How I Lost 10 Pounds and Plan to Keep it Off!

At the beginning of quarantine I was on leave from my job and with nothing much to do, I really began to feel the weight I’ve accumulated since graduating college. It finally hit me that I am getting older (lol) and my eating and exercising habits have to change as I do.

In May, I stopped eating meat and became a pescatarian. While talking to a friend, I discovered she wanted to go meatless for the month and we decided to hold one another accountable. We shared similar fitness goals and wanted to stay active during quarantine so towards the end of May we decided to come up with a challenge for June. This time we decided to increase our activity level by walking 10K steps, 5 days a week. We created a schedule and checked in with one another every day, texting proof from our Apple Watch and Fitbit trackers!

At the end of June, I didn’t notice any weight loss (maybe a slimmer waist or maybe the mirror was playing tricks on me?) but I was happy to be moving my body. I’d highly recommend connecting with ONE accountability partner who shares similar fitness goals to yourself.

For July, we decided to do Chloe Ting’s two week shred program and it was a CHALLENGE!! Despite the difficulty, I really enjoyed her videos. At the end of the two weeks, I was so sick of that program but I felt like I could do anything moving forward! For the rest of July we chose various Chloe Ting videos to target different parts of our bodies. We worked out for 5-6 days a week for at least 30 minutes and checked in with one another every day.

And guess what? I still didn’t lose any weight LOL. My endurance increased, my will to stay active increased, but I did not lose any weight. I know this because when I finally bought a scale ahead of August’s challenge, I was the same weight that I’ve been at the start of quarantine. This confirmed that my diet, despite no longer eating meat, was still TRASH!

For August, my accountability partner and I decided to clean up our diets. No more dessert, no alcohol, no more fried food and take out, and no more bread or pasta though other carbs like rice, cereal, potatoes and other grains were okay! We also increased our veggie and water intake. We created a schedule of workouts targeting varying parts of our body, a mix of cardio and weight training, for at least 30 minutes, 5-6 times a week.

I also began tracking what I ate with the MyFitnessPal app. Doing so helped me recognize what types of food I was putting in my body and how much which overall helped my relationship with food and how it affects my body. August is when I began to see weight loss on the scale and in the mirror. I weigh myself once a week on the same day and time so I have the most accurate readings.

At the end of August, we had a “treat yo self” day where we were able to eat any of the things we eliminated at the beginning of the month if we wanted to. We don’t want to deprive ourselves of the fun foods we enjoy but we’re learning portions, moderation, and understanding how our bodies speak to us when we eat. And then it’s right back to our regular scheduled program. 😉

This month’s challenge consisted of running 4 times a week, with strength training once per week for a total of 5 workouts. I never thought I’d be able to run but I am doing it! Having different challenges each month has kept my fitness journey interesting, challenged myself to new things, and allowed me to focus on short term goals that eventually added up to 10 pounds and counting. I’ve never been this consistent or successful in any of my prior weight loss attempts. This is a lifestyle that I am committed to and I hope me sharing my journey will motivate you to get started or keep going! See below for my latest before and after photo and some of my favorite things that’ve helped me along the way. Follow me on Instagram to stay up to date with my challenges! @lania.theresa

FAVORITE FITNESS GURUS ON YOUTUBE

1. Chloe Ting (Very motivational and provides a lot of modified examples)
2. POPSUGAR Fitness (Videos with Anna Renderer leading are my top faves)
3. Nourish Move Love (I am ALWAYS sore for several days after her workouts)
4. Heather Robertson (Tough but worth it)

FAVORITE FOODS (I buy enough food for a week and don’t make the same meals for consecutive weeks, switch it up!)

1. Modern Pop, Fruit Punch (45 cals, high vitamin C, and will hit your sweet tooth with just four ingredients)
2. Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions
3. Breakfast burrito (two eggs, 1/4 cup of cheese, 1 tbsp of onions, 1 carb counter flour tortilla, 1 tbsp of ketchup or cream cheese YUM)
4. Plantain chips
5. Wild Alaska Salmon

FAVORITE HEALTHY FOODIE GURUS

1. Flavcity
2. I need more, let me know of your favorites! lol

FAVORITE GYM ACCESSORIES/WORKOUT GEAR

1. Apple Watch (The BEST purchase I’ve made during quarantine. It’s such a help!)
2. Gym Shark and Adidas are where most of my workout gear is from. Having complete sets helps me look great which makes me feel great and motivates me to get to work.
3. 3lb pair of weights from Marshalls (about $8)
4. 5lb pair of weights and 1 10lb weight from Target
5. Runner belt from Marshalls (about $6-8)