xyzornat

I'm on a mission from God.

My calorie intake in a day isn't something I pay close attention to. Instead, I just eat foods that I know will be healthy, and I limit portion size. Instead of three massive meals, I start the day with a protein drink and a bowl of fruit. From there, I just snack on nuts, veggies, and other simple, healthy foods throughout the day. Cutting dairy, and gluten dramatically, without wholly eliminating it has been a huge improvement as well. Finally, after breakfast, I no longer drink calories in the day. Water only. No booze, no juice, no calories in my liquids, and that makes the biggest difference.

My workout routine this year was rigorous. For 10 weeks, I was in the gym 6 days a week, 3 hours a day. This was broken up into 15 min cardio warm-up, 1 hr 45 min lifting weights, and then 1 hr cardio (usually the elliptical machine). In that 10 weeks, I dropped 90 lbs, and over 10% body fat.

I did not, nor would I suggest using pills. Protein powders and supplements can be useful, but weight loss pills are not something that you would need.

My motivation was from many things, but my mother passed away last August at the age of 51, and I knew that if I didn't alter my trajectory, I was going to die young.

Being that you're 16, this is the best time for you to make the changes. You will never regret the sacrifices you make when you begin to see the results. Healthy food is fantastic, once you can learn to appreciate it for what it is. Life sustaining energy. The more you work out, and keep from slipping in your diet, the less you want shitty foods. The physical and mental upswings that you will receive from the change will compel you to continue making positive progress. You can only do it for you, but you are worth it, and you need to remind yourself of that. The only thing stopping you from doing it, is the fear of the change. Don't let fear stop you, ever.

I am, too, and it will always be with me. But most of us will lose our mothers. Most of us will lose our fathers. Some of us will lose our children, siblings, and all of us will lose friends. What is important is to remember that we still have the living, and that those who are lost are never forgotten. They remain in the people they reached.

In so many different ways, yes. The most exciting difference for me is that now, women pay me attention, whereas before, it was all I could do just to borrow the time. However, it's little things. Mothers don't protect their children from me as often. I'm 6'5" tall, so I'm still very large, just proportionate, now. People immediately smile at me, instead of having to mask the face of feeling sorry with a sad upturning of lips. I can get a job in the front of house rather than being relegated to the kitchen. Also, I treat myself differently. I say nice, positive things about myself, rather than the outright hateful things that used to be part of my everyday inner monologue, and I'm far more open with people.

For me, there was a ton of mental anguish that I buried deep within me under mounds of food. I was sexually abused when I was younger, and never talked about it. Food was easily accessible, and became the only way I knew how to cope. You can't force someone to make changes that they aren't willing to make. You can show them how to make changes, and let them see why they are worth the effort, and if they can see the benefit for themselves, that is when mindsets change. Love her. Be there for her. There are many reasons people let themselves become so defeated, and we live in a culture where self-reliance is celebrated. Asking for help is, for all intents and purposes, is a show of weakness. Accepting help is much easier, but you have to want it to begin with.