I have received a lot of positive responses from my peers since the first article. My friends are giving me lots of encouragement.
They have given me suggestions about high protein foods to eat like fish, chicken and lean cuts of beef. Some of my friends have even agreed to exercise with me, and as a result of my recent plan to lose weight, many of my friends have even set their own weight loss goals.
Two of my classmates said they are trying to lose 10 pounds. I thought this was kind of funny, because I never thought people would have used my article as a way to motivate themselves to lose weight too.
One of my fraternity brothers wrote out a workout plan for me to use three times a week once I start going to the gym. He told me to work out with loose weights to help tone my upper body and even agreed to work out with me.
I did not know that my weight loss goal would have this type of effect on my peers. By motivating myself, I have motivated others in the Florida A&M University community. I think weight loss is different for every person. Some people lose weight to feel better, some lose weight to look better and others lose weight because they have to. But for me, it’s not about losing weight. It’s a lifestyle change. I want to lose the weight and keep it off. Moreover, by motivating others, this puts more pressure on me to meet my goal because it seems like everyone has high expectations of me.
I just started making changes to my diet and started working out last week. This was the best time for me to start since I had to adjust to my new lifestyle with classes and all. I have started trying to cut out fast foods. Now I eat foods like turkey, chicken breast and fruit. I am trying to eat throughout the day to keep my metabolism burning. It is kind of hard trying to eat breakfast because I never had. This new eating schedule has affected my daily routine; I have to actually think about what I need and when I need to eat. Before, I would just eat whenever I felt hungry and I did not think twice about what I was consuming.
Last week, I worked out three times. I went to the FAMU track to run laps and run up stairs. For some reason, the running was not hard for me, even though I have taken a break from working out. However, getting to the track was the hard part. It is very hard for me to exercise at night because I am involved in organizations on campus that meet at night and there are so many things that can come up. For now, I will exercise in the morning since it is easier for me to control my mornings. That way, my metabolism will continue burning throughout the day. After I work out, I have more energy and feel better; that keeps me motivated.
I still have temptations when it comes to certain fast foods. I went to Washington, D.C. last Thursday and I ended up eating fast food. I did not plan what I was going to eat. Although I did not get out of control, I would have done better if I would have set limitations. I could have made better food choices. This weekend, I will be going to Atlanta for the classic and I will not make the same mistakes. I will make sure I am eating the right foods. I am trying to establish more discipline with the choices I make when I am away from home. I know I will be able to have better control over my habits as time passes.
This is the second installment in a series of stories dedicated to tracking the weight loss of FAMU Student Jarveal Baker. Check back for more updates on his progress.