Before/after.
This one actually took a lot of courage.
The picture on the left is probably the most “famous” picture of me, with over 5600 notes. It’s currently in a frenzy of being reblogged right now, so I decided to recreate it.
On the left, November 2010, I weighed 105 pounds (at 5’6”). This was not my lowest weight, in fact this was only the beginning, before I ever lost my period. This picture was a big deal for me because I finally started to love my body, and I thought I’d “made it”, because I finally had a thigh gap and toned abs. Too bad that feeling was extremely fleeting and I felt the need to lose 7 more pounds and would have lost much, much more if my mom and a doctor hadn’t intervened.
On the right, July 2012, I weigh 121 pounds. This is not my highest weight since I’ve recovered. Like a lot of people, I “overshot” my weight gain, weighing around 130ish (a guess since I got rid of my scale at school when I hit 128), and have since slowly dropped back down by truly normalizing my relationship with food and exercise. But guess what. This time I actually do love my body. I don’t feel like I need to change anything. It’s no longer “I love my body but… I need a bigger thigh gap… I’d like more toned abs… I’d like more visible hipbones…”. It’s just I love my body. It will likely continue to change throughout my life. I can basically guarantee you that I will weigh less than this and I will weigh more than this. If loving my body was still dependent on looking a certain way, I’d be screwed.
But luckily, it doesn’t depend on how I look, at all. Whether I weigh 100 pounds or 400 pounds, my body is my body and it puts up with me. I love my boyfriend for sticking with me through ups and downs, so why wouldn’t I love my body for doing the same thing?
I’ve been following Carly on my other blog since I got it. That was just around the same time that she opened her “finding thin again” I saw her go through the ups and downs. I saw all the pictures and the posts about her struggles.
I couldn’t be more happy for her that she’s healthy and happy now. She seems like a totally different person and I’m just amazed by the transformation that she’s gone through.
She’s a stud. Lifting.. Running.. Rafting.. Yoga. She’s my inspiration. She’s so strong, as you can see physically. But also reading her posts you can tell almost right away that she’s probably the most strong person mentally on here in the “fitblr” community.
I wish that I could express how much her journey has affected me. I was never anorexic, I have never had an ED. But I have faced many challenges mentally in my life, and the way that she has fought through her ED and many other things, has inspired me and shown me that any one can do it.
I suggest that everyone check out her blog. Go through from the past to the present and see how much she has changed. Send her a message. Learn that even if you feel like there is no hope for you and your ED; if you really strive and you really make the decision to change— you could do marvelous things.
this girl is so amazing and I have followed her through a big part of her journey. To me she is more than a fitblr she helped me realize life is too short to waste and that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. She inspired me to do the things I love and that it’s okay not to be perfect. I really appreciate the contribution she has made to this community.
It’s true.
Breakfast:
-skyr (144,5 kcal)
-multi grain toast (200 kcal)
Lunch:
-mexican chicken stew (410 kcal)
Snack:
-skyr (144,5 kcal)
Dinner:
-pollock with pesto (360 kcal)
-mashed potatoes (135 kcal)
Supper:
-greek yoghurt (97 kcal) with strawberries (30 kcal)
-oatmeal (140 kcal) with fat free milk (50 kcal) and strawberries (20 kcal)
-yoghurt (125 kcal)
total 1856 kcal
Same pair of pants. The difference between the photos is a month or so; on the left, I weigh 81kgs+, and on the right, 77.1kgs (possibly a little less, since it’s weigh-in day soon, but, WAHEY). I count calories most days, exercise 6 days a week, and eat everything in moderation.
Breakfast:
-skyr (156,5 kcal)
-rye bread with turkey (100 kcal)
Snack:
-a fruit smoothie (120 kcal)
Dinner:
-whole grain rice (120 kcal)
-chicken (100 kcal)
-greek yoghurt (192 kcal) with strawberries (35 kcal)
-pistachios (40 kcal)
Supper:
-oatmeal (140 kcal) with fat free milk (50 kcal)
-a granny smith apple (80 kcal)
-skyr (156,5 kcal)
-rye bread with turkey (100 kcal)
total 1390
This is from yesterday so did I forget something? Anyway I didn’t eat enough. I forgot to take food to work. Actually I could’ve bought something.
Every single day, I get asked by girls how to “tone” certain areas of their body. What most don’t realize, is that being “toned” comes from building MUSCLE tone and losing the soft body fat on top of the muscle. Fat cannot turn into muscle, just as muscle cannot turn into fat… they are two entirely different tissues within the body.
The only way to become “toned” is to put in the hard work. There is no easy way to get toned. There is no magical pill, supplement or workout that will give you “tone” on its own. If you starve yourself or exercise excessively, it will result in skinny fat. In order to lose the fat and maintain/build muscle, you have to eat clean, incorporate CHALLENGING resistance training and have PATIENCE.
Programs that promise “toned in 30 days” or less are scams. (If you’re already in great shape, this might be possible, but for average people, it’s not). 30 days is definitely sufficient time to make noticeable progress though.. but not enough to drop a ton of bodyfat, build a ton of muscle and look lean, tight and toned. Have realistic expectations based on your current fitness level.
My tips for getting “toned”:
- Eat CLEAN to be lean - Your diet will determine 80% of your results… this means minimal sugar and no processed foods (check out my grocery list for examples of these foods)
- Incorporate resistance training - The weights are your friends ladies. They won’t make you bulky or manly.. women do not have the hormonal profile necessary to bulk up the way men do without the help of steroids.
- Do some cardio - Not a lot, but enough to put you into a mild caloric deficit. HIIT cardio is great for fat loss. Skip the long marathon cardio if your goal is fat loss.
- Stay hydrated - Drink plenty of water and plain green tea (again, no honey, agave or other sugar.. Stevia is an acceptable substitute.)
