I’ve had to come to terms with what the scale tells me. Sometimes I love that tiny machine, others I want to take it outside and destroy it – Office Space style. I can’t control what it tells me, I can only keep working as hard as I am able and hope the scale is kind this week. This was tough for me at first. I wanted my hard work to pay off and when the scale didn’t move, I felt defeated. Now I try brush off the nonsense the scale tells me by paying attention to other weightless indicators. No, I’m not talking about taking measurements. Who seriously has time for that? Number One: You have to measure like 6 different places on your body. Number Two: I can never find the damn tape measure. Here are a few of my favorite weight loss indicators thus far: 

I have a whole new (old) wardrobe. There are great treasures buried in my closet. There are tank tops, dresses, and blouses that have been lonely and abandoned. As I continued to put on weight, I would put them aside, never having the heart to donate or give them away. I wouldn’t try them on because I didn’t want to know just how bad it was. As I started to loose weight I started pulling out these treasures and see just how much weight I’d lost. Recently, I tried on a shirt that I purchased 2 years ago, and then quickly tucked it back in my closet. Not only does it fit, it’s a little big and it made me so happy! I’ll apologize to friends and family now; you may see me wear this one shirt non-stop the rest of the summer. 

My jeans are too big and I love it. I’m constantly pulling them up because I want to lose a little more before I go buy new. I also now fit into an old pair that I’ve had in my closet for over a year that were too tight – and today they are even a little loose. Yay! 2 more pounds to my next mini goal and I’ll be shopping! 

My bath towels wrap all the way around me again! This was probably the biggest realization that all my hard work is paying off. After getting out of the shower and I wrapped the towel around my body I used to have a gap at my thigh. That gap has since vanished. The towel hangs straight and closed. The first moment I noticed this change, I literally jumped for joy. I was straight up giddy. 

There are some foods that I’ve learned to love and have become staples in my daily and weekly routine. Always remember that portions are important, but these 5 foods have really made a big impact on how I look at food. They make me feel like I’m cheating, but NOPE, I can have them and still stay on track! Soooooo good.

Cheerios 

Like everyone else in America, I too watched that damn Fed Up documentary. If you’re one of the lucky ones who managed to avoid it, the synopsis is: Sugar is in everything and it’s killing us. So like most people I’m trying to cut back. I love cereal and this whole cutting sugar thing is almost impossible when selecting something yummy. Cheerios is the answer. It’s quick, easy and only one gram of sugar. Score. Pair it with blueberries, bananas, and almond milk and you’ve got yourself one good for you breakfast. Or snack. 

Apples 

These little babies have become the perfect work snack. They are sweet, crunchy and oh so good. Many articles I’ve read say they boost your metabolism and speed up weight loss. Now, I can get on board with that. It was easy to forget just how much I love them. I throw two in my bag on the way out the door in the morning and once I get to work I put them out on my desk. I try to have a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Most of the time I forget. Having the apples out on my desk is a great reminder. Then when it’s time for lunch and dinner, I’m not starving. 

Oatmeal 

I don’t eat instant oatmeal. I tried it once when I was in college and I hate it. Growing up my Grandmother would make the traditional old-fashioned oats. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar and a splash of milk and you have heaven in a bowl. I’ve since added sliced bananas and replaced the milk with almond milk. And when I’m really feeling fancy I may add sliced almonds. When the brown sugar melts down and swirls with the oats and milk, it’s like magic. I feel like I’m having a treat and it’s better than any French Toast around. 

Goat Cheese 

I put it on everything and I can’t live without it. It’s a snack on a Triscuit, a topping on my salad, and so good on homemade pizza. Goat Cheese is the Ying and I am the Yang. #noshame A serving size is one ounce and when you see a serving of goat cheese you’ll freak out. A little goes a long way and an ounce is a whole lot of deliciousness. It’s tangy yet smooth flavor makes everything better. Makes me go, “YASSSSSS!”

Fajitas 

I’m up for Mexican food everyday. At least once I week I visit a local establishment for something tasty. I can cook, but I just can’t replicate the flavors like they can. If you’re like me and you don’t want to live without it, fajitas are the way to go. Grilled Chicken and Fresh Veggies – how can you really go wrong? On most occasions, I share a full order with my husband. They are huge portions and this works out to having two fajitas each. Which is plenty, BTW, when you factor in the tortilla chips and salsa that I gobble up before the fajitas show.

After a about two weeks of eating well and getting myself together on the diet front, I was ready to concur a new workout routine. I was determined to make a change and knew that it was time to up my game. Now, for someone who hadn’t worked out for over three years, I was intimidated. But ready. I wanted to share how I was able to get over my fears and stay positive while working toward my goals. 

Seek out inspiration. You need to be able to stay motivated when you’re feeling low or doubting yourself. I created a Pinterest board with funny and inspirational quotes, fitness workouts, healthy recipes and great fitness fashion. 

Fashion Finds. Buy some work out gear! There are so many great styles to choose from and I’m a huge fan of all the neon colors out right now. A new pair of Nikes and fun fitness tanks made me look forward to my workouts. When I look the part, I can concur anything. Even if it’s in my head. 

Find a workout buddy. This could be your spouse, BFF, or in my case my cousin, who also happens to be a BFF. Starting a new fitness routine is tough and a little unnerving. You worry less about making a fool of yourself if you have someone who is doing it with you. We also text, non-stop, about our fitness goals, where we are and what we need to do to reach them. She may hate me when I make her go workout, but she thanks me later. And vice versa. 

Learn to love working out. Yeah, yeah, I know this sounds rough, and it is! I hate running, I will never be a runner. Ever. BUT I love cycling class. I go to class 3 times a week and I make it a priority. I work hard for 45-60 minutes and when I’m finished, I feel amazing and accomplished. The instructors are great and the rides are awesome. With playlists like Justin vs. Britney and the Pitch Perfect ride, how can you not love it? I may feel like my legs are going to fall off half way through but I keep pushing and am always surprised how far I can go when I push myself. Turns out, I’m stronger than I realize. 

Mix up your workouts. I realized this after a 3 week plateau. Working so hard and not seeing results is an awful reality. I started working in Core workouts (Jumping Jacks, Squats, Crunches, etc.) and the following week I was able to break through the plateau. My body was getting used to the routine and needed to be worked differently. 

Since I’ve started this journey in April, I’ve learned a ton about myself and weight loss. I got to a point where I didn’t understand why I was just dealing with a body I didn’t want and going through life with an “I don’t care” attitude. No good. Not healthy. Not me. I made the choice to change and continue to actively make that choice everyday. In 13 weeks, I have worked hard to drop 29.4 pounds. I’m just going to go ahead and say 30, this is my journey after all! So, I thought I would share some of the things I’ve learned in the past 13 weeks. Some may be specific to me and may not be your cup of tea. Totally fine if it’s a “looks good on you” sort of thing.

I wanted to focus first on my diet because my eating was out of control. I didn’t care what I put into my body and before I could commit to a workout routine I knew this would be a big challenge for me. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

Get portions under control. Seriously, do it. I didn’t realize just how much I was eating. Once I started measuring and weighing portion sizes, it became pretty clear why I’ve tacked on so much weight.

Use the WW app. It makes my life so much easier. Knowing where you are in your daily target at all times is important when it’s time to decide what you want to eat. If you’re like me, I work non-stop and have to be prepared to make smart decisions during lunch meetings and happy hours.

Set mini goals. This is so is so important to keep my motivation up. My current mini goals are: drink at least 85 ounces of water a day (that’s five fills on my awesome S’well water bottle), no alcohol during the week (#wino), lose between 5-10 pounds by August 5th (I want to be realistic here with low ranges, but the high ranges help push me to see what I’m capable of).

Don’t skip breakfast. I’m terrible at this one, but it’s true. Cheerios with blueberries, bananas, and almond milk is my favorite quick breakfast. I think I may make this my next mini goal.

Don’t deprive yourself. If you want ice cream, have it. If you want a beer, have it. If you want pizza, have it. Make sure you plan for it and that it's worth it! If I’m going to spend precious point values on something, it better be the best tastiest thing ever. Enjoy it, but all within moderation – remember those portions!