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Ten years ago, I discovered I was pregnant with my son. I had a wonderful pregnancy and natural delivery, no complications whatsoever. When I went in for my periodic OBGYN appointments, the doctor would tell me that I lost weight…again.

Every appointment I was either the same weight or at a reduced weight. Of course, I was concerned because for all the pregnant people I knew, they “ate for two” and gained some weight. My doctor assured me it was normal and that me and my baby were just fine.

She was right. Jayden came out as healthy as a horse. Thank God!

After my prince Jayden was born, I realized I lost 20lbs throughout my pregnancy – 20lbs! My “snapback” game was something nice without me even trying. What are the odds, right?

I mean, after all, we normally see celebrities bounce back to their pre-pregnancy sizes like entertainer, Teyana Taylor.

Quite naturally, I have gained ALL the 20lbs back, plus more!

How did I get here?

How do I get this weight off if I never struggled with gaining so much weight before in my life?

I always maintained a healthy weight. For the past few years, I have been up and down with my weight. My weight is like a seesaw!

I’ll start a healthy regimen and stay committed for about two weeks and then off I go stuffing something unhealthy down my body.

Why is that? Because fattening, unhealthy food is so good, darn it!

After all the trials and tribulations of trying weight loss programs, hiring trainers, going to the gym, it was time to decide what TRULY worked for me so that I CAN stay consistent. Guys, all it really takes is just eating right and getting in a little exercise. No gym memberships are weight loss programs needed.  Here are some ways you can achieve it:

Nutrition

It is a FACT that nutrition is the main factor in weight loss. You can’t workout in beast mode, eat unhealthy and expect to lose weight. Your nutrition needs to be right before working out is even on your mind. The experts refer to this as the 80/20 rule.

After reading this enlightening post from Women’s Health, it proved to me that the doctors and nutritionists are right – nutrition trumps exercise. Here’s how and why – check out this excerpt from the post and the accompanying table:

The reason dieting is so much more effective than exercise is because it takes a ton of activity to create a 500 to 700 calorie deficit through working out. Essentially, you’d need to run seven to 10 miles a day to lose one pound a week, says Holly Lofton, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine and director of the weight management program at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. The average person can’t keep this up, especially without increasing their caloric intake.

“I see this in patients all the time,” says Lofton. “People think, ‘If I run the marathon or start going to boot camp, I’m going to lose weight’ but they’re often disappointed when they don’t.”  

You don’t need to hit an exact 80/20 ratio to shed pounds, but it is important for people to focus primarily on diet when they’re trying to lose weight. “You can lose weight without exercise, but you cannot lose weight if your nutrition counteracts your energy expenditure through exercise,” Matheny says.

The pendulum effect connecting gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is free levitra samples acidity. Eating healthy foods that are low in fat can also help keep your veins clear and the male reproductive system disease viagra generic india http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1498534150_add_file_2.pdf knowledge has been popularized. It has become a common cause for cardiovascular diseases and hence also for recurring medicine super active cialis bills. Nobody would cheap cialis india ever get to know about their sexual inability.

Actress Gabrielle Union covered the March 2017 issue of Women’s Health, make sure you check out the post we did. Her body is amazeballs!

Back to my story and tips…

Since I am a full-time working mother, my time is limited and I live on a budget. I have to be wise on how I spend money. Food costs. I try to buy inexpensive, healthy and simple foods. For example, eating oatmeal, fruit, and a few almonds in the morning is quick and inexpensive – and, of course, healthy.

It’s good practice to keep any variations of proteins, vegetables, fruit and water as sources of food at all times. Moderation is key!

Also, eating five times a day – breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner is one of the keys to successful weight loss. Another key tip is to not eat after 8/9pm. If you get hungry, grab a fruit and drink plenty of water, with lemon, if preferred.

To save even more money, start incorporating coupons into your budget.

My favorite and most convenient source is coupons.com. You should really check them out.

Important Tip: Here’s something that you hear over and over – drink plenty of water! I am a soda drinker, so in order to achieve my weight loss goals, I had to ax all sodas, including diet. The only beverages I would drink is water (Fiji is amazing), unsweetened tea and Crystal Light. When it comes to water, I’m like a kid, I need it a certain way before I drink it. I refuse to drink room temperature water. Yuck!

My water must be cold, and depending how cold, I may add some cubes. Plus, I add some lemon juice or maybe some sliced strawberries to give it a flavor.

I hear many working mothers speak of Blue Apron.

Blue Apron is healthy food delivery service. They have great healthy recipes and menu options for you and the family. Everything you need (ingredients, seasonings, veggies, etc.) will be included in your refrigerated box, with free shipping.

I recently placed an order to have my first box delivered. I’ll do the un-boxing on Snapchat (make sure you follow @blogxpressions to see me action) and I’ll also show you how I prepare the meal and the finished product.I paid about $13.00 for my first meal for two people. It’s worth a try.

Every aspect of my life has to provide a level of convenience and after doing my research, Blue Apron meets my criterion.

Right now, they are offering a deal that I took advantage of – get $30 off your first order. See, you’re saving already! I can’t wait to see get my delivery. Oh, and did I mention they deliver wine, too? Cheers! Learn more about their services by clicking here.

Exercise (Grrr…)

I don’t know what I despise the most – being without bread and soda or working out at the gym! Ugh!

So, I tried the whole trainer thing at the gym and it went okay for a while. My trainer was awesome! I was eating right and having my regular sessions, but then I got bored with it all and fell off track.

The gym that I attended offered ZUMBA classes and I loved it! Instead of me lifting weights or walking the treadmill, some days I’ll just do ZUMBA and that helped a great deal. I didn’t get so bored.

And then the instructor changed the class times. Big ‘uh-oh’ because I could not make it to her classes anymore – hello, I work a full time job, with a kid! C’mon, really?

So, that placed me back into the inconsistency pattern. I stopped working out and stopped eating smart, so the pounds piled back on.

My gym membership has been over for nearly two years.  I’m glad because: (1) I’m saving $32 a month and (2) I don’t feel like I’m wasting money. I tried some kickboxing classes at this place nearby. The trial membership was $10 for 3 classes, so I jumped on it.

I had my classes back in July’16 and it kicked my butt! I see why they call it “kick” boxing! The workout was so intense, I literally had to leave off the floor, go in the ladies locker room and take a breather. But after it was all said and done, I walked out loving every single minute of it! I loved the class because it was a group setting with very good instructors. They worked every part of the body and I was sweating and glistening.

Unfortunately, I did not sign up for a membership, because although it was very effective, it was very costly too!

Now I see that they offer Groupon! How many us love us some Groupon? Yea, baby!

So you can check out the classes so they can kick your butt too, but you’ll be some fwine!

There is a park literally five minutes from me and I made the effort to go walk a couple of miles every weekend along with my husband, my mother-n-law, aunt and of course my son.

Then, I stopped.

So, I back to square one to reset my healthy habits and get going on. It’s never too late to become a healthier version of yourself.

If there is no room in your schedule to go out to workout, then do it at home. If there’s a will, there’s definitely a way!

Here are some really good workout DVD’s that I have used that are very effective – you’ll feel the burn! The Essential 12 Minute Workouts (Fat Burner / Muscle Maker / Burn & Tone / Fight the Fat Kickboxing)  BILLY BLANKS – TAEBO 3 Pack DVD

I have not tried this one, but I heard the calories burn off and you can feel the intensity. If you currently use this or have tried it, please let us know about it.

  Shaun T’s CIZE Dance Workout – Base Kit

Motivational Tools & Equipment: 

I see a lot of people walking around with thick bands around their wrist and I always wondered what it was and what purpose did it serve.

After my husband bought one, he gave me the scoop. The name of the object I’m speaking of is called, FitBit. It’s used to track and monitor physical activity. Every move you make, it will capture. Pretty neat. It also monitors sleep behaviors.

Sleep is very important to your health as well. My husband definitely needed it since his sleep patterns are all over the place. There are so many types to choose from, they even come in some pretty colors. The bonus feature that sold me is you can be apart of group activities and contests. You and a group of friends can hold each other accountable by checking physical stats and make it as a healthy contest. Cool stuff, right? Here’s an idea – whomever makes the most steps by the end of the week, will get a free dinner…something like that. It’s a motivational way to keep on stepping!

Check out my blog post where I list all my budget-friendly workout essentials!

Please Don’t Stop the Music! 

Nothing can empower a good workout like a good playlist! For all my workouts, I create a playlist with at least 15-20 songs that’s upbeat and gets me in that workout mode.

But, wait – a playlist is nothing without quality earphones. You cannot tell me I’m not Beyonce when Get Me Bodied comes on! I move a little faster and here comes the sweat! Yes, come thru burned calories!

Recap

   Eat smart and inexpensively.

   Drink plenty of water.

   Workout/walk at least 4 times a week.

   Invest in a tool like Fitbit to keep track of physical progress.

Now, here is how you can join me on my journey – follow me on Snapchat in my series, My Snapback on Snapchat.

@blogxpressions

Accountability

In all aspects of life, whether it’s finances, careers or relationships, we need support! Support can come in so many variations – from a friend, family members, a sister circle, social media community, vision boards, journals, mentors, etc.

I am apart of some awesome Facebook groups. I can go there to get tools, motivation, tips, advice, etc. It’s all about accountability. With all that being said, I was inspired to create my own Facebook support group.

Say hello to #XpressYourself! A social sister circle developed to help keep you on track. If you need a push, some motivation, some “fitspiration,” this is the where you need to come and share your journey and your struggles.

This Facebook group can be used for ANY type of support, not only fitness-related.

Can I count on you to join in and support this movement?

Please let me know by dropping me a note in the comments below. I’d love to get some feedback from you.

Before I Let You Go…

If you are a health and fitness guru and would love to share your wealth of knowledge with others, I would love to have you on my team. I need a guest fitness blogger who can provide helpful tips, tricks, videos, menu ideas, etc. to help keep us in shape. The weight struggle is real. All you have to do is fill out this brief questionnaire and we will get the ball rolling!

I want you to see images of me when I was at my ideal size. Big difference. Check out this slideshow:

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When you place orders from your fave retailers, you get cash back from EBATES! I just got $7.50 by ordering online from Blue Apron. Woot, woot!

Click the button below to find out how you can get cashback, too!

Thanks for all your support!

Smooches!

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