Commitment…

currently snacking on while I write this post :)

Ok, so first off…. Let me say that I am so sorry that I have not posted anything in SOOO LONG!!

The last 2 months have been like a rollercoaster for me and I am FINALLY in a good place with myself!

So let me catch you guys up…..

For the past two months I have been struggling with working out and my diet… I can definitely consider the last two months as a slip up. IT SUCKS but I can actually admit that.. I went through a couple injuries while working out that caused me to take a couple of weeks off from the gym and honestly that started my downward spiral to getting lazy. I got into a relationship (which I am currently not in anymore) that also started to get me off my diet.

So while working out one night… I was doing some deadlifts and I completely messed up my back… the next day, weeks, it was extremely hard for me to move in almost every position. I tried to work out but I knew I just had to give my body a break. It honestly took me about 2+ complete weeks to heal. I went through heat pad sessions, roll out sessions, massage sessions and even more to try and get my back working correctly again. I finally decided that it just needed to heal with time and that's what I let it do. Now in the beginning of this rest/recovery/heal time it was so HARD for me NOT to workout!!! It took everything in me to just give myself a break!! Then towards the end of the first week… I enjoyed being lazy for a bit… I feel terrible even saying that. It came to a point where I just didn't even want to try and go to the gym anymore. Along with my back injury I suffered my knee continuously nagging me and a shoulder injury…. I would probably work out maybe at least 2x a week and that would be it. Along with not working out, I started to go back to my old diet ways….

Now, during this time of my back recovering I was in a relationship… and in this relationship I was happy at the time! So what do people do when they're happy?! THEY EAT!! Now, of course I was still eating healthy foods but then I started baking brownies, cakes, cookies almost 3x/week. I ate ice cream… A LOT of ice cream… Then I started cooking a lot of foods that I probably shouldn't have ate and excessively as well. Eating to a point where I was full instead of satisfied…. Now all the foods I started to cook could have been in moderation and also made in a "healthier" option. I made tacos a couple of times and of course I used turkey meat and I make my own taco seasoning but then I started using all the unhealthy condiments…excessively lol. That's just one example but the point is I just started eating what I wanted without any conscious thought. Now I don't completely blame the relationship I was in for my carelessness in my diet… it just started it… I should have caught myself a lot quicker than I did..

So while having poor eating habits during this time… I kept doing this thing where I would say, "Ok, tomorrow I start healthy eating again." Or I would say, "ok! On Monday I'll start!" I kept pushing off my decision instead of starting at that moment!!! Which is what took me so long to start my fitness journey in the first place! I kept using those same excuses and before I knew it 2 YEARS PAST ME BY!!

Last week, I FINALLY DECIDED TO COMMIT TO MYSELF AGAIN! My new target date that I'm working towards is November 28^th. My birthday!!! I cant wait because I want to see what I can do once again with my body! I love the fact that your body can do anything YOU WANT it to do!!! All of those workout videos where they go "hard" and "beast mode" in the gym, YOU can also do that yourself!!! That's the AMAZING thing about fitness!!! I love it!!! So I have decided that I go back to my regular scheduled program of working out every single day with one rest day out of the week (Sunday for me). And back to my clean eating habits!!! And I am so EXCITED!!! I'll have a cheat meal once a month… That's how I scheduled my cheat meals before. I didn't really gain any weight luckily while I got lazy and started pigging out. Which I am so thankful for!! But I'm just glad that I caught myself before it got too late! I just wanted to show that everyone has slip ups, fitness is NOT perfect but IT IS progression!! You start to learn your body, your habits, what sets you off, how to catch yourself, what you need to change…. IT IS A LIFESTYLE!!

Me: currently:: happy:::

Top questions asked....

Lately a lot of people have been asking me questions about my transformation process... oddly a lot of people ask me the same questions...So I decided to give some insight to the top 3 questions that people ask me:

1. How did you do it?
2. What's your diet like?
3. What motivates you? What keeps you motivated?

my point of view...

1. How did you do it?
I started my lifestyle changes in August of 2013....
I was literally fed up with my weight and I hated how I looked... I couldn't wear the clothes I wanted and I just wasn't comfortable in my own skin. So I finally decided to change my diet and start working out everyday. I started by jogging/walking everyday for 45mins (that was about 2.5miles) and I changed my diet completely.  After a month and a half I was finally able to cut my time down to around 30mins ish, so I decided to add 30mins of weight training after my workout.  I tried to make my workouts at least an hour and I also bought a calorie/heart rate monitor and made it my goal to burn at least 600calories everyday.  I also took some boxing classes when I had some extra money. 
From August-October I had no gym membership so I did everything in my basement, at the park or outside in my neighborhood while it was still warm enough outside.  In November, my mother willingly gave me a gym membership to Planet Fitness and I started going there EVERY single day, 6 days a week with one day of rest which was usually Sunday.
I then started making goals for myself... how fast can I run 2miles, how long can I run without stopping, how many man push-ups can I do, how long can I hold a plank, how much weight can I squat....little goals to keep me pushing myself.
Before I knew it...I finally was able to run 2 miles under 20mins. I ran for a full hour and ran 6+ miles. I am able to do 10-15 man pushups on my own without stopping and I can hold a plank for a whole min, probably more now.

Now....
I'm able to push my body and workout for 3hours...(it's not needed to workout 3hours, I just enjoy the workouts I've been doing). I'm burning over 1,000 calories in my workouts. I'm training for a half marathon (13.1 miles) and a full marathon by the end of this year (26.2 miles).  A short term goal I'm working on is to do an unassisted pull-up.  Since September I can honestly say I've been working out every single day of the week with one rest day.  I wanted to change so bad I did everything and anything I could possibly do to make it happen.  Giving up, starting over, procrastinating, and saying "tomorrow" was no longer an option. 

2. What's your diet like?
When I changed my diet, I decided to no longer eat anything that was packaged, and no more take outs (fast food, going out to eat, ordering food). I started buying my own produce and cooking everything I ate so that I knew exactly what was going into my body.  I also started a food diary which held me accountable for what I was eating. To be able to see what I was eating on a sheet of paper made a big difference.  They also say 80% of the people who keep a food diary lose weight and keep it off.
I try to keep my calorie intake between 1200-1600 calories a day.  Before I eat every meal I drink a huge glass of cold water also. I eat 3 meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2 snacks throughout the day.  For breakfast I almost always have eggs whether it's a boiled egg or a veggie omelette, some type of fruit (I really like berry fruits), and some type of carb (I switch between a slice of toast, a cup of cereal or 1/2 cup of oatmeal). I make sure I eat breakfast EVERY morning.  I'd rather be late to an appointment than to not eat breakfast. If I'm on the go, I'll grab a granola bar and throw some bag in a fruit or grab a fruit that I can easily eat while driving.  For lunch I usually have some type of protein and veggies and also for dinner.  If I ever want dessert it's usually fruit or some peanuts.
I don't consider myself on a diet because I don't ever feel like I'm missing out on any foods I like.  If I want pizza, I'll make my own pizza using my own ingredients with healthier options.  If I want cookies, I'll find recipes online that are healthier options and use organic items.  It's all about modifying the things you want to eat to healthier options.  Once I changed my eating habits I felt like a totally different person inside and out... my skin was clearing up, my mood was changing and I just felt happier overall as a person. 

 

3.  What motivates you? What keeps you motivated?
In the beginning what motivated me was social networks.... looking at people's before and after transformation pictures, I had to believe that one day I would be able to transform my body just like they did.  I would stay up for hours at night some night until 4-5am looking at fitness people, pages, websites.  I would search tumblr all night also for motivation.  I would read every fitness quote and apply it to myself.  I honestly just wanted to change so bad there was no other option for me and I wasn't gonna stop until I did.  I engraved it into my head that I just had to do it. 
People continue to ask me what motivates me....but I could sit here and tell you what motivates me and it might not motivate you.  You have got to find out why you are doing this and believe that you can do it.  I spoke my transformation into existence and didn't take any half ass steps to get where I am today.  I watched every food documentary on Netflix before I changed my diet.  I read nutrition books.  I researched what foods I was eating and educated myself.  Reading fitness magazines and blogs has became a hobby of mine.  I love it!
Today what motivates me is... ME!  Every morning when I wake up and look at myself in the mirror I am STILL in shock with what I see.  It's only been about 7 months and I've changed so much... Now I can't wait to see what I'll look like in August my full year transformation anniversary.  lol. It's so surreal to me that I used to have buy a Large in all my clothes... I recently went shopping and bought mediums and they don't fit!!! It feels beyond weird to buy a small in clothes!!!
I've been showing the world my fitness journey because I remember once upon a time 7 months ago... other fitness people were my motivation and now I just wanna be able to motivate others like they did me. 

If you want it, you've got to do everything and anything you can to do it.  You've got to research fitness, try new foods, push your body.  You only have one life and one body, take advantage of what you have now.  Prevent yourself from sickness and diseases.  The body can cure itself with the proper nutrients.  I hope this post helps a lot of people who having a hard time starting, or are having a hard time in their journey.  Keep going, it can only get better, it never gets worse!

Day 15 check in...

 

Hello Everyone!! I'm sooooo SORRY that it's taken me so long to write a post...well, actually I made a post last week and as soon as I was about click publish EVERYTHING erased -____- lol!!
So let me update you on everything!!

So if you've been reading, or following..esp on instagram...You'll see that I'm counting my days until I hit 90.  I started this 90 day challenge for myself 15 days ago because I wanted to motivate myself all over again with something new...I started my weight loss recordings all over and even started my food diary over with a day 1.  Since I've started my 90 day challenge I've been eating healthy and working out every single day...except one day in the week I have a rest day, so all together I work out 6 days a week.

Recently I've been working out with my friend who's been putting together these insane workouts where we workout for about 3hours and lately we've been burning up to 1,000+ calories in every workout. lol. They're so intense & challenging BUT they're so fun because we literally push ourselves and each other.  When I say intense I MEAN BEYOND INTENSE. Like death type workouts LOL!! but I LOVE THEM!! I love seeing how far I can push my body.. it's beyond amazing to me that your body is stronger than your mind. 
The fact that your physical body can show people how hard you've worked and what kind of diet you eat is beyond mind boggling to me. 

 

 Those are just a couple of gym pictures I take of how much I burn and what type of workouts I invent for myself. lol. I push myself so hard in the gym I love how much stronger I've gotten.

I looked in the mirror one day and honestly couldn't believe how far I've come.  My squats and leg days have DEF worked out for the best of me!! I remember I had NO back side before this transformation process! lol!

My meals have seem to gotten much smaller, I can't eat nearly as much as I used to be able to.  I eat 3 meals a day with a snack in between breakfast and lunch and one in between lunch and dinner.  My snacks are usually any type of fruit or nuts (peanuts mostly).  Here are a couple of my meals that I've taken pictures of...[I post a lot of my meals on instagram on the daily @xxxtinemarie is my name]

 

Here are a couple pics of how breakfast usually looks:

 

This was amazing!! It was banana slices with peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla toasted on a skillet. =peanut butter & banana quesadilla :)

 

So for breakfast I usually have a boiled egg, fruit (I tend to eat a lot of berry type fruits) and some type of carb (I switch between a slice of toast, cup of cereal or 1/2 cup of oatmeal).

 

Here are some pictures of my lunch meals::

 

For lunch I always try to have some type of protein whether it's a boiled egg (I limit myself to 2 boiled eggs a day) or some baked chicken with a side of veggies. 

 

Here are some pictures of dinner: (dinner usually consists of some type of protein and veggies also...if I ever want dessert, its usually a cup of some fruit)

 

 

SNACKS::

 

 

Changing my diet was the number one thing that changed everything!! Also keeping a food diary kept me accountable for myself.  Being able to visually see what I ate on paper kept myself in check and allowed me to see an estimation of how many calories I was eating a day. (I try to keep my intake around 1200-1600)

 

I remember my logic used to be....if I burn enough calories, I can eat whatever I want and maintain my weight....SIKE, I ended up gaining over 30lbs!

 

 

 

 

These are 2 before and after pictures that are so surreal to me every time I look at them... The before picture in both are taken in August of last year and the after pictures are taken during this past week on my way to workout....

At one point other people were my motivation to change my lifestyle, work out and fix my diet.... NOW, I AM my own motivation. I look at myself in the mirror every morning and it keeps me going.  It pushes me to get to the gym EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I've lost about 45lbs+ and I'm nowhere near finish....I JUST STARTED!!

 

A lot of people have been asking me different types of questions, but the top question I get is..."What keeps you motivated?"

Honestly...what kept me motivated was myself! I had to honestly believe that I was gonna transform my body.  I would look at before and after pictures for a month straight...sometimes until 4 in the morning.  I researched and read fitness articles every single night before bed.  I planned out what I would eat for the next day every night.  I was so determined that I was tired of starting over and saying "Ok, tomorrow I'll start." I said that for over a year and gained 20lbs. So I made my mind up and decided that I would stick to it this time!

 

I honestly believe if YOU want it, then YOU WILL do anything to get it.  You can't be inconsistent. You can't be lazy. You can't do it for 2 weeks and think you're gonna change overnight...It's a process and you HAVE to fall in love with it!

I did this all by MYSELF, NO shakes, NO corsets, NO quick/crash diets, and NO gym in the first 3 months....It was ALL will power and DEDICATION.

I usually go to bootcamp every Sunday but today I took a well needed rest day and I KNOW tomorrow is gonna be another CRAZY, INSANE, DEATH workout so I'm resting up for it.

 

 

I hope this post gives you guys some insight on how I've been keeping up with my goals, fitness and lifestyle changes.  I don't consider myself on a diet, I just eat according to my goals and what I honestly want to eat.  I'm beyond happy with the results I have gotten throughout this process and I fall in love with the process more and more EVERY SINGLE DAY!! :)

 

 

 



 









Day 4 of 90....

Hello Everyone!!!

Sorry It's taken so long to write a post... So let me update you on what's new....

 So On Sunday, March 16, 2014 I started a 90 day challenge... [I should have wrote a post on my first day, I'm so sorry I've been so busy trying to get school and work situated.] But the week before that I went on this binge where I was eating everything in sight until I got so full I couldn't breathe lol!

 I even have my days...where I lose it but before I'm too far gone, I catch myself! That's why I started another 90 day challenge for myself and I even asked anyone and everyone to join me on my journey just to show you guys what 90 days can do!  

For these next 90 days all I’m asking is for DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE, PATIENCE, build some WORK ETHICS, show me PASSION and to just try as hard as you can!! No cheating yourself, research when you’re lost about something and CONSISTENCY! You can do so much in 90 Days…. The end date of my 90 days is June 14, 2014. Here is what my Day 1 looks like…

I also started my food diary all over starting at Day 1 for a fresh new start…

Here are some pictures of my meals I’ve ate so far starting at Day 2:

(Breakfast: green pepper, onion & spinach omelette with multigrain toast)

(Also had 1/2 cup of strawberries & grapes with breakfast)

Day 3:

(Breakfast: boiled egg, multigrain toast w/ one tablespoon of peanut butter, cup of grapes, green tea with lemon. Book; The Power of Your Subconscious Mind)

(Postworkout lunch: baked chicken, boiled egg, 2 tablespoons of hummus with 1 carrot stalk)

Day 4 (today) March 19, 2014:

(Breakfast: cup of Cheerios with sliced bananas, 1/2 cup of light vanilla soy milk, boiled egg, green tea with honey & lemon)

(Snack: one celery stalk with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, topped with dried cranberries & a small tangerine)

(Lunch: 1/2 chicken & spinach sandwhich with hummus & mustard, 1/2 grapefruit, carrots & hummus to dip)

(Dinner: cabbage & cannellini bean soup with baked chicken on the side. And I had a cup of grapes for dessert)

On Day 1 I went to bootcamp and did 2 sessions because I was eating so bad the previous day…

I’ve also changed up my workouts a little… last month I was doing 30mins of cardio and about 30-45mins of circuit training with weight lifting with a specific muscle group every day (arms, shoulders, legs, back etc.) 

This month I’ve been doing a lot of interval, HIIT (high intensity interval training), calisthenics, body weight type of exercising. I’m also training for a half marathon (13.1 miles) so I’ve been trying to strengthen my muscles. I’m so happy that the weather is finally breaking in Michigan.  I finally did my first run outside instead of the treadmill and my pace/timing is so off…I was a little disappointed but I’m just gonna work on it.

The main reason I did this 90 days is because I saw myself picking up bad habits again… I basically ate what I wanted for 3 consistent days (I had my reasons) but I knew I couldn’t keep going or else I’d lose myself.  For those 3 days of eating BS I could honestly feel the impact… I got lazy, my mood was shitty, I was angry and I didn’t feel good.  Day 4 (today) I feel so much better! I have more energy and I’m happier! Lol! This 90 day challenge for myself is just another nice way I can motivate myself.  I’m so excited to see what I’ll look like on day 30… (I decided to take pictures every 30 days for progress)

My one year mark of changing my lifestyle is coming up in August and I can’t believe it…. Here’s another progress picture of me from back in August to this month….

 

The difference is amazing and I still can’t believe how much I accomplished! I literally still look at my before pictures every night before I go to bed. I love the fact that once upon a time other people’s before &  after pictures was my motivation but now I AM my own motivation and it feels so good.

I really cant wait to see what my body will look like 85 days from now!! So I’m asking anyone and everyone to join me! Just watch what hard work can do! You wont regret it, you’ll only regret that you didn’t do it!