Health Shock

You know that you've been eating badly, and not moving enough lately when in one week you lose 7.6 lbs!

No diets, no detox concoctions, no cheating. Just me and doing the right thing.

I spent the whole week writing everything I ate down and keeping track of the calories. At first, it was tedious and annoying to constantly have to refer back to my Excel spread sheet, tabulating how many calories I ate for something as insignificant as an apple, but I got used to it and it became a routine for me. I would stay within the 1375 calories that I allowed myself for the day, and I would often be under that amount too. It's not a good thing to not be at 100% everyday, but at least I haven't gone over either. I even got to indulge in a frozen yogurt at Yeh! this week, which proves that you can treat yourself but still keep a healthy mindset. I have also been keeping track of my water intake, making sure that I am drinking at least 8 glasses (2 litres) of water per day. Being a water-holic, this is easy, and I am averaging about 2.5-3L everyday.

In addition to counting calories, I have been exercising. My gym membership has expired and I don't have the money lately to invest in a new membership. So, I have been finding ways to still get the exercise that I need without spending the money. I have Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, and man does that give you a work out! Also, I have been going for runs every day. With the help of www.mapmyrun.com, I have been able to keep track of my daily workouts and the distance that goes along with each one. It's tough, but I know that it'll get easier.

I also just want to mention that this season of the Biggest Loser is coming to an end with one episode left before the finale. I've mentioned it so many times, but this show is so inspiring. It's amazing to see the transformations that these contestants go through, not just physically but mentally as well.
Here is a picture of my favorite contestant this season! I can't get over how amazing she looks. Wow.

Persevere.

As I was getting undressed to get into the shower, I took a moment to stop and look at myself in the mirror. Standing their in my undergarments, I thought of the times where I would avoid looking at myself and the feeling of disappointment and failure would flow through me.
Today I had a different feeling though.
It was like looking at an unfinished sculpture or piece of pottery. A work of art that hasn't been completely molded into a final product of extravagance. I've always been hard on myself about my weight loss, because I would see results and then life would take me for a spin, and I would gain back my accomplishments.

I'm going to Greece in less than 3 months, and I want to feel better in my skin while I'm there. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anyone to impress, but at the back of my mind I just want to feel good. You know what I mean?

I've calculated, that if I lose at least 2lbs (the "healthy" amount) per week, I can be down 26lbs by the time I go on vacation. That's just a benchmark... I won't accept less but I am expecting to lose more. I weighed myself last week, and my first weigh in is in two days.
I know that I've had many beginnings, and given myself so many "second-chances", but I guess that's just the type of person that I am. I don't want to be that "Yo-Yo diet" girl. I want to be healthy and happy.

I've also started counting my calories to stay on track. It's actually quite amusing to see if I am able to stay within my caloric intake for the day, and I have been doing really well. It makes it that much more real when the numbers are staring you right in the face.

I still haven't renewed my gym membership, but I have been doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD, and now I'm starting to run. After a talk with Selina last night, I realized that I can do it. Me, the overweight bootyliscious girl can run. It was quite tough today, I'm not gonna lie. I found myself stopping to catch my breath quite often but I pulled through: 4.15km in 40 minutes. I know that it's not a fantastic statistic, but I'm proud of it. I know that it's going to get better as I keep training, so I'm not letting it bring me down. I plan on running the 5km in October in 30 minutes, and I am really excited about that.

All this to say that I am keeping my head high, and I'm not giving up.