Losing weight and going on all sorts of diets are usually something most of us are wrapped up in. I've always been quite chubby and at my most weighed 9 stone 10, a size 12.
I'm such a foodie and that led me to gain loads of weight, I didn't have fast metabolism like some of the girls around me that wouldn't put on anything after eating similar foods and amounts as me. I wouldn't say I was ever 'fat' but I was meaty lol and was far from being slim and was too lazy and too in love with food to give up anything.
Before I got married at 21, I went on a 'carb-free' diet and used the treadmill as a form of exercise (didn't use it enough!). It did made me lose 10 pounds over a few months but again I didn't like what I was doing, I found it really difficult and didn't lose enough weight. So I got back down to 9 stones which was how much I weighed when I was around 18/19 years old.
So what was it that worked for me?
Motivation!!' Strength of the mind! I was sooo determined that I'm going to do this and I did. I got pregnant with my first daughter and luckily I didn't really gain much weight (Long story I'll go into that another time but I had extreme sickness and really tiny babies, barely ate through my pregnancies).
Once I gave birth I weighed 9 stone 2. So again I was around the 9 stone mark. I moved into my home and I thought this is it, I'm joining gym!
Before I get into how I worked out and things like that I just want to touch on food. Previously I tried to lose a bit of weight here and there and what always worked for me was 'calorie counting'. I found that eating what I wanted but just less of it stopped me from temptation. Not to say this is easy, because if you are used to eating a certain amount, cutting back does make you hungry and irate, but like all good things you have to have patience and this will slowly adjust your 'stomach' as it'll get used to the newer amount of food.
So that's why I did calorie counting using my fitness pal, it tells you how much you should be eating to lose a pound or two a week and deducts from the calories you burnt from your workouts.
This post is getting very long and detailed but even in calorie counting there's way of doing it, cutting corners and there are days where you shouldn't follow the limited goal for many reasons which I'll go into in a different post. The thing is your body is like a robot and you need to constantly switch it up, but I'll discuss calories in a different post.
The same goes for working out, it's something so detailed that I'll be posting separately on the exact workouts I did and how to manipulate them every week or so. I went from using the treadmill for 30 mins three times a week when I was 21 (back in the days) to going gym for 1 hour or more 5/6 times a week. The workouts really motivated me, made me feel good and active and week by week I was seeing results, on the scales and in person
I lost weight slowly and they say the slower you lose it the longer it stays off. I know people that have lost a stone in a month. I started this regime mid January 2016, and by the end of May 2016 I lost a stone and weighed 8 stone 2, then I stopped my regime as I got pregnant again. Its now March 2017 and I still weigh 8 stone 2 after giving birth to baby number 2 another tiny baby, but I haven't come to the end of my weight loss journey. I plan to rejoin gym and get back on to the calorie counting to just lose a couple of pounds but to really tone up more then anything and to stay fit and to keep myself in shape.
Honestly I feel so ecstatic that I've got to where I am. I never thought I'd weigh around 8 stone nor did I think I would be a size 8. It's all about determination, will power and slowly adjusting to the food and exercise regime. My next post will contain step by step of the exercises I did and food I ate to lose weight. If I did put on another stone in pregnancy I would stick to that routine as it was something that worked for me, and doing it wasn't making me feel down and horrible, I felt so refreshed and energised.
Losing weight and working out go hand in hand I never used to exercise before and I found it difficult to lose weight just on a food diet. I was lazy and thought exercise isn't for me. But boy I proved myself wrong! I was in love with the gym, it was such a sanctuary for me. If I can do it anyone can! You have to love what your doing to lose weight otherwise it does grind you down and you end up stopping in your tracks.
Hope this gave you all an insight into my weightless journey and the next post will feature everything I did in detail
