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It
wasn't until I was 29 and weighed 290 lbs that I decided enough was
enough. At size 26 wide, my activities were limited either because I
couldn't do it or had no energy to.
My
Reasons
My breaking
point was when I was clothes shopping after I had my son and the only
things they had in my size were pretty much wearable tents.
Not
the young cute clothes I had hoped for. I broke down in the middle of
the store and cried uncontrollably.
My
husband, bless his heart, tried to be soothing by reminding me I just
had a baby. But I decided right then and there it was time for a change
and the only one that could do it was me.
I
started my dieting by
cutting out carbs.
I wasn't really following a diet plan. I had heard of the
Atkins diet
but I also saw that the people on it usually gained back much of their
weight plus some shortly after they went on it. I just cut mine in half.
In two
months I had dropped 30 lbs. That fueled my determination even more. I
continued with the diet by also cutting a lot of my fat intake, until I
had reached 198 lbs. Here I came to my first plateau and had to step
things up a bit. So I added exercise.
What's
A Plateau?
A level of attainment or achievement in weight loss or bodybuilding
where one gets "stuck in a rut", barring further progress or noticable
results. As obvious as it may seem, if you continue to do the same
thing, you will continue to get the same results. Click here for tips on
breaking through
plateaus.
I
started out with doing aerobics tapes and eventually worked my way up to
jogging 2 miles a day. I felt great but I had slowed down in losing my
weight. At the time I didn't realize the concept behind muscle being
heavier than fat and I wasn't taping myself so I didn't realize I was
still losing inches.
I
didn't know what to do and was getting frustrated. My husband suggested
that I join the gym that had just opened up in town. I had always balked
at joining a gym. I had this impression that everyone who goes to the
gym is in perfect shape and I didn't want to stand out.
The
day I walked into
New World Fitness
changed my life forever. The owner, Jack O'Baker, was so nice and very
helpful. He made me feel comfortable at once and we started his
assessment of me. We figured out my body fat, explained about muscle vs.
fat, talked about my diet and asked me what my goal was.
At the
time I wanted to lose more weight and tone. At the end of our interview
I was ready to go. He had explained things to me that I hadn't known
about, such as how much to eat, how often and the good calories vs. bad
calories. He set me up with a 4-day routine to tone my body and 20-30
minutes of
cardio
after the workouts.
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My
Results
Just
going to the gym was exhilarating, and I was getting to where I would go
5 or 6 days a week instead of just 4. Then I started watching the
bodybuilders and powerlifters and was intrigued by how they were molding
their bodies to what they wanted.
By the
end of my first 6 weeks I wanted more. So when it came time to evaluate
my progress, I told Jack I was interested in body building. We changed
my workouts and my diet. To date I have lost 125 lbs and over 65 inches
total in three years. My next goal is to be ready for an amateur
bodybuilding contest by next year.
My
suggestion to others is not to give up and don't set your goals so high
you can't reach them. I always kept my goals low and easy to reach so
when I reached them, I was more motivated to reach the next one.
Keep a
diary of
what you eat and the calories you intake. This will help you see where
your weak points are or when they are. (Mine was late night snacking.)
But don't beat yourself up for indulging just jump back into your diet
the next day.
I
always treated myself one day a week. The best
motivator I
think is to have someone take picture of you when you first start your
diet then every two months after. Sometimes you really don't see the
changes in yourself until you start comparing your pictures.
Whenever I was getting discouraged I would look at the pictures and it
would always help keep me motivated. The most important thing is not to
give up. I think the hardest part of losing the weight was changing my
lifestyle and eating habits. It wasn't easy at all and there are no
magic pills but it is worth every sacrificed piece of cake.
My
Diet
|
My Diet |
|
Meal 1 |
Meal 2 |
Meal 3 |
|
1 c oatmeal
4 hard boiled egg whites |
Chicken breast
Carrots
1 c brown rice |
1 c oatmeal
Protein shake |
|
Meal 4 |
Meal 5 |
Meal 6 |
|
Protein shake
with a banana |
2 pieces of fish
1 c asparagus
1 c brown rice |
1 c nonfat yogurt
mixed with 1 scoop of
protein powder |
|
I
alternate my protein between chicken, fish, turkey tenderloin, and pork
tenderloin and I drink at least a gallon of water a day. The asparagus
works as a natural diuretic so I don't retain as much water and I limit
my carbs after 6:00 p.m.
The Skinny On MaryAnn!
My
Training
 
 Click
Image To Enlarge.
Flutter Kicks.
I do
all exercises at low weight, 3 sets of 15 reps, for three weeks then
high weight, 3 sets, reps until failure, for two weeks.
My
Supplements
Thank
you for letting me share my story. I hope it can inspire someone to
reach their goals!
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