I was scrolling through instagram photos tagged with #PSPfit, Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge and I came across a before/after shot that made my jaw drop. After seeing this photo I had to interview the girl who had clearly put in so much work and embodies what #PSPfit is all about. She tracks, she logs and she’s active on the #PSPfit twitter and instagram timelines. Best of all she inspires me and I hope she will inspire you too, Meet Kiya!

Disclaimer: Before starting any diet or weight loss program, consult a doctor or your personal physician. I am not an expert, a dietitian, a physical trainer, nor are any of the #PSPfit members featured here. What works for them may not be right for you, so CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU BEGIN A LIFESTYLE CHANGE THAT INCLUDES A CHANGE IN DIET AND/OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?
As of that picture, I had lost 75 lbs, and right now, I’m at 85lbs. I started messing around with losing weight in early March 2012, and got really serious with it in late April. I’m 5’4.5 (yes, that half inch matters!) and I started out at 240lbs. I was a 22/24 and now I’m a 10/12

Wow, that is so impressive… What’s your weight loss process?
In order to determine WHAT my calories are - I follow the Anything Goes Diet (by John Barban) - which basically means, I eat what I want. Anything I want. As long as it fits within my weekly calorie budget - I can have it. There is no such thing as a ‘forbidden’ food - merely high-calorie foods that I have to ‘budget’ for. It removes the pressure of ‘falling off the wagon’.

I’m finding that eating plans that don’t have ‘forbidden foods’ work best for me too… Do you use any apps?
My main support tools are two apps on my iPhone - LoseIt and FatWatch.

Do you have a workout plan?
You notice, I didn’t mention exercise. I didn’t exercise for most of my journey, and when I did, it was solely weightlifting (relatively heavy). I hate cardio with a deep and burning passion, and so I don’t do it. *lol* Besides, it makes more sense to me to NOT eat the additional calories in the first place.

OMG, so those before and after pictures are mostly from changing your eating habits? *faints* that puts things in perspective! Will you ever exercise?
I’ve started exercising now, because part of it was one of my rewards. I do many things including Krav Maga/yoga/weights and glaring at my treadmill once a week. *lol*

*wrygrin* I’ve either gotten compliments or silence - no real in-between reactions. Folks didn’t start noticing until I hit about the 60lb mark, and when I hit 70lbs the floodgates of comments opened. I’ve gotten a couple ‘don’t get too small’ comments, and my response has been ‘If I DO get too small, it’s REAL easy to get big again!’ which shuts them up nicely. My mama told me I could admit to her if I got gastric bypass done on the low. *lol* One of my good friends said that even though I was SO much smaller, my spirit still filled the room.

Awww that’s sweet! Has #PSPfit been helpful?
I just recently FOUND #PSPFit - and it’s definitely been encouraging! I love having a ‘reason’ to track various elements of my journey - even though now, a lot of them are ‘habits’ rather than ‘challenges’.

How has your weight-loss affected your fashion?
Oh, dear gods. *lol* It’s weird - I’ve radically shifted how I dress, because I can FIT the stuff I’ve always wanted to wear now. I’m really looking forward to reaching goal so that I can start investing in some really nice pieces.

How has weight-loss affected your dating life?
*laugh* It hasn’t - I don’t date. I was married for almost 10 years, got divorced in late 2010, and I’m so happily NOT dealing with the opposite sex (or any sex!) right now - it’s heavenly peaceful and restorative, and provides me with the time that I need to reshape myself - inside and out!

Gods, there’s so much! Urm. Don’t worry about breaking your metabolism - it’s virtually unbreakable. Skip listening to what ‘everyone’ knows (but yet works for so few people) and find/read the science behind a lot of the fitness tall tales that WILL keep you fat.

Treat yourself! My goal reward is a GORGEOUS sapphire ring I’ve had my eye on for years - it’s going to be my ‘championship’ ring of Victory.

Accept the fact that not everyone is going to support you. Some of the people who were silent - their reaction kinda hurt, but to be honest, it’s better than the people who started pushing food on me at every turn. *lol* It has nothing to do with YOU really - it’s just that you are changing, and you are being SUCCESSFUL at your change - and that makes them start to wonder if they should change, too. And most folks don’t like change.

And last but not least - You aren’t broken, you aren’t weak, you aren’t a failure - you’re human and part of the essence of humanity is imperfection. Accept that sometimes, we all stumble, but stand back up, and keep walking forward. Be more stubborn than yourself, and you’ll be able to reach the goals you desire.

Follow Kiya on twitter here

Wow, thanks for that Kiya… I’m so glad you’re a part of #PSPfit and I can’t wait to watch you hit more goals, I’m right behind you! lol (p.s. I lost 4 pounds this week )

How is everyone else doing? Also if you want to join the Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge, leave your twitter handle in the comments section below and follow me on instagram “PlusSizePrincess”

I’ve been meeting more and more people who have undergone weight loss surgery and there’s something I’ve noticed. When we’re in mixed company and their weight loss comes up, it’s never a simple “I’ve lost ___ pounds”. Instead there is an explanation of the surgery they had, how it differs from other weight loss procedures and how/why they made the decision. I always wondered why they felt the need to go into such detail and now I think I’m starting to understand… they’re trying to fight the stigma attached to weight loss surgery because some people say weight loss surgery is cheating.

Weight loss surgery is a serious decision. I’ve seen people who’ve had surgery, gotten super skinny and then gained their weight right back because they used their new stomach as a crutch and not a tool. This lets us all know that it’s not a magical solution.

While I don’t think surgery is the best path for me I respect the work that is necessary to make weight loss surgery a success… not to mention the financial commitment of the surgery and the often needed body lift and tummy tuck… it’s not a cheap or easy process.

The Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge is based on working out and eating well because those are the basics to slimming down as far as I’m concerned. Some of the #PSPfit girls are doing programs like weight watchers and jenny craig because that’s what works for them. Look up #PSPfit on twitter or Instagram and you will find a supportive group that’s growing every day… I just want to state for the record that weight loss surgery patients are welcomed to join us. We’d be happy to have you!

p.s. My weight stayed the same post thanksgiving, hooray!

I hate talking about bodily functions, but I can’t tell this story without it. *hides face*

A few Novembers back, I was in a “woe is me” weight loss mood and in my desperation, I scooped up a starter pack of Alli, the first FDA approved over the counter weight loss pill. I skimmed over the directions (take with food… low-fat diet… blah blah blah) and jumped right into the bottle with hopes of ending the year a few pounds lighter than I was.

I was doing fine, taking the pills with each meal and working out. Then I went to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving…

In the middle of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, we were starving so we drove through taco bell for a quick bite while we finished the meal. Normally, I would order a burrito and a mexican pizza but I was on Alli and eating better so I just ordered a bean burrito and took my Alli pill with it. That’s when it all went terribly wrong.

I ate the burrito in the car and 20 minutes later started to feel kind of… gasy *blush*. I thought nothing of it until I went to use the bathroom. For a second I thought I had started my period and stained my underwear, but… it was orange… and greasy. Then I looked in the toilet and oh… em… gee… You know when you’re cooking and you put oil in water and it the oil puddles just float in the water? Well, it looked just like that. Yuck.org!

Although I was with family, there was no way I was going to burst into the kitchen and ask “why am I leaking orange grease?!” so I ducked into my room, changed clothes and I quickly googled stuff on my phone. That’s when realized that I must have had too much fat in my body and the Alli pill was like Um, no girl… it doesn’t work like this and forced the fat out of my body without my permission in the form of icky greasy puddles.

From my google research, I learned that I had gotten off easy… some people had actually pooped their pants after taking Alli and eating too much fat. Interestingly a lot of the women who had pooped their pants taking Alli, were sharing tips like “wear a pad or diapers!” or “wear dark pants!” my solution to greasy gas and the possibility of pants pooping was more simple… stop taking Alli!

I’ve learned more about my body and PCOS, so I know that carbs and sugar are my weight gain triggers, not fat. I also don’t eat a high fat diet, so Alli really isn’t for me. As I continue with the Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge, I keep reminding myself that there are no quick fixes to weight loss and even if you do find one it might turn out to be pretty, um… crappy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, LOVELIES!

xoxo

The Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge is technically over next week… but I’m thinking maybe we should keep this going as a weekly challenge for health/fitness/weight loss.

I love the accountability of the #PSPfit crew, see you guys on instagram all sweaty at the gym and cooking yummy meals is fantastic and it keeps me motivated.

A gold star #PSPfit week would be:

• Working out 4 times per week (Yes, FOUR)
• Following our favorite healthy eating plan (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Clean Eating, Eat Right for your Type, anything goes!)
• Taking Photos of our meals and posting them on Instagram or Twitter with the #PSPfit hashtag
• Tweeting our workouts (what we did and for how long) using the #PSPfit hashtag

Anyone want to keep it going? Leave a comment on this post with your twitter handle and I’ll add you to the list. (my twitter: @thebiggirlblog my instagram: @PlusSizePrincess)

On another note, I’m really trying to get a handle on my eating. I had a perfect eating day this week and I’m so proud of myself… for eating well and staying full here’s what I had on Tuesday for lunch and dinner:

;

When I decided to jump into a 30 day fitness challenge, I knew there was going to be one week that was RUINED, that week has arrived because Aunt Flow is in town (pass the tylenol & heating pads!).

I have PCOS, so I never ever take it for granted when my period comes but I definitely have to buckle down because its guaranteed that I will gain 2-9 pounds. I will get on the scale Tuesday to get a more accurate weigh-in, but in the meantime here are some #PSPfit girls who have been rocking it and shedding pounds! (My Instagram: PlusSizePrincess, use the #PSPfit tag to join us!)

The Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge is in full swing and watching you girls work out and eat right is so awesome.

How did you guys do this week? Any losses, gains or good moments?

This has been an intense week here in New York City. A lot of you reached out to me via twitter, facebook, email, etc. to see how I was braving the hurricane. The short answer is that I’m fine, safe and sound, thank God. While my office isn’t ready for us to return to just yet, my apartment is in upper Manhattan, so the flooding/fallen trees/power loss has been minimal. I actually ended up turning my place into a hotel for some friends who needed a place to stay.

While prepping to be stuck in my apartment for days, I realized that I wouldn’t be hitting the gym, so if I wanted to lost the 2 pounds I mentioned last week I’d have to watch my eating in a serious way. Here’s what I did:

1.) I did not drink during the hurricane. Lots of people were stocking up on wine and beer. While my wine rack is fully stocked, I decided that because I wasn’t burning my usual amount of calories, I couldn’t afford to drink anything but water.

2.) I skipped carb-filled munchies. During Hurricane Irene last year, I bought a lot of crackers/cookies. This time, I focused on proteins. I munched on seaweed snacks and almonds between meals.

3.) I kept moving! A friend was kind enough to send me one of those crazy workout DVD’s via email, so I went through that on day one of Sandy. Then on day two when we were allowed to go outside, I went on a 4 mile walk.

These three steps helped me to lose 2 pounds this week! I also was able to fit into a sweater that was too small when I purchased it last season:

The #PSPfit participants on instagram and twitter have been super inspirational, “@_Chunk_” lost 5 pounds during week one!

I also love seeing the #PSPfit hastag on Instagram blowing up with curvy girls breaking a sweat and looking fantastic! Shoutouts to “@skinnyminority”, “CoogieCruz” and “shortiesensei”

The #PSPfit girls on Instagram & Twitter also make some yummy food choices, like “@Kiyasjoy” who always has a veggie with her sanwiches at work instead of chips or french fries. *waving hi* to “@stellarcanicula”, “@blkgrlsdontdate” too! That’s one of my lunches on the bottom right Instagram “@plussizeprincess”

How did you guys do this week? Any weight loss/gains?

It was a Monday afternoon and I was taking a dance class at one of my favorite studios in midtown. The routine we were learning was hard, but my body was learning the movements well enough. The whole reason I moved to NYC from California is to pursue my dream of performing/doing theater, so taking dance classes weekly is a great way for me to workout and stay prepared for anything that an audition would throw my way.

So, there I was in jazz, level 4. Learning the routine and feeling strong. “C’mon guys, sell it to meeee!” the instructor screamed before hitting play on the stereo. “FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!” he cried out, and we hit the routine. At this point we were drilling the dance over and over, which gave us all a chance to stop thinking about the steps, let go and just dance… perform even. I started to have fun with the choreography and give the routine everything that I had.

“Wait a minute,” the instructor called out as he paused the music. “Sorry- what’s your name?” he said pointing at me.

“CeCe,” I replied.

“CeCe, I like what you’re doing with those first few eight counts… can you do it again for the class?” he asked, beckoning me to the center of the floor. “Um, sure…” I said. My heart was beating fast, but I came to the middle of the dance floor while the class stepped aside to watch.

For those of you who didn’t grow up performing, being called out in class to show the other students “how its done” is a big deal. Its something that is only asked of the strongest dancers in class and for me, it was a huge deal because so matter how good I had been in previous classes, my weight had always kept me from being considered the strongest (I have more stories on that, but I’ll save them for another day).

At a young age, I had to accept that teachers would pretty much ignore me as a viable option for their stand out student because of my size, I never let that stop me from training, but every once in a while, I’d feel like everything I was doing was pointless. But now, here was a moment where my abilities as a dancer were being validated. I tried to play it cool and act like it was no big deal, but inside I was doing cartwheels!

The dance instructor pushed play and I began to do the choreography. I danced with every part of myself and when I was done, the class erupted into applause as is customary in a moment like that. Then the instructor walked to the middle of the dance floor, “thanks, CeCe!” he said giving me a nod, then he turned to the rest of the class and said “now, if this big girl can work my routine… I KNOW the rest of you can put in a little more effort!” and with that he started the music over again.

It felt as if he had punched me in the stomach. Oddly enough, I could tell that the dance instructor didn’t say what he said with malice. He actually pulled me to the side later, to tell me how much he loved having me in class, how talented he thought I was, etc.. But it didn’t change how hurtful that moment was.

Its frustrating that a PSP who isn’t bedridden is treated like some sort of magical elephant. I’m constantly approached by people at the gym who compliment me on how well I move, how light on my feet I am and how much stamina I have. 99% of the time, I think they’re trying to be encouraging and I try not to take offense, but I’ve always been this way and as I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, I am not the only Plus Size Princess who can do this stuff.

(That’s a big reason why I’m excited about Cardio & Curvy Conversations on Saturday. I think it will be nice to get a room full of Plus Size Princesses together who aren’t afraid to break a sweat.)

Anyway, as we begin out Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge, I just want to mention that people might say awkward things to us as we become more adventurous in our fitness. Please don’t let that hold you back from taking a new class or trying a new machine at the gym. We shouldn’t be embarrassed that we’re active PSPs… that’s something to be proud of!

For more information on the Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge, click here.

This week may qualify as the best, ever!

Saturday night my bff, Alex took me to see the opening night of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” on Broadway. It was a star-studded evening and we had a great time enjoying drinks and yummy food with some of our favorite actors from the stage, TV and movies.

Then on Sunday, Robert took me to my first NFL game. We watched the JETS beat the Colts and our seats were fantastic!

Monday, when I got out of work, I had a text from my friend Dominic offering me a ticket to see Brandy in concert, so I dropped everything and met him at the Best Buy theater. We had an amazing time and my big sister Brandy is looking and sounding great!

Lastly, the Plus Size Princess Fitness Challenge is starting to pickup on Instagram and Twitter… we’re committing to eating well, working out 4 times a week and documenting it all online to hold ourselves accountable. Check out some TBGB readers below who are doing #PSPfit with me (we’re working out, devouring salads and feeling strong!). There’s still time to join, the official start is Monday 10/22! (just leave your twitter handle in the comments section here)

Follow me on Instagram: PlusSizePrincess

(click on the photo to enlarge it)