Guest Post From Hanna @ Bouffe E Bambini

I have a REALLY inspiring story to share with you today. You won't want to skip this.

 

Remember all my "weight loss posts"? And how I struggle to get fit and healthy?

 

My new friend Hanna has done all that and more. She is a HUGE inspiration and I am so glad she stopped by here to share her story.

 

Check it out. Visit her blog and show some love!

 

Thank you so much Hanna for being here today!

I HAVE DONE IT!!!!!

I REACHED MY GOAL WEIGHT AND IT FEELS GREAT!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!

Some of you may have been keeping track of my numbers as I occasionally post about how much I have lost in my what I wore posts. 

 I have lost 60 pounds since the birth of Ginger, my second child but I have lost a whopping 104 pounds since the birth of my first child Milton. I have lost 13 inches of my hips and 9 off my waist.  I went from a size 22 to a small 8!!!! It took me 9 months to loose the 60 pounds from Ginger and in the 5 months I wasn't pregnant between babies I had somehow managed to lose the other 40 and kept it off through the second pregnancy.



I have always struggled with my weight so I have been experimenting with different eating patterns for a long time and I know what works for me so I stick to it. I also know that exercise is a very important part of being healthy and losing weight but for me exercise plays about a 20-30% role in my weight loss success. The other 70 -80% is diet. I once trained for a  marathon and was on a VIGOROUS running schedule of 5-10 miles a day and I was heavier then than I am now because of my diet, not that it was unhealthy by any means but I had to eat a TON of carbs to keep my energy up, so for me, if I want to be thin I need to cut out sugar, including most carbs.



I am going to show you some before and after photos because it's pretty amazing!!!!! I think it's inspiring and I know that when I was 200+ pounds I needed inspiration desperately. I'm really excited about this post because I hope I can help someone who is currently struggling with their weight.

Before and After 

After Photo: blouse and leggings: Emersonmade. Boots: JCrew

After Photo: Jacket: Emersonmade Jeans: J. Brand, Shoes: Banana Republic

After Photo. Dress: White House, Black Market Shoes: Banana Republic

THIS IS HOW I LOST 100 + POUNDS 

1.SET A REALISTIC GOAL:  This is really important. You want to set a concrete goal. It can either be a number or a size but DO NOT set an unrealistic goal. I set a goal that I knew I would be able to attain. Now that I have reached this goal I am planning on  loosing another 10 pounds at my leisure and that's fine with me. I feel great because I reached the goal I made that was attainable. If you make an unrealistic goal for yourself you will only feel discouraged and possibly give up if you can't reach it fast enough. BABY STEPS PEOPLE!!! 2. THE MEAL PLAN: Most of the time I stuck to a high protein, low carb diet. Nothing crazy. No, not like Atkins. I ate plenty of natural sugars like fruit but I stayed away from bread, rice, potato and refined sugar MOST OF THE TIME. So what did I eat? A lot of meat (mostly chicken breasts), Eggs (hard boiled are a great easy snack), vegetables, fruit (all kinds), cottage cheese, yogurt, and nuts.  I ate a lot of healthy fats like avocado and nuts and a lot things high in fiber. I found that protein filled me up quickly with small portions and that carbs would not only not fill me up as fast but it would always leaving me craving more food. I think that is why this diet is easier for me to stick to because honestly I wasn't starving all the time. I actually felt full and content. So maybe this isn't the diet for you but decide on one and stick to it.

3. BE PREPARED: I'm sure you've heard this a million times before but you must have food that is friendly to you on hand at all times. I ALWAYS, always keep a bag of raw almonds in my purse just in case I Get starving while we're out. They are high in fat but also VERY high in fiber and fill you up fast. Also at home you should have cut up fruit, veggies or whatever else your snacking on. Whenever I was having a wicked sweets craving I would run to the fruit. A bowl of strawberries with a little cool whip or some cold fresh watermelon!!! 4.EVERYBODY NEEDS A BREAK: About 2 or 3 times a week I would eat a cupcake or two or a few bites of pasta or whatever I really wanted. I have found over the years that if I don't indulge frequently then sooner rather than later I will binge eat badly and have a very hard time ever recovering. Also, once I ate my cupcake for the day I would just say "no big deal and get right back on my plan" No whining and moping and eating more because "you already ruined your diet." You know exactly what I'm talking about and it's just plain stupid! Just don't do it!!!! Binge eating has got to be one of the worst punishments we could ever do to ouselves; not good for the body or the mind.

5. BE CONSISTENT: Which brings me to CONSISTENCY. If you stay consistent with ANY diet plan you will be successful. So even if you fall off the wagon every week, it's ok as long as you get right back on. This was a really big deal for me and I was finally able to successfully do it. Stop punishing yourself. It's ok, just get right back on that horse and try again the next day. I promise with persistence YOU WILL PREVAIL even when it really doesn't feel like it. Also, don't get discouraged if you hit a Plateau. It is normal and natural and is so discouraging!!!! Stick with your plan. You will prevail!!! Sometimes I wouldn't loose a pound for 3 weeks and be SO discouraged but I promise, just stick with it. Whatever you do, don't give up.

6. TIMING IS EVERY THING: I for the most part did not eat past 5Pm. Now keep in mind I go to bed at 9PM so you could adjust that to fit your lifestyle but nighttime eating is a HUGE reason for unnecessary weight gain. In fact I know several people who did nothing else except stop eating at night and they lost weight. And it's so much healthier for you. As soon as I started to feel really hungry or just like I really wanted something, I just went to bed. Also, if I knew I was going to eat something really fatty or high in carbs I would try to do as early in the day as possible so I had all day to burn it off before bed. Yes, I have been known to eat a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast and that's OKAY!!! 7.EXERCISE: Of course exercise is going to play a big role in any healthy weight loss plan. Well, I have 2 small babies that are 14 months apart and when I started this weight loss routine my youngest was 3 weeks old. I had no childcare and still don't so my only option for exercise was walking, which turned out to be GREAT.  So no excuses about how you can't afford the gym and have no childcare. If you really want to make it happen , you will!!! I walked as much as I could on as many days a week as I could weather permitting. This meant usually 1-4 miles 2-6 days a week. It varied a lot, especially once I went back to work but not only did it give me quiet time from the kids but it gave me so much energy. I felt great. I still walk to the grocery store with the kids almost everyday.

8. READING MATERIAL: I have tried lots of diets and read lots of books on the subject and I have now found one book that I highly recommend and it may surprise you. It is {NATURALLY THIN} by Bethany Frankel. Yes, she used to be one of the Housewives of the show "The Real New York City Housewives" so some might discredit her but she is a natural foods chef and has cooked for MANY celebrities and knows A LOT about what to do to stay thin. The reason I love the book is because there is no calorie counting, no measuring, no ridiculous, vigorous routines. It is real, straight talk about  how to loose weight. SERIOUSLY! No nonsense. No false promises. I have read it twice in 6 months just to keep myself fresh and motivated. I highly recommend it.

9. MOTIVATION: Everybody has different ways of keeping themselves motivated but for me there are 3 things. Keep photos of myself around when I am at the weight I am trying to get to (My skinny photo) and buy yourself a couple really nice pieces of clothing in the REALISTIC size you know you can get to and keep looking at them a couple times a week. I know this could get expensive if you never make it to your goal but it's all the more reason to really make it happen. For me it works like a charm, EVERY SINGLE TIME.  10. BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE:  I have never done weight watchers but I hear that one of the reasons it works so well is the support group you form with your other peers. Once again I have 2 small babies and no childcare so I couldn't so weight watchers meetings BUT honestly facebook worked GREAT for me. I started out on day one posting in my status bar how many pounds I had lost and how many I had to go. "25 pounds down, 25 to go" I would receive so many wonderful encouraging comment's and likes. It was REALLY, REALLY motivating for me and after a while it held me accountable to them. I got a note the other day from a friend on facebook that told me how neat it was to have watched my story since day 1. I highly recommend you try it:) It feels good to get praise when your proud of yourself. Or you could simply pair up with a girlfriend who wants to loose pounds too and check in with her.

11. TAKE YOUR MEASURMENTS AND WEIGHT YOURSELF REGULARLY:  It really helped to take my measurements in the beginning and every few weeks. It is just an extra motivator. Sometimes I wouldn't loose any weight for a couple weeks but I would take my measurements and find I had lost an inch. GREAT motivation when your feeling down or tempted to throw in the towel.I weighed myself everyday. Some people think that's obsessive but it really helped keep me on track and kind of let me know where I was at. If I had gained I would be more strict that day. If I had lost then I knew I had a little wiggle room for a cookie or something. 

After Photo: Dress: J Crew, Shoes: Steve Madden

After Photo: Shirt: Target, Pants: Emersonmade, Shoes: Steve Madden

This was my basic "how to " guide but if you would like to get a deeper look inside why I gained all this weight to begin with and how I was able to successfully overcome it. You can read my more intimate post {HERE}

UPDATE:

I'm now down 110 pounds!!!

consictency. consictency. consictency.

Update #2

In December on 2011 I started running.....I have always have a life long goal to run a marathon. On March 2nd 2012 I ran my first half marathon in under 2 hours. I have now lost 113 pounds and 5 more inches of my midsection.

Well, that's about it folks. Please, please feel free to send me an email "www.bouffeebambini@hotmail.com" (please include www.)  if you have any questions at all or just want to chat about weight and weight loss. Also if any of you are interested in sharing my story please just email me, I am happy to oblige. This has been a huge accomplishment for me and I would love to be as helpful as I can!!!! Thank you all for following me along and supporting me on my journey. Pin It

xoxoxo Hana