My name is Andrea Vazquez (@fitnesswandrea), and I am 19 years old. I live near Macomb, Michigan, and I work at L.A. Fitness. Following a calorie-deficit diet and working on my running pace have helped me lose 107 pounds.
My weight struggles started from a young age. I was severely overweight when I was 7 years old, and I continued gaining all the way up to high school. I was very insecure but never did anything to change the way I looked because I thought that my body would always be that way. I thought it would be impossible for me to ever make a change. I lacked motivation because of bullying; I felt like I was never going to be good enough. I ate to cope with what I was feeling, which always resulted in binge eating episodes. I reached my heaviest weight of 246 pounds at 17 years old. At that time I was going to the chiropractor, and they had noticed that my back and hips were starting to curve because they were struggling to hold up all the weight.
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My turning point came following a haircut. For most of my life, I had hair down to my hips. In November 2017, I had gotten a haircut that went above my shoulders and for the first time in a long time, I felt exposed.
I no longer had my hair to hide behind how big I had gotten. I knew it was time to start changing my life.
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I decided January 1, 2018 that I would finally start to change my habits. I had considered so many diets it was overwhelming. I did a lot of research on what works best, and I had found that a calorie deficit was the best way to lose weight and keep it off. I also didn’t have to cut out a whole bunch of food groups and could still eat healthy. I also cut out all soda beverages and fast food, and started drinking a half to a full gallon of water a day.
Here’s what I eat in a day now.
Breakfast: Strawberry banana oatmeal (1 cup of oats, 2 tbsp of almond butter, 1/2 sliced banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries)
Lunch: Egg and avocado toast (1 thick slice of whole grain toast, 1/2 smashed avocado with Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel seasoning, 1 sunny side up egg, 1 oz. of feta, and hot sauce or balsamic to top it off)
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Snacks: Angie's Boom Chicka Pop, Cliff Bars, Smart Sweets Sweet Fish, No Cow Protein Bar
Dinner: Greek salad (4 cups of spinach, 1 oz feta, 4 grams olives, 1/2 chopped onion, black bean burger, Primal Kitchen Greek dressing)
Dessert: Halo Top
I started working out right away. Before the new year, I had bought a gym membership and made a resolution to work out 5-6 days a week.
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I would warm up by walking one mile on the treadmill, then I would move to the stair stepper for 30 minutes followed by 20 minutes of strength training.
It was hard to get over the fear of feeling like everyone was staring at me. After four months of doing the same workouts everyday, I decided I wanted to try running. I recorded my pace and it took me almost 16 minutes to finish my mile. I continued to work on my running every single day, and I cut my time down to a 7:40 pace.
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Now, a typical week is running 5+ miles, 4-5 days a week. I also do HIIT workouts with some friends almost every week as well. Running has turned into a passion for me, and I've run two 10K races and one 5K race. And I currently am training for a marathon!
These three changes helped me see the most noticeable results in my weight loss.
Change 1: I didn’t restrict myself.
I learned that restricting way too many food groups and calories often led to binge eating episodes. Relying on a balanced diet and incorporating all types of food in healthy ways was the only way to keep my weight off and still enjoy eating.
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Change 2: I didn’t rely on the scale.
Taking progress pictures helped me see that even if the number on the scale didn't change, it did not mean my appearance wasn’t changing. I was making non-scale achievements while gaining muscle and still losing fat. You can still see a change in your body even if your scale does not reflect that.
Change 3: I didn’t rush the process.
We all want quick results, but we have to know that if we want sustainable, healthy weight loss, we can't just expect it to take one week or even one month. Our bodies are all different and lose weight differently. So rather than making this weight-loss journey a 2-week challenge, we should remember that if we want long-term results for life, it will take time.
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In total, I lost 107 pounds, and I've kept it off for almost a year and half.
No matter what size I am, it does not define me. I want others to know that although physical health is important, mental health is just as important. I think the only reason we should be changing ourselves is because we want a long, healthy life. My motivation to be healthier was not to make someone like me more, or to make somebody else happy. It was for me and my own happiness.
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My journey has shown me that exercising is not a punishment, but something that makes me feel on top of the world. And eating healthy makes me feel better overall. I'm thankful I made this change for me, and no one else.
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