I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. I constantly went on and off diets—a few strict months of calorie counting and cardio, followed by binge eating and weight gain.
I graduated college in 2013, and by the summer of 2014, I was finally coming out of my post-grad slump. I had finally gotten accustomed to life after college, and realized that my weekend binges and bottomless mimosa brunches were taking a toll on my body—barely any of my clothes were fitting anymore.
I knew I had been eating poorly and not working out, so I decided to buy a scale (while sipping on a large cherry Icee) to face reality about my weight. After I got it, I waited anxiously until the next morning to weigh myself.
When I finally stepped on the scale, the number hit me like a ton of bricks: 240 pounds.
This morning I woke up, hopped on the scale, and was eleven pounds lighter. 💃🏻 I was excited but minutes later as I was looking in the mirror I let out a *sigh* and thought ” if only I was 30 pounds thinner…” I immediately ran to my garage and started searching through boxes of my old clothes. I spent the next hour trying on clothes from when I weighed 240 pounds. It was only four years ago but sometimes it feels like those days never existed. You get so used to where you’re at now that you forget how far you’ve come. These shorts used to fit like the shorts in the left photo and this bra used to be so extremely tight. It felt good to see and relive these victories even though they feel so insignificant now. As the year gets busy and the excitement of your resolutions become dull, take a moment to realize why you’re doing this. No one sees change immediately. These results weren’t from a week, a month, or even a year of hard work. This has been four full years of lifestyle changes, workouts, and learning how to balance work, health, and fun. If your progress is slow, don’t get discouraged and give up. There’s no point because you’ll eventually have to start over and you’ll be even further from your goal. Instead, keep on going, remember your why, and think of how amazing you’ll feel at the end of the year when you can truly say that you put in the work and killed it in 2019. 🥂
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I stared at myself in the mirror with tears in my eyes and asked myself, “How did I let myself get like this?” I always tried to blame it on my genes, but really, I was obsessed with fast food and I wasn’t working out.
So right then and there, in August 2014, I decided to change my eating habits. I slowly started subbing my fast food for home-cooked meals—but honestly, I was still eating poorly 80 percent of the time. I lost 18 pounds by January 2015, but I knew I wanted to lose more.
I knew I didn’t want to do a quick fad diet like I used to do when I was younger, so I started a low-carb diet during the week (I typically ate whatever I wanted on the weekends). I ended up losing 15 more pounds by the end of February, but something still didn’t feel right.
In February 2015, my friend introduced me to a new workout plan that I absolutely fell in love with.
It’s hard to even comprehend why I was so upset with my body in that middle photo. 🙄🤦🏻♀️Almost exactly three years ago I began this account. I had just finished my first twelve weeks of #BBG and had been sticking to a keto diet. For the first time in my life I felt amazing, accomplished, and incredibly gorgeous. My clothes were falling off of me, everyone noticed my hard work, and I was unstoppable. For over two years I was a force. I lived, breathed, ate, and slept fitness and dieting. If I missed the gym for more than two days in a row I would be upset–it was my happy place. After a while my body didn’t transform like I wanted it to. I hit plateaus and despite hard work nothing would change. I threw in the towel a lot but would come back and hit the gym just as hard hoping for something more. Last fall I hit my goal weight and then suddenly I lost my motivation. I went backward. I put on weight. I gave up my goals but mostly I lost my confidence. So here I am today-untoned, about 15 pounds heavier, and disappointed in myself but I know the change that needs to be done. ✨Today marks the beginning of a twelve week body and mind transformation.✨ I’ve done it tons of times so I know I can do it again. It will be very hard but it will be worth it and I’m excited to put my body to the test again and hopefully get a new wardrobe once this is over. 👙💪🏽 #BurpeesHereICome ((and yes that’s a giant tan line on my stomach in the last photo 😂))
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Back when I first started my diet, I also joined the local YMCA and began taking Les Mills Body Pump classes twice a week. While I loved the class, it somehow still wasn’t enough for me.
So when my friend mentioned Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (BBG) program, while I was skeptical at first, I decided to give it a try. (It’s just a 28-minute workout, after all.)
My first workout on BBG 1.0 was brutal. I remember sweating and panting so bad, not really knowing what I was doing, and being so extremely sore the next day. Each week was a challenge—mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was never easy but I saw my body and mindset change so much and that kept me going. For the first time ever, I totally believed in myself and knew that I was capable of my weight-loss goals.
By the end of the 12-week challenge, I had lost an additional 26 pounds. I bought a pair of size 12 jeans for the first time in years, and I gained so much confidence.
After I finally found a workout I loved, dieting became easier, too.
I know, I know. Where have I been? I haven’t updated in three weeks. The truth is, the past few months have been extremely tiring for me. I’ve been working basically two full time jobs all while trying to have a life, workout, move, eat well, and sleep & it finally got the best of me. With so much chaos going on my focus has not been on my fitness. In fact I’ve been beating myself up because I haven’t been to the gym in NINE days. I’m saying all this to say, life gets hard. Everyday is not beautiful plated meals and intense workouts with rainbows and confetti at the end. 🌈 🎉 ((that would be amazing though)) It’s the tough times like these when you have to realize how far you’ve come and not about where you currently are. Sure–my denim shorts are a little tight this week and last night I chose to eat cookie dough on my roof instead of working out, but thats okay because 2.5 years ago I couldn’t even wear denim shorts and I would’ve eaten the entire roll of cookie dough. The reason why I am telling you all of this is because I know I’m not alone. Some days (weeks) you just need to splurge and take care of yourself and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. 🙋🏽 🍪 💤 On the plus side though, here’s an amazing transformation that I’m incredibly proud of. I’ve shed 5.5 inches off my waist and 2 off my hips in the past few months!! So anyway…eat the last bag of pizza rolls stowed away in your freezer, dust off your sneakers, and lets all make a comeback together!! After all, bikini season is upon us. 👙🌴
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Living a more active lifestyle also made me want to put healthier foods into my body on a more regular basis. While I still incorporate pizza, tacos, and margaritas into my diet, I do so in moderation—and I make sure I don’t binge on the weekends anymore.
I also started doing the Whole30 program (a 30-day diet that eliminates sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy), a few times a year. I don’t think of this program as a diet or a punishment, but I find that when I have fallen off track, this helps me mentally get back into a healthy eating pattern.
Basically, my meal plan varies often but here is what I’m eating a lot of right now:
- Breakfast: a frittata made with eggs, kale, spinach, tomato, onion, and no-sugar-added pork sausage, with a small side of blueberries
- Lunch: spaghetti squash topped with olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic with chicken or ground turkey and a side of broccoli
- Snacks: Mandarin oranges, berries, almonds, or a banana with sugar free plain almond butter
- Dinner: roasted veggies and salmon on a leafy salad
- Dessert: homemade no-bake “fudge brownies” made from dates, walnuts, sugar free almond butter, and 100 percent unsweetened cocoa
Overall, I’ve lost 80 pounds since starting my weight-loss journey in 2014.
🚨 Long post alert: My entire life I have struggled with my weight. Two years ago I got to the point where my clothes were no longer fitting. I knew I had been eating bad and not working out, so I decided to take the plunge and buy a scale to face the reality of my actions. (Fun fact: while scale shopping, I drank a large slurpee so clearly I was struggling.) The next day I weighed and I was 239.8 pounds. I stared at myself in the mirror and asked myself the question, “How did I let myself get like this?” I always tried to blame it on my genes, but I was just a slob. I was obsessed with fast food and not working out. At the end of February 2015, a friend introduced me to @Kayla_Itsines program. I remember her saying, “It’s just 28 minutes” and I immediately thought, “Nahhh..that’s for skinny girls. It prob doesn’t work.” At the beginning of March I started BBG 1.0. The first workout was BRUTAL! I remember sweating, panting, and being sore for days. Each week was a challenge-mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was never easy but I saw my body & mindset change so much and that kept me going. For the first time ever I believed in myself and knew that I was capable of my goals. Dieting became easier every day and I woke up every morning giddy to get to the gym. Fast forward (almost) two years later and I’ve lost 75 pounds, kept it off, and toned up so much. I’ve found a balance with a healthy lifestyle, enjoying life, and sometimes eating ALL the snackz!! After taking a 2 month hiatus, I am so excited to be getting back to my BBG roots and to have so many new friends joining along the way. It’s amazing because SO many lives are about to be changed. Each day I get asked the question, “How do you stay motivated?” I really don’t have a magic answer, but I am obsessed with documenting & rewarding my progress. When I start feeling unmotivated or down on myself, I pull out a picture of what I used to look like and just stare at it. I’ve always been happy and confident in my own skin, but now I FEEL incredible. I never want to feel the shame or embarrassment I felt when I stepped on the scale, and ultimately that is what keeps me going. #SameUglyBra
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Honestly, it’s been a lot of trial-and-error, but the past five years have been filled with so many small victories, like wearing denim shorts, being able to shop in any store and feeling healthy. And I recently crossed the finish line of my first half marathon.
These wins pushed me to keep going with my weight-loss experience even when it felt unattainable—and that’s the message I want other women to hear: That dedication is key, along with finding a diet and exercise routine that truly makes you feel good.
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