GOOD MORNING ALL! I took my first immune boost packet this morning then eventually ate breakfast and felt like I wanted to exercise!!!! Laced up and just finished a fast walk on the treadmill for an hour!!! Actually got a bit sweaty and I drank 44oz of water while doing it! I hate that I can’t run but close enough! Gotta build back up BUT OH YOU BET I’M GOING TO. I love running toooooooo much! I need some new exercise shorts because these are actually Brad’s lol.. but I’ve been wearing them for exercise since mid-2009 and they’ve now got holes in the inner thighs and OWEEEEEEEEE talk about chaffing pain! Also, I think my feet grew a little thanks to the +30 pounds because they crush my toes when I fast-walk and now I have a bleeding toe! Or it might just be that my toes need a clippin… my fingernails do too. I’m sitting here listening to music and munchin on a cup of multigrain cheerios + sippin on my energy drink aka treat!!!

While on the treadmill I was thinking of what I wanted to blog about. I have been through SO MUCH with my weight loss journey and of course still learning and I’m gonna KEEP LEARNING! I wanted to blog about the essentials for getting started with weight loss. I guess you could say I was my own guinea pig in the beginning because I didn’t have a trainer, didn’t even have a workout partner! I also apparently didn’t do enough research because I’ve had lots of stumbling blocks along the way but I know as I keep going all these stumbling blocks are only gonna make me a better athlete.

ESSENTIALS FOR WEIGHT LOSS:
check-up OK OK OK. First off- our health IS SUPER IMPORTANT. it would be good to go to the Doc and get a CBC and full overall check-up plus PLZ FOR THE LOVE OF ALL ATHLETES GET YOUR IRON/IRON STORES LEVELS CHECKED! all this BEFORE you start your weight loss journey. I wish I would of done this!!!
the scale It’s AWESOME to see those numbers dropping on the scale right? Don’t be so caught up in those numbers though. I know I was when I lost the 76 pounds in 2009. If I didn’t see weight loss then I would be SO destroyed mentally. I’m not like that now. The number on the scale is a good thing to keep up with but It’s not EVERYTHING. I remember in 2009 I changed my diet and gained 3 pounds in a week and I was sooooo upset because of it. I’ve learned It’s OKAY! We will have struggles with those numbers but we just have to keep focused! Which leads me to the next essential……
thought process You have to WANT to lose weight. Be POSITIVE and change your thoughts. Focus on the goals and know that you CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO! Positive thoughts will take you a long, long way. Even If you have hard weeks, gain a pound, don’t eat on track or whatever life throws at you… JUST KEEP GOING and know that things will be OK and tomorrow is always a fresh start. Don’t be discouraged and don’t be afraid to push yourself beyond your usual limits. THAT’S when you really find your true potential. We all have GREAT POTENTIAL SO LIVE IT AND BELIEVE IT!!! =)
diet, nutrients, vitamins&minerals I knew that vitamins and minerals were important but BY GOSH I had no idea HOOOOW important they were until I started to push my body (and I’m good at that…) with INTENSE exercise and trying to restrict calories to lose weight. When I first started trying to lose weight, I tried to set up an eating plan for myself and after about a week? I started to feel like I was losing my mind!!! I felt awful! I didn’t know what was going on! I went to the Doc and she said I was eating nothing but carbs and that when I exercise I really need PROTEIN. That’s when I switched to the high protein, low-fat, low-carb diet. Do yourself a favor. Don’t restrict too much on anything. It’s okay to have a certain limit but I’ve learned that a moderate amount of fat/carbs is FINE and lots of protein is good! You know what they say – EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! Well, really what it all comes down to is what makes YOOOOOOU feel the best. For me it’s higher protein! If you are trying to cut back on calories… here’s the key. YOU HAVE TO GET ENOUGN NUTRIENTS! HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO. If you do not… bad things will start to happen. I am living proof of that!
***** If you are restricting your calories a bit to lose weight and exercising then make sure you take a multi-vitamin, eat enough IRON rich foods and give your body all that it needs to keep that energy and well-being UP! If you start to feel fatigued even though you ARE getting enough sleep and have taken rest days then get it looked into it. I WISH I WOULD HAVE. Listen to your body… it’s so important If you want to get the results you want and KEEP THEM.
no weight loss If you are trying to lose weight but time and time again aren’t losing it then listen up. You are either a) going over your calorie limit, b) not eating ENOUGH- women need atleast 1200 calories but really that’s way too low. the lowest I ever went was 1400. c) not doing enough exercise to make a deficit, d) having a health problem. if there is something messing up your body that will most of the time interfere with weight loss, e) not giving your body variety! eat a variety of foods and do different exercises! change it up so that your body is constantly challenged!!
cardio and weights Personally I think the best workout plan involves BOTH cardio AND weights. Ladies don’t be afraid to pick up those weights!!!!!! You actually burn MORE with weights and will burn calories even after you’re done exercising with the weights.
HYDRATION Drink that water!!!!!!! 8 8oz glasses a day or more! I’ve really been watching my water intake lately and I now drink 66oz throughout the morning and then into the afternoon I drink on a 59oz until around dinner time so I drink almost a gallon a day. Your body NEEDS the water!

In short- RIGHT DIET FOR YOU+NUTRIENTS, EXERCISE, GOOD AMOUNT OF SLEEP, WATER, POSITIVE THINKING AND DETERMINATION!

With careful thought and the right setup for you, you WILL get the results you want. I know I did but I stumbled, didn’t have the right nutrients and my body fought back in a bad way. I’m giving my body PLENTY of nutrients now and will get back to the body I had a year ago. I was getting LEAN, had a good amount of muscle and felt better than I’ve ever felt IN MY ENTIRE LIFE and guess what? YOU CAN TOO! YOU CAN TOO! No matter your age or situation, you can feel the way you’ve always wanted to feel with special care and the right tools. It’s never too late to start getting healthy but you have to WANT IT and be motivated enough to make those changes. Take care of your body and It will give you so much happiness in return.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE posting about stuff like this! I live for it!!!!! I hope this can help someone out there. I’ve been my own guinea pig but again “WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER” and I am deffo stronger for all this I’ve been through. Here’s to health and happiness my friends! The world is ours and we can have it all! SO THANKFUL for my Heavenly Father and everything He has given me! Including this body! Have a great day everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOUR LIFE, LOVE YOUR BODY!

:grin: :)