In August 2019, I decided to start focusing on my weight loss journey, again. I will only be weighing myself once a month but over the last 30 days I have seen such a change in my body.
With Herbalife I am having two meal replacement shakes, two snacks, and one meal a day. I have also been working out five days a week for at least 20 minutes.
Not sure if #SnatchedSaturday is a thing but it is now.
I have been following the 21 Day Meal Plan for the last two months (January - March) and clearly it has been doing wonders for me. Eating better, working out 4+ days a week, and drinking a gallon of water a day.
I have lost eight pounds but more importantly I have lost inches and feel fantastic. Summer is in 17 weeks and I know that I can reach my goal by then if I keep on this track.
If you want to learn more or want to purchase the $20 plan for yourself please click here.
On February 25, I decided to take a break from social media until further notice.
I found that societal pressures were weighing on my mental health and as a way of combatting that I took the healthy steps of getting back to me. I found that I was comparing myself to others which really started to weight on how I felt about myself and that is not the type of person I am.
Weight is a very triggering topic for me. It is something that I have struggled with since I was 12 years old growing up in a predominately white place in the middle to late 90s where I knew that being white and thin was the standard for beauty and I knew that if I could not be white I could at least be thin. But alas no.
I have been on almost every diet imaginable since I was 12, to my mother’s chagrin. When she passed in Feb 2006 I became anorexic and lost about 30 pounds in a month. I then started seeing therapists which helped. Fast forward to my senior year of college. I graduated and that summer I was chasing around my three year old nephew and I realized that I couldn’t keep up. I knew that at 23 if I didn’t lose weight I would die and never get to see him grow up. I lost fifty pounds that summer and over the last few years my weight has fluctuated but I have gotten to a place where I love myself and the number on the scale is the least interesting thing about me.
All this to be said that two of my girl friends started to have the “well I used to be fat” convo. Which I hate because we are so much more than our outward appearance but they started saying how gross their large arms were, and how this was their heaviest and how disgusting they were. Well I am heavier than both of their heaviest weights and my arms though muscular are large. Although their words were not directed at me, I still was very triggered. I have been dieting since the beginning of this year, I purchased a new scale (which was not a proper thing for me), and I have worked out (almost) every week day morning and have only lost about five pounds. (Also, this isn’t about my friends, I spoke to them afterwards and everything is fine.)
Since that night I had felt that I am disgusting, thought “how dare I think I am worthy of love when I look the way I look”, and that “if I start starving myself again I could lose the 30 pounds again”. As I person who suffers from anxiety and depression I have learned proper coping skills and I am currently working on a plan to help myself heal.
So I am really focusing on being healthy and positive, showing myself some grace, and loving myself as much as I love others.
I took a break from social media because I was not in the space to see the thin/ healthy bodies that I want, the constant workout videos, and the before and after pictures that I may never experience.
Happy March and Happy Birthday Month to me
I know I was planning on interviewing a few friends who have been going through their own weight loss journeys but February was super busy and got away from me so instead I will be covering something that I have dealing with that I call, “fat girl brain”. (I apologize if that is offensive but that is what I call it.)
I have lost 50+ pounds, over the last four almost five years, and my mind, body, and spirit have changed immensely. I have become more outgoing and confident but even with all the changes I still find it hard to believe that my body is mine and how far I have come. Don’t get me wrong I know that I look good and I have friends and family who always remind but I can be very critical of myself. I have struggled with body image issues and eating disorders (from not eating to trying to see how long I could go without eating to considering eating but making myself vomit afterwards) for as long as I can remember. I haven’t had those urges in a while, thankfully, but I know that is something that I need to keep in mind when I start to get down on myself. Ever so often I will have the “fat girl brain” thoughts of, “You need to go workout, you can’t skip a day, Memorial Day is in eleven weeks”, the pressure to be thin rather than to be healthy, and when I feel like nothing looks good on me because I’m still fat (mind you everything I own is either too big or I never wear it).
One of the best and hardest things about being on this journey is that I have loved ones who are also on their own weight loss journey and I am rooting for them and excited for their success but it usually makes me feel like I am not doing enough or trying hard when I see them getting better results than me. I also follow a multitude of fitness people and plus size models/youtubers on instagram and I continue to see; what workout they try or how they wear different outfits (and look amazing) and I like all of their photos but then think to myself that I could never pull that off. Then I start to ask myself why am I supportive of others but critical on myself? (Again this isn’t all the time but I have bad days here and there.) I decided to weigh myself this month and as I have stated before I do NOT weigh myself. I think seeing a number on a scale can be mentally and emotionally draining, especially when you think that you have made such a big change and the number doesn’t match your mentality. I weighed myself on Feb. 9 (thank you Fitbit App) and the scale spat back 220 pounds. I weighed myself during a workout and it immediately made me sad, angry, and frustrated to the point where I left the gym. (I think this is why I have decided to do side by side comparison photos instead of keeping track of my weight.) I felt pretty crappy all day but luckily I was talking to my friend, Cristina, about it and she told me, “Your weight is the least interesting thing about you.” Sometimes I need that support and redirection to remind me that this journey is mine and it’s not going to be the same as everyone else’s.
I say things to myself that I would never say to someone else, as evidenced in this video that always makes me cry. I have been making strides in trying to be more supportive of myself and focus on how to be the best version of me and not to compete with others.
WHAT I DID THIS MONTH:
First things first I got my Fitbit Blaze and I love it so much. I have noticed that I am more motivated to be active and get my steps in, especially because you can have step count competitions with your friends through the app.
I was also taught a new sport, Pickleball, thanks to my friend TJ and his family. We have played at least twice a week for the last few weeks and taught other friends how to play too which also helps to hold us accountable and motivated.
NEXT MONTH’ TOPIC:
My topic for next month is to talk about words from your supporters that may be doing more harm than good.
Follow me on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter : @Brionajenee
Hashtags: #LoseTheLBsWithBri and #WeChangeToImproveNotToImpress
Happy February 2017 !
Thank you for the support and feedback from last month’s post. I know that a lot of people want to get healthy, more active, and fit but can get discouraged when they try and don’t see results. I am hoping that this blog series will help keep you motivated, encouraged, and determined to continue on this journey.
WHAT HAS WORKED
WORKOUTS
I always get asked, “What’s your secret ?” and to be honest it’s been a lot of trial and error. I have found that meal prep and finding a way to get some sort of workout in daily has helped me. In the past I have tried the early morning workouts, both alone and with a friend, but those don’t last very long especially during the winter month.I used to be the kind of person who believed that if you are not in the gym for at least an hour, five days a week you aren’t working hard enough. Nowadays I have a very busy schedule between; work, my social calendar, and getting more involved in activism and civil rights and so I have accepted that philosophy that any workout is better than no workout (thanks to my Aunt Kathy). My workouts now happen right after work, during the week, and on the weekends I TRY to go in the morning by 10 am. My after work workouts tend to be something outside, weather permitting which here in Austin is about 90% of the time. I like to walk the 3.4 mile lake trail or the 5 mile hiking trail (a lot of the times with friends which makes it that much better). If the weather isn’t nice and on weekend mornings I tend to go to the gym for weightlifting and the elliptical. Also on the days that it has been cold I have not urge to go to the gym I have done an at home workout instead. Pinterest has become my workout planning best friend just because there are so many different ideas and techniques at my fingertips and I currently have 20 different “workout” pinterest boards. I also love to search for articles of people who have tried different things that have been a success for them, which is how I found out about the 100 Day Challenge, I will elaborate on that later.
NUTRITION
I have never been a junk food type or person, don’t get me wrong I have those days where I could eat a bag of kettle cooked chips and a container of heluva good french onion dip in one sitting, but for the most part I’m a good eater. I will never tell myself that I am “on a diet” because mentally that will set me up for failure and I also never deprive myself because that wouldn’t last long either. I have found great success in eating better through meal prepping. For meal prep I try to make all my meals for the (work) week ahead of time is easy. I usually will plan out breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack and I leave dinner open because it usually depends on what I decide to make when I get home, if I go out with friends, or if I have an event or meeting. On the weekends I find that I do not really have an appetite and will eat smaller, more sporadic meals. When I prep my meals I use try not to use any salt and I have been very successful in this. I use Mrs. Dash to season my meats, rinse of canned vegetables at least two times, do not add salt to any of the things that I make, and try to stay away from prepackaged items. I also plan to drink a gallon of water a day, it has done fantastic things for me and when I do not get my gallon I can feel the difference.
COMPARISON
I have never liked weighing myself or using a scale so I have decided that I will keep track of my progress by taking a month to month comparison picture. I have found that because I do not see a number that may or may not change every month, which used to make me so depressed, but seeing a photo of the progress that I have or have not made motivates me more.
The right is from January 1, 2017 and the right is from Feb. 4, 2017
LAST MONTH’S FOCUS
In January I really wanted to get better at keeping track of my eating and works out and so I found this very cute planner, the Create 365 Happy Planner Fitness Edition. It’s a great planner that helps you keep track of your meals, water intake, workouts, etc and it’s completely customizable. I also used it to keep track of my 100 day challenge and this month I was focusing on not drinking and so I used it for that too. I purchased the planner kit, from Michael’s, while it was on sale for $17 (it’s usually almost $35). I know that $35 seems like a lot for a planner but remember that Michael’s and Hobby Lobby both carry the kits and always have a 20% or 40% off coupon.
This is what one of my weeks in January looked like as well as my two trackers.
As far as workouts go I have been focusing on the “100 Day Challenge” this month which is trying to be active or workout for at least twenty minutes every day. I was able to complete fourteen days out of the thirty-one in January. It was not that hard because I was very used to working out everyday but I know that it can be a little unrealistic for others. I think I loved the idea of the 100 day challenge because it gives you the chance to be active in your own way for only 20 minutes a day.
THE PROUDEST I WAS THIS MONTH
This last Saturday of January I had to be up at 2 am for the annual Point in Time Count. We counted the number of homeless individuals we could from 3 am to 6 am. After the count I was wired and decided to go to the gym, to my surprise my usual Gold’s Gym wasn’t open so I decided to find a 2 hour Gold’s and go workout there. I did arms, abs, and legs from an hour and a half and then went and walked the lake trail for an hour. I surprised myself with how dedicated I am to maintaining and improving my physical health, I was very proud of myself.
THIS MONTH’S FOCUS
This month I am focusing on getting 10,000 steps and doing 100 squats and/ or glute bridges a day. I found out that the Fitbit Blaze that I have wanted for months on HSN and it was on sale for $149 when it is usually $199. I ordered that on Friday and cannot wait for it to come in . The Fitbit Blaze tracks all of your workouts from steps, to weightlifting, to yoga and with my insurance the more active, the more rewards I get.
TIPS AND TRICKS
DOs and DONTs
I thought that each month I would leave you with a helpful do and don’t to help you stay motivated.
DO
Set realistic goals – A friend of mine always tells me, “You didn’t gain 50 pounds in one month so don’t expect to lose it in one month.” This journey is your own and you decide how you want to travel it. Find out what does and doesn’t work for you and go from there. Your goals can be as little or as big as you want them to be just don’t try to kill yourself by setting the bar too high.
DON’T
Believe that just because you aren’t seeing results that you aren’t getting results – Although you may not be able to see the difference that your healthy changes are giving you internally you are doing so many good things for yourself. What happens inside with eventually be seen on the outside.
NEXT MONTH’S POST
My goal for next month is to talk about what annoys me about losing weight from internal battles to words from your supporters that may be doing more harm than good. I will also try to speak to one of my friends who have made incredible changes in their lives and gotten amazing results.
See you next month and be good to you and always remember, We change to improve not to impress.
You’ve got this,
Briona
On December 19 I posted, on my Instagram, about how I began my weight loss journey back in the summer of 2012. I stated how over the last four years I have gone from wearing a size 20/ xxl to a 10/ medium. I was overwhelmed with the amount of encouragement and praise that I received but also heartbroken with how many friends were struggling on their own weight loss journey. Comments like; “you have motivated me”, “tell me your secrets” and “what has worked for you” empowered me to come up with the idea to share what has and has not worked for me. I will now be dedicating the first Monday or Tuesday of every month to my new blog series entitled, “Lose the LBs with Bri”. I will talk about what foods I have eaten, what workouts I have tried and I will also be getting tips from other friends who have lost weight as well. Moreover this will be the place for you guys to ask me questions and maybe turn them into a post.
MY “DAILY” ROUTINE:
Let me start by saying that on the weekend I am way less structured.
Monday- Friday I am typically up and out of the house by 5:45 so that I can be in the gym by 6 and workout for an hour and then shower, change, and go to work. I LOVE morning workouts because after work I just want to go home or hang out with friends, so this is what works for me. Do not get me wrong there are some days where I need to sleep in and so I may workout at night or do a workout in my room instead.
I tend to eat every three to four hours with my first meal being before the gym and I try not to eat after 8 PM.
FOOD
I have researched every diet imaginable, counted points and calories, denied myself of foods and none of that worked for me. Life is too short not to enjoy good food. What I have found that works best for me is meal prepping and I have finally gotten in down. I usually do my prep on Saturdays or Monday nights and prep for the work week which for me is Monday – Friday. This has been my meal prep as of lately:
Breakfast: Clif Bar and my green tea with a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar
Snack: One hardboiled egg, yolk removed¸ and ½ cup of vegetable this week is spinach, overnight oats with frozen fruit, cup of black coffee
Lunch: This week I have two meals taco bowls, one shredded chicken/ roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and mashed sweet potato, and one homemade turkey burger with a mashed sweet potato and roasted carrots and squash.
Snack: handful of almonds and a small orange
Dinner: I live in Austin where the food is amazing and I have friends who like to go to dinner so it’s never planned; I can’t be that regimented, I need wiggle room.
Water: ONE GALLON A DAY !
My biggest “secret” when meal prepping is that I do NOT add salt to anything. I use Ms. Dash to season my meats and if I need a sweetener it’s usually honey or banana
** I will gladly share recipes, just ask.
WORKOUT
I have been, trying to, workout 6 days a week and resting on Sunday. I am usually in the gym Monday – Friday and then I like to hike or walk the trail on Saturdays. I have been doing 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength training.
THIS MONTHS FOCUS
This month I want to try these two workout ideas and I will try to post one of these each month.
I hope you find some of this helpful and next month I hope to cover a suggested topic.
Happy New Year and may it be the best one yet.