48 Week Progress Post - December 2016

Most people out there are looking for a quick fix, but what they can’t seem to grasp is the fact that it takes hard work, dedication, and discipline to not only obtain, but to maintain a desired physique.  Mana Shigematsu

I wish I could tell you that my weight loss journey was easy and quick, but that is not the case.  It can more accurately be described as “slow and steady.”  

The NLP program is an integral part of my success, but it is not the reason for my success.  I participated in the NLP program for four months with absolutely no weight loss.  I had a lot of positive health gains, but absolutely no weight loss.  My weight loss success is directly due to a trainer named Ryan Teal who said he would help me if I wanted to participate in the 12-week challenge (Jan-April 2016).

From that partnership, I emerged a champion.  I did absolutely everything I was told to do and he was able to put to use everything he had learned with his Exercise Science college degree.   We both gave 100%.  He wanted me to have success way beyond a 12-week challenge and hopefully you can tell by the before and after photos, that is what I am experiencing. 

Still working on those abs!  I think Kickboxing is going to give me some abs!
Check back in 12 weeks!  (Week 1- Jan 18, 2016; Week 48, Dec. 18, 2016)

My downfall in life has been to under eat.  I fought “eating” for a good 8 weeks of the 12-week challenge.  I did not understand that undereating puts your body into a state of defense.  Ryan had my husband get rid of the scales in our house.  To this date, there are no scales in my house.  I would eat properly on Monday and Tuesday, and then weigh myself on Wednesday.  If the scale had not moved, I went right back to under eating.  With no scales in the house for me to measure my progress, I simply “obeyed” and ate the correct amount of calories each day and success followed.

Often times when a contestant tries to win a challenge or a contest, they will grossly cut their calories and/or their carb intake to do so.  I never did this nor do I ever plan to do this.  This is very difficult to “recover” from and a reason why many people gain their weight back.   (Think The Biggest Loser contestants or check out Ultra Lean by Rob Riches)

I continue to work with Ryan.  He helps me with my food, my calorie intake amount, my macros, and my exercise plan.  I have come a long way in one year and I understand these concepts much better than I did a year ago.  But it is a broad field and I am thankful for his help.  

If I were to sum up my success, I would say that I am dedicated, disciplined, and obedient to what I am asked to do. I log my food EVERY day and I use my Fitbit to calculate my calories burned.   I have a lot of support from the many friends I've made.   I am patient; learning to be content with the phrase “slow and steady.”   I have at least one more year of actively working on getting the weight off and possibly two years and then I will embark on the maintenance phase for a lifetime.   So here’s to checking in with you again at the end of 2017 so you can see my continued progress.