My Weight Loss Journey – Starting over (Postpartum)

I will never forget the first time I went shopping for some work pants a while after giving birth to my daughter. At the time I have been using my maternity clothes, trying to hold off buying new clothes, thinking I will lose the weight (soon in my mind). I realized later on that I needed variety.  This was the first time I felt confused in my body. I still felt like I was in the same body before I got pregnant.

I learned the hard way how untrue that was. It was the first time I didn’t know where to start with in sizes as an adult and the last time I had this type of problem was in my childhood which obviously was not under the same circumstances and could wear any baggy t-shirt to school, not like a corporate job where I had to dress business casual everyday. I had to spend a really long time and a lot of energy to figure out my correct pant size was and this put me in a bout of depression. For a while I did not feel like myself and felt down. As trivial as it sounds, we women care a lot about our appearance.

So in trying to figure it out, I was entering fitting room after fitting room and could never find anything that felt and looked flattering. I also had not wanted to reward myself with new clothes that I felt I would potentially wear temporarily.

Then one summer, I  went on vacation to Virginia Beach with my family and just felt so tired from walking and riding the bike that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I wanted to. It was still enjoyable but I felt like it would have been more enjoyable had I had more energy and stamina. This desire to run in circles with my daughter on top of my clothing dilemma inspired me to start a weight loss journey.

I initially started with the 10,000 steps a day and I was counting mentally and just kept guessing which I’m sure looking back I probably overestimated how much I actually walked. At the time, I didn’t lose anything but then again, at this time I wasn’t watching what I ate.

Then one day a person I respect very much just told me to incorporate calisthenics and I had no idea what that was so I looked it up. All I thought was that looks hard. I couldn’t even do half of one push up at the time. Then what started off as something gradual working out twice per week for 20 minutes became progressive and now I work out at least 4 times a week for 45 minutes to an hour. These were the first YouTube channels that I felt would help me:

Fitness Marshall
Club Fitz
Dance with Jessica
Popsugar Fitness

When it came to my diet, I saw an interview with Dr. Oz on the Breakfast Club which is a radio station I frequently listen to. In the interview I remember Dr. Oz using visuals to inform on the effects of sodium and sugar intake. I managed to remember the picture of what was going on but am unable to remember the date and time.

I didn’t realize how much sugar and sodium can affect our bodies so negatively. There is apparently a recommended daily consumption limit for these things according to the Health.gov website. So I learned to maintain sugar intake between 25-30 grams and not exceed that amount daily. That’s for ONE day, so that means throughout my entire day, what I eat does not exceed my sugar intake. However, I realized how one can EASILY go through that. Like with a can of coke – it’s exceeding the daily limit and having two would’ve doubled that intake. I found that most processed foods contain so many grams of sugar as well. After so much research of sugar intake, I also found that being used to sugar consumption can also lead to Leptin Resistance(Shapiro, A., Mu, W., Roncal, C., Cheng, K.-Y., Johnson, R.J., & Scarpace, P.J. (2008).) in which the brain no longer “hears” the message to stop eating.

I had that problem for so long then with the above knowledge, I took control of my life back and have never felt more energy. People ask me constantly what I have done to lose weight and it’s really the only true and same message we all know but refuse to believe. It’s all blood, sweat, and tears in eating healthy and exercising often. There’s no secret nor magic pill that will take you there. It’s all pure hard work and most people often only see the result and don’t really see anyone do what it took to get there. Weight loss I found requires consistency, discipline, and a “can-do” attitude.

Maybe you had a different experience? If so, leave comments below! Let me know what YOU did to help motivate you, get you started, or what you did to lose/gain the weight you did!
Love,

Martha

References:

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/healthieryou/html/chapter8.html

http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption/#.Wo22z_6ouCo

Shapiro, A., Mu, W., Roncal, C., Cheng, K.-Y., Johnson, R.J., & Scarpace, P.J. (2008). Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding. American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology , 295(5), R1370–1375. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00195.2008

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/theres-just-no-sugarcoating-news

Healthy Living and Protein

So it has been a few months since I have been on this Herbalifestyle (ha ha) and so far I have to say the results have been phenomenal.

What started off as a simple direct mission for weight loss, ended up being a complete detox and rebuild of my life which in turn propelled me into a mission of growth.

Two events that occurred today, inspired me to write this post. First, was the realization that in the past, I used to be a heavy coffee drinker. I used to drink coffee at least 4 times a day. It would literally be very unhealthy amounts of coffee consumed but I always figured, well they help me use the bathroom and give me energy so why not, right?

With being months deep into Herbalife and forgetting my tea today, I tried to drink my first cup of coffee in a long time. I could only take a few sips before I decided to pour it in the sink and toss it out.  I honestly was in disbelief at how much I was able to wean myself from coffee to the point where I don’t even crave coffee at all. I actually had natural energy that I was able to stretch for the whole day. Thanks to my program I drink green tea and aloe at least once or twice a day.

Second, was being able to share resources and information I obtained from my Herbalife program to someone very close to me to provide encouragement and mental support. I did this with someone today by strongly suggesting to listen to TD Jake’s speaking “On Leadership”. I just felt useful to be able to offer something like this to someone for motivation.

I also want to discuss why I’m still on it, even though I have reached my weight goal. I really wanted to wait until I spent a little bit of time on it to really have given it a shot. To start, before I even got on the program, I have not been on any type of structured eating schedule and have not been drinking as much water as I thought I have been. I had already lost some weight post pregnancy on my own. This turned into a way for me to taking a real good look at how my eating habits were. It took a few months to really get into the swing of things but once I understood how it actually works, I took it seriously.

The controversy with protein shakes is that it’s not “food” and that it’s a “diet” shake meant to make you skinny only. I have actually found that Herbalife, although different in its own right, is similar to many supplements out there on the market that assists with weight management which is in essence modifiable based on what your goals are. A person like me who exercises regularly needs more protein to help my results go from “meh” to “wow”. (Georgie Fear, RD). I found that Herbalife was giving me the protein I need for muscle recovery.

Herbalife also has the ability to provide vitamins and minerals for people who are on the go, not eating enough, and for people who’s intention to lose weight. For the most part, unless you’re eating certain foods RAW (and some raw foods contain pesticides and chemicals), you are stripping away the enzymes that most raw foods have that are necessary for your body to function properly and well. (Dr. Mercola).

Overall, the diet or lifestyle change is based on your goals. Mine at first was to lose weight but since I decided I want to be toned, I realize that it’s a different way I need to consume protein and structure my workout plan. Ultimately it still involves protein consumption to support weight training.

When I decided on toning up, I found myself on another side of a spectrum that I never knew existed which ended up in my seeking resources and credible articles to help me understand where I’m trying to go as well as how to get there.

Small backstory. I used to be overweight growing up. I endured bullying and by High School I lost pretty much all the excess weight I had carried with me through most of my childhood. I had literally gone to the gym everyday and never did anything structured. I always just did my own thing and left. I eventually just got really skinny which looked unhealthy considering my height. I, at the time, didn’t know about protein intake post workout, pre-workouts, or even how to eat properly. End.

I am now in a place where I have experienced being inexperienced deciding to become a little bit more familiar with what I should be doing on a daily basis for proper weight management. These are things I have learned within the last few months after getting into my program with Herbalife.

What I have been taught throughout my journey also, is the importance of consistency and self-discipline. These will take you further because when you are disciplined you are showing your commitment to your results.

It is your mind which is the foundation of how far your actions will take your intentions. The more positive and motivational thoughts that you allow enter your mind, the more determined you become. It can potentially train your mind to speak to you in moments you need it. (Dr. Kell)

Maybe Herbalife isn’t for you or maybe it is. Who’s really to say unless you tried it? But I just know that much of my physical and mental aspects have changed since I started.

No, I am not providing you a biased opinion and I was not paid to write this. Trust me when I say I was hesitant at first, wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, and feeling very skeptical. I have also experimented in which I have stopped taking Herbalife to see what would happen and have been completely fine. All of this was just to detail my experience with it and to educate on the actual purpose of protein powder consumption. I’ve linked resources from reputable sources below for more specific information.

Pretty happy with where I’m at today and I’ve still got long to grow. If it seems like something you want to try or get into, let me know! The beauty of it is that it’s not only just for weight management but also for many other health benefits such as digestive, skin, etc.

Free wellness profile & meal plan by clicking:

https://marthadonis.goherbalife.com/Account/Register/Index/en-US?returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmarthadonis.goherbalife.com%2FCatalog%2FHome%2FIndex%2Fen-US

Before starting any new diet or workout regime please consult with your doctor first.

Love,
Martha

References:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/10/cooked-food-diet.aspx

Does Listening to Motivational Speakers Really Make a Difference?

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/protein-powder-guide

Disclaimer:

Consumers who use Herbalife Formula 1 twice per day as part of a healthy lifestyle can generally expect to lose around 0.5 to 1 pound per week. Participants in a 12-week, single-blind, study used Formula 1 twice per day (once as a meal and once as a snack) with a reduced calorie diet and a goal of 30 minutes of exercise per day. Participants followed either a high protein diet or a standard protein diet. Participants in both groups lost about 8.5 pounds.