Lost 30 pounds as of today!

I started my weight loss journey on June 1, 2015. My initial weight was 173 lbs. That's a lot of weight for a girl who is only 5 ft 2 in tall. My main concern was the high body fat percentage, which was close to 45%. My menstrual cycle was off and none of my clothes fit. I knew I had to start burning off the extra fat and build muscle so I can live a healthier life and increase my metabolism.

On June 1, I made a 2-week meal plan to adjust my eating habits. I incorporated a whole lot of lean protein such as egg whites, lean beef and chicken breast. I also started eating a lot more fruits and vegetables. I cut out simple carbs such as white rice, white bread and white pasta. This alone helped me lose 12 lbs in the first two weeks, but the rapid weight loss is quite common in the initial phase for highly overweight people once they change their eating habits. Nonetheless, I was encouraged!

For the last two weeks of June, I wasn't on an insanely strict diet, just mainly portion controlling and avoiding eating late at night. I also strove to eat foods in their most natural state, avoiding processed or prepackaged foods as much as possible. During this phase, I didn't lose a lot of weight but maintained the 12 pounds I had lost in the first phase.

I finally started to incorporate exercise in July. I enrolled in a spin class (with sick music and fun choreography!) but was only able to attend maybe two or three times a week due to my work schedule; still better than zero! Portion control and a bit of workout had a lower pay off but I was happy that my weight kept going down. By the end of July, I had lost a total of 18 pounds.

August came. My local gym had a crazy deal for personal training ($200 for 10 one-hour sessions! That's unheard of). I immediately signed up because I thought it would be helpful to have a coach to motivate me and guide me. I started strength training (3 times a week) and cardio (5 times a week). I didn't particularly watch what I was eating in the first two weeks. I just made sure I wasn't binge eating (which was the main reason for my rapid weight gain in the first place). I enjoyed my favorite meals here and there which made my weight loss slower.

In the last two weeks of August though, I decided to step up the game and really improve my eating habits. I modified my diet a little bit more to ensure I'm getting all the nutrients but speed up the weight loss. Here is what I've been eating in a day these days.

Breakfast smoothie (banana, plain greek yogurt, low-fat milk, spinach, chia seeds)
Lunch (heaviest meal of the day. Usually a combination of carbs+protein+vegetables)
Afternoon snack (usually fruits such as blueberries, apple, peach, kiwi, etc)
Dinner (usually a combination of complex carbs+protein)

I also make sure I do 2 one-hour strength training sessions and 5 cardio sessions each week. I used to not be able to run for more than a minute but can now run consistently for 25 minutes straight! I'm aiming to be able to run for 45 minutes straight one day.

In August, I lost another 12 pounds, which adds to a total of 30 pounds of weight loss thus far. My goal is to lose a total of 50 pounds and get my body fat percentage down to 25~30% range. I started out at 45% body fat and am now at 39%. Out of 30 pounds, I lost about 18 pounds of body fat which I'm most exited about! Even though I'm only at a 60% mark in terms of my weight loss goal, I'm so proud to have achieved a 30 pound weight loss thus far and can't wait to continue my journey for a healthier body!