I want to start off this post by saying that I am in no way a fitness or nutrition expert. I have never gone to school for anything of the sort, so please take that into account as you read this article. This is just my experience in losing weight and what worked well for me, and hopefully you can get some good information from it.
About a year and a half ago I was at my heaviest weight. Now, granted, I wouldn’t say I was “fat,” but I was definitely overweight and didn’t feel good in my own skin. I had a baby in 2013 and with pregnancy, then nursing cravings, then just not having the energy to workout or care about eating healthy, I kept gaining weight. Finally, one day, I had just had enough. I knew nothing was going to change unless I changed something. So I started on my weight loss journey.
It took me about 3 months to lose around 18 pounds, then the holidays came and went with very little control or motivation. I got back into eating healthy and working out around this time last year and continued to lose weight, but most importantly I really started putting on a lot of muscle. I lost a total of 25 pounds over the whole journey and gained an incredible amount of muscle. I was in the best shape of my life and I couldn’t have been happier. The best part about the whole thing? I actually really enjoyed eating healthy and working out. It had become a lifestyle, not just a phase.
(The photo on the left was after I had lost 18 pounds. The One on the right was the final result after losing 25 pounds).
I have had so many people ask me how I did it, what I ate, how I worked out, etc. So, here I am, sharing this with all of you. I hope by reading this it gives you some sort of inspiration or motivation to become the person you want to be.
1. I Exercised At Least 5 Days A Week
When I was trying to lose weight, I worked out at least 5 days a week. Sometimes, if I was really motivated, I would work out 6 days. I always gave myself at least one day off. Your body needs rest, because that is the time it builds muscle but be careful not to over work yourself. The reason why I worked out so frequently was my desire to lose weight and because I followed a strict schedule on my favorite workout DVDs. Which brings me to my next point.
Source: Amazon
2. I Did Workout DVDs At Home
In order to lose 25 pounds, I never once bought a gym membership or went to any kind of class. I worked out strictly by myself at home doing DVD workouts. I’ve never really liked gyms that much with all the people everywhere looking at me. Plus, I hated all the time it took to get ready to go to the gym, drive there, then drive home. However, if you find a workout routine that you love at the gym, then go for it!
My favorite DVDs were Jillian Michaels’ DVDs. I felt that they were hard enough to get a good workout, but not too hard where I felt like I couldn’t do them and that I might die if I continued. A few years ago I did the “INSANITY” DVDs, and even though it was a phenomenal workout, it was hard to stay motivated to do it because it was SO hard. This time, I tried to do Jillian Michaels’ DVDs that were around 30 minutes long. That way I didn’t feel like a lot of my time was spent working out, but it was long enough to get a great workout in. I personally loved her “Ripped In 30” DVD as well as “Killer Buns And Thighs.” Both have great beginner levels and show how to modify the moves if you can’t do them quite yet. They are very affordable and you can find them online at Amazon or Best Buy.
3. I Worked Out In The Morning
One thing that worked really great for me was that I worked out in the morning before the day got busy and crazy. I noticed that I had more motivation in the morning and as the day continued on I would lose motivation and find more excuses as to why I didn’t need to work out or didn’t have the time to. Since I had a one and half year old at the time, I usually worked out in the morning after he woke up and was watching his morning cartoons. Since my workouts were only 30-45 minutes long, it was the perfect amount of time for me to get my workout done and for him to have a little relaxing time as he woke up.