hey yall~ ^0^ i think this is where i post for 'weight loss' stuff right~? hahah- i wasn't sure... but anyways, i recently lost some weight and i just wanted to share my routine and diet info with yall, just in case it might help

here's a before/after picture:
first picture: october 2006
- 160 lbs.
- measurements: 36C - 32 - 40
*i was stupid to go out all night and drink (then eat afterwards) all the time
boy did i learn from that~
second picture: yesterday, august 25, 2007
- 130 lbs.
- measurements: 34C - 26 - 35i didn't realize that i gained weight until the end of 2006, due to having fun all the time and paying too much attention to school and not to myself. i used to be 135ish before, but shot up to 160'ish 0_o i was surprised, a 30+ lb. gain is a LOT and is so hard to lose, especially when i used to HATE to workout and diet

but i had to do it, i didn't wanna continue gaining and i wanted to get back to what i used to be. i joined the gym at the beginning of this year and went 3-4 times a week and i started watching what i eat too. i also stopped going out to drink, beer and liquor really does have a LOT of calories after i researched on it. here's more elaborate info on my experience:
workout routine:
- went to the gym 3-4x a week
- did 30-45 minutes of cardio (elliptical, treadmill, bike)
- did 20-30 minutes of weight training (one day, i'd concentrate only on legs. the next day, i'd concentrate only on arms. the next day, i'd concentrate only on stomach. then the cycle would just repeat)
- burnt off at least 500 calories each time i went to the gym
- after every 2 months, i added on more to each, just to give my workout a little bit of a 'push'
*right now, i do one hour of cardio, 30 minutes of weight training, and 10-15 minutes of pilates, and i do this 3-4x a week still

my body actually feels 'weird' if i don't workout now hahah~
eating plan:
- i did somethin really hard...
i counted calories. 
i made sure i ate between 500-800 calories and burnt some off at the gym. and word from a professional trainer, it's not bad to burn off everything you eat. it's actually very good to do so ^0^
- i mostly ate a lot of lean cuisine stuff, or salad with italian dressing and no croutons or bacon bits. for meat, i ate a LOT of salmon and chicken. i also ate a lot of broccoli, carrots, and celery (all steamed)
- for snacks, i ate those 100-calorie snacks, or the special-K bars. the BEST thing to snack on are rice cakes; it may sound kinda gross, but there are actually some good flavors out there

- i DID treat myself to one "normal human" meal once every 2 weeks though

hey, i have to live life sometime~!
*right now, i still eat like this even after i lost weight. i think i'm just used to it now- but i'll admit, i do throw in candy every once in a while

words from a professional trainer i worked with:
- it is NOT NOT NOT good to starve yourself, it will NOT run your metabolism. some may starve themselves and lose weight, but the weight will come back REALLY fast (i speak from experience)
- if you wanna lose fat, do more cardio than weight training
- if you wanna tone up after losing a good amount of fat, start doing more weight training to strengthen your muscles
-
do not put a ridiculous weight goal for your body. i told the trainer i wanted to be 110'ish at first and he told me i was crazy. i'm 5'6 1/2, and normal GOOD weight is between 120-130. plus, what woman wants to lose boobs or butt?

sooo yeah, i got back to my normal ok size. i'm still aiming for 125'ish and i wanna be toned up all the way, and the last 5 lbs. are always so hard to lose hahah~ but i'm going at it~! i feel MUCH more better about myself, and my body also feels better health-wise. i used to hate running, and now, i can actually do it

i used to think i could NEVER shrink down my 'thunder thighs', but i actually did, and i'm so happy about it too. ^0^
so i hope my post motivates those who wanna lose some weight or tone up. if my lazy butt who LOVE sweets and fattening food could do it, you can too