chocolate chocolate donut: The down and dirty of my journey...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

NEW YEAR, NEW ME.

Where did 2015 go??? I feel like just yesterday we were worrying about Y2K?!

But alas, here we are. Time to reevaluate this upcoming year and think about things that we want to change for the better.

**HAVE YOU MADE YOUR GOALS YET??

**HOW LONG ON AVERAGE DOES IT TAKE YOU TO BREAK THEM??

2015 didn’t start out as planned for me. I was doing all the necessary preparations for my mother’s funeral and also getting ready for my 2nd semester of grad school to start.

I never made the goal to lose weight this last year. It just goes to show you that it doesn’t have to be New Year’s Day at 12:01 that you decide you are going to be a better you.

I will you give you the cliff notes version of how my journey started.

Mine actually started with persistent phone calls from a dear friend about a weight loss program that he had done. I avoided his phone calls. I was almost offended that he thought I needed it.

CAN WE SAY DENIAL?????

Is he calling me FAT?? How dare he. As I stick another double-stuffed Oreo into my mouth. Pfft. I don’t need that.

After the funeral they say is the darkest time. Family is all gone. The stress from planning the funeral and making all of the arrangements is over. Then comes the hard stuff. Cleaning out their house. Dividing out belongings and selling what you don’t need. Taking care of bills.

Going back to real life.

I received another call from this particular friend and finally decided to answer. After talking for a while I decided I would just try the program for a month so he would leave me alone.

THANK YOU FOR BEING PERSISTENT MY FRIEND!!!

I did a program called Take Shape for Life. It is pre-packaged foods/snacks sent to your house and consists of low-calorie high-protein types of foods that you eat every 3 hours and then one meal on your own consisting of lean protein and greens.

** I won’t go into detail about the program but if you are interested you can go to www.Crockett.tsfl.com and check out the foods and then contact me heathercrock@gmail.com to order if you think it is something you are interested in. I can help people order it now **

(This program may not be for everyone. I am not endorsed by them to promote it by any means. It is just the program that worked for me)

I started my weight loss journey FEBRUARY 1, 2015. I was on the program for 7 months and then started the transition to be on my own. I took a month to transition.

NOW… I eat consistently every 3 hours. Small frequent high-protein, low-carb meals (I love Quest bars, especially the White Chocolate Raspberry, Cookies and Cream, Mint Chocolate, and Cookie Dough). The goal is to eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism going. I love eating things like an apple with some beef jerky, a string cheese with an orange, greek yogurt and a couple nuts. Small meals that always incorporate mainly protein, low carbs, and lower calories. No processed sugar (except Sunday is my cheat day). No processed white flour. LOTS of water. Lots of green vegetables. I still have a Diet Coke every day (yes I know for everyone that rolled their eyes that it is not good for you, but hey I’m human. Maybe that will be my New Year’s goal??)

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!

I DID NOT WORK OUT MY FIRST 3 MONTHS!!! I was still not into it. I needed to focus on my eating because weight is lost in the kitchen, not at the gym.

After 3 months I decided to start going to the gym. I sat on the stationary bike and would go at a moderate level of resistance (level 5) for 30 minutes while playing Candy Crush on my phone. Then I would lift some weights (not heavy but still 3 reps of 12) for 30 minutes and go home. That was it. I did this maybe 3-4 times a week.

I did this for months. When I realized I was losing weight still and that I didn’t want flab and my skin to be firm, I needed to make a change to the workout routine.

Starting in August 2015 I started HIIT workouts. Google them. 20 minutes high intensity with intervals of rest. I do this on spin bike, stair climber, and jump roping. I like to mix it up. I also lift heavy 3 sets of 12-15 reps with increasing weight each time (www.bodybuilding.com is a great resource for this).

***VERY IMPORTANT: Listen to music. Strap on your favorite tunes and go to the beat. It's always a motivator. Also, buy new gym clothes!!! You deserve it. It is important to feel good whenever you go out. Don't just wear baggy sweats and a t-shirt. You will never realize the difference your body is making if you always wear a potato sack to the gym. This also gives you the excuse to buy new ones when you grow out of the bigger sizes!!! I LOVE Old Navy yoga pants (thick waist band and comes in plus sizes too), maybe someday I'll be able to afford Lululemon after grad school and see how magical everyone says they are. ;)

I AM STILL IN THIS PROCESS. IT IS A LIFELONG PROCESS. I AM CHANGING MY WAY OF LIFE. IT IS NOT A QUICK FIX.

However, I NEVER imagined I would be where I am now. I still have goals. Goals are necessary. It is always great to work towards something.

This is just what worked for me. It may not work for everyone.

Hope this helps a little. Any questions? Just ask. I am here for support to anyone just starting out or in the thick of their journey.

Follow along on Instagram @heathercrock

CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR, NEW ME!!!