So I have been asked questions about my weight loss journey and I want to answer them for you. For those who don’t know I have been losing weight since January. I have lost a total of 32 pounds to date. This has not be an easy task. My reasoning for doing it now and sticking to it was being super tired of having piles of clothes on my bed. I was tired of wearing other people’s clothes as well. What I mean is that the clothes I had come from others and wasn’t the sizes of clothes I should have been wearing. Some of it was too big. Some of it was sadly the right size but shouldn’t have been the size I was in. I got tired of every summer seeing some of the most trendiest clothes and trying to find the bigger size of it to be in . I was tired. I joined weight watchers on February 1st after losing 15 pounds on my own. Before Weight Watchers I wrote everything I ate and I applied the same method with Weight Watchers. I also work out at work on my lunch time. This has helped take the sting of “not having enough time” off the table. I also increased my water intake and take vitamins on a regular basis.
In the last few months I have cut my hair. I wanted the change and I have had short hair before but I decided to end my relationship with my relaxer as well. This was my decision and I don’t attempt to push my decision on anyone. I love my hair. I do understand that others don’t like it but hey when I look in that mirror everyday I feel great, I look great. I love it and I love me. To be honest to hell with the ones who don’t like it and that’s for the ones who do know me and those who don’t. I am on a journey to pour more into myself and this journey is personal. I also am finding out what makes me happy. I think happiness comes from the inside. I have been doing the work to make me an all around better person. This hasn’t come without backlash. I am not everyone’s cup of tea. You aren’t either so if you face change and you find it’s not being embraced don’t sweat it. People deflect what is wrong with them onto others. Life doesn’t have to be the way you want it.
So when I first started out I felt like I wouldn’t have enough food to eat. I felt like I couldn’t give up the processed foods I had been accustomed to. I felt like since I baked and made sure me and the kids ate enough vegetables and fruits I would be fine. I was in a sense but even with the 15 pounds on my own I wanted to be more disciplined. So I began Weight Watchers and I have done really well. Today to date I have lost 32 pounds. I am very proud of my accomplishments but I have a little ways to go yet. I have my stomach to tighten and some muscles to tone. So here are the things that I have gone through since this process has started:
- In the beginning my cravings for food increased. I learned that I can have what I want in the right size and I don’t have to eat it all or over eat to enjoy it
- I have had a lot of off scale victories such as having my clothes literally fall off of me and having to get a few pieces of new items. I wore a medium one piece jumpsuit and I hadn’t seen a medium since before I had kids. I bought a size 6 dress and it fit no stomach sucking in or anything and it looked nice. I am not a solid 6 I am in-between a 6 and a 8 but coming from a size 12 that is a great step.
- I have more energy to play with my kids, get things done and I fall asleep because I have gotten so much done not because I can’t walk up a flight of stairs
- Seeing pictures of me where my neck is smaller, face more defined and that tummy coming together has motivated me to want to take more pictures where I don’t use my kids to hide my belly anymore.
- Confidence has gone through the roof-I love how I feel and what I see. Even though I can acknowledge I have a little ways to go its great to know that I love what I see coming from the inside to the outside
My Formal Life
When I was in college I was a size 0 and then went to a 4. After my first child I was a solid 6 and everyone said the best compliments. When I started up the scale I would get “girl you ain’t as small as you used to be.” “We can’t call you lil’ Toi anymore” “You changed” “She doesn’t wear, look, etc anymore.” The comparison from my former life to when I was at my heaviest are all forms of pressure. I have 3 kids and I was happy and adjusting to the many hats I had to wear. It’s interesting is that most of the comments came from others who are much bigger than I remembered them and they were always heavier than me. Not one time had I judged them or asked them “what happened” or made rude comments. People are a trip. Even with the weight loss that won’t stop people from being extra. I will still hear people say well I am glad you lost that weight I was starting to wonder…. Now if you know me I will speak up. I don’t have to defend myself to people who in reality don’t matter. I don’t have to defend myself to people who don’t even check up on me. I have an answer for myself. I owe myself the new life. I can’t say that my family has had anything negative to say about my weight except that my kids know that I won’t a lot of junk unless I have prepared for it. Other than that I can say that this change has been allowing me to tune the world out. I actually ran into someone who was talking about me and didn’t see me standing there. When they were done I said well next time just ask the source. Their face turned bright red. It’s funny. I do not claim to be guru of weight loss I just know what is working for me and I am good with I see my body doing. So when I hit my weight goal I will reveal a pic of me at my heaviest and the new picture with the new weight. If there is something you want to do in your life weight loss or not tune the world out. Tune out the negative influences in your head and out. Tune and lock into your WHY. Know you can do it and it will be a challenge at the same time. One of the things that irked me was when I felt like I hadn’t loss much weight and felt like I was just not doing enough. Part of the journey is up and down or seeing not much change. Gradual weight loss is more important than dropping pounds off all at once. So be encouraged!
