I’ve eliminated so many things from my diet!
Condiments are a thing of the past, I rarely put sugar in my tea, I’ve stopped adding extra salt to my food, and I don’t put butter on my baked potato anymore.
It’s amazing to think back to all the things I used to add to my food—ketchup, tartar sauce, ranch dressing, Parmesan…
I don’t need the extra calories and I don’t even miss the flavors.
Here’s today’s 30 minute @teambodyproject workout sped up into 26 seconds…
Their YouTube videos are really great when you’re just starting out and now that I’ve been doing them for over 2 months, I can do the whole video without stopping.
The moves aren’t complicated and yet you can still get a good sweat on and go at your own pace.
(If I would have known my camera was cutting off my head, I would have let myself grimace more! 🤪)
After doing standing yoga for two months straight, I took a little break for the sake of my knees.
Today I did a 30 minute Yoga for Beginners video from @yoga_with_kassandra on YouTube.
As usual, my cat joined in because she’s such a ham for the camera 😻
I definitely want to start doing a regular practice again a few days a week because of how strong and empowered it makes me feel…
Lunch in a pinch…
It’s probably not the healthiest meal, but my cupboards are bare!
At least I halved everything and meal prepped the rest for tomorrow’s lunch. In the past I would have eaten the whole package of ramen without draining the sodium out.
Ramen noodles: 200 calories
Canned mixed veggies: 80
Fresh fruits and veggies are on the grocery list…
I started this weight loss journey on April 15th. It was a Thursday. I'd simply had enough of being unhappy at my current weight and size and decided not to wait another day to make a drastic change in my life and my well-being.
Don't wait until the "perfect time" to start losing weight because there isn't one. Don't put it off.
Start now, start today. Don't wait until January 1st, don't wait another second to start eating healthy and making good choices for your body. It doesn't matter if it's in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, in the middle of the year.
Today can be the beginning of your new life!
I'm over two months into this journey and I can proudly say that I'm 16 pounds down.
If I would have waited, I'd still be back where I was in April.
Don’t wait. Do this for yourself. NOW.
Not much to report today.
I’m 70 days into my weight loss journey and I’m still counting calories and trying not to let food run my life.
Maybe when summer is over and triple digit temperatures are a thing of the past, I’ll be in the mood to workout a little more…
My camera malfunctioned and filmed this in super high speed, but here I am doing one of my favorite @bodyfitbyamy YouTube videos, 10 Minute Beginner Low Impact Cardio Workout, while representing @30secondstomars with my The Ride T-shirt and my new orange headband…
💪🏻👩🏻💦
For the first time in 67 days, I went over my calorie limit.
Last night I went 100 calories over by having 1/4 cup of trail mix.
Considering I haven’t had over 1000 calories a day for the past three days (and my calorie app was yelling at me that I wasn’t eating enough), I think it’s safe to say that I’m not spiraling out of control or anything.
Finding a balance has been the biggest struggle for me because perimenopause has me in a constant swing of no appetite and feeling like I could eat an entire grocery store.
Most of the time it feels like I’m just hanging on for the ride that my chaotic hormones are taking me on, but at least I’m the one in the driver’s seat when it comes to finally taking control of my weight!
Here’s to being honest about the bumps in the road on this journey of health and continuing to hold myself accountable…
There are a lot of things you need to purge from your life when you start a weight loss journey.
First, you need to take all the junk out of your diet and the extra salt and sugar you don’t need.
Then, as you lose weight, you get to gradually take all of those clothes out of your closet that are too baggy and don’t fit you anymore.
And something I hadn’t even thought about was going through my recipe books.
So many of the recipes I’d collected over the years were full of fat and calories.
I had 20 recipes for trifle and I don’t even own a trifle dish!
Even if I ever do make dessert again someday, I don’t need all of those sugary, high-calorie recipes cluttering up my life.
So, I kept a few tried-and-true favorites and said buh-bye to the rest.
Because, if it doesn’t fit into my new healthy lifestyle, then it doesn’t belong in my house.
🏡
This lemon/lime water is my favorite!
Drinking more water is a lot easier when it tastes yummy and refreshing…
🍋💦
This is my new weight loss mantra. As in,
I can stay under 1500 calories today.
I will stay under 1500 calories today.
I am staying under 1500 calories today.
I did it! I stayed under 1500 calories today.
It's something I say to myself on a daily basis as I push myself to meet my goals.
What a wonderful feeling it is to be able to go to bed at night & know that I didn't falter. I stayed strong, even when I was hungry and the old me was crying out for a binge.
I can lose weight.
I will lose weight.
I am losing weight.
I did lose weight!
I CAN
I WILL
I AM
I DID
I’m amazed by how much we’ve changed our eating habits these past few months!
We used to split a whole loaf of garlic bread to go with a huge dinner. Now, on the rare occasion that we even eat bread, I have one small slice.
I used to fill up a big bowl of cereal, cramming in as much as I could. Now, I measure it out according to the serving size and it ends up being at least 1/4 of what I used to eat for breakfast.
Dessert used to be eaten after every meal and now I’ve gone completely without because I don’t even have a craving for it anymore. (btw 2 donuts used to be considered dessert after a breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast)
These are just a couple of examples of some of the “little” things that sure make a big difference when you’re trying to lose weight.
Posting this publicly feels shameful, but I’m proud to say that we don’t eat like that anymore. And I can’t imagine ever doing it again.
Our groceries last us so much longer now that we’re counting calories and that is also saving us money as we lose weight.
A win-win for the Vaughn’s!
🚫🍩🍩
If it weren’t for this account, last night I would have eaten until I burst.
But I didn’t want to get on here this morning and have to write that I went over my calorie goal for the first time in over two months.
As much as I want to be proud of myself for not giving in and slipping last night, I’ve got a feeling that today is going to be just as rough…
😕
Look at these cute little 3lb dumbbells I got to use during my HIIT workouts to add more of a challenge!
💗
The results are in!
SW: 212.6
CW: 197.2
That’s a total of 15.4 pounds down in the last 2 months! And I’m out of the 200’s!
My goal has been to lose 2 pounds a week and that’s about as close as you can get.
I’m posting progress pics, even though I’m still embarrassed by my weight, to show that I really am doing this and these posts aren’t just a fictional yarn spinning for your entertainment like the romance novels I write. 😉
I can see a little bit of difference in the side-by-side comparisons, especially in my boobs where I seem to be losing most of my weight!
The last 2 months, I’ve been on a 1500 calorie meal plan and my workout schedule has been:
Standing Yoga: 7 days a week
HIIT: 4 days a week
Arm weights (10 lb dumbbells): 4 times per week
Kettlebell: 1-2 times a week
I’m going to be easing back on the workouts because it’s been too grueling of a schedule to keep up.
Here’s to another great month of burning fat and gaining confidence…
😊
We’ve got our monthly weigh-in this morning!
I’m looking forward to taking some progress pictures just as much as finding out what the scale has to say…
👣
Give your mind a chance to adjust to your new way of eating less and eating healthy. Give your body a chance to acclimate to exercising regularly.
Give yourself a chance to succeed at this new way of living before you give in and sabotage yourself and throw away all the progress you’ve made.
You might be surprised at how much willpower you actually have and how strong you really are.
Give yourself a chance to become who you dream of becoming.
After 2 months, I can honestly say that it doesn’t really get any easier.
I still struggle, especially when I’m hungry and don’t have any calories left for the day.
But I keep going because I’ve worked too hard to give up now. I want to see the end result more than I want to quit. Quitting is the easy way out and I’m not doing that this time.
Most days were a struggle anyways, so I might as well fit into my skinny jeans…
Trying to lose weight during perimenopause is like banging your head against a wall.
Luckily I brought my helmet!!!
I’m in this weight loss journey for the long haul… (someone please let my body know that!)
After my 57th day in a row of standing yoga, I’m wondering if maybe I should take a break from it.
At first, I loved it so much and couldn’t imagine not doing it every day. Now, my knees are bothering me from all the warrior poses and I just don’t feel the joy anymore.
Maybe I’m just having a bad day and will change my mind and keep at it past the 60 day mark…
🌧
😕
One thing I’ve started doing before and after my workouts is stretching.
It’s something that often gets overlooked, but I want to make sure that I do everything I can to prevent injury and keep my muscles strong and flexible.
Yes, it takes extra time and might not feel productive toward your weight loss, but I know it’s going to help my body in the long run.
It’s so nice to see a 1 as the first number in my weight again!
I’ve literally been working my butt off (and my boobs are shrinking too btw) and seeing those numbers drop on the scale is incredibly satisfying.
I haven’t been under 200lbs in over 6 years and I’m still ashamed that I let myself get so out of control.
That’s why I’m going to work that much harder this time to get this weight off and keep it off!
1️⃣9️⃣8️⃣
Woke up feeling like garbage, but I worked out anyway.
I figured it was better to just go through the motions than to not work out at all.
I ended up sweating by the end and was glad I moved my body.
Not every day is going to be rainbows and unicorns, but one bad day isn’t enough to make me give up completely the way it used to...
🌈🦄
Everyone is different. Yes, I know you've heard this a million times before, but we always seem to forget when we're busy comparing ourselves to others.
The steps someone else took to lose weight might not work for you. And that's okay.
Do your research and try different things. Customize. Make what you enjoy a part of your daily life. Ditch the stuff you hate because being miserable isn't going to help you keep the weight off once you reach your goal.
Find what works for you and keep at it no matter how bizarre it may sound to someone else. This isn't their life, it's yours.
There are a lot of things to adjust in this new healthy lifestyle. Food, exercise, mindset...
I’m constantly changing my workout and still learning what works best for how I live my life.
When something isn’t working for me, I make a change instead of giving up altogether.
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby today!
Not only have we been on this weight loss journey together for the last 7 weeks, we’ve been each other’s best friend, cheerleader, and soul mate for the last 24 years of marriage.
We aren’t celebrating today by scarfing down food that’s not good for us, nope. We did yoga together and are having a nice, sensible, under 500 calorie dinner.
I love you, hunny bunch! 🐻
Thank you for being my number one fan. 😚
💕👩❤️💋👨💕
Something I’ve noticed about my mornings now is that I say to myself “I’m going to workout” instead of “I HAVE to workout.”
It used to feel like a chore or a punishment, but 7 weeks in and working out feels like exactly what I want to be doing.
It feels like what I need, what makes me feel good, what I actually enjoy doing.
I’ve never worked out so consistently before. And now that I’ve got a taste of it and how strong it makes me feel, I never want to go back to my old life...
After doing 50 days of standing yoga, I finally decided to try a “regular” yoga video to see if I could do it.
And I DID IT!
From beginning to end, I completed the whole practice (a beginner video by @yoga_with_kassandra) and I did even better than I thought I would.
I was even able to do downward dog and pedal my feet!
Afterwards I feel revived, rejuvenated and energized...basically ready to take on the world because I completed something I didn’t think that I could.
I’ve been working out so hard these past few weeks and I’m thrilled to see the results of all that time and effort.
I’ve decided to continue with the standing yoga and do a 60 day yoga challenge because I enjoy doing it so much every day!
It’s a good thing I’ve learned to embrace sweating over these past six weeks because the triple digit heat is here to stay for a while!
Our workout room is the furthest away from the thermostat and has been about 84 during our workouts.
Sweat is fat crying, right?
You bet your bippy it is!!!
💦
If left to my own devices, I will eat too much and go over my calorie limit. That's a fact and that's what got me overweight in the first place. Without boundaries, I take advantage and easily get out of control.
I can't be trusted. If I pour a bowl of cereal for myself, most likely it will be about 3 times as much as the recommended serving size.
So that's why I continue to measure and count out everything and am diligent with keeping track of every single one my calories. Posting here every day holds me accountable and ensures my weight loss success.
Can’t wait for our monthly weigh-in in two weeks!
I know all of this calorie counting and working out is paying off...
I never used to understand the appeal of gyms at hotel resorts. I mean, who wants to workout when they’re ON VACATION???
But now, I get it. If we were to go to the coast for the weekend or over to Reno, I could totally see myself making use of the gym! Even on vacation, I’d be getting up early to make sure I got my workout in. It’s become that much apart of my new life.
Just another one of those who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Rachelle type moments in my #weightlossjourney!