I would imagine what it would be like to be thin, what would I look like? How would I feel? What would I eat? When and how would I exercise? What clothes would I wear? To this day sometimes I feel like an imposter. Like I'm pretending to be something I'm not. I was always the fat kid if not the fattest kid wherever I went. I felt I had to conform to that role and it can be hard to reverse it. I am thinner now and it can be hard to adjust because sometimes I still mentally picture myself as the overweight person, then I look in the mirror and realize my mind doesn't match my body. There is a syndrome called Phantom Fat Syndrome much like people that lose a limb have phantom limb syndrome, people can have phantom fat syndrome and it that can be another challenging aspect of losing a lot of weight. 

  Another thing I wanted to mention as far as mentality is, losing weight will not solve anything such as depression anxiety or any other mental health problems you may have. Losing weight can make you feel more confident and it can make it easier to deal with body issues, but if you have mental health issues you need to seek help for them because losing the weight will not get rid of a chemical imbalance. 

I hope this was helpful to anyone who is wondering what weight loss can be like. These are all just my personal thoughts and experiences. If you have any questions, or would like to share your stories please leave a comment.

Some Thoughts on Health and Fitness Education

Today I read some comments, okay I was reading the comments on my story that was posted on Huffington post, and it got me thinking about health and fitness education. There were a few people that commented something like "It's nice that she lost the weight, but it would have been better if she was in shape in the first place." Yes, it would have been great if I was in shape in the first place, it would have been great if I didn't have to look back at pictures of myself and be reminded of the person I used to be. But, you can't change the past you can only make decisions in the now. 

  There were a few reasons I realize why I was overweight. First, I accepted what my mom gave to me for food, which were large helpings and often seconds or thirds. I don't blame my mom for this, the same reason I don't blame myself. The reason I was overweight was simply a lack of knowledge. I didn't know how many calories I should be eating, or how many calories were burned through exercise, shoot, I didn't even really know what calories were.  Second, already being overweight meant I really wasn't too enthusiastic about exercise. Especially when that exercise was in front of thinner, more athletic classmates. Third, I think the reason I was overweight was because I just didn't think it was genetically possible for me to lose the weight. My mom would often tell me that as soon as I went through puberty that I would just lose the weight, well I didn't. I would also stick with an exercise program for about two or three weeks, see that there wasn't a big enough change and go back to my old habits. 

   So back to the comment, it would be great if everybody knew about health and fitness and everyone could live a healthier lifestyle, but often times we are sold a quick fix or a fad diet. Something that will get you skinny as fast as possible, and that's exactly what people want, fast results. We don't spend enough time teaching people that you have to change your relationship with food, and change the way you think about exercise. You have to commit to it, and it has to be something you can stick with for the rest of your life. 

  As nice as it is to see quick results, I think we should spend more time teaching people how to be have a healthy relationship with food and exercise. A lot of times it seems like weight loss is this big secret. See how so and so magically lost the weight. I think that if people knew the science behind it they would realize that it isn't this big mystery, and it can be fun and it can change the way you feel about yourself.

  So, hopefully in my upcoming posts I can teach you how I started my journey on educating myself, and learned to have a better relationship with food and exercise. I was able to see people who went before me and lost their weight, and that was a huge motivator for me. I still struggle at times, but I know that getting back on track is better than undoing all the hard work I have achieved so far. Feel free to leave comments about your journey or any questions or suggestions for future blog posts that you may have. And hopefully we can all help each other.

Huffington Post Weight Loss Article

I thought I would start off this blog by posting an article that was recently posted on Huffington Post about my weight loss success. I wanted to create this blog to help others in every aspect of life, through health, self, and beauty. I am not perfect, nobody is, but I thought by sharing my journey I could help others and help myself. I have suffered from depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder for as long as I can remember. I still struggle to this day, but I know (as cliche as it sounds) that through changing my habits, a willingness to constantly learn new things, and believing in myself I can come closer to the person I want to be. So I invite you to come along with me on this journey of physical and mental well being and I hope it can help you to start your own journey too.  Here is the link to my story