Health & Fitness: Weight Loss Success story Aruba Style!

Health & Fitness: Get swimsuit ready and your beachbody! A weight loss success story Aruba 'style! by Goodhealthdiva.

Hello you all,

I hope all is well with you. Just days ago I shared with you the story of a beautiful woman on her health and fitness journey. Today I am bringing a new story to you with some tropical vibes.

 My friend Jenn from Aruba had been kind to share her weight loss success with us.She's a very fun and energetic person who is all about healthy living and has lost a lot of weight as a result of embracing a healthy lifestyle.

Aruba is a beautiful Dutch island in the caribbeans,a great tropical and exotic destination for many and certainly the kind of place on the planet where one would love to show off a beach body! Jenn is a local and knows very well how important it is on the island to be swimsuit ready at all times. She offers some great advices and prove that no matter where we are we deal with the same thing(s).So enjoy her story as I take you to Aruba.

Oh one last note... My friend actually speaks Papiamento.English and Spanish are widely spoken by most Arubans but Dutch is the official language of the 77 square miles island.

What motivated you to want to lose weight?

Clothes were not fitting right! Plain and simple. If your clothes don't fit right, you don't feel right. It's hard to be in a great mood when you're not comfortable in your own skin and clothes. 

How do you feel about yourself now?

FABULOUS!!! I am happier and able to concentrate on what's important in my life instead of being paranoid thinking people are looking at me and judging me. Maybe they are but the difference now is I am way more confident.


When did your weight lost journey start?

Last year July 2011. I started working out again and I lost a lot of weight.However, I didn't stick with it so I gained some of it back.This year, in February,I decided that this time around not only would I lose weight but I will also live a healthy lifestyle.

Last year's journey was all about weight loss and what the scale said. I used silly diets like the Special K (you know the one...have 2 bowls of special K a day). I am not knocking it completely as their marketing plan says you will lose 2 dress sizes in 2 weeks which of course is true. However, who can possibly do that for the rest of their lives???!!! NO ONE!
I do not want my weight to fluctuate as my mood would also fluctuates.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!



What was your starting weight and how much have you lost so far?

In December 2011 I was about 167 lbs to 170 lbs and so far I have lost about 30 lbs.

How did you lose the weight?

• Healthy eating -  4 to 5 small meals a day
• Focus – Kept motivational quotes and pictures as my wall paper on my phone
• Planning / Organizing – Every night I would write down what I am eating the next day and what workouts I will be doing
• Exercise – Daily home workout for about 45 mins to an hour.

What's your ultimate weight goal? Fitness goal?

I am at my desired weight of 140 lbs but my fitness goals is to have 15 % body fat. Right now I am at 19% . My end goal is to master a healthy lifestyle forever. My lifestyle should be automatic as in I should automatically grab greek yogurt instead of cheesecake for example.

How did you stay motivated during your weight loss process?

There were weeks that I didn't feel any progress and realized that if my mind isn't right I won't be able to get my body right. I opened another facebook page just for fitness. Now I could add all things to do with health and fitness to that page. That helped me remain focus as I had to a chance to read what others are going thru which was very similar to what I was going thru.

The next thing I did was really ask myself what I wanted from this process. The answer was to get my mind and confidence right. I started looking in the mirror and instead of finding the parts I wanted to change, I decided to find the parts that I love the way they were and those parts that I didn't love I decided to admire them for their ability to change if I wanted them too.

Do you feel like other things have changed in your life beside the weight? How has your weight lost impacted other areas of your life/personality?

Jenn after 500 burpees and a crazy workout!

Not really as I was not really overweight so not much changed other than people asking me if I am an athlete or a personal trainer. My confidence probably had the most impact and of course I love the way my clothes fit.

Living in Aruba do you think people are more fit or more healthy there than on the continental U.S.A? (Aruba is a Dutch island it's not part of the USA)

Yes but not by a lot. This island is more concerned with looking sexy than looking healthy so people are not obese but that does not mean they are healthy either. Don't get me wrong we have a lot of really healthy and fit people also but the majority only want to look good which means they will follow the latest diet in a quick minute. However, when it comes to making healthy choices they probably don't care.



Are there any health/fitness challenges when you live in Aruba?(like are there enough gyms, are the gyms affordables)





One of her picture. Jenn actually calls the stairmaster her "lover" and the Pull up bar her "crush"


There are plenty of gyms and the gyms here are not expensive. The challenge is finding truly healthy foods. As for organic....none existing.Most products are imported and as a supplier you tend to choose the product with the least amount of import cost.

 What benefits does Aruba offer to health and fitness enthusiasts?

This week is the beginning of the Hi-Winds competition. Basically a lot of water sports (kite surfing, bodyboard, parasailing). We also have organized around Aruba runs and walks.
One bank (Aruba Bank) offers a once a month 5k walk for all its members.
There a lot of swim clubs for all age groups (even babies)

 If someone was to move to Aruba what would you suggest to them?

 

Don't get lazy :)

Its' very easy to fall into the island life and become passive with your health.I would also advise them not to forget who they are.

What advice would you offer to people who want to lose weight?

Research! Lots and lots of research. Don't just listen to someone promote a certain diet or food item and go with it. It's best to do some research on the topic first.Preparation and Focus is the key to most if not everything in life.
Take the journey seriously and one day at a time. Get up Get dress and GO!!! The hardest part if getting up. If you miss a workout today, make sure there is time tomorrow whether you in the mood for it or not.

* In case you wonder about her before pictures, I will add some as soon as she send them to me. This girl is so busy getting fit and with her healthy lifestyle she has no time for looking back and sending me old pictures of herself! I will post them as soon as I receive them!!!
The motivational posters I shared above are just a few of  Jenn's collection.  I hope she has inspired you some!
Did you like this story? What resonates the most with you? What are you weight loss tips?

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Until next time have a better and healthier life...


N'na