weightloss — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

remember this? boooo... *throws a tomato*

- June 2012 -

Chiso had just turned one a month prior to my decision to compete in my first bikini competition. my weight fluctuated give or take 5-10 lbs in either direction depending on what i ate since i had given birth. heck, even pre-prenancy. in a way, i was honestly sorta proud of my post-preggo body...i mean the few extra pounds that i did gain melted off rather quickly and i was back to my pre-preggo weight pretty fast. but, i was still unsatisfied with myself to say the least. i still didn't have my goal body.

i'm 5'10 and my starting weight according to my home scale was:

161 lbs.

21% body fat

per my trainer's scale:

156 lbs.

21% body fat

translation = fluffy!

two weeks into my training, i had my very first progress check. even after just a full week of clean eating, i saw changes instantly and got so excited i made a post about them.

- JUNE 23rd. -

156. 5 lbs.

19.88% bf

- JUNE 23rd -

however, i was still super sloppy fluffy and had a lot of work to do. plus a horrible, horrible tan.

- JUNE 23rd -

i was still breastfeeding at the time, hence all that boobage. heavy boobs reeeeally gave me awful posture, but having a great, supportive regular and sports bra helped. i'd rather just lose body fat though, wouldn't you?!

- JULY 7th. -

153 lbs.

18.5% bf

each progress check was done early in the morning- can't you tell? and hey now, after two more weeks, you can see i'm a little tighter, specifically in my mid section. the slim waist i never thought i was built to have was slowly appearing! i was easily fitting dresses that were purposely hidden in the back of my closet cause they were too uncomfy to wear anymore. my pride would not let me get rid of them.

- JULY 21st. -

152.5 lbs.

16.2% bf

the july 7th pics look pretty similar to july 21st, huh! i did 50 billion comparisons between them to make sure they really were different. i thought my trainer had sent the same pics twice for a second there, but my polar heart rate watch gave it away.

- JULY 21st. -

thigh gap was getting wider and they were slimming right on down.

- AUGUST 4th -

147.8 lbs.

13.5% bf

awww yeeeeeah, big difference there, huh! why? carb cycling. yep, i did a post on that too, but there are so many awesome informational sites on the net that go into greater detail as to how it all works. it's very simple though. don't over complicate it. i had three low carb days followed by one high carb day and repeated that over and over again for a few weeks. i was able to lose fat while keeping my muscle! seeing progress like this lifted my butt outta bed every morning to do my cardio.

- AUGUST 18th. -

142 lbs.

11.11% bf

by my next progress check, i had found my show suit. i had just finished posing practice with my coach, so i took my pics in it. i was down 2% lower in the body fat and lost another 5 lbs from the carb cycling.

- AUGUST 18th -

i've got wings!

- AUGUST 18th. -

4 weeks away and ashy. it's important that i note that i was not only feeling slim at that time, but i felt STRONG, mentally and physically. in the past, i could easily drop a few pounds after exercising my face off for a few days and heavily restricting my diet of carbs, sugar, and fat. i often felt lethargic, super tired, and moody though. i didn't understand how women could diet down to a size they wanted without feeling...well, BAD. this was totally not normal! if i had to feel that way in order to achieve my goal, i felt it was worth it. it was a very sad situation and a screwed up, unhealthy relationship with food and fitness. after i hit my 'goal' weight (yes i said weight and not body) i would eventually let those foods back into my diet. why? well cause i craved them terribly, that's why!! which equals instant weight gain. you better believe i know better, now. there IS a better, healthier way.

- SEPTEMBER 1st -

144.4 lbs.

10.6% bf

why did i weigh more here? water, water, water weight. i was drinking over a gallon a day at this point...or trying too, lol.

two weeks left until show time and not able to fit a single thing in my closet.

- SEPTEMBER 13th -

137 lbs.

8.7% bf

two days out here and super slim after peeing my heart out and getting rid of all that darn water. my diet on this day and show day was full of carbs though which helped my muscles to fill out and 'pop'.

i ended up at 138 on show day. hadn't seen the 130's in this decade!

the big day! September 15th.

23 lbs and 13% body fat lost in 14 weeks.

alriiiiight, time for just a few questions i've received up to this point:

Q: did/do you take supplements?

A: no. no protein shakes, no fat burner pills, no powders. i started and finished this journey completely natural. the only 'supplement' i took every morning is the same thing i've been taking for the past two years- my generic prenatal pills.

**i'm not taking shots at or discrediting anyone who used those items along their journey to the stage. could i have improved my results with them? possibly! i wanted to remain natural though because i was also nursing Chiso heavily at the time. we are just now in the weaning stages (any day now) but i never had to worry about him ingesting anything questionable and having a bad/allergic reaction to it.

Q: will you compete again?

A: absolutely! i know the experiences hereafter aren't guaranteed to turn out as amazingly cool as my first one, but that's ok! i loved seeing my body change and transform in addition to all the information and knowledge i soaked up along the way. i still keep in contact with some of the amazing competitors i went through this journey with at that.

Q: how was it competing at the same time as your husband?

A: *blank stare* :shock: i don't think i wanna do that part again! the sugar withdrawals made me ... how should i say.. hard to live with? lol. sharing my food with Sonny was never a problem before, but because everything had to be precisely measured, 'no you can't have even a spoonful.' *straight face*. omg i was so mean! it's just that when i have a goal and already racing against time, i don't want to be up on stage telling myself 'see!? if only you hadn't eaten (or not eaten) that _____'. i wanted to do everything right the first time. which is also why i didn't cheat on my diet- no nibble, no bite, no taste of anything that was not on my meal plan. i wouldn't have been able to sleep at night!! if we both compete at the same time again in the future, i'll definitely know what to expect...

Q: how are you adjusting to off season?

A: weeeell, if you follow me on Instagram (fitfoodiele) then you'd know that off-season is going great! i'm maintaining my current weight and body fat until my next competition. i'm also experimenting with building a little muscle too. i'm feeling solid, slim, and strong, not overworking myself in the gym, and enjoying my food freedom to the absolute FULLEST, lol. i still eat 5-6 meals every 3 hours all day long, and i workout 5-6 days a week including teaching my two gym classes. i'm following 6 Pack USA for my current workout and nutrition plan- the same program Sonny used to get ready for his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd show. read more about 6 Pack USA below.

progress instacollage!

what did we learn here? CLEAN EATING AND WORKING OUT guarantees successful results. depending on what you got goin on in your life determines how fast you get them though. remember, just like you prioritize anything else, fitness has to fit in there somewhere too. you should never, ever, be too busy to take care of yourself. now whether you want to use powders, pills, and all that extra stuff is up to you! just know you don't need it. some might argue that those things repair joints and aid in recovery etc., but adequate rest can do the same thing.

6 Pack USA offers both personalized workout & nutrition plans specific to your fitness goals. before competing, i knew how i wanted to look, and i had the exercise part down! i even ate what i thought to be healthy and was spot on, however, my portion sizes were not specific to me and the results i desired. even though i was a group exercise instructor, always active, ran 5 and 10k's often and worked out hard 5-6 days a week, i couldn't out train my diet.

Sonny used 6 Pack USA for his nutrition and workout regiment for his competitions and currently. his results were phenomenal! see?

2 month progress shot from June 10th - Aug. 21st; 26 lbs lost using 6 Pack USA. yes, 8 weeks.

here Sonny is competing in our first show on Sept. 15th in the male model swimwear round.

ripped, front to back!

he then went on to win 1st place in his second show in Fort Worth a couple of weeks later.

and at his final show of 2012 in Las Vegas, he place 8th out of 54 men at Fitness America Weekend. his first international show up against regional winners from all over the world!

if you are interested joining 6 Pack USA, please contact either of us directly via email and send us your contact information:

Sonny.Egwuatu@6packusa.com

Leah.Egwuatu@6packusa.com or le@fitfoodiele.com for any fitness or nutrition questions, advice, or tips.

we can also be reached by phone at (281) 912-3804.

whether you want to set a goal to compete in your first bodybuilding competition in 2013 or to live a healthier, fitter, lifestyle, 6 Pack USA can make it happen. if you have any more questions for me concerning my journey to the stage, ask away!

POW!!!

not everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, i get that. if your goal is weight loss/maintenance though, this applies to you too.

real quick:

i tweeted a pic of my breakfast earlier this week:

yep, that's it. until my trainer says otherwise, this is what it'll be! oats, egg whites, fruit, and green tea. i was eating this for bfast already, so no big change there. and also no need to tweet that over and over again, boring. i had to cut out my beloved brown sugar for now, but i've been adding the bananas, a splash of vanilla, and cinnamon to my oats and i don't miss it.

SO,

i've been sticking to my new diet for a little over a week now and amongst a handful of changes, here are the 4 you should know about:

1. there has been a nice surge in my milk production outta no where. take note, b-feeding mommies. and again, this was just from dropping white sugar/processed foods, and eating healthy, well-balanced meals alone. that's it. i was hit with Mastitis twice last year, once in each breast. the first time i was prescribed penicillin which got rid of it, but my production really suffered. talk about emotional- i was terrified it would dry up completely and it scared me enough to turn to natural supplements, e.g. fenugreek. i was also downing mother's milk tea all day long and doing everything i could to save my liquid gold. i see now that i didn't even have to go to such great lengths. if you put premium fuel into your body, expect it to run and operate at its best, simply put.

2. my wedding ring is loose. i've lost a few inches (mainly in my waist/hips) and i'm tighter and firmer all over. my workouts have remained the same for now, so again, this only proves that your diet is A REALLY BIG DEAL, yall!! as annoying as they are, there's a reason J-Hud is singing all over your tv screen in those WW commercials *eye-roll*. remember i conducted that little experiment this past April two weeks before my birthday? no sugar (only from fruit) or processed foods. i got similar results then too, but my diet was not nearly as strict as it is now and the results are pretty fantastic. i kept on snacking after my bday passed, well, just cause i can. lol. you don't have to go cold turkey, but drinking soda twice a week instead of once a day WILL make a difference over time.

3. my sugar craving levels have dropped from uncontrollable to mild. i honestly can't remember a time when i didn't crave sugar, especially following a meal. this is a new feeling; one i didn't think existed for me. will i eat a donut if you put it right down in front of me? maybe. prolly. but this time it feels more like, 'yeah i see it.. i'll get some if i want some though.' very empowering. also, my attitude is not as crappy these days :)

4. **tmi** helloooooooooo regularity! no detail needed. Chiso is regular too now though- bless his heart and our noses. this feels like a junk food detox. i see that processed foods can really back up your plumbing. that's prolly cause they're NOT NATURAL. you think? or maybe they started out natural, but fillers, hormones, preservatives, and other stuff we can't pronounce were added. sad situation.

my food scale has arrived!

i'm honestly considering re-selling this thing after the competition is over (although it might not be my last;)) cause weighing my food is just not crucial for everyday life. i'll stick with this nifty chart.