How to successfully start a diet and work out plan made to improve your health and well being!

I was over weight for 4 years of my life. As I kept getting older, I realized I was so unhappy about my weight that it completely ruined my self esteem. I didn't think I deserved to wear the close I wanted, and I definitely didn't think I could ever wear them. In freshman year I got so sick that I missed 21 straight days and needed my blood drawn 3 times for 3 different kinds of testing. There was something wrong with my liver. My enzyme count was skyrocketing and I was sleeping for 21 hours a day. They thought that maybe I had liver cancer, but after an ultrasound they knew that wasn't the case. After I got better, they told me the reason that my liver was in this temporary condition was because of my weight. I always believed I was 'chubby', but hearing from a doctor that I was actually over-weight put my mind at a whole new focus. I made a work-out plan that couldn't, and didn't fail.

The first thing I did was get a spiral note-book specifically for dieting and working out. I spent the entire night online printing out pictures of clothes I wanted to wear, brands I wanted to wear, pictures of girls who were fit, and anything else that inspired me to workout all over the cover. That way whenever I saw it, I remembered why I need to keep going.

Inside the journal I made 3 realistic goals.

The heaviest I ever was, was 158lbs, at a height of 5"0.

So, I made these 3 goals!

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1) 148lbs ((YOU LOST 10 POUNDS!))

2) 138lbs ((YOU LOST 20 PUNDS! Reward yourself with the item/ thing of your choosing!))

3)128lbs ((YOU LOST 30 POUNDS!!!))

After these 3 goals I made 2 extra goals for me, but they were not nearly as important as the first 3.

4)118lbs! ((YOU LOST 40 POUNDS!!!!))

5)108lbs! ((YOU DID IT!!!!!! Reward yourself! You deserve it!))

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• Setting up goals is the most important part of the first step: Motivation. Not just making goals but also rewarding yourself! You need to reward yourself because you need to love yourself to keep going throughout a process like this. This wasn't easy in the slightest; so you need to pat yourself on the back! You can take yourself farther than you ever thought
• The next 2 steps are essential. You've heard them all before. Exercise, and eating right. But you don't have to become a gym rat, or eat rabbit food for every meal! I did everything the easiest way, because I don't have access to a gym, and I am the pickiest eater there is. So here are al the simple things I did that made all the difference!
• My workouts were: Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies, Tae Bow Energy 2004, Riding my bike, and walking my dog.

THAT'S IT! I did Richard Simmons 4-7 days a week, walked my dogs 3-5 days a week for about 30 minutes each (I have 2 dogs), rode my bike whenever possible for probably hours, And I'd do Tae Bow every once in a while whenever I wanted to work more on muscle definition and toning. 

As I reached my first 2 goals, I bought more challenging workouts. I bought Hip-Hop Abs and Ripped in 30. I still to this day have NOT been able to complete Ripped in 30! IT IS UNBELIEVABLY HARD and I go to sleep right after I do it. I'm just a teenage girl, and apparently don't have what it takes... BUT THAT'S OKAY! Don't give up if a workout is too hard for you! All you need to do is try a new one! I did the simplest workout and hear I am; healthy and no longer overweight! Just do what you know you can and slowly push yourself when you KNOW you're ready.

Next is eating... I once ate my salad for every meal for a week straight only with only water to drink and lost 7 pounds... I LOST A POUND A DAY! But oh my gosh was I depressed. There's no food I hate more than salad. After that week I gave up on the diet because I was so miserable. (This was a pervious diet a year before the diet that I actually worked for) I realized there had to be an easier way to eat right without being miserable, AND THERE WAS! Here are the small, simple things I did that you can do too!

1) switched red meat with white meat

2) only drank diet pop! (THIS IS HUGE)

3) made it a priority to drink at least one third of my weight in ounces of water. WATER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!

4) Whole Wheat! (Not every time I had a chance, but switched it pretty often)

5) Started eating breakfast!!!

6) Ate eggs more often!

7) Completely cut out ice-cream and candy

8) Limited my snack intake

9) Started eating yoplait yogurt as a treat

10) ate more soup

11) kept an eye out for sky rocketing calorie foods (Wasn't ever crazy about calories, but anything about 700 and up was usually out of the question.)

12) stopped putting mayo on food.

13) stopped eating when I was content, not full!

If you follow these steps, you can definitely accomplish your goals! If you have any questions ask me, and I would be glad to answer them! Thank you so much, and have a great day!

Bucket List! (Destinations)

1.   I want more than anything to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. I love all Studio Ghibli productions, but out of all of the movies, I am very emotionally attached to My Neighbor Totoro; so to visit this place some day would be an absolute dream come true! I wouldn't doubt that I would start crying at the sight because it is seriously amazing! I won't care if the Cat Bus playpen has an age limit because I will seriously jump right in. They have a store, life-size statues, an amazing cafe that creates Studio Ghibli art in your drink! This is definitely a destination I need to visit before I die.

2. I've always wanted to go to Disneyland, in California. I've been to Disneyworld when I was really young, therefore I don't remember nearly enough. Most commercials  I've seen for a Disney park are in Disneyland, California so I desperately want to go! I've always wanted to meet Peter Pan, Rapunzel and Flynn (Eugene), See the castle, visit Radiator Springs (because I was OBSESSED with Pixar's Cars for a while..) and meet other characters!

3. Ever since I was in 4th grade I have been fascinated by Japanese culture, and I even wrote a journal entry that asked "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?" and of course, I picked Japan. In my freshman year, I got the same journal question, and answered the same thing again 5 years later. There's no doubt in my mind that before I die; I need to visit Japan. I'd love to visit Tokyo, but because of the reputation of being crowded I'm not sure if I can handle it due to the fact I have horrible claustrophobia. (I sometimes have a hard time breathing just from being in an elevator...) Regardless, I think I need to visit Tokyo even if it kills me because I love just about everything about Japanese Tradition, fashion, I LOVE anime, and it's SUCH a beautiful country! Maybe one day I'll be in luck because my boyfriend, Chris wants to visit Japan just as much as I do c: I'd take advantage of every day if I got to go!

4. Even though I live 40 minutes away from Chicago, I still haven't seen The Bean! Mostly, I just want to see it and take pictures of it and say I've seen it since I think it's ridiculous I still haven't... Another place I want to visit in Chicago is a restaurant called Dick's Last Resort. According to Wikipedia, 'Dick's Last Resort teaches its servers to be obnoxious. Patrons of Dick's are expected to be insulted, or placed in uncomfortable situations. Adult bibs and large, handmade, paper hats are given to diners to wear during their stay. There are no napkins on the tables: they are generally thrown at the customers by the serving staff.' I have a sense of humor so honestly I think this place sounds hilarious!

5. Next, I want to go to the San Diego Zoo. Mostly, I want to go here for 2 specific animals. One is of course, is the Pandas, and the other is the Ocelot. I absolutely adore pandas and I would love to see one in person, and to see a baby panda would be unbelievable! Also, I've loved ocelots since I was in elementary school and I think they're beautiful animals so I want to see one of those in real life too >u<

6. Ever since I was born I was surrounded by Pokemon because all my siblings loved it! It was always on TV, we had so many toys laying around so naturally I fell in love with it. There are pictures of me at 2 years old wearing the Ash hat and throwing pokeballs! As you can imagine, I'm very emotionally attached to Pokemon because it reminds me of my childhood, so I would probably die if I was able to visit the Pokemon Center store, In Tokyo, Japan OR in New York City, New York.

7. My sister, Colleen introduced me to the world of Harry Potter and since I started reading the books and watching the movies, I became to love JK Rowling's creation of the Harry Potter series. About 2 years ago I started to hear about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a Universal Parks and Resorts' Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida. You can visit Hogwarts™ castle, visit the shops of Hogsmeade™ and experience pulse-pounding rides and attractions that transport you into a world of magical thrills and excitement. As a fan, I absolutely have to go here sometime!

8. Not as dear to my heart is Lake Hillier, The pink lake in Australia. Mostly I want to go here just because the lake is PINK! Pink is my favorite color and the lake's water is NATURALLY pink! I don't know how, but I don't care! I'd love to swim there, and take pictures. It's just amazing ^-^

9: If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE Hello Kitty. I have absolutely too many things with her face on them whether it's school supplies to decor in my room! In Korea, there is a Hello Kitty Cafe where EVERYTHING is Hello Kitty! The decor inside is Hello Kitty and even the food is shaped like Hello Kitty! It's a long way away, so it's too adorable to not go... It's definitely a place I need to be!

Lovely and peaceful songs to calm you down, or make you happy!

My Favorite Hair-Care Products!

I'm one of the many who have struggled with my hair due to over exposure of sun, heat, dying and also the use of extensions on a daily basis. Long story short; my hair could use some help. Even though hair growth and regaining health is a long process, these products help the cause to growing, enhancing thickness, shine, strength, and curing those split ends! Here are my favorite products so far:

1) H'Swan Wen Hua

This is a hair treatment you use with clean, dry hair for 20 minutes from Lush Cosmetics. Don't make the same mistake I did and use it with wet/ damp hair. You'll be able to smell the treatment for at least another day even after daily washes. I would recommend this treatment for thinner, dull hair in need of overall health and shine. I used this once a week when needed; then, once my hair seemed to not need it as much, I saved it for desperate hair days. It works and I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars only because of the smell and texture when the treatment is on my hair. I think it smells like dog food, my sister thinks it smells like gasoline, and my brother thinks it smells like Hobby Lobby (???) so, whenever I put it on I have to be away from people so I don't hear about the smell. Also, when I put it in my hair strands clump as if it's greasy and the texture doesn't feel healthy... however; this does not last. As soon as you rinse it out, it feels beautiful and the smell becomes more minty! PLUS+ IT'S NATURAL!

The inside view! I ran out right after I took these pictures ;-;

2) L'Oreal Ever Strong Sulfate-Free Hair and Scalp System: Shampoo AND Conditioner

My sister recommended me to use this brand of shampoo because of the sulfate-free characteristic, and her experience with the brand. Personally, she loves it and has tried almost every kind of the shampoo and conditioner selections except this one since it's new. I tried it and I absolutely LOVE it! It smells fantastic, has great quality, and has definitely thickened my hair, and even helped the growing process! I give this product 5 out of 5 stars! Try it if your hair is thin, needs more body, and if you want natural hair growth!

3) Macadamia Natural Oil Shampoo

As much as I love the L'Oreal brand shampoo and conditioner, my best and most loyal shampoo will always be the Macadamia. It is the king of healthy shampoo's! It's sulfate-free, natural, and super nutritious for hair! It may not feel like your hair is completely clean when washing it; but that's actually how it should feel. Your hair needs it's natural oils, and this shampoo doesn't strip them away. It cleans, while maintaining your natural oils without leaving your hair greasy looking. It's a must for damaged hair! 5 out of 5 stars!

4) Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

This masque is definitely my favorite! It smells delectable, and gives my hair instant health and shine after one simple 7 minute use! I use this once or twice a week, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Just like the shampoo, it's healthy and good for your hair without stripping it of the natural oil essential to healthy hair.

Inside View!

5) Generic Smoothing Serum

If you're like me and your natural hair is crazy and needs to be straightened or blow dried to look remotely good, but you're afraid to use more heat products against your hair- THIS is the product for you. It protects your hair against heat and also changed the texture to thicker and much silkier. Also, it adds shine. The bottle says it reduces drying time, however when I use this before blow drying my hair it actually takes longer. Note: That's just my hair. I'd give this product a 4 out of 5 stars because it lives up to what it does while smelling delicious! (Honestly.. it smells exactly like fruit loops!) The down sides are that it's extremely greasy and takes a long time to get it completely off your hands and the serum is very slippery. It can get everywhere if you squeeze too much out of the bottle. Still, it's a great heat protector  In fact, it's the only one I've liked enough to purchase twice!

6) A Boar Bristle Brush

Having a boar bristle brush is important for hair health because it doesn't snag as much hair out AND it evenly distributes the oils from your scalp down to the ends of your hair. This gives your hair more shine, a silky texture, but it also flattens your hair. Even so, I think it's important to brush my hair more with this brush than the usual brushes (I don't know the regular brush name...) You can purchase these at Sally Beauty Supply, Walmart, or any other hair care store. It does what it needs to, so it deserves it's stars. 4 out 5.