If there is a will, there's a way!!

Everyone knows that losing weight and doing it the healthy way can be a challenge. I myself have struggled with this over the past few months and have finally found a good balance. I weighed one hundred and seventy eight pounds at eleven fifty nine pm on December 31, 2010. As of ten minutes ago I weighed one hundred and forty nine pounds. The gym has helped me achieve a lot and I think it could work for everybody.

I joined the Northern Blair County Recreational Center on January 3^rd, 2011. I started going to the gym every day and pushing myself to the limit. I only consumed about 1200 calories a day. When I lost seven pounds in one week, I thought it would be faster if I started consuming less calories and working out harder. I was borderline anorexic. I only ate when I felt hungry and if I didn't feel hungry in a day I would not eat. On top of not eating I was running six to eight miles everyday. I had no energy at all and lost the first twenty pounds by February. I was pretty sick.

People started getting on my case about my significant weight loss in just only one month. I said there was nothing to worry about until the day I passed out at work from starvation and exhaustion. I admitted to myself then that I had a problem and that I needed to do something about it.

I started eating regularly and only going to the gym three to four times a week. I have only lost ten pounds since then, but I am doing it the healthy way.

What you eat is very important. When dieting you should consume no less than twelve hundred calories a day because if you do it puts your body into starvation mode. Eating things such as vegetables, fruit, and white meats is good for you. When dieting you should stay away from things such as sugar, red meats, cakes, and things fried in oil. The times you eat are also important. You should eat breakfast every morning to jump start your metabolism. Also you are not suppose to eat late because your metabolism slows right before you sleep at night and the more that you have in your stomach the slower it will break down the foods. When working out you should never work the same part of your body two days in a row. Cardio is the best way to loose weight, but toning is very important too. A few different things that you can try at the gym aren the elliptical, the tread mill, weight exercises, medicine balls, and the exercise bike.

Listening to music when you run may also help to pump you up and keep you motivated. My play-list consists of a lot of hip hop, and rap music. My favorite band to listen to when I am running is the Black Eyed Peas. Listening to auditory books can also be relaxing when you are running and working out. It is a great way to let go of stress and to clear your mind. It definitely can make you stronger mentally and physically. I know that I have gained a broader view on a lot of things from taking the time to think about it at the gym. I also know that I have gotten stronger because I can lift more and have built up more endurance.

I have achieved great results from starting this and keeping up with it is the hardest part of it. I love the way the gym has made me feel physically and mentally. I hope that I can keep it up! I have lost nearly thirty pounds and have turned my body into a machine. I am healthy now because I watch what I eat and a workout about an hour every other day.

What I use to eat in a day:

Breakfast croissant 300 calories

Two slices of pizza with ranch 500 calories plus 240

Two hamburgers 600 calories

French fries with ranch dressing 400 calories plus 240 calories

Chips 200 calories

I ate about 2500 calories everyday back in 2010!

What I eat today:

Two eggs and a piece of toast 240 calories

Smart meal such as chicken and potatoes 360 calories

Turkey sub 440 calories

Small salad with light Italian dressing 150 calories

Apple 100 calories

I eat anywhere from to 1200- 1500 calories a day. I run two miles everyday and I do toning. I look and feel great.

By: Kendra McCracken