I have had a lot on my mind recently, with preparing for graduation in December and the weight loss that happened during my Achalasia. I have since recovered from my surgery and am able to eat normally again, but now I have to keep off the weight! I think that has been on my mind the most, and while I want to talk it's hard for me to put it into words.
My weight has always fluctuated through the years. I remember being a size 9 by the time I was in 4th grade and being bullied for being bigger than the rest of the kids (mind you that's also the time I hit puberty). I fluctuated from a size 9 to 15 (30"-35"ish) range since then. I guess you can say I became a clothes hoarder, because I often wouldn't know what size I would be one year to the next and just kept everything I had. I am now at a healthy size 7, which is about a 28" waist.
I recently dug through my old clothes (especially jeans) that don't fit and decided to give them away to charity:
It also makes me sad to look back on old pictures of me. Here's a comparison from a photo from 6/2010 and from 8/2012.
I believe I was at my heaviest around 2010-11, being just a bit over 200lbs. I've lost over 60lbs since last year, and want to continue on that path. I want to get to 130lbs, which isn't really that far off.
I started going to the gym this week and plan on being there 5x a week for at least an hour. I really want to get rid of the loose skin that's accumulated on my arms since I do ParaPara and it's preventing me from wearing smaller jackets! If someone knows any good exercises for getting rid of arm flab, shoot me a comment! :)
Other than going to the gym now, here's some other things I've been doing:
- Eating 5 small meals a day. Don't eat to get full, just to be satisfied.
- Make your own food! It's cheaper and you know what's in it.
- Wear heels/wedges everyday! My legs have gotten very toned just by doing that, plus I look really cute in them ;)
- When driving, park your car really far from where you want to be. It helps to get you to walk further and incidentally more exercise, especially if you're wearing heels ;)
I'm not really sure if I'll get any comments on this post or what type of comments I'll get, but anything that can help boost my confidence in this weird time or some exercise advice is very appreciated!
Thank you to everyone that decided to read this post!
Congratulations! I'm really happy for you!!!
ReplyDeleteThe first step to serious weight loss is to get rid of the clothes you hope to never have to wear again and you've already done it! :D
My suggestion for tightening your arms is definitely weights. Don't worry about lifting too much making you look like the hulk. A lot of people seem to worry about that but it's really hard for females seriously bulk up~ plus it helps up your metabolism A LOT.
Also have you tried exercise videos such as Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire? It's awesome cardio and you're always moving your arms so I think it would help. :)
Anyway, it's amazing you've come this far... so good luck and keep up the hard work! :D
Thank you so much for the advice! I tried weights at the gym recently and found some that I like, so I will do more weight lifting... especially since I am taking a class on that this semester too!
DeleteI will look into the exercise videos you mentioned :)
I'm so happy and amazed by all of your hard work; you're such a strong person. I remember getting so angry at anyone who made fun of you at school, and seeing how happy you are these days is probably one of the greatest SUCK ON THIS! moments I could ever hope for you :')
ReplyDeleteArm exercises: don't be afraid of "bulking up" like a lot of people fear. First off, you're a woman, so it's much more difficult for you to "bulk up" to begin with (the bulking part is due heavily to testosterone, and we majestic creatures are proud to exhibit higher levels of estrogen instead ;)
Secondly, here's the key to getting rid of fat: you need both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, as well as a good diet (it looks like you've got the diet part down, so I won't ramble about that).
Aerobic is anything cardio, including treadmill, elliptical, cycling, anything that gets your heart rate up. Anaerobic is building up muscle, which includes crunches, push-ups, chin-ups, yoga, etc. Aerobic exercises will get rid of any fat, though keep in mind you can't "target" areas in your body – you'll be losing fat collectively throughout your body, so don't listen to anyone who claims you can do exercises that "target" fat in certain areas because it's impossible.
For your arms in particular, I would do a lot of tricep (back of your upper arm) and bicep lifts using free weights. You could use machines in the gym, but I find that using free weights (beginning with 5 to 15 pounds for women) helps you tone better because it requires all of your muscles to stabilize the weight lift; that is, if you do a bicep curl with a free-weight as opposed to a machine, your bicep will receive the bulk of the work, but other muscles in your arm will be working to stabilize the weight lift. Weight-lifting will build muscle that helps you keep off the fat by increasing your metabolism, as well as helping you get toned. Unlike cardio exercises, you can do anaerobic exercises that target certain muscles.
Some exercises are a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, like swimming, water polo, and hiking. In general though, at the gym there are specific cardio machines (treadmill, stationary bike, etc) and areas designated to muscle building (weight lift machines, free weights, etc). Ideally, you'll be doing equal amounts of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises each week. I'd recommend switching it up between aerobic/anaerobic exercises (either 30 minutes each every day, or alternating aerobic/anaerobic everything other day; personally, I think the former option is easier).
Lastly, try to switch up exercise routines regularly so your body doesn't get used to them. If your body gets used to a particular exercise, you actually end up burning less calories and getting less of a work out in the long-term. The way you can do this is to switch machines regularly, or to try classes since the instructors usually don't do the same routine twice in a row.
However, I would also consult a doctor about the excess skin you have due to your extremely fast weight loss. It's pretty common that people who have lost an excess amount of weight in a short amount of time (~100 pounds in a few months, like yourself) will need surgery to excise the excessive skin since normal exercise and diet will not get rid of it.
And that's all for now! Love you to bits and keep up the amazing work!! <3
You've always had my back since we were kids so I really appreciate your advice! I will definitely get in on doing both aerobic and anaerobic exercise and try to switch up what I do. I will probably go see my doctor in the near future, just will have to see when I have time!
DeleteCongrats on the weightloss hun~ It's always good to have a comparison of the past and present achievements!! I hope you can get to your goal weight in time ^___^ Haha, there's this exercise that apparently works for arm fat.. but idk if it's legit. it's also hard to explain so i'll try tweeting you a link if i can find it .. it makes you look really silly tho~ Have you tried zumba? some people i know that have done it look amazing now!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about zumba or yoga, since my gym offers both! I will have to look into it, and thanks for your support <3
DeleteWow!!That's amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI want to loose my weight also but never success.
My family always said I'm fat since I was 7 but I don't really know if I was fat at that time.
I think I'm always overweight even thought my bf and friends said I don't look so bad.
Going to the gym is a good idea tho,the new place I'm moving in has a free gym I could use.
Thanks for your tips anyway :D
From what I have seen of you I don't think you're overweight! Family can be the worst judges, I endured a lot of bullying from them and others so I can understand how you feel like that :(
DeleteCould you sell some of your old clothes to finance buying new ones? I definitely know what it feels like to get rid of clothes - I gained ~15lb my first two years of college, and after I lost it, I ended up selling/donating a lot of clothes that I had bought during that period because I promised myself I wasn't going to be that size again, but I still felt disappointed about not being able to wear that dress I had liked so much one more time...
ReplyDeleteI actually did keep a lot of the gyaru clothes since I know people would probably buy those! The problem is finding the time to photograph them and sell them :(
DeleteNew to your blog here ^^
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your weight loss! It's good to see that you are going towards a healthier lifestyle :)
From,
tht-christina.blogspot.com