When I first started my workout journey I thought the best way to loose my fat was to run. Now I have never been much of a runner so I was not fond of this idea but I wanted to do whatever it took, so I decided that I would start training for a 5k. Occasionally I'd go into the gym and lift weights but very little reps and not much weight. After running 4 days a week for about 2 months I was able to run a full 5k without stopping. However, I felt like this wasn't enough. So I started pushing myself to run a full 5k without stopping, then continue jogging/walking for 4-5 more miles. That would make a total of around 8 miles 4 days of the week!! That's around 32 miles a week! I don't know how i survived that! To top it off, I thought I had to limit my calorie intake to loose weight, so I was trying to keep it under 1500 calories a day. Luckily, I finally figured out that I was going at the situation completely wrong. After hours of research and talking to as many people as I could I finally figured out that if you are just continuously running, eventually you're muscles are going to start breaking down and although you're burning fat you are actually shrinking your muscles! That's not the kind of body I want. I want to look tone and fit with nice sculpted muscles. In order to get those results I had to start lifting weights. When you are doing resistance exercises you are building your metabolism which will burn your fat. At the same time you are sculpting and toning your muscles. Of course like most women I was scared to lift weights because I didn't want to get bulky. But after hours of research I learned that it is very difficult for a women to become bulky. She would have to be on a very strict diet, take in large amount of protein, and large amounts of creatine. She would have to work extremely hard to turn her body into a big bulky mass of muscle (like a man).
So I figured I would give weight lifting a try because jogging wasn't giving me the results that I wanted. This is no joke....I have never seen my body get so toned so fast before in my life. Going to the gym 4-5 days a week and maintaining a good diet I started seeing results very quickly. This was shocking to me, but I loved it. I wanted to keep pushing myself to see just how far I could go. I became addicted. I am honestly in the best shape I have ever been in in my life. Even while playing 3 sports in high school I never looked this good. And I am still not where I want to be yet.
Now by a good diet I mean I switched to all whole wheat (bread, pasta, bagels) I stopped snacking on chips and candy. I cut soda completely out of my diet (now when I drink it I get a headache). I started eating more fruits and vegetables. And most importantly....I started eating every 2-3 hours. This was the biggest factor for me. It sounds weird but the more I ate, the skinnier I got. And I'm not talking about huge portions, but moderate portions very often. I don't count my calories anymore. I have learned that in order to maintain energy and push through my tough workouts I need to give my body the proper fuel and nutrition that it needs to get through. Kind of like your car needs gas to run. So does your body. You have to eat! And drink a lot of water. Water is really good for you. It keeps you hydrated and cleans your system of toxins.
Currently I lift weights 4 days a week and do cardio one day a week, and have two rest days. I didn't actually start this routine until around August 10, 2012 and that's when I started seeing results of my body getting toned really quickly. However in July I was lifting weights 2 days a week and going hiking/jogging a lot 3 days a week.
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| April 16, 2012 Don't mind the guy in the background. I know this isn't the best picture but it gives you an idea of what my arms looked like when I was only jogging and very rarely lifting weights |
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August 2, 2012. 160lbs
I don't usually like to go by how much I weigh, because I feel like the best indicator of weight loss is how you look, feel, and how your clothes fit. At the beginning of my workout journey I started at 175lbs. In this picture taken 6 months after I had lost 15lbs and that is the current weight I am at now and I am fine with it. I am very satisfied with my body and the way I look so I rarely step on the scale |
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| August 20, 2012 Starting to see some definition in my triceps |
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| August 20, 2012 Starting to see some definition in my biceps |
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| August 21, 2012 Really starting to like the way my legs look |
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