Is that you, Rosa?

Has it really been nine months since I last wrote an entry? Time does go by too fast! Well, here I am again, continuing to chronicle my journey to getting fit and healthy…and all the things that happen in between.

Wouldn't it be great if getting fit would happen 
as fast as time goes by? I'd be super fit by now!

Some updates since the last time I was here: I have lost a good amount of weight! When I started this journey I was at 179 lbs, which I think was almost as heavy as I was when I was pregnant with my second daughter. With the workouts and the changes in my diet, I managed to lose 22 lbs, and wow, how great does that feel! I got rid of a lot of my clothes that did not fit me anymore; I went from sizes 14/12 to a size 10 and finally to a size 8. I remember the day that I tried my 19 year old daughter's pants, which no longer fit her - I was hesitant but tried them on anyway and whoa, what a surprise that they fit me!

As I had mentioned in this entry, I had registered for a 5K, and finally in August, I did get to do it. It was not the best experience - the course was terrible and I was more concerned about getting hurt than about achieving a good time, but despite that, it was a big high when I reached the finish line. There was my husband and my daughter, who had also done the race with me, waiting for me, and we were all so happy! I wanted to do another one before the year was over, and we did Carrera de los Muertos, and while my timing was not the best, the overall experience was so good, and I made it a goal to do it again this year and complete it in less time than before. Can't wait for it to happen!

My first 5K! My Bear and my daughter Amanda joined
me and we had a good time!

Inspired by the first 5K, we went on for the Carrera de Muertos.
(L-R) La Cuquis, el Oso Ferroso, la Bunny.

We went to Puerto Rico to spend Christmas there and it was great when family and friends saw me and commented on how much weight I had lost. It motivated to keep on going. But you know how it is when you visit family, particularly during the holidays, and spending Christmas in Puerto Rico can be dangerous! Anywhere you go there is lechón asado, arroz con gandules, pasteles, and arroz con dulce. If you are not careful, you can gain weight while eating that delicious food. So we ate a bit of everything and made sure to exercise as much as we could. While there, I wore a size 8 bathing suit and bought size 8 jeans for the first time in years.

(L) Hawaii, 2013. (R) Puerto Rico 2014
I can see the difference(besides the curly hair).

Back in Chicago, well, you know how it is after you come back from vacation. First you have all that energy, the one after a good vacation, when you are determined to make big changes, make everything different. With your new energy, you are determined to conquer the world! And then life happens: you go back to your routines, you start forgetting lunch from time to time, and before you notice it, you have gone back to your old ways. And that is exactly what happened to me. Before I knew it, my size 8 pants were "biting" me again, so I put them in the back of my closet, determined to get back on them as soon as possible.

Of course, I had not considered Chicago's weather, which even after 28 years of living here (has it really been 28 years? - wow!), I still don't get used to it. With the snow and the cold, gray days, I had no motivation to walk out of the house and go to the gym. My husband kept pushing me to go, and I tried, I swear, I did, but it just was not happening. I came home from work exhausted to cook and do some housework, and when it was time to go to the gym, I was pooped and just wanted to go to sleep. It was not a nice feeling. I was fearing regaining the weight that I had lost, but I could just not get back into it. Time kept going by and I was not able to get myself going. Then, one day, I saw something on Instagram for Fit Girl's Guide, and really liked what I saw. It was all laid there for me - the workout routines (I always had trouble remembering what I had to do at the gym), the recipes, along with grocery lists (yes, yes! less thinking and planning!). I was sold. I convinced my daughter to join me and purchased the 28 day jumpstart guide. The only problem? The next challenge started just about the time I was leaving to New York to visit my best friend. I knew it would be unrealistic to start the program while on vacation, especially when visiting my very best friend and celebrating my birthday. But I was determined to do it, so I planned for the next cycle, which was set to start on March 16.

Looking at pictures that showed how much I had progressed
motivated me to give the Fit Girls Guide a try.

So how did it go? Well, I will talk about that next time.