Never be afraid to dream a bit bigger!

Have you ever had one of those days where it's all grey and gloomy outside but the air is fresh and crisp? Days like today make me wish I had the option of blowing off work and just hitting the trails. I love the area we live in now. I'm a mile walk or run from a fabulously beautiful river trail. One of my favorite parts is the twists and turns that take you deep into the mini forest along the riverside - from where you enter to where you exit is about 50-100ft but you get miles of trails while inside. It's awesome! Just last Wednesday as I was out on a run I came across a family of deer. They were very suspicious of me at first but then they started trotting right along behind me. I would glance back and they would freeze, I'd turn back and continue on to only hear their tiny hooves following right behind me. Something tells me they are used to being feed by humans LOL. I'm always astounded by the beauty of nature and the peacefulness I am able to find and still be in the city.

Running clears my head. Not only do I love that I can burn anywhere from 1000-1500 calories but I come home less foggy and ready to take on the world. I can't wait till November when the time changes and I can run in the morning instead of in the evening!!! No excuse here, I'm just not running my dark streets before the sun comes up thank you - it's all about safety not my nice, comfy, warm bed  **longing for that about now, sips the coffee**

However, today is not a cardio day today is my lifting day. I cannot wait to get to the gym! I, as some of you may know, do not have a gym membership. My lovely sister, who could pass as my twin, does. No, I do not use her gym membership and pretend to be her!!! How dare you even think that ... not that I wouldn't get away with it  We use Planet Fitness, and she can bring a guest free. The only problem with this is it limits how often I get to lift, and on what days since I have to go on her days off work. I'm just glad that I got her into lifting or else I would be using tiny 5lb weights at home. So tonight we shall lift, sweat and repeat. I know tomorrow the soreness will come but I love that strength follows so it makes those days easier to cope with.

My biggest goal is to look like the lady in the photo on top. Given I have a bigger bone structure I will never look exactly like her but that's where I'd like to get my body. I will get there, not today, not tomorrow, not next week or next month but what these past 112 days have shown me is that with hard work and strong will power I can do anything and everything I set my mind to. I heard it put like this "Never be afraid to dream a bit bigger, the sky is the limit, your sky - your limit - make it huge!"



Why? Because I'm worth it!!

Making today count

If I could say one thing that stuck with you it would be this: Never let anyone tell you what your worth is. Their input does not matter. You can do anything you put your mind to. Embrace yourself & love yourself, once you do, then you will start to see the rest of you change. It all starts within. Make the most of each day. 

I cant member who said it but his words ring true. "You have two lives, the second one begins the moment you realize you only have one. Make every moment count" Don't spend time focusing on negative things, those will always be there and are never the same. But focus on the positives in life because those a rare and once you start to look for them, you will notice less and less of the negatives. These were things that I had to dig deep and focus on because I was in a low place when I started this journey. Now my mission is to help change others lives, whether it be by just listening when they need someone to talk to, helping feed a family who doesn't have anything, giving someone the clothes off my back if need be. I have such a burden to help others, if anyone ever wants to just chat about anything and everything - don't hesitate to contact me.  

Benefits of H2O

What will drinking water do to help me lose weight?  

I have gotten several messages and emails from my blog asking me what is the one thing than exercise and eating less fast food that I would say contributed to my weight loss. 

The answer is very simple. WATER. I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. I see posts on here daily, "why am I not losing weight" "I've been on here for 5 weeks and I haven't lost anything". I always go straight to the diary - if it's open - down at the bottom what do I see a big fat 0 every single day. So that made me think, OK if you're not logging your water then what are you drinking and not logging? If your calories are right on but you've had no water, then are you drinking sodas and not logging them?

 The Challenge

 I had commented on one of these said posts and received a message asking me if I "really" thought water helps you lose weight. I went okay I'll PROVE it. So last week I cut my water in almost half every weekday except Tuesday.  Instead of drinking 15-20 glasses of water I only drank 5-7 a day. I kept everything else the same. What happened?

My results 

Well, first off I was tired a lot, so I added coffee (it's more of milk with a splash of coffee) in the mornings. 

Secondly, I don't know how many of you do any kind of lifting but Tuesday was my lifting day. What do you normally do the day after a lot of lifting? You hydrate and eat right. So with this water restriction, I found that instead of it taking 1 day to recover it took me till Friday. Funny thing is, I didn't even lift as heavy or as much as I did the week before and it only took 2 days.

Finally, by the time Saturday came, I didn't feel like getting out of bed at all so, I didn't. When I weighed in early Saturday morning I was up 3lbs from 226 to 229. That was it for me. I had to reset my system to get back into fat burning mode. Now some people may disagree but for me fasting and sleep are the best for resetting my system (others may have different ways) I grabbed my water bottle and started drinking. I slept all day Saturday, with bathroom breaks and water breaks. Sunday morning I woke before everyone else, gee I wonder why?? Grabbed my water bottle and downed 20oz right there. Did some stretching, and then my normal morning routine. I had so much energy it wasn't funny, so I cleaned. Any mom will tell you, when she has been sick or out for a day a house can become in disarray very fast. Then it was off to errands and other boring things with my large water bottle in tow. I noticed that I wasn't using the restroom as much as I normally would when drinking as much water as I did. I had already become dehydrated and my body was replenishing. Late Sunday night while we were watching a family movie, I realized after getting up the 8th time during the movie that I was now fully hydrated and it only took me 2 gallons of water. Monday morning, I weighted in and was almost back to normal 228, it was coming down. Tuesday morning, 227. Even better. After three full days of hydration my weight is almost back to normal. 

 What makes me think that it's just water that's doing this? Well before I started out on this journey (for the last time) I did research and found that there are many benefits to drinking water - lots of water - daily.

Here are some of the things I found.

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially if you are trying to lose weight:

• Initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water, and you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• The process of burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration has been shown to slows down the fat-burning process.
• Burning calories creates toxins (think of the exhaust coming out of your car), and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume; a reduction in blood volume causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles; and a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles can make you feel tired.
• Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract, and it lubricates your joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness when exercising.
• A healthy (weight loss) diet includes a good amount of fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.
• Drinking water with a meal may make you feel full sooner and therefore satisfied eating less. Note, however, that drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need bulk, calories and nutrients.

 I also read somewhere to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up to wake your organs - not sure how true that is - but since I started drinking a glass within 30 mins of waking and eating within an hour of waking - I don't really need coffee at all (want it maybe but don't NEED it). 

You should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water a day - for me that's is about  107oz or right at a gallon of water a day. 

Conclusion 

So how do I know that water is the key it comes down to a few things.  

When you start to lose weight your body converts fat into usable energy. This causes the fat cells to shrink. These metabolic changes generate heat, which helps maintain your body temperature, and waste products. These waste products - water and carbon dioxide - are excreted in your urine, sweat & are exhaled from your lungs.  So my conclusion is, more water in helps with the excretion process and it helps you to remain hydrated while you're working your butt off in the gym or at the track! 

References:

For some very interesting facts about what happens when you lose weight check out  http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-biology/lost-weight1.htm  &  http://www.livestrong.com/article/272600-what-happens-to-fat-cells-with-weight-loss/

Do it today! No more excuses!!

Are you ready for a change? 

How many of you actually look in the mirror and go, "man I really SHOULD do something about this, I'll start Monday (tomorrow, Jan 1st, etc). I know that I used to do that. Then what happens? The problem with this type of thinking is we really are NEVER going to do it. It's just our minds way of making us feel better because we are PLANNING to do something ONE DAY!

So, what's the solution? It's very simple. Start NOW. Don't put it off. Start small if you have to. Get up, get moving, go for a walk, drink more water, reduce your portion sizes, make healthier choices in foods.

The biggest thing you need to understand is your transformation from your current position is not going to happen over night. It's not going to be easy. Your mind will fight you every single day. You have to make up your mind and have the will power behind it to keep that same goal in mind ever single day. This is not a 30 day commitment but that's where it will start. The hardest part is going to be your first 30 days. This is your fight or flight time. Either you will choose to stay and fight for what you want or you will throw in the towel and fall back into those bad habits. I promise you once you pass those first 30 days you will fill triumphant. You will begin to see changes, maybe on the scale, maybe in inches. I suggest that you take a starting photo, you don't have to share it but just something that YOU can compare a 30 day photo to. You will really be surprised at the differences. Most of all you will start to feel better. You will notice that you have more energy and that you are getting stronger. Maybe you will start running now instead of just walking. Then you'll notice that you can go further. Make sure you set small goals. Even if you "think" you can make a bigger one and reach it, it's those small victories that will build your self esteem and help motivate you to keep going.

If you need help staying accountable I would suggest signing up for Myfitnesspal (you can add me getfitwithtamela) and find some friends or make some new ones. This is a great way to be held accountable, plus logging your food will show you what you really are eating. You will be surprised the amount of calories in foods & drinks.

Still thinking about starting tomorrow?? How are you going to feel in 30 days when you still haven't taken that first step?

Now think about how great you're going to feel when you see that you've been dedicated, yes the work was hard but now you're at your first goal, you've made it 30 days without giving in. What does that tell you? You've got this! You can and you will succeed! So what are you waiting for? Don't think about it, put your shoes on and go!

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My Story

I started my lifestyle change on June 5th 2013. I have struggled with weight all of my adult life. I weight the same today as I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my son. In December of 2011, I weighed for the first time in years, I was shocked and disgusted to see the 263lb on the scale. How could I have let myself go like that. So, I joined a gym that January and started taking Zumba classes. It was great for the first 60 days or so, but my mind-frame still wasn't there. I didn't care what I ate, I didn't care what I was drinking and I certainly wasn't making sure to watch my macros at all. I went to the Doctor because my left ankle was swelling something terrible, I now know after seeing several specialist and countless regular doctors that they are as stumped as I am. So they gave me an endless supply of water pills & potassium to help with the swelling, since there is no pain involved that was the only thing they thought would help. So I took them as directed and lost tons of weight. I went from 260 to 215 within 3 months. I began to burn out. Working out was more of a chore than anything and I was already eating what I wanted and drinking Dr Pepper left and right. So in April I gave up, why? I still don't know an answer to that. Within 8 months my eight was right back up to 250.

In January 2012 I started beach body's Les Mills Combat (great program) I lost down to 235 but suffered a back injury from bad form and was benched for 90 days. My birthday was May 6th, I weighed again for the first time in a while and saw the scale again at 247. So I was like I'm going to do something about this, this time. So I logged into My Fitness Pal and started logging my calories. I was so shocked to see that I was normally eating close to 3500 calories a day 1/2 of those I was drinking. I cut out my sodas cold turkey. 

June 5th, I was folding clothes and flipping through channels, to take my mind off the task at hand. When I came across Extreme Weight Loss the episode with Meredith Prince. For the 2 hours, I think I folded 3 towels, I was entranced. Her story struck a cord with me that change my life. The one thing I took away from that was that I first needed to change my thoughts about myself, learn about nutrition and find an exercise program I loved and that challenged me. I also needed to find the cause of my habits, and set the course of change in motion. Chris Powell said "the change begins within, then you work out the outside". I vowed that day that I was going to change. I had to change. Meredith's tattoo said "Believe it, Be it 155" that was my goal weight too. So the next day I made my changes, I started eating healthier, I created a new My Fitness Pal account (clean start no old reminders) and I started to walk from our apartment down to the track, through the woods, across the bridge and back. By the time I had finished my 2.6 mile track that day I was exhausted. I could barely carry my body back up our three flights of stares to get home. But you know what I felt good. So I kept at it. I added sprints to my walk, then jogging, and as of 07/30 I ran my first full mile! 

I had picked a hard month to start my journey, unknowingly. The day after I made my commitment to myself my husband found out that the job he had been with for 6 months was closing it's office here in Georgia. No biggie right, take it to the track. About 2 weeks later we get a call that his grandmother had passed away in Minnesota. So we jump on a plane and head to Hutchinson, MN. 10 days after we get back from his grandmothers funeral, my fraternal grandmother passes away. I'm thinking how much more can be thrown at me this month. I was so upset. Before I would have turned to food and just shut down, probably gained another 30lbs due to depression. What did I do you ask? I took all my pain, all my frustration and all my grief out to the track. I could cry, scream, let off steam and pray  out on that track. If anything it has made me stronger!

Since June 5th I've lost 21lbs. No pills, no gimmicks just better eating and hard work. I've recently started to add weight training in to my routine. I can't wait to see what the next 60 days will be like!
If you can get into the right mind-frame nothing can stand in your way. Believe in yourself and you can do amazing things.

Weight Loss Bucket List

I'm sure we all have thought about a "life" bucket list before at one time or another. But, have you ever though about a short term bucket list for your weight loss journey? 
Today is day 70 for me. I once thought that logging my food and exercising at least 3x a week was impossible for me. If I'm honest I'm sure I used the following phrases "I can't do that, it's to time consuming, it's to hard to do. I can't run, I'm to fat. I can't lift those weights I'm to weak". 70 days later I'm here to tell you that I can do anything. There is no stopping me. I can run, I can lose weight, and I can be strong.  (21lbs lost and 5" off waist, 7" off thighs, 2" off calves, 3" off arms)

My Bucket List

I realized last week that I no longer use the phrase "I can't" any more. So what do you do with all the things that you once thought you could never do? You make a bucket list of course!
Now that you've seen my bucket list for the next 6 months, what's yours?

• Complete a 5k (run/walk doesn't matter just do it) 
• Break out of the "obese" rating on the BMI
• Climb Stone Mountain (Stone Mountain, Georgia)
• Hike then tube the river in Helene, GA
• Start training for 10k
• Do 25 full push-ups
• Swim with the dolphins 
• Do 10 unassisted pull ups
• Master the 12" & 14" plyo boxes
• Grow my motivational webpage to 200 people
• (https://www.facebook.com/anewyoustartsnow)

Now that you've seen my bucket list that I hope to complete within the next 6 months. What's yours? Do you have anything that you used to say you couldn't do that you are ready to conquer?