Just a Little Bit Chubby ~ A 'Mudgetfish' Post

The following post was written by my little sister, affectionally dubbed Mudget by me (this was a nickname created in our childhood years. Mudget = midget + pudge... Yes. This was cruel. In my defense, she used to make fun of my legs by calling them frog legs. Ahhh, aren't sisters great? It's character building my dad always said.), known as Natalie to the rest of the world. For those of you that aren't familiar with my family, Natalie (see the knock out photo at right) has been an aspiring actress since, well, I cannot remember an exact date, its just always been a fact. Natalie wanted to be on the silver screen. She was born to be famous. So, after college, the girl saved up some money, moved to LA in January of 2009 and is working towards her destiny. She has always been just a little bit chubby (as her post title suggests), but has made some amazing lifestyle transformations recently. I asked her to share her story with us, and the Mudget was so kind to oblige. Enjoy her post. Hopefully we can get her to write a couple more with us...

Just a Little Bit Chubby

An easy way to sum up my struggle with the great weight battle is that I have always been just a little bit chubby. With 20lbs over my average weight, I started my college career and made it my goal to drop the excess poundage. I started slowly to become a morning runner. Then I became competitive in collegiate club sports. True, I lost the fat but gained the muscle making me look bulky in size and I was left feeling still “just a little bit chubby.”

After graduating, I made my move down south to California to achieve my dream of becoming a silver screen goddess. They say that size does not matter in the valley of the stars. But please let me be the first, if you don’t already know, to tell that that is a whole lot of B.S! So here I am starting a new chapter of my life and this time I need to get serious about shaping up but rather bulking down. I still had some fat around the muscle (too many nights at the Tav in the Burg), so I needed to start from square one.
Being in the land of the “Thin and Beautiful,” I started my research on all the Hollywood Fab diets, detox, new eating habits and lifestyle changes. I admit, most I tried, but who hasn’t been tempted? Honestly, I did drop the weight off of these quick fixes, feeling great for about a week, but always regaining. So on with new research!

Reading through REAL health magazines, meaning ones that do not supply the quick fixes but the long term fix, I began my quest for a healthier lifestyle. First the exercise plan. Every morning I get up and work out, some days up to three hours! I have routine that helps me burn fat and the excess muscle. I begin with cardio everyday then two days a week I do cross training (i.e. lifting light weights and calisthenics). However, most days I focus on abs and the core. The core for me is essential! I spend at least 15min a day on my core. Also, a great little fat fighting tip is, if you are every hungry, or in my case just bored, before I walk into the kitchen to find a tasty treat I do 25 crunches,10 lunges on each leg, drink a glass of water and then decide if I’m still hungry. More than likely I’m not, but if I am I just did a little mini workout to boost my metabolism and help burn those calories I will consume.

Now onto my eating habits! My favorite part, because honestly, I love to eat. Food and I have a long time relationship, plus I’ll admit it, I’m an emotional eater. My sister, aka Spunky Starfish, says I have a metabolism like a racehorse. I didn’t use to have this type of a metabolism. In the past, I would not eat because of my extra poundage, making my body hold on to everything. But after doing a LOT of research about how the stars eat, I learned its better to keep your body working like a machine and a machine needs fuel. So every 3 hours I give myself a little snack usually between 150-200 calories, mostly fruits or veggies, making my body WORK! Of course I up the calories for the normal meals of the day.

Having this change in my life I dropped 20 pounds in 4 months!! I was stoked. Now I’m at my healthy average weight. However, I’m still “just a little bit chubby” for the Hollywood scene. So on with my healthy lifestyle, to stay fit and just drop a little more to compete for the roles and my dream career. Be sure not fall into those fab diets and dangerous detoxs. They, like some of Hollywood fame, come into the spotlight then slowly fade out.

Be your own Starfish and SHINE ON, with a healthy lifestyle!
Best wishes,
Mudgetfish