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

The 400-ish Calorie Salad

There is a girl named Andie who writes a blog called Can You Stay For Dinner? She has an INCREDIBLE story of losing 135 pounds and keeping it off.
She is real.
She is honest.
And she did this on her own accord, with common sense, excercise and hard work.
I heart her.

People write in and ask her questions about her success and she offers up all sorts of advice and tips and AWESOMELY DELICIOUS recipes.

I am a partial fan of salads, but this post makes me want to love them. And since we are back to getting healthy- it IS the New Year after all- I'm diving head first, into the salad bowl.

Check out her post below.

How To Make A Delicious 400 Calorie Salad

So here's to salads!

Love, The Faithful ( Healthier ?) City Mouse

First Week Weight In

Yesterday I weighed in first thing in the morning. I was nervous.......

I hadn't been good about excercise and not perfect with my food choices, so I wasn't real confident about the numbers.

And then........ I peeked thru my covered eyes down at the scale and I was DOWN 3 pounds! Woohoo!

I was really proud of that.

All the water I drank, the sugar I DIDN'T put in my coffee, the sweets I skipped, the fruit and veggies I ate instead. Great stuff!

Here is a pic of a salad I ate this week. It was so delish!

Happy Healthy Saturday!

Love,
The Faithful City Mouse

Hello......

It's Tuesday already! How do these days continue to get away from me? The weekend was a blur!

If you have been following the blog and see that myself and 3 friends are starting a goal to get healthier, you know that last Friday was our first weigh in. I was out of town that day so my weigh in came Thursday night.
The other girls have posted their results on their blogs. Numbers and all. And to be honest, I'm just not quite ready to post these numbers to the world. I'm a bit of a chicken. Ok, a BIG chicken. One of these days I will let you know. Really.

As for now, I want to give a shout out to my girl Kendra once again designed a REALLY cute banner for us to use on our blog posts relating to our contest.

Right now you can cath the tail end of her early October Sale. Her work is great! She designed this blog as well. She's really talented.

And so this week, with the cute banner in tow, I'm pledging to make some changes. Get active for at least 30 minutes a day. This could be a walk in the park with Charlie the wonder dog or a fitness dvd that has been gathering dust on my shelf for a loooooong time.
I'm also going to drink water like a fish and hopefully not float away. No more soda or sweet tea. And I'm going to reduce the amount of cream and sugar in my coffee in hopes of being able to drink it black by Thanksgiving.

So far that's all I can wrap my head around. Wish me luck!

Lose To Win: Healthy For The Holidays

So here it is. Friday September 30, 2011. This is the day that things are going to change. Finally, once and for all. Please don't be fooled ( actually, I'm sure you aren't!) I have said that many, many times before. So much so that I barely believed myself while typing that. Sad, but true.

As you know if you've been reading my posts this week that I'm joining a friendly contest with 3 other ladies. A contest againsts our own selves to win at losing weight. It's already been a great experience sharing stories and fears with these girls. We talk about struggles and triumphs, eating habits and excercise foes. I'm so glad to be doing this with them.

Right now the other girls are probably fretfully jumping on the scale seeing a number we hope to conquer. We are starting this life style change right at the beginning of the most tasty season. All of the fall treats, thanksgiving munchies and christmas delights are going to come and go and we will be a size or two slimmer, more radiant and healthy, happy, energetic and ready for more.

I once saw a quote on bendoeslife.tumblr.com that says "..... imagine the last 4 months of your life and how fast they went by........now imagine that you had started your weight loss journey four months ago.....where would you be today....?" I think about that pretty often. It helps me realize mostly how overdue this change is. My body needs it badly. I wouldn't treat a relationship this poorly and so now I'm going to start being kinder to my body. It doesn't need the starches, sugar, fats and processed junk. It needs real, whole foods. And lots of excercise. I'm even contemplating getting a shirt or item of clothing in a smaller size, hanging it where I see it everyday and being so thrilled at the day when I can put that on.

I would like to say that in the next 12 weeks I'm going to lose 100 pounds. But this isn't the Biggest Loser, and I don't want to limit myself by saying a number. But I do want to not fit in my clothes anymore, I want to be able to run around the block without passing out (not that this has happened, but I imagine it will!), I would like to sleep better, eat better and have more energry.

Stay tuned. Send me and the other girls your support. We need it.
And if you have any tips or suggestions, pile it on!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
The-soon-to-be-thinner Faithful City Mouse :)

Fashionista

So I got some inspiration along with some pinspiration from my friend Kristen .
As you know we are starting are healthing living contest on Friday! (EEEEEEK!) And the two of us along with two other girls are going to be in a little friendly contest called "Lose To Win: Healthy For The Holidays". We haven't really decided on prizes or what to do with the winner, but it's really something we are doing for ourselves and using the others for accountability and support.

I am definitely looking forward to the reward of cute clothes! Being a bigger girl doesn't leave a whole lot of options for style. Have you been in a plus size store recently? Enough said.

So here are some of the outfits I hope to sport when my figure is much leaner. All pics courtesy of pinterest.com.

And these are just because.......

Have a great day!

Love,
The Faithful City Mouse

Exciting and Terrifying

So my friend Kristen has a blog, which you already know because she has guest posted for me and I have sung her praises.

And I have another new friend named Sara who I looked forward to knowing better and her blog is called Sara Losing It.

Both of these blogs are about getting healthy and the roller coaster journey that it is of losing weight, eating right and working out.

As you know from previous posts of mine, I'm concerned about getting healthy for so many reasons. Yet I do nothing about it. I've decided that I'm going to need a little help, ok, a LOT of help from my friends. For real.

So we decided to do a little friendly contest. An accountability contest really, that will help us get started, maintain and keep on trucking (such a weird but funny phrase!).

I really hope I can do this. I have to. But I'm so good at starting and then stopping. Like if there could be a profession as a yo-yo dieter, I would sign up. So pathetic I know, trust me.

The details are being worked out, but we are starting this Friday, September 30th. I can't wait.

And yet I'm terrified because all of this means change. Cutting out sugar and fat. Good thing I ate the best brownies ever over the weekend, made by the hubs, because I seriously can't have those things in the house. I need to learn moderation, portion control and I could REALLY use some will power.

And also, I hate sweating. I get the classic sweaty, tomato face when I work out. And anytime I think of excersizing I think back to high school when we had to run the mile around the track. I'm getting hot just thinkning about it! Ugh!

I told the hubs that next year I'm going to run some sort of race. Like a 5k. He laughed. Then he saw my face and said "Oh, you're serious?!" Don't worry, I still love him :)

Dear Lord. Help me thru this!

I'm going to try and remember this when I feel like cheating or giving up.

Pics via pinterest.com



Now go and Read This........

Have a great day!
Love,
The Faithful City Mouse