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SKReyes1990

New member
I'm fat.

No, seriously. No need to spare my feelings; I know that I am, and in all honesty, the ugly truth is always better than a pretty lie -- and yes, I did steal that quote from a friend's FB. I've always known it, but being the stubborn girl that I am, loved to make excuses.

"I know I eat some bad things, but I eat plenty of good things to balance it out."

"I'm overweight, but it's nothing compared to others."

"I'll lose it soon, just once I take care of something else."


Excuse, after excuse, after excuse. The thing about excuses, is that they're a temporary solution. They make you feel good about yourself for only a little while, and then suddenly the truth rears its ugly head once more and you find yourself making another excuse. It's like a bandaid; it only covers up what you don't want to see until its ripped off and a nasty scar is revealed.

I think a lot of issues in my life have stemmed from my weight problems. I have depression, which stemmed from self-consciousness and never feeling good enough. I never felt pretty compared to other girls. I don't have many friends, because I'm too shy and feel inadequate around other people. I'm constantly arguing with my parents over the tiniest things, and I'm always angry because I just was never able to focus on school and getting my life in order. Because I was fat. Because I never gained the confidence to step out and do my own thing. Because I was always so afraid of what others thought of me.

It's not just the depression. My family has a giant history of medical problems, and I can already tell that if I don't learn to take proper care of myself now, I'm going to end up just like my great-uncle Chris; a diabetic who had his legs amputated and died young. Or my grandfather; killed by a stroke. Or my other grandfather; dead by heart attack. Maybe i'll take after my own mother; pre-diabetic, high uric acid, high cholesterol, constant migraines and often bed-ridden due to back problems. I don't know. What I do know is this: I can't let that happen to me; not if there's anything I can do to prevent it.

This is more than going on a diet. I need to change my life completely. Not just changing the way I eat, but the way I think, the way I feel, the way I motivate myself to do things and to not let so many things get me down. My entire life I've felt like a failure, like a loser. Well this time around, I want to be a winner.

I turn 21 at the end of November, and as a sort of birthday gift to myself, I'd like to have lost about 20lbs by then. I know, it's only 3 months but I really want to try and do it. Currently I weigh 151lbs, and by losing 20lbs I'd be within a healthy weight for someone my height (5'2). If I can meet that short term goal, I believe that will truly give me a solid resolve in continuing my weight loss and life change.

My plan is simple enough: eat less, exercise more.

Easy, right? I can only hope so. I know that it'll be tough in the beginning, but I hope that as time goes by, it slowly becomes easier for me to stick with what I've tasked myself to do. And once I start seeing results, I believe it'll really help get me going. I'm learning this all as I go, but I know for sure I'll be keeping a watch on my calories. I see that it's worked well for others, and believe it will be a great help with keeping track of my daily eating habits.

As for exercise, I don't belong to any gym and I'm not too keen on dishing out any more money than I absolutely have to. Being in college does put me on a tight budget and what money I get is better spent going towards my tuition, books, and gas. I live in a rather nice, suburban neighborhood set on a very hilly area which would provide much more of a challenge than if I were to walk on plain, flat surfaces. I also have a treadmill, and decided that walking ourside in the morning while its still cool, and then using the treadmill later in the afternoon--since I'm not a huge fan of going out into the heat--would be an easy routine for me to stick with. After awhile, I think i'd like to incorporate some running into the mix, and maybe once I figure out a workout, I can do strength training using body exercises. It doesn't matter too much; it's only the beginning, and right now I'm mostly concerned with just getting my body moving.

I've looked at the clock and realized how late it's gotten. I need to get some sleep if I want to wake up early and get walking before the sun gets too high and the temperature starts to rise. Tomorrow, or rather later today, I'll post some of the "goals" I'd like to reach and what I'd like to do when it comes to my actual dieting.

I don't know if anyone will read this or not, but if you do, please take a minute to say something. I'd love to hear what anyone has to say on the issue of weight loss, and any special tips would be greatly appreciated.

~SKReyes1990~
 
Hi! If you stick with your plan, you will lose weight. If the task seems insurmountable (20 pounds by November), remember that your daily choices are what matter. And don't be hard on yourself if you screw up, because you will (I have been there). Just say, that was yummy, and move on. Use your treadmill and the hills. Be careful with running at first due to your weight. You have to watch out for your knees. A little jogging interspersed during your walk, provided it does not hurt, will raise your heart rate. Also, don't wait on strength training. Do it now. Get an exercise band (cheap) from Wal Mart and follow the instructions. Break it down into 10 to 20 minutes a day so that you will stick with it. Remember with exercise, a little is better than none at all. If you need encouragement, you are welcome to contact me via email off list livelean@nc.rr.com
 
@ LiveLeanTips - Hello! Thank you so much for the kind response and useful insight. I'll look into that exercise band you mentioned, and my Dad bought an Iron Gym awhile ago that he never uses, so maybe I could use that to help with *looks at box* push-ups, sit-ups, dips, and pull-ups (hah, yeah right on the pull-ups). Anyway, thanks again.
 
Greetings newbie:waving:

Welcome to the forum. I loved your introduction to your diary. You come across like a very intelligent person. You are not a loser, stop thinking such horrible false thoughts SKReyes1990. I can relate to you about having no confidence due to being overweight, but you are going to put this behind you and get healthy( mind, body and soul)

I found reading your diary very inspirational because i too am turning 21( mine is in 3 weeks time tho) and a student. You wanting to lose 20 pounds from now to November is VERY doable. Let me repeat- YOU CAN DO THIS:)

I started using this website 6 weeks ago when i first began my road to a healthy lifestyle. I weighted 249 at 5'7, and have now lost 16 pounds. I know its not a huge number but considering i binged about 10 times within this period and have done hardly any exercise im happy about it.


I totally believe you can do this 100%. Im fully behind you as so are the many amazing people on here. My one advice is to try to write in your diary everyday because it keeps you on track!!

Keep us updated on how you are getting on:)

All the best
 
Day 1 - Update 1

So today I'm starting my whole diet and exercise routine. I woke up a bit late, and it's already starting to get warm outside. I'll be switching today and going on the treadmill this morning and then walking outside this evening. I'll go to bed much earlier tonight to ensure that I'll be able to wake up early enough to get outside before the sun is too high tomorrow.

I've had breakfast not too long ago (I'll post all my meals during the 2nd update) and I'm just letting my stomach settle a little before I go walking. I probably ate too many carbs this morning, but my plan is to not cut out carbs, but just eat the majority of it earlier in the day so my body has more time to burn it.

Now, since I have some time, I did promise to list certain goals. So here they are:

  • Lose 20lbs by end of November
  • Exercise 7 days a week
  • Drink more water
  • Replace my morning coffee with a cup of green tea
  • Increase physical endurance

Losing weight is my biggest goal, but getting fit and in better shape is part of it. I have horrible endurance, and get winded just going up the stairs. Pretty pathetic huh? However, I hope all the cardio I eventually plan to do helps with this. I hate feeling so tired after doing the smallest things.

I also believe I'm lacking in the water department. I don't drink nearly as much as I should, and it's a goal of mine to get that '8 cups a day' in. Also, I've heard many good things about the benefits of green tea and considering I drink way too much coffee anyway, it'd be a good idea to sip on that instead.

Well, I think that's it for now. My stomach has had its rest time, and I do believe I hear that treadmill calling my name. So that's that. I'll post again later.

Any more hints, tips, and advice are greatly appreciated and more than welcomed!

~SKReyes1990~
 
Day 1 - Update 2

Starting off, my food/calories and exercise:

Food
Breakfast
- 1 poached egg: 74
- 1 slice whole wheat bread: 100
- ½ cup blueberries: 41
- 1 cup diet cranberry juice: 10
- 1 cup green tea: 0
(Total = 225)

Lunch
- Turkey sandwich: 315
- Light vanilla yogurt: 70
- 1 water bottle
(Total = 385)

Snack
- Fudge pop: 80
(Total = 80)

Dinner
- Rice: 180
- Cabbage & Sausage: 137
- 1 water bottle
(Total = 317)

Extra
- 2 cups of coffee w/ cream: 70
- Cheddar Cheese Stick: 90
- 2 water bottles
(Total = 160)

Overall total = 1167
Total water = 4 bottles (16oz each x 4 = 64oz)


Exercise
Morning
- Treadmill: 65 minutes

-----

Ok, so I can't exactly say that I've had a perfect first day but it's only the beginning and I promise to get better as I go along. My food for the next few days won't be great; I have relatives visiting and what we eat is sort of out of my control at the moment. I know, I'm already making excuses (ugh!) but once they're gone I'll definitely buckle down and be more strict with what I eat.

As for my exercise, I had a nice walk on the treadmill this morning and I set a pretty decent pace. I worked up a bit of a sweat so it was a good one I believe. I had planned to walk this evening, but as I said earlier we have relatives over and as I was the only one at home at the time, I had to wait till they arrived to let them in (they'd taken the day to visit my grandmother in a different city). They came back somewhat late and by then it was much too dark to walk outside and I had to help settle them in, which kept me from using the treadmill again. Tomorrow it's my uncle's birthday and we're all going out to a movie in the morning/early afternoon, followed by a family dinner. I'm unsure how this will affect my exercise, but I'll try to walk at least 1 hour tomorrow, be it early morning or late afternoon.

I've been having headaches recently, and I'm not sure if its due to the heat outside or because its my time of the month. Either way, I haven't been feeling all that great lately, and I'm tired a lot. I'm hoping it will pass soon. I really want to get a head start on this whole thing before school starts up, since I know it will be even more challening once I start juggling classes again. I'm still figuring out how I'll fit exercise into my routine on Mondays and Wednesdays when the semester starts, since I'll be at school almost all day. Those days I have nearly back-to-back classes, with a small 2 and a half hour break during the afternoon. Luckily though, I only have one class Tuesday/Thursday and Friday is a free day. I've still got almost a month left between then and now though, so I have plenty of time to figure things out.

Anyway, that's it for today.

~SKReyes1990~


*EDIT*
@ IrishPrincess - Thanks for the kind words, and I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed my first diary entry! I hope you continue to enjoy what I write, and I wish you all the best of luck on your own weight loss journey!
 
Your calories are low, and that is fine, but may be the reason for your headaches. Your body will tell you what it can withstand, so listen to it. If the headaches don't resolve in a few days, go to the doctor. Make sure you are drinking 64 ounces of water (8 cups). Daily.
 
Hiya :)
Welcome to the forum and a new you!!!

First of all i totally agree with Irishprincess. It is such a help posting on your diary every day and also when you have acheived something or you notice something new about your body, post then too. It is great to go back and read your own diary and see how far you have progressed.

I'm not saying go read my diary but, if you want to take a look at it you will see that i have started running, well jogging! And that is something i NEVER thought i would be able to do. I was so so unfit and i am way 'fatter' than you! But i love it. I started really slowly doing 1 minute interval running (trust me that was hard enough to start with) and i am about to do 8 min interval tomorrow. Do you have a smart phone? if so there is an App called C25K and it is totally awesome!!! You get this woman talking you thru it and she is really encouraging. If not, google it, there is stuff online about it but it is called 'couch to 5K' Basically it gets you off the couch and in 9 weeks you will be able to run for 30mins!! I think i am on week 4 at the moment. It is so addictive, i genuinely love it. I feel a bit of an idiot telling my friends that i am doing it because they knew my thoughts on running before. Ok, i'll shut up about it now!!

Reading your first post i saw so much of me there, i am way older than you but i totally get you. Actually at your age i was about 260lb!!! That was my very worse. Over the years i have yo-yo'd and you can see by my ticker below what i am now.
This forum is so good for motivation, i can't praise it enough, it has totally changed my life. I can't remember being so happy with myself as i am now and it is due to the guys on here-They Rock!!!
I look forward to following your weightloss journey. We are right here for you.
 
Originally Posted by LiveLeanTips

Your calories are low, and that is fine, but may be the reason for your headaches. Your body will tell you what it can withstand, so listen to it. If the headaches don't resolve in a few days, go to the doctor. Make sure you are drinking 64 ounces of water (8 cups). Daily.



I got severe headaches everyday after my calories had been reduced for so long and I had been losing a lot, went to the doctor they couldn't figure anything out. Figured out myself after I've been eating normal calories again my headaches went away. (my calories were between 800-1100 for a few months).
 
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