So one day, I woke up. I decided to stop worrying about everything externally. Like seriously S-T-O-P worrying. I’ve not stopped caring but I have stopped worrying. I decided to work on being the best me possible. Now, if you are interested in my journey of a mentally stronger, more spiritually sound Tahnika please check out the previous blog posts. Hopefully, they are mildly entertaining. This blog post is about how I’m striving to get physically fit.
I read a post recently about tips to help you get fit. They were good. We’ve all heard them before. But none helped me get fit. The truth of the matter was I had to decide I really wanted it. I was tired. Like really, really tired. And I was willing to do whatever it took to get there.
Here is what helped me:
WORDS HURT… or they can help
Someone once said to me that we had to settle it, we were never going to be a size 8 (me) or 2 (them). It is what it is. Of course I agreed and went on to talk about how my hubby said he’d always love me. But inside I thought, why… why will I never be a size 8? So when I started working out I remembered that statement and decided to prove it wrong. As I’ve lost, my hubby has even come clean stating he will always love me no matter what I weigh but a healthier T has made him a happier hubby. It’s been amazing!
The mirror and camera SUCK… or they can seal the deal
Ever thought you were super cute and passed a mirror… saw something sticking out and realized it was a new fat roll? Well, I have! Like MANY times. When I started wearing my long cotton dresses and they no longer hid my rolls I knew I had to make a change. When I realized my face was showing my weight gain… I nearly died. I was like really T? But when I went to look at pictures and found hardly any of myself with my daughter I was too through. So I decided to work on it. Now I’m like full body pic please!
LOG IT… WHO CARES IF YOU ARE HOLDING UP DINNER
My family and friends know that before anything goes in my mouth it’s getting logged into my fitness app. I have tracked my calories for 160 days. Before I thaw any food for dinner I log what I have in mind. And sometimes I have to alter my meal plan. If I have a dinner party, date night, dinner plans out or at a friends house I eat very low calories all day. I limit myself to no more than 1300 calories a day and for me that’s perfect. I am never hungry and I eat three meals and three snacks a day. Proper planning is required when you want to lose weight. There really is no easy way out. You have to plan ahead, sometimes days ahead when the weekend comes into play. Your family isn’t eating clean… yep, that was us in the beginning. Well, they ate one thing and me another. And slowly as I started seeing results it caught on. Now everyone eats healthy!
Scales are the enemy… NOPE, your BFF
I have heard repeatedly that you shouldn’t weigh everyday because it doesn’t reflect “true loss” and can be discouraging. Whatever! I have weighed everyday for nearly a year. It has been the single most helpful motivator. More than compliments!!! Why? Because you can correlate the impact of what you’ve eaten with its effect on your body. When I eat a big salad – with low cal/fat dressing twice a day I gain. Now, I log the calories from my salads so I know they aren’t bad but I can’t handle two big meals in one day. I’ve seen the negative impact time and time again. Weighing helps me keep that in check.
Plus… If you have EVER tried losing weight you cannot tell me this is true. You lose a few pounds, noticeable pounds, and you feel like a new person. You get a strut. You up your sass appeal. Hair and, if applicable, makeup are on point! You feel amazing… because you are well on your way to fit’dom. That infamous “fit kingdom” that we all aspire to reach. In your mind, you have a ticket on the gravy train. And then real gravy is placed in front of you. What do you do? Oh you eat it… honey please! You. Are. In. Control. You have lost weight and people are saying YOU LOOK GOOD! You got this! And two weeks later, not a gym have you seen. And a month later you have not only gained the weight back but she brought her man, too. Yep, you are even bigger! WEIGH EVERY DAY PEOPLE! Had you been weighing you would have noticed that Mrs. Gravy and her man Mashed Potato took up residence. They are living with you while you are trying to get rid of their sorry butts. So you work HARDER at the gym! You want the recent gain gone AND SEEING THE SCALES helps you push yourself. It also shows you how much bad stuff jacks up your weight loss and motivates you to make better decisions.
An accountability partner – try the WORLD!
People have told me that I don’t have to put all my runs on Facebook. To which I want to say, “on who’s FB page?” I mean… it is mine! I swear! And then I want to get gangsta and add, “And if I put ALL my workouts on Facebook you’d really be hot!” See, I tried the one or two partner approach. This was really just my way of saying, girl if I fail don’t talk about me… just eat with me. And that’s what would happen. So I decided I had to be public with my fight. Those days I thought about quitting I remembered how I’d talked about my last workout. So I fought through the sluggishness and worked out. It has helped me so much!
Sooooooo, where am I today?
Today, I’ve lost 45 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 18 to a 12. And I’ve lost several inches. I run much faster and completed 3 half marathons in 7 weeks. And I’m holding my planks longer. I thought this picture was so cute because it’s true.
It’s true, your speed really does not matter because the body will naturally progress. Looking back, it didn’t matter that I started running at a 20 min mile pace. As your body gets used to running - it will do better. Mine has and I’ve cut my pace in half! My body wanted to be better and YOU will simply want to do better. And then you will not want it any other way, simply trying to be the best you possible!!
The journey continues… I call these my before and “getting there” pictures. I have not reached my after but I will get there. And yes, my sweet angel baby is posing with me in this picture. Love her!
