How to lose 100lbs... Pt.1

SURPRISE! lol

While many of you who know me or follow me on facebook already know, as of Dec 31 I hit my 100lb weight loss! What a great way to end 2011!!! :D

So as the saying goes... the proof is in the pudding (or oatmeal in my case)...

I cannot even describe to you how I felt seeing this number on the scale. :)
Lets just say there were tears... lots of tears.

I have spent easily 95% of my entire life being overweight, this is the lightest I have been since about grade 7... yes, you read that right. There was a very brief period in grade 9 where I battled with an eating disorder and went down to 105lbs... that accounts for that other 5% of my life.
So when I talk to women (and men) about the struggles of being overweight, I am talking from experience... I HAVE been there and experienced it all. The name calling, low self esteem, rude looks, low self esteem... oh right I said that all ready.
In the end, it was my self esteem that took the beating as much as my body. The feeling of absolute hopelessness... like I was a less valuable person because of my weight. (This was never true but that's how I felt).

To give you an idea of how I felt in my body at 241lbs, I'm going to share a great visual from one of my favourite movies... Wall E!
See how the little people keep getting fatter and their bones more padded? Well the last one one the right is exactly how I felt!!! Extreme? Not to me. Honestly... that's how I felt.

(I apologize for the quality of the screen shot but you get the idea! :P)

I distinctly remember the day I found my calf muscle.... I thought I had a tumor in my leg!!! lol Nope! It's called a muscle... and now I have lots of them!
To be able to feel the definition of my bone structure, muscles etc. underneath my skin still amuses me!!!


So, here is an updated photo for you all...

And now to tackle the "big" questions that I get asked.....

Am I done losing weight now? The answer is no :)

While I am over the moon happy with what I have acheived so far, remember... I am 4' 11". While I know that I look "normal" and even "thin" to those who are used to seeing me, I still have a little bit of weight to drop.

More improtantly... I have toning, strengthening and compacting to do. I have an hour glass shape, I am "curvy" period. I love the look of a feminine shape... (like the curvy ladies in Pitbull videos!!! lol).

The next question... "So you don't have to watch what you eat ALL the time now, right?"
I'm going to answer that by showing you a photo of my breakfast...

Egg whites with salsa, oatmeal with blueberries. lol Were you expectiong chocolate chip pancakes? :P

Seriously though, I am completely happy eating a clean and balanced diet. If I eat something that's "off diet" I make up for it in the gym!


Last question.... "How do I lose (whatever weight)?

Well... first ask yourself if that's what you really want? Sounds silly? Who wouldn't want to lose weight?!
I tried losing weight so many times... too many to count.
It wasn't until I got sick and tired of being sick and tired, that it all started making sense to me. I had to hit absolute physical rock bottom... I was a mess.

So lets stop here for right now... you know how I began and where I currently am.
Consider this homework ;)
Take this time to evaluate how you feel about changing because believe me, it's not easy.
It's a ton of work, it will test all your limits and most of all... it's completely worth it!
Once you've decided... the next step will present itself :)

Til next time...

100lbs lighter (but still big) hugs... Crystal :) xo

Celebration!!! Gotta Burn to Earn ;)

Hi Everyone!

With the 12 week BeautyFit challenge over, it was clear from our results that we earned the chance to partake in some "contra banned" lol ;) Yes, I said earned... this is an essential lesson I have learned in the past year and definitely in the last 12 weeks!
Some may read this and scoff at the idea of "earning" a "cheat" or "special meal"... that's ok! I choose to live this way because I did a BUNCH of living (ie. eating whatever, whenever) to get to 239lbs. The amount of work I have done to get to where I am now, is not going to be undone just because I want some chocolate or sushi.
My "cheat" meals will be planned, enjoyed and followed by a couple days of extra cardio and water. Some may say this takes all the "fun" out of eating what I want... I say it makes the special food taste all that much better!!! After all, if Christmas was everyday, would it be special?!

So with our weigh in and measurements complete, the BeautyFit blog team (including Coach Sandra) went out for a great girls night!
There was no "girls gone wild" or even "girls gone moderately sassy" lol. It was a wonderful night out with dinner, drinks (one actually lol), the above mentioned contra ban and awesome conversation... that's MY kinda girls night :)

So here I am, getting ready to "dig in" to my mile high chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate mousse mountain of wonderful-ness (aka. contra ban)... I didn't get even halfway through it!!! lol
A year ago I could've polished it off no problem... instead, I brought the rest home for my family :)

For those wondering, my eating has not really changed at all from the 12 week challenge. I stick to my staples because they work for me. I'm in such a routine with my food, why mess with a good thing?!

Until next time...

Heavenly chocolate Hugs... Crystal :) xo

How's this for motivation?! ;)

Hi All :)

While there are many reasons to choose a healthy lifestyle, lose weight and get in shape... I thought I'd share with you some new reasons that you may not have thought of! :)

First, as an short obese person, I always had to use those HUGE bath towels after my shower... and there was not a bunch of extra left over either! Now I can easily wrap up in a regular towel! Seems like a small victory? Well $20 vs. $6 for each towel adds up to a new pair of shoes pretty darn quick!!! ;)

Next.... PANTIES!!!! Holy Moly thin people!!! You have been buying your skivvies for ridiculous deals like 10 for $25 WTHeck?!?! lol I'm gonna have gitch coming out my wazoo at prices like these!

And while I'm on the subject of clothing... REALLY?! Sales are everywhere! Tanktops 5 for $20, $15 jeans... no wonder all my friends have such huge wardrobes! lol

Groceries... while many will argue that buying fresh produce and veggies is expensive, I would counter with... try cutting out all prepackaged convenience food. It's difficult at first but like all difficult things, it's totally worth the effort. Your waistline, wallet and sodium levels will thank you! :)

Now on a bittersweet note ;) An unexpected side effect to losing weight for me is that most of my heels are too big.... meaning..... NEW SHOES!!!! lol

Hopefully this little list gives you some low cal food for thought ;) I'm sure I'll be adding more as the epiphanies come to me! lol

Cheap undies and little towel hugs... Crystal :) xo

The Hardest Place to Eat Healthy!!!

Hi All! :)

I'm sure we've all been there... doing our very best to eat clean and healthy, staying focused and making the best choices possible in every situation.
Let me help you by warning you of one of the places you are just better off being prepared with your own snacks...

The Movie Theater!!! :( lol

My daughter and I (and some great girlfriends of mine) are all huge Harry Potter fans! So when we got the opportunity to be able to see ALL the Harry Potter movies on the big screen, we jumped at the chance :) Don't judge people... I love these characters and cry at the movies too lol ;)

So for 7 Mondays straight we have been seeing the entire series...



I had already begun my 12 week transformation when we started going so I was prepared to pack (and sneak in) my own snacks! lol
It wasn't until Sidney and I sat down to our first movie that I realized how horrible the movie theater food really is!!!
Even Sidney commented that there was a serious lack of healthy options lol



Poutine....really, someone sat in front of us with one and the smell nearly drove me mad! I'm not gonna lie... it smelled amazing but really look at it, it looks pretty damn gross! The smell of the salt was overwhelming and made me thirsty lol.



Popcorn with "butter", chocolate (I still love chocolate lol), candy, soda AND to make matters worse... nachos and cheese, greasy pizza and chili fries too! Your best possible hope is the fat free frozen yogurt....unless....



You're pro active and bring some goodies :)
Yep! This is what was stashed in my purse... not just my snacks, but Sidneys too... after all what kind of example is it to eat healthy but let your kids eat crap?! Don't get me wrong, treats in moderation are fine... but junk is junk! Her treat is the frozen yogurt:) We bring our own bottled water because $3/bottle is just ridiculous... and if the reason of health doesn't speak to you, think of your wallet lol. Imagine the cost of theater food... save yourself some cash AND calories... pack some goodies (I've even brought cottage cheese with berries and an ice pack lol).

If people are cool with eating poutine right beside me... they can deal with the crunch of my sugar snap peas! ;)

Expecto Patronum hugs.... Crystal :) xo (yep, told you... BIG Potter fan;) lol

Family Trip to Whole Foods :)

Hi All! :)

This past Sunday Ian (hubby), Sidney (kidlet) and I headed to Whole Foods Market in Oakville.
I was first introduced to Whole Foods by Sam when she brought me there in the spring as part of my "50lbs lost" Lulu Lemon reward road trip! (Still adore my scuba hoodie that I got that day... thought lately it's been a little warm for it ).

I was so excited to be heading there with my family because I knew they'd love it there too...



The first thing you notice when you walk in is how bright and colourful it is! Everything is so neatly stacked and arranged beautifully... it really is like edible art! :)
With all of these pre prepped foods, it's difficult to make an excuse about not being able to eat healthier, Whole Foods isn't the only place that makes healthy options like these readily available...:)



I'm a sucker for herbs and spices lol and they even have edible flowers which Sidney thought was pretty cool!



I couldn't resist taking this picture... the colours were so awesome and peppers are one of my faves!!!



This is the bath and body section, I knew Sidney would love this isle! She is obsessed with hand made soaps and scrubs lol She makes them for me all the time and is always looking for new inspiration! :)



Now on to the "main event" lol. I raved about the cafe area of the market and Ian and Sidney were both eager to check it out and get some lunch... oops I chopped Ian in half lol
The thing to remember about all this wonderful variety of food is that a)moderation is key AND b)they charge by the pound lmao Ian will never forget that now ;)



This is Sidney and her carb laden lunch! Btw... there's rice under her salad hahaha
I didn't even look at what Ian had in his container... it was just better that way! :P



This is my delicious, well balanced and portion controlled lunch ;) Mmmmmmmm.....



And finally, Sidney and I... I had to get in at least one pic ;) lol
I absolutely recommend a trip to Whole Foods market with the family... it's a great eye opener to the variety and possibilities that are out there. A healthier lifestyle doesn't have to be bland, boring and tasteless... Life is what YOU make it!!! :)




Until next time... check out the Whole Foods website www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Whole Foods Hugs... Crystal :)xo