By Anna Kathryn
Here’s a new feature to my blog…..Arbitrary Friday. It’ll be
whatever whimsical thing I want to talk about that day, from history to writing
to what’s going on in my life. Today, I’m
going to talk about my weight loss journey.
Spring 2011
About 20 months ago (May 2011), I started watching what I
was eating. I joined a site called My Fitness
Pal (www.myfitnesspal.com). They also have an app for your smart
phone. My Fitness Pal helps you with
your calorie intake each day, in that you record what you eat each meal and snack
and it lets you know how many calories you have left for the day. I should be
on a 1,200 calorie in-take, but man, that’s hard to do! But this app and website helped me start on
my weight loss journey.
In July, 2012, I joined an on-line diet with my daughter,
now called the Stefan Pinto C Diet (https://www.facebook.com/StefanPintoCDiet?fref=ts). This
is a three month plan in which the participants take pictures of everything
they eat and send it to Stefan, who then posts the pics on his facebook page. Wow, that really helps you watch what you eat,
because you get yelled at by a lot of people you post a hamburger, fries and
shake. Stefan also passes along some
great eating right tips. I lost another 15 pounds on the C Diet.
I hit a plateau with 10 more pounds to lose. Then came the 2012 holidays! I gained about 5-7 pounds, dang it! Now, it’s the new year and instead of 10
pounds to lose, I have 15. But I am determined to keep plugging until I get
down to my goal. In the meantime, I have
lost at least 25 pounds overall and am feeling better about myself.
August 2012
I still do Zumba and in August 2012 I did my first 5K
walk. Since then, I’ve done 3 more and
am signed up for two additional ones. I
don’t run, I don’t ever plan to run. I walk and out of the 4 I’ve done, I’ve
come in last place two times. But, it
doesn’t matter when I cross the finish line, just that I do finish. Because I am
doing 5K’s, I’m also walking around my neighborhood, between 1-3 miles at a
time. Oh, I am also participating in Fab
Abs February…a torture event to tighten up your abs. You start off doing 10 sit ups, 4 pushups and
10 seconds of plank. At the end of the
month, you should be doing 100 sit ups, 25 pushups and 2 minutes of plank. But hey, I’ll also have 6-pack abs,
right? LOL.
An aside note: If you walk, run or bike please look into the smart phone app Charity Miles. This organization helps raise money for different charities, like Autism Speaks, Feeding America, Stand Up to Cancer, and several more. You can choose a different charity each time you walk, run or bike. So, raise money for your cause while doing what you're doing already! (You have to take your phone with you.)
An aside note: If you walk, run or bike please look into the smart phone app Charity Miles. This organization helps raise money for different charities, like Autism Speaks, Feeding America, Stand Up to Cancer, and several more. You can choose a different charity each time you walk, run or bike. So, raise money for your cause while doing what you're doing already! (You have to take your phone with you.)
Are you still with me?
One of the tips Stefan passed on is the wisdom of eating a
green apple before going to bed each night. Why? Because they help with metabolism and
eating one before bed helps you burn off fat as you sleep. Then just the other day, my Zumba instructor,
Ana, was telling us about the benefits of cinnamon. So I came home and looked up information on
cinnamon. It does have a lot of health benefits. Below are some links to find
out more about apples and cinnamon and their benefits to your health.
December 2012
What about you? Have
you vowed to get healthier? What is your
favorite health/diet/exercise tip?
Cinnamon – Heath Benefits
Apples –
Eating before bed - http://www.livestrong.com/article/503595-eating-apples-before-bed/
Health Benefits http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/health_blog/how_apples_can_make_you_skinnier_4_more_health_benefits_of_apple
Green Apples - http://hishersq8.com/2011/05/why-should-we-eat-green-apples
18 comments:
You're doing great and you look fabulous. Great tips. I hadn't heard the one about green apples. I'll give it a try. Cinnamon I know about and have been trying to consume some every day.
I started a new feature on my blog today Arbitrary Friday...because the posts will be about whatever I feel like on any Friday I post. Today, I start with my personal weight loss journey, which has not been as dramatic as some people, and isn't over yet. But I also share a few diet/exercise tips. So, if you have time, stop by and say hi!
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/2013/02/arbitrary-friday-my-weight-loss-journey.html
I'm so proud of you!!! I was going to try to lose 10 pounds in January. I was on and off my diet, due to family and house guests and other events. But I did end up losing 9 pounds and agreed to try to lose another 5 with the same friend. I have until March 15 to lose the 5 pounds. I try to eat 2 fresh fruits every day and lots of green tea. That seems to be helping.
Good luck!
~JD
J.D. Nine pounds in a month is great! My goodness. Green tea is another metaboliser (is that a word?). It helps to metabolize food. I don't drink as much of it as I should. I also don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. But I am drinking more water and less diet coke (which was a no-no on the C Diet, so I gave it up for at least those three months). Good luck with the next 5 pounds.
Anna, that's wonderful!! Weight loss is good, but I'm happy you're eating healthier. I became very health concious when living in Germany. I love the green apple advice.
Interesting article, Anna. I started back on a healthy eating regiment (which I usually do, just let myself go), January of 2012. So far I've lost 40 lbs, with about another 8 or so to go. What's funny is I have a bowl of oatmeal (from old fashioned oats) every day with cinnamon, and I always have an apple before bed, but never read the articles you posted about them. Good luck with your new healthy eating
Sounds like you're doing great, Anna! I had a wakeup call 14 years ago when I gained too much weight, concentrated too much on my children and ignored my own health. I ended up having a stroke, which I fully recovered from, but after that, I decided I had to put my own health first. One of the things I did to lose weight was to eat six small meals per day to keep my metabolism up. And I try to stick to healthy foods as much as possible. I've also become an exercise fanatic, working out for an hour five day per week. My workouts vary each day. I ride a stationary bike, work out with small hand weights, do low-impact aerobics and even do a combo yoga-ballet-Irish dance workout. I concentrate on my health benefits as well as trying to keep my weight where I want it and feel great!
First, you look fantastic. Great job! As for me, I try to eat a lot of vegies and exorcise daily. this winter in Utah, the treadmill has gotten tons of use. Brrr. I have to move my body or even diet isn't enough to keep me feeling good.
I'm proud of you for making the choice to be good to you.
Hi, Ella. Thanks for stopping by. I still need to work on eating more vegetables, lol.
Callie, congrats on the weight loss. 40 pounds in a year is great! My total goal is 35 pounds. Funny that you were eating the 'right' foods to help out without knowing it. Oatmeal is also a great choice! See if you can find some Chia seeds to add to it. Chia seeds are a super food with antioxidants and other good stuff for you.
Susan, great to have a schedule. I fell off the wagon during the holidays, too (along with eating too much). My Zumba classes were not held for 3 weeks and I didn't get out and walk like I should have...so I'm sure that helped with the 5-7 pound weight gain! And you did learn a valuable lesson....take time for yourself.
Sandy, keep up the good work. I have an elliptical machine I don't use! LOL. I begged my husband to get it for me, but it's a cloth rack right now.
How wonderful!! Keep up the wonderful work, Anna!!!!
Hi, Tessa. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you are doing well.
Great post, Anna. You look great!
I, too, have started a health journey last year. I lost 15 in 4 months. This year, my goal is to tweak my diet a little bit more (I have a million food intolerances), and to get less pain in my back. I started a website called www.writinghealthy.com to keep me on track and to share my findings.
Hats off to you for sticking with this, Anna. It can be difficult with so many fast food solutions for 'a quick bite, just this once'. Zumba is great, too!
i like it <3
You look great! I salute you for sticking with a healthier lifestyle, which is really a big struggle for other people. Personally, I have a cheat day once a week where I can eat anything that I want. But after that, I feel disappointed with myself for giving in with temptations around me. Taking Zumba classes really made a big difference other than just watching what you eat. Laraine Leet
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