Please introduce yourself to our readers (i.e. your name, occupation, hobbies, etc.).
Hello, I’m Chemese Nicole Armstrong. I am your typical 35 year old dreamer. I was born and raise in Miami, Florida but currently residing in Hutto, Texas. I have been living in Texas for a little over 7 years now and I love it. I’m vegan. I love Jesus, food, sports, going to the movies, my niece and photography. I’m shy but yet adventurous. My goal is to live a happy, healthy, and fit life. I also want to be remembered as a good and passionate person. I’m a “hopeless romantic”, a wonderful aunt, loyal friend, a social media junkie, I dream in color. Sounds corny? Well…I’m a cornball as well.
What sparked your weight-loss transformation journey?
Self love. I was obese, out of shape, very unhealthy and unhappy. I remember being so unhappy in my own skin to the point where I made myself miserable. I stop looking at myself in the mirror because I didn’t not like what I saw. I avoided taking pictures like it was the plague. I knew I had to change all of that because I love myself too much.
What was your beginning and current weight or measurements?
I don’t weigh myself anymore. The last time I got on a scale I weighed 308 pounds. I didn’t take measurements in the beginning and I don’t take them now. I don’t even know how much weight I have loss simply because that number isn’t important to me anymore. What is more important is that I have gained control over my health which is more than I wanted.
How long did it take for your weight-loss transformation from beginning to end?
My journey began on December 12, 2012 and I lost majority of my weight in the first 7 months.
Which physical activities did you participate in during your journey?
I’m a cardio junkie. I ran, I ran a lot. I did some strength training and I’m currently trying to incorporate more.
How did your eating habits change?
I completely changed my lifestyle by adopting a vegan lifestyle. Believe it or not but I hated vegetables when I made the decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle. All odds were against me but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I try and eat food in it’s natural state as much as possible. I eat raw foods (fruits and veggies), I juice, I make smoothies, I also eat beans, whole grains, lentils, nuts, and seeds. For me, what made all the difference is not focusing on what I was giving up, but on the good things I could eat!
What do you typically eat for breakfast, lunch,snacks and dinner?
My go to breakfast is a smoothie or overnight oats. For lunch I like to have a big (very big) Kale salad. Most of the time I like to keep dinner simple by having rice and beans. Lastly, my go to snack is fruit, raw nuts, and raw seeds.
What is your favorite fitness activity?
I enjoy running. I feel healthy when I run everyday. Running gives me mental clarity. I won’t lie, running wasn’t easy at first. I couldn’t breathe, my whole body hurted, and I felt like I weighed a ton. After a few weeks my body started to adjust.
What do you do now to maintain your physique?
I try and avoid process food and working out consistently. I workout 5 to 6 days out of the week. My typical workout is 3 to 5 miles of running on the treadmill, 10-20 minute of walking, 10 minutes of stretching, 30-40 minutes of strength training , 10 minutes of Abs, and 20-30 minutes in the sauna.
How did you develop and sustain the willpower to avoid the bad stuff (i.e. junk food, bad drinks, lack of activity, etc.)?
Instead of avoiding bad stuff, I learned to make healthier options. I also always remind myself of my “why”. My why is because I want to live a happy, healthy, and fit life.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get started with their fitness journey but not sure where to begin?
I highly recommend finding at least one exercise that you enjoy and start there. For me it was walking/running. No matter what you do, be consistent. Consistency is the key.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about this journey?
I believe most people think losing weight is hard. Losing the weight isn’t the hard part. The hard part is changing how you think and keeping the weight off.
Do you have any fitness inspirations? Who are they?
One of my fitness inspirations is Queenatta Moore (IG: @wrkoutqueenie). She’s vegan and a certified personal trainer. I admire how she lives her life.
How can readers learn more about your transformation and journey online (i.e. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc.)?
Posting on social media help keep me accountable and I can be found on the following:
Instagram http://instagram.com/chemese
Twitter https://twitter.com/chemese
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/chemese/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChemeseProject
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/chemese
Tumblr: http://chemese.tumblr.com/
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