Here is an update of what I’ve been up to since the start of this year and the last time I posted.

Where Am I Now?

Let me answer some questions about what I’ve been up to:

1. Did you meet your goal weight?
   • Yes. My goal weight milestone 1 was 135. I hit that last year. My goal weight milestone 2 was 145. I hit that at the beginning of this year. My current weight is 155. I’ve gained a total of 40 pounds since I started a few years ago.
2. How is your diet?
   • No, I no longer diet and have spent the past year eating more intentional. I eat out a few times a week and will stick to meals with rice or pasta. I am still eating quite a bit of carbs and protein.
3. Do you still go to the gym?
   • No. I actually stopped working out all together and have been walking more. I’ve been trying other methods of staying active such as walking or playing with my cat.
4. How’s work?
   • I got a promotion! YAY! I am a branch manager now. I think this shift will cause a shift in how I active I am. I completed my first week in my new role and I felt like I was at my computer so much. I am hoping once I get more comfortable in my new role that I will walk more.
5. Anything you’ve learned along the way so far?
   • I like to eat. I’ve learned to eat in moderation and learned to accept my new body. It was hard at first because my clothes stopped fitting and I had to donate a lot of clothes.
   • Don’t waist money buying a bunch of new clothes unless you are sure you are done bulking. I bought pants six months ago that no longer fit me.
   • Be sure to understand your genetics. Genetics play a huge role in where your weight goes and understanding your body type.
   • Get a physical and blood panel at your doctor. I am anemic and it caused me to be sleepy and have extreme fatigue. After getting an infusion it helped a lot.
   • Aim to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep plays a huge role in overall mood and muscle recovery.
   • Get your stress under control. Stress levels play a huge role in overall health. You can be the healthiest person but if you don’t manage your stress you are still at risk.

Take your time and set attainable goals. Listen to your body and don’t forget to give yourself a break! You’ve got this!

Recap of Why I Started This Journey

Almost two years ago I reached out to a fitness coach via Instagram and started my plan to get healthier. The overall goal behind the plan was to be able to fit into a bridesmaid dress for my best friends wedding. The dress was two big and I had two options; either get the dress taken in or gain the weight. That is when I decided to gain the weight. This was after their wedding was postponed again due to COVID. The journey was absolutely painful and I struggled a lot with meeting my daily macros and I felt like I wasn’t gain weight. The comparison mindset is so toxic that I felt trapped by the number on the scale.

The Full Journey

In order to understand where I’ve come I must recap of where I began. I began with zero knowledge of weight training and working out. I weight about 115 and am 5ft 7in. I would occasionally run to relieve stress but that was the extent of my exercising. I was anemic and ran into multiple health problems due to my poor diet. A common misconception was that I was healthy because I was small. That was false. I constantly had people approach me and tell me that it must be nice to stay small and eat what I wanted. I had a toxic relationship with food and I wanted to heal and be healthy. I went to therapy, joined a few bible studies, hiked more, and exercised. Getting healthy involves working on yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.

I got the coach and started working out 4 days a week and then we switched to 5. I started tracking my macros and learned how to properly shop for food. The journey was brutal. The first month it hurt to move and sit. I would practice proper technique at home before working out at the gym. I made a lot of mistakes and my workouts took two hours each day to complete. Learning a new skill is hard and it takes a lot of time and practice. You constantly have to watch yourself to ensure you do not injure yourself. I had to learn to listen to my body fully. I cried a lot and hit rock bottom essentially. It was all worth it in the end.

Where Am I Now?

Let me answer some questions about what I’ve been up to:

1. Did you meet your goal weight?
   • Yes. My goal weight milestone 1 was 135. I hit that last year. My goal weight milestone 2 was 145. I hit that at the beginning of this year. My next milestone is 155.
2. How is your diet?
   • I no longer track my macros using an app. I learned what my body needed and became more conscience about what I purchase. I eat a bit more food. I typically eat a high carb breakfast: peanut butter toast, yogurt, and a banana. Then I eat a high protein lunch and high protein dinner. I snack throughout the day with nuts, chips, vegetables, protein bars, protein shakes, and I have a low sugar treat after dinner. I am currently maintaining my current weight.
3. Do you still go to the gym?
   • No. I cancelled my gym membership due to my schedule and me wanting to spend more time with family. I took a 6 month break from exercising to work on my mental health. I work out at home 2-3 times a week. I have a yoga mat, two 15 pound dumbbells, resistance bands, and a weighted ball. I typically with do a split workout or I use MadFit workouts on YouTube. Right now this works for me.
4. Anything you’ve learned along the way so far?
   • Who you surround yourself with is important. You are who you hang around with.
   • You can’t expect others to love you if you won’t love you first. Take care of yourself.
   • Listen to your body and take a break if you need to. No you aren’t a failure if you rest.
   • If you are serious about weight training, hire a coach. A coach is not a baby sitter and will not coddle you. They are vital.
   • You have to sleep. Understand that getting a good nights rest is important to muscle growth and recovery.
   • You can’t just skip meals and expect to see results. Follow a meal plan when you get started and eat. Your body needs fuel.
   • Take care of yourself. Get an annual physical, go to the dentist, and go to therapy. I struggled with stomach issues and an iron deficiency for the first three months of training.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the trainer I used or any of the information listed above. Here was my coach https://www.instagram.com/dianagfitness/?hl=en . She does offer online training which is what I did. She is absolutely amazing at her job! She even had a free macro book https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LAFDr0ANYvYs38R3jknjdAEmBQsXyG-3/view

Thanks for reading and check out above for my before and after photos!

To start with my journey, I must start at the beginning and explain why I chose to change my life. 

I remember randomly picking a week of September 2020. The original plan was to go visit a cousin in New York but with COVID restrictions those plans were nixed. It was about two to three weeks before my scheduled time off that I randomly decided to do a solo road trip. I did not know where I was going to go but I picked three states and looked online for two days until I found a rental car that had four-wheel drive. My first stop would be Bricktown, Oklahoma to stop and see the Riverwalk and the Sonic Headquarters. Then I would drive to Eckhart, Kansas to Visit a Grassland. Then I would drive to Guymon, Oklahoma to stay the night and enjoy some local pizza. I would go to Denver, Colorado for a hike in the Rockies, Ziplining, and to watch a UFC fight at a random bar. My last stop on this week-long journey was Albuquerque, New Mexico for a hike, a visit to Route 66, and a trip to the local Botanical Garden. Did I mention I took this week-long road trip alone? I got to spend a lot of time with my thoughts and reflecting on my life choices. I also learned to love myself and not let fear hold me back.

I returned from my trip, not ready to get back to work or anything but ready to tackle some life changes. I reached out to a local trainer I had been “stalking” on Instagram. It was crazy how I found her. A DJ I follow posted a photo of them in this gym then I went to the gym’s page to look at the trainers and she stood out the most of all of them. So I signed up for her online program, got a gym membership, and within a week from returning from the solo road trip I was training in the gym four days a week and on a new diet.

I strongly believe that God puts people in your life for a season and some for a lifetime. Each person will leave you better than you were before and I am so grateful for the ghosting. Don’t worry, I forgave and moved forward with myself. 

So, to sum up, my fitness journey and answer some potential questions:

1. What made me decide to start weight training?
   1. Reason one: I was pretty angry after another failed dating-ship and wanted to have force in my punch in case I ever saw the guy in person. Boxing is next on my list.
   2. Reason two: I have a bridesmaid dress that was too big and I wanted to fit into that dress.
   3. Reason three: I was super unhealthy and it was causing some health problems.
   4. My trainer offers an online training program that I have been doing and it is easy to follow and she is available to answer my questions.
2. What is your goal weight?
   1. First Goal: 135. I am 5’8″ so I’d like to be between 150-155
   2. Hoping to hit my next goal by May 2022
3. Have you changed your diet?
   1. Yes, I eat 2075 calories a day. This includes 120g of protein, 55g of Fat, 255g of Carbs
   2. My trainer is a trained nutritionist and adjusts my diet based on my monthly gains. It was hard at first and every day is a challenge.
4. What does a typical workout week look like for you?
   1. Recently I switched from 4days a week to 5 days a week Monday-Friday.
   2. It depends on what my trainer has me doing. I was doing three leg days and two split upper days. Now I am doing 2 leg days and 3 split upper days.
5. Any advice for someone just starting?
   1. No one knows what they are doing. They may look like they know but they don’t know so get a trainer. Even if it is only for a month or two. Lifestyle changes are an investment that you want to do right. Don’t skimp and try to get a “cheap” trainer. Quality over quantity.
   2. Set clear goals and find your “why.” What is the reason you want to lose weight, tone up, or bulk up. Having a goal helps you have something to reach for and gives you the motivation to keep showing up.
   3. Be consistent. You won’t want to show up every day but still get up and do it anyway. At the end of the day, if you want it bad enough you won’t quit.
   4. This isn’t temporary it is a lifestyle change and you will start seeing results.
   5. Progress takes patience. Change won’t happen overnight, so do not rush it. If you get a trainer, listen to them. You are paying them to train you, if you don’t listen, only you suffer.
   6. It is okay to fail in the gym. Get up, laugh it off, and pretend like no one is watching you. I make so many weird faces in the gym at this point it is just comical.

I pray this post inspires you and encourages you to set clear health goals. The hardest part is starting and showing up daily. But remember you are showing up for yourself. Don’t change yourself for anyone, do it for you. As a believer, I felt that if I want the Holy Spirit to live in me, then I needed to do a better job of taking care of his home. 

God bless and reach out if you have questions.