A New Beginning
As I sit here this morning munching on my Jenny Craig coffee cake, extra lean turkey bacon, and hazelnut cup o' joe, I reflect on and celebrate my recent 17 lb weight loss! Wow...it feels really great to know that I made some positive, healthy changes in my life and overcame some perceived psychological, circumstantial, and physical limitations to achieve a goal. I proved to myself that I could do it. Never mind that it took me a lot longer than I intended -- the point is that I got focused, abandoned a lot of excuses, and got off the couch to reach a significant milestone in my fat loss and fitness journey. :)
I see this end and every end as a new beginning. Now I have a new set of goals and milestones to reach. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I'm taking on a 12 - week body transformation challenge and tracking my progress on this page: "Stacie's Weight Loss Goals & Results." There's no such thing as perfection so I'm striving for progress once again and managing my results to help me stay accountable and on track.
3 Things I Did Yesterday to Move Me Closer to My Goals:
- Took my "Before" photos
- Collected my body measurements
- Planned my cardio and strength-training workouts
A Word on "Before" photos:
If you don't know where you're at right now, how can you possibly know where you're headed? This is why I highly recommend "before" photos. They are not the same as looking at yourself in the mirror either. My "before" photos were a huge wakeup call. Pictures don't lie and mine sure didn't. Staring back at me was the evidence of several years of unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle. I have to admit I was "smh" as I saw my rather obvious trouble spots and imperfections blatantly exposed in a 2-piece bikini that I reluctantly donned. "I honestly can't believe this is me" I thought silently to myself... but I once read that I should look at my "before" pictures everyday when I wake up and every night before I go to bed to remind me of where I am now, why I'm taking on this rigorous challenge, and where I want to be. The good news is I have a better vision for myself. At the end of my 12-week transformation I'll take my "after" pictures and they will reflect a "new and improved" me. I can actually see a pretty nice improvement in my 8/10 pictures over where I was in 11/09 when I started my fitness journey. Seeing these pics side-by-side reinforces that you're on the right track and gives you a visual of the progress you're making. I look forward to sharing more of my results later this year.
In the meantime, I'm reminded of Mina Hobby (a former BFL Champion) who completed four, consecutive, 12-week "Body-for-Life" programs to completely transform her body and her life! In her "before " photo she stood 5'1" and 200 lbs. At the completion of her challenges she was 115 lbs. "Ouch! I had a long way to go but I stuck with it one day at a time ...and then the willpower paid off," she said. Mina even received an invitation to the Oprah Winfrey show to share her weight loss success story. The cardboard cut out Oprah is touching is a life-sized replica of what Mina looked like at the beginning of her weight loss journey. Looking at her now you would never guess it was the same person! She tapped the power within and has a new level of "energy, self-confidence, and personal strength." She's a great inspiration for us all.
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| Mina Hobby and Oprah Winfrey |
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