How I lost my weight...and it's not coming back!

It's been a year since I wrote my post I Challenge Myself and I mentioned that I'll try to post my before and after photo and here it is ...
weight loss, before and after, fat and thin

I lost the excess weight that I have struggled to lose for many years and what made me do a drastic action, simple… health scare.

I'm a  health conscious person when I was still single and working. After I got married and became a stay-at-home wife, my normal routine life changed,  I neglected my health. I sleep late, we pig out and worst, I got lazy to exercise. I was like that for a couple of years. One day, I woke up, I was overweight, I gained 30 lbs. and for a petite woman like me, that weight is pretty heavy. I can’t fit into my clothes, and every time I tried to shop for new clothes, I always end up not buying at all because I don’t like what I’m seeing every time I look at the mirror. So, I became depressed, I rarely leave the house and my life became sedentary. Then, my health problems started, in 2011, a cyst was found in my left breast.  In 2012, the cyst was removed and thankfully it was benign. And I thought my dilemma was over, by August of that same year, my cholesterol and sugar level went up and my thyroid is acting up again and to make matters worst, by October,  I was diagnosed having cervical rediculopathy, herniated discs, scoliosis, plantar fasciitis and carpal tunnel, I felt my world is crumbling and became really depressed. After a while, I came to my senses, I realized that there's no one else to blame but myself. So I seek medical treatment, the doctors advise me to exercise and eat healthy because being overweight is one contributing factor why I am so sick. And that began my effort to lose weight.

I thought it was that easy, but having those excess weight for years, every fat is clinging to my body and doesn’t want to go that easily without a fight, hahaha!!!. I started with my diet, I have to consider all my health issues and here’s what my diet program consists of:


AVOID
WHAT TO EAT
METHOD OF COOKING
white bread
sweets
white rice
canned goods
canned/bottled juice
wine
softdrinks
instant noodles
chicken skin
pork
beef
hotdogs/sausages
fast food
anything greasy and salty
coffee
organ meats
artificial flavoring/seasoning
junkfood (i.e. chips)
Wheat bread
Brown rice
Green leafy vegetables
Chicken breast
seafoods
Fresh salad
Fresh fruits
Water
Milk

Steaming
Boiling
Grilling
baked





Perhaps, you would say, “Aren’t you getting tired of having that kind of diet?”  My answer would be a big “YES”, that’s why I allow myself to cheat once in a while or else I’d go crazy and break my diet. I don't count calories, I don't have the patience to check out the numbers of everything that's going in my mouth,  it will just stress me out. My nutritionist told me that  my diet portion should be: 1/3 cup of rice, 1/3 to 1 cup veggies, meat (with the size of my fist, closed) and 1 fruit, more or less, my plate should look like this:

This is How Your Plate Should Look
Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually. image http://visual.ly/how-your-plate-should-look

For my exercise, because I have back and foot problems, running and intense workout is out of the question. I’m thinking, What else is there for me?” … Aerobics, dancing and slow impact exercises, my doctor told me. So I searched the internet for these kinds of workouts and I found a lot. I was overwhelmed with my search result but I pick out routines that I think would best suit me. I exercise 20 minutes 3x a week and if I'm in the mood and I still want to sweat more I do it morning and afternoon.
  • Cardio exercises - from http://www.sparkpeople.com/
  • Aerobics/Dance - Zumba and any dance form, as long as my body is moving and makes my heart beat faster.
During the first 2 weeks of my diet and workout routine, I lost 5 lbs. and I was very happy and inspired to strive more. By the fifth month, I already lost a total of 20 lbs. By this time, I hit a plateau, my weight loss came little by little, which is the hardest part to accept because I was this close to my ideal weight, but still, I didn't lose hope. With my journey to lose weight and staying healthy, I always keep in mind the following:
  • Eat in moderation and watch your portion -  I can have chocolates but I only eat 1 square and not the whole bar
  • Don't skip meals -  thinking that you will not gain weight by skipping meals is a bad idea, in truth, you will be eating more because you're hungry
  • Have plenty of rest - your body will function better and less chances of getting sick
  • Drink plenty of water - I drink approximately 3 liters of water every day, it helps you feel full and it's good for the skin
And lastly..
  • Don't worry, be happy - don't stress yourself out over little things, everything will pass
Today, I weigh 106 lbs. wears a size 2 (small to medium) shirt and a size 25 jeans. My weight is still fluctuating but I don’t mind, I still give in to temptations (chocolates and cakes, yummy!). I’m glad to be where I am today and I have no plans of going back to my old self.








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Comments

  1. I am soooo proud of you! You look awesome! Changing your eating habits made a world of difference. I am trying to lose weight, too. My problem is refined sugars. I have a hard time resisting them but I am working on it. You are truly an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Marcia, me too! I can't say no to cakes, I crave whenever I see one. thanks for the comment, I hope I can inspire everyone not just to lose weight but to be healthy also.

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  2. Well done! You look fab! Total inspiration... :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. OMGosh you look incredible! Just the motivation I need! Thanks for following my blog! :)

    Dhruvi
    Stilettos & Sequins

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope I can inspire someone by just writing this post, Thanks!

      Delete
  4. Your before and afters are so inspiring and there is some great information here! Anyway, I'm a new follower on google friend connect from The Collective.

    Ashley @ http://downsizingashley.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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