Sodium vs Water

This morning, I finally hit 35 lbs lost! This is a major mile marker and I am feeling so giddy with excitement. I cannot believe I've been able to keep it up this long. Things have definitely become more habit than will power, so living this healthy lifestyle has been much easier than I had ever dreamed of.

I have about 10 more pounds until my BMI reaches the normal zone for my height 5'4.5".

During the past few weeks, I've been noticing my sensitivity to sodium intake. Being Korean, most of the Korean food I love are highly packed with sodium and extremely spicy. I love it, but I realized I can't enjoy them too frequently without feeling super bloated. On days I have more sodium than usual, I noticed that the increased water weight and slight constipation gets me feeling super bloated, not to mention that the scale decides to gain a few extra pounds. But knowing that my body reacts to sodium in such way has helped me not to feel frustrated when the scale shows a slight increase. I know that in just a few days it will shed naturally. But considering that this sodium business creates such uncomfortable body reactions, I have to consider that perhaps it is not good for my health.

Water. I can testify about the treasures of water. And looking back, I spent most of my life dehydrated. No wonder I had such a weird addiction to junk food. When I'm dehydrated, my body triggers an urge, but unless I deliberately allow myself to hydrate back up, I take this "urge" to stuff myself with sugary drinks and other junk food. Yes well because water can be so... Boring. But after working out this relationship I have with water, I'm more dependent on it then ever before. When I'm well hydrated, I don't have cravings. Even when I'm hungry, I have a level headed hunger for good clean food. When I'm hydrated, I can workout without cramps or feeling sluggish. When I drink that water, my system is cleaned and polished, running at its optimal performance. My fundamental component to weightloss and staying healthy is water. I would recommend this to anyone who is trying to get back in shape.

Before and After Face

Pictures say a million words. Here's a picture I came across from Oct 2011 on the left. I tried to take a similar picture just a few min ago on the right. As I embark onto the last month of this year, I'm glad to know that more than half of the year was well spent on challenging myself on this health journey I've postponed way too long.

Eating healthy, portion control, eliminating junk food, running, and drinking lots of water... do these and good things will happen!

Pushing for Excellence

Past month was another one of those chaotic ones. I'm beginning to recognize that I have about 3-4 months in a year where I just get thrown off my typical steady routine due to extraordinary events and vacations.

In the past month, I had a bachelorette party down in Miami and a lovely week absorbing the bliss on the Big Island of Hawaii. This weekend, there is a bridal party for the sister and the following week is her wedding. Amidst all this are holidays and birthday parties.

I managed to gain a few pounds during the Miami and Hawaii trips, but since my return about 10 days ago, I've shed them all and am at a 31 lb loss to date. Good news is, I will easily reach a 35lb loss by the wedding. Unfortunately, the bridesmaid dress is now too big. I'm planning on just stitching the sides  here and there to make sure the snug is there, just in case it decides to slide down in front of the mass audience, which of course we would not want to see ;D I'm also going to use this special tape that I can use to secure the dress since the strapless ones are just too unpredictable.

And I have made the decision to put my hair up. I've been holding off on this in case I needed the extra coverage with my hair. Luckily, I've managed to acquire a nice warm tan and the extra weight I've lost in the last week has made a drastic difference on my upper body. Hair up it is!

And here's the best news so far! I am wear size 10 jeans! Yes, I am now a proud owner of 3 size 10 jeans which are adorable. My thighs are slightly too big, but I'm hoping that too will shed soon enough. Yikes, I don't ever remember wearing size 10 jeans. My earliest memories of my teenage years, I still wore size 12's and 13's. The other day, I did another small purge of clothes. But after trying on a few of these old clothing, I saved a dress and a pair of jeans as my "Before" collection. They are really so freaking big. I can't believe I used to squeeze myself into them. I'll post pictures of them soon. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the past trips and my progress pictures up to date.

Aloha from the Big Island, HI

Brunch at the Big Pink in Miami

At my 31lb weightloss milemarker

And in celebration, new boots.

Three Weeks Until D-Day

My sister's wedding is in exactly 3 weeks. It feels like yesterday she got engaged, yet all the mile markers have passed, and we are left with the gigantic to-do list of the last "3 Weeks" before the wedding. I've been lucky to have run across some amazing money saving deals online for the decor, as well as this hole in the wall flower shop just 5 mins away that sells fresh flowers in bulk at wholesale prices. I've been experimenting with the flowers, and luckily, flowers are beautiful no matter what I do to them. Here's a picture of the second bouquet I made over the past weekend. Few days later, the roses bloomed so full, they looked like peonies. At the end, we decided to scrap the baby's breath and stick with just roses and greenery.

As I'm wrapping up the final projects for the wedding, I'm reminded of how fast this past year went by. I remember reminiscing about the wedding, and dreaming with my friends about how we were going to lose weight and look fabulous in our first official wedding amongst our group. Somehow, knowing that there is a D-Day, the dream became reality. I actually took action in ways I've never succeeded before. And as I welcome these last few weeks of chaos before the final day, I am reminded of how grateful I am to have changed for the better, and I am less and less a victim to life's misfortunes and more and more a pioneer of my own life.

Outfits Are Fun

See the vast contrast of my Fall vs. Summer wardrobe which were all taken this past week. Best of both worlds thanks to my beautiful vacation to the Big Island and my wonderful Fall beginnings here in Georgia.

Dressing Up

Honestly, one of the best parts of losing weight for me is the clothes! Its a new season, and I'm pulling out all my cold weather clothes, most have safely made their way to the donation bag. So the dilemma is that I am now switching back and forth between two pair of pants, and most outfits are blahh. Therefore, I have found myself shopping more frequently than I'd like to admit. Of course, all from those lovely clearance racks. Fortunately, the variety of clothing choices have doubled as I embark in the size Med racks, and I'm as happy as a lark! But more than anything else, there is no price to the confidence I've found in myself these past few months....

Miami Before & After (6 mo. difference)

This past weekend, I went back to Miami with the girls for the sister's bachelorette party. Was trying to locate some pictures for a side by side comparison, but I didn't have many choices to choose from as my before. Here's a picture of me at Miami back in Apr/May 2012 (10 lbs lost):

Notice how I covered up very well? That used to be the most revealing I'd ever get. 

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Here's me this past weekend in Oct 2012 (30 lbs lost):

(I'm on the far right)

(on the far right again)

Miami was so much fun. Riding bikes in South Beach, walking up and down Ocean, Collins, and Washington Ave. Window shopping, hopping nightlife, and pretty scenery.  Must get back there soon!

As for my food, I was pretty laid back. Didn't go overboard, but kept it loose so I can have fun with the friends. Sharing food is exceptionally tasty. 

Pushing for the Big 3-0 Loss Mile Marker!

I am ONE pound shy from reaching my 30lbs lost milemarker, and how can I say this... I am VERY DRIVEN to get there by this week's end! Extra 2 miles on the treadmill at 6mph, OK! Skip that evening snack, OK! Drink coffee black, OK! I WILL WILL WILL get there!

My friends and I are heading down to Miami this 4 day weekend to celebrate my sister's Bachelorette Party! And yes, we WILL be wearing skimpy outfits to the Halloween Party. Yes, we will be tanning out at the famous South Beach. Yes, we will be dressed fancy with pretty little heels for the high end dinner cruise, and YES we will have an epic single girls in their mid-20's vacation extravaganza! And as much as I get hard on myself for those many times I slipped this past summer, I am so proud of myself for that late March sometime when I decided "enough is enough!" Because more than 6 months since then, I am lighter than what I weighed 6 years ago as a college sophomore!

Here's a picture I took yesterday at the gym. I did a double take because my back looked a lot leaner than it used to. Hooray!

Demons in My Head

Many of my friends and family think I am always so strong and confident. Just the other day, I was telling my sister how I used to cringe at the mirror for years when I noticed the bulge in my tummy. I was telling her how I'd find myself hiding behind large purses, coats, hair, etc, not liking what I saw reflecting back at me. Then she went on to comment, "Really? I always thought you were so confident! Jo and I would always talk about how you probably look at the mirror every morning and say 'hey beautiful, you look good!" Funny, I don't remember thinking that every morning. I guess perception of someone can be drastically different from the reality of what's really going on.

But the truth is, I have many insecurities and I've had many more in the past. Enough insecurities which began my push towards weight loss and healthy eating, hoping that this will get the long worn out feelings of "guilt" and "feeling unattractive" to vanish.

And as I am making a mess through this so called life, I am learning to find that true happiness stems from no person nor the things of this world. True happiness sprouts from knowing I am special, and that there is a bigger purpose and reason, one that stems from goodness, kindness, joy, peace, patience, etc. But in the meanwhile, I still find challenges that get to my head. 

If there is one thing I've learned this past year, it's that I can't change the world, only Jesus can. But what I can change is myself and my behavior, my outlook on life. And by changing me, I hold a better chance of influencing my surroundings for the better. So relieved. =)

Compliments Are Yummy

April 2012 (that's me on the left @ my heaviest)

October 2012 (at my 25 lb mile marker)

As of today, Oct. 16, 2012, I have lost 27 lbs. And I am here to testify that this is a mysterious mile marker that has brought me more compliments regarding my weight loss than ever before. My dad, my sister's in laws, my friend A, just to name a few from this past weekend. Up until now, it was always a passing "you look like you lost weight," but now I'm getting complimented with the "wow, you look so different" and "you look really good" on top of the new and may I add "uncomfortable" stares from strangers whom without permission look me up and down :(

Overall, glad to see the results shining through. It's so funny how I can't quite see the difference. I feel like its the same me looking back in the mirror every morning, but supposedly I'm smaller. I did my first purge of clothes this past weekend, and gave away a handful of clothes I no longer wear nor fit. There were a handful of "big comfort" clothes I was holding onto for when my regular clothes were too tight. So long comfort clothes! And all of the clothes that were "too tight" are now my new wardrobe. Good thing I held onto these over the years, in hopes of fitting them again. I had too many jackets and tops that were so tight around my arms that in fear of the loss of circulation I had stopped wearing. But now, these dear old things fit perfect, even with the buttons and zippers all zipped up! And the best news.. I am now an official M from L on top and a size 12 from a 14/15 on my bottom.

For the past decade, it was always my dream, my new year's resolution, my goal.. to lose weight. But looking back, I realize how much I "dreamed" and never took any action. I never really accepted the possibility that it can happen now rather than through some magical illusion through God himself in my distant future. And finally, as I see these numbers going down to what is supposed to be the "normal healthy" me, I feel so honored to have stumbled across this "something" that has triggered this reality of change. It's so amazing to know how life is ultimately a "blank check," and I can do whatever I put my mind to. And although I have only shared my health journey on this blog, it's quite amazing how much I have been able to take both my spiritual journey and financial freedom to a whole to level ever since I started taking ownership of both.

Before and After (Bridesmaid Dress Version)

Yesterday, the bride, bridesmaids, and I found our final dresses. For six months we have searched through many stores and online dresses, and alas we were stoked to finally find THE one. The picture on the left was the first set of dresses the three of us tried on back in April 25th, 2012. This was just a couple weeks into my new healthy lifestyle. Since then, I've had my ups and downs, but have been successful in making progress to an almost 25 lb weight loss.

The picture on the right was taken just yesterday, and I didn't really see the difference until I compared the two pictures. I'm really proud to see the difference so clearly.

Yes, that's me on the far left and the far right.

Taking Things Up a Notch

The past week and a half, I've been stuck, hovering around the same weight. Accepting that I had hit my first plateau at my 22 lb mile marker, I switched things around. I intensified my runs from 5 mph to 5.5-6.5 mph sprints for as long as I can go (typically about a quarter to half mile at a time), then hopped on the elliptical. I added a mile of walking my dog before going to bed, and some core strengthening in the morning, including 100 crunches, 100 squats, and 200 jumping jacks. All the while, I've been intentionally increasing my water intake to about 2+ liters daily. And this morning, I am happy to say the scale has budged. YAY!

It's important for me to be about to measure my progress. This alone allows me to stay motivated on a day in and day out basis. Whether I see my weight drop, notice my clothes feel looser, or my endurance build while working out, the point that I'm making progress has done wonders in my life!

And with this good momentum going, I'm praying I reach my 25 lb mile marker next week. This would be a major milestone, one which I have not been since 2007.

Always hoping, praying, and not giving up...

Too Lazy to Cook

With so much changes happening at work, taking care of a 5 month old puppy, juggling Maid of Honor duties, and working with a new group of young leaders at church, I've been pretty lazy with kitchen duties. Back in April & May, I would eat majority of my meals directly from my kitchen, which was constantly stockpiled with produce and healthy organics. Today, my few zucchini's I own are going bad, and I really should check if my eggs are still good...  (bad eggs float)

link

So what have I been eating every day? Dun dun dun... Turkey subs. From Subway. There's a special going on this month, and a footlong turkey sub is only $5! LOL That has been my bread and butter day in and day out. It's funny that when I walk in, the same guy I see knows my order without me asking. So far, I've been too busy to even get tired of the same thing, but I know sooner or later, I would milk my appetite for turkey subs dry. Until then, bon appetite :)

Yesterday was a pretty busy day. Took the bridesmaids to try on a gazillion dresses near Atlantic Station. There was my favorite two, but realized it takes 4-5 months to order those dresses. =( Not good. Then we went over to the GA Aquarium.  My first time there despite my living here in Atlanta the past 15 years.

The Weightloss Guideline

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Back to Habits

Past two weeks I struggled to get back on the same habits that helped me lose weight. This entire week, I've been able to excel and have finally found the consistent momentum back to daily healthy habits.

1. Eat 1,200 - 1,300 calories / day (daily record on MyPlate @ livestrong.com; w limited calories, I really do end up selecting more veggies, fruits, and lean protein & minimal sugar and oils)
2. Keep a consistent sleep schedule
3. Walk the dog Morning & Night (I've been sprinting with my energetic pup)
4. Drink lots of water throughout the day
5. Run 3-4 miles / day
6. Track weight daily at the same time (fluctuation happens but maintaining a daily graph is exciting to me!)

We all have luck, but the real luck happens when you set yourself up for it... the success.. in every way you can. Then just let everything happen naturally. Lucky me. =)

Renewed & Revived

Hello.

So here I am again, praying that I can pick up from where I left off a couple months ago. Since my last entry in July, I have done nothing different to improve my health. Rather ironically, I stayed pretty dehydrated since the entry I wrote about dehydration lol. Good news though is that I was renewed spiritually and refreshed myself with a spiritual hydration.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

I spent the entire month of July working hard in preparation for the ECKCM up in Michigan. I coordinated the Outreach Department, and we raised over $3,700 to rescue one North Korean Refugee hiding in China. Praise the Lord!

There is less than 4 months left until my sister's wedding, and I am ready to push hard until the finish line. Still have a good 40 lbs to lose by D-Day, 2 more 10k's to run by the end of this year, and many more self improvement to work on.

More to come in the weeks ahead regarding my personal health progress. Until then, I will leave you with the new addition to our household:

Pepper Ann [Beagle/Poodle Mix DOB 4.18.12] <3

Second Time Around

It's been one month since I posted last.  It's been one month since I lost my momentum and stopped making progress.  Since May 31st, I have gained 3 lbs.  But I'm back, and it's time to get my head on straight again.

The past month has been a roller coaster ride.  Our business isn't doing so well, and facing financial chaos has been my number one burden.  But at this point, I can only look to God for his grace regarding the future of the company and my path on this road, for he promises that his yoke is light.

During Sabbath School at church, I led a discussion based on the topic of water.  It was quite inspiring to relate our need for spiritual living water to the water that we consume every day.  Unless we consciously choose to drink enough water, the average person lives their life dehydrated.  We live feeling groggy and drained, simply because we are dehydrated from water and instead fulfill this thirst with things that we presume will fulfill our longing: beer, coffee, soda, juice, etc.  Like our physical need for water, we also have a spiritual thirst for living water.  This spiritual water comes from Jesus Christ, a source of endless fountain of living water.  Yet we immerse ourselves in temporary ways to quench our thirst, only to find out soon enough that we have a deeper dryness that wants satisfying.  From entertainment media, to social havoc, career, and fame.  It's quite sobering to realize how we mistreat our precious body and soul by neglecting simple life giving refreshments: water for both body and soul.

"Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4:14

The Sabotage

I wish I can always be positive and progress without making mistakes.  Unfortunately, my journey seems to have its set of pitfalls and roadblocks.  After my 20 lb mile marker, I know something triggered a sabotaging mechanism.  I've been really negligent these past couple days.  The main culprit is probably stress.  I've been meeting deadlines and staying at work later than usual lately.  When I'm up against deadlines and projects that are due, I tend to turn to food for comfort.  Late night eating fast food and junk food.  I know this is so bad, but I let myself do it because these deadlines seem to be more important than my health right now.  And the one thing that gets me less anxious and juiced up to keep going is comfort food.  I guess this is another revelation to one of the many dysfunctional relationships I have with food.  Or how food has supported my way of getting through life's crisis thus far.  I want to break this.  I know stress is part of living.  Everything seems to all be linked together.  Not only do I need to work on healthy eating and exercising, I should broaden my changes in stress and time management.

I have a long weekend coming up.  I pray I will embrace this opportunity to come back stronger and with more determination to really change my entire life around.

20 LB Mile Marker

In celebration, I dedicate this post to this mile marker.

Today I hopped on the scale to celebrate my official 20 lb weight loss.  Actually I probably lost about 22-23 lbs, but since my official recorded highest weight was on March 21, 2012, I have dropped 20 lbs.  My BMI is down to 29.6.  I am officially out of the "obese" category.  What a relief!

What are the changes that brought me thus far?

1. Food.  I control what goes in.  I don't keep accurate calorie logs, but I stay around 1200 calories per day, and strive to eat majority fruits and vegetables.  Although I've tried to keep variety of food in my diet, the most common items include whole grain bread, brown rice, vegetables a plenty, fruits fruits fruits (watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas), chicken, turkey, yogurt, milk, and granola bars.  Sometimes I plan my meals really healthy, other times I eat fast food (Chicken Fresco Burrito/Tacos from Taco Bell), and I've even been able to mingle during potluck and eat during social gatherings without sabotaging anything.  I eat what I know to be around 300-400 calories during each meal.  It really is a way of life.  I don't gorge or what we'd call "pig out" anymore, and saying bye bye to this one bad habit has made me stronger overall.

2. Water.  I drink a lot of water.  I don't even know how much I drink anymore, but I carry around a 1 Liter water bottle, and refill it during the day.  I'm assuming my water consumption probably reaches about 2 - 2.5 Liters per day.  The only other types of drinks I'd drink besides water are coffee and green tea.  Ok, occasionally some diet coke as well.  But I find that I can't even drink diet coke anymore since my meals are lighter and healthier.  The only reason I used to chug diet coke was because my meals were heavy and greasy.  Diet coke used to compliment these meals.  Now when I drink diet coke, it's too strong and I find that I can't even finish half a can.  I guess that's a good thing.

3. Exercise.  I run.  I hop on the treadmill and run about 3 times a week.  Some runs last well past an hour, while other times I stop at 3 miles.  I weight train about 2 times a week.  I try to be more active outside, and climbing Stone Mountain, walking with my roommates' dogs, and shopping has been more of my weekly activity than ever before.

4. Sleep.  I sleep a lot.  I love waking up feeling refreshed, and sometimes that means I sleep about 9 hrs!  I feel like my body is going through a lot of changes, and the more I sleep, the better results I see.

5. Believe.  I think the motivation from believing that I will meet my goal this year has kept me going further than I've ever been.  Being able to see visible progress and setting realistic expectations has kept my belief aflame.  I know I can do this, and I am so exhilarated knowing I am a good fraction into the journey.  It's hard, but its easier than living with the guilt of knowing I'm negligent to my body.  This is so much easier than all the horrible self esteem bashing rejections and comments I face for being over weight.  This is so much easier than having to be self conscious of my big fat rolls and cellulite spilling over my already too small clothes.  I believe I'm done being a victim, and I have my entire life in the palm of my hands.

Quote of the Day: Learning to Say "No"

"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage -- pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically -- to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside. The enemy of the 'best' is often the 'good." - Stephan Covey

Stress, a big NO NO

Because I've been making a slow and steady daily progress towards weight loss, I've been able to notice anything that becomes a threat to my well built system.  And after a hectic weekend, I'm targeting "stress" as one of the biggest enemies.

When highly stressful situations occur, my priority in taking care of the situation becomes the most important thing to do.  Especially if this project requires time, energy, and lots of responsibility, the stress hits in multiple layers that sabotage the well running body.  This past weekend, I coordinated a project up at a Christian Retreat.  The project was well worth the dedication, but I have to agree that it did throw off much of my sanity and will power for anything else.  I was sleeping less, drinking too much coffee, and at times feeling overwhelmed by the continual feeling of being accountable for many who depended on my performance.

So the aftermath of all this stress?  Exhaustion and confusion.  I guess I was chugging too much coffee during the weekend, because the caffeine withdraw symptoms were physically killing me as well (headache, nausea, lethargy, depression).  I was so tired to clean up after a weekend away, so my room is still full of laundry that needs washing and my car is still messy from having all the kids ransack the backseat.  My wallet still has lots of random receipts and my purse has many squashed granola bars that got tossed around.  I want to be able to get everything back in order, yet it seems monumentally harder said than done.  I am looking forward to getting my energy level, order, momentum, and peace back this week.

Lesson from this past weekend:  Be prepared to be thrown off balance.  Take a day or two afterwards to recover.  Before leaving anywhere, make the return home easy by having food prepared, room cleaned, and taking care of any little details beforehand to avoid added stress.  If I end up over caffeinating, reduce the dependance of the stuff gradually, not cold turkey, or else the sudden change will be painful.

All in all, great weekend with great people.

I am a RUNNER, Baby!

Yesterday I ran 8 miles, just because I felt like it halfway through the run.  Hahaha!  I actually didn't even feel like running/working out yesterday, and had hopped on the treadmill thinking I'll squeeze in about 3-4 miles.  When I reached my 3rd mile, I was feeling great and my energy level was up.  I was thinking I can do double what I've done so far and run about 6 miles (last week my longest run was 5 miles).  Well lo and behold, I kept going and going until I reached 8 miles!  This is about 2 miles more than the 10K I ran last month.

I've been doing some research regarding muscle and how to build the right ones for long term weight loss and toning.  So there is two types of muscle fibers: Type 1 and Type 2.  The muscle fiber type 1 are what we commonly know as lean muscle.  It's what gives us endurance and tones our bodies.  Muscle fiber type 2 gives us the burst of strength and can be seen on the body builders.  Surprisingly, I read that the type 1 fibers may appear smaller but burn more energy.  That's what I want.  I want to be lean yet able to burn my calories.  So with that new perspective, I am looking forward to running a whole lot more.  As I continue to build my endurance through long distance running, I'm building lean muscle fibers all around, especially in my legs.  There is nothing like running!

And if you look on my weight loss ticker above, I have reached 16 lbs up to date.  I'm treading into weight territory of my post college years (2008-2009).  It's good to be climbing back to when I was healthier.  I have 5 more lbs to lose until I reach a BMI of 29.9 which is another major mile marker for me.  All in all, I am trekking onward towards becoming a more responsible, healthier me!

Slimming Down

More than the dropping numbers on the scale, visually seeing the changes on my body is such an exhilarating feeling!  I have like 3 pairs of jeans that are starting to get loose, and everything in my closet is good to wear again (I had gained about 10 lbs in the past year, and about 80% of my clothes were awkwardly tight on me, bleh).

About a month ago, I bought two shirts at Target.  Same size Medium, one in blue and one in white.  I tried the blue one on in the fitting room, and figuring the white one would fit the same on me as the blue one, I bought both without trying on the white one.  Few days later when I tried the white shirt on, it was way too tight.  I'm not sure if the sizes were accidently switched or if the variance of the sizes were large enough for this drastic of a difference.  I really don't know, but the white one was too tight and I looked like the Michelin Tire guy trying to wear a muscle T, haha.  Blue one was fine.  So I planned on returning the white shirt and kept it in my car.  Then, I completely forgot about it.  Last week, I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had the receipt, and it was no where to be found so I couldn't even return the shirt anymore.  Oh well.  I brought the shirt back in and this morning, I tried it on.  It fit!  It looked like how the blue one looked on me last month (blue ones been getting looser on me now).  Here's a picture of me and my white tee hehe:

I have lost a little over 13lb up to date.  Wow, what a number!  It feels like just yesterday I was struggling to reach 5lb then 10lb.  Best part of it is knowing that I didn't even have a dramatic water weight drop in the beginning (my highest weight may have been a few pounds higher that I didn't get to log) so every pound lost was hard earned through sweat and discipline.

Overall, I feel lighter.  There is this lightness I feel in my stomach, and lots of strength I feel in my legs. My back has definitely lost the puffy padding that I used to grab and despise these past several months, and I even use the innermost hook on my bra rather than the outermost hook that I used to in the past.  Unfortunately, the first thing that goes are my breasts.  Other areas I've noticed change are my thighs, face/cheeks, collar bone area, and feet.  Hah, it's so surreal knowing that it's actually happening!  I haven't been this proud of myself in years, and it is so worth it.  It's hard work, but it's a lot easier than what I had imagined it would be like.  Days and weeks fly by, and my continual efforts have finally shown some results.  It's fun, it's exciting, and I love that I CAN!

For anyone reading, I wish you the best on whatever journey you are taking as well.  I find that the weight loss journey is no different from any other journey in life whether it's money making, skill building, relationship seeking, etc.  It's all about persistence.

I love how Richard M. Devos, co-founder of Amway and has a net worth of $4.2 billion, puts it:

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying 'Here comes number seventy-one!'"

Good Food

One of the main reasons I have made such good progress so far: I really love the food I'm eating.

Ever since I started supporting myself and living off on my own after college, I was a major supporter for our economy's food industry.  An amazing portion of my paycheck went to eating out at different venues and hole-in-the-wall restaurants all around Atlanta.  I had my niche of favorite restaurants: Chipotle (best burritos), Penang (Tom Yum and Pad Thai), Cafe Wings (hole-in-the-wall chicken wings in Marietta), Blu Sushi (Yaki Udon), J. Alexander's (best Prime Rib), Gobawoo (best unlimited Korean BBQ), Cracker Barrel (best breakfast), and last but not least Chick-fil-a (best fast food).  I literally ate out EVERYDAY! And with deals like Groupon and Scoutmob, things were getting even easier to try out new venues at half the cost.  Fun and flavorful options were plentiful, and so were the calories in my diet and the numbers on my scale.

I always knew that the most important thing I'll have to integrate into my life to make lasting change is to start cooking at home.  So I focused on that.  Nothing fancy, just plain old home prepared meals.  Since I'm sharing my refrigerator with two other roommates, things can get kind of ... confusing.  So I try to keep my foods in a pile on a certain shelf where I can see easily.  When I go grocery shopping, I immediately wash, chop, portion, bag, etc with every item I bought since there were too many times I threw away food that went bad just because I didn't get around to washing them to eat.

And grocery shopping has also become a whole new "fun & exciting" experience.  Once or twice a week (depending on the supply level), I swing by the Buford Highway Farmer's Market on my way home from work/gym.  This store is the size of Super Walmart, but with exotic fruits and vegetables (some I don't even recognize), large organic produce section, and international foods with products from Asia, Europe, South America, etc.  I have a hay day in the store.  I take a basket and go through the store looking for my usual products like spinach, cucumbers, apples, and carrots.  I also look for juicy fruits that are in season (the other day I bought a pkg of amazing strawberries for $0.99) and new veggies I'd like to try (how I started enjoying zucchini and beets).  Here's a batch I bought just the other day:

My breakfast is my All-Star meal.  I make sure I have plenty of protein, two servings of vegetables, and a serving of complex carb to last me through the day.  I have a serving of fruit while I cook, and a cup of coffee to get me up.  It's become the thing I look forward to every morning, preparing my meal neatly on a plate, sitting and enjoying a legit meal at the beginning of the day.  My days turn out so productive afterwards!  Here's a picture of my breakfast yesterday:

All in all, I love the new diet I eat on a daily basis.  There's this sense of accomplishment I feel knowing that I'm cooking at home, grocery shopping and making use of every single item I purchase.  It has become an exciting part of my weekly routine to visit the farmer's market, and finding good deals on organic milk and other items at Kroger, too!

Reflection of my Vacation

I am currently flying back to Atlanta from Miami, and I can't wait to get back to my routine life. It's funny how even after a paradise vacation, nothing ever sounds as good as home when it all comes to an end and the comfortable solitude of my own bed, bathroom, and car.

With that being said, there were some amazing memories I'm taking with me from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Key West. One thing I noticed was that there are so many runners near the beach. Most of the beaches have paved sidewalks wide enough for bikes and runners to run up and down the shoreline, enjoying the beautiful scenic view. I ran along the Keys' amazing morning shoreline this morning, and the feeling I got from running along clear blue waters on a beautiful sunny morning was so... epic. Here's a picture I took during the run:

So this past week, I lost 0.5 lbs.  It's pretty amazing considering that I typically come back from vacations with an additional 7-8 lbs.  There was a lot of self control I had to practice.  Since I went with my co-workers, mealtimes were not completely in my control, nor was the place and the frequency.  I had to find the balance of enjoying the vacation and the variety of different foods/sites and learning to make educated healthy choices when eating.  Since a big portion of the time we were walking up and down Collins Ave on South Beach, the Hard Rock Cafe Casino, and the villages at the Key West Island, there were so many vendors offering delicious snacks and beverages that I had almost loved more than the trip itself before.  I didn't succumb to the temptation, and won my battle against mindless feel good snacks that I associated vacations with.  The one splurge was the Key Lime Pie.  Key Lime Pies originate from Key West, FL, and I definitely wanted to try it.  During dinner, I split a slice with a friend, and it was so delicious!  I was happy with a few bites, and now this is definitely not the me I used to be!  All in all, I was able to have fun yet build my endurance in learning to say no to my battle with food.  

Now I am so happy to be back to my routine.  Good food that I don't have to think too much about to prepare/eat.  Less temptation throughout and a scheduled workout time.  Yeah, back to the real world!  

Miami Vacation

Today is my third day at Miami, and the weather has been stormy.  This morning was the first time I encountered some sunlight, and I really do love how the sunlight makes everything so beautiful here.

I am notorious for gaining weight whenever I go on vacation.  Something about all the random snacks I buy (ice cream, local cart goodies, drinks, etc) and all the fancy restaurants I visit, I always had this mentality that I should "make the most of my vacation" by eating like a king.  But this mentality has always have left me a few pounds heavier than before the trip.  I can attest that my slow and steady weight gain mile markers from the past 10 years probably happened during all those vacations I went on.

The new me has broken this dreadful pattern.  Honestly, all last week I was worried that I'd give in at some point on my vacation, since it has been one of my weakest links.  Typically when I'm having fun with other people, I shortcut here and there and the discipline I have built slowly starts crumbling down on me.  Yet today I can testify that I am standing firm with my commitment in the middle of South Beach! Luckily the complimentary breakfast here at the Westin Diplomat has lots of fresh fruit and other healthy breakfast choices like smoked salmon.  The gym is pretty impressive too, and I logged 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday without the slightest hint of dread.  All the restaurants we've visited had a good selection of healthy salads, and I cannot relay how delicious those salads were compared to my usual homemade veggies (a whole new level of excitement).  I am starting to wonder that perhaps the healthier options are more abundant when on vacation, and this whole experience has become an affirmation to how much I have changed since March in the way I view food and exercise.

Well, I am off to enjoy some more beach on this fancy resort, and will be back to write about some of the little changes I've noticed on my body these past couple weeks.

"No Thanks" =D

Losing weight has two main principles that it runs on: eating better and getting active.

Seems like an easy mathematical equation, but its not!  There are so many components that needs overcoming to keep it going.  One of the most challenging "challenge" for me would be learning to say "no."  Sometimes I'll use excuses just so I don't have to deal with the nagging, and other times I'll go into a whole explanation of how I'm practicing saying "no" because I am on a mission.  Easier said than done.

We're all social creatures.  I live with two roommates, and both LOOOVE food and social meal gatherings.  I have a sister who loves food as well, and she's pretty stubborn when it comes to eating together.  And living in the south, comfort foods and meal time gatherings are hard to get away from.  If you want friends, you gotta eat with 'em!   If you want to go on dates, you gotta eat with 'em!  Now where does a girl like me start?

It's definitely easier said then done to join in on their fun and practice self control.  So here is where I start: I learn to say "no."  When asked to go bowling late in the evening, I say "no thanks" because staying up late tend to throw off my schedule during the week, which eventually leads to eating late and skipping workouts.  I say "no" to majority of the spontaneous "let's go eat somewhere" that I get asked on a daily basis.  I'm saving the dining outs for major events like a birthday celebration and dates set in advance.  I say no to about 80% of all the possible eating adventures I can go on during the week, because it helps me stay planted on my routine healthy home eating.  This tactic alone has  saved me from falling off the wagon several times.

There are so many minor challenges I face when changing my life around 180 degrees.  As I see each minor challenge accomplished, I find greater joy in knowing that I can really do this after all.  I typically record my weight every Tuesday, but I have been weighing myself every morning because the curiosity alone won't leave me alone.  Yesterday, I hit my 10 lbs mile marker.  I told everybody =) I told one of my roommates, and I can tell she was inspired.  As she watched my healthy diet and tuned into some of the health documentaries like "Foodmatters" and "One Nation Overweight" that I was watching throughout the week, little seeds were getting planted in her own life.  Mind you, she's 120 lbs and no where near out of shape, but she recognized that she herself can benefit from eating healthier.  I've stopped nagging people about making changes in their life.  I used to be the cigarette nazi and turned to when they needed some self control.  I realized that when I become a crutch to those wanting to change, I just end up feeling let down and they end up feeling guilty because the change wasn't made using foundations set within themselves.  But I do love seeing the ones I love around me change little here and there simply because they witness my lifestyle change.  I hope by bettering myself, I can become a better influence to everyone around me the positive way.  Positive affirmations and positive influence.

Like Michael Jordan said....

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks.  I've had them; everybody has had them.  But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Food Blessings

Last night I was reading an article in the Experience Life magazine.  Towards the end of the issue, I stumbled upon a small article about the importance of blessing the food we eat.  I had a "light bulb" moment.

I am a Christian, and as a Seventh-day Adventist growing up, I was conditioned to be the good little Christian girl.  I went to church every week, read the Bible, didn't curse, and prayed every time I ate.  It was more of a ritual than anything else.  But a few years ago, I realized how empty my mealtime prayers seemed to be.  I'd throw up a "Thank you for the food, please let it nourish our bodies. Amen!" and begin gorging on fried chicken, fries, and soda.  I remember sitting around our church gym after a long day running VBS at our church.  The group of us decided we were hungry and deserved a treat.  Our dinner consisted of 200 McDonald's chicken nuggets, 10 McChicken sandwiches, and 10 large fries each piled up in the middle of the table.  Of course, we all bowed our heads to pray for food blessings, and then we started diving into the pile of food.  It was more of a competition to see how fast we can eat since the guys were eating twice as fast as us girls.  

I stopped praying during meals a few years back.  Well, I didn't rebel, but I stopped going out of my way to pray my ritual of prayers for all the junk food I was consuming.  I knew prayer was precious, and I really didn't know how to connect the spiritual act of prayer with all of the mindless gorging I was doing.

But as I am going through a change on how I view my food, the article's suggestion on blessing the food I am about to eat became more relevant than ever before.  As I am learning about all the nutrition I am consuming from the fresh carrots and spinach, I am more and more inspired to thank the Lord for all the blessings He has provided.  Knowing that a few juicy kiwis awaits me for my afternoon snack is a blessing.  Knowing that the more I eat well and exercise that I am detoxifying my body is a blessing.  Knowing that I've made all these horrible mistakes in the past to torture my body and mind, yet I am still able to make choices to bring it back to health is a blessing.

So I have decided that I am going to start praying again for my food.  I am grateful and so I pray.

New Beginnings

I made this blog to vent, update, and follow.  

I ran my first 10k this past Sunday.  1 hour 31 mins.  I went slow and steady, afraid that if I pushed too hard I might get too exhausted to finish.  But looking back, I probably could have made it about 10 min sooner.  All is good, I have 2 more 10k's to run this year, so I have room to speed up.

It has been approximately 1 month since my weight loss journey.  I have been weighing in every week, and the changes seem to occur at approximately 1.5-2 lbs per week.  I have lost 7 lbs so far.  Beautiful.  

My goal is to be a size 6 by my sister's wedding on 12/2/12.  I have 7 1/2 months to lose a total of 60 lbs.  Overall, I am so excited to be on this journey.  I spent the past month laying down some important foundational habits that is helping me from getting discouraged.  My groceries include lots of organic vegetables, protein, and whole grain.  My snacks consist of greek yogurts and fresh fruit.  I drink one cup of coffee in the morning, 40+ oz water throughout the day, and an occasional cup of green tea if I get the munchies.  I hit the gym 5-6 times a week, and alternate cardio and strength training.  I've been focusing more on running the past two weeks because the the 10k, but I'll be picking up more weight training again this week.

Here is a picture of me that I despise!  I actually have this on my computer as the main wallpaper to remind me of where I'm coming from.  Not only do I look morbidly big in this picture, you can actually tell how out of shape I am by my awkward hiking pose.  Definitely a "Before Picture" I'd like to use to compare all the progress I make.  =)