My Weight Lost Journey: A Date With Myself

img_20160803_181416412

Hey guys… I know, long time no hear from and I know that you all have been waiting for my updates. Well, I have a lot to share with you all and I hope my journey will help you on your journey. So, as you probably can tell from the title, I went on a date with myself. I know a lot of people would say why would you want to go on a date by your self? And my response to that question is-if I can’t be alone with myself how can I except someone else to be with me? Continue reading “My Weight Lost Journey: A Date With Myself”

My Weight Lost Journey: 2 Years and 82 Days

IMG_20160518_220451066[1]

Hey guys, I am back. I know that you all have been waiting to hear from me since my last video posting. And I have been trying to find the time to let you all know how my journey has been going, in spite of big life changing events. So, my 5k run/walk race is 10 days away (how time flies), and I have managed to make time to train for it. Not as often as I would have liked, but I have been getting in some training for the run. So, I know you all are wondering what type of exercises have I been doing to get ready for my run; since that was the topic of my video post. And I think you all will be a little surprised that my workouts don’t just consist of running. Continue reading “My Weight Lost Journey: 2 Years and 82 Days”

My Weight Loss Journey: 675 Days-1 Year and 343 Days

ZUMBA, ZUMBA, ZUMBA…….. If you have been traveling with me on this journey you would know that I next fitness class for the month was Zumba. And yes I took the class and I was very surprised. Okay let me explain what I mean by I was surprised. Continue reading “My Weight Loss Journey: 675 Days-1 Year and 343 Days”

My Weight Loss Journey: 665 Days-1 Year and 333Days

IMG_20160211_210206_111

IMG_20160211_200254_462IMG_20160211_210152_855

Okay guys, welcome to my new home. As I told you all, this year is about stepping out of my comfort zone, and believe me when I say making this change was big step out of my comfort zone, and I have to say that I was able to take that leap because of my weight loss journey. As you can see I have been on this journey for a while now, and I must say that I have been tested, and scared, and push down so many times on this weight loss journey; but I have the strength to continue to get up and continue to move forward. So, before I get into my story I would like to thank you all for your continue support and patience during my transition. Okay, enough of that now time for the nitty gritty-my final hip hop fitness class (what happened?).

My last hip hop fitness class was on Thursday, February 11, 2016, and I and so much fun. I actually learned the moves and I was able to add my own flavor to the moves. The first day I went I just knew that I was going to look a hot mess, and I was right. But I was able to catch on the moves quickly-but I stilled looked a mess. The second class I was less nervous, and the women in the group actually stared to talk to me; so I was becoming a part of the group. By the third class, I felt like a pro and that I belonged in the class. I was so comfortable in the class that I took picture of myself. Not only did I feel comfortable, but I was looking forward to the class on Thursday because that class was like my little get away from the stress of the world. And then the fourth class came I was happy and sad all at the same time. I was happy because I did not quit because of my fears and I was sad because it was the last class. During this class I noticed that I was really confident in myself, and even when I messed up (and I did) I did not feel like I was a hot mess; I stop watched and jumped right back into it.

So, what did I learn from attending the hip hop fitness class (taking a leap and doing something new)? I learned that walking by faith can feel scary, but my God did not give me a spirit of fear, but once you actually take that first step by faith that the fear will go. I also learn that I can do anything that I put my mind to, and that it is okay to be myself.  The first class that I attended I tried to dance just like to instructor of the class, but as I continued to go to the class I began to be myself. And when I was just me I had more fun in the class, then when I was trying to imitate the instructor. I learned that I just have to continue to move forward and not look back. Even though I am a little sad that I am not going to the hip hop fitness class anymore, I am so excited to attend my next fitness class-ZUMBA…..

Weight loss is a journey that is ever changing, and that somethings on this journey I can control but somethings may fall out of my control and that is okay. As long as I continue to move forward I will reach my weight loss goal (life goals). Please continue to travel with me on this up and down journey, as I continue to step out of my comfort zone. Please share your own personal journey. Until next time keep moving forward…….

Please check out Shop JAccessories to buy some cute bracelets. And please visit my booster page to help me bring awareness to obesity and the effects of obesity.

My Weight Loss Journey: Day 177

I want to begin this entry off by saying that all it takes is one step in the right direction to get the momentum needed to continue to move forward, but taking the first step is the hardest part of the journey. One hundred and seventy-seven days ago I took my first step on my weight lost journey and I must say that I was a little skeptical about Weight Watchers because I consider myself a serial dieter (I have always been on a diet), and I thought that this was just another diet plan. But I can honestly say that I was wrong about Weight Watchers. It’s not just another diet plan, it’s a plan for transforming your life one day at a time. I currently weigh 226.8lb and I met my third personal weight lost goal back in July. I am now working on meeting my fourth personal weight lost goal which is to loose 10% of body fat ( down 25 lbs).
So, some may ask me how do you stay motivated to state on the plan, and I would have to say that my family and my God given purpose are the two major motivating factors for me. When I start feeling down I think about my family and God’s purpose and how both need me, and in order for me to be around for a long time I have to be in the best possible health; and this will keep me focus on what I need to do. But those motivating factors are a part of my long term plans. When I need an immediate motivating factor I look to a personal goal that I set for myself, and that will push me to get up at that moment and go work out. That is why I set small personal weight lost goals for myself, because it helps me state focus and once met it allows me to reward myself and gain some gratification for the hard work that I am doing.
In this past Weight Watchers meeting we were given calendars for the month and on the calender there are questions and suggestions  that they want the participants to ask themselves or do. This month I think I will actually post the calendar and answer the questions and try some of the suggestions. I think that by me doing this it will help me go deeper into the way I gained weight. Please share your own personal journeys or give advise. Until next time…..

Reward for meeting my 3rd personal weight lost goal…




My Weight Loss Journey: Day 150

Hey all, I am back and I have good news that I would like to share with you all-I did it. I accomplished my 3rd personal goal and I am working on my 4th personal weight loss goal. I currently weigh 227lbs, which means that I have lost a total of 24lbs in 17 weeks of attending Weight Watchers. I am also very close to being back at my pre-baby weight, and I am so excited because I did not think that I would get back to my pre-baby weight before I started on this journey. My 4th weight loss is to lose 10% of my body weight (25lbs), so I have really been working hard this week to make sure I meet my 4th goal. So many people at my job have been telling me that my hard work is paying off and that I look good; but all I see when I look in the mirror is a body that can look better, a body that can be better, a body that needs more work. 
When I decided to join Weight Watchers and start my own personal journey (instead of watching others go on extraordinary journeys), I really did not believe that it would work because I had done every fad diet that came out. And I know what you guys are thinking, you are a doctor and you should know that there is no quick fix to anything, and I do. But I am still human and I wanted the easy way out, the quick way out; when in reality it took years for me to put the weight on so it is going to take time and hard work to get it off. What society does not realize or understand about gaining weight is that it is so not about the food, well not all about the food. The foods that I chose to eat in the past (sometimes in the present too) was comfort for me; when things got too hard, when I was not accepted by someone, or when I was not viewed as the best I would turn to food. And the reason that I did that was because food never let me down, so to speak. The food will fill you up and it taste sooooooo good (well the kind of food that I would eat). But after I ate the food I would feel bad because I knew that I should not be eating it and the cycle would start all over again. So, gaining weight is mostly mental and if you are not mentally tough life will take you down. I can honestly say that in some areas of my life I am not mentally tough, and for me to acknowledge that is an accomplishment all in it’s self. I fall short in so many areas of my life but I put this wall up to the world and I act like I am so tough and together, when in reality I feel like a fake. But what I am learning from this process is that you don’t give up, no matter how many times to fall short, you get up and continue to take 1 step at a time. The key to it is not to beat your self up for falling down, but just acknowledge that you have fallen, get back up and continue to move forward on the right path (the right path is the path that you will succeed on-you not the Joneses).
As you can see I am learning alot on this journey; what is even more important is that I am realizing that I must accept my faults (all of them) and continue to move forward no matter what. The bible tells me that I can do all things through God that strengthen me; it tells me that God will give me the strength to do all things. What it doesn’t say is that I have to use my own strength, and that is what I have been trying to do for my entire life (but I call myself a Christian). See, falling short; but I do believe God’s word but I must believe it with everything because that is what God means when he says to transform your mind. God has been here with me every step and in every situation, and I know that He will continue to be here, but He still wants me to be apart because He wants to use me to do amazing things in this world. God wants me to be a doer of His word and while on this journey I can truly say that I am learning how to be a doer of God’s word one step, one situation, and one pray at a time.
Well, I just shared another personal part of my journey and I still have so many more layers to shed. Please share your journey or encouragement, because you never know who you will inspire to do and be great. Until next time……..   

My Weight Loss Journey: Day 114

I did not reach my third personal weight loss goal as I hoped I would, I missed it by 1 lb. So, as you can imagine I was disappointed with myself because I felt that I worked really hard last week. Yesterday’s Weight Watchers Meeting was all about encountering set backs on your weight loss journey and what you should do when it happens (because it will happen). Well, last week I encountered a set back which was caused by mother nature-my cycle.  The question that you may ask is how could you overcome mother nature, even if it was a set back? And I would say that is a very good question, and the answer would be you don’t. You don’t try to overcome mother nature you embrace it. Because when you try to cut something out of your diet that will make you want it more, and the minute you get it you will over indulge and then the weight will come back. The advise that was given to us in the meeting was to make sure that you have healthy treats on hand, drink plenty of water, and if you want to indulge in some not so healthy treats just make sure that you account for it, but don’t feel bad about eating not so healthy treats just keep moving forward.
We were also asked to write down a motivational saying that will keep us on track when we fall down, and I chose winners never quit and quitters never win, so if I want to win I can’t quit even if I fall down. This week I plan to workout on my workout days, count my points, and stick to the plan. I can’t get discourage or dwell on what I did or did not do. I must continue to take 1 step and that step will turn into my weight loss goals met. So, I encourage you all to find some words of encouragement that will keep you encouraged when you fall. We all have to learn how to encourage ourselves when we go through hard times. I have lost a total of 19 lbs, and by this Saturday I will met my 3rd personal weight loss goal and I will be able to get my leather purse. Please share your story or share words of encouragement, until next time….

My Weight Loss Journey: Day 107

I have passed the 100 day mark on my weight loss journey, and I must say that the small changes that I have made in order to loose weight have now become a habit, and they are good habits. Since I have been on Weight Watchers I have become a little more aware of what I put in my mouth on an every day basis; which is really what I needed. I am so happy that I made the decision to join Weight Watchers, because I have learned, as well as seen, that I can enjoy all the foods I like to eat and still be at a healthy weight. I have also learned losing weight, or shall  say, working toward becoming healthy is really a mind set. And the reason that I say that is because there have been many days that I just did not want to workout or watch what I eat, but I can now hear the positive voice telling me do the work out you will feel better, or don’t eat that piece of cake chose the fruit instead because you will feel better, and I always feel better. I also have learned that when you try to deprive yourself of something that makes you want it more, which would cause you to over indulge. The one thing that Weight Watchers tells you is to eat things that you like and don’t feel bad if you eat something that is not on your plan (just pick your self up and move forward). And there have been many days that I have over indulged on a certain food (sweets), I felt bad for a minute but I got over it and continued to move forward. In the past I would have dwell on the fact that I over indulged and I would not have gotten back up from the mistake. But now I realized that it’s okay to make a mistake, because making a mistake does not mean that I am a bad person it just means that I am still a work in progress.
So far I have lost 18 lbs, and I am 2 lbs away from my 3rd personal goal (20 lbs). I don’t really see the weight loss but other people do, and I must say that I really like the positive attention. But that is not what keeps me motivated to continue because that type of attention comes and goes; what keeps me motivated to continue to move forward is my family-my husband and son. I know that they need me so it is up to me to make sure that I am around for a long time.   
If you are thinking about losing weight but you don’t now how, my suggestion to you is to just do it; just get up and start moving and everything else will fall in place. Please share your own story. Until next time……

My Weight Loss Journy: Day 62

Last week I was given the task by Weight Watchers to reflect on my week. I was asked to go look at what I was eating during the week and reflect on how I felt when I followed the plan or when I fell short, and I what learned this week is that sleep is soooo important for weight loss. This pass week I really had to push myself to workout on the days that I was scheduled to workout, and it showed on the scale because I only lost .02lbs (which is not even a full pound). I also found myself not eating regularly because all I wanted to do was sleep. Even though I was not eating regularly I still made healthy choices, and I still made sure that I ate up all of my allotted points for the day. Many may ask why is sleep so important for weight loss, and the reason that it’s important is because our bodies need time to refresh, and sleep is the time the body refreshes. So, when we push ourselves and don’t get enough time to refresh our bodies slows down; which means that our metabolism slows down, and fat is stored. Think about it, when you are tried you can’t function properly, your mind is not functioning properly, your energy levels are low, you just feel bad. So, if you are trying to lose weight but not getting enough sleep the process will be very frustrating because the pounds will come off very slowly. Even though I did manage to workout last week (which I am very proud of myself for doing), my workouts weren’t as challenging as they should have been so the weight did not come off. Like I stated before, this is a journey, it’s a process, and in order for the weight to come off and stay off I must learn from this process. And I must say that this time around I am being very honest with myself, and I am learning from the mistakes I am making, and I do believe that this will be the difference in my overall outcome. The last time when I attempted to lose weight I did it to gain attention from men, I wanted to be seen; but it was not a personal journey so I did not learn anything. This time I am doing it solely for me and my family, I really want to be healthy so that I will prosper and fulfill my God given purpose. I am not looking for attention from anyone, because I now know that that is not important, that is not want I was made for. So, because my mind set is so different this time, I am open to learn from the journey and gain wisdom that will allow me to make better choices and remain at a healthy weight.
Currently, I have lost 12.82 lbs (which means that I have lost 5% of my body weight) and I now weigh 238.6lbs. I met my 2nd personal weight lost goal on May 10, 2014 and I was so excited. The only thing that I really wanted at that time was a pedicure, so I got one and I felt alive and beautiful. I am now thinking about what my next personal goal will be and once I figure it out I will let you all know. But I am so motivated to continue on my journey because my purpose depends on it.
I am excited that I get to share my journey with you all, but I also want to hear from you guys. Please share your journeys because you never know who you will inspire.Until next……

My Weight Loss Journey: Day 49

While on this weight loss journey I am learning so much about myself and my eating triggers. I have learned thus far that my life stressors have really hindered my weight loss. Let me explain what I mean by that last statement. On days that I am to workout either I am so tried from working all day or my home life is not at peace that all I want to do is sleep and eat. And a while back I would have done just that, went to sleep and ate. Weight Watchers has taught me how to manage what I eat and how much I eat, and I am very happy about that; because the way that I am eating now is becoming a habit. Since I have been on this journey I am able to recongize the stress triggers better, but now I must figure out how to push through and not let those issues punch holes in my life. I really like the fact that I am actually losing weight, and I am doing it the right way. I still get to eat what I want to eat and enjoy the foods that I like. My problem now is handling the stresses of life. And because I am going to contiune on this journey until I reach my overall weight loss goal, I know that I will figure it out.
But on a happier note, I am now down 10lbs. When I look in the mirror at myself I really can’t tell, but numbers don’t lie. So, I am very happy about that accomplishment because that means that I have 2 more pounds to lose to reach 5% body weight lost. Because I am learning to set small goals for myself, instead of just focusing on the big picture, I can say that I am encouraged to continue because I am seeing results no matter how much stress I may be under. What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger, and this time around I will be mentally strengthen. I know that God wants me to prosper and be in good health even as my soul prospers. This tells me that as I go through this journey this time I will prosper both spiritually and naturally. And I am so looking forward to the prosperity that is coming my way, that God promised me in His word.
Let me know what you think and I also want to hear some of your stories. Please stay tune because there is more to come.