Although I have been gone for a while, worry not, my readers; I am still on top of my weight-loss journey! 

Sadly, although I have been trying to be clean from Monster Energy Drinks since June, I gave in to temptation and had a Monster today. I know, I know. But listen! One Monster does not erase all the progress I have made. And I am still trying!

So how has my journey been? 

Since my last update, I weighed around 239 pounds, and since then I have been able to get myself to 231. 

Eight pounds might not sound like a lot to some people, but for me it’s a step in the right direction. I’m trying to focus on taking things one step at a time instead of a dramatic transformation. 

At first, I started walking to the park and aiming for close to 10,000 steps. Since the park is pretty big, it became a great way for me to exercise without forcing myself to do a lot. 

So I came up with a brilliant idea. Why just walk? So I started getting into different sports. I bought things for badminton, tennis, and pickleball. Do I know what I am doing? No! 

But am I having fun? Yes! I already had tennis equipment from who knows where, so we decided to try it. 

We are not good at all. 

But the running and jumping for the ball make us move around. 

Badminton, though, is the love of my life. I haven’t played badminton since I was a kid, and picking it back up since then has made me appreciate it even more and how much I miss it. 

We have also decided to pick up pickleball, and again we have no clue and might be slightly better than tennis but still not good enough. We played for roughly three weeks before I started my current course, and since then we haven’t been able to go to the park to play/walk. 

Since starting class, I’ve had a lot of studying, and between school, the crazy weather, my neighborhood not being the safest, summer, and the park being crowded, there isn’t much room to play anyway. 

So my exercising has slowed down, and sometimes, if I really am eager, I go to my backyard and walk; although my goal is 10,000 steps, I get up to maybe 7-8k steps, and I think that is a good amount.

I try really hard to be active after meals; it somewhat makes me feel better. 

I have also been more conscious about food. I know that before, when I was stressed from school, I could easily fall into the habit of ordering a ton of food and impulsively eating. And I am really trying not to do that anymore. I don’t want stress to automatically mean I need food. I don’t want a bad day at school to equal eating out. 

I am trying to pay more attention to what I am eating and how much I am putting into my body while still enjoying food. 

I’m trying to find balance. 

Another wise thing my mother has said is that water is life. She’s onto something. I remember hearing years ago that a person should drink around 8 cups of water a day. I already drank a decent amount of water, but I don’t know if I was getting to that. 

Since I don’t drink faucet water and mostly drink bottled water, I looked up the equivalent: roughly 4 16oz bottles. 

So my journey began. I started aiming for 4 water bottles, and roughly 95% of the time I get in 4. Some days I go with just 3, but something is something. 

Now, the elephant in the room-

Monster and Pepsi. 

I love myself a good Monster and Pepsi. I grew up drinking Pepsi. My mother drank Pepsi while I was in her stomach. It’s basically ingrained in me. But again, we don’t drink it 24/7, only on Sundays. As an adult, I’ve started drinking Pepsi maybe 2 or 3 times a week. 

And I knew I shouldn’t be drinking it, especially since it contains a lot of sugar. Same when i drank Monster. Ever since my first taste last year, I drank like 4 a week. 

But since my promise, I only had one. Yes, today, but it’s progress. 

But it’s a change from 4 to just 1. And the first in months! I reverted back to my old routine, which was drinking only once on Sunday. My mom and I would usually drink 2, but recently we have shared 1 and a half or just had our regular one soda. While also trying to have plenty of water!

I don’t know if drinking water afterward does anything, but I feel like it keeps me on a routine of having some form of liquid besides sugar in my system, and I like drinking water; since it’s summer and hot in our apartment, I enjoy it. 

Another habit of mine is waking up late and often skipping breakfast until dinner. However, when I did this, I would overeat at dinner, and after a quick Google search, I learned it can lead to sugar spikes, so I’m trying to avoid that. So I’ve started eating breakfast and a decent dinner that keeps me full enough. 

In addition to water, I have also started drinking lemon water and adding chia seeds for the past two months. It’s really good, and recently I bought strawberry syrup because I wanted to make strawberry lemonade; before you all assume, I don’t pour a lot of syrup! 

I add a tablespoon or two depending on how sour the lemon is. But if it’s too sugary, I dilute it with water. 

I’m not a huge fan of sugary drinks, so I have to dilute them. But my lemon water has become a hit! 

I’ve also tried avoiding eating so late at night, and although I still snack a little once a week, it’s a change from a couple of months ago, when I would be downing anything. 

For me, the important part is simply avoiding night snacking when I’m not hungry or studying. I’m trying to create a routine where I have to eat during the day. 

For the month of August, I have been able to keep my weight consistent. I have been around 235-236 after meals. And I’m proud. It’s something. It’s a sign. 

Again, for a lot of reasons, I haven’t been able to move as much as I have wanted, but with school starting for elementary and high school, I hope the parks clear up. With the cold weather approaching, I want to go to the park because it means it’s emptier, so I’m looking forward to that. 

My overall goal for the remainder of 2026 is to lose 30 pounds. And now that we are officially a week into September, the goal feels like a dream. But I hope I can at least get to the 220s. And from there, move forward.

I don’t want to promote starvation or any form of unhealthy habits just for the numbers on the scale to change faster. 

I am not a professional. I am not trying to suggest anything. These updates might be monthly, and yes, I do crave an occasional Monster and Pepsi during the week or order fast food, but I try to reel in my temptation. 

For now, that’s enough, and I hope everyone stays healthy!