Transformation Profile – Jenica(mom of 2) – lbs lost = 102

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Starting Weight – 295lbs (size 22/24)

Current Weight – 193lbs  (size 12/14)

 Weight is something that I’ve struggled with my whole life, something my whole family has struggled with.  There’s a family history of it all: diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, high blood pressure… you name it, it’s there.  I could go on and on recounting the hows and whys of the up and down  (mostly up) journey of my poundage… and I’m sure that will get posted eventually, but for now I wanted to share why I had a serious mindset change about a 22 months ago.

I was playing around with my daughter (then almost 2 yrs) while my newborn son took a nap.  I decided to pretend like I was sleeping.  She came up to me, and began to try to wake me up.  I continued to pretend to be asleep.  She again tried to wake me, and when I didn’t respond, she began to cry.  That moment changed everything.  I am a stay-at-home mom and all I could think was, “What if something really happened to me while I was home alone with them?  This is how she would react.  This is how scared she would be.”  Losing the weight was  no longer about fulfilling some impossible image ideal forcefed (no pun intended) to women via the media.  It wasn’t about fitting into a certain size or trying to please anyone.  It was about her.  It was about my son.  It was about giving them the best mom I could be.  I didn’t want to be the mom that isn’t being an active part of their lives because I couldn’t be active.  So that day, I decided to lose it.

I still remember having a converstation with my husband about how impossible the journey seemed.  105lbs to lose.  How in the heck was I supposed to do it?  Where in the world was I supposed to start?  There was no way for me to get to a gym… how was I going to make it work???  I even remember posting on my Facebook page a request for inspirational quotes.  I think I actually asked something like “anyone has any good quotes for encouragement to overcome something that seems impossible.”  It wasn’t until I finally gave myself the permission for this process to take a while (I gave myself 2 years to get to goal) that it seemed manageable.  105bs in 2 years was doable….

 What I eat:  To start my journey (I was breastfeeding a newborn then), I cut some carbs and had whole grain only at breakfast (usually with an omelet).  No carbs after 2pm, and no eating after 7pm.  I ate as many veggies as possible and aimed for lean protein.  Simply being mindful of what I was eating truly helped.  Now, we have gone Paleo and I am feeling amazing eating this way.
Because I am caring for 2 little ones, going to the gym is impossible, so my workouts are usually strolling them around in the stroller (I try to get at least 3-4 miles in if they’ll let me) or doing 20-30 minutes of HIIT literally in my kitchen while my littlest one naps.  Pinterest and YouTube have some GREAT HIIT workouts!!!
I believe wholeheartedly that anyone can do this.  85% is what you put into your mouth, so you’d be amazed at what you can do when you simply watch what you eat!
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