The wait (weight?) is over
Heyyyyyy! TGIAF! I’m soooo ready for this weekend 😀
I’ve been promising a “before” pic of myself for quite some time, but since the madre’s been holding them hostage (and never believed I was overweight to begin with) so that’s where the hold-up has been.
I came across this picture while cleaning the closet out last weekend:
That’s me, senior year of high school after our last performance of Footloose: The Musical.
I grew up eating Mexican food to my heart’s delight and had danced since I was three. I danced for 3-4 hours each day, but my body was used to it and I paired it with unhealthy eating. Fresh fruits and veggies were rare, while tacos and enchiladas were plentiful..and delicious. I remember the summer before this picture was taken, I sat in the bed of my friend’s truck with a couple of other girls and we shared an entire Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. And I thought nothing of it.
It was the summer after that picture was taken that I decided to make some changes.
The thing is no one made me feel like I was overweight, unhealthy or unattractive. I had a great group of friends in high school –was even homecoming princess despite the stereotypical requirements associated with that title—and my family never said anything to make me feel badly about how I looked. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and wanted to feel better about myself. I was tired of feeling lethargic at dance class, hating my arms (I rarely wore tank tops), and having less than stellar skin. I decided to change the way I ate to see if it made me feel better.
Major dilemma: I had no idea how to eat. I didn’’t know what a smart carb was, lean protein, healthy fat, nada. So I made the mistake of trying as many diets as possible in succession.
Diet #1: Slim Fast. Nuff said. I was irritable, starving and grossed out by the shakes so that ended pretty soon after it started.
Diet #2: Aktins. No carbs on an intense dance schedule did not work out as I was even more tired and felt disgusting living off of meats and cheese. Even though I didn’t know much about nutrition, I had a feeling that living without carbs couldn’t be healthy
Diet #3: Weight Watchers. Counting was a PAIN and I could still eat whatever I wanted—that’s what I was trying to get away from.. I wanted to make healthier choices instead of eating anything I felt like. Also, I gained back so many points from dance class anyway, so this plan was pretty ineffective.
The magic plan: South Beach. I started South Beach freshman year of college and it worked like a charm. I didn’t have to count calories (just watch my portions) and it taught me how to eat. I learned about the importance of choosing smart carbs (whole grains), lean protein (fish, chicken, eggs, deli meat) and healthy fats (low-fat or fat free dairy, nuts, olive oil, avocados, fish). I followed this plan for a year and lost the majority of my weight through South Beach.
After starting South Beach, I wondered what would happen if I changed my exercise habits, so I started walking every day before dance. It started out small (15 minutes) and I gradually increased it to 30-45 minutes. Walking turned into running and I also started to tinker around with the weights. I did a lot of circuit training and was so excited to feel my body toning up as I lost the weight.
While the physical benefits of exercise and eating well are obvious, it’s amazing what they can do for you mentally. In school, I was much more focused and awake during class and was able to maintain my honors status and scholarships, and I became a better dancer and dance instructor.
I still follow a quasi South Beach style of eating to this day—I load up on fruits and veggies, healthy carbs (I do not eat white rice or bread), lean protein, and healthy fats as recommended per South Beach standards. However, I’ve made the gradual change from allowing chemicals in my food to eating more whole foods. Now I strive to eat food in its most pure form as much as possible.
This is me now:
(and my cousin Steph)
Am I happier? Not necessarily. I’ve always been a pretty happy kid.
Am I more confident? I guess.. I can wear tank tops now if that counts 😉
Am I healthier? Most definitely.
Not to be cliché, but what we look like on the outside doesn’t matter. You can be a hottie tottie, with a nasty-looking set of organs from mistreating your body, or you can be at a happy, healthy place and glowing from the inside out (thanks for the phrase Miss Julz).
And if you’ve got a rockin bod from all of your hard work… then that’s just icing on the cake bbs 😀
See ya soon,
G
76 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wow, thanks for sharing your story. You have come a long way and should be proud! Have a super night!
Great post Gina!
I would never have known that was you in the picture if you would not have told me. Amazing.
I am so proud of you, and its not even about the weight loss like you said its about having a healthy aspect in food and in life. xoxo
Thank you SO much for this post — you are a true inspiration!
thank you so much for sharing! you are wonderful!! you look so beautiful before and after, but i like how your goal was just to be healthy… without giving up mexican food 😉
I am S0 proud of you for posting this… SUCH BALLS you have my darling Gizzle <333
As a child, I was chubby and never got over that shame. EVER. It haunts me EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I fear meal times, food, etc for the negative attention it may give me and was told, as a BABY-AGE, that if you're hungry, it's good, because it means you are losing weight. That was what I strived towards and thought it would mean happiness. I thought that to be losing = to be healthy and therefore to be losing= to be happy. Y0U ARE S0 0N P0INT. To be happy one must BE AND LET BE ~ LIVE AND LET LIVE – CRY AND LET CRY – AND SING AND LET SING. Every day I learn to allow my heart to sing, louder and louder. And I have you to thank for so much of that music.
I L0VE Y0U G <3
This is such a great story – you rock Gina! You are so right – it’s not about your body or your looks, it’s about being healthy and being able to feel comfortable in your own skin.
This is amazing, thanks for sharing Gina! I really like your honesty – the fact that you were happy before and now – I just love that.
Beautiful now, beautiful then. You are such a wonderful person Gina! Thank you for sharing your story and what worked for you- you rock 😉 Glad to hear that you love your healthy lifestyle!
Thanks for sharing!
You should be so proud of your healthy lifestyle, and the fact that you’re devoting so much of your time now to helping others do the same through training, classes at the gym, blogging, etc.
I love this post! You are so beautiful, inside and out!
Have a nice night =)
great post gina! i love that you shared this with us and we see how you’ve grown about eating healthy! yay!!!
WOW. What a fantastic post. So great that you shared your trial and error also and what you learned from it. Way to go= such an inspiration and great example!!
😉
Thank you!
KO
Thanks for sharing this! I love reading someone’s honest feelings.
I want/need to get healthy and it’s so inspiring to see other people getting healthy simply to feel better. It’s not always about looks.
Great post! Thanks for sharing this with us – we have all had our shares of dieting ups and downs, and I think it helps to read other stories!
glad to read your story and thanks for sharing it with me!
random, but i NEED to find that white macadamia clif bar. i’ve been searching everywhere. and everyone’s blogs seem to mention how delish it truly is!
have a great rest of your week!
xo, nicole.
oh i love seeing this! i think it’s so amazing and inspirational to see a normal person get healthy on their own; you look amazing now!
having said that, what i love even more is how happy you look in your pre-weight loss picture. even though losing the weight has made you a healthier person, it’s nice to see that you weren’t affected by the media and hollywood and all of that stereotypical stuff; you really looked genuinely happy!
Awesome post – I SO enjoyed reading your story, and more so your philosophy on your story and your thoughts and feelings as you went through your journey. Very, very cool. Thanks!
wow! Awesome!! I read a lot about the South Beach diet when I first decided I wanted to eat healthier, since it was reccommended by a couple fitness trainers I knew. Now I really like the principles of the Paleo Diet for Athlete, which similarly stress whole foods. I really don’t follow anything specificallly.
And as Meghann said, I would have never guessed that was you!! You really do loook completely different!!
Thanks so much for sharing!! You are so gorgeous!!!
And I adoreeeeeeee ice cream cakes! haha!
Great post Gina! And congrats on finding out what being healthy truly means, I think that’s the most important thing to take from this story! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story! I think your experience with each type of eating plan is interesting. I tried the Slim Fast plan a few years ago and had the same experience. You might lose some weight but the irritable mood is not worth it! Sounds like the South Beach is the most balanced plan.
You rock my world, Gina. Your perspective on life, health and happiness makes me smile and is truly contagious. The way you wrote this post makes me want to go to a grocery store and buy all the fresh produce in sight! You are such an inspiring lady and I really enjoyed reading your story.
Oh and P.S. You are also gorgeous inside and out :o)
OMG you are so beautiful, were and are :D!! I love your outlook, and hearing your story is so awesome. You are so lucky to have such loving and supportive family and friends..thanks for being such an inspiration of happiness and health !!
Wow Gina – what a transformation. You sounds like you were always very happy, and that IS what really matters. Thanks for sharing your story – I always like reading about what works for people and what doesn’t, and I love your positive perspective on living a healthy lifestyle!
oh you are beauuuutiful!
This was fantastic. You’ll be proud to know I’ve been hitting the gym EVERY day. 🙂
Lovely lovely words. It is refreshing to hear that weight loss wasn’t your magic pill to happiness. The key to life is finding that happiness no matter what me look like or what we weigh. Your are blessed to have had that happiness all along!
Thank you for sharing such a personal story. You are the best!!!!!
Honestly this sounds cheesy but I still think you pretty before, too! I can definitely see more of a “glow” since the weight loss though, and it’s great that you are at peace with your body. I think the South Beach seems like the most reasonable of the diets out there–you’re right, it teaches you how to eat.
Great post!
Wow – what a transformation – thinks for sharing what did and did not work for you! You’re gorgeous girl. 😀
Your story is amazing Gina! I have a similar story about trying lots of diets in high school and finding myself with eating in/after college. I LOVE how you wrote that you were always a happy kid and no one made you feel bad for being a little chubbier. That is the same with me! Looking at pictures, I am like wow, I was pretty chubby, but I was always happy!!
Great story! You really are beautiful on the inside and out!! 🙂
That’s a great story, thanks for sharing it. You have such a positive outlook on life!
Gina, you’re beyond fantastic. Period.
Love this post Gina! You have a great story and a great outlook on your accomplishments and health!
Good post, Gina 🙂
You are an inspiration to many!
Great story! Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful, HEALTHY transformation! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I’m so happy you shared this with us!! You have come a long way and learned it all on your own…Awesome!! I was also heavier in HS and it wasn’t until college that I taught myself to eat better. Yay college! 🙂 And yay dance!!
fantastic post Gina!
Phenomenal, Gina! You have such a beautiful head of hair, Im in awe! 🙂 This post was beautiful, thanks for sharing!
-Caroline
Fabulous post, Gina! You are such an amazing person – truly an inspiration!!
Be proud girl! Good health is key 🙂
Such a great post. I loved how you said that it didn’t make you happier (you were already happy), because I think a lot of people think losing 5, 10, 50 pounds will bring them happiness and that isn’t always true.
thanks for such a wonderful story! you have such a great healthy aspect and are such a great inspiration!!!
I’d still get with high school Gina 😉 I’m incredibly proud of you, baby. You’re an inspiration to me and I’m thankful that you keep us both healthy. Can’t wait to get home. Love, me
EVERY picture I’ve seen of you, you’ve had a glow – so glad to hear that your high school years were happy. I have to 2nd what so many have already said, the number on the scale means nothing if you’re not truly healthy, and that good health is what leads us to happiness. Thanks for sharing Gina, you are beautiful inside and out!
You’ll always look beautiful, Gina, but I’m glad you found a way to be healthier and feel more comfortable in your own skin.
What a great post Gina! You are so level-headed – I love it!
I can’t believe that before picture is even you! You were hardly overweight, but it’s amazing to look at before and afters!
Thanks for sharing your story! You are just the best!
Wow, the before pic is unrecognizable! Well done. I grew up dancing too, and interestingly only now that I barely get to dance at all anymore (aside from the living room) I weigh less than I did when I was in rehearsals every day. I guess I took the exercise for granted then, whereas now it’s up to me to stay healthy.
Rock on!
Diana
PS I’m about to pick Eclipse up from the library and am extra excited to continue the Twilight series since you rave about it so much…though I only admit that to you…and the rest of the internet. I haven’t had the cojones to post it on my own blog yet! Coming soon though, I’m sure…
alright i had to come out of google reader land to say, dang gina!! i’m so proud of you! thanks for sharing.
yay healthyness!
WOW! that before pic didn’t even look like you! what a difference even a few pounds makes sometimes. and yes you are right a rocking bod is the icing on the cake!
that picture doesnt even look like you! anyways, your healthy attitude about making changes for the right reasons is truly reflected in your blog on a daily basis. thanks for the honest sharing.
http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com
You are very inspirational Gina, thanks for sharing your personal journey with us.