Absolutely Ariel

11/03/2024

Hey Y’all 🤎 it has been a while since my last upload but wanted to check in and let you know that the focus for upcoming uploads will be focused less on the numbers on the scale and more on managing my diabetes, making healthy meals and living a healthy lifestyle. Looking forward to sharing new details with you soon.

01/02/2024

Hey Ya’ll, we made it through January! Let's talk about the accomplishments from this month.
• I started out strong this month working out an average of 4 days per week which I noticed dwindled down to 2-3x per week towards the end of the month.
• Made healthy choices 90% of the time, up until the end of the month where emotional eating due to grieving the loss of my grandparents hindered me for about a week and a half.
• Most important, I did not give up on myself this month. No matter how hard things got, I got up and kept going. Thank God- I consider this a win!

Weight Loss Check|
• Starting Weight January 1st- 258 lbs.
• Week One: 257.6 lbs
• Week Two: 255.2 lbs
• Week Three: 260 lbs
• End of January 258 lbs

As you can see, we have been a little up and down this month in terms of weight but I don’t stress about the numbers too much- I notice that I also fluctuated with how I felt in my clothes. Some days I would seem more bloated than others in the upper tummy area.

I can definitely tell that my endurance has improved, when I first started exercising this month I could barely walk around the block without breathing heavy like I was fighting for it but now- I can walk around the block without huffing and puffing (progress) =)

Hardest Part about losing weight this month|
• I struggled with consistency and sticking to my goals when the feelings of grief, depression and/or anxiety hit. But thankfully, I’m in a mental space where I’m learning it’s okay to give myself grace.
• I noticed that I have this all or nothing mindset (working on it). Either I’m walking an hour a day, eating all the greens and doing all the things or it’s nothing at all. I’m not sure why it’s so challenging for me to realize that a 15 minute walk, still counts. It’s about small changes that will carryover into a lifetime of making healthier choices. Either way, I know I’ll overcome this too!

How did the month of January go for you? Did you reach your goals?

25/01/2024

Sweaty workout selfie. Back at it ✅️ What did you do for exercise today?

22/01/2024

Hey Ya’ll, we made it through Week 3!! Is it just me or did seem like a really long week? I did okay this week- maybe a little less than okay. Here are the details.

Week 3 Accomplishments|
• I worked out 3 days this week and started to incorporate weight training into my routine.
• I increased my water intake, averaging about 5 bottles per day. (16.9 oz each).
• I prayed more this week and I’m thankful that God is walking by my side as I work through the grief and loss, I’ve experienced.

Weight Loss Check|
• Starting weight at the beginning of this year was 258 lbs.
• Week One: 257.6 lbs
• Week Two: 255.2 lbs
• Week Three: 260 lbs… oops!

Hardest Part about this week|
• I found myself struggling with a roller coaster of panic attacks and on other days having depressive episodes that had me overthinking every little detail about everything- I’m 1000% sure I’m still grieving.
• I struggled with consistency and sticking to my goals this week- it was easier to go through a drive-thru for convenience rather than eat my meals at home.
• I had 4 or 5 cheat meals this week instead of 1. Culvers chicken nuggets and fries (3x for dinner during this week, oatmeal with all the fixins from Starbucks, way to many mashed potatoes) and cinnamon toast crunch cereal, Guilty, I fell into the trap of emotional eating but todays a new day.

I’m happy that I am self-aware enough to realize that I needed to take some time to myself, reset, refocus and carry on from here. I have my mini-goals set for week 4 & I’m planning on meeting each and every one of them.

Encouragement for a Better Week| Ya’ll know I love Jesus and the peace He brings to my life in the midst of everything. Here’s a scripture to keep me going this week.

• Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Let me know, how did week 3 go for you this week?

16/01/2024

Dealing with grief is definitely a challenge, I miss both of my Grandparents 👵🏽👴🏽but when I tell you that prayer and exercising is helping me get through. Y'all, we can do this. In case no one told you today: you are stronger than you think 🤎

15/01/2024

Hey Ya’ll, wanted to check in and see how the second week of the year went for you? I did well again this week at making my health a priority. I set small reasonable goals each week and strive to meet them. Here are the goals I met this week:
• I only ate fast food one time this week (one cheat meal at the end of each week).
• I walked for an hour on the treadmill 4x this week
• I cut out one transitional food (low carb bread as a replacement for real bread) this week. I ate it 3 out of 7 days this week. I feel like the transitional period is super important because going from eating fast food everyday for 4 months to eating at home without some sort of middle ground is crazy and it would be setting myself up for failure.
• I made sure to take my Vitamin D supplement everyday this week- mine is low according to recent bloodwork.

Weight| My weight at the beginning of the year was 258 lbs., end of week one was 257.6 lbs. and ended week two at 255.2 lbs.

Struggles of Week 2: My Grandad passed away. Even sitting here typing this, I am in just as much shock as you are. We just lost my Grandma Sarah in Dec 2023 and Grandad passed away over the weekend. I always heard that things like this could happen (have you guys seen the Notebook- the elderly couple passed way together. I honestly feel like Grandad passed away so he could go and be with Grandma). While I’m determined to keep moving forward, grief keeps coming into the picture but I use it as fuel to keep going otherwise I know I’ll fall into a hole of depression. Here’s to a better week 3 and to pushing towards a healthier life, no matter what.

11/01/2024

Hey Ya’ll, just wanted to check in and see how the first week of the year went for you? I’ve been doing the best I can to make my health a priority and you know what… the first week of the year went amazing! I set realistic goals for myself and actually met them. I know you’re thinking, girl it’s past the first week of the year (you’re absolutely right, this post was supposed to come out 4 days ago but here we are lol)

Here were my goals for Week 1:
I switched from eating out every single day to eating at home 5 out of the 7 days of the week.

I walked for an hour on the treadmill 3x during the week.

I stopped drinking energy drinks which let me tell you was easier said than done.

I stopped obsessively weighing in on the scale every single day. Realizing that my health and weight loss journey is more than just a number on the scale has been a huge blessing.

With the overall goal of the year being to take better care of myself, I’m so happy to say that week one of the year went great. My weight week one was 257.6 lbs which means I lost .4 lbs this week.

Struggles of Week 1: My skin. So for those of you who don’t know I’ve spent the last 4 months taking care of my Grandma Sarah and in December 2023, she passed away. During that time, my diet was loaded with junk food and the only exercise I got consisted of jumping to conclusions and walking to the bathroom or down the halls of the hospital. I noticed then that my skin would have these weird dry patches but I was thinking it’s a combo of my diet and really, really, really high stress. I was being a bit grandiose by thinking this would immediately change the first week of resuming healthy eating habits and exercise but I see this is going to take some time.

Here is my week one starting photo 📸 and if you're looking for an outfit to take weekly progress pics in I really do like this one https://amzn.to/3NXb67C

01/01/2024

Moving forward after the passing of my Grandma Sarah has been very hard for me. Saying that I have been grieving is an understatement but the other day a Bible scripture dropped into my remembrance. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. I am so thankful that my Grandma raised us all to believe in God.

My faith keeps me going and I know that my Grandma would not want me to sit around and mourn all day but to get up and continue to be a good steward of the talents that God has blessed me with. I have always loved to uplift, encourage and inspire others. So here’s to a fresh start, a New Year and to knowing that I can face anything because God is on my side (P.S. He’s on your side too). 🤎✝️

16/12/2023

Hey Y'all 🤎 I was blessed with the honor and privilege of spending the last few months of life with my Grandma Sarah. She peacefully transitioned on December 2nd right in my arms and let me tell you- losing a loved one is not easy. I'm thankful for the prayers, support & donations from family and friends over the past few months. Although I'm grieving, I know that God is with her until we meet again 😞🤎💔👵🏾

19/10/2023

On October 1st, Grandma's Healthcare team called a meeting with the family & gave her a prognosis of days to live.

Here we are 19 days later and I'm so happy to say that she is still here with us. She has been moved to a long term acute care that is the true definition of small but mighty. She is opening her eyes more, blinking with her eyes closed to let us know she can hear us and her labs are trending in the right direction. She continues to surprise us each and every day. In the words of my Grandma, the fight is on.

We would love continued prayer and support. As I continue to stay days & nights with Gram, we continue to need financial support to cover meals and to help support loss of income during this time. We appreciate you for all that you do. Love, Ariel & Grandma Sarah 👵🏾 ❤️

https://gofund.me/1d0a9a85

26/09/2023

Started making healthier choices while staying with my Grandma in the hospital 🏥 👵🏾🤎 breakfast today eggs and veggie sausage and coffee. Because what's breakfast without coffee ☕️ Praying my Grandma wakes up from her coma one day soon. We are on day 38. Waiting, praying and trying to make healthy choices along the journey.

10/09/2023

Hey Ya'll, my family and I have been struggling in silence for the past few weeks and I think it's time to reach out for help. My Grandma has been in a coma in the ICU for the past 3 weeks and I have relocated and resigned from my job in order to provide her with the around the clock love, support and encouragement she needs. I am asking for donations big or small to help support her on her road to recovery. Thank you for the support, prayers and positive thoughts during this challenging time. Love, Ariel.

On August 19th, 2023, My Grandma Sarah woke up in the middle of the nig… Ariel Faison needs your support for Supporting Grandma Sarah: ICU Coma Recovery Fund

22/08/2023

Hey y'all 🤎 Asking each and every one of you to pray for my Grandma; she is in the ICU. I'm trying to be strong but I'm struggling especially since we just lost my uncle a couple months ago. As my grandma says, the fight is on. Prayers for our family would be so incredibly appreciated.

09/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 Just a friendly reminder that your mental health is important. How are you feeling today?

08/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 If you find yourself getting overwhelmed with all you need to accomplish, slow down, take a step back and remind yourself that today's going to be an amazing day.

07/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 Guilt and stress do more damage to your body than chocolate ever will.

06/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset.

05/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle. You deserve it.

04/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 Trying to lose weight is like having a wrestling match with your willpower – and sometimes your cravings win. Making healthier versions of some of my favorite sweet treats seems to keep me going. How do you handle cravings and what do you do to combat them?

03/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 I exercise because it's good for my health... and because I love cake lol. Why do you exercise?

02/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 Every step counts, no matter how tiny – keep moving forward.

01/08/2023

Y'all 🤎 You are worth the effort – prioritize your health. New series documenting my weight loss journey starting today. No matter how many times you fall off track, you can always get up and start again.

13/07/2023

Y'all 🤎 As you work towards your weight loss goals and develop healthier habits, remember to be patient with yourself. Progress takes time, but with consistency and determination, you will achieve what you set out to accomplish. Remind yourself of your strength, embrace the power of self-care, and take a moment to appreciate the incredible human you already are. Keep pushing forward!

12/07/2023

Hey Y'all 🤎 Remember, you are more than just a number on a scale. Embrace the journey of self-love and healthier habits. Today, try speaking kind words to yourself, celebrating your progress, and embracing your unique beauty. You deserve love, joy, and a healthy, vibrant life. Keep going, you've got this! 💕

29/06/2023

Hey Ya'll 🤎 Can I tell you something? You are so much stronger, so much smarter and so much braver than you realize. You are worthy, you are beautiful, you are caring, you are loved, you are special and you are enough! We all have down days from time to time but I need you to realize that you have the strength to overcome any obstacle life throws your way. I just know you can do it. Love, Ariel

26/06/2023

Hey Ya’ll, is it just me or does it seem like life has truly been life-ing lately. It seems like the past couple months, lets be honest, the past couple years have just been very heavy. I don’t know about you but when life feels heavy, I find that it’s really easy to slip into old habits like negative self-talk, binge eating or neglecting my self-care.

Something that always helps me feel better is spending time with God by praying- (it’s literally as simple as closing your eyes right now and saying- God, I have no idea what’s going to happen today but I need you to protect me and guide me every step of the way). How you handle stress, matters! Stress effects our mental and physical health in a negative and I want you to be okay. Take 5 minutes out of your day and try a healthy coping skill. I just know you can do it. Love, Ariel 🤎

17/06/2023

Hey Ya’ll, I don’t know about you but I love a good reminder that I am enough, that giving up is not an option & that I can do anything that I put my mind too. Can I be even more transparent, I don’t just need these reminders every once in a while, but it’s always good to remind yourself daily. 🤎

Ya’ll, in case you haven't read your Bible today- I wanted you to know that Philippians 4:8 says: …whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. I want you to keep that in mind as you live your life this weekend. No matter what happens, try your absolute best to find the good in the situation. I just know you can do it! Love, Ariel

14/06/2023

Good Morning Ya’ll 🤎
Learning to live life without Jenny Craig snacks, frozen entrees and the weekly visit with my consultants is something that I always knew would happen one day and can I be honest with you? Now that I’m actually doing it- it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve recently made a HUGE switch in the way that I have been eating- goodbye frozen entrees (unless I really am running short on time) and hello to clean, simple eating.

I’ve also scheduled myself a DEXA scan which will give an in-depth breakdown of my fat and bone mass and provide a clearer understanding of my body composition and skeletal health. Excited to share those results in an upcoming video with you soon. I just wanted to reassure any amazing individual reading this that there is no one size fits all method of losing weight. All of our bodies are different, have different needs and medical conditions. Remember, we’re not trying to lose weight just to see a smaller number pop up on the scale but we are working to treat our bodies with the love and respect they deserve. Give yourself a hug for me, you got this! Love, Ariel