My Weight Loss Journey

College life has the tendency more often than not to pack the pounds onto you without you even knowing it (until your pants can't fit or you get on a scale)! This is true even for males...I've noticed a handful of males decide to buff up in college, so they can get away with eating all the carbs in the world and drinking protein shakes and walking around all bulky (now I know some do eat consciously, but I'm trying to prove a point)! lol

I have always been a thick girl and in middle school I dropped down all the way to a size 12 (to you that might not be small, but I was stacked and a great weight at my age and height). Unfortunately, I did not lose that weight properly because I was not eating (just a diet Snapple and an apple for lunch, no meat, no bread, no carbs). Then when I met the boyfriend in high school and all those trips to the Jamaican restaurant after school began to pack on pounds. Now in college it just got ridiculous...I honestly gained about 40 pounds in college and I haven't even graduated yet. So all of that in 3 years. What surprised me most is that no one really said anything to me like..."Yasmine, you're getting kind of thick there" or "Maybe you should slow down." I guess no one wanted to hurt my feelings. Now don't get me wrong, I have always been proud and happy with myself no matter what weight I was or what stage of life I was in, but there comes a point when you health and longevity become more important.

It is really tricky and difficult to maintain or lose weight in college because you are often stressed and stress eat--you grab what is most convenient and if you're like me, overinvolved in extra-curricular activities you barely have time to go to the gym unless you got at midnight (which is what I had to start doing). And in the Winter you must be TRULY committed to going to the gym because the frigid cold is such a turn off.

When I went back home in December of 2013 got on the scale, as I had to go to the Doctor before going to Ghana in January and I weighed in at a shocking 310 pounds! My doctor yelled at me and insulted me saying things like "Yasmine, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" "WE NEED TO MATCH YOUR BODY WITH YOUR FACE!" The last comment went a little to far I think (as she was implying that my face was pretty, but my body was ugly) but on the flip side though, she was right. How did I end up here?

Surely enough though, my Winter Term trip to Ghana with my Ghanaian dance professor would soon change that! I have always LOVED to dance, believe it or not. We would practice from 9am, take a lunch break and then go back to it until the sun began to set. I dropped 15-20 pounds in a month and I was feeling amazing! I knew I had to keep going, building up this momentum and I couldn't stop there, so when I got back to school I kept going. I would still dance and go to the gym every chance I got.

Today, I have lost 40 pounds. My goal is to still lose 40 more pounds. But the difference with my weight loss now, is that this time I am doing it the right way, though it's more challenging. Honestly, it's easier to do a 40 day juice diet or starve yourself than it is to constantly monitor your daily intake and exercise, because it takes focus, a certain level of accuracy, time and consistency. Now I'll admit, there are days where I indulge in a chocolate chip cookie, some macaroni and cheese or a small bowl of ice cream...but there is nothing wrong with treating yourself. It's really about moderation. Eating smaller amounts, more often really does help. Drinking water before meals and drinking water throughout the day...yes, you will have to take multiple bathroom breaks but it's worth it!

Now I can go up to 3 miles if not a little more on the treadmill, and now I am working on flexibility and toning as well. I have incorporated the classic Russian twists, a little bit of yoga, situps, arm toning exercises, burpees, etc. I wake up early every morning to go to the gym...though it's tempting to sleep for an extra 40min-1 hour, every day I push myself to wake up and start my day in the gym, I feel so much better and my body thanks me for it! I intended to take yoga classes this summer, but my working schedule did not allow for it, so I will most likely take a class during the school year.

Please feel free to comment, email me with your own experiences or questions. I would be more than willing to answer them. I'm not there yet, but I've learned to take it one day at a time. If I don't do so well one meal, then I will do much better the next. If eat a lot more in a day than I intended to, then I'll intensify my cardio. Balance is key. Determination is essential. #Healthycurves #plusmodel #curvymodel Now let's hope I keep this up senior year :)