you know those people who lose 53lbs because they stopped drinking soda? yeah. i hate those people. every time i would hear a similar weight loss story to this one i would seriously reevaluate my life and try to pinpoint something, ANYTHING, that i could permanently cut out of my diet in order to lose weight.
unfortunately it was not ONE particular food at all! i had to really get some self motivation about myself.
my turning point:
okay, so 12/26/2016 i stepped on the scale. 187. okay, so i looked at this number and said “okay keshia, just lose 15lbs! you’ll be fine” right after i stepped off my 6’7″ GROWN MAN BROTHER stepped on the scale. 196. WHAT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD?!? (in my mind) “keshia get your fat self together and lose some weight, like, yesterday!!!” i kid you not, i went right upstairs (this tragic midlife crisis happened at my mom’s house) put on some workout clothes and got on the treadmill. for the final 3 days of my vacay at tokhwa’s i worked out for an hour in her at home gym. when i got back to atlanta i joined planet fitness and dedicated at least 3 days a week to the purple, yellow, and black.
PAUSE…
i know what you’re thinking “but i thought you said you didn’t workout?!” okay, that was false advertisement…i did workout TOUGH for the first 3 weeks, but for the other 21 weeks, it was little to ZERO. let me be clear…i do some type of exercise maybe 3-4 times a month…only after i give myself the biggest pep talk and motivational speech.
you are what you eat…and drink…
okay, so i came to the UAE at the end of january, by this time i was down 9lbs. yay! *bankhead bounces* although i was super excited i wanted to lose more, but didn’t want to work out, like, at all. it wasn’t until my boyfriend started drilling into my head “its not about working out, its about what you eat!” that i actually started paying more attention to what i ate. the biggest thing was eating and alcohol. as i think back, in the states i stopped just about EVERY MORNING at either chik-fil-a or dunkin donuts. (they have THE best breakfast sandwiches!!) and then if i didn’t go out for lunch, i met up with friends for dinner. in the UAE fast food places do not open until after i’m already at work, sooo yeah no mcgriddle for me. now everyone who knows anything about me knows that i LOVE FOOD. food is bae today, tomorrow, and forever. but i had to start paying more attention to how much and how often i ate. if you let me, i will eat every 2 hours on the hour like a newborn baby. but by increasing the time in between meals, by the time i actually do eat i’m not always able to pig out (like i want to) don’t get me wrong, i still eat A LOT, but not everyday. also, the type of food you eat is super important, i will eat a REAL meal over processed any day! so meals with fresh ingredients & less preservatives (canned foods, stuff that has a printed shelf life) next, alcohol, (disclaimer: do NOT, i repeat, do NOT think that i used to be an alcoholic…my friends and i just…you know liked to have themed drinks for EVERY. SINGLE. MEAL. shout out to jannah!) for the first few weeks here i only saw “mocktail menus” & who really wants that?! so with it not being readily available, i kind of just gave up on it for a while. not to mention when i finally did start going places that served alcohol i was greeted with $20 mixed drinks that tasted like welch’s cranapple juice! no way am i going to pay that much for a caprisun! there’s just no way.
weigh to go…
i bought a scale folks! probably the best and worse thing i could have done! i have gotten so bad, i’ll weigh myself when i get up in the morning after i’ve emptied my bladder, gotten butt naked, taken off my bonnet, earrings, and bobby pins. (#allpoundsmatter) but while it’s caused me to be a bit obsessive, because i know that digital device is just chilling in my bathroom, i appreciate the accountability it gives me. i would not recommend weighing yourself everyday all day like i do, because realistically, it can fluctuate between 1.5-3lbs throughout the day. this is absolutely normal, trust me, i googled it. seriously i googled “how much weight can i gain in a day” but setting aside one day out of the week for a “weigh in” is a good idea. if i could stick to it, i would choose friday…because i can pat myself on the back for the job i did all week and then lose my mind over the weekend lol
in conclusion…
i do understand that every body type is different, and blah blah blah. i also understand that not everyone is patient enough to wait 6 months to lose 30lbs, but i just wanted to share my personal journey with you. now, if you would excuse me, i have a cheeseburger to eat. i deserve it. š
shestartedablog 