Halfway there! Pics!

:D You guys' comments are so encouraging! I_love_muscle, you're right in the fact that I don't see much of a difference because of the sloooooooow progress. LoL. But that's why I decided to go with a picture diary, so that I could see it myself.
 
Thanks again, everybody!! I'm here for my next update! I haven't lost that many more pounds (only about two-and-a-half), but I think that I've toned up a bit more, which is good. ^_^ I feel a little guilty since I've messed up more than once with my dieting, but I think what really counts is that I keep on trying, anyway, instead of giving up like I used to in the past. Thus, I know that I will eventually achieve the body that I want, even if it takes me a year! (Sorry for the difference in lighting between the pictures; I don't have any control over that aspect, LoL. My webcam just SUCKS.)

BeforeAfterDec17.jpg


I seem to be a little further away from the camera in the new pictures, so I look a little thinner than I actually am. Regardless, if you look at my problem areas (like beneath my bra on the sides and front), I think I see a small improvement.
 
LoL... I wouldn't be comfortable doing that... o_O

However, I have been doing a lot of exercises that are said to tone the glutes, and I think there's a small difference. It looks more...perky. LoL!
 
Well, I haven't updated in a long while, but that's because I reached a plateau, and then gained back a few pounds (probably 3-4 lbs) when I became so discouraged. HOWEVER, I am very ready to STAY on track again, instead of this not-so-bad but not-so-good dieting that I've been doing lately. If I were to take a picture, I'd say that I look like my next to last photos.

I have new goals in mind, though, and they appeal to me more (as well as satisfy my dietary needs more)--and that is muscle building. No, I don't want to become a she-hulk, but I definitely want a defined, strong body. Screw trying to look like magazine chicks with slim, feminine bodies. I have never been and never will be either feminine or slim. So, why strive for something that I'm not? Something impossible? It'll only end in failure and disappointment.

I mean, besides not seeing progress after a while, one of the biggest reasons that made it so hard for me to stick to my routine was that it didn't satisfy my personal needs or desires. I've always felt like a strong individual, confident in my own self-abilities, and I want to look like that on the outside, too. I know that it'll mean having to commit myself to a heavier workout routine, but that suits me just fine, because I DO love working out, getting all sweaty and stinky and feeling good. So, I figure that actually ALLOWING myself to build muscle--rather than shy away from exericises that I think will make me look "manly" simply because I have a natural tendency to bulk up rather quickly--I am going to go all for it. Besides, unless I committed myself to hours a day and a very special diet, I'm not going to become super bulky. I understand that women don't have the genetics to do that, so I'm not going to let myself worry about it. Having kinda big arms, a muscular back, and six-pack abs will look just FINE.

Sooooooo. I've started a new workout routine, and my new diet consists of the muscle building ratios 40-40-20 (40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat), which is surpringly exactly the way I've discovered that I need to eat in order for my cravings to stop and for me to feel full all day.

I'll be back with photos hopefully in the next 4-6 weeks to see if any progress has been made (fitness magazines say to give a new routine that long in order to see if it's working or not).

Wish me luck!
 
Looking at your last pictures I wonder if you need to lose more weight. You've got a sleek little waist and a flat stomach. You look marvelous.
 
Good luck with it! I see you about 5 weeks!!
You can do it... if you are discouraged again.. just go to this forum and you can see what other people have achieved. You can too! =]
 
Thank you, you two! As for not needing to lose more weight, I could definitely lose probably about 8-10 lbs of fat (I no longer look like my last photos, remember; I've gained back a few pounds). However, I'm not going to be concerned very much with numbers on the scale, since I could very well gain that much in muscle.

Oh, and this forum IS very encouraging! :D I'll be sure to check back in. I won't be able to stick to my 40-40-20 diet until the beginning of next month, though, since that's when I'll be able to do another food order to re-fill my house with a month's-long supply of a different sort of eating plan. I'm a little broke right now, LoL, and what I have left is from my original diet plan, which consists of lots of fat-free yogurt, Healthy Choice meals, Lean Cuisine meals, instant oatmeal, fruit, and granola bars. That's way too many carbs, but simply because it's a cut-back in calories and is a good variety of healthy foods, it's been working--but it's not a good diet for a muscle-building goal.

Till the beginning of February, I'm just going to have to eat what I've been eating (which is still successful with weightloss in general), and that consists of a diet that is about 1500-1700 calories a day, with fat levels never going above 20% of that daily intake. I'm sure my muscles will grow fine until then. ;) I still manage to include a good amount of protein, but most of my cals right now come from carbs (about 70%), which is making is hard to lose that layer of fat over my abs (I wanna see a six-pack! LoL!).

Next month's shopping list is going to include skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cooked with a George Foreman grill), more Healthy Choice meals (because that's pretty much the only way I'll get in some vegetables and a variety of food since I can't cook), eggs (one a day at breakfast), fat-free yogurt, and still instant oatmeal. I figured out that if I just replace all the granola bars that I consume for between-meal snacks with chicken or other low-carb snacks like that, I'd lower my carb-intake, while increasing my protein intake.

Well, that's my plan! ^_^
 
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