If I can get from my above body to my current one, YOU SO FUCKING CAN.

When I was in 5th grade, I was already 130+ pounds. I was (and still am) blessed with curviness, thickness, and heftiness; so if I can do it…you have no excuse.

Full size image: http://i.imgur.com/zMoM2.png

Progress from May 2011 to November 2012.

I learned that progress is not linear. There are many shots where my stomach got “fatter”. But, as long as you are dedicated, persistent, and hard-working, the benefits and satisfaction will always come your way.

I learned to eat happier. I make myself eat dessert almost every night, and have sweets almost every day.

I learned that I was mentally strong enough to better myself than when I first started.

I learned that true happiness is accepting and loving who I am, and what body I was given.

I learned to never give up.

vincentmango:

could not have said it better myself. I just had to screen shot this one

I’m still feeling bloated due to a late meal last night. Other than that, not bad, right? My butt looks firmer and lifted; my back fat crease has gotten smaller; my attitude towards myself has been ever increasing :)

Your weight is just a fucking number.

One year of mindful eating, perseverance, setbacks, love, guilt, happiness, struggle, hard work, optimism, and determination.

DO I HAVE TO GO ON ANOTHER RANT AGAIN? I THINK SO. EVERYONE NEEDS TO FUCKING STOP CIRCULATING THESE TYPES OF POSTS ON THE FITBLR/HEALTHBLR COMMUNITIES. IT IS NOT HEALTHY TO RESTRICT AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BAD ABOUT NOTHING. Eat that cupcake. Enjoy it. Make sure you eat all the sprinkles and frosting, because it’s not going to make you gain weight if you eat one…or even two! Just eat it in moderation! DO I HAVE TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THIS POST I MADE COMPARING MY STOMACH 9 HOURS APART? The more one restricts or feels guilty, the more likely that person will BINGE and lose it all. Life in general is about moderation…IT IS NEVER THIS OR THAT. IT IS BOTH. HAVE YOUR CAKE (literally) AND EAT IT, TOO. CAKES AND “JUNK” ARE MEANT TO BE ENJOYED AND INDULGED IN, NOT FELT BAD ABOUT. THIS IS DESTROYING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ SELF-ESTEEM. EAT IT. BE HAPPY. AND FEEL GREAT ABOUT EATING IT.

Sure, a clean diet is good. But, what is the point of a clean diet if your mind and emotional state are not clean? My version of “clean” is being cleansed of guilt and negativity towards the food I love. I eat 85% wholesome and lean foods, and fit the rest to eat chocolate, pies, and pizza, and STILL am slimming down. ENJOY YOUR CUPCAKE. IN FACT, GO GET ONE RIGHT NOW IF YOU CAN. I AM.

fitsploration:

Left: taken at 1:40am
Right: taken at 10:30am (9 hours later)

I was feeling kinda down last night. I knew, I logically knew, that it would all go away in the morning when I woke up. Here is the proof.

Our bodies are amazing!

Reblogging myself because of all the messages I received about “how [you] lost weight so fast…please tell me!!!!!”

One, the number you see on the scale should never matter. Obviously, the picture above shows that what some people thought was a 2 weeks difference was actually 9 hours. By true weight loss, one aims to reduce body fat percentage and (hopefully) increase muscle mass. Otherwise, if you’re just losing weight to look skinny, you won’t look “toned” like you might want.

Second, I did not “lose” weight like you think I did. I haven’t weighed myself since the end of March, so I’m going to use that known number as an example. In the morning when one wakes up, the number on the scale is a person’s “true weight” more or less (undigested food, haven’t peed, haven’t pooped, and bloating etc can contribute). Let’s take that number to be 154 lbs. Throughout the day, my body gets to the image on the left because I’m living. I’m eating; I’m drinking; I’m walking around; I’m retaining water due to sodium; my muscles are working, whatever. That’s normal; that’s part of life.

I strive to eat 1850 calories, 185 grams of carbs, 170 grams of protein, and 42 grams of fat DAILY. I’m eating what’s right for me, not some magical 1200 number I see floating around my dash TOO MUCH. Additionally, I drink at least 72oz of water a day (ideally 96). I happened to be on my rest day during the picture on the left, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t active— I walked approximately 13,000 steps.

Therefore, by the end of the night at 1:30am, I’ve probably fluctuated 5-7 pounds. It’s normal; it’s healthy; and it’s expected. Food and water after all has mass.

Third, here comes to magical part that is our bodies. Our bodies are constantly digesting the food we eat throughout the day to fuel and supply our bodies with the energy and nutrients we need to survive and thrive. The digestion process takes between 24 and 72 hours: six to eight hours to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Then the food enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion and absorption of water. Elimination of undigested food residue usually begins after 24 hours. Complete elimination from the body may take several days.

That means that during the time between the left and right picture, all the food and water I had throughout the day was being digested and passed from my stomach to my small intestines (hence, the DECREASE of BLOAT and whatnot to get to my “right” picture). What’s amazing is that digestion is a parasympathetic nervous (the parasympathetic system is responsible for stimulation of “rest-and-digest” activities that occur when the body is at rest) system dominant process, and therefore, is most stimulated when one is RELAXED.

What does this mean? It means that during SLEEP, our bodies are more efficient at digestion. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY SLEEP IS IMPORTANT!!! During this time, the 5-7 pounds I gained is reduced back to my original weight (maybe not exactly 154, but close, or even not…who cares?).

In summary, the weight I lost was not any real weight and fat loss. It was just the natural process that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR BODIES (with variation) GOES THROUGH EVERY DAY. The picture above was not to show drastic change or weight loss, but really to emphasize that sleep is important, and that our bodies are amazing and intricate beings that need to be taken care of, because they help us in turn do phenomenal things.

This was something I should have taken the time to write about. I had NO idea whatsoever that my post would get reblogged/liked 100 times. Thank you for all the notes :) Hopefully this (long) response is more helpful than just two images compared side-by-side 9 hours apart.