My Road to Fitness
When I stepped into college 4 years ago, I started having an unhealthy lifestyle. Studying in school surrounded by many fast food chains and street food, my friends and I just can't help but eat, eat and eat. I remember eating these during my first two years in college and trying out other food that are intense in carbs and calories:
- 1ST YEAR COLLEGE - Instant cup noodles, chips, pizza, KFC's Zinger
- 2ND YEAR COLLEGE - Jollibee spaghetti, Starbucks Frappe, Wendy's Baconator
Being unconscious with my food intake, I did not know that I was gaining a lot of weight. My pants don't fit anymore, shirts are starting to get tighter, my sleeves started getting fit around my arms, etc. I had to wear dresses and skirts to cover up my body fats. People (most especially those whom I have not seen often) started noticing that I was gaining weight and my parents started warning me about the possible consequences of living such an unhealthy lifestyle. I started feeling bad about it, and I realized that I was abusing my myself - I lost my self-esteem and self security.
During the 2nd half of my 3rd year in college, I started losing weight (not because I was working out or having a healthy diet). I was busy doing a theatre production and rehearsals were really tiring - that's when I started losing weight. But then, I knew that rehearsals won't last long and I needed to step-up my game and be more active.....
WORKING OUT AT LEAST 3X A WEEK - I"m a lazy-ass, believe me. I don't go to the gym because it's too costly and far away. At first, it was really hard because my body was not ready and used to high rep workouts and being asthmatic, I had a hard time doing cardio workout. I started downloading videos from YouTube and these are by far, my favorite routines:
A tip to beginners like me: Don't force yourself to finish the routine in one go. Take a break if you need to, and don't strain your body too much. Start small, and when you get used to it, you can finish one routine faster.
DETOX & WATER INTAKE- Everyday I make sure that I drink more than 8 glasses of water and I drink at least 2 glasses of lemon-ginger water. It helped a lot in my weight loss because of a faster metabolism and I stopped overeating. (Yes, I overeat sometimes mostly when the monthly visitor arrives.)
EATING THE RIGHT FOOD - By right, I mean eating healthy food. As much as possible I keep myself from buying junk food - I was successful 2 semesters ago because I spent my money on salad and fruit cups, and last semester, I started buying fresh brewed tea instead of coffee from Starbucks. It changed my appetite, and there are times when I crave for vegetables and fruits. It made me less prone to sickness, even during sleepless and stressful nights. Cheat days are allowed for me, seriously my cheat days can go on for days but I make an effort to burn them during the weekend. It won't hurt if you reward yourself from every now and then, just make sure that you know how to control your eating habits!!
EATING THE RIGHT FOOD - By right, I mean eating healthy food. As much as possible I keep myself from buying junk food - I was successful 2 semesters ago because I spent my money on salad and fruit cups, and last semester, I started buying fresh brewed tea instead of coffee from Starbucks. It changed my appetite, and there are times when I crave for vegetables and fruits. It made me less prone to sickness, even during sleepless and stressful nights. Cheat days are allowed for me, seriously my cheat days can go on for days but I make an effort to burn them during the weekend. It won't hurt if you reward yourself from every now and then, just make sure that you know how to control your eating habits!!
These are photos of me before and after. The 1st photo was taken during the early part of 2013 and 2nd photo taken about a month ago. Aside from the weight loss and physical transformation that I've gone through, I also felt better inside and felt more confident with myself.
When I was in 1st year, started to eat 2-3 extra rice. After a year, I noticed how hard it is for me to move around and my clothes doesn't fit me anymore. That's the reason why I became obsessed with losing weight. Hehe. :)
ReplyDeleteLive Blog Hazel by Hazel Asoy
We went through the same thing, it's really hard to lose weight but if you're determined you'll get there. :)
DeleteCongratulations on your weight loss! I still have a long way to my target weight, but I do hope that I'll get there as well. :) You're now my inspiration! :)
ReplyDeleteJhanz | www.jhanzey.net
Thank Jhanz! It takes hardwork, if you really want to get there, then you will! Patience and control. :)
DeleteHi, Sam! Your post is really inspiring and motivating. I've been trying to shed off the pounds I gained when I started college but never found the motivation to do so, but after reading your post, I thought I'd start putting in more effort than the usual in my work out and eating habits. :)
DeleteThanks, Patricia! I'm glad that I am able to inspire people in the simplest way possible. :) It's hard to put working out into schedule most especially during busy days like school/work, but I found some 5-10minute routines in Pinterest to jump start the day! :)
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