Fitness Friend of the week: Carlos

Meet Carlos J.

Carlos is one of our seasoned members.  His journey began back in 2011 with suggestion from his wife.  I sat down with Carlos and he shared these highlights about his journey.

Carlos says a comment from his wife led him to take a look at himself and his habits:

"I was like dang how did i let myself get so big? So when i saw my picture with Kurt Angle (wrestler) I said enough is enough. 

I started walking every day because I was too heavy to run...when I tried to jog my back and knees were really hurting. I knew I had to change my diet to lose weight so that I could exercise.  Mid 2012 I started experimenting with juicing after watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (Documentary/). By this point, I had lost about 20 pounds.

After seeing some results it motivated me to try to get back down to my weight when I was in the army which was 230 pounds.  I am currently 25 pounds away from that weight.  This year my attack plan is to run at least 3 times a week from anywhere to 2 miles to 6 with a goal of running at least 9 total miles for the week. Seeing the changes in my body and weight is what pushes me. 

I have a run playlist I use that is full of Gospel, Rap and Black Eye Peas...my "get amped" song is Lift His Name Up by Cross Movement (Video). 

The easiest part of juicing is breakfast.  That drink pumps me up for the day...I usually struggle during dinner but then my workout has increased so I just drink more water...in closing my wife is very happy with my body transformation."

Carlos started walking in late November 2012 to prepare for a company wide 5k.  His goal was to be able to jog and complete the challenge.  He is currently RUNNING 3 times per week (despite weather conditions) and is accompanying a FF newcomer in a 30 day juice fast for moral support.

Carlos offers this advice to people that have made the decision to start an exercise plan.  "Start walking first. You can really hurt yourself if you try to run and you haven't been doing it.  After a couple weeks of walking work your way up to a mild jogging pace and so forth"

Q & A: When did you decide that you were overweight?

One member asks the question:

 "What made you look at yourself and say ok that's it I'm over weight and out of shape. And did anybody else cry"

Here are some of our VERY real answers:

May sound crazy but I didn't recognize myself in some pictures from Christmas. Sad I know...

I saw a pic that my cousin took on Christmas and saw myself i'm the background.. she posted the pic on fb and tried to tag me.. lol that wasnt gonna happen.

For me after my mama died I said it was time to NOW take care of ME! Sure I wasn't just big because of eating. The steroids and medications played a part but I WANTED TO LIVE AND NOT JUST EXIST. They said if I tried to do certain things [gastric bypass surgery] it would kill me because of my health but hey I was dying anyway so I took my life back with the help of GOD and great docs that supported me and AWESOME FRIENDS and family but MOSTLY I motivated me. After seeing a picture where I looked like the GOOD YEAR BLIMP!

 I hate the way my clothes look on me .. And yes tears have been shed !!!

Pictures. Definitely. But after losing so much weight after having a baby???? I threw all my fat clothes away. I KNOW my weight comes from drinking bc when I was pregnant and nursing I was sooooo small. I literally have NOTHING to wear to work everyday. One of my bosses always makes cracks on my weight. Ppl perceive me as this emotionless being but he has really hurt my feelings several times. Y'all know I love taking pics. I haven't taken any pics of myself recently until my bday. And I hated the way I looked. 

I knew the day that I tried on every pair of jeans in my house and none of them fit and all I could do was sit on the floor and cry

I will not take a body pic and I'm glad that I don't club anymore the last time I went out someonr touched my belly and said omg you are having a baby . I lol and said no I'm just fat but when I got home smh I broke all the way down and will not go to a party again

Which time? Lol 
This time, I knew I was too big bc my big clothes started getting tight. That's when I was like nah buddy lol. I made a commitment a while back to never let plus size be mandatory for me so unless I'm going to make my own clothes, I had to shrink lol.  I have shed a tear as well. I think being in a relationship makes it worse bc u want to look ur best for them and u know that isn't ur best. 

A few years back, when I was starting my new relationship, he asked for a pic of me. I couldn't find a current one of me that I was happy with. I started taking pics of myself, searching for a complimentary pose and hated everything I saw. I also looked in my closet and realized I had gotten rid of everything that was, in my mind, an okay size. My closet belonged to a big, frumpy girl and I knew it was time to change.

My high school reunion picture did it for me, I was wearing a tire around my waist. Felt like I could rest my elbows there and maybe a drink.

Step 1 - acknowledge that there is a problem.  Step 2 - determine that you ARE going to do something about it!  

You are not alone!

Making Changes (Photos)

Our members are committed to changing their eating habits.  Here are a few still photos from our gallery.

One member has resolved to meal plan in advance.  She has precooked and packaged her breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the upcoming week.  In doing so, she hopes to control her portion sizes.  She will also save money!

Way to go!

Another member has vowed to change the things that she brings into the house.  This is her first round of health conscious grocery shopping.

Yummmy!

 This delicious concoction is a flour-less pancake.  Wrapped and served with fresh fruit.  Stay tuned for recipes from our members.  Including the one below!
Happy Eating!

Week 2/Weak Too

A little over a week ago, I posted a status on FB. The status conveyed my frustration with myself, the need to change my eating habits, and my inability to stay on task. I asked my FB friends if they were interested in a private group to document our struggles and get advice or positive encouragement. I had no clue 30+ people would respond.

The rules are simple:

1. Introduce yourself. 
2. Post a current picture 
3. Post a target picture 
4. Participate in daily food/workout logs 
5. Weigh in every Friday. 

It has truly been an amazing week. I never imagined that people would be so open, honest, and vulnerable. 

Our group ranges in body types, shapes, goals, motivation, knowledge,health issues, and overall personality; however, one thing is consistent. We all have a desire to change. With one week under our belt many members have dropped lbs. Some have not. No one is discouraged (for too long). Some members have been on their independent regimen for weeks prior but we are still equal in the desire to have someone to pat us on our back when we've done well, redirect us when we are falling short of our goals, and share the joys of getting back into our favorite pair of pants.

We are all inspiration to each other...we hope to inspire others, as well.