Day 8

Today I felt blah. I weighed in at 187.6 and compared to Day 1 I was at 192.4 with the grand total of 4.8 lbs down. Although I lost weight, as I wrote earlier, I didn't feel good about my image still. I couldn't physically see the 4 lbs lost. I know it's a slow process but I can't wait until I can physically see the difference.

So I had to make up for the pizza I had yesterday. For breakfast I made egg whites and veggies. For lunch I had an Herbalife shake. Dinner was chicken and veggies.

I feel as though I am some what eating the same thing over and over again. Some of you gave me some good recipes to try and I will. But maybe there are other chicken and veggie recipes out there because I know that is a meal that is easy and very good for me but I get so bored.

Also, I noticed I am getting hungry in between meals but every snack I want to go for is not good for me. If any of you know any good snacks that I should be eating let me know please because its a struggle not to go for the cheese and crackers.

Mommy and Me Fitness at Hapa Yoga was a blast today. I got a good workout and although I was still sore from personal training, the moves were subtle and gentle. However, I still had a 20 lb baby strapped to the front of me so that was rough having the extra weight during a few moves. We also use the TRX straps in the class. If any of you know what they are, you know that they make workouts more enjoyable because they are a good aid in tons of moves. I love these classes and I suggest every mommy to find one near them because the babies just love it. They always take time to focus on the baby too through massage and stretches just for them. Today was another day down and many more to go. Until tomorrow ladies and gentlemen.

Self Image

So today I am really having a hard time with self image. I know I have lost like 4 lbs but in my mind I want to see that physically and I can't. I'm sitting here getting dressed for my mommy and me fitness class and I can't help but hate the way I look. I know I had a child 7 months ago, and I had surgery 4 months ago but I still can't wrap my head around the way I feel when I look in the mirror. Do any of you feel this way? If so, what do you do in order to love the way you look? What do you tell yourself mentally on a day to day basis to help cope with this? Please comment below, I need help!!!!

Day 7

Today I failed tremendously on the food part. I guess you can call this my "cheat" day. I had egg whites and avocado for breakfast and then the day kind of slipped away from me and before I knew it, it was 3 o'clock and I had a training to go to for work. Of coarse, the only food they decided to order was pizza (MY FAVORITE). I had 2 pieces and I have never felt so gross. My stomach literally made me feel "blah" the rest of the night so I didn't have dinner. 

This morning I had my second Personal Training session. During the first one, she had forgotten to take my weight and BMI so we did it today. My weight on her scale was 187.8lbs which is an improvement from last Friday. My BMI showed around 36% body fat. I am determined to get those numbers down.

So she started me off with running up the hill and then benching and I got up to 34lbs added on to the bar. She did it slowly and kept adding just a little weight each time. She gave me a good tip and said that the bar should be at your eyebrows and then when you pick it up you go over your chest and then bring it down. I'm pretty sure I have been doing it wrong all along. She also had me doing lots of chest fly's by pulling 10 lbs from both sides. one of the sets she had me lunging forward and switching legs. My legs were a little sore from Monday but not nearly as bad as they felt on Tuesday. She had me doing sit ups as well, and I am happy to report that I can now go all the way up on my own! She had me do Russian twists which hurt like hell while holding 10 lbs. She had me doing jumping squats while touching the ground. Finally, she had me do side lunges. Again she would have me do one move for 20 secs and then rest for 10 and then do the second move and repeat at least 5 times. I really feel strong and sore all at the same time. I also still went on my walk and tried to drink more water. Thanks for reading. Until tomorrow ladies and gentlemen. 

                               

Day 6

Today I was very busy running errands with the little guy, but made it to Mommy and Me Yoga at Hapa Yoga. I also got my walk in this morning and went about the same distance as I have been. After Yoga we went swimming because Noah loves to swim and I get a little water aerobics in as well.

As for food, I had oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast but I got full fast and didn't finish the oatmeal. For lunch we were out and about so I got a chicken bowl at a Hawaiian place. For dinner I made Chicken and white squash. I also was craving cheese so I had two slices of soft skim mozzarella and a whole roman tomato. Sorry for the picture I didn't remember to take a picture until I started eating it. 

I'm still working on taking my vitamins because I forget here and there and also the water challenge was difficult today. I maybe had two refills today. I am also trying to remember the Bio Oil twice a day. It's so hard to get into a routine. 

I love all the feedback I get on Facebook it's very helpful to get insight from all of you. Thanks for the support. Until tomorrow ladies and gentleman. 

Day 5

                       
Today we were still at my parents and we ate out twice. I feel like the hardest meal to eat out for is breakfast. It was so hard to pick something that didn't have everything I couldn't eat. So I had to make some compromise. For breakfast we went to Farmer Boys and they had a breakfast bowl that came with egg, sausage, hash browns, onion, bell pepper, zucchini and cheese. I asked for no sausage and no cheese so the only bad thing would be the hash browns, but of coarse they didn't listen and gave me sausage. So as I sat and picked around the sausage, I got full fast and didn't even eat the whole thing but focused on eating all of the veggies. For lunch we went to El Pollo Loco again and this time I got the Mango Chicken Tostada under 500 calories also. It was so delicious. Finally for dinner I made asparagus with garlic and coconut oil and also Talapia. 

I didn't exercise, however, because I did some peoples hair and then had to drive home. I was very sore from the personal training yesterday. She kicked my but. My abs and legs right above my knee caps hurt the worst. I also have been feeling anemic because its that time of the month which fricken sucks when you are trying to loose weight because all I want is chocolate and ice cream right now. The temptation is killing me and its only day 5. I need some tips to stop the cravings. Please help. 

Also, I am trying a new product to get rid of my scars and stretch marks. It is called bio oil and you can get it online or stores like Walgreen's. Here is what Walgreen's has to say about it.....

Description

---

A specialist moisturizing oil that smoothes and tones scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone. It is also effective for aging and dehydrated skin.

This formulation is a combination of plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an oil base. It contains the breakthrough ingredient PureCellin oil, which changes the formulation's overall consistency, making it light and non-greasy, ensuring that the goodness contained in the vitamins and plant extracts is easily absorbed.

• With vitamins A and E, calendula, lavender, rosemary and chamomile oils
• For face and body
• Non-greasy
• Rapidly absorbed
• Hypoallergenic
• Suitable for sensitive skin

Made in South Africa

It is recommended that this product be applied twice daily for a minimum of 3 months. It should be massaged in a circular motion until fully absorbed. During pregnancy, this product should be applied from the start of the second trimester to areas that are prone to stretch marks such as the abdomen, breasts, lower back, buttocks, hips and thighs. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
© 2014 Pacific World Corporation

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/bio-oil-skincare-oil/ID=prod3853514-product

Day 4

                            

So today was interesting. I did my personal training for the first time this morning and it was amazing. She made me do dead lifts, rope pulls, rows, crunches, arm raised sit ups, and squat jacks. before she had me start, I ran up and down this hill twice though. This showed me how out of shape I really was. I did struggle with the ab stuff because of my surgery's of coarse, but she didn't push me, she said I will have to get used to it because now we have to repair my muscles that were damaged and now weak. What I liked about her technique of training was that she didn't push me as far as doing a lot of reps at one time. She timed everything and told me I could slow down if I need to but as long as I didn't stop doing the move I was getting a good workout. I thought that was important because I was so tired after just doing one rep of these moves that I had to keep slowing down toward the end but I never stopped so I still got a good burn out of it. Because of my training today I didn't get to go on my daily walk, but we traveled today to see my family two hours away and my eating was kind of off.

So you are probably looking at my picture thinking, "where is the breakfast? or why is she eating pasta?" So today was awkward, I had no idea what I should eat before a workout because I tend to get sick if I eat anything right before I work out. I went to personal training on an empty stomach and then by the time I came home we were getting ready to leave so I grabbed a banana. When we got to where we were going I was hungry so then I had to search the menu for something that I could have that wasn't too bad for me. We ended up at El Pollo Loco and I saw a 500 calories or less menu and I got a chicken avocado salad off of that and it was amazing. Then when it came to lunch I went to my parents house and they had chicken and fresh veggies so I made that. Then dinner came, oh boy. So while everyone was about to have spaghetti, I was trying to think of something to have. I really wanted just a little pasta, so I cheated today. I literally had 1/2 a cup of pasta and the meet sauce had ground turkey which is lean meat so I said okay, that's some of my protein but just in case I had a small piece of chicken with it and then of coarse more veggies. I will tell you that I am still having the bloating problem every time I eat. I'm not sure if that is just a natural reaction to eating after the gall bladder is removed or not. 

I meant to get you guys a product that helps with stretch marks but I forgot it at home so I will post about it tomorrow for sure. Until tomorrow ladies and gentleman!

Day 3

                                 

So I had work all day again but I ate good and I walked. I had an Herbalife shake for breakfast with Almond milk and protein powder. For Lunch I did a salad with tomato and avocado with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. For Dinner I had pork chops and veggies. The water challenge is killing me, I am still sucking down the third cup as we speak. Its so hard when I am at work and busy, to stop and drink water. 

Anyways, I am proud of myself for walking today because I couldn't yesterday. Also, I start training tomorrow bright and early and I can't wait to share with you all how it goes. I need the help badly and I can't wait. Sorry for the short post, its been a busy day today! Stay tuned tomorrow for a new idea I got for getting rid of stretch marks and also a discussion of whether or not waist trainers are beneficial. Until tomorrow ladies and gentleman!

Day 2

Today did not go as planned. My morning started off bad because I of coarse was running out of formula for my son and had to wake up extra early to go get some. Then I had to cook breakfast and get ready for the day. Saturdays are my busiest days at work (yes I am a working mother) because I am a hairstylist so I worked from 10am-6:30pm. Then, it took me an hour to pick my son up from the babysitter. By the time I got home it was already 8:30pm, then its time to feed the baby, give him a bath, cook dinner, and go to bed (that also means I ate dinner after 9pm).

 Yes, I ate good today though, but still the day got away from me. For breakfast I had 1/2 cup of plain oatmeal and 1/2 cup egg whites which was a suggestion from my Uncle who is a trainer. For Lunch I had left over from the Stuffed Bell Peppers I had from the night before. For Dinner I had Chicken and Mixed veggies. My water challenge wasn't too bad either. I still managed to drink three refills instead of four though.

 I didn't exercise, but I was on my feet doing hair all day. I need to figure out something for Saturdays or it can be my rest day. I am sorry if I disappointed any of you today, I of coarse need to plan my working days better. Hope you all had a wonderful day. I love the encouragement and advice I am getting so keep it up. You guys are playing a big part in my journey and I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read about mine. Until tomorrow Ladies and Gentleman!

                  

Day 1

• Waist-45" 
• Hips-45"
• Bust-44"
• Arms-13"
• Thighs-24.5"

So the first day was kind of hard. I did my measuring and weighing and did my before pictures for all of you to see my progress. I weighed in at 192.4, YIKES! Other that my last month of being pregnant I have never been this heavy. So You will see below that there is a picture of my scars from my gall bladder surgery, as well as, my beautiful stretch marks my son gave me. I will also be working on toning and lightening the scars. I am also open to try anything for this because I know scars are stubborn little suckers. Please share and ideas!

The toughest part was the water challenge. Have all of you seen the gallon jugs that people are writing times on them so they have to drink so much throughout the day? Well I tried and I failed the first day. Don't get me wrong, I am probably the biggest water drinker you have ever seen because I don't drink soda, but when you become a mom, things like drinking water throughout the day rarely cross your mind until your throat gets dry. So the picture above is of my water cup I use and I figured out that if I fill it up four times throughout the day then it is almost equivalent to a gallon. Today, I only got to fill it up three times. It's good but not good enough! 

Another thing was the exercise. Today was the first day so I didn't go crazy with the exercise part today. First thing I did was walk. I used the app Runtastic to track how far I went which was cool. Today I only went only .54 miles but it was a start. After I walked with my little guy, we went to a Mommy and Me Fitness Class at Hapa Yoga here in San Diego. It was so nice and my little man loves the Mommy and Me classes. I am going to try and do these classes on days I don't have personal training. Yes, I said personal training. I start that on Monday bright and early at 6:30 am. I will be doing personal training 2-3 times a week to get my but in shape along with the Mommy and Me classes twice a week. In addition, I want to walk father and farther each day. 


The thing that was the easiest was the eating part. Today I actually didn't want anything bad for me. Although I got some suggestions for food options throughout last week and today, I will be trying things out for myself and seeing how they work for me. As you can see in the pictures below, I had Greek vanilla yogurt and a banana for breakfast, 1 pork chop tenderloin and Caprese salad for lunch, and Stuffed Bell Pepper for Dinner. For the Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe I substituted the sausage for ground turkey and I used white rice and I didn't put any cheese. As for the Caprese salad, I was told to stay away from dairy completely so I might try that. That goes for the greek yogurt too. I was also told to stay away from fruit and eat more vegetables (preferably green) because fruit has a lot of sugar in them. I will be trying this out seeing as how I love fruit and cheese. Also notice the only carbs I had was white rice, I am the biggest bread lover and will be hard but I am going to not eat any bread throughout this process. 

As for the picture of the vitamins, yes they are Herbalife vitamins and I am selling them. I have lost weight just using these products before. I do have the shakes and will be drinking them as well. I love these products and please if you have any questions please let me know or click on the link.  https://www.GoHerbalife.com/hbryanna/en-US 

Splurge Eating

                                     

So I have until Friday to eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. I almost feel as if I will not be allowed to have any of the foods I love ever again. I am totally ready to make this change for the better. All I do is scroll food on Pinterest and tell myself I want to make that someday. This could be a dangerous thing.

For my mental stability to loose weight, I need to just focus on the healthy choices on Pinterest. I have created a Pinterest just for this reason. To see my Pinterest please click on the P to the right.>

I definitely need a nutritionist or someone along those lines to teach me the do's and dont's of dieting to loose weight. I feel like there are times where I thought I was eating good and I really wasn't. If any of you have an nutritionist background or are a personal trainer and know what is good or bad for me please share. After all, I only have 2 days to clear out my refrigerator and get more healthy choices.

I tried to start juicing but it seemed to be more of an acquired taste to tolerate some of the ingredients that I simply do not have. I have also tried Herbalife in which I may add to my daily routine just to get my health and digestive system on track.

After surgery I was told that I am not allowed to have certain foods because I no longer have a gall bladder. I obviously just kept eating what my heart desires and have been having tummy issues. Believe it or not, there are also things healthy for me that will not agree with my digestive track. I am going to do  my research this time so I will be giving my body what it needs and not hurting it. Please again if you can help in any way please comment, and/or email me your suggestions. Until tomorrow Ladies and Gentleman!

The Emotional Eater

So we all cope with our emotions differently. I tend to be an emotional eater, meaning when I'm sad, mad, stressed, or happy I tend to always look for food for comfort. However, when I'm just fine and at home, I get bored and again it's the food that interests me. 

I guess it wouldn't be that bad if I was making healthy choices  while using portion control, but no. I am definitely a bread and cheese lover. I'm the one that justifies pizza as healthy because it has all the food groups in one meal. That was actually my motto for a long time, you can ask my mother, pizza has always been my favorite and when people would ask me why, I would reply with my motto. I need a new favorite food and a new motto. I want to challenge myself to find a new healthy choice and a motto to why it is now my favorite. It may take some time but I will find one. 

I want to try and write my emotions instead of eating them. When I said I would write about what is weighing in on my mind, that meant everything on my mind that is hindering my weight loss will go into this blog. Yes, I am being vulnerable by putting it all out there. I feel as though the mental part of weight loss is just as essential to see results. I have never cared to address this in previous attempts to loose weight so I am hoping this will indeed help.

If any of you have any different ideas on how to cope with emotional eating please share. Not everyone can relieve emotions through writing. Also, I want to hear your feedback on my idea.  Until tomorrow ladies and gentleman! 

My Story

I have always been pretty plump but I was always active. I played soccer and softball until I graduated high school. I would go to the gym frequently but I would eat whatever I wanted. After high school the bread, pasta, carne asada fries, and burgers really caught up to me. 

Up until I got pregnant I was at my heaviest 180lbs. When I got pregnant, of coarse I was telling myself, "I hope I never go over 200lbs!" Well I did and getting that weight off after I had my baby was on my mind during my last month.

Little did I know, after 33 hours of labor with my son, I was only 3 cm and I had to have a c-section. This makes recovery time longer. So my weight loss would have to wait. Breast feeding helped a lot, I actually lost a lot of my weight within the first month but it still wasn't enough. 

After returning to work and recovering, two months after delivery I was getting back into working out. I was on a good path slowly easing my way into it. Then all of a sudden I was getting back pains at night. I thought it was a side affect from the epidural so I would take Tylenol and put Icy Hot on and it would go away. When my son turned three months, I woke up with pain that felt like back labor and this time it would not go away. After three hours of pain I finally went to the ER. 

When I got there I could barely walk. It was 4am and I told them it feels like back labor and it has lasted for three hours and it's  getting worse. The nurse saw my baby and asked how old, when I answered with three months, he immediately said it's probably your gall bladder. I was shocked when they finished with all the testing and 

Told me I was completely blocked with gall stones and sludge (bile) and I needed to have my gall bladder removed. 

So after two major surgeries, six months after I had my baby and three months after my gall bladder surgery, I have gained weight. I stopped breast feeding at three months and was not able to lift anything for one month after my gall bladder surgery and still until now, I was not comfortable with working out because my four holes, yes four, were still healing! 

Now I am ready to get rid of the weight once and for all. I'm still doing my homework on how exactly I'm going to accomplish this but I am hopeful. I am also wishing if all of you can help support me and encourage me because this has always been hard for me to do on my own. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Maybe some of you can relate but I feel like this journey will have better results if I get everything off my chest and out in the open. Until tomorrow ladies and gentleman! 

First Thing is First

In one week I will start my weight loss journey. I have always struggled with my weight but after having a baby of coarse, I am at my heaviest. I am looking for some things to help me and hopefully be making some huge life changes. This would be the physical weight I will be talking about in this blog. I figure there is someone out there just like me who is struggling just like I am. Hopefully we both will gain something from my journey. 

If anyone has any advice or suggestions on things I can try please feel free to leave a comment. I could use all the help I can get. 

Next Friday, July 24, 2015 will be my start date. I will share my before pic and daily struggles with diet and exercise. I want to loose weight not only because I had a baby but for other reasons as well. I will be sharing my reasons through this next week up until I start the tough stuff.

I feel to get into the right frame of mind I need to get all the obstacles in my head out before starting this journey. Maybe if you guys know where I am coming from, you will be able to relate to my struggles much better.