My sister calls this pic Jolly ol St. Nichol-crys. (LMAO, that still cracks me up everytime). Usually when I show people this picture I get the same reaction, "That was you???"
This was me, Christmas 2005. I never actually weighed myself but I'm deducing that I was about 250 pounds in this picture. Yikes! It still amazes me that I used to look like that cuz that is not what I saw in the mirror.
Fast forward to Christmas 2007 when I decided I wanted to start getting fit. Not for anyone else, but for me. I wanted to live my best life, and I needed to be ALIVE to live it. I called up my local gym on January 2, asked for a trainer, and the rest is history. The End. Well, not really. Losing weight is a process, that's why people often call it a journey. You learn a lot about yourself, your body, your habits, everything. Here are a few things I learned during my journey.
1. You can't do it by yourself, get a trainer. Some people think a trainer is a waste of money, but I wouldn't have gotten where I am without mine. Your trainer pushes you to the point of exhaustion and pain, but it's worth it. I mean, they're the experts in getting you thin, you're the expert in getting yourself fat.
2. Just because you start to work out does NOT mean you will automatically lose weight. The first 3 months of my workout, I lost 5 pounds. FIVE POUNDS. My trainer asked me if I changed my diet, and I hadn't. Well, you kinda have to do that as well.
3. For the first couple of months, you will be hungry ALL THE TIME. Your body is adjusting to a healthier lifestyle, you're burning more calories, and eating smaller portions. Your body will hate you for this. But, push through that feeling. You will think about food 24 hours a day. Don't worry, it's normal. You will begin to hate food; that which was once your friend will become your foe. Don't worry, it's normal. This is when most people fall off the wagon, but you have to press through this.
4.
Weight Watchers. I will forever sing their praises (It's a neeeewwwwwwwwww day *JHud voice*). I'm just as tired as yall are of
JHud telling me she's a size 0, but WW really works. You can still eat food, just not as much. WW monitors your portions, which we as Americans never do. Like seriously, when was the last time you measured your cereal?? Well, I did. After being on WW for 1 1/2 years, measuring your food and following the serving sizes becomes your routine.
5. Don't weigh yourself every day. I actually only weighed myself once a month. Your body weight fluctuates every single day and it's very easy to get addicted to 'your number'. So, let it go. Do your work outs, eat right, and check in once a month to see your progress. Trust me, seeing you lost 5 pounds makes you feel better than .5.
6. Eat every 3 hours. Now, I'm not talking about eating a value meal every 3 hours, but you definitely need to snack. Once your metabolism kicks in, and it will, you need to keep it properly functioning.
*At my lowest weight, 194 pounds
7. Let go of your number! You know, that number of how much you weigh. When I finally reached 199 pounds, I called the local news and threw a ticker tape parade in the streets of Maryland. Then I realized, I had been holding on to the shame of my number my whole life. Not anymore. It is, after all, just a number. (And for those who are curious, I'm currently 215 pounds. There, see how easy that was??)
*My current weight
8. Don't replace your whole wardrobe. I went from a size 20 to 12 in a year and a half. However, I did not buy clothes for every size I was in between. Get your staples (jeans, a few shirts, dresses and most importantly belts!) Trust me, you'll feel wonderful the moment you walk into a skinny-girl store and no one is looking at you side ways....
9. You have to maintain it, or you'll gain it all back. In the middle of my weight loss journey, I moved to NYC. For the first few months, I was good. Even got down to 194 pounds. My body was in shock from all the walking I think. But then, New York started getting comfortable to me. Not to mention, it is INCREDIBLY expensive to eat healthy. So, poor grad student + NYC, the food capital of the world = 25 extra pounds. It happened slowly, over the course of 18 months. So, what was my first move...get a trainer.
10. Remember, it takes time. It took you a lifetime to gain it, you'll have to wait a lil while to lose it.
So, here I am today. I just recently lost 5 pounds this month (yes, even over Thanksgiving; it's possible). I see my trainer about 2 days a week & work out on my own at least twice. I'm making smarter food choices, but not depriving myself. I still get a Big Mac or Mojito when I feel like it, I just do it in moderation. So, that's my weight loss journey. I can't wait to hear yours!
*Sorry this post is so long, but I could talk about this for hours.
April ~ Black Alumni Weekend at The University of Virginia, the #2 public university in the nation! BAW is always a great time to catch up with my Wahoos & do Wahooligan things. The highlight of this year had to be Biz Markie. I know what you're thinking, but don't sleep on Biz on the 1's and 2's
May ~ VIP tickets to see Musiq. Thanks to one of my good friends, I got to see my man Musiq live! He sang all my faves, especially Loooooooooooveeee (that was me singing). And we got this picture. And no, I'm not wearing heels, he's just a lil man. 
October ~ Finished my 2nd Masters degree. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this joint. Although you can't call me Dr. Div just yet, I'm still pretty proud of myself. I finished my Ed.M. in Sociology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Oh, yall ain't know I was gorgeous AND smart!
