[ad_1]
My name is Michelle Cortes (@ michellelosing70), I am 34 years old and I am from New York. I am a stay at home mom. After experiencing some health issues I started using a calorie counter app and added resistance, strength training to my workouts and lost 60 pounds.
In 2012, I had my first baby. I was lucky to have no problem conceiving, during pregnancy or during labor. After welcoming my baby, I was a first-time mom working long hours, tired, and making unhealthy food choices. I gained a total of 20 pounds during my pregnancy and gained 40 pounds after giving birth.
I started trying for the second baby in 2013, but had three miscarriages that year. I decided to stop trying to conceive and focus on my health instead. Although my doctor never told me directly that my weight was the cause of my miscarriages, I was convinced that the extra weight I was carrying was causing problems and preventing me from carrying to term.
My doctor recommended that I consider losing weight so that I can have a healthier pregnancy in the future. My blood pressure at that time was high and my doctor was concerned that I had preeclampsia. I also had joint pain and was always extremely tired. I knew I had to make a change if I ultimately wanted to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy life.
I started my weight loss journey on August 26, 2014. By May 2015, I had lost 35 pounds and was able to get pregnant in June 2015.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
I knew I wanted to continue my weight loss journey after I had the baby, so six months after giving birth I created my Instagram to hold myself accountable and to document my journey.
When I started this journey, I knew absolutely nothing about health and fitness. All I knew was that eating fewer calories than you burn in a day was the way weight loss happened, at the simplest level. So I downloaded the free version of MyFitnessPal and started tracking my calories and protein intake. My goal was to eat as much as I could and lose weight.
I followed a balanced and unrestricted diet. Even today, I make healthy choices and eat mostly whole foods, but also include fun foods like Twinkies and Oreos. I also make healthy versions of my favorite fast food dishes, like pizzas and burgers.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
This is what I eat in a day now.
- Breakfast: Coffee with CoffeeMate Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer, half a cream cheese bagel and two slices of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon.
- Lunch: Three corn tortillas, 5 oz. steak, salsa, avocado and 2 tbsp. of Bolthouse Farm Avocado-Cilantro Yogurt Dressing.
- Snacks: Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop Kettle Corn, a pineapple, mango and spinach smoothie, or a papaya protein shake.
- Having dinner: Chicken breast, homemade fries and green beans with 2 tbsp. of ketchup and 2 tbsp. of mustard.
- Dessert: ATwinkie or three Oreos
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
At the start of my trip, I started walking five days a week for 45 minutes with my 2 year old son.
At the time, it was perfect because I could burn a few calories while spending time with him.
After losing 60 pounds with just cardio, I was still embarrassed and not completely satisfied with my body. I remember stumbling across a woman’s Instagram account who had a similar weight loss story to mine – and she looked strong. I started to follow his tale and realized that what I was missing from my workout routine was strength training.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
After this revelation, I started doing weight training at home and it really changed my life.
I started a little over a year ago. I was able to develop muscles that completely changed my body composition. Strength training not only helped me build muscle, but also boosted my confidence.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
Now, I mainly train as two upper body days, two lower body days, and one full body day per week. I include 15-20 minutes of cardio, such as running, walking, or using my elliptical trainer after my resistance workout. I also like to stay active on my days off by going for short walks.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
These three small changes had a huge impact on my overall weight loss.
- I cooked most of my meals at home. I prepare and plan all my meals. It really helped because I was able to control the ingredients and the portion sizes. I have become more knowledgeable in nutrition and more creative in the kitchen.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
- I tracked my calories on MyFitnessPal. Calorie tracking really taught me how to read nutrition labels properly. I learned to make healthier choices. Tracking my calories has allowed me to include fun foods in my daily calories without feeling guilty. I now know more about calories and make better food choices without tracking.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
- I promised myself that I would not give up. I told myself that I was going to continue no matter what until I reach my goal. In 2016, I had my second child and had to start my weight loss all over again, but I didn’t give up. When I saw no change on the scale, I continued. When I didn’t see any change in my body, I continued. I realized that health and fitness would always be a part of my life. It started off as a weight loss journey and has turned into a lifestyle.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
I lost a total of 60 pounds in three years and kept it off for three years.
I want other women to know that the most important part of this journey is patience and consistency. You need to continue even when you don’t see results because proper weight loss takes time. I realized there was no due date for my health, and I had to trust the process and not rush the results.
This trip has completely changed my life. I no longer suffer from high blood pressure, extreme fatigue or joint pain. I gave birth to a second healthy child. I can now follow my boys and teach them healthy habits.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on piano.io
[ad_2]
Source link