I am in shape. Round is a shape.  

I'm not new to the world of weight loss. Ever since graduating from college, I have battled to stay fit until I got married and had a baby. My early twenties were such glorious days and my metabolism was at its peak. And I had a lot of free time to worry about my weight! (I also don't want to end up looking like most females in my family tree who aren't exactly genetically endowed with supermodel traits. Shhh. Don't tell them I said that!)

That is why in 2003, I saved my allowance to buy a book. It was a huge thing back then, the renowned diet technique itself and the price of a hardbound book plus its accompanying reference guide. It was all over the news, so I bought it.

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I learned so much about dieting and eating the proper food, however, there was one major gripe I had with it -- THE INGREDIENTS! I was so excited to try the whole experiment but alas, there was no way to get the ingredients I need to follow the plan. So I moved on. I did, however, get to use the reference guide to check for calories. In any case, I've kept the book for almost 9 years now in hopes that maybe one day all the ingredients will be within my reach, or if I move to another country and have access to everything I need.

But that's not the end of my weight loss story. Ladies and gentlemen, the following is a scrapbook I made to tell the story of my weight loss journey over the years. Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? (Note: Pic heavy! Please wait for images to load. Thanks.) 

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I know what you're thinking. You might be asking this question: "WHY DOES MYMARIA NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT WHEN SHE'S REALLY NOT FAT? Is she that vain?" Okay, maybe you're not asking this but a lot of people came up to me to ask me that sort of question before. I always answer them, "Maybe 110 lbs is not a big deal for most people, but if you're [insert real height] inches tall like me, then it can be a problem." Plus, I'm not a big fashion freak so I don't really shop for clothes and I feel comfortable wearing vintage shirts I've had since high school and jeans that fit me like a glove. So you see, it's basically just economics for me because when I don't eat a lot, I do not gain weight and absolutely do not need to buy new clothes every time my waist size changes. Therefore, I save money. Well, that was my logic back then, though I still believe in that until now.

It's not vanity to feel you have a right to be beautiful. Women are taught to feel we're not good enough, that we must live up to someone else's standards. But my aim is to cherish myself as I am. -Elle McPherson

But that's really shallow, you say? Okay, here's the thing. Looking back, I think it was more of me trying to FIND WHO I WAS and all this weight loss drama ultimately helped in making me who I am right now. Do you get it?  Think of it this way. If I hadn't experimented in all that crazy dieting, then I wouldn't really know what is good and what is bad for me. I'm more of a you-live-you-learn type of girl.

Continuing my weight loss battle especially now that I've given birth and had once ballooned up to 154 lbs, losing weight is no longer a fairly easy thing to do. The most challenging part of all is that all those methods that I had once proven to be effective for me, namely: Herbalife, Zhen De Shou, the Fish Diet, and even the Slimming Coffee are weight loss methods that I can't do anymore because... I AM CURRENTLY BREASTFEEDING! But isn't breastfeeding supposedly going to make you lose weight!?! Aha! Now that's a misconception. It does, however, burn calories. Just as different diets work for different people, some might work for others who are lucky enough but still many diet techniques out there also don't work for a lot of people. The same goes for breastfeeding. Sure enough I could burn 700 calories just for bonding and nursing my precious baby boy but it is A LOT OF WORK and I get super thirsty and hungry afterwards. So really, it's a vicious cycle. I must drink a lot or eat after so that I won't compromise my milk supply.

Earlier I wanted to try the GM (General Motors) Diet or even the Master Cleanse because they seem like a safe and effective way to lose weight compared to my previous dieting tricks. However, these forms of dieting (and I've researched extensively!) are not fit for a nursing mother. WOE IS MEEEEEEEE! But hey, I'm a happy mom and I enjoy nursing my son. But when I look at a closet full of my pre-pregnancy clothes, I feel depressed. (And being "tagged" on photos of weight loss products in Facebook is not helping either!) Which was why starting last May 4th, I created a customized weight loss program for myself and also made a journal about it so I can keep track of my progress. (You can check it out here.) I say progress because I'm staying positive and determined to do this. Because in all honesty, the real key to losing weight successfully is DETERMINATION and DISCIPLINE. Without those two, you're not going to make it. Add patience and a  positive outlook, and you'll come out victorious.

So in a nutshell, I have lost 6-8 lbs in less than a month's time. NOT BAD AT ALL. If I keep at it, I'll probably reach my targeted weight in 3-4 months. My diet plan right now can be illustrated like this:




I guess my grade school Science & Health teachers were right all along. No more peculiar diets and overhyped weight loss methods for me. I only need the basics:

• A balanced diet (Go, Grow, and Glow foods)
• 8-12 glasses of water a day (I drink about 3L daily)
• Exercise (nothing crazily strenuous as I have to breastfeed my kid)
• Eat good carbs and good fats with calorie counting (1,200 calories daily in order to lose weight but I think 1,500 is okay for my milk supply!)
• Eat proper portions (do not exceed servings!) 

MyMaria's Secret: Read Nutrition Labels! It's there for a reason. It tells you just how much calories you are consuming and how many servings you should eat. Take a look at that Oreo box's nutrition facts. What does it say? It tells us that 3 cookies = 160 calories! BAM! You might as well snack on 16 pcs of Pringles chips because that also equal to 150 calories. But watch out! A tall can of Pringles has 5 servings so if you finish the whole thing, you just consumed a whooping 750 calories! Wow! Counting calories certainly improves my Math skills. Tee hee.
I may have abandoned all my dreams of wanting to be a petite or junior size model but I have a new dream now. I am a mom and raising my son to be a health-conscious individual is my priority. I don't want him growing up with all sorts of weird notions about weight like how reed thin models are sexier than the curvaceous and voluptuous women.


The media is really playing a huge part in children's and teenagers' views, so I am here to teach my son that healthy is sexy. I don't want an anorexic-looking daughter-in-law! (Oh wow! Did I just say that out loud? Tee hee.) I also intend to teach him that just like mommy who's got battle scars from giving birth to a big handsome boy, a little aesthetic improvement can be really helpful to boost your confidence and self-esteem which can lead to better performance in jobs and a very optimistic attitude towards life. That is why I'm seriously considering getting in touch with Sexy Solutions. Hard work pays a lot when it comes to dieting and exercise but at my age and current condition, there are those beyond my control such as:

• Fat in stubborn places. No amount of dieting I think will make it go away, thus, I need the help of Sexy Solutions to melt them using a non-invasive fat reduction method such as a Lipo Cavitation.
• Loose skin. I had a 36-inch waistline when I was pregnant with my big boy and I do not intend to keep wearing my husband's jeans. I also do not want to look like a kangaroo with a hanging pouch in my belly forever. A Multi-Firm or a Tite FX treat sounds really good right now.
• Muscle definition. I could renew my gym membership but I'm okay with working out at home on an old treadmill and doing some light weights. However, I think I could really benefit from learning about correct muscle toning from Belo Medical Group’s in-store consultant and fitness expert Edward Mendez or just get a Body Sculpt while I'm at it. 

Change is constant and I'm ready to transform this body that currently does not feel like my own. I'm done with looking at the mirror and not recognizing my old self with random people asking me, "Hey, are you pregnant again?" 



PUH-LEAZZZE! Enough already. I may not be Stacy's mom but I wouldn't mind it if people start saying, "But she's got it going on."


xoxo,



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P.S. How about you? Got any interesting (safe for breastfeeding) weight loss programs and sexy solutions?