Three years later, my story is finally told.

It's been a while since I've posted on this blog and I'm not sure anyone reads it any more. However, I have some news to share. My story, has finally been shared with the nation. As many around me know, and have read on this blog, I lost 100lbs three years ago and changed my life forever. Over the years, I motivated my friends and family to do the same, and helped many accomplish their fitness goals.

As with every story, mine faded over time. And with hardships I've encountered in the last year, it's been tough to maintain the same passion I once had. Leading to some over eating and lack of emotional energy to incorporate a fitness routine. 

However, a couple of years ago, I met an amazing woman who in time would become a very dear friend of mine. She works for Kaiser Permanente and has been working on a company wide initiative to share care stories about members who have overcome adversity in health. During one of our daily conversations about our day, I shared my journey with her. Through tears and after 2 hours, she was inspired to share my story.

So, without further ado, here it is:

http://www.kaiserpermanentecarestories.org/with-heredity-pointing-to-heart-disease-jorge-hernadez-changes-his-lifestyle/

Special thanks to all my friends and family who supported me during this time. And Amy for being supportive and helping me rekindle this initiative in my life.

- Jorge

WOW! For the ladies

Sara Rue's First Bikini Ever -- See Her Amazing Weight Loss!

Day 7

Well, it's Sunday night and I can honestly say, I MADE IT.  I know it's ONLY 7 days, but to some, this can mean over 160 hours of sacrifice. For me, these days have been hard but at the same time very rewarding.  Here are some results:

Weight Loss: 6lbs
Clothing: Noticed at least a 1-2" size difference
Energy: Up at least 60%
Body: Feels refreshed and am sleeping better
Mind: Confidence is up, felt better interacting with others this weekend

Workouts:

Yesterday I had a great afternoon Bicep/Tricep session at the Gym and ended it with a brisk 5 mile jog.  My energy was through the roof and I felt very good afterwards.  The only thing I did notice was that I was feeling some soreness in my shoulders which prevented me from going too heavy on the curls.  Therefore, this week I am breaking up my weight training days with rest/cardio.

Today, I completed a great P90X cardio session in the morning and some much needed stretches.  I felt that after a long week of weights and cardio, my body needed some rest so that the muscle fibers heal and my body gets ready for the week ahead.

Food:


As expected, the weekend was a test as there was plenty of good junk food to access as well as alcohol. I'm happy to say I abstained from from both.  Any time I can say no to a Guinness, some deep dish pizza and a snicker-doodle, I know I'm in a good place.  I still loaded my day with protein, vegetables and organic fruits with my only cheat being a chocolate chip cookie and a shot of Patron (day 7 is cheat day).  This week, I'm increasing my good carb intake & veggies as I plan on doing some circuit training and Yoga so I'll need energy to burn.

Overall, things are looking good. I noticed a change already and the rush you get from that pushes you to the next phase.  Week two is on the horizon, let's see what I can accomplish by next Sunday.

Until next time,

J

Day 5

Well, I made it through the week.  I'm feeling great, my workouts are well under way and I'm fitting into some clothing I found hard to fit into two weeks ago.  The biggest challenge is ahead of me. Can I really remain faithful to both my eating habits and my workouts?  Well, I don't have a lot planned other than house projects so that should keep me busy and out of the fast food arena.  However, I do need to plan some work outs so that my metabolism can remain active.

Highlights for this week include:

- 5 Mile continuous treadmill jog
- 3 P90X workouts
- A 400lb Freemotion Machine Squat session
- 20 mile stationary bike ride

This weekend I'm going to focus on some bicep workouts (Saturday) and some outdoor cardio (Sunday) weather permitting.

I will check back in on Sunday night and let you all know how I feel going into the week.  Until then, eat well and work hard!

-J

Day 1 & 2

Things are going well so far.  Everyone knows their body well enough to notice changes and in day 2, I already can see a change in my face which is the first place all my fat goes to!  This is what I've done so far:

Eating Habits


I've gone back to my low Glycemic Index (low sugar, low carb) eating habits so I'm eating lots of veggies, protein and cutting back my sugar to diabetic levels.  A sample of my meals include:

Pre Breakfast - 2oz of organic grape juice
Breakfast - 2 egg whites with vegetables and 3 slices of turkey bacon or turkey slices and 2oz of fruit
Snack 1 - assorted nuts or trail mix
Lunch - simple salad, no dressing w/ 3oz diced grilled chicken
Snack  2 - Turkey Jerkey or Fruit
Dinner - 3 oz lean meat or chicken, salad, steamed jasmine rice or veggies
Late Snack - 1cup of cheerios with skim milk or 2 sugar free popsicles

If you are not used to eating this kind of food, your body might feel off for a day or two, but eating this often keeps your stomach full and you avoid over eating at core meals.

Workouts


As soon as I woke up, I did a 20 minute cardio workout such as what I posted yesterday from youtube.  Here is what I did the rest of the day:

Mid morning: Office pushups and tricep extensions on my chair
Lunch: 30 minute stationary bike
After work: Resistance Band full body
Late night: Dumbbell chest workout

Every day I intend to do a morning cardio session as well as a lunch time cardio session while training different body parts every day with home weights.  I'm also incorporating 3 gym sessions to the week where I'll focus on Circuit Training to get my body moving and my metabolism up.

So far, I feel great. I woke up this morning feeling lighter and was able to sleep better last night.  I know 2 days isn't a lot of time to shout victory, but as I mentioned, everyone knows their own body best.  You will know when things are working and as of today, this is working for me.  One of my biggest challenge was my work from home day today when I usually enjoy a happy hour with wings at the end of the work day.  Today, I was able to push through that and instead incorporate a solid workout and a nice wholesome meal.  Next two challenges will be a day off on Friday and of course, the dreaded weekend (see: Weekend Weakness)

I'll keep you all posted in a few days and let you know how things progress.

Until Then,

J

New daily routine

Starting tomorrow, I will be incorporating this workout every morning before work.  If you notice, it takes about 25-30 minutes and can really lift your metabolism for the day.  I find it's best to do workouts like this on an empty stomach so that your body can start to burn calories early on.  Enjoy!

ATHLEAN-X Black Friday Workout

Forgive me for I have sinned...

I feel like one of those televangelists who gets caught with their pants down at a cheap motel with a one legged lady of the night.  Except my pants are bursting at the seam and my one legged lady is a beer and a hot slice of pizza.  Yes, forgive me, for I have sinned and have fallen off the wagon.

I've realized one thing about myself. I LOVE FOOD. And the fat guy I once was is itching to get out and give me a hard time.  Well, sad to say that he has half way succeeded and I'm starting to get really irritated.  A friend once told me to hold on to the fat clothes I used to fit into, because I might need them one day.  Little did I know that he was right.  Even after I swore that I would NEVER go back and threw away most of them, I still held on to a few pants and shirts that I once wore "just in case".  Well old friend, you were right.  I'm not saying I'm fitting into the size 42's and XL's, but I'm now wearing my in between clothing that I bought during my transition. Long gone are the days of my size 31 pants and Small sized shirts.

How did I get here and how can I stop?

Well, I have to admit...a big part of it has been the suds.  Oh how a nice cold draft can really soothe me after a long day of dealing with idiots at work.  But with that comfort comes hundreds of empty calories that I never used to put into my body.  On top of this, I'm no longer staying away from processed foods, sugars and carbs.  I'm not eating anything compared to before (4 items at Taco Bell and a slurpee) but I'm also not controlling my eating habits or staying away from high calorie foods.  Do I work out? Sure I do. I lift weights just about every day, but what good does weight lifting do when you don't have a cardio regimen to shed off the weight so you can see the results.  When I flex, I see what's underneath.  I can definitely feel the muscles and the density of them, but the beer and sandwiches are clouding their definition.

It's not often someone who has a blog dedicated to weight loss and fitness can sit here and type this, but I've come to terms that I will never be someone who can sit back and stop fighting.  I will forever battle obesity, it's in my genes.  Like a diabetic who once diagnosed always needs his insulin, I as a "fat man" will forever need to deal with weight gain.  Which means that I will need to eat better and workout until the day I die.

Sometimes I talk to people that are 120lbs and tell me "i WISH i could gain weight". Part of me wants to sock them right in the eye, but another part of me realizes that we fight the same battles.  We all want our body to look and feel different than it is.  Whether we are 100lbs or 300lbs, we strive to feel and look our best whether it be for others or for ourselves.  However, the obstacles are always present. Whether it be a metabolism that works too fast and burns all our mass and muscle, or one that works very slow and does not produce any results towards our fitness goals.  But whatever the obstacles are, we must stop making excuses.

My excuses have been everything from "I'll get on it next week", "I have a trip coming up", "It's too cold to go to the gym", "My back hurts", "I worked too hard to not have this beer and cheesy treat".  Well, it's time to go back to the old me and see what I can regain.  So tonight, for you followers out there who have read my blog in the past, I am going to make a pact:

Starting on Monday, December 5th, 2010, I will start back on my healthy eating regimen and constant workouts.  My goal is to lose 40lbs by March 25th, 2010.  That is roughly 10lbs a month and about 2-3lbs a week.  Hey, I've done it before and I can do it again. I will blog my progress as often as I can and will post some pictures and workouts.

I'm sorry that I have failed all of you, but mostly, I'm sorry that I have failed my self and my body.  However, here's to a new start and another journey in weight loss and healthy living!!

Yours,
J

Myths about working out!

GREAT article.


Enjoy!


http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/fitness-fact-or-fiction

Jack3d

Tried a new supplement today called Jack3d by USPLabs.  VERY impressed with this stuff. 1.5 scoops is all I needed and I got great energy and awesome pumps throughout my lifting. This is like a gift that keeps giving because it doesn't wear out midway like N.O. Xplode. Very excited!

Harmful Drinks

Check out this link!  It's ALWAYS good to be informed!!!

Harmful Drinks in America

I'm BACK! (again)

After a few week hiatus, I am back on the saddle with this blog.  I've taken a couple weeks off my P90X routine because I noticed my body and energy was feeling way beat up.  Now I'm feeling great and ready to hit phase 2 with FORCE.

Meanwhile, I've been hearing some great stories from some friends that I'd like to share with you all.

One of my local friends Myra has lost over 45lbs since early this year when she decided to take her life back and start eating better and exercising.  Myra has dedicated herself to changing her eating habits and began to consume organic foods while laying off all processed and junk foods that were poisoning her body for so many years.  On top of that, she has made a valiant effort and incorporating jogging into her busy schedule and has accomplished several workout goals along the way.  Not to mention she has dropped several sizes in clothing and is looking great!  In talking to Myra, you can sense the energy and enthusiasm in her voice.  This life changing experience has really had a positive effect on her and her drive is pushing her to achieve much more in life.  She has very attainable summer goals and I KNOW she will be able to reach them.  Keep up the great work Myra!

Another guy is my friend Greg*.  Greg began a training regimen this year that has helped him shed many unwanted pounds!  He has incorporated a new weight lifting and cardio routine that has pushed his energy and strength to new heights.  Greg has been educating himself with ways to get his body to burn off load of fat calories while building his muscles to new levels.  He has been taking natural and other over the counter supplements to help him surpass his workout goals and most recently accomplished some superb calorie burning goals!  He has a lot of drive and a hard work ethic when it comes to hitting the Gym.  One thing to point out is that Greg is also a student and holds down a job.  And while some of his workouts take him into the late hours (or VERY early hours) he makes sure he can get it in regardless of what he gets in his way.  Greg has VERY big plans ahead of him so get ready to see a new and improved version of him.

Many of my friends are also undergoing life changing transformations.  Some doing P90X, others Insanity, others taking it one step at a time and becoming more active in life.  Whatever your situation is, DONT GIVE UP.  Keep working towards your goal of feeling healthier and better about yourself.

If you have stories to share, please email me and let me know!

~J

* The names have been changed until I can get approval from these individuals to post their real names. :)

P90X Chest & Back Phase 1

P90X Chest & Back Phase 1 is in the books!  Below are my stats for the first three weeks:

Standard Pushups Max

Week 1: 25

Week 2: 45

Week 3: 60

Wide Front Pull-Ups Max

Week 1: 15

Week 2: 20

Week 3: 30

Military Pushups Max

Week 1: 25

Week 2: 30

Week 3: 40

Reverse Grip Chin-Ups Max

Week 1: 15

Week 2: 17

Week 3: 23

Wide Fly Pushups Max

Week 1: 20

Week 2: 25

Week 3: 40

Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups Max

Week 1: 10

Week 2: 14

Week 3: 20

Decline Pushups Max

Week 1: 10

Week 2: 20

Week 3: 25

Heavy Pants Max

Week 1: 8 w/ 40lb Weights

Week 2: 10 w/ 45lb Weights

Week 3: 12 w/ 50lb Weights

Diamond Pushups Max

Week 1: 15

Week 2: 25

Week 3: 35

Lawnmowers Max

Week 1: 10 w/ 40lb weights

Week 2: 10 w/ 50lb weights

Week 3: 8 w/ 60lb weights

Dive-Bomber Pushups Max

Week 1: 10

Week 2: 14

Week 3: 20

Back Flys Max

Week 1: 0

Week 2: 10 w/ 30lb weights

Week 3: 12 w/ 35lb weights

How did YOU do??

P90X Update

Today marks day 15 of 90 of the P90X transformation program. In other words, week three, BRING IT! This week is a pretty crucial week for me because it is the last week of strength workouts for phase 1 so I need to make sure I maximize all my workouts! This week will be one that will show how much progress I’ve made in two weeks and get me conditioned for phase 2.

A few highlights from the last two weeks:

• Noticeable increase in strength and endurance
• Certain muscle groups are getting tighter and growing
• Increased energy
• Better sleep at night

A few drawbacks:

• Lower back pain has returned (Solution: will be seeing a chiropractor this week to get adjusted)
• No noticeable weight loss (Solution: I need to work on my eating habits and tighten them up more to ensure I’m eating more veggies and organic foods)
• Time: I’m working out very late at night so I need to find a way to get myself to wake up at 6am instead!

The drawbacks aren’t deal breakers to me. It just means I need to push myself a little harder and work on tweaking some parts in my overall fitness regimen. I plan on working pretty hard this week and using my recovery week to shed off some of this weight.

Changes for the week:

I’m incorporating a couple of weight lifting sessions at the gym this week in order to really push the blood into the muscles. Recovery week does not offer any weight lifting, so I want to make sure I have enough stored in there so the muscles recover nicely yet still grow. In addition, I’m looking to create a new menu for myself so I’ll be reaching out to some of you cooks and organic gurus for some tips.

Upcoming workout: Chest & Back

Hope everyone has a great week and is successful in anything you are putting your mind to!

-Jorge

P90X Day Three & Four: Arms/Yoga

P90X Day Three & Four: Arms & Shoulders / Yoga X

Arms: On Wednesday, I worked out my arms and shoulders and I LOVED IT. This by far is one of my favorite workouts as my favorite muscle to work is my biceps and triceps. I really noticed a lot of burn in my shoulders as well and since that is a connector muscle, I want to make sure I focus on that area as much as possible during these first three weeks.

The workout was not as tough as the first two, but I did notice that my triceps were still pretty sore from the Chest workouts from Monday. However, I pulled through and made sure I used a lighter dumbbell on my tricep extensions. One thing I will advise (as conceited as this may sound) it's always good to do shoulder and arm workouts in front of a mirror. You get to see the muscle fibers reacting to the exercise which in turn gives you motivation!

Overall, the workout was a success with very little set back.

Yoga: Today was Yoga day. For someone like me who is usually very active and likes to be challenged, Yoga can prove to be a challenge. Not only is it an hour and a half, but it also is a very calm, smooth workout. But don't let it fool you, you will be sweating bullets mid way and everything will be hurting.

Personally, I found some of the balance routines a bit difficult. However, as soon as I grabbed my Power Balance necklace, it made all the workouts much easier. Yoga X will really push you to the limits, but afterwards it feels SO good and your whole body feels relaxed. Another plus was that it really helped me stretch my quads which were still pretty sore from Plyometrics.

Overall, GREAT Yoga workout.

How is your week going?

P90X Day Two: Plyometrics

P90X Day Two: Plyometrics

If someone were to chase my right now to try and take my money, they would win.  WOW what a workout!  Day two of P90X proved to be just as tough as Day one, but this time I murdered my lower body.  However, I must say that the workout itself was easier to get through.  I hadn't worked on my legs in over 2 months, so this is quite a surprise!

I did notice that my stamina is a little low which means I may have to incorporate some cardio during the week so that I can keep my heart rate up and not get fatigued too quickly.  I should be good by next Tuesday during week two.  One thing I will say is that this workout will definitely have your legs hurting, but in a great way.  One look at the guy lead trainer and you will see that this workout is effective.  It combines a detailed leg workout with intense cardio and allows you to work on your foundation from toe to lower back.

Without strong legs, it is impossible to build a good upper body! So never neglect the legs!

I'm looking forward to my evening workout which will be a PowerBlock chest press both decline, incline and straight.  This will allow me to get the soreness out of my chest from yesterdays workouts and give me the flexibility I need for tomorrow Arm workout.

Overall, the program today was a success and I look forward to Day 3!!

How was your second day?

P90X Day One: Chest & Back

P90X Day One – Chest & Back

Equipment used: P90X Disc 1, Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar, PerfectPushups handles, PowerBlock Dumbbells, Chair.

P90X Day One is in the books!  Man I am tired but I feel GREAT!  However, after not working out for two complete weeks, I have to admit that this workout was the hardest I’ve endured in a very long time.  It’s amazing how your body can eat its muscles and fibers when you aren’t feeding it the right way.  I noticed that my strength was not where it was three weeks ago so it made it tougher to start big.  I had to start like a beginner which is not bad because I get to really start from scratch.

Areas I struggled in:  Wide Front Pull-ups, Decline Pushups and Dive bomber pushups.

Wide Front Pull-ups: I felt a twitch in my lats which told me I need to work that muscle out more in order to have more strength on my pull-ups.  Perhaps later I will incorporate some gym time to build up this muscle. 

Decline Pushups:  proved to be harder because of the stress you put on your outer pectoral muscles.  For me, this was possibly due to my chest muscle fibers not being stretched and loose as they used to be when I was doing Bench Presses.  Quick fix will be to do some additional chest workouts and get that body part conditioned again which I’m incorporating into my work out tomorrow. 

Dive bomber Pushups:  Since I was 16, I’ve had a nagging baseball lower back injury that comes and goes.  Over the last month, I noticed that I’ve been very sore on that region and it’s been hurting for a good 3 weeks.  Doing these pushups puts a lot of strain on the lower back so I was only able to do about 10 with good form and 5 on my knees. I am making an appointment with a Chiropractor soon to get adjusted.

Overall, the workout was a great one.  I do have a lot of work to do, but I hope by next Monday, I can surpass some of my initial reps for each exercise and get my body conditioned to kill the next 3 months! 

Notes:

• I was not able to complete Ab Ripper X after the workout (because I was exhausted!) but I will move it to my evening workout so I can complete all the reps with good form and stamina.
• Also, it depends on your style, but I noticed I don’t like to hear this guy talk anymore.  Hearing him count off on his pushups or talk to others can sometimes ruin your rhythm and make you try to catch up with him instead of working on your form.  
• Next workout, I’m going to use the “Cues only, no music no talking” option.

Sore areas: Arms!!

I finished with a 52g protein shake!


How was YOUR first day??

P90X Challenge

It's X TIME!  Spring is here and in full swing which means Summer is around the corner.  Not only is Summer near by, but I'm turning 30 in 5 months.  They say that 30 is the "over the hill" milestone and it is a fact that your body starts to change and "slow down" after that.  With THAT in mind, I'm going to make a valiant effort to get into the best shape of my life by that date.

I will be 30 on August 26th so that gives me a little under 6 months to complete this goal. Whether or not I attain the goal I'm mentally setting for myself remains to be seen, however based on my 30 day experience with P90X last Summer, I'd say it is very realistic.  Which is why starting tomorrow, April 5th, 2010, I am starting once again my P90X program.  This program will push me to the limit every day for the next 90 days and will be a great way to attain my fitness goals.  The following will be my weekly workout regimen for the next 3 weeks (phase 1).  You will see that I've added a 2nd daily workout as a way to push myself a little more and keep all my muscles warm day in and day out:

P90X SCHEDULE (Phase 1)

Monday AM: Chest & Back w/ Ab Ripper X

              PM:  Interval Training

Tuesday AM: Plyometrics
              PM: 30 Min. Chest workout with PowerBlocks

Wednesday AM: Interval Training
                   PM: Arms Workout w/ Ab Ripper X

Thursday AM: Bicep Workout with PowerBlocks
               PM: Yoga X

Friday AM: Interval Training
           PM: Legs & Back w/ Ab Ripper X

Saturday AM: P90X Kempo
               PM: PerfectPushup workout

Sunday AM: Stretch & Rest

As I've said before, these goals are always easier with support so I'm reaching out to all of you to do this with me if you have P90X at home or use whatever workout plans you have!  The objective is to be active throughout this Spring and Summer!  Let's make this the best year of your life and feel great!  Who is with me????

~J

I'm BACK!

After a brief hiatus, I'm back!!  I just got back from a 10 day vacation and must say, I did NOT practice what I preach on here.  But hey, sometimes you have to live a little and take a break from the workouts and routines. 

One thing I do want to share is I was on an 8 day Cruise filled with wonderful food and beverages.  Here is where conditioning really has it's advantages though... while I felt I ate enough to gain 10-15lbs, I only gained 2.5.  I've been back now for 3 days and have already burned off those added 2.5lbs and am back to the pre-cruise weight.  I remember when I was heavier, anytime I would gain vacation weight, it would be 5-10lbs and would continue to get higher as the weeks went by.  Making it almost impossible to lose weight and get in shape.  However, the better shape your body is in, the better you can burn off any added weight because your metabolism is working harder.

What's next for me?

The rest of this week I'm still taking some breaks from heavy lifting, but slowly I will be doing some cardio and getting my body used to working again.  However, I do have some goals that I will share with you all on a different blog post over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, I'd like to hear from all of you.  What are your spring/summer goals?

~J

Interval Training

In a past post, I talked about alternate ways to do a good cardio workout and ways to make burning calories fun.  Well, tonight I tried a high intensity interval training that was able to help me get good cardio in AND build muscle at the same time.  Below is the routine I did.  Try it and let me know how you like it!

• 2min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Push-ups
• 1min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Two-Arm Dumbbell Row
• 1min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Upright Rows
• 1min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Dumbbell Curls
• 1min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Bench Dips
• 1min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates
• 1min. High Intensity Bicycle Crunches
• 2min. Low Intensity Straight Punches with 3-5 lb Dumbbells or weight plates

Don't be a hero with the weights on the high intensity exercises.  Pick a weight that you will be able to continue a high intensity motion with. (I used 25's).

This is a 15 minute total workout but I guarantee you will feel like you just worked out for an hour!  ENJOY!

Feeling Guilty? Don't!

Recently, I set up a poll to see what people had as their motivation for losing weight and getting in shape. The reason I did that was to see what goals people set in mind and what pushed them every day to accomplish their fitness goals. One of the answers I listed was “Looks” which so far has 57% popularity. I’m actually surprised that it did not list 100% because whether we all like to admit or not, a major part in our weight loss goals is due to wanting to look and feel different.

However, during a weight loss transition, at times you can begin to feel guilty for looking different. Sometimes this is due to others feeling threatened by the change, other times we have people around us that look down on people who don’t accept what they look like and sometimes the attention you may get from others who applaud your efforts, may rub people the wrong way. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by people that do not like when others get attention. In turn, they make comments that may misconstrue your efforts to change your life. Because of this, you may feel like you are doing something wrong and this can lead to a major barrier in your weight loss journey.

Here are my thoughts…

I’d be lying to you if I told you that as you start to look different, your “Swagger” isn’t elevated a bit. You start feeling more confident, fitting into new clothing, better looking outfits, your face changes, your muscles start showing (if you are lifting) and with this comes a few more looks from people and attention. This is very normal and you should not be afraid to feel good about it. You’ve worked hard for it! Imagine building a house from the ground up and putting in 20 hour work days for months, maybe years! Should you be ashamed that your house looks beautiful? Not at all! However, you have to keep a balance and not let it go to your head.

I remember during my weight loss journey, I was getting compliments every time I’d go to my Congregation meetings and those kept me going. People kept looking at my progress and it motivated them as well to make changes in their life. However, I never walked into the hall with my head up high and told people how much I lost or fished for compliments. Neither did I go around poking people’s belly and calling them tubby (people did that to me before). I was humbled by the attention, but instead of turning it into an ego boost, I turned it into motivation to keep going and working hard.

Over the months, there were some rumblings here and there and I heard comments of others that started criticizing what I was doing. Some said I was doing it because I was terminally ill, others said I wanted to impress people, others flat out said I was putting my weight loss and workouts in 1st place above family and religion (In reality, because of the energy I was getting, it allowed me to do MORE for God than ever before). Of course this hurt at the time, because in reality, I was only doing this for my health and to feel better, not to impress anyone else. But I never let it get me down. I realized that people will always have an opinion. The same people that criticized me are the ones that at one point had said I was letting myself go. So I guess it was a catch 22 and I realized that I was doing nothing wrong, so why stop?

So, as you continue on your life changing journey, I encourage you not to let anyone get in the way of your goals. Don’t feel guilty that you are taking care of your body and making changes in your life. As long as you keep a humble mind and attitude, do what you need to do in order to reach your goals. Don’t let anyone get in the way of you changing your life and embrace the changes! It’s ok to wear a smaller shirt or some slimmer dresses (women), as long as you keep a balance and remain respectable to yourself and others. Remember that the change does not make you better than anyone else, but rather makes you better for everyone who is trying to follow your footsteps and change their lives as well.


-J