Fitness Journey Archives - Cherry and the Hoot

My Fitness Journey: Tears of Joy

November 5, 2020 Cherry and the Hoot

**Originally written on September 9th, 2020

Last week, I happened to wear a shirt I hadn’t worn in almost a year in Las Vegas. It was a coincidence I last wore the shirt in Las Vegas, but I didn’t think anything of it. When I arrived at my hotel room, I decided to look into every mirror to admire my new slimming figure. I was genuinely amazed by my accomplishments, but more importantly, the results of my appearance. My slim neck and face, visible collar bone, thighs not touching or rubbing together, my shape overall- “new body, who dis?” I had to stop and shed a few tears of joy. I hadn’t seen myself this small since the ending of 2017-beginning of 2018.

Technically, nothing was wrong with my weight gain, and most preferred the “more to love” figure. I wore it well and can honestly say I was never sloppy with it. Unfortunately, I hated the weight gain, but more so because I didn’t cause it. It was caused by anti-depressants prescribed in August 2017. Within four months, I gained nearly 40 pounds and couldn’t understand why. I never ate much throughout my years of life, so it was easy to eliminate food from possible causes. I stopped taking the medications once I noticed the drastic change, and what do you know? I didn’t gain any additional weight. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with being curvy- it just wasn’t for me. When you’ve been less than 126 pounds just about your entire life, you become accustomed to it.

My slim and coke-bottle figure was something I took pride in. Everyone would always tell me, “You’re shaped just like your grandma.” My grandmother was a beautiful, slim, and light-skinned “BAD” woman. A lot of women envied her figure, beauty, fashion, and much more. Hearing those compliments made me proud of my appearance because her pictures were stunning. My mother was even the same size before she began to have more children (after me- haha), and she too looked stunning. Going to the gym and working out wasn’t something I needed to do because I had natural abs for most of my life. Wearing a bra wasn’t something I needed, so I mainly wore them to work. I loved wearing crop tops and was always more than comfortable and confident in two-piece bikinis (I had tons of them being the beach-bum I was). I’m now content and happy with my body and looking forward to the rest of my journey.

I made this post to prove, with hard work and dedication, you can succeed in just about anything you put your mind to! You can’t sit there and complain about what isn’t improving until you start making changes. In the beginning, it may appear as though no changes are occurring. You have to stop running back and forth to the scale. Although I started working-out first, I would suggest starting with clean eating habits. Once you’ve gotten used to eating healthier, you should get a consistent regimen within your work-out schedule. Yes, there was a change in my weight when I first begin my journey, but I wasn’t eating healthy. About two months later, eating cleaner became a habit, and the pounds started to shed quicker and more consistently.

Believing in yourself is the first step. If you refuse to believe in yourself, you probably will never succeed. Having a great support system is also a plus, but you have to count on yourself before anything! You can do it!

*HOOTER TIP: Water is key… DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!

Uncategorized

Slacking Within Your Fitness Goals

August 21, 2020March 31, 2024 Cherry and the Hoot

Striving for the desired physique of your choice can be a challenge at times. Some of us are near our goals and others, not so much. Just because you aren’t close to your fitness expectations doesn’t suggest you should give up. Yes, it can for sure take some time, but the question is, are you willing to be patient and work for it? Are you ready to put down your favorite snacks or beverages? What about willing to make some sacrifices? Are you all for making special accommodations and staying dedicated? Ask yourself those questions, and if “Yes” is the answer to either, go out there and execute your goals!

Throughout my journey, there are times when I want to give up. There have also been times when I may have had one snack or drink too many. But I know what I want, so I try my best to stay inspired and keep pushing. Within these past few weeks, I had been struggling to keep up with my fitness routine. My weight plateauing affected me and hampered me because I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. I began to get drained with my job schedule and commute. Additionally, I was tired of sacrificing my sleep to workout before work.

Although I slowed drastically, quitting was not an option. I did not come this far to stop and give up when I’m so close to my goals! I have to keep pushing forward and make all of the sacrifices worth it. I needed a booster, so I recently sought assistance from one of my favorites, Alondra Garcia, an Herbalife coach whom I recently featured on the blog. I told her everything that was going on plus my expectations, and immediately we were able to develop a healthy plan for my next 30-days. I reached out to her because I knew if I paid for her assistance, I would have to stay on top of things, or it would be like putting my money into a garbage disposal. I tend to waste a lot of money on food, but hopefully not my fitness.

It’s been one week since I started the task, and so far, everything is going smoothly. Because a majority of my earlier workouts consisted of me walking a few miles per day, the exercises given have been rigorous! My entire body had been sore this past week, but I finally recouped! I guess I must be doing something correctly- who knows. I will add, performing my very first Zumba session via Zoom was quite the experience. I have absolutely no rhythm, so I was looking ridiculous trying to dance in front of strangers. I finished with a sweat-filled body, so I guess you can say, I got the job done! I’m just aiming to get the best and maximized results by day 30, and I’m confident I’ll be able to accomplish that!

The only struggle I’ve been encountering is within my eating and water intake. Because I don’t eat much, it is complicating to consume the required amount of calories needed for the program. I don’t like the feeling of being full, so I’ll stop eating after a few nibbles, and that is how I waste a crap ton of food. I also tend to get extraordinarily uninterested or tired of drinking water; therefore, I’ve pretty much been forcing myself to drink it. Sadly, I still haven’t been reaching the limit; my goal is to do much better this week. When I’m passionate about something, I tend to put forth my best efforts so each week will include significant improvements.

The moral of the message is to NEVER GIVE UP! If you are close to your fitness goals, keep pushing, and if you need to seek additional help, get it. If you don’t have the necessary funds to pay for a personal trainer or coach, use YouTube or create a private group with some of your close friends to motivate, inspire, and uplift each other or join another group so you won’t get distracted within your friends. Groups are ideal because they assure you aren’t alone. Alondra added me to an Herbalife group chat on Telegram, and I love it because everyone is so inspiring, and we all want the same thing- a healthier, cleaner, and fit lifestyle.

Good luck to all of you, I am rooting for you because I know you can do it!

Lifestyle

It’s a Celebration

July 26, 2020 Cherry and the Hoot

Hey guys!

I’m sure a majority of the country can agree 2020 has not been the ideal year. I happen to be more fortunate with everything going on as far as the pandemic. I’m so eager to announce my latest win- I have officially lost 40 pounds since the beginning of this chaotic year! I’m beyond pleased with my victories, and proud of my damn self. The feeling of being lighter, stronger, and somewhat healthier than before is simply phenomenal. I am proof that one can do whatever they put their mind to. My journey has come with drastic sacrifices, a plethora of tears, hard work, and determination. The sacrifices I have made most people would think I’m crazy- I’ll go in-depth soon.

None of it was easy; I had to stay true to myself. Forcing myself to get up and exercise each morning was challenging at times. Lack of sleep was especially distasteful throughout it all. Eating certain foods without having an appetite became a struggle but I still ate them. Staying on top of my water intake was a major improvement. Once I begin to actually see the results of my journey, I pushed harder. I have slightly slowed down but will ultimately get entirely back on track soon. I slowed because I hit a plateau- my weight wasn’t going anywhere and I was walking daily. I paused for a few days, returned to my regiment, and the weight began to decline again. I had honestly gotten discouraged for a few days but I quickly snapped out of it because I needed to surpass my goal! I still have a long way to go so stay tuned.

If you’re currently on a weight-loss mission, continue to do everything to prevail. Find someone or a group of encouraging, optimistic, and determined individuals to help you remain motivated. Always try to have fun while working out. Determine your favorite work-outs and stick to them. Make a hype playlist to keep you pumped during the process. Switch up your routine so you won’t hit a plateau as I did. Make small daily goals and mini-challenges to fulfill, then expand them after you’ve accomplished the first ones. Try new things so you won’t get bored or discouraged. Most importantly, don’t forget to drink your water. You can and you will do it! I am rooting for all of you so please, do not give up!

Remember to do all of this while having fun and ”Living a Little.”