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| Activewear (top and leggings) courtesy of SM Woman |
Earlier this year, the outside world thought I was leading a happy life with my husband & adorable kids. But behind closed doors, I was overweight, tired, unhappy, and battling a recent diagnosis of Celiac Disease.
Simply put, it's a serious genetic autoimmune disorder in which eating foods that contain gluten (protein found in wheat, rye and barley) causes damage to the small intestine. People who have Celiac disease cannot absorb nutrients from their food and this can lead to serious health complications such as osteoporosis, infertility, thyroid disease and even cancer. There's no cure for Celiac disease but for most people, following a strict gluten-free can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing.
Last March, I was having migraines, acne, rashes, fatigue, brain fog, bloating, anemia, joint pain and gastrointestinal problems all at the same time. ALL of which have coincidentally started around the time I began taking barley supplements. I didn't fit into any of my clothes, and I wasn't fully present in leading my life.
In a moment of despair, I reached out to a dear friend & with her support, I decided to make a difficult but necessary change. I decided to learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle through a focus on clean eating & moderate exercise. At first, I had to press "pause" often, but I kept pressing play every day. I cut out gluten, Coke & cream/sugar with a splash of coffee, pizza (my heart died a little inside though) and focused on fueling my body with healthy foods to help it thrive.
Three months later, I am down 30 lbs. While the physical changes are exciting, the real excitement has been on the inside as I have become a better wife and mom to my kids.
Do I still enjoy ice cream & cheesecake sometimes?! Of course! Do I still struggle with making time for my workouts? Of course!
But I focus on the amazing things: the strength I feel from being able to finally do push-ups, the fact that I was able to eliminate ALL those junk food, the fact that I have more energy every day, and the fact that I just feel awesome all around.
Sometimes all you need is thirty seconds of insane courage to actually start doing something, not for anyone else but yourself. And I promise you, you won't regret it because I'm sure that in the end, something great will come out of it.
You just need to stop questioning yourself. Switch off your self-doubt by simply doing it, one baby step at a time. You, of course, don't have to agree with me (I welcome it!), but let me quickly lay out seven ways to lose weight the healthy way. Scroll down and read how.
1. Listen to your gut and find a diet that works for you. Eliminate the problem foods that may be causing negative symptoms. It's definitely a learning curve, but over time you'll learn what works and what doesn't.
As for me, it wasn't easy at the beginning. Going gluten free can be daunting but it is possible. I also tried Keto diet combined with Intermittent Fasting (12-17 hours fasting) plus Fasted Cardio, and trust me, it's very effective! I've been on elimination diet for a while now, and I constantly try to pinpoint what's upsetting my stomachs and causing breakouts.
Diet exclusions: most cereals, grains, pasta, processed carbs, beer and anything with flour like pizza, bread, cake
Diet inclusions: rice, meat, fish, veggies, gluten free types of bread, cake, pasta Btw, I still eat my favorite sisig, lechon and steak so I never felt deprived. Oh, and did I mention bacon?
Keto diet means eating more greens, less carbs, and more protein and fat
TIP #1: Remove the processed sugars from your diet that can cause constant cravings, inflammation and of course, weight gain. The most obvious indicator that a food is causing havoc in your body is when you feel bloated and your stomach becomes bigger than your boobs... you get the picture. lol
TIP #2: Swap out the bad with the good. If you find it really difficult to do, you can also try the 80-20 diet, which means 80% of the food you eat in a day should be healthy while the other 20% can be small indulgences. That way you can stick to a plan and avoid going overboard on cheat day.
TIP #3: Don't believe on those fad, too-good-to-be-true diets and slimming pills that promise up to 10 pounds of weight loss in a week, because that's not even healthy at all. Don't try to kill yourself just to lose more than 10 pounds in a week. Do it slowly; and after you lose the weight, maintain that loss for at least six months before attempting to lose any more weight.
Well, I've seen amazing results from changing my diet. I feel so much better now and I can workout again and do normal activities without feeling sick for days. I'm not saying you should follow the diet that I do, because every body reacts to different foods in different ways. Just eat the foods that make you feel best.
Do the Balanced Diet + Exercise combo. Either diet or exercise alone won't necessarily help you lose weight. Seriously. That is why I'm doing the GF/keto-ish diet plus intermittent fasting and fasted cardio.
Here's the before and after snap of my body transformation. Nine months after I gave birth to my second baby, I still look like I'm 5 months pregnant. lol After 3 months, I lost 30 pounds. And while my flabby tummy is now exposed for all to see, I actually have no regrets on posting it, because the photos are my little victories and in some ways are part of my own fitness journey.
2. Become a "priority" in your life. It's easy to forget to take care of yourself with so much going on, but it's super important to keep your health and happiness at the top of your to-do list. Being healthy means living the life you've always dreamed of!
3. Start NOW. All it takes is ONE small change to get you started on your fitness journey. The "small change" made all the difference for me. So whether you're planning on a new diet, or fitness regime, just force yourself to begin. I know starting is often the hardest part but once you get the momentum going, everything gets a little easier.
4. Be a GOAL-digger. Choose a few goals, like 1-2 max, and then really dig into them. Find out what motivates you to help you reach your fitness goals. MOTIVATION gets you started and helps you stay focused on making healthy, goal-focused decisions. My goal is to have the wisdom of a fifty-year-old mind in an eighteen-year-old body! I'm 37, btw, and hopefully, my future self would smile, hug me, and thank me for doing my absolute best. :)
5. Mind over matter. Work on your self control and mental toughness. Just because you had salad last night doesn't mean you have to indulge in an unhealthy breakfast.
6. Enjoy the journey. It doesn't have to be hard or boring. A relaxing well-timed break can be just as important as an hour of intense HIIT session. Rest, if you must, but don't quit. Pause, but don't stop.
7. Share your story. Make your goals public and share your meal plans, fitness routines, and workout videos with your friends. I've also met some of the most wonderful people online and some of them even became my fitspiration. So connect with other supportive, health-focused people who are willing to support you and help you in any way they can. This way you'll be able to track your progress, gain feedback and feel more motivated to keep going.
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| Strive for progress not perfection. 💪 👉Progress, no matter how big or small, is still progress. |
Still with me? Heck yeah! That means you and I will get along juuust fine, and thanks for reading this lengthy post. I really hope you'll learn a thing or two from what I share here, and hope you'll share your fitness journey too. :) Share your story and who knows? You might just be the next Anytime Fitness Brand Ambassador.
I believe that every fitness journey is a story worth telling. Your story, your experience, your knowledge, your everything... are vital to this world. Well, you can tell yourself that other people don't care and your story doesn't matter.
But it does.
Your story is what makes you unique. Sharing how you get started and what you're striving for is a great way to inspire others. Whether it's being able to see your kids grow up, feeling better about your body, or working on your Balik Alindog program, we all need a place where we can achieve them. As for me, it feels great to find #MyHealthierPlace at Anytime Fitness.
The Philippines’ fastest-growing co-ed fitness club chain, Anytime Fitness, is empowering ordinary people to live healthier lives by inviting members, non-members, and coaches nationwide to share their personal journey to better health on its Facebook page.
The Celebrate My Healthier Place campaign is breaking barriers to healthy living by building a community where anyone can be heard. Participants with the best entry also get the chance to win free one-year membership as well as become the brand ambassador for 2018.
Here's how to join:
1. Like this post.
2. Leave a comment below the post answering the question: "What's your healthier place?"
3. Share the post and tag 2 friends to do the same.
4. Don't forget to like Anytime Fitness on Facebook!
Finalists will be revealed at the Celebrate My Healthier Place Fitness Festival on October 7 at Bonifacio Global City. Participants can vote for the winner during the event.
Let's celebrate fitness journeys both big and small. For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/AnytimeFitnessPhilippines/.
I hope this was helpful for you, guys! And have a {fat}killer day. :)
P.S. Don't forget to join my giveaway. Over Php50,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs! :)
My Healthier place is MOA running grounds.
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