My Weight Loss Journey Continues
Happy Monday, y’all! I had a good and very busy weekend. My hubby was out of town, so I took the opportunity to get some things done that have been hanging over my head. I hope to show you one of those things tomorrow! *wink
My most recent, big DIY project has been on myself. I’m really excited to share with you {once again} about my weight loss journey. The last time I wrote here about weight loss was almost two years ago. I was working really hard to lose the weight I gained during my pregnancy with Ridley. I have to say that my midwife was right when she said, “When you gain weight eating good food during pregnancy, it does come off easier.”
Here’s a Before & “In Progress” photo comparison…
I’ve lost 45 pounds so far! Woot! 🙂 I still have 25-ish pounds to lose to get to my ideal {pre-pregnancy} weight, but I know I’m on the right track. You’re probably wondering how I’ve lost this weight, right?
Let me tell you – a LOT of hard work. I’m not one of those breastfeeding mommas who magically loses all the baby weight by nursing. It just doesn’t happen. I haven’t taken a magic diet pill or anything like that. Ha!
Here’s what I’ve done to lose this stubborn weight…
1) Track my food
I use My Fitness Pal religiously every day. I have a goal and it tells me how much I need to eat. I’m “myrahope” on My Fitness Pal if you want to be friends and see exactly what I eat. 😉
2) Eat real food
I’m not all into low-fat, zero-fat, fake, processed food stuff. I’m of the opinion that good fat doesn’t make you {or keep you} fat. I did the Whole30 plan for 30 days and I’m still doing it plus a teeny bit of organic cheese here and there. I am so thankful that I did Whole30. I can’t get enough vegetables, fruit, meat and nuts. And my sugar, grain and dairy cravings are gone. I’m not kidding. I don’t even want them.
3) Have a workout partner
This is a really big part of my life. Back in the Fall, I asked my dad if he would start going to the gym with me three times a week. We meet at 5:30 AM for 45 minutes. My sister is now coming along to. I can’t even tell you how much this accountability has helped me. Now I crave going to the gym, but those first few months, I detested it. I would much rather keep my lazy self in bed, but just knowing that Dad was there waiting on me, made me get up.
{I instagrammed a picture of my much-to-big workout pants. HA!}
4) Join a weight loss accountability group
Last Fall, a friend asked if I wanted to join a weight loss accountability Facebook group with her. I was really wanting to work on my body, so I jumped in with both feet. The daily encouragement has been vital to keep me going.
My next goal is to finish losing the remaining baby weight. I would LOVE for it to be gone in the next three months. 😉 I’m really thrilled with how far I’ve come. I am indebted to my God for giving me strength to move it-move it, my husband for his incredible support, my family, my weight loss accountability groupies and my friend Emily who is on the same journey. I couldn’t do this without them.
So, that’s my self-DIY. Good old-fashioned hard work and eating right pays off. 😉
Do you enjoy working out? What is your favorite exercise? I’m looking into some other ideas, so I don’t get bored!
xoxo
Myra
You look great! Good job! You are very inspiring.. I really need to drop some weight before we think about kids 🙂
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Thank you Kelly! Yes, take care of yourself before you get pregnant. It’s totally worth it. 🙂
You look awesome! Great job on your success!
Thank you so much, Angela! 🙂
The best way to get weight off and keep it off – the old fashioned way.
Good for you – you look fab xxx
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Thank you! 🙂
Oh wow!!You look amazing..Ive been battling all my life with my weight..its like a yo yo.But with dedication it can be done..Well done so far.xx
Thank you, Geraldine!
You look fantastic — love your outfit, too!
However, I’m still over here *amazed* that you had on a necklace and earrings *two hours* after giving birth. Um, I look like I’ve been run through a wringer a full 24 hours after giving birth — and probably for *days* afterward. So I just had to comment and say I was thoroughly impressed. 🙂
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Haha! People on my Facebook page have been saying the same thing. I gave birth to Cameron at a birth clinic with midwives. I actually cropped them and my hubby out of that picture. 😉 The a/c had gone out and it was July in the South…hello heat. After giving birth, I got a shower, got dressed and we headed for home. There and back in less than 12 hours. I seriously felt like a million bucks for which I give God all the glory because I was a disaster for a very long time after Ridley’s birth. 🙂
Good for you! Keep it up! I’m on a healthy journey as well. I’m eating healthier (organic when possible), no sodas, lots of water, and lots of exercise. Two years ago I lost 70 pounds. I have gained some back due to eating fast food again. April 1st I renewed my desire to live my BEST life, so I started my healthy lifestyle again. I feel better already! The LoseIt app and my Nike+ FuelBand are my buddies!
You go girl! I love what you said…”to live your BEST life.” YES. I totally agree. It’s worth every sacrificed bite of chocolate and step of exercise. 🙂
Myra — I enjoy your blog very much and now you have helped inspire me to accelerate my efforts to lose weight and feel better, too! I joined My Fitness Pal today – “ifunewsuzy.” Here’s to feeling fabulous and to self-DIY! Thank you.
Thank you so much Susan!
Wow, I am so proud of you., You look great! And I am inspired to keep myself going. I am busy raising kids, so it’s hard for me to find the time to exercise. I find that “fast-walking” with some fun music on my iPod really seems to help me. And recently I was forced to cut some things out of my diet (greases, oils, red meat, dairy, gluten,…) due to some gallbladder problems. I lost 25 pounds really fast just by doing that. It made me realize how much of what we eat IS NOT GOOD FOR US! So even though I just had my gallbladder taken out, I’m not going to add those things back into my diet. Whole foods, raw foods, are best.
Good luck with losing the rest of your weight! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you SO much Jennifer! It is hard to squeeze in time for ourselves as busy moms. It’s why I drag myself out of bed at 5 AM. It’s the ONLY time during the day that it will work for me. You are so right about food. Are you feeling better now from the surgery? xoxo
I am with Crystal- can’t believe how amazing you look in your 2 hour after photo!
And the weight loss is amazing!
I am about to give birth to my fifth child in May and after that I am determined to lose this weight!
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Haha! Thank you! 🙂 You can do it…just baby steps at a time. 🙂
Love this post, Myra!! You are a great encouragement to me!! =)
Thank you so much Tracey! You are such an encouragement to me too. 🙂
Congrats! You look great! Starting back on the “30 Day Shred” exercise plan today. Swim suit season is fast approaching!
**Wanted to tell you what a great relief the peppermint oil and olive oil was on our road trip to Florida! We all used it and it worked great! Thanks!**
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Thank you Karmen! I am THRILLED that the peppermint oil helped! 🙂
Fantastic job. Very inspiring.
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Thanks Sunny!
Congratulations…Im a bit older than you…53…but I love reading your blog. I just started using coconut oil after hearing about it from you….it is so delicious…I have a website 50plusstickingtogether and if you click on to my favorite things I have a link to a great smoothie website I found…also under health news I have a great article on the benefits of coconut oil…thank you for the inspiration….the old can definately learn from the young. keep up the good work:)
Thank you Donna for your sweet comment! 🙂
I have so enjoyed reading your blog for some time now and just wanted to say congratulations on your weight loss achievements. I also want to commend you for sharing your journey and providing such practical and common sense strategies. I suspect you will have inspired so many people who have had a chance to read your blog. You look fabulous and so joyful! ~Thea
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Thank you so much, Thea! Your kind, thoughtful words really encourage me! 🙂
Way to go with your weight loss! I don’t know if there is a Jazzercise center close to you, but it is an amazing workout that does not get boring. I have gone for the last 4 years and absolutely love it. Most of them have free childcare during a morning class. It is a fun hour long workout that works every part of your body. 40-45 minutes of cardio followed by 15-20 minutes of strength training and stretching. At my center it is all women ranginging in age from 20-80. The gym has always been intimidating for me andI don’t push myself like I should. I feel so blessed to have found jazzercise! If you need something new give it a try!
Thanks for the recommendation, Margie! I’m going to look up Jazzercise! 🙂
Love your story! You look amazing and I know you feel so much better. Love Whole30!!! Thanks for sharing.
I too am losing weight and you can read about it here:
http://sykestermom.blogspot.com/2013/04/11-week-update.html
Thank you, Christi! And kudos to you for taking charge of your health! 🙂
You’re fabulous, Myra! I’m soooo proud of you! 🙂
Thank you so much, Mom! 🙂
Way to go! That is awesome! I was a breast feeding momma….whose pounds did NOT magically disappear….the third time around. It took me forever. 🙂 Congrats on all of your hard work and the payoff! I follow you on Instagram…and your food pics are amazing. 🙂 k.
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Thank you Kelli! It’s so good to know that I’m not the only one who doesn’t magically lose those pounds whole Bfing! 🙂
You are so inspiring! I really need to lose weight, about 60lbs, and I hate to say I have been so overwhelmed by it that I haven’t done anything about it for months. I know that I need to. I am going to begin integrating some good changes. Thank you for sharing!
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Aww, thank you Barbie! You can do it…baby steps, girlfriend! 🙂
You look fabulous Myra! I don’t understand the whole30 thing though… what is wrong with eating dairy? Something that is totally natural and something God provides from nature. keep it up, Myra, Hope you reach your goal soon! You might dislike me…. 😉 but with our first son, I gained 14 pounds (and I so did not starve myself). Just kept active and ate a very healthy diet). And I nursed him for 13months and the extra weight just disappeared 🙂 I felt so blessed
Hi Anika! Actually there’s nothing *wrong* with dairy, or grain, or sugar. But, studies have shown that these things can be inflammatory for different people. My sister is allergic to casein and gluten, so she can’t have most dairy or grain.
The concept behind Whole30 is that you remove those items for just 30 days and then add them back in one at a time to see how your body reacts to them. I hope that helps explain it. I love me some raw milk and cheese, so I’m definitely not bashing dairy.
And yay for you only gaining 14 pounds. You are very blessed. 🙂
You look amazing and I’m so proud of you!! It’s been fun being in the group with you. 🙂
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Thank you so much, my friend! 🙂
Congratulations on your loss this far! Having a partner definitely helps! I have found that taking a few classes helps in keeping me motivated and from getting bored. Plus, I’m not very good at creating “weight-training” programs so I like taking moves I learn in class to benefit me! Best of luck on the rest of our journey!
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Thank you so much Corinne! I’ve been thinking about classes to change up my workout. Thanks for the encouragment!
great work!! I swear by my fitness pal. That site got me on the right track after i had my 3rd kid. I got to know what is good to eat and where I want my daily calories to go. (did you know veggies help you feel fuller lol) I had my 4th kid a year ago and used fitness pal for a few months but found I didn’t need it as much as I used to. It was nice to know I had regained some self control and knowledge of what is good and bad to eat for me. I do interval training. I blogged about it here http://bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com/2011/07/fridays-favorite_14.html
Love me some MFP! It’s so good to know what you can eat and be able to stay in control without having to track each bite. I’m going to check out your post. Thank you!
Hi Myra,
You look great! I have read so many of your posts and have never commented (too busy sometimes I guess O.o). Anyway, I wanted to just say how fabulous you look and great job!! Our God is so good. Keep up the excellent work.
I have an accountability/exercise partner, too. We run about 3 days a week and are training for our 2nd half marathon on May 5th. Running has been wonderful. I started about a year and a half ago one baby step at a time. Just today I started cutting out white sugar for the most part (I am staying away from cake, cookies, muffins, ice cream, and candy for about 2-4 weeks). My cravings for those things was getting out of control. I will be using honey and xylitol to sweeten some things and will be eating lots of fruits which I love anyway.
Blessings,
Carol
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Thank you Carol for your sweet comment! 🙂 GOOD for you for running and taking control of your food! I’m sure you feel great!
That’s for sharing your photos and journey with us! I’ve been enjoying seeing all your Whole30 food on instagram, you make healthy eating look beautiful!
And yes, the fact you were dressed… with jewelry (!) 2 hours after giving birth is incredible!
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Thanks Glory! 😉 I gave birth at a birth clinic in the heat of July where the A/C had gone out. Yikes! I was dressed and ready to head for home. LOL
You look fantastic and I am so inspired by your blog:)
Thank you for sharing exactly what it takes to lose the weight the hard way….real food and exercise!!
You are a beautiful woman and I thank you for sharing your love for the Lord!!
You go girl….:)
Deenna
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Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Deenna! P.S. I love your name!
Congratulations! You look great! My baby is nine months old as well. I’ve lost about 4o pounds and still have some more to lose. My favorite exercise is T-Tapp!
–Gena at ichoosejoy.org
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Thanks Gena! Congratulations to you too!! I’ve heard of T-Tapp. I need to look into it. Thanks! 🙂
Here’s a link where I wrote about T-Tapp if you’re interested!~
http://ichoosejoy.org/2012/08/03/t-tapp-update-3/
–Gena
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Congratulations on a great accomplishment. You will enJOY having shed the pounds to chase after your sweet little one. 🙂 Keep up the great work!
Thank you Dawn! You are so right. It’s much easier to run after children without the extra weight. 🙂
That is AMAZING!!! So proud of you! But I have to say… you looked beautiful in BOTH of the first images. 🙂
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Girl! You are too kind…and I miss you so much!
Congratulations! Thanks for this encouraging post! You look great!
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Thank you so much, Lina! 🙂
SO proud of you!
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Thanks sis! 🙂
You look wonderful! Hugs!
Amaazing job! Its no easy task but you are doing a fabulous job!
Friend, you look amazing. I am so incredibly proud of your determination. You are an inspiration! I miss you like crazy and wish I could give you a big squeeze. <3
Yay! I know it’s not easy, you look so great. Thanks for all of your helpful info!
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Myra you are such an inspiration to us all! I went out and bought the book – It all Starts with Food – I’m trying to motivate myself to get started on my first Whole30… but I have a question… I can’t get away from sugar in my tea. Now I have cut WAY back only adding 1 lonely teaspoon but I’m having the hardest time “kicking it out”. Any suggestions? Thanks for everything! – Theresa aka 1LoopyMomma
Great job! You’re an inspiration! I am thinking about doing Whole30, but I am concerned about my husband. He’s not really on the dieting bandwagon, and so I wondering how things worked for you and your fam. I make the meals, and so I feel like I have to make food that’s both healthy and still pleasing to the hubs. Did yours do the whole30 with you? Did he make his own meals for the month?
You look amazing! (And I echo the comments that you looked fab AND accessorized immediately after giving birth!) You are so right to just be eating “real” food, and I love that you’re working out with family. My current favorite workout is using the ballet bar. I go to a place called Pop Physique and it is killer, but using tiny muscles you didn’t even know you had. I have never seen my body “tone up” as fast before. If you want to do something new search “bar method workout” for something in your area. There are DVDs you can get too, but I am one of those people who isn’t good about doing it at home. 🙂
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Wow, this is inspiring! I only have about 15 lbs. to lose and I’m just really having trouble losing it but if you can do 45 lbs. there is no reason I can’t do at least 10! 🙂 Thank you for giving me some motivation…it was just what I needed!
I was also amazed at how refreshed you looked just 2 hrs. after birth. I birth at a birth center too and LOVE it. I’ve gone home within 4 hrs. after every baby BUT I’ve never looked as fresh and beautiful as you did. 🙂
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wondering why you are not doing the 180 again?
Hi Myra can u please add me to your fitness pal I tried no luck finding your name. Asking me for email or Facebook Thanks so much kc my email is above
Hi Myra!
I saw this post on Pinterest, clicked on it and immediately started doing whole30. I’m talking the very next day! I had one last fling with Sushi and wine then went out to shop for meat, fruit, and vegetables. One thing I noticed right away was a HUGE headache. I was in misery and unable accomplish anything that day. I didn’t give up though. I have stuck with it and it’s changing my life. I have NEVER-ever-ever been a morning person. I mean serious laziness in the morning. Always late for church.. etc. My husband is flabbergasted to see me up and showering before him. Something on that “no” list was making me incredibly sluggish and tired! I wonder which evil food it is and I’m scared to reintroduce it. It’s funny how life works. As a child I would often feel like life was pretty terrible if a 10 year old felt like a 90 year old. I didn’t want to do anything sports related and always sat on the sidelines due to fatigue. My body has always felt like a heavy weight even when I was thin. I feel like I’m coming to life, like my senses are sharper, my body is less tired, my mood is better. I’ve lost 10 pounds (I had to weight myself because I’m in a weight loss club)
I can’t even begin to thank you enough for sharing your experience in such a way that made me want to try it!!!!!!! My sister, and my mom are also on whole 30. We all thank you!
I’m crying. You are just too amazing.
Hello , I wanna start doing whole30 , any tips are advice you can send my way
Yes! Here’s a link with info—- https://myblessedlife.net/2013/03/whole30.html You can do it! 🙂
I wanna get heathy and feel good about my self again 🙁
Myra,
I want to start the Whole30 but feel a little overwhelmed by it all. Any tips on getting started?
Thanks,
M
Thanks for the great article Myra Hope! My hardest challenge to maintaining a healthy diet is eating out of boredom and office snacks. It’s especially hard when your office has really good and endless snacks. I’ve been trying to swap out chips for healthier options like fruits and “healthier” options like greek yogurt.
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It’s just an amazing feeling when you finally pull yourself together and start putting your body and thoughts in order. Now there are a lot of ways that can help you with this, and okinawa flat belly tonic https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/okinawa-flat-belly-tonic-reviews-is-okinawa-flat-belly-tonic-recipe-drink-ingredients-effective-any-side-effects/Content?oid=26916217 is one of the best
Congratulations! I’m so happy to see that you’ve made a positive change in your life. It can be hard work, but we all need some time for ourselves, and what better way than by taking care of our bodies? Keep up the good fight – it’s worth it 🙂
I was reflecting on my own journey as well- two years ago when I lost 70 pounds (and kept them off). Now after falling back into old habits due to fast food & desserts again; however thanks mostly for following those tips given over at Peterofuafo blog post, I learnt a lot and yes the scale tells me there s another 10.
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