My Weight Loss Journey
“The Beginning of a New & Healthier Me”
By: Chandra L. Pinto Martinez
Overview
August 9th I would be 42 years old and I realized that I didn’t like who I was or who I was becoming. My life was a wonderful one filled with beautiful kids, friends, family, a career I love, and many pursuits I was currently undertaking which I was very passionate about and driven to accomplish. There was, however, a part of me I did not like, what I saw when I looked in the mirror. My best friend, I call him O.B., once told me that if I did not like something about myself only I could change it. His words stayed in the back of my mind and as my birthday approached it came jumping back to the front. I knew that something had to drastically change, and it had to change now! I decided to take matters into my own hands and change that which I did not like, my weight.
August 1st was the beginning of the journey for me, my weight loss journey. I decided that if I was going to make changes then I had to know what I was dealing with. Thus I went to the doctor and got my weight and measurements. I discovered that I was currently overweight with a BMI of 50+, my cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose levels were all within normal range, but my fat to muscle mass ratio was disproportion and placed me in the risk category for heart problems and diabetes that could happen due to my current weight and age.
I have been wanting for a long time to get to a healthier weight so that I can live the best life possible in the body that God has granted me. This article covers a span of four weeks to document the introduction to my journey. It is my intent and objective to extend and implement this as a permanent part of my lifestyle. The journey will cover four key components: Physical Activity, Nutrition, Structured Maintenance Plan, and Developing a Strong Support System comprised of Family & Friends.
Week 1
Goals
The goals for my weight loss journey are to improve my overall health by reducing my current weight with an aim of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week, improving my nutritional lifestyle by implementing a low carb/low calorie diet plan. I will also improve my physical activity level from zero activity currently to attending boxing classes maximum six days per week and a minimum four days per week (have to adjust for when my workload gets in the way, which can potentially happen from time to time).
Lastly, I wanted to develop a strong support system filled with family and friends, nutritional guidance and coaching, and spiritual support from my bishop and other church leaders. At the end of the four weeks I should lose at least 4 pounds and realistically at most 8 pounds.
Structured Maintenance Plan
A structured diet and exercise program can promote favorable changes in weight loss, body composition, and weight maintenance. For this I decided to utilize the services of Physician’s Plan Weight Loss and Wellness Clinic. They are a great team of wellness experts, doctors, nurses, and nutritionists who help people reach their desired weight loss goals in a healthy and proactive way.
I went on August 6th for a workup to find out where I was in my body composition and metabolic profile. The results were what I had come to expect, but also seeing it in black and white made it more real. They provided me with a report that showed my current body composition breakdown and well I was saddened by how far I have fallen. The good news was that with a vigorous workout routine and a healthy diet I could lose the weight within a year from now. I was excited and ready to make the necessary changes to get the desired outcome, a healthier and happier me.
Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition and healthy eating habits I could use some guidance in healthy snacking, what products/items to stay away from, and meal planning/prep ideas to make my life a little easier because I have a very busy lifestyle with work, church, school, and homeschooling my son. Stress plays a key role in how, when, and what I eat, so knowing this helps me to combat the possible problems and challenges head on.
For this I decided to utilize a Certified Nutritional Counselor to help with all the before mentioned details and to provide feedback on my exercise regimen and structured maintenance plan. The nutritionist is part of the team at Physician’s Plan Weight Loss and Wellness center, so it’s great because she has access to my medical file and weekly check-in reports and can advise on what I am doing right and what I need to improve on. After speaking with the nutritionist, it was decided that the best course of action is to implement a low calorie meal plan with a maximum calorie intake of 1800 calories per day and combined with a low carbohydrate meal plan with a maximum intake of 40 carbohydrates per day.
Physical Activity
When it comes to physical activity, I have tried everything from doing exercise on my own by walking and jogging, aerobics through videos and television programs, and joining a gym where it just felt stagnant and very uninviting. This time I have decided to do something different, boxing.
On August 1st I joined a boxing class at 9round Fitness which comes with a personal trainer and 9 intense workout stations that you complete in a total of 30 minutes. It’s perfect for me because I do not have a lot of free time, its relatively inexpensive at only $78 a month, and the trainers are great motivators, friendly, and always pushing you to give your all and do your absolute best. I have decided to go six days a week working out with Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:45 am, Tuesday and Thursday at 4:15 pm, and Saturday at 8:00 am.
Additionally, it is a small group environment with all body types from small to large and everything in between, so everyone is very supportive of each other. Its not like going to a traditional gym where you feel like everyone is watching you, even though they probably are not, and you feel judged. At 9rounds no one judges anyone, and you feel a level of support and comfort where you forget your problems and just want to put it all out there and leave nothing lacking.
Support System
For my support system I have enlisted my father John, my son Johnathan, my best friend Amy, and a host of cousins. I have also decided to post on social media my workout and meals for accountability and moral support. I think having a support system is very important because they can hold you accountable and also push you to keep going and stay motivated when difficult times and days come, because they will come.
Week 2
Overview
In my decision to make better and healthier lifestyle choices I have changed my eating habits, joined a boxing gym and a wellness clinic, and have sought the counsel of a nutritionist for guidance on my weight loss journey. As a result of these lifestyle changes, I have lost 17lbs in just 3 weeks!
Additionally, I have been able to build a following on social media by posting my workout journal and meals online. This has made a difference in my life as serving as a way to be accountable and also has helped others by inspiring them to take the initiative to make better lifestyle choices as well. I have received so many messages through Facebook and Instagram telling me that my story is so inspiring to them and that they too want to get healthier or pursue a change in their lives for the better. It has been a great thing to see the changes in my life and how it is positively impacting others around me.
Goals
The goals set were to improve my overall health by reducing my current weight with an aim of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. However, I have been able to lose 17lbs since my starting this project plan. Additionally, I have been able to reduce both my calorie and carbohydrate intake. I have improved my physical activity level from zero activity to high by attending boxing classes four to six days a week and have only missed 3 classes since the start due to workload.
Lastly, I have developed a strong support system filled with family and friends, nutritional guidance and coaching, and group pages on social media. I have also built a following on my personal social media accounts where I share my posts daily of my workouts and meals. My boxing coach has been extremely supportive and also the other club members, which has been great!
Structured Maintenance Plan
I have been going to the weight loss clinic twice a week for b-12 injections and every Friday to get weighed in. Additionally, I get my vitamins and supplements from them. This has helped in increasing my energy and metabolism levels. In about two more weeks I will be able to get another body composite evaluation to see where I stand in the areas I need to improve in and where I am doing well at.
Nutrition
I spoke to my Certified Nutritional Counselor this week for an updated progress report on how I have been doing. With the significant weight loss, I have had she decided that it would be beneficial to decrease my calorie intake from 1800 down to 1700 per day and my carbohydrate intake from 40 down to 20 per day. She also set me up on the My Fitness Pal app as a way to keep an online food diary so that I can keep an accurate account of the meals I am eating.
Physical Activity
When I joined the boxing gym, I had no idea what to expect but I was presently surprised and delighted that I discovered a support system within the gym from the members and the trainers. I have been going consistently four to six days a week with me attending the afternoon sessions and the morning sessions when possible, adjusting my workout schedule to fit my work and school schedule.
Support System
My support system has been outstanding! My father, in particular, has been my very own personal cheerleader and is amazed by the progress I have been able to make. With my being able to post my weight loss story on my social media pages, my friends and family have been able to follow me on my journey and always post encouraging comments on each post. I have also built a following on my personal social media accounts where I share my posts daily of my workouts and meals. As a result of this I have gained a lot of new followers, some with weight loss journeys of their own and those who want to make a positive lifestyle change. My boxing coach has been extremely supportive, he also posts videos of my exercise routines, encouraging and motivating me when there are times that I want to give up, he helps keeps me on track!
Week 3
On August 21st, I went in to get weighed and to my surprise I lost another 2lbs. I was surprised because this entire week I was unable to workout like normal, in fact I was so incredibly sick I couldn’t even go to work. I was very week physically, nauseated, and had various other severe stomach issues. I had to even go to urgent care because I was so sick. Turns out later I found out that what I was experiencing was very normal, the keto flu! Because I had been incorporating a low carb/low cal lifestyle, my body had to adjust and was basically going through withdrawal from the lack of sugar I was consuming. I was slightly disappointed because I couldn’t go to my boxing class, I wasn’t losing as much weight as I wanted, and I felt awful to boot!
I had to look at things in a positive light, however, because when I did return to gym everyone was so excited to see me! When I told my trainer what had happened his only thought and words to me were “Glad you are back!”
Conclusion Week 4
On August 31st, I made a month since I began my weight loss journey. I went to the Physician’s Plan clinic to get a new metabolic reading to determine how I have been progressing, and the results were amazing and very encouraging. At the conclusion of this report I have maintained the weight loss that I have achieved so far, I have gone down one point in my BMI, fat mass, water mass, and maintained my muscle mass. I have maintained my healthy lifestyle and physical fitness routine and have added in additional nutritional supplements (all natural) to aid me in my weight loss journey.
The most difficult part of the journey has just trying to find the right thing for me to commit to that keeps me motivated and wanting to purse it. Boxing has done that for me! I finally found a place where I feel like I belong, am comfortable, and pushed to my absolute limits to form a better me. Joining 9Round fitness has probably been the most rewarding and easiest of the journey because it’s been fun and invigorating. Filled with new challenges and obstacles to overcome every time I walk through the doors; I get excited the more I go. What I have discovered is not just how important physical fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is, but also how wonderful it is to include family in the plan.
At the end of the day, I am thankful for my journey and all that comes along with it. I have learned so much from making healthier lifestyle choices, new ways to meal prep, the ability to have adventures in physical fitness, and how much fun and rewarding it can be to live a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to continue on this journey of mine and follow it all the way through to the end, which for me is not the conclusion of this report, but it’s the end of my being uncomfortable in my own skin. What I think I have gained most through this process is my self-confidence and self-esteem back. I did not like who I was or who I was becoming. I would look in the mirror and hated the reflection that was looking back at me. Now I like whom I am becoming, and I am taking joy in the journey.
At the start of this journey my goals were very simplistic, small, and realistic. They were to, at the end of the four weeks I should lose at least 4 pounds and realistically at most 8 pounds, build a support group of friends and family, improve upon my previously nonexistent physical fitness level, and introduce new healthier meal plans into my lifestyle. I have exceeded my goals three folds, and have achieved something far greater than I could of ever imagined, a better, stronger, happier, healthier me!
Truly my weight loss journey is not about the diet, or even about losing the weight. My journey is about becoming a healthier, fun loving, and freer me. With everything that I have done, I feel that I have been able to accomplish so much in such a short time frame and I cannot wait for the next six months to see where I end up. I have been able to lose weight and keep it off, establish a meal plan that I can have fun with and maintain, and I have been able to include my friends and family in my weight loss journey for moral support. It has been very encouraging and exciting to have everyone in my family and a few friends involved to see how we are all progressing and improving in our various stages of a healthier transformation!
I would encourage anyone who is uncomfortable with the way they look, feel, or think about themselves to take a self assessment of their lives. Take a moment to ponder about your life choices and make the conscious effort to change that which you do not like! We are all the change makers of our own journey, and we alone are responsible for the change we want to see and implement in our lives. I invite you to join me on a quest for better living which begins with you looking in the mirror and deciding for yourself that you are ready for change and determined to make it happen!
As for me, this is just the beginning! I will continue on my journey and I will continue to write about it. Capturing all the ups and downs, set backs and successes, stresses and excitement that comes along with it. A better life is what I desire and I know I have to put in the work to achieve it! I look forward to posting the next four weeks of my journey next month! See you then.
