Please bear with me here. I have honestly never done a blog before, so it may take some learning to get used to this. First, WELCOME! I am very excited to be doing this and sharing some of what I have learned in the past few years about losing weight and actually keeping it off. I gratefully welcome any and all comments so please feel free to post any opinions or questions. I want to take this first blog to just document what this journey has been like for me. It started in 2003....
Many of you reading this have known me for quite some time, some since we were kids. I was always a heavy child, which, by today's standards, was probably pretty normal. 10-15 years ago, however, childhood obesity was not nearly as prevalent as it is today, and I was self-conscious most of the time. Thank goodness I was funny and had a good personality or I am fairly certain that my childhood would have been unfortunate. I usually wore the largest size in children's clothes, and as I grew older, it was difficult to find styles I liked in my size. I never had a lot of energy, and always hated gym, so getting me physically active was a struggle. Wow, how times have changed!!
Once I moved off to college, I was pretty much miserable. My major was not at all what I believed it to be, I had three different roommates during freshman year, and being away from all I had ever known was so difficult. Without my sorority, I probably would have moved home and transferred to U of M. Pizza rolls, chewy chocolate chip cookies, and Wendy's bacon cheeseburgers became my dearest friends. By the end of the year, I had packed on 60 pounds and was topping the scale at about 245 pounds. The weight gain continued throughout the summer, with the temptations of BBQ and Baskin-Robbins continually calling. By the time July rolled around and my yearly doctor's appointment approached, I weighed almost 260 pounds and was wearing a size 20 (That is a BMI of about 42, which categorized me as morbidly obese).
During my appointment, Dr Baker looked me square in the eye and said, "If you don't get this weight off, you will have health problems down the road." As in, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, you name it. I look back now in sadness, hoping that the damage I did during my first 18 years of life have been reversed in the past 8 years. I decided then that I had to do something. I was extremely unhappy with the way I looked, and couldn't get a date to save my life. That's when life as I knew it changed forever.
First came the change in diet. I began by limiting myself to 1500 calories a day, and was very diligent about counting every single calorie. I measured, I counted (still do!), and focused on portion control and what I was actually eating. Next came the dreaded, awful, no-good, very bad exercise. As stated before, I hated exercise. Even though I played church sports through high school, I still hated it (except for maybe basketball). I thought that if I joined a gym and was actually paying for a membership, I would be more likely to exercise. I began with 30 minutes on the elliptical and one hour pilates classes at the YMCA. I also had one free session with a trainer when I first joined, and I incorporated weight training 3x a week.
Fast-forward 8 years... and I am sitting comfortably in a size 6. As good as that 4 might look, I can definitely handle being a size 6. I still measure and count (hello myfitnesspal.com!!) and I exercise 6 days a week and LOVE it. I do a lot of different types of exercises, mostly TurboJam (check that one out.. I have been doing it for a couple of years and still LOVE it!), Hip Hop Abs (yeah yeah.. but it's fun!), weight training, cycling, pilates, yoga, dance, purebarre (ballet based training), and Wii Fit. I also very frequently walk outside, but I still can't stand running. I promise I try to like it, but I think my dislike for it stems from running the track in high school and getting so out of breath I couldn't see straight.
I have listed below some myths and facts about what I have discovered about weight loss. You may disagree with some of them, and I agree that what works for me may not work for everyone. I have tried almost every diet on the planet, including Atkins, Jenny Craig, Curves, nutrisystem, and Weight Watchers, but calorie counting works best for me. So here are my top 5.... I'll include tips and advice in every blog post, so stay tuned!
1. Losing weight is a journey and a lifestyle change. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you have to change how and what you eat, and the amount of exercise you do. Period. This is not a compromise.
2. I do fall off the wagon occasionally. And that's okay, I just pick myself up, and get right back on it the next day. The worse thing you can do for your body is say, "I'll start back tomorrow." No, start back TODAY. If you eat pancakes, sausage, toast, biscuits for breakfast, detox the rest of the day. Eat salad, lean meat, and vegetables. Procrastination is not a positive step in weight loss and maintenance.
3. No liquid calories. Cutting out sweet tea and cokes was one of the best things I could possibly do. I have also pretty much cut out alcohol, unless in celebration. I make decaffeinated tea with splenda and I think it tastes better than the sugary stuff. Splenda and stevia are my saving graces when it comes to sweetening fruit, tea, or coffee. If they don't have splenda at the restaurant, order water. Aspartame is terrible for your body.
4. I still look in the mirror and sometimes see the "fat girl". I have heard over and over how people who have lost a lot of weight mentally cannot accept it. No matter how many times I hear how great I look or walk into a store and buy a 6 pants and Small top, I still feel self-conscious occasionally. Weight loss is a mentality, and I haven't completely bought into the "I'm thin and beautiful" mindset.
5. PLEASE don't buy into the weight loss gimmicks.. the shakes, pills, frozen food from a company, low-carb diets. You know what I am talking about!!! As I said I have tried most of these at one point or another, and it's not all about losing weight! I have found that so many people who have tried these and lost weight gain it right back as soon as they go off of them. Why? My theory is they don't teach you how to eat right! If counting calories hasn't worked in the past, the best alternative is Weight Watchers. I know the point counting is annoying ( I personally didn't care for it either), but it lumps counting calories/carbs/fat and portion control into one. Whatever you try, whatever you decide to do, always ask "Can I do this for the rest of my life?" If your answer is NO, then find something else you can adhere to.
I hope this blog is off in the right direction.. I will detail more of my journey and more tips/advice in other posts. Please comment and let me know what you think!! God Bless, everyone!!
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