Getting back on track

Sorry I haven't blogged :( between school work and working out, its been tough! I must also admit that I got off track from working out and eating right for 2 weeks, now I am back on and ready to go! I plan on losing another 20-25 by June 15th and 50 by Sept 15th. Then I shall reassess my goals.  I am cutting wheat out of my diet to see how that will work! Any suggestions let me know :) that's all for tonight,

Support!

I know it has been a few days, :/, between school, work and working out I've been super busy! I am so happy with my self I am so motivated to keep going!!! I'm almost half way to my goal for June :)!!! I'm soooo excited! One thing that has kept me going is my Faith and Trust in God! Another is all the support I have from everyone! But I must say my parents have been the biggest! I am loving life at this moment I've lowered my body fat % almost 5% in the past month! I know this weight is going to come off, and I also know that it is going to take time! It's always going to be easy, but it is getting easier for the main part (eating right and working out)! I'm just better all around and I am proud of myself :)!!

Wow yesterday was a good day! Im still trying to figure out what is up with my tailbone, good thing is that I can walk/swim and do arm and ab workouts and stretching is great! Unfortunately it hurts like heck to sit down :( hopefully I will have this figured out by the end of the week! I am not letting it stop me from obtaining my goals!!! I took my dog for a nice walk yesterday evening, I was going to just do a short walk (20min) but when I am out there, I just keep pushing through, ended up doing 2.5 miles and burned 709 cals! I am very blessed and thankful that I live in such a beautiful state and can walk outside without freezing in Feb, I know I need to take advantage of this! One thing I have done, is thank God everyday for giving me the strength to get up everyday and succeed at what I need/want to do. I have said in the past "Oh I'm going to lose this weight" or "I'm going to change". But I never truly thanked God for giving me the strength to do such. Now I try my hardest to not forget to thank Him, (I have Faith and I believe he is the reason I am succeeding the way I am.) Yes my Family and friends are helping also, but I know it is the reason why before I was not able to surpass that 10lbs and then fall off or change my life. So I do believe that he is giving me this power and strength and opening my eyes to see how I am going to do this and that I CAN do this.  It has been 1 month and 2 weeks that I have actually stayed on track/continued with this change, I have overcome the hard weeks and know that it is going to get harder, but also easier from this point on! Since I have hit my first 20lbs, my next short term goal is to lose 10lbs by March 10th aka Spring Break! I would also like to fit into a pair of shorts that I have never been able to fit, today I tried them on and measured how many inches I need to lose which is 5inches! So each week I plan on changing my diet and exercises to shock my metabolism! One conflict I have hit is balancing school and my weight loss...I must stay motivated in both!!!! So I am also starting another goal, which is to get my my papers done ahead of time and to stayed focused and obtain a 3.0-4.0 GPA semester. This is not only about weightloss or getting healthy its is about a Lifestyle change, which means academically, health, financially and work. I have always struggled academically until last semester, I obtained a 3.0 GPA! that was HUGE for me, so If I maintain a 3.0 or higher and make my 50lb goal by the end of the semester, I will be on cloud9! SO If you see me slipping, please please please give me that kick... I know my mom will,  as she does everydayyy! lol and also my Dad. I am off to bed now, lol it's too late and I am waking up early! Goodnight all and I hope everyone is still on Track!

Keep Pushing!!!

20lbs

Woo Hoo!!!! 20lbs down!!!! Yay!!! So happy!!!!!!! I am so motivated to lose the rest! :)! We can all do it!

Ordering to go!

We ordered to go tonight, I ordered a turkey/veggie burger, w/mustard cheese, an avocado, tomato and onion (they forgot my avocado) as ordering i asked if they cooked their burgers in grease/butter and if they did, to hold off on it for my burger. They asked if i wanted fries, I said no and was offered a side salad instead, dressing on the side, no toppings. When I returned home with dinner, I topped my salad with a handful of feta cheese,craisins,almonds and light raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette dressing. Simply changes help make for a healthier meal :)! Also the person who took my order was very nice and patient! So dont be afraid to ask!!!

Rest day

Good Morning! I did not get a chance to blog yesterday because i sleep in on Fridays and work all night! I was going to post while at work but it just got extremely busy!!! What a night! Before I went to work I made my dinner which was asparagus, onions, and turkey meatballs, it was pretty good! One thing I have been struggling with is eating green veggies :/! At work I drank a cup of yummy tea (no sweeteners) had a cheese stick a protein bar and I had roman noodles for a mid snack, they made me sick though. I believe the roman made me sick because of the high amount of sodium, which I have not been consuming and the simple carbs (white noodles). I love that my body is rejecting foods that are not good for me, this makes the journey all that much easier! I'm going to be honest, I had a craving for Krispy Kreme donuts this morning on my way home. I got some, because you CAN allow yourself these items (just in moderation and not too often), again I am not depriving myself. I ate a few, but again the simple sugar has me not feeling so well currently :(. So do not deprive yourself, or else you will be miserable, get what you want, just cut it in half or make sure you are not eating it too often! Again MODERATION is key! I am off to sleep for now, I need to rest my tailbone and eyes. I will post later whe. I wake up :)! Today's Tip: moderation :) don't deprive yourself, If you want it, have it just half the amount and do an extra 30min of exercise! Keep Changing for Better Cristian :)

Tip from my dad a US Military Service Member :)

Tip: I have been eating 3 x daily plus an apple between meals and even eat candy or chips after dinner. Brakfast: Egg Beater veggie amlette, 1/4 cup of pinapple, melon, grits, and coffe. (Promise butter, 1 pack for grits) Lunch: Meat, and veggies 1-2 servings of each same for dinner, sometimes i'll cookies or pasta etc. but I noticed that I eat breakfast between 8-9 and not hungry at 12:30 when we go to lunch - I workout 4-5 and am hungry by 6:30 go eat come back from dinner and start snacking. But since I usually walk at least a 1/4 mile to and from meals and burn at least 600 calories working out i can eat more. But i rarely eat any processed foods.

Day 2 of blogging!

Hey,

Today was a good day, as much as I did not want to walk outside, I did. My dog kept begging me when I was trying to sleep lol so yes we went and walked 4.5miles! I burned 981cals in an hour and a half.  It was very cold so that helped get my heart rate going! I jogged a bit here and there but not too much because of my injury. Once I returned home I had a lot of water, tea and a protein bar (Power Crunch). The downfall of the day was that my tailbone (or whatever it is that's hurting) was killing me!!! Its been hard to sit and relax, Laying down or standing is all that really works right now. Anyways I rested as I was told by the Dr. For lunch I made myself and my mom a salad (Yummy!). I try to practice standing straighter and using my "Power House" (core) to support my body.  I am going to buy a pedometer before work tomorrow this way I can keep track of how many steps I am taking at work, and If I need to do more.  So if you don't have much free time to hit the gym or what not, a pedometer is a great way to keep track of your steps and you might be surprised how many steps you take at your job/school! My job does consist of both a lot of sitting and a lot of walking, all depends on how many patients we are getting! As I have mentioned I had gained a lot of weight working overnight at the hospital, this was due to not packing my lunch and not snaking "smart" all through the night. Now I am not eating chips or candy during the night, I am having a cheese stick, protein bar, or fruit. I also take a few bags of tea with me. One of my struggles still is drinking enough water while at work :/.  Tonight for dinner I had Free Birds, instead of a flour tortilla I had it on a whole wheat, no rice or sour cream. Black beans, corn salsa, pico, lettuce, onion and chicken. So changing little things like not getting sour cream or queso or rice can be super beneficial! I am still learning how to adjust to eating out and making the right decisions.  So if anyone can help or share advice, it is always welcomed! I hope everyone has had a great day and continues to support me on my journey as I will support others with theirs! I have gotten back in touch with some of my good friends and we are all trying to lose weight and change our lifestyles, this is great and I am super happy for all of us! So if you need some help or a buddy I am here!

Till tomorrow :) Have a blessed evening
Taking it one day at a time!
Cristian!

This is from a Triathlete at my gym!


Hi Cristian, 

I hope you’re doing well. Congratulations on your new goals! The blog’s name says it all, changingourlifestyles. Most people are always looking for the “quick fix”, so they try pills, crazy diets, surgeries, etc., and the reality is that those things don’t work in the long term if you don’t change your life style. Everything starts within you. Body and mind work together and you have to make changes in your mind so your body can respond in the way you want. Changes are always necessary, but you don’t have to make radical changes to start seeing progress. If you change,for example, the amount of fried food and sweets that you eat every day and start exercising at least 4 times a week, you’ll start seeing changes really soon. If you eat meat 7 times a week, make a change and eat it 4 times a week and the other 3 days introduce new foods like lentils, garbanzo beans, and different vegetables. Fruits, vegetables and grains are your friends. At the gym you can start with low impact exercises, like running in the pool lanes, the elliptical or the stationary bike. Make it a progression, you start little by little and build up from that. Feel free to email me and if there is anything I can do to help. You can count on me. Have a great day and I can’t wait to hear about your progress. Carlos

this is me at my heaviest, December 2011!

My beginning month!

Hey! So this is my first official post! First I want to thank everyone for checking it out and supporting me! I'll start with saying that I have lost 19lbs since mid December! 1 more lb and I'm nearly have to my 50lb goal mark June! Whya 50 for June? Because its summer and I have figured out that that is a good a,out for me lose (1.5-2lbs) a week! Total I'm planning on losing is about 100lbs by December! I know like many of other people who have tried to lose weight, maybe you lose 10lbs here or 20lbs there and then you fall off the band wagon after that, maybe it's because youre're bored or you've plateu'd or just life has changed for you. I'm a victim of it, trust me. Yes I've been all "talk" and no "show" but this time I have stuck with it and I plan on sticking with! It hasn't been the easiest process but it has gotten easier everyday, (not saying that I don't have those days where I crave something, but I do have a great support system. This is the longest I have been great with a lifestyle change (nearly 2 months!!!) another goal of mine is to become a certified personal trainer in early 2013, if not sooner. My mind set is to take every days it presents itself, I make sure I have a few meals/snacks ready for school and work such as cheese sticks,apples,protein bar, banana, etc. I also set an alarm on my phone for every 3 1/2-4hours to make sure I'm eating (this really helps!!!) I have been blessed to have a personal trainer help me out when I need it, even though I cannot afford to see him every week. He lent me a book "Body Confidence" which is part of what opened my eyes tremendously! I started working the night shift back in September and that's when I started gaining more weight because I never took the time pack my meal, so I was eating Wendys, Chic fli A, Whataburger...etc, I ended up packing n 10lbs in a few months!!! This was bad and finally in December a week before Christmas I told myself I can't keep eating like this and not work out. It wasn't until that first weekend in January that I started packing my lunch for work, it wasnt hard that week, but 2 weeks later that's when the challenge started, seeing others eat the foods I had grown to love was a challenge, but again with the strong support of my friends and family I overcame these cravings. We started a "biggest loser" contest at work and are using the buddy system, this has helped me a lot also! I have 2 gym buddies and my mom who is doing awesome! The resources don't stop there! I measure my body every week-2 weeks and check my BMI every 2weeks which has goes down 1.3% in the past 2 weeks!!!! Yay! I am currently injured but will hopefully be able to get back in the gym next week! I'll keep everyone posted! O I also had labs drawn yesterday and everything came back great! I think I'm den for today! Long post I know sorry! Leave a comment! And thanks for being there for me! Cristian!

Start point! :)

Hey all! I am starting a blog to promote healthy lifestyles, I am doing this because I am on my own weightloss journey. I know how challenging it can be but I feel the more support you have, the easier it gets! By this blog, I want to see what others are doing, I want to share my recipes, progress, exercises,ideas,struggles, and more. This is for everyone if you want to lose weight,gain weight,maintain, or just be a supporter I want to from everyone! I want to see your progress,what type of exercises you are doing, where you workout, when you have a certain injury what do you do, when you need help, when you need to talk, what shoes work best for you, what you eat, your recipes, do you read fitness articles! This is meant from kids all the way to the ederly! I am 22years old and I want to be able to help others who are also struggling with weight, self esteem, confidence. I believe this will be a great start for me and a lot of other people! I want your feedback.Cjscrappy!Let's do this :)!