There’s a hip weight loss challenge going on over at Baby Tea Leaves and I am joining by declaring that this summer is THE SUMMER OF ME!

Summer of Me

So, today, I’ll be shameless and share my weight story (someday I’ll share my big girl photo too):

Many years ago when I was growing up in the Philippines, we only had basic food and I never had problems with my weight. We only have cakes and ice cream on birthdays, Christmas and New Year. My parents stuffed all six of us with mainly vegetables and fruit so we were all healthy, agile and trim. We did not carry extra tires around our waists nor suffered tooth decay from eating too many chocolates.

OFF TO JAPAN!

I came to Japan in October 1996 weighing 49 kilos (108 lbs). I stand 5 feet and 4 inches (160 cms) and 20 years old. Oh dear, I really thought weight-wise, I’d stay that way forever but as soon as my undisciplined self touched down in my dormitory room, my eating habits abruptly changed and I was consuming too many calories. I was not alarmed even with the 3 kilo increase in my weight in just 6 months! That time I thought it was temporary but now I know that it was denial. I was blinded by the new found luxurious life than I had way back home. I had my own money through monthly stipend as a scholar and finally able to buy anything I want, any time. I would go shopping and watch TV or study with a junk food beside me. I drank sodas and sweet juices instead of water, I ate a lot of McDonalds. I was eating my way to destruction and did not care because I had youth on my side. Young people don’t get fat, don’t they? At least that’s what I was thinking. How stupid of me!

There were times when I get some realization and would go to a nearby gym to sweat it out. I lost some weight but never got back to the old 108 lbs and I wasn’t able to wear the clothes I brought home from home again. With the money I had, I kept on buying new ones, with bigger sizes every time.

I was weighing 60 kilos (132 lbs) when I graduated in 2001. I was unstoppable - and because I am naturally photogenic, (yeah you’re allowed to laugh, go on) I still felt beautiful even when I am heavy.

PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH

Then pregnancy and child birth came. I gained 20 kilos (44 lbs.) more and looked only short of a full term cow. I weighed a whooping 80 kilos (176 lbs.) a week before I gave birth. I felt so huge because I was as heavy as my father.

After I gave birth, I only lost 5% of that weight, to think that my daughter weighed 3.5 kilos and all that placenta and water inside me! I know I vowed to be back in my old form, whatever that was but I was breastfeeding without restrictions so I can’t really diet. I had constant hunger pangs in the middle of the night which was pacified by whole fat creamy milk and white bread or donuts. Jeez, I can almost pull all my hair out now recalling what I put into my mouth during those times. *shiver*

RELOCATION TO DUBAI

January 2007, we left Japan, the land of glutinous and high-caloric rice and yummy tempuras and relocated to Dubai, United Arab Emirates because of my work. I work 6 days a week, sitting in front of the computer for more than 8 hours per day. Yeah, good guess. My butt size has increased tremendously because of that. I had a sedentary lifestyle but because we only had the car 10 months after relocation and I was taking the bus to and from work, I did not gain weight. However, I am still envious of seeing fit people and cry inside dressing rooms.

FINDING MOTIVATION

On August this year, that is, barely a month and a half from now, is my brother’s wedding. It is a grand affair - everyone will be there to scrutinize my size. My brother and his girlfriend are a very handsome fit couple and all of my family members are. It’s a sure bet they’ll comment on my weight. So I have made it a motivation to change my lifestyle in the hope to change the way I look. I started exercising since New Year rolled by going to the nearby park to jog. However little, I made progress. Then I finally took the commitment to enlist in the gym last March 30, 2008.

GYM STARTS

So as not to waste my gym trips which cost me time away from my daughter, I loaded myself with information. I have found out that it takes 3,500 calories to burn a mere ounce of fat! The calorie deficit can either be achieved by diet (cutting on the caloric intake) or exercise or better, both.

My exercise routine are as follows: cardio - running on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes followed by strength training one or two muscle groups per day. I love the internet! It is full of helpful resources. Seek and you shall find. I track my diet and grab some exercises at Spark People, get my strength training routine at Free Trainers and load up on information at Shape Fit and Intense Workout.

I go there 4-5 times a week. I watch the food I ate, limit rice intake to one meal per day (lunch) and switched to whole wheat version of breads.

WEIGHT LOSS

For the first time in years, I saw my weight go down! Starting weight was 160 lbs. and because I carefully monitored my diet and religiously followed my exercise, I saw that I was steadily losing one pound of weight per week. Not bad! I lost 8 pounds in 8 weeks.

Then I hit the dreaded plateau.

It’s been almost three weeks now that I’ve been exercising and dieting (not starving myself but eating balanced meals with portion control) yet the scale won’t budge since the last weight loss register. I scoured information in the net like crazy.

So many articles were written about weight loss plateaus, the causes and what to do with them. My weight did not decrease not because I’m not losing any of it but because I was gaining lean muscle and muscle is heavier than fat, although it consumes less space. Strange and complicated as it may sound, I have not lost any weight in three weeks but my clothes have become more loose. I dropped a clothing size and never felt better.

GOALS

I weigh 152 pounds today and have a goal of at least 140. Goals have to be realistic, hey. I am incorporating weight training so I don’t know how much I’m going to lose in this challenge though I know somehow, this body’s gotta shrink. 130 pounds would make me happy but losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is unhealthy and not good for the body! The slower you take the weight off, the higher the chances you’ll keep them off. And besides,

I did not get gain all this weight overnight so there’s no way I’m going to lose it the next day!

Regular exercise. Proper nutrition. Motivation and a clear cut goal will take me to success.