How Much Do You Weigh? Really...

I used to be in denial about my weight. I weighed 198 when I left for college at 17 in Fall of 1992 and I was a comfortable size 14. I lost down to 175 right before I got pregnant with Kalia, thanks to my roommate Dayhna Carroll who would literally take the cheetos out of my hand and encourage me to exercise (Thanks, Dayhna!) I was a happy size 14 because I loved being the big girl who could move like a little girl. Jess Bergeman and Taishya Adams and I all bonded over this! I was an up and coming rapper and performer and I was treated differently when I lost those few pounds. The looks, the stares, made me feel naked and the real me invisible. With the babies came 30 pounds and my body was comfortable at 230 regardless of what I did. I got up to 270 after the Twins and after Benji but 2015 was the first year I was serious about doing the work it took to lose the weight. 

    Weight is just a number. It's not a reflection of who you are. But the times I went from 230 to 270, I would not have weighed myself for months. I was in serious denial until Nakea Hughes rescued me with a bag of clothes that were too small for her because I was a size 24/26. That was a wake up call. We have to face the numbers. Being obese or overweight puts us at risk for PREVENTABLE diseases. We don't have to get high blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease. What you do today will help to determine your fate. So how much do you weigh, really? 

Find a system

Part of planning for your weight loss is finding a system that will work for you. It needs to be something you can do for a long period of time and it should incorporate a healthy diet and exercise. The exercise does not have to be vigorous but you should plan to move your body on a regular basis. 

      If you do not have a system yet, start with keeping track of your food. There are apps such as My Fitness Pal and Noom or you can use a paper tracker. It's also great to track your steps. You should be getting in 10,000 steps a day. There are apps for that as well. This is a great place to start if you are just starting out. You can always use these apps to challenge yourself. I only walk 3-5K steps on average so I really need to push myself to 10,000 steps. Tracking and goals and finding a system that works for you all go hand in hand. Together they equal success. 

Triggers

How did preparation go? I did a good job getting food last night and starting the week off well. I was sidelined by the Brownies sitting on the counter when I got home from work. After work/before dinner (3-6pm) is the time I find myself mindlessly eating. This time if transition is one of my triggers. In 2014, I used to eat Resch's donuts everyday between picking up Kaissa and the Twins. I gained so much weight! I had a snack of Skinny Pop but I was not satisfied after that snack (and an apple)! What are your triggers? Is it a situation? Time of day? Experience? I need to figure out a way to get through those few hours. I may need to eat more for lunch so that I'm not hungry during 3-6pm. Let me know your triggers...

Preparation

Today is all about preparation! I knew what I needed to do but had a hard time executing. I was weak in two areas: preparation and follow through. Today we will talk about preparation. Make a menu, then make a grocery list. Do not give in to your cravings in the grocery store (don't shop hungry). Wake up early tomorrow to pack and prepare breakfast and lunch and take out your meat for dinner. Plan healthy snacks in between meals and don't forget water and tea. Chamomile tea is good for your nerves and Hibiscus is great for lowering blood pressure. Limit or eliminate caffeine and sugar in your drinks and make your snacks fruit and veggies. Also make veggies half of every meal! It's all up to you hiw slow or fast you want to lose weight but PREPARATION is the key! See you tomorrow!

2016- Recommitment

Last year I was talking to my cousin Tasha about how I was still struggling to lose weight. She said something profound: maybe you should stop talking about it and start doing it. I had been researching and contemplating and planning to lise weight but never stayed committed longer than two weeks. If I worked out and ate right for two weeks and didn't see results, I quit. What I realized last year was that I had to work on my level of commitment; I had to get accountability partners; I had to involve my family; I had to set attainable goals; and I had to find a way to eat right and still enjoy myself. I started last year at 247 and ended the year at 216. I have been as low as 202 this year and will get back down there. It has been a year of learning to trust myself and figuring out what works and what doesn't work. I will start piece by piece and blog through losing the 20 pounds until I get to my goals. I will utilize Daley Drops (hcg drops) and Iaso Tea along my journey as well as the Master Cleanse. Please resarch for yourself those products. Day one starts with the most important aspect of weight liss: WATER! Most of us are severely dehydrated. The first step to weight liss for me starts with drinking ONLY water. I will drink 72 ounces of water today to flush all the salty and sugary food from the holidays. Who is with me???

Day Two

It's so important to feel good in our bodies and to nurture ourselves. It's so difficult to have exercise=feeling good but it really works! Right now, after working out over the weekend- I dealt with the cold and soreness this week- not to deal with Mother Nature and getting caught up at work. All of these are excuses of course. My cousin Tasha said it's time for me to do it rather than talk about it. But talking/writing is how I process and work through things. I want to permanently lose weight this time. There's no vacation or class reunion on the horizon...just the rest of my life. And that life will be filled with gratitude for what I choose to do today or regret for what I fail to do. When I didn't want to give up pop- I often thought to myself- what if I test positive for diabetes tomorrow? And I could have given up pop and kept myself from diabetes? So the same goes for working out. I broke my femur, sprained my ankle and tore my achilles all on the right leg. But yet I am still able to work out and exercise, I'm able to walk without a limp. I must continue to press myself and it starts with each choice, each moment. What are you going to do! Good job Tammy! 

Day one

Anyone who is been overweight and tried to lose weight knows about Day One. It's like the day after the Big Binge, the day where you visualize going all the way this time. This day is going to be different from all the other first days. That's what we believe with all our heart. How will this be different? What will our choices be this time that will be different from all the other times? That's what I'm here to explore with you. 

The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step. 

All great things begin with a catalyst. 

Today is the day that I begin. But guess what I have discovered? That today is just a culmination of all the days that have come before this. And today will build on tomorrow. And in actuality the beginning of this particular journey wasthe day you were born and the end is the day you die. If we could see our lives this way it would be helpful.

How would you live if you knew you would die from diabetes? Would you give up the pop today? If you knew you were going to die from a stroke or heart attack, would you take your high blood pressure medicine? If you knew you were going to die from interpartner violence would you heed the warning signs and get out now? If you knew you were going to die from lung cancer, would you give up cigarettes? Make the decision to live the best life you can live and not to contribute to your own demise. That's what today means for me. A chance to live my best life and change the course of my life! 

Will you join me?