November Pledge: Last Minute Weight Loss Goals Renewal

Yep, it's already the middle of November!

I don't know, where did all the months go? I've been dieting for the past months, but all I lost was 10 months! I cheat on my diet a lot. I'm not consistent with my workout. I think I have extremely poor self control and self discipline.

Is it too late now to lose weight this year? The year of 2014? I had a small talk with my sister-in-law recently, who's also trying to lose weight. We talked about our weight loss progress so far and when I said I'm making little to no progress, it seems that we were on the same boat. Then she ended the conversation saying, I'll restart my diet next year. What? Why next year? There're 40 days left until New Year 2015. There're so much you can happen in 40 days. Many people looking forward to January to have a fresh start with weight loss and fitness goals. And yes to be honest, I am.

But Why do I have to wait until New Years Eve to start feeling better, losing some weight, and eating better? 
Why wait until New Year's Eve to make this decision? 
Why wait until January 1 to take action? 
Why don't just kick off the New Year's resolution before the ball drops? 

If you plan to start afresh next year - you should ask yourself if waiting until the new year is just an excuse. For me, I refuse to go around in a cycle of New Year's weight loss resolution.

If You Want Success Today,
Let Yesterday Go
And Stop Seeking Tomorrow 

There is never a better time to take action than right now.

In the book The Miracle of Health, Uche Odiatu says, postponing forward momentum tells the universe that you're not ready for change. When we postpone something we truly desire, the consequences are not obvious the first day. But days of postponing add up to another average year. A lifetime of average years will be filled with: "I wish I had...", "If only I'd...", etc. Some of us are waiting for the perfect time to take the plunge. But we just need to move forward because there is never the perfect time to do anything—at least not in a recognizable form.

2014 is almost over but it still never too late for us to kick start our weight loss plan and improve our quality of life. This November I promise myself to:

1. Treat my body like a temple

Temple is a sacred place. We will not doing something that can hurt, harm or damage the temple of God. Just as we treat temples with respect, we should treat our body with respect. I try to be more conscious of the foods going into my body. I will avoid foods that can harm my health. I will try to eat better, cut down on the salt and sugar, eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can in one day.

2. Walk 10,000 steps a day

10,000 steps is a great benchmark of an active lifestyle. Walking 10,000 steps a day is close to 5 miles and burn approximately 500 calorie. But it may seem like a lot and can be extremely active for many living a sedentary lifestyle like me. I will choose a small achievable goal to start with. Then try to increase my activity by 1,000 or 2,000 steps a day. I will use each small success to motivate me to go further. Every small improvement is a step in the right direction.

3. No carbs after 2 pm

Okay this is hard. I try to eliminate rice in my diet. But I am Asian and we literally had rice with every meal. Rice and chicken, rice and pork, rice with soup, rice with eggs, etc. By taking a route of cutting carbs after 2 p.m., I can better control the amount of calories I eat, but still can enjoy my favorite foods.

4. Be accountable for what I eat and what I burn

Maybe I need to start food journaling again. I need to write ahead what I plan to eat, this way will helps prevent mindless or impulsive eating. Keeping a food journal also gives me a record that I can always refer back to. To stay accountable and hit my goal, I must put workout in my calendar or to-do list. Schedule each workout for the week like a doctors appointment.

5. Drink 2 litres of water a day

Drinking enough water is an essential part of being healthy especially when you're trying to lose weight, water should be your best friend. Research has found that drinking an average of 6.5 cups of water per day helped people consume 200 fewer calories a day. The next time I think I'm hungry I'll try drinking several glasses of water first.

6. Say NO to junk foods, fast foods, and sweetened beverages

This is a real challenge because whenever I feel hungry and feeling stressed, lonely, bored or blue, I tend to reach for the salty, greasy comfort of junk food. Now I already had remove the junk food from my house, already stopped buying it. Next thing is learning to say NO at the right time to McDonald's, KFC. I am much stronger than my cravings. Whenever I have a strong craving and I know I'm not hungry, a mint or brushing my teeth I think would help to curb cravings. Or maybe just find something to distract myself. The craving will pass.

7. Say NO to excuses

I am the queen of excuses when it came to weight loss. But this November, there'll be no more negative body thoughts. No more "I'll do it tomorrow". No more sitting and wishing for a thinner me. No more eating when I am not hungry. No more waiting for this to get easier. No more "but's..", no more "I can't", no more "it's too hard," "I'm too tired." No more excuses. My dream is bigger than my excuses.

Remember the old saying, "If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse."  

What goals you'd like to achieve before this year will expire?

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Fitspiration Friday: No Surgery! Adry Unlocking the Secret of Her 150 Lbs Weight Loss

Inspiration time! Seems that I'm a little late again getting Fitspiration Friday post out. Well, I get asked few times by you readers to share my own story but the truth is... I'm not a success story yet. I am not at goal yet, I still have a long way to go. But wait, I am a work in progress. To quote Winston Churchill who said "success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

I conditionally give myself permission to succeed in all that I do. 

For now let's get inspired by Adriana Isabel. I get to know her through her Instagram account @adry_bella and she is such a lovely inspiring person for millions of people struggling with overweight and obesity.

READ: Top 12 Most Inspiring Weight Loss Pictures on Instagram

She lost an incredible 150 lbs – that's 68 kg –  in 2 years time, isn't that awesome? And her success in conquering bad habits, getting out from her comfort zone to reach weight loss success have influenced her followers positively.

Talk about her wake up call to lose weight, it's began due to health issues. Adry stands 5'2 tall and was almost 300 lbs when she began her weight loss journey. Her feet were swelling and her heart was over working causing her blood pressure to rise giving her constant headaches. "My legs were swelling, my lower back was always killing me, I suffered daily headaches, and was always tired and out of energy. Being in the medical field I knew that the swelling in my legs and feet was so not a good sign," she said in one of her Instagram post.

Kick starting weight loss is a real challenge. If you are looking to kick things up a notch in the weight-loss department, here's Adry's top 3 tips!

1. Jan.2012 started walking 1 mile 3-4 times a day. 

Then became a runner. "If you want to lose weight, cardio is the best answer. Whether it's on the elliptical, gazelle, treadmill, stationary bike, or riding a bike. It all works."

By the end of that year and though the year 2013 she was running and added P90X workouts.

2. End of 2013 and through the beginning months of 2014 she was at her ultimate goal weight.

She said, "I wanted to tone my skin and found the courage to start BEACHBODY'S INSANITY. Somedays, when the DVD didn't seem hard enough, I would also run a few miles to burn some extra calories. It was definitely the hardest challenge I've had to push myself thorough, but I did it! I cried on my last day, never in my dreams did I ever imagine that I, Adry, the once obese-very slow-I hate anything that requires physical activity-girl would ever have the stamina to complete the program."

3.  Monitor what you eat.

Focus on complex carbs rather than simple carbs. Drink LOTS OF WATER, leave the sugary drinks, and no snacking on chips or cookies. Eat grilled/baked rather than fried, have 3 small meals, and 3 healthy snacks everyday. Keeps your metabolism working and you lose more calories.

Weight loss motivation. I believe some people struggle to lose any weight and others struggle with weight loss motivation or approach. What advice can she give to others struggling to lose weight?

A synonym for motivation is the word "reason". So what is my reason for working out, for eating healthy, for day after day avoiding the temptation of consuming the yummy sugary high carb foods I love? My motive | my reason | my motivation is simple. "Health/Happiness."
I will take being healthy/happy any day VS giving into a minute of pleasure.

IMAGINE you walk into a room. You look in front of you and there's a cookie . It's your favorite kind. You know you shouldn't, but it's freshly baked and it smells divine️. You grab it and devour it in less than a minute! To burn off that 150 calorie cookie you would have to run on the treadmill for at least 15-20 min. That doesn't seem so worth it, does it?

To be back to that girl that would satisfy her EVERY SINGLE CRAVING, but was obese, sad, depressed, and had low self esteem...OR...to be the girl that resists temptations, that eats healthy, takes care of the only body she's got and limits (NOT COMPLETELY CUTS OFF OR RESTRICTS) the sweets and high carb goodies...well, I'll take the healthy girl ANYDAY.

I question my motives/motivation on a daily basis.

I have to constantly remind myself why I'm doing this, the struggle is still within me. I still have cravings just like every single one of you, but I learned to train my body and my mind. It took time and practice. I still lose to temptations once in a while, but the fact that I don't let that urge take a hold of me is because I have fight inside. I will not go back! That fear---the fear of being Adry 3 years ago---is what keeps me on my toes. The sadness I left behind is my REASON to continue what I've done this far.

Excess skin. After significant weight loss, many individuals are concerned about excess skin in the abdomen and other areas. Excess skin is a common problem after weight loss. I saw Adry address about this in a reply to one of her followers on Facebook. She said, "All bodies are different. I can't sit here and tell you that your body will turn out like mine. A lot of factors take effect in a persons results. Age, height, genetics, body type, how long it takes you to lose the weight, what exercises you do/did to lose the weight."

Negativity. She also took a swipe at 'haters' who have questioned her amazing weight loss transformation. In one of her Instagram posts, Adry explained that she did not do any surgery or pills. All done natural.

"I'm so fed up with comments saying how I SIMPLY MUST have had surgery or else where did all the excess skin go? Assumptions of such nature are normal, I suppose, but the main reason why my profile remains UNPRIVATE is because I am 100% honest about my journey. I have videos showing my stomach, endless posts talking and displaying my excess bits."

"I have never resulted to surgery, and if I ever do in the future you better believe that it will be shared with you ALL. There is no secret to my weight loss. I have shared my transformation since day one."

"I started with walking and incorporated small at home workouts. Crunches, push ups, side kicks, sit-ups. Eventually increasing the number of sets as the months went by. As I shredded the weight I also grew my stamina and resistance to the point where I began running for a short period of time, then walking for a short period of time and repeat. Little did I know that by month 7 I was running straight for 2 miles!!! I added P90x, then finished the INSANITY CHALLENGE. ️ It wasn't until early this year (2014) that I ever joined a gym."

"What my body has been through shows in the mirror and stares back at me every day. I am not ashamed, I take every stretch mark, every pound, every ounce of saggy skin as a trophy. I'd much rather be here than where I started! And until you don't personally struggle and go through what I've been through, sadly, you will never understand. I'm humbled by those who support me either way. And to those that just criticize, please don't waste your time with your unnecessary comments that will just get ignored."

Adry's weight loss journey is so relatable. It is really inspiring to know that she went through this and managed to keep her willpower. She is a living proof that achieving weight loss goals is possible with dedication and support.

"We love to see success stories here, it gives a lot of hope to others. It hurt so much, every night I fell asleep thinking the same though 'I wish I was thin. Why can't I lose weight?' I cried myself to sleep plenty of nights. I never thought I'd be here, I thought I'd always be big, unhappy, depressed, unhealthy. It's due to all the weightloss shows, the commercials, the advertisements of all these magic slimming products--it's because of all that junk that we get confused and lost in what should be a journey of self discovery. They promise you things and show "success stories" to pull people in. I remember watching and asking myself if those stories were real. I chose not to believe, and instead, tried my own approach. Lowered my calories and ate healthier, started walking and eventually became a runner. My journey is not a SUCCESS STORY..it's MY STORY. The only thing I've succeeded on so far is at becoming a healthier person."

- Adry speaks about the 'I can't lose weight' syndrome.  

All pictures are copyright to Adry. If you need a daily boost of motivation, do follow Adry on her Instagram @adry_bella. Her post will motivates you to get up off the couch and lace up your shoes.

Do you have a success story that you would like to share with the Her Weight Loss Diary community? If you'd like to share a story, contact us. Can't wait to hear your story! 

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'Can You Drink? You Shouldn't Be Eating That' ...and 10 Other Annoying Things People Who Try to Lose Weight Are Hate of Hearing

I spent my weekend at my parents last week. It was one very hot day when my husband came home from golfing and he brought with him a big container of ice cream. And my father gave his usual reaction when I took two to three scoop of it. Only this time I am thankful he did not utter it directly like he always did. But still his eyes scream at me, "I believe you shouldn't be eating that!" Papa, I know you have no idea that I saved up enough calories to enjoy this moment.

At other time, I asked a favor from my sister to stop by my friend's house whom also my diet buddy to pick up something and upon passing the things to me my sister said, she was eating when I arrived. Funny, right? When you tell friends and family you're trying to lose weight, they somehow expect you not to eat. Just because you say you're on diet doesn't mean you stop eating.

If you've been trying to lose weight, then you must be familiar with these most annoying things people always say about your effort.

1. "You don’t need to lose weight, you look great." 
Do you mean my dieting is working? Or do you mean I am looking thinner from a distance? Sarcasm much? Well, if you're trying to be nice to me, I appreciate that. But no, thank you. I know what my ideal weight is and I am clear about my weight loss goal. I am doing this because I want to feel good about myself. Staying motivated on this diet is taking every ounce of my willpower. So please be kind and pass me a bottle of water, will ya?

2. "You don't need to diet, you will never be a size zero." 
I know. And I know I don't have to be a size zero to make a positive healthy choices. If you have nothing good to say, please don't say it at all!

3. "Have you lost any weight yet?"
No. Why are you so bothered?

4. "Have you tried the Atkins diet [or insert other diet here]?" 
No, but thanks. I’m trying this diet that I’m currently on.

5. "Why don't you try yoga instead?"
Thanks for the suggestion. But I have been doing this circuit training at home for weeks and feel great.

6. "You're limiting yourself so much, but you're still fat."

Hey, I'm NOT in competition with anyone. I run my own race. I am not interested to play the game of being better than anyone. I just aim to be better than I was before.

7."You can have A LITTLE cake. I made this. One tiny piece won't hurt!"
For some people moderation is the key to weight loss. But the weight loss mantra is not necessary for everyone. I'm avoiding because just one piece of cake or whatever the trigger food was at the moment, will leads to another and another. Not worth it. Please understand. Respect.

8. "You know 90% of people gain all the weight back after three months right?"
Yes, but 10% DON’T.

9. "I don't understand why people starve themselves."

Yes, I know that my diet would mean starvation to you. I am a 30+ year old woman who stands 4'10" tall and has a slow metabolism that makes it very hard for me to lose weight, while you are a 22 year old young man who stands 6'4" and is absolutely made of muscle. Please. Shut. Up. Now.

10. "You're on a diet? Ugh, I've been trying to gain weight."
Did I ask you?

Isn't it nice if only those annoying comments could help you shed kilos... 

What's the most annoying thing someone's ever said to you while you were trying to lose weight?

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Dieting and Mental Health: What’s the Connection?

The following is a contributing post by Kristeen Cherney. She is a freelance health and lifestyle writer who also has a certificate in nutrition. Her work has been published on numerous health-related websites. Previously, she worked as a communications and marketing professional. Kristeen holds a BA in Communication from Florida Gulf Coast University, and is currently pursuing an MA in English with a concentration in rhetoric and cultural studies. When she's not writing or studying, she enjoys walking, kick-boxing, yoga, and traveling.

Your mind play a role in your diet success but it can also play tricks on you. Find out as Kristeen elaborate here how to reshape your thinking to create diet success.

Whether you’re new to weight loss or not, you’ve likely heard the old adage that success is dependent on using more energy than you can take in. (In other words, eat fewer calories and burn more calories by exercising). Yet for most people struggling with their weight, the situation isn’t so clear-cut. Being overweight is often about more than just eating too much and sitting around. For some, underlying health conditions like diabetes or hypothyroidism can cause even more challenges.

Perhaps an even more complex aspect of weight loss is your mental health. Dieting takes a big mental commitment, and failing to set realistic goals can take an extreme emotional toll. On the flipside, other dieters form their goals based on their emotions rather than in a healthy way. For long-term dieting success, discover how you can tap into your mental power the right way without doing harm.

Dieting and Brain Power 
The brain signals everything in your body, including when and what to eat. Your appetite is controlled by the hypothalamus, a fancy term that refers to a small gland located near the pituitary gland in the brain. The hypothalamus plays a key role in the endocrine system because it creates hormones. There is a misconception that thoughts alone control your appetite—in fact, the hypothalamus is partly responsible. It creates hormones that help produce corticotropin, which in turn controls your appetite.

The brain also controls dieting habits in other ways. Adrenaline production from the adrenal glands can cause “on-the-go” feelings, which can also decrease your need to eat. Also called epinephrine, adrenaline is actually controlled by the brain.

When you go on a diet, you can’t necessarily switch the production of corticotropin and adrenaline into high gear. Still, it’s important to be mindful of your brain’s role in dieting so you can better prepare yourself to have will-power against cravings and emotional eating.  

How Emotions Affect Your Eating 
As your body starts going through its transformation, it’s normal to get emotional from time to time. Losing weight is a serious accomplishment that you have the right to get choked up about! With that being said, your emotions can also present some unwelcome challenges during the dieting process.

Emotional eating is most prevalent among women, and is thought to be attributed to high levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol levels also peak when you’re stressed. Stress- or binge-eating can be a dieting nightmare because a large amount of calories can quickly undo any progress you’ve made.

Serious Health Concerns

When you start a new diet, the prospect of getting your dream body is exciting. Patience can also be difficult at this stage because you want to lose extra weight now. Some dieters start out with good intentions but may let their emotions and impatience get the best of them. This is when unhealthy eating habits can form. Eating too little can put extreme stress on all parts of the body, and even cause disruptions in hormones and metabolism. In fact, many people who go off of their diets end up gaining weight back for these reasons. In more serious cases, eating disorders can cause health problems.

It’s also important to note that eating disorders are more prevalent among dieters who suffer from depression. Low self-esteem and self-worth are signs of depression, as well as a lack of interest in normal activities. Take a step back and determine why you’re dieting. Do you want to feel better and gain better health? Or are you worried about how others view you?

Solutions for a Better Dieting Mentality

Your brain affects everything, including your attitude. It’s time to utilize your mentality to gain better dieting habits and reach your goals in a safe, effective manner. Consider the following solutions to help keep your mind focused while also keeping your body healthy as you reach your weight-loss goals:

• Start out slow, and aim to lose one to two pounds per week.
• Try eating a larger breakfast and a smaller lunch.
• Count the number of bites you eat at every meal. This will help keep your brain focused and prevent mindless eating.
• Go for a walk or call a friend when cravings strike in order to prevent binge-eating.
• Add more movement to your day, but keep workouts to 30 minutes at a time. This will prevent eating too much to compensate for a massive loss of energy.
• Give your brain and your body enough rest: aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night.

Finally, sharing your dieting goals with a friend or dieting network can keep your mind focused on your goals while also providing emotional support. Dieting alone can get boring after a while, and can also make you feel isolated. Don’t be afraid to share your successes with the world too—you deserve the attention.

Now, it's your turn...share in the comments:

How do you stay mentally strong and what is your strategy to win the weight loss battle?

Resources
• Mind-Body Medicine Practices in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2013, March 29). Retrieved from http://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=102
• Seven Proven Tips for Weight Loss Success. (2012, September 12). Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201209/seven-proven-tips-weight-loss-success
• Why Stress Can Cause People to Overeat. (2012, February). Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/harvard_mental_health_letter/2012/february/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat

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Weight Loss Motivations: 5 Unimaginable Signs You're Losing Weight

Happiness for me is... when someone notice my weight loss.

[ source ]

"Wow, you look like you’ve lost weight!"

"You don't need to lose anymore weight, you look good."

"You look slim."

Sometimes it's difficult to notice the subtle changes in your body in the midst of weight loss process. I know it takes time to lose the weight and for people to notice, but staying on track and not giving up is hard if you are having a slow weight loss, and you are not seeing the results. Even though no one notices that you've lost weight, there are obvious signs that your body is on its way to becoming what you've always wanted.

Here are a few signs that gives you motivation to keep going, sign that indicate you’re on the right track to accomplishing your weight loss goals:

1. Increased Energy
Losing weight is supposed to make you feel good. With improved diet and exercise plan you're likely to experience an increase in energy. The right diet can help fuel your body and keep your energy levels from flagging throughout the day. Exercise keeps your metabolism functioning properly.

2. Improved Lovemaking
According to WebMD, losing a little weight, even 10 pounds can stimulate sex hormones. Andrew McCollough, MD, director of sexual health and male infertility at NYU Medical Center in New York says that Medical conditions such as high cholesterol and insulin resistance [an early indicator of type 2 diabetes] do have the ability to impact sexual performance, which in turn impacts desire, particularly in men. You may also find that you gain back your confidence and self esteem, both of which can give your sex drive a kick.

3. Improved Sleep
Healthy weight loss may bring better sleep. Being overweight and sleep apnea are closely linked. Sleep apnea is a condition in which the upper airway collapses during sleep. This can lead to serious consequences like stroke or sudden death. By eliminating the extra pounds, you can improve your breathing and general health.

4. Fitting Back into Old Clothes
Do you have indicator clothes, the clothes that scream at you that you are gaining weight? Take out clothes that fit snugly before you began your new, healthy habits. Is it now a little loose around your waist or arms? This is a sure sign of progress toward a leaner you!

5. Flabby Skin 
When you lose a lot of weight you may develop loose and sagging skin as a result. I had read years ago that slow, gradual weight loss does not result in excess flab because it's easier for a person’s skin elasticity to sort of snap back into place. Sagging skin is the things I fear most about losing weight. But I'd rather have a liitle bit sagging skin than be fat forever. Furthermore, there are toning exercises that can help tighten skin after a significant weight loss.

What is the most difficult challenges for you about losing weight?

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Weight Loss Goals: 5 Things I Want to Do When I Lose Weight

Everybody has goals, aspirations or whatever to get up at certain time. Perhaps you are unable to meet your business goals or fulfill your dream-house fantasy because of obstacles in your cash flow cycle, you always have options like Kabbage, who provide small business loans, to turn to in order to get your funds faster.

But reaching weight loss goals is different, you don't need to spend a lot of money. Even if you spend a lot of money on weight loss program, pills, exercise equipment, or meal replacement nothing works if you don't put effort into it.

I have a goal.

I have a goal that one day I will lose weight and have that dream body.

Nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels. Imagine pulling off a body hugging dress without holding your breath. Imagine slipping confidently, easily, and joyfully into those skinny jeans without struggling. Imagine bending over comfortably to tie your shoes. Imagine climbing two flights of stairs but never feel short of breath. Imagine stepping on the scale and read it by just looking down, straight down. And that you know your children are not embarrassed about the way you look.

Sticking together through thick and thin: A weight loss buddy can provide companionship, and positive encouragement and help you stick to your weight loss goals.

I share my hopes and dreams with my weight loss buddy. I wrote these 30 day letters to inspire her. She, on the other hand is my great aid to motivation, someone that makes me accountable for my weight loss goals.

We know that we are not deemed to be FAT forever. 

Dreams and goals can really inspire you. We imagine our dream body. We imagine what it would feel like to experience the dreams we want to have.

Here are 5 things we want to do when we lose weight.

1. Fit into smaller clothes

Ajinmend: I will dig into my old clothes. Finally fitting into those small clothes. Yay!

Honeybee: Very cool! I think my old clothes kinda outdated. I will go shopping for clothes online and the best thing about this is have to worry not about the dress sizes anymore.

2. I want to do a photoshoot

Ajinmend: I want to celebrate this victory by taking wedding anniversary photoshoot. Imagine wearing that princessy dress and show off your tiny waistline.

Honeybee: And flat stomach.

Ajinmend: And nobody will ever asking you if you're pregnant when you're not.

Honeybee: Awkward, right. We get asked that question big time. As for me, I want to take a decent family photoshoot and pose freely. I mean I will never need to hide behind my kids anymore to hide my embarrassing body shape. Non scale victory!

3. Talk back to your critic

Ajinmend: For those who dared to say "you never lose weight" this is the sweetest revenge. I will proudly flaunt my new body makeover.

Honeybee: Make them regret. Imagine you meet someone you haven't seen for ages. Imagine the stunned look on her face when she sees your "new image."

4. Show-off "Before" and "After" Picture on media social

Think yourself thin with the FaceinHole app: Had been overweight for years, we can't even remember 
us being at our ideal weight. 

Honeybee: I used to post other people before-and-after-weight-loss picture on my Instagram. Now it's my turn.

Ajinmend: You want fame. Gah!

Honeybee: Hell, no!! Haha...I am not focusing on personal glory. I simply want to inspire people. Inspiring others isn't easy. But we all have the ability to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say 'because of you, I didn't give up.' Inspiration is one of the greatest gifts we can give anyone. When you inspire others, you give them hope. We give them life.

Ajinmend: Absolutely. I want to do the same thing. Success should be celebrated, not condemned.

5. Expanding family

Ajinmend: I have been putting my life on hold because of my weight. I would like to get pregnant and expand our family but I can't until I lose some weight.
Honeybee: Oh, that's also one of my bucket list item of things I want to do when I lose weight. We want a healthy pregnancy, right? Getting pregnant when you are obese or overweight increase your chances of miscarriage, birth defects, and pregnancy complications. We don't want to take this risks.
Ajinmend: But sometimes people just can't understand why you want to lose weight if you plan to get pregnant. People mindset was like you will gain weight during pregnancy. So why going through all the hardships to lose weight. People was like... you can lose weight after you have a baby. But I want to be at my healthy weight for my next pregnancy. I want to stay fit and strong.

It's your turn now:

What's on your bucket list? What things you want to do when you lose weight or when you reach your goal weight?

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Fitspiration Friday: Grace's Weight Loss — How She Lost 45 Lbs in 4 Months

I owe you Fitspiration Friday post last week, so here you go. Please welcome Grace.

When she first started her weight loss journey in May 2014, she was at her heaviest weight of 240 lbs (109 kg). Too heavy for her 5' 4" frame.

She was at the heaviest she has ever been. Depressed.

About 8 years when she was in high school, she wanted to be 'skinny' so she tried everything to lose weight — diet pills, crazy diets, adderall, laxatives, anorexia, bulimia, then...got into heavy heavy drugs. "I hated the person who I was becoming," she wrote. "Eventually, I just gave up trying for years."

And 5 months ago she finally decided to change her life.

She is so freaking inspiring! In a little over 4 months she had already lost around 45 lbs (20 kg). She did this on her own, no supplements or anything else, all natural — eating healthy and exercising!

How she kick started her weight-loss journey? Quoted from her Instagram post, she says: 

"I have come a long way and there's no stopping me. I am finally doing this! I don't know what made me just finally say enough is enough and start losing weight, there was just a click in my head, like "okay, this time, I'm not giving up!" I don't know how to explain it. But once it clicks, you'll see what I mean :D CONGRATULATIONS to the people that have lost 10 lbs, 15 lbs, 30 lbs, EVEN to a 1 lb weight loss!! I know it takes a lot of hard work to be in this journey, but it all pays off! I Respect each and everyone's journey. Let's keep kicking ass !!!!!!!!!!!"

I believe many want to know her weight loss weapon. On one of her picture on Instagram, she captioned:

"I always give it my all, without excuses & with so much determination. I workout 6 days a week Monday through Saturday for about 45 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes. Depending on the calories I wanna burn that day. I always set a goal before I workout on how many calories I wanna burn that day. Today was 1,000. Sometimes it's 400, 500, 600 or more. I set a goal in my mind, and I hit it! When I first started working out, I'd set a goal between 250-300 calories, then moved it up to 500, trying to build up my endurance. Now I can go over 1,000 :) Never give up on your goals, they'll make you stronger ;)"

Weight loss didn't happens to me last year but I told myself that this time, this year I would lose the weight. Now that 9 months have passed I still stuck at the same weight I was when I first started (and probably gain another extra pounds - I haven't weighed myself in months.) 

But reading Grace's story makes me feel hopeful. I've seen how far she has come. If you're not motivated by her accomplishment, I don't know what will. 

Non-scale victory: Same shirt, 5 months difference.

Just a gentle reminder to myself. If she can do it, there's no reason why the rest of us can't." Amazing people do not just happen. Push yourself because no one is going to do it for you." Love this quotes!  

You should go follow her Instagram @graciesjourney for daily dose of weight loss and fitness motivations. Don't forget to share this story with your family and friends by clicking the share button. If you have your own success story, don't keep it a secret. Write your story and share with Her Weight Loss Diary community here. 

Now share with me in the comments:

What was your AHA moment? What prompted you to begin your weight loss journey?

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Weight Loss Tips: Avoiding Nutrient Deficiencies During Weight Loss

The following is a contributing post by Lisa Dennis. She used to work in healthcare and nutrition, helping people to maintain their fitness and lose weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle. After a short time away to get married and start to raise her family she decided that she'd prefer to freelance, and started a writing career. Now she pens articles on the topics she knows most about and finds she's got more time to help her own family grow and develop healthily.

It is important to get enough important nutrients to boost metabolism and increase exercise performance. Lisa reflects how the nutrients you eat can play a vital role in weight loss. I hope you will find this information helpful. 

When you’ve struggled with your weight for a long time, you’ll do anything to see the pounds come off. This often means dabbling with very low calorie diets or other weight loss plans that extremely limit the choice of foods you can eat. While you’ll likely see results, these regimens are usually hard to stick to and can leave you short of various vitamins and minerals. Micronutrient deficiencies not only take their toll on your energy levels and your appearance, affecting your hair, skin and nails, but they can also leave you feeling low and jeopardize your long-term health.

If your calorie intake is regularly less than 1500kcal you are recommended to take a daily vitamin and mineral pill to top up your levels of vital nutrients. However, reducing your calorie intake needn’t mean that you can’t achieve a nutrient dense diet, it just makes it that bit harder. When you’re aware of which micronutrients you are more likely to fall down on when controlling your weight, you can take steps to include foods that are not only rich in these nutrients, but are compatible with a diet for weight loss too. Here we take a look at 5 vitamins and minerals to focus on and how including rich sources of these may even help you to shed the pounds.

Calcium

One food group that is commonly limited during weight loss attempts is dairy produce. We’re told that full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese are high in calories, so we may do away with dairy foods altogether. However, doing so makes it more difficult to get enough calcium, as milk, yogurt and cheese is our main dietary source. 

Low-fat options are lower in calories, but just as rich in calcium, so they’re a good option to protect the strength of your bones. Keeping dairy on the menu is also a good idea, as numerous studies link higher calcium diets with a lower body weight and weight loss. Other dietary sources of calcium include leafy greens like broccoli and spinach, pulses and canned sardines or salmon.

Vitamin E

As it is a fat soluble vitamin, vitamin E is typically found in foods with a higher fat content, which you might limit as part of a diet for weight loss. 

Examples of foods rich in vitamin E are vegetable oils and spreads, nuts and seeds, all those that you might have cut back on. With a limited intake of vitamin E you can develop dry skin, but the role that vitamin E plays as an antioxidant also leaves you vulnerable to attack by free radicals, which over a longer period could mean a greater chance of heart disease. 

If you’re wondering where to get your vitamin E from, certain fruits and vegetables also provide the vitamin in smaller quantities, such as kiwis, tomatoes, asparagus and green beans. There’s no need to eliminate nuts and seeds though, as research shows that including these can lead to more weight loss than on a low-fat diet, possibly because their fiber and protein content curbs hunger.

Vitamin D

Studies show that low vitamin D levels are more common when you carry extra weight. While researchers don’t yet know for sure whether low levels of vitamin D contribute to weight gain or being overweight depletes your stores of the vitamin, one possibility is that it comes down to diet again. 

Limiting items like fatty fish and eggs, which are naturally rich in the vitamin, along with fortified foods like margarine, milk and breakfast cereals could go some of the way to explaining why our vitamin D levels are lower. The sun is still the best way to get enough of this vitamin, so exposing your lower arms and face to the sun each day, possibly during outdoor exercise, is a good option.

B vitamins

If you’re contemplating a low carb diet, it is worth bearing in mind that carbohydrates are an important source of B vitamins, particularly B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B9 (folate). Studies certainly show that weight loss plans that restrict carbohydrates, such as the Atkins diet and Dukan diet, place you at higher risk of a low B vitamin intake, which can leave you tired and is a particular issue for women planning pregnancy owing to folate’s role in fetal development. It’s possible to minimize B vitamin deficiencies while on a low carb regimen by including yeast extract, green leafy vegetables, lean meats and fish.

Chromium

Although you might not have heard of this mineral, it is another you can go short of on a low calorie diet. Chromium is found in a range of foods from apples, bananas and wheat germ to beef and liver, but a restrictive diet could easily see you going short if you cut out carbs or shunned meat. 

Chromium plays a role in metabolism, though there isn’t good evidence that it promotes weight loss. However, what is known is that chromium is essential for blood glucose control, so if you have diabetes your blood sugar levels will rise without enough dietary chromium. Eating a wide range of foods shouldn’t see you going short of chromium, so avoid cutting out whole food groups while trying to lose weight.

After reading this, please share in the comments:

Are you lacking in any of these nutrients? Which nutrients might you be missing?

If you'd like to write a contributing post for Her Weight Loss Diary, check out our guidelines here.

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Fitness Fever: 3 Sneaky Ways to Stay Fit on Vacation — Without Really Trying

Vacation is an opportunity to look forward to some great time to relax, escape, and indulge. But having a blast on vacation doesn't always mean taking time off from your diet and health lifestyle.

Trying to stay fit while on vacation is a bit tricky for me. I am still trying to stay committed to my fitness plan at home, I am especially find it difficult to keep fit on vacation which usually involve a busy day of shopping and sightseeing, extra baggage, kids, and tight schedules. Staying fit on vacation is something I'm tempted to abandon.

I am challenging myself this month of September to complete 30-Day Squat Challenge. And I'm proud of myself for sticking to it longer than I expected. I usually quit any weight loss or fitness challenge halfway but this time it's different. Maybe media social pressure made me pushing myself, and by the way it's a great motivation. I plan to keep the momentum going during my short trip to Hong Kong last week. But it didn't happen. I was too busy preparing the kids in the morning and too tired to workout when return to the hotel in the evening.

I don't want a stressful vacation just because I can't make my vacation workout at the same time. I'm not a fitness expert, but I know anyone can stay fit on vacation — without really trying.

1. Walk to your destination
Include into your travel itinerary a short hikes or walking trips. The “Hotel Hike” at the Aria Las Vegas provide one such unique experience to stay fit while traveling. If hiking and walking tours is not your thing, you can have another option by walking to your destination instead of taking bus or train.

On vacation to Disneyland last week, we walked to several attraction nearby and these miles racked up to 1 and ½ miles per day. Never underestimate the power of walking. Sound simple but this small walking session add up to a mega calorie burn!

Super massive mama enjoys the glamorous night view of Hong Kong

Excited! Hong Kong Disneyland

Father and son at Cinderella's castle. See, the boy just can't wait to explore the park.

Mystic Point - one of my favorite attraction at HK Disneyland. 

Cinderella, my favorite Disney Princess

2. Dance the calorie away
According to Fitness Blender, dancing – for example salsa dancing roughly burned 405 calorie per 60 minutes for someone weighing 140, or around 480 calorie for a 180 lb person. If you have opportunity to dance with your family on vacation take advantage of every one. It is a fun way to burn off some of the vacation dessert you may splurge on.

3. Take your meal plan
Plan ahead your meal. Bring healthy snacks with you on long walks to stave off hunger. You'll be able to save money and calories by avoiding trips to fast food restaurants, street foods, or last minute meals.

Don't Beat Yourself Up
Take it easy! If you gain few pounds or your fitness routine get interrupted during your vacation, don't feel so bad. It's okay to take a week off from gym. You purposely go on vacation to relieve stress and give your body a rest. Everyone needs a little break and that including your structured fitness routine. You always can get back on track after vacation.

Your turn! Share in the comments...

How do you stay fit on vacation and still having fun? 

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Fitspiration Friday: Jojo Motivates Herself to Lose 80 Pounds!

This is maybe late for Fitspiration Friday but I want to post it anyway.

Fitspiration Friday is a series of beautiful weight loss success stories on Her Weight Loss Diary, I blog about to inspire and motivate myself on my weight loss journey. And by the way, we always love a magical success story, don't we? I hope as you reading you'll be inspire as well whatever your weight loss or fitness goal might be.

Jojo's Weight Loss Transformation: Let's the picture speak for itself

Meet Jojo. She has a good sense of humor, so full of life and love! And she lost big too. Read on to find out how she made it and be ready to inspire.

HER WEIGHT LOSS DIARY (HEWLD): What is your starting weight and current weight? 
Jojo: Heaviest weight 257, current 175.

HEWLD: What challenges you face in losing weight? 
Jojo: Myself, finally realizing that it was ONLY me who could create my true happiness, so it took me 4 years to get serious.

HEWLD: Diet and exercise - which one help you lose weight faster? 
Jojo: I don't believe in diet, but I did change my entire eating, and that's 90% of weight loss. I like to lift weights so I do both, and have slowly lost my weight.

HEWLD: What foods and habits were the most difficult for you to give up? 
Jojo: Potato chips, and I will have them once or twice a month still

HEWLD: Do you believe in cheat days? 
Jojo: Absolutely, I have one cheat day a week, and I still will make smart choices, and ususally just have one cheat meal a week, now a days.

HEWLD: How do you find the time to workout all day? 
Jojo: It's 4% of the day, one hour....no one can say that they don't have that.....get rid of your excuses, and you will find results.

HEWLD: What is your favorite workout? 
Jojo: Old school heavy lifting.

HEWLD: How long does it takes to see your weight loss result? 
Jojo: Since November when I was 228, it's September and I am 175.

HEWLD: When you didn't lose weight for a few weeks, how did you keep motivated? 
Jojo: I didn't gain my weight in a few weeks either, so to just quit after a few weeks is silly....and the scale doesn't matter its inches and how you feel inside

HEWLD: What advice would you give to your "50 pound heavier" self? 
Jojo: I don't ever plan on speaking to you again.

Jojo's New Body Makeover: From Flab to Fab

Follow Jojo on her Instagram @jojosullins and get inspired by some really great motivational post. If you have your own success story, don't keep it a secret. Share with us, you never know who you are inspiring.

Your turn, leave in the comments:

Speaking of motivation, do you believe that being gentle with yourself can get you motivated enough 

OR 

do you push yourself to get things done? 

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4 Clever Ways to Hold Yourself Accountable to Your Weight Loss Plan

My blog post kind of slow these days. Sorry. I try to update as often as I can.

I have a new love for Instagram, (let's get connected! My username is honeybeegeb) it is like my accountability partner. I'm doing a Squat Challenge this September and every time I done with my exercise, I post it on Instagram. 

There are times when I don't feel like exercising or to complete the squat challenge for the day but I do it anyway. Because I am afraid when I stop posting about the Squat challenge I have started my follower will assume I have quit and I'll bring embarrassment to myself. Or maybe I will disappoint my followers and weight loss buddy who look up to me for inspiration. I am of course nowhere near to my goal but yeah you know you just have to keep pushing yourself because you never know who you are inspiring. I mean, I know that's a silly reason to exercise. You exercise because your body needs it not because you want to makes someone happy. You exercise because exercise can improve your appearance and confidence. Because exercise is a great way to combat stress, exercise improves life expectancy, and the list goes on. 

Getting out from your comfort zone is always tough in the beginning but I believe will get easier with time. So while I try to find my rhythm I see no wrong to use this silly reason to stop myself make excuses and therefore keep myself accountable to my weight loss goal. I admit that I'm not totally focus on clean eating, there are still lacking here and there but I'm working on it. I promise you, dear body.

Squat Challenge: 4 Weeks to 200 Squats by PopSugar

Alright, I keep myself accountable to weight loss plan by posting my fitness daily challenge, posting motivating pictures, quotes, reading and repost success stories on Instagram.

Here are 4 more clever ways to stay accountable to your weight loss plan:

1. Keep a food diary
I'm not a fan. I keep off-track but undeniable it is an excellent tool to keep track of the number of calories that you eat if you use it wisely. Food diary show you where you're missing out on certain types of food.

I used to record everything in my food diary after I eat. I think this is where I'm doing mistake. I always over my calorie limit. So I reject the idea of keeping a food diary because I don't see any point using it. But later I learn that the smartest way to use food diary is not to write down what you had eat, but to write what you plan to eat before you eat it. By this way your increase your awareness and you will literally think twice before you eat.

2. Save your smaller clothes
I haven't ditched my old smaller clothes because I have faith, I'll be able to fit into those again someday. I have one old dress that rather outdated but I still keep it to track my weight loss. When I fit into it I know I made progress.

3. Track your fitness
Keep a fitness log. This is what I do now. I mark an "X" on a calendar on days I exercise and "report" it on Instagram — it’s motivating to see a chain of Xs that you won’t want to break.

4. Reward yourself
This is one way to ensure that you will not give up hope and stay motivated when the road is long. Reward can increases your awareness of what you've achieved. For example, you can reward yourself a spa treatment for every 10 pounds you lose.

Now I want to hear from you:

How do you hold yourself accountable to weight loss? 

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Confession of a Fatso: 10 Things I'm Thankful For Being Fat

Hello September. I just renew my vow to lose weight. September is a new month to conquer, a new start, a month for new goals. I want to see what happens if I don't give up on losing weight.

In the beginning of this year, weight loss journey was a little bit fun. But my enthusiasm about the new beginning, all those New Year's Resolution to start training, join a gym, lose weight, and start eating clean quickly fade away into the dust as February and March roll around. Yes I know you can relate. There are times when I feel like giving up. Why going through all the hardship to lose weight if I feel comfortable in my own skin? I am not. Honestly... I'm not being truly honest.

I hate that my smaller clothes don't fit right. 

I hate that being fat limits my fashion choice. 

I hate it when my tummy jiggles. 

I hate it when people mistaken me for being pregnant when I am not. 

You know it sucks to be a fat girl. A lot. 

Being fat sucks but when you choose to look life from a brighter side, life feels better! When you're thankful for what you have, for who you are, you feel more motivated and inspired! You'll find the reasons to be optimistic about your weight loss journey. And optimistic people lives a happier and more successful life.

I'm listing down 10 Things I'm Thankful for Being Fat.

1. I'm thankful that being fat has taught me about making good choices
This weight loss journey has taught me that my life is a result of the choices I made. I am the one who choose burger instead of a salad. I am the one who choose to sit all day watching TV instead of getting off the couch and spend at least 30 minutes per day working out. And I learn that if I want a different result, I should start making different choices. Better choices.
 
2. I'm thankful that being fat has taught me about moderation
Moderation or controlling your food intake is easier said than done. I'm thankful that being fat has taught me the quality of being moderate. Of course I mess up my diet every now and then. But now I am more alert about any possible consequences of my choices and therefore I try to stick to healthier choices.

3. I'm thankful that being fat has shown me that I'm not define by the number on a scale
The number on the scale cannot measure my beauty, my talent, my purpose of life, or my love. The scale may give me the reflection of my relationship with gravity in number but the number does not define who I truly am. I am happy, I am capable of amazing and wonderful things, I am loved.

4. I am thankful that being fat has taught me to be more compassionate towards others
I know how it feels like to being teased, taunted, and humiliated because of your weight. I am thankful that getting fat taught me to be nice, to be more compassionate to other's challenges, to understand to other's weight loss struggle. And one day when I finally succeed with weight loss, I can motivate other people, I know the right word to say because, "I've been in your shoes before."

5. I am thankful that being fat has taught me to embrace life and my body
It sucks to be a fat woman. Indeed. But embracing life does not mean you accept yourself being fat, overweight, and obese and stop do anything about it. Embracing life doesn't mean you surrendering your weight forever. I am thankful this weight loss journey come to me to teach me. This weight loss journey taught me to embrace life and the lessons it provide to educate me about nutrition, foods that are healthy and unhealthy, how to incorporate fitness in my every day life. I reduced my tendency to seek someone to blame. I stop playing the victim role and start working like a victor. I am learning a new way of coping, and I let myself recreate my life story.

I weighed 47 kg when I met my husband, which consider ideal to my petite frame. But I felt fat. I still tried to lose weight. My weight had begun to creep up to 55 kg after married. And I felt so bad. Looking back now, how I wish I can go back to my old weight. Even if I reach 55 kg, I'd feel happy. I'd never consider myself fat anymore. I am petite but big boned, so I would never be as skinny as Cara Delevingne even if I weigh 40 (kg). I have a Kim Kardashian's pear shaped body type. I am thankful that being fat gives me a chance to learn about my body type and how to choose clothes that flatter my body type.    

6. I am thankful that being fat has taught me more about self-awareness
Being fat makes me more self-aware about what, when, and how to eat. Being fat ramp up my self-discipline so I have more control over my pattern of eating. I am challenging myself as best as I can to eat differently, to eat better, and eat less.

7. I am thankful I am alive and healthy
I am fat but healthy. I am not a size zero but I know I am capable of losing weight. I am stronger than my insecurities. I know there are people who are smaller than me who live with chronic pain and sickness, and I do not. I’m thankful that my body is strong enough to do what I need it to do.

8. I am thankful I am loved
I don't want to lose weight to impress my husband. Because the first person I want to impress is myself. But I know losing weight will affect our relationship, in a good way. When I met my husband I was not as heavy as I am today. But I am thankful my husband love me despite of my size. I am thankful that my husband gives my weight loss effort so much support. I am thankful I am loved by my husband, family, and friends. I am loved and that motivate me more to take care of myself for the sake of the people who love me and whom I love dearly.

9. I am thankful that being fat is not the end of the world
There's always a way to lose weight and get healthy. I am not doomed to remain obese forever.

10. I am thankful that being fat made me appreciate the value of being healthy 
Being fat help me to see and feel what it was like to not be active, to feel uncomfortable in my own skin, to not like looking at myself in the mirror, to go outside and feel like everyone is looking at me and judging me. Skinny doesn't always mean healthy. You can have fat arteries and be skinny. People who are overly thin have a high metabolism. They can eat whatever they want and not worry about weight gain. They tend to eat junk foods and unhealthy foods which may left them with a risk of high cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke. I am thankful that through this weight loss journey I can appreciate being healthy and having that great lifestyle.

READ ALSO: 

• Confession of a Fatso: I'm not losing weight!
• Confession of a Fatso: I Hate Running

Now your turn. Share with me in the comments: 

What things you are thankful for on any day?

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