Being healthy// Working out + Work + Mommy Life = How the heck??

Having to cook a meal at the end of a hard working day and having to take on mommy duties can be tough. Especially if you are trying to eat healthy and stay in shape. The hardest thing is staying on track of everything and remembering to take care and love yourself. It is easy for us to give to others and put our own needs on the back burner however losing focus does not give us an excuse to just give up on ourselves. Why can't we still be hot mama's and incorporate health and fitness into that at the same time. What may seem like impossible is actually not, it's just scary and not so appealing in the beginning but once you get started you will wonder why you didn't begin sooner. Besides if it was easy everyone would be doing it right? Add some spunk to your day and learn about fun ways to manage your busy life plus everything that you want to do as well. Why should we not reach for the stars if given the chance and opportunity to. 

I have found ways to make my life a little easier --> by utilizing the crock pot and my handy dandy oven for lot's of meals (( recipe and photos will be up soon)). Eating out can be faster than preparing a meal at home and it is also faster to put on those extra calories and leave you feeling hungry in a few hours which causes you to eat another meal or several snacks to fill up which is another bad thing. Having a routine works for me only because I have a "type A personality" and can be very anal about things being on schedule and in order. So if you are like me I like to plan ahead this is either by prepping the night before (perhaps seasoning my meat overnight, getting my pots out, making my grocery list, anything else I may need to do) I also have my 7 year old help me set the table, get my things out the fridge, or even putting things in the oven and assisting with meal prep. Having him involved in the dinner process allows him to enjoy our healthier options more and he is also a bit more open minded to taste his yummy creation. Trust me he was the biggest picky eater ever and is now opening up and understanding why we have to make healthy food choices, and why we do not eat fast food as much as we did. 

Now for working out.. I learned that since I am not a morning person I actually do not mind working out in the wee hours of the morning. It's actually fun for me it's quiet time, I am able to finish waking up and I leave with the boost of energy that I need to start my day officially. At the beginning of my journey I was only able to endure 40-45 mins of working out. One year later I am able to do up to 2 hours depending on my schedule, the goals I have for the week, and it all depends on how my body feels. I usually like to listen to my body and I do not try to compete or go too hard in order to prevent injuries and go at a pace that is easy and feels comfortable enough for me. I like to set my goals and record my progress in order to see my growth and non scale victory's. I learned the number on the scale truly does not mean anything. I have learned to love, and accept the girl/ woman I see in the mirror. She is much stronger, wiser, and has come such a long way. Most important she has not given up on the challenge that she started for herself. It is easy to give up however I would just end up where I started. I could push through this hard moments and see how far I could go beyond those moments.

 Going beyond is more rewarding than falling back into old habits that rehash old feelings and depressed emotions that cause us to eat and not feel worthy enough of  a positive change. The physical aspect does not matter what is satisfying and rewarding is the attitude that comes from the hard work that you have just accomplished. I guess that's kind of something that you won't understand unless you actually feel and go through it. I remember reading things similar to what I am writing and thinking to myself, "she needs to shut up I am sure it is not that easy, I am sure she is doing something she is not telling us about, I am sure someone is cooking her or helping her that is why she is doing that" however I stopped worrying about what they were really doing and I decided to put myself to the test because that is truly what I cared about the most. I was worried about getting healthy for myself and proving to myself I can do whatever I want as long as I dedicate myself and learn the proper way to do it. 

One year later I have not given up, I feel better than I ever have, my son is following me and also eating and feeling wonderful, and we are able to do more than before. We are able to go on hikes, run around at the park, we dance like crazy people to Wii Dance, and we just stay active because it is true a body is motion tends to stay in motion, and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. A year ago I did not have anywhere near as much energy as I do today. A year ago today I did not make healthy choices just consciously and not just because I feel "I have too". Find what you like to do and just do it and don't ever give up because its easier to give up than it is to start. 

Working out

When I first began my journey back on December 6, 2013 I must say I was a very "negative Nancy" I could not believe that I let myself "go" the way that I did and I was very unsure that I would get my body to look "normal" again. I started off on the treadmill and I remember looking around and saying to myself I am never going to be able t look like those girls (the skinny/ fit ones that are toning out what is to me a perfect body) I was only able to walk at the speed around 2.7 to about 3.2 and there was no incline at that point in time. I was huffing and puffing and I couldn't wait for 45 mins to be over with. Within the first month I began to get a little accustomed to the routine and I began to do what felt comfortable and manageable to me. 

Yes I wanted to go harder, Yes I also wanted to give up, Yes I hated my body, Yes I did not see any change and felt oh so hopeless, Yes I was eating better, Yes I was also feeling a whole heck of a lot better and I was able to wake up and go about my day without feeling restless and achy. 

After a few months I was able to walk for a full hour on the treadmill and I was also able to slowly crank the incline up. A few months into it my body felt stronger, my body was beginning to change, my skin was glowing and hydrated, and I was overall much happier than I was a few months prior. I began with Cardio and worked my way into the weight section and started to work my way into adding this into my routine. 

Prior to this I will say that I was moderately active however not anywhere near physically in shape. The last time I had worked out was from 2006-2008. In 2013 I had a love / hate relationship with the gym. Some week's were harder than others. Other times I wondered why my body was not doing what I wanted it to do. I think for a while I had my "blinders" on because I was not seeing the long journey that I had endured and I was not realizing that my body was doing exactly what it needs to do. 

Crunches are my best friend (don't ask me why) these things are just something I actually enjoy doing. I like to switch it up and lay on each of my sides and do side crunches. I also lift my legs up while crunching. I like to change it up; it keeps me engaged and going. I also like to work on my legs, although I know many people hate leg day I actually dread arm day. 

On Dec , 2013 I was only able to stay in the gym for a total of 45 min to about 1 hour if I really pushed it. Here we are 1 year later and I am now determined, motivated, and ready to just take the next year on and see what new surprises my body will have for me. I work out daily for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours depending on the day, how my body feels, and on the type of workout I am about to do. 

I sleep better at night. I no longer have stomach issues. My depression has subsided far more than I it was a few years ago. My eating habits have changed dramatically and I am actually cooking more meals at home as opposed to eating out. 

The negative Nancy turned into a positive Patty (I figured Ill end it with that corny little line because its cute and true). 

Jomy's Fitness Journey (Here's my Story)

My fitness journey began in 2011 however I did not take it serious and start physically working out everyday until December 6, 2013. Getting fit is something that does not happen over night. It took me a lot to finally take it serious and do it for the one person that mattered the most and that was for myself. Over the years I feel I was always working so hard to please others and I forgot about pleasing myself. Happiness begins when you truly love and accept who you are and understand that you are amazing because of who and what you are. I must say I did not see how quickly I was able to pack on the pounds because I hid from myself and I was in my own world of depression. On Jan 7, 2010 I lost my younger and only brother in a tragic accident; needless to say my whole life changed at that moment and I fell into a dark place where food became my comfort and coping mechanism. Food was something that brought my brother and I close. We would laugh and talk as we went out to eat or as he prepped us something to eat (because I never had to cook when he was around). Losing my brother I felt I could still be close to him if I ate for the both of us. In a matter of months I packed on the pounds and gained 50 lbs in less than 1 year. I did not see it but others did and they commented and made remarks about it ( which is truly rude). I reached a total of 230 lbs which was more weight than I had gained even when I was pregnant with my son. Therefore this was the biggest I had reached and I felt hopeless and unsure if I could ever get back to my regular clothes considering my size. 

Working out for the first time I had a million emotions going through my mind but I knew one thing for sure I had to make this my new lifestyle if I really wanted to see changes. I also did not want to use anymore excuses. I did not need a workout buddy because no one will encourage or push me the way that I could push and inspire myself. When my son was off from school or when we were home one the weekends I got him up and out the door with me to take on fitness in other fun ways like hiking, playing outdoors, site seeing or other creative fun ways that I will blog about another time. I started out by doing 45 mins on the treadmill and at that point 45 mins felt like an eternity. Little by little I increased the incline on the treadmill and begin to also increase my walking speed. It may seem like you are not moving at all however your body will do what it has to do at the pace that it has too in order for you to feel and look amazing. Hard work pays off and it may take longer than we expected however not giving up is the only thing that you should truly be worried about.(check out my Instagram Page: Jomys_Journey for up to date pictures and videos of some of my workouts)  

Changing your eating habits does not have to be disgusting or a dreadful task that is going not make eating enjoyable. Find what is going to work for you; do not worry about what everyone else is doing because adapting your own personal method that is easy for you is what you ideally want and need. 

In 2012 I decided to no longer eat McD's which was a long time favorite of mine that was making me really sick and effecting my gallbladder in many ways. Once I stopped eating fast food all of my stomach issues went away and I noticed I was no longer bloated looking in my belly area. Eating healthy can actually be very yummy when you find out what you like and how to make it into yummy creations that are filling and low in calories. ((I will also share some of my meal ideas on some future blogs// Along with kid friendly meal ideas for picky little eaters like mine)).

One year Later I am pleased to say that I was able to lose more weight than I had expected. In December at 230 lbs I didn't think it would be possible to lose 50 lbs, however when I did and I reached 180 lbs I set my next goal of losing 30 more lbs in order to reach 150 lbs. Well here we are 1 year later and I was able to lose 85 lbs and now I have to set my new goal which is ..............

 Stay Tuned.