RSS

Category Archives: Weight Loss

Don’t Let Guilt Stop You

14 May

Holidays are great. Times filled with family, laughter, fun, EATING! It’s also a time when weight loss momentum slows, or worse stops completely. A few plates of not so healthy foods can send you spiraling downward emotionally. If you’re dieting, that can destroy (admittedly destroy is a harsh word but you get the point) you. So what do you do? How do you handle those few fleeting moments of indulgence, perhaps over indulgence?

I’ve faced that moment plenty of times. I tell you the worse part isn’t the food. Oh no… It’s the guilt that comes with it. Guilt is a cruel and unrelenting monster. It can crush your spirits. Make you fearful to “get back on the wagon.”

Remember what you’re doing isn’t dieting. Diets are temporary. We’re creating healthy lifestyles. Part of that is learning how to deal with not so healthy choices. Learning how to balance nutrition and exercise.

Keep it in perspective. Yes eating healthier would’ve been better. Or at least having smaller portions. In the grand scheme of your healthy lifestyle, that second piece of cake or sodium laden food was only one or two (hopefully no more than two) meals that weren’t the greatest this past week. If you’re eating 4 to 5 meals a day, then the holiday meal was 1 – 2 meals out of 28 to 35 meals for the week. It’s not the end! Just a minor setback. Stop beating yourself up!

Don’t allow guilt to stop you from moving forward. The meal is done. It’s in the past. All you can do is resolve to make some great choices going forward. Remember we’re not dieting we’re creating healthy habits!!

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 05/14/2012 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

What Has Helped Me The Most

08 May

I received an e-mail today. I decided to share the e-mail (well a portion of it) and my response. Who knew somebody would actually use the contact me page on my blog!!

Antuan,
Thank you for sharing your journey. It’s very inspiring. I have a question. What has helped you the most in losing weight? I’m not having the success you are. I thought I’d be further along by now. But I’m not. I don’t want to quit but to be honest I’ve fallen off the horse.

Below is my response.

Thanks for writing me! I feel humbled and honored that you would do that. First and foremoest, you will experience success if you don’t quit. It’s inevitable. I’ll give you three things that have helped me the most.

  • I wanted to lose weight. I mean really really wanted to. Not kinda wanted to. But almost obession level wanted to.
  • I had to be open to change. By that I mean I had to be willing to change my lifestyle enough to see results. How much change? I don’t have a specific number or amount. I just know I had to be willing to change enough to see results.
  • I had to believe that I could do it. If you don’t believe you can, you won’t.

There are more. However if you have those three things, you’ll figure out everything else along the way. I’d suggest breaking down your overall goal into smaller goals. Instead of trying to lose x number of lbs, focus on losing 5-10 lbs by the end of the month. See the difference? Break it down into managable, smaller sized things. Once you lose the 5 – 10 lbs, go for 20 lbs in the next 90 days.

Before you know it, you’ll have momentum, you’ll have a sense of accomplishment because you reached a couple smaller goals. One last thing. I found that most of the things needed to be successful were just outside my comfort zone. My point is, you’ll have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Does that help?. Best of wishes on your journey. It’s uncomfortable, it’s bumpy, sometimes inconvenient but definitely worth it. Can’t wait to hear about your success!

Antuan

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 05/08/2012 in Weight Loss

 

Victory Loves Preparation

03 May

I had a break in my work week yesterday and normally that is cause for concern. I have to be extra careful food choice wise. There’s something about the work week routine that helps me make great food decisions. Anyway, I was reminded how important planning & preparation is.

Here I was completely out of my normal routine. In the past, that would have made making wrong decisions easier. (Well making a wrong decision is just as easy as making a good one. But that’s a different blog) But not this time. I prepared ahead of time. I plan my meals ahead of time for the work week. So instead of having to exhaust mental energy on what to eat yesterday – Good choice?…bad choice? -, I simply ate what I prepared earlier. That removed any excuses, any temptations to make a bad decision.

What did I learn from all that? What thought was I reminded of? Victory loves preparation. My brother says that all the time. It’s so true. Victory, success (in weight loss or anything else) doesn’t just happen. You have to prepare for it. You have to plan for it. If not, surprises (like yesterday’s departure from my normal routine) can set you back.

Preparation isn’t just planning and cooking meals in advance. Preparation is packing your gym clothes and putting them in your car night before. Preparation is looking at the menu and deciding the best choice prior to getting to that restaurant. It may appear small and trivial but preparation goes a long way to ensure success.

Remember the will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. (Not my quote but I absolutely love it)

 
2 Comments

Posted by on 05/03/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Lost Motivation?

27 Apr

At some point, you’ll lose motivation. At least I did. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t any less committed. I came to a place where I was firmly entrenched in the grind of losing weight. There’s not a lot to losing weight It’s doing the small mundane things over and over again. It became routine. However, that can cause you to get bored and lose motivation. Lost motivation isn’t a good thing. Motivation is what drives you to keep going.

So how did I get past that? How did I keep motivation to wake up at 4:00 or 4:30 and go to the gym? I set goals. Nothing big. Just small goals that are just out of reach but attainable with great effort and a trip out of my comfort zone.

One of the things that worked for me was setting a goal of going to the gym every morning during the work week. To keep me focused on it, I bought a shirt I knew was a size too small and hung it on the closet door. I saw it every morning.

Setting goals really helps. It gives you something to fight for. It gives you something to work for. It gets you mentally engaged. It provides a purpose and reason for doing what you’re doing.

Goals won’t work if you don’t have an emotional tie to it. Make sure you reward yourself once you accomplish the goal. And you will accomplish the goal.

I have a shirt I’m waiting to wear as we speak type. What’s your next goal? I’d love to hear about it.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 04/27/2012 in Weight Loss

 

I Talk To Myself (And I Answer)

20 Apr

I laughed at myself this morning. I joke that you’re not crazy if you talk to yourself. Now if you answer, then yeah you might be cause for concern. Well, this morning I had a full-fledged 35 minute discussion with myself during cardio. I went back and forth with myself about how crazy it was I was in the gym at 4:30,drenched in sweat and eyes that were burning from sweat and sleepiness.

The conversation turned to whether I should finish my cardio. I talked myself in and out quitting at least 5 times. Not only did I converse with myself, I switched between conversations and answered myself verbally! When I realized I was doing all that, I couldn’t do anything but laugh. It also got me thinking.

What are you saying when you talk to yourself? I know I’m not the only one that talks to themselves. What are you saying to yourself? Hopefully it’s more positive than negative. More encouraging than discouraging. You have to be a cheerleader for you. Sounds corny but it works. I cheered for myself (Verbally no less) while on the elliptical machine. So much so verbally that the guy next to me thought I was encouraging him to finish and did an extra 10 minutes he said. He had no clue I was talking to me!!

I know I’m not the only one who talks(and answers) Who else has conversations with themselves?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 04/20/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

You Have to Lose This To Lose Weight

18 Apr

I unknowingly sabotaged my previous weight loss efforts. How you may ask? Was I eating right? More times than not. Was I exercising? I was doing an okay job of that. As a matter of fact, I had cut down on all the right things. Sugar consumption? Down. Junk food? Down. Where is the sabotage in that? See, I cut down on everything that was detrimental to losing weight except one thing. I had one remaining vice. I know what you’re thinking. If it wasn’t sugar, soda, or junk food then what in the world was it? Well, I’m glad you asked. The one thing that I had yet to give up was the one thing that was guaranteed to derail my weight loss success. That thing, that vice was excuses

No time, too busy, high gas prices,don’t like going to the gym, don’t have money for a gym membership, eating healthy cost more, etc.

All those are valid excuses. I absolutely get it. I’ve used them all at one point. (If not more)

  • No time – We all have 24 hours in a day. No one I know has 23 or 25 hours in a day.
  • Too busy – Spend more time on productive things than busy things.
  • Gas prices – Jog, walk, ride your bike in your neighborhood. Requires no gas.
  • Don’t like going to the gym – workout at home. You can get an effective workout at home without equipment.( p90x, insanity, zumba, wii fit, aerobic tapes – do they still make tapes?)
  • No money for gym – 1) I like the gym but it’s not a requirement to lose weight. 2) See previous line
  • Healthy food too expensive – Incorporate less expensive ideas. Frozen veggies, take the skin off the chicken before eating, eat smaller portions

All I’m saying is we all have excuses we can use. Choose not to use them. Choose to figure out how to take steps daily to get closer to your weight loss goals. Can you do that for me?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 04/18/2012 in Weight Loss

 

Tags:

I Found The Secret

13 Apr

I’m so excited! I found the secret to weight loss success. It’s not a pill that melts belly fat or makes your legs smaller. It’s not a specially formulated juice. Nope it’s not even sold for $19.99. So you don’t have to act now or hurry before the offer expires.

As a matter of fact, the secret to weight loss is not found in stores. Nor a pill bottle, nor a beverage bottle. I didn’t find it in the health food store. Nor did I stumble across it in a special extract from some exotic flower.

This secret to weight loss is extremely powerful! Drastically altering the lives of those who have it. It allows you to overcome all obstacles that stand in your way. When properly used, the secret to weight loss can lead to success in other areas of life. The best part about the secret? No list of things that could go wrong if you take it. You know, “Warning this may cause drowsiness,diarrhea, vomiting, night time sickness, day time sickness…. blah blah blah” It’s 100% fail proof!!!! I’m so confident in the miraculous powers of this secret to weight loss, that I’ll personally give you your money back if you’re not satisfied with the results!!!!!

By now you shouldn’t be wondering how much it cost? Or how much is shipping? Hopefully you’re so anxious to know what is that you’re about to go crazy because I’m dragging this out. Okay Okay… For those who want to know the secret, I’ll tell you and I’ll even tell you where to get it.

If you’re sitting down, I need you to get up. If you’re standing, I need you to make your way to the nearest mirror. Close your eyes. Open them. Look deeply in the mirror. Take a deep breath and realize that what you see in the mirror is the secret to weight loss.

BOOM! There it is! Right in front of you. The secret is YOU!!

You have everything already in you to be successful. You just need to discover it inside you. There are no gimmicks. No shortcuts. All you have is you. Your will, your drive, your passion, your commitment to you. You know what? That’s the real secret key to your success. It’s completely up to you.

Take full advantage of the secret. I know I am….

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on 04/13/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Try….Fail….Adjust…..

06 Apr

This is kind of a piggy back of the blog entry If It Can Be Measured, It Can Be Fixed. In that post, I talked about documenting food choices and workout routines. Well as fate would have it, I have a chance to give you part two of that. What do you do with that information? Well, last week I gained 0.8 lbs. So I have two options I can pout or I can look at the journals and look for places to tweak. Guess which choice I made. Wasn’t even a hard decision.

Having the food and exercise journals makes all the difference. The information contained within them is invaluable to losing weight. The ability to review what you’ve done (and the results it created) makes adjustments more efficient and decreases the time it takes to get back on track.

What you’ll find on the road to success is three stages… Try, Fail, and Adjust. What I did for a while was Try, Fail, Get Frustrated and Quit. The adjustment part was nearly impossible because I didn’t have good information to base my adjustments.

Well at this point of the “fail” stage, I have weeks and months of information I can review. (Failure isn’t a bad thing by the way. As long as your failure isn’t final, you’re fine.) This week I’ll be doing just that. I’m going to adjust and try. And if that doesn’t work. I’ll Try, Fail and Adjust again.

That’s what it’s all about with success in any endeavor really. Try it. If you fail, adjust. Following that cycle will eventually get you to where you want to be.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on 04/06/2012 in Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

Celebrating the Small Victories

02 Mar

When I started down the path of losing weight, my success was completely scale based. Don’t get me wrong. The scale is a good way to measure results. Yet it’s a very fickle and misleading creature. There were weeks I KNEW double digit weight loss would occur; only to end up with minimal losses. Double digit weight loss is the norm right? It happens weekly on The Biggest Loser. Well, except for Week 2.

I learned some valuable lessons from that.
Lesson 1 – Measuring results entirely by the scale can lead to frustration and loss of motivation.
Lesson 2 – Don’t miss the small victories by focusing only on weight loss.
Lesson 3 – Celebrate the small victories.

What do I mean? I didn’t control the number on the scale during weigh-ins. There were variables outside of my control. Being too dialed into the scale, caused me to think my hard work wasn’t paying off. I thought that a few times. By stepping back, I was able to get better perspective. See the bigger picture. I found I experienced all kinds of success! In fact, the success wasn’t weight loss. Success was who I was becoming along the way.

Who I was becoming produced many, many, many small victories! Small victories like not ordering tea or soda when we ate out. Another small victory – not having seconds. Or how about going to the gym every Monday – Friday. Yet another small victory – Not quitting during cardio when I was tired and my lungs were burning. Or having to put a hole in my belt. One of my personal favorites – Having to hold my shorts up going downstairs because they would fall down!

See those are all small victories. Get enough small victories strung together and you’ll see the big victory of weight loss. I began celebrating the small victories like crazy! What I found was, that recognizing the small victories carried me emotionally when the scale didn’t move as quickly as I liked.

So don’t miss out on the small victories because you’re focused on just weight loss. Take time to smell the roses and enjoy the journey.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on 03/02/2012 in Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

 

Welcome to the Brand New Antuan….

19 Feb

I guess this has been a long time coming.  I wrestled with the thought of starting a blog for a couple of reasons.  One being, the transparency of it all.  It takes some courage to put your life out there for people to see on any level.  The second one being I didn’t think I really had a lot to say on losing weight. I’ve experienced some success at losing weight before.  Lost it and gained it back.  Looking back on it, I believe life had quite a bit to do with it.    I reached the point where the pain of changing was more than the pain of staying the same so I set out again to lose weight.  This time around I focused more on the mental aspect than the physical.  So I was off.  Now 16 weeks,  58 lbs later, 4 pant sizes & 2 shirt sizes later here I am.  Haven’t reached my goal yet but I’m closer.  I feel like I’m about 100 yards out at sea.  I can see the shore but I’ve paddled too far to go back.  So here I am,  sharing my journey.

I heard a while ago you never know who else wins when you succeed.  So to that end, I’m diving into the blog world.  Here’s to helping someone else by opening up my life, my thoughts, & my emotions.

Where I started……                                                                    Where I am now…..

                     

 
18 Comments

Posted by on 02/19/2012 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 
Newer posts →