Britney Dearest: She in 3D {7}: Meet Shadai {Weight Loss Inspiration!}

/ Thursday, January 22, 2015

She in 3D {7}: Meet Shadai {Weight Loss Inspiration!}






Hello Ladies!

Welcome to the first She in 3D of 2015! Thank you for stopping by! I'm soooo glad this gorgeous lady agreed to be featured here. She's a fabulous lady and such a sweetheart you guys. We're acquainted through my sister-in-law, their man-honey's are brothers. I strongly believe that once you read about her journey and see the before and after photos, you're going to want to get your behind to the gym and actually commit to a workout routine if you haven't got started already. She shows that you do not have to shrink down to a size 0 or 2 to lead a healthy lifestyle and have a successful weight loss journey. She set realistic goals for herself and she looks dang good! I'm serious! See for yourself :-)


Meet Shadai!


Hey gorgeous! :-) Let's start by telling the readers a little about yourself.
Hi, I’m Shadai King! I married my best friend and high school sweetheart, Nicholas. We have a spaztastic little fur baby named Milo. Eventually we plan to have a little nugget (aka as a baby) of our own but only God knows when that will be – much sooner if anyone else has any say in the matter. I am truly a “people person” and your typical girl cliché: lover of all things pink, Pinterest (almost 12,000 pins and counting), crafts and DIY (I make handmade cards, custom invitations, and scrapbook), bad reality TV (hello BRAVO and Real Housewives franchise), fashion, BLING, loving on some pink, black, and gold combos (think Kate Spade), working out to BEYONCE and T-Pain, watching beauty gurus and crafty people on YouTube (and let’s be honest, any number of inappropriate and hilarious videos), anything miniature (tiny things and children illicit an unusual response from me that probably amounts to a whole lot of annoying but I can’t help it), and trying out healthy recipes! I am a hugggggge fan of skinnytaste.com. If you have NOT visited this site, you are truly missing out in life!




Yaasss! #TeamGirlCliches :-). Please don't get me going on pink/black/gold. Love it! Also, I need to check out this website you speak of. So, what motivated you to change your entire lifestyle and lose weight? 
I struggled with my weight for over 8 years. I was never a “tiny” girl in high school – I was just average but after graduating, I fell into an “out of control” spiral.  I ate because I was sad, happy, angry, having fun - whatever the occasion, I could find a reason to eat. I would eat an entire mixing bowl full of pasta with olive oil and Parmesan OR an entire box of Oreos. I ate fast food multiple times a day because I was in college plus working a full time job and I thought it was easier.  I had complete lack of self-control. My weight kept increasing until I found myself wearing a size 20 and a body fat of 43%. I was completely miserable! I hated the way I looked, felt, and my relationship with my boyfriend (now husband) suffered. My style is very feminine but I didn't care what I looked like anymore. I felt like why even bother when I am just going to look horrible. I avoided scales and mirrors like the plague! I made excuses not to hang out with friends and do typical twenty-something activities like going to the bars because I didn't want to have to dress up. Old friends from high school would contact me through Facebook to hangout and I truly wanted to see them - but I was so ashamed. I was embarrassed of how bad I had let things go. I spent years yo-yo dieting, including cutting back on soda and fast food, hired a personal trainer (a girl and a guy), working out 4 to 5 times a week, began cooking more at home, tried SlimFast - basically, you name it, I tried it. I would lose a little, and then eventually I would feel so discouraged because it wasn't coming off fast enough. I was overwhelmed with the amount I needed to lose. I would ridicule myself with so much self-doubt that I would just go back to my poor eating habits. Eventually I would gain back whatever weight I had lost plus an additional 10 plus pounds. My work health screening stated, that at the age of 25, I was so overweight that I would need to be put on medication for my cholesterol and that I was at "stroke" level. I had reached an all-time low.






When I got engaged in 2011, I decided I CAN NOT do this anymore. I wanted to feel like a beautiful bride! Every bride deserves to feel that way, and why shouldn't I? I tried a new workout routine for a few months but got the same results as before - nada! So in March of 2011 (4 months before my wedding day), I decided to join Slim4Life. I had heard tons of commercials on the radio and tv. I thought why not give it a shot. I had tried everything that I knew of, what did I have to lose? If it didn't work, it would just be another thing that I tried. I decided to give it 110 percent and just focus on small goals instead of the daunting amount of my initial 80 lb goal. I meal prepped, stuck to the diet, weighed in 3 times a week, kept a food log, made a goal sheet where I rewarded myself with small things like a new pair of jeans or a pedicure! I learned how to eat real, whole foods, portion control, and the importance of drinking water. I was religious about weighing my food and committing to a "No Cheat Day" mantra. I started seeing results immediately. Within 3 weeks, I had lost 15lbs! I am not going to lie, it was definitely hard! At first, I had to eat in a different room then my fiancé because he was still eating fast food and sweets. I wouldn't eat out at a restaurant for fear of temptation. After a while, it didn't bother me anymore and I felt confident enough to make healthy choices. Every time I stepped on the scale, the number went down and my inches around my body were decreasing at every meeting at the Slim4Life center. By July when I got married, I had lost 38 lbs!  Even though I look quite different from my wedding photos, I still love them! That was the first time that I realized that I could actually conquer this battle with food. I don’t even think that I could describe just how good that felt. I began to focus on educating myself more about nutrition by taking a series of classes. I decided I wanted to step up my fitness. For the last several years, I have been part of a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) gym called Urban HIIT FIIT with an amazing trainer/coach/friend Kri Chay. I have met some other amazing fitness friends and trainers along the way. I can’t forget my PIC (partner in crime) – one of my best friend’s, Katie, works out with me too and keeps me motivated/dancing! By 2013, I had lost 85lbs and wearing a size 6/8 (that's where I am at right now)! My husband eventually saw the light and joined me in my new healthy life. He has lost 80 plus pounds himself and became an avid runner!




Life has gotten in the way at times, changing of stressful jobs, and family stress so I am by no means PERFECT. I miss workouts or eat the occasional ice cream. I still love food!!  However, I have more control over my life. I think with all of the time and knowledge I have acquired over the last several years, becoming healthy has truly become a lifestyle change.  For example, I have not eaten fast food since March of 2011 and I don't miss it AT ALL. Believe me, from the amount of fast food I used to consume, I never would have thought I would be able to say that. With Pinterest and all of the healthy blogs out there, I have developed a true love for finding healthy recipes so that my husband and I don't get bored. It definitely takes time, but I truly believe that losing weight saved my life – both emotionally and physically.




What an experience! Goodness! You have so much will-power! I've been trying to completely give up fast food for 2 years now with no luck- at all. What has been one of your biggest obstacles you've had to face after loosing the weight?
Some of my biggest obstacles through this journey would have to be peer issues and learning to adjust with my “new self”. I wish that I could say that once the weight started coming off that I channeled my inner Beyonce and was all “Who Runs the World, GIRLS!” and I left my haters in a trail of glitter, but that was only partial reality. I think that I believed that once I lost weight, my life would magically be rainbows and sunshine. Everyone would be happy for me and all of my self-esteem issues would be gone! In some ways that is true and some ways it isn't. Yes, I do feel more confident than I did and am proud of how far I have come. I enjoy shopping again and dressing up. It took me a while to come that far because the reality is that the insecurities don't go away overnight. Every once in awhile, I still have to look in the mirror and realize that I don’t look like the old me anymore.




Everyone was not overjoyed with my new healthy lifestyle. Some friends pretended like I didn't look any different than I had and never mentioned it. Some people would overly talk to me about how much they loved whatever they were eating as if I were judging their every bite or would act super self-conscious around me. Others ridiculed my intentions of only wanting to be “skinny” or that I didn't need to lose any more weight. No one ever said anything about my ballooning body or dwindling self-confidence, but now my body was suddenly up for debate. I would second guess myself – had I really made that person feel bad?! Was I giving off the impression that my viewpoints had changed?






I still believe to this day that women of ALL SHAPES & SIZES are BEAUTIFUL – that will never change. I am still extremely body positive. I believe that you have to love yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. I simply was not.This decision was about my body personally – not because I was or am judging anyone else’s. At first, I was not prepared to deal with those unexpected reactions. I was so hurt and confused that I really became uncomfortable when awesome people in my life would get super excited and supportive about my weight loss. Those amazing people couldn't understand why I wasn't more visibly excited! It took a little soul searching to realize that some people just don’t like change. Sometimes when other people make changes in their lives, it can challenge other people to look at themselves and feel defensive- even if they themselves don't have the same goals. There is nothing that I can do about that except show people that I am still the person I always was, just a lot happier with myself.






Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of amazing friends and family too! They have kept me determined, motivated, and even the occasional reality check! They uplifted me when I was down, never lost faith in me, and praised my every goal – no matter how big or small. I cannot thank enough every person that liked a photo or left me a sweet comment to compliment my efforts. As silly as it seems, in my lowest of lows, those little “thumbs up” kept me going when I felt like maybe I couldn't do it anymore. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that people would tell me that I inspired them and not to be all “Taylor Swift surprised that she is getting another award”, but anytime someone tells me that I still feel a little shocked. Those are the things that keep me going! I don’t want to let myself down and now that I know others are watching me, I don’t want to let them down either. I know how much it means to see other people making positive changes in their life, and if I help one person realize that they can do it because I have, then that is all the more reason for me to stay a healthy person!




Oh my goodness! I just love how transparent you are about the highs and lows throughout your journey. What are some short-term and/or long-term goals you hope to accomplish?
Currently, I am doing Jamie Eason's 12 week body transformation from bodybuilder.com. It is a FREE program and I have found lots of bloggers who have had great results. It incorporates a meal plan and strength training. My goal is that by the end of the 12 weeks, that I lose 20 lbs. and finally get to my goal weight. I hope that by March 30th,that I lose 20 lbs and finally get to my goal weight. I also want to have more toned features. This last 20 lbs has been a battle that I have struggled with for the last year and I am ready to move on! I decided to change my routine up and try this out! Wish me luck <3!




YOU WILL LOSE THOSE 20 lbs. I know you will :-). And, speaking of bloggers, I can't wait until you join the club! :-) 

What advice do you have for readers who want to lose weight but continuously struggle with maintaining healthy eating habits and sticking to a weight loss routine?
My advice is to set small obtainable goals and treat yo’ self! Find something fun that you like to do or maybe there is an event that you want to wear a cute new dress for. If you have more than a few pounds to lose, looking at the big picture can sometimes make you feel defeated before you even start. Figure out why you want to do this and do it for you. Throughout my life I have tried various reasons- for other people, for a sport, to look like other people. Until I decided enough was enough and that I had to do this because I wanted to, was when it finally clicked. Find a mantra! One thing I told myself when I started was that I could do anything for one day. Just one day. Then that one day becomes another and another. You will look back and realize that you did it! I looked up positive quotes to keep me moving forward. With the motherland that is Pinterest, there is definitely no shortage of those flying around. Find positive people to encourage you and join you in physical activities. Having fun while trying to accomplish something that challenging can make all the differences in the world. My last bit of advice would be to not beat yourself up to much. This is something that I am still working on myself. You might fail at times and there will be plateaus where the scale doesn't move. It’s okay to have a bad moment or a slip up. Just don’t let that small moment spiral out of control to where you can’t see your goals anymore. One of my favorite quotes is, "Loosing weight is hard, being fat is hard, CHOOSE your hard." NEVER give up!




Where can readers find you?
You can find me on Facebook or Instagram @ShadaiKing.




Thanks for letting me interview you Shadai! This was awesome! :-)



Thanks for reading!

Photos with my signature are by me :-)





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7 comments:

  1. Such a great blog post from an amazing woman! Your journey IS inspiring to others who struggle and sends a clear message of being healthy and confident. :)

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    Replies
    1. Great weight loss journey! 😃

      Losing weight can be done with zero exercise minutes per day. Weight loss comes down to energy balance, as long as you’re eating fewer calories than you are burning (you burn calories every second, regardless of what you’re doing), you will lose weight. Exercise is one way to manipulate this energy balance and increase the amount of calories burned.

      So yes, it is certainly possible to exercise for 1 minute and lose weight.

      1 minute of specific weight loss routines, is equivalent to 45 minutes of moderate exercise at the gym.

      To be honest, I don't know too much more about it other than it working great for me and hubby, click here to take their 1 minute quiz: 1 Minute Weight Loss


      I highly suggest your readers check it out if they're looking to lose your weight easily once and for all.

      Good luck!

      Jane
      Lost 17 pounds in 3 Months w/ little to no exercise

      Delete
  2. I really like your words and your strength. No matter what we have to look into our goals.
    We can't please everyone but we can do something for ourselves:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You did an amazing job! I"m on a weight loss journeyright now. I hope I do as good as you did!

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  4. Such an inspiration! The words are POWER and demonstrates courage and willingness! Thanks for sharing!

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Hi! I'm Britney. I'm a wife, mother to 3 children, and a serial hobbyist. Britney Dearest is a YouTube channel I started in 2016 to document my family's life. If you want to laugh, smile, and become part of a fun-loving growing YouTube family, we're your tribe so find us on YouTube and subscribe! Turn on notifications to avoid missing new vlogs and videos. For business inquiries, sponsored videos, product reviews, all that fun stuff send your information to britneydearest@gmail.com Read more

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