Let's be honest; gaining weight is easy for many, and losing it is tough!
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a number girl so here's a little background.
Childhood & teenage years - a skinny mini. I'll never forget the time a girl my age asked me if I was sick at a dance competition because you could see my many of ribs in front and back. I had never thought of myself as "sickly skinny" until that moment.
Early 20 - Finally discovered the "freshman 15." The double RBVs and greasy hamburgers during my PhD program finally caught up to me as I weighed a155 lbs by the time I finished my program.
Late 20s - Finally discovered the "freshman 15." The double RBVs and greasy hamburgers during my PhD program finally caught up to me as I weighed around 155 lbs by the time I finished my program.
Early 30s - Career life and adventures living across several states. I pretty much gained almost 10 lbs per state: Texas, Illinois, Louisiana, Arizona. YIKES!
Late 30s - Ugh. By the time I left the US on June 10, 2019 (a little more than a month before my 40th birthday), I weighed around 200 lbs. OMG!!!! I was a full size 14 or XL in most clothes.
I'm swimming in my shorts.
Yep, see those shorts down there? The black pair on the right are absolutely huge on me, and if I have anything in my pockets, they pull down uncomfortably low. They have a wider leg cut and the material is awesome for being in hot humid climates, or wearing a wet bathing suite because they dry fast (and don't show swamp ass). Yes, I just said that.
I really love the grey pair on the left because of the pockets (two front, one side and one back), comfort level and more fashionable than a pair of running shorts. The draw string helps with keeping them up, but I still have a sagging problem with my heavy cell phone in a front pocket.
Thank goodness I picked up a golf skort (skirt with shorts combo) when I swung back through Arizona for Thanksgiving (November 2019). I bought size large which fits marvelously now. My only complaint is that it's a bit on the warmer side since they are made out of a thick spandex-like material, and there's shorts under a skirt. At least it's the right fit though.
What's the big deal with oversized clothes?
There's two big deals:
I lost weight!!! Woo hoo. After spending nearly 6 months in Mexico, changing my eating habits and walking everywhere, I lost 15 lbs. Then I was able to lose another 5 lbs by the end of my time in Ecuador. That means: 200 - 20 = 180 lbs was my weight entering Belize. I don't have access to a scale but I think I'm closer to 175 lbs at the moment.
Shopping is limited. I'm living in a village with less than 2,000 people. So there are no department stores and Amazon doesn't deliver to doorsteps here. Typically, people have friends mule in items; meaning if you know someone coming to town soon from the US or other places with an abundance of shopping options at their fingertips, you ask them to bring you items. In the few days I could walk around prior to the lockdown, I noticed one second hand store and one boutique-like store that carried women's clothing. I will cross my fingers that once those stores reopen, I can find something that might fit my new figure. Tops are pretty easy to find, it's bottoms that are tough for me because I still have my infamous bubble butt, and curvy hips. That's one reason why my shorts above have elastic waistbands.
How did I lose the weight?
I stopped eating crappy processed foods and I walk everywhere. It's just that simple.
I am not taking supplements, pills, or going to a gym multiple times a week. I buy and eat fresh fruits and vegetables from local markets, meats from butchers, and keep any of the typical processed foods to a minimum. I try to get 7-7.5 hours of sleep, and I keep the sugary drinks to a minimum or add extra water to dilute them (like Gatorade). Don't get me wrong, I still love wine and vodka drinks.
In Mexico I really loved walking the beach and town a few times a day. I could easily get 3 to 8 miles in daily, if I chose. When I was in Ecuador, I lived farther away from town, so walking in took a bit of time and it was very enjoyable. I have to give a huge shout-out to my cousin Brenda, because she made us home cooked meals most of the time, and her healthy ingredients truly helped my journey and I learned so much which has been invaluable for my time here in Belize thus far.
How am I losing weight in Belize?
Well, my ability to walk miles on end each day is nonexistent right now since the country is in quarantine. I can legally walk in the mornings Mon - Sat, 5am - 8am, but I haven't yet. In my opinion, it's not worth the risk at the moment. I do have access to a pool where I swim a few laps and do some water aerobics. Yes, I look silly but no one is around to see me, so who cares?! I think I've lost weight due to the amount of water I am drinking, the lean and healthy foods I'm eating, and I'm sweating everything out of me. It's been in the high 80s and low 90s but the "Feels like" temp has been around 100 F. Some days there's very little breeze and it's those days, I just drip and drip and drip. Thank goodness for my microfiber sweat rags!
Fun Fact: I rode sport bikes in my 20s...good times!
What's my end goal?
I'm not really sure, but I do know I'm not there yet. I remember feeling really good when I weighed around 155 lbs. So I'm looking for that feeling, not necessarily that specific weight.
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