I have been getting asked a lot about what I did to lose weight & If wish there were a simple answer, but there isnt. Everyone has their own needs, but I thought Id share what I sent to the last person who asked. If it helps anyone out there- great :) First off, a little background on me. I have never been what anyone would call thin, or even close. I have not always been overweight. I just say “fat”. I know that offends some people, but to me it’s no different than the color of my skin or being blonde, it’s just a description. I was always a bit bigger than most people & probably always will be. My lean weight coming out of basic training was 154 pounds. At that I was a size 6 & had a 25 ½ inch waist. That’s usually around 135 pounds for a more average body frame. I also am ACTUALLY large boned (by the measurement of wrist bones, at a doctors) so I don’t fit on a standard BMI chart either. I began to put on weight after my son’s birth, when I had the first of 3 knee surgeries. I used those as an excuse to not do as much. I couldn’t hike uphill, ski, run or do full impact aerobics, so I quit doing anything. I have never lost any substantial weight without exercise. So I knew that had to be part of the formula. Over the past 16 years I yo-yoed up & down never losing more than 20-30 pounds (if that) & then packing it right back on, often with company. This year- I knew it was different. This was my time, this was the last time & I was never going back. Here are my “Rules” (or guidelines/tips; whatever you want to call them): 1) I don’t diet. Diets are short term, nasty little things where you deprive yourself. Diets cause you to lose focus if you have an off-day (or even an off-meal). It does often include a reward system, but people often also punish themselves for not doing it right. This is negative & drains your spirit. 2) I DID change my relationship with food. I love to cook & I love to eat. I love to feed others. I love the science behind cooking. I find it fascinating & I am always learning new things. This captures my attention. I don’t like boring bland food. So I had to change how I interacted & reacted to food. If I want a treat- I have it. But before I do, I consider if it’s good enough to be worth what it costs me in terms of my workouts. This means I may change my mind & walk away from a treat, not because I can’t have it, but because of my new focus- I don’t want it. This way, I control the food, it doesn’t control me. There are lots of tricks to learning to do this: a. I try to steer away from “mindless” snacking or eating. I sit at the tables. I don’t take snacks into the family room, unless its in a serving size. The whole bag of chips or bowl of popcorn stays in the kitchen. I take my serving with me. I can have a few chips now & then- I can’t have a whole bag (That’s so easy to do, too!). b. I consider “swaps”. If I want French fries, for instance, I look over all the other choices & try to decide which on really sounds best. Fries are good, sure- but so are some really great steamed veggies! More time than not- I end up with the better choice once I order. I look at it this way, even if what I am eating isn’t the BEST thing I could have- at least I swap out for the best thing I can at that time. c. I carry my emergency munchies with me. Now this is just a baggie of baby carrots & celery sticks, but I used to carry Special K bars & chips. Over time, as I have gotten better at my eating- I find I don’t crave the carbs as much. When I am tempted to snack, I brag those first. It’s hard to eat the cookies someone brought to work with a carrot in your mouth. d. I search for healthier ways to do things. This is just simple prep of your food. Broil, don’t fry. Swap out whole grains. WATCH OUT FOR WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS! These are deceptive & because of some weird rules imply you are getting anything better than the processed white flour product. Whole wheat has been stripped of at least half of its nutrients. Search out whole grains. e. AVOID processed foods & HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) like your life depended on it. Read labels- vegetables don’t need sugar & a bunch of preservatives. In fact, frozen veggies are second only to fresh from the garden (even better than the produce section). Science bears this out. Produce section foods are often picked under-ripe, held until needed & then ripened through the use of gases. This means your “fresh” veggies may be months (yes, months !)old. Frozen veggies are picked & a processed often within a day or so, if not hours. The same goes for frozen seafood. This rapid trip from vine to freezer preserves the nutrients. Everything in d & e comes down to eating the foods God gave us the way He intended for them to work with our bodies. We are true omnivores. We need all the foods to function optimally & healthily. If we take the time to read & learn which foods in the market are the closest to their natural state (& I don’t mean organic- this is a rouse with no basis in science), we can eat them & be healthy. You will be fuller, more satisfied, more energetic & not feel deprived. I use whole butter and regular sour cream in my home. A food eaten ‘whole’ has the right components in it for my body to properly use, digest and dispose of it. 3) I don’t keep “Fat” clothes. Once I am out of a size- it’s gone. I don’t have “comfy” clothes to slide back into. That makes it too easy to turn around & go back down the road & just drug myself off of. If clothing starts to feel tight again- its time to do some praying, switch my food & exercise routine up a bit to cure the boredom & get back on track. All of that said, I had 2 more components to deal with. One was my appetite & the other my physical activity. I am ALWAYS hungry. Or so it seemed in the beginning. I thought I am either going to be fat or hungry forever. I saw a doctor & I got help to get going. I took phentermine for the first 4 months. It is a powerful appetite suppressant. You have to get it from a doctor & most insurance won’t pay for it. It costs around $80/month, I think. It is also a medication that is prone to abuse (it does make you a bit perkier in the mornings & gives you a zip for a bit). It also works a bit like catnip works on cats. It will only control your appetite for 3-6 months, and then it will (almost abruptly) stop working. You have to use that time wisely to do all the retraining of your food mind-set. If you just don’t eat & sit back & enjoy the rapid weight loss, you will gain it all back once it quits working. You HAVE to relearn how to eat during the time the medication buys you. Its like a huge boost in willpower & used properly, can be an amazing ally. Not all doctors will prescribe it, I can tell you a couple in our area who will. They will also follow you closely & help you set other goals (this is usually covered by insurance as a “diet check”- I self-paid @ $25/visit). And last, but certainly not least, I HAD to work out. I can’t avoid it. I will always have to work out. I have found the most effective thing to be whatever makes you sweat, doesn’t bore you to tears & can be tolerated without a bunch of pain. I have done the Spartan 4 week challenge several times. I spent my first few months doing deck of card workouts. I tired PX90 & Insanity. I found they were both too hard for someone who was not already in good shape (or with joint issues) & didn’t ever get through a whole workout. I had gotten bored recently & looked for something new. I found Jillian Michaels’ Body Revolution series. I’m in Phase 1 (of 3) of the 12 week program. It is so simple- anyone can do it. She starts slow & build up every 4 weeks to allow you to get to the place where you can just go for it. She also uses metabolic tricks to increase heart rate & effectiveness without the “Oh my goodness, I just ran & I think my heart is going to pop” feelings. The variety & intensity is great. We shall see how the next 11 weeks go! For me, I HAVE to go to the gym. If I stay home, I quit to early & easily; or I find excuses not to workout at all. I know when I wake up in the am that I am going to the gym at ___ time & it’s not negotiable. I lost the excuse of “I don’t have time.” It’s complete & total BS. One of the most impactful statements I ever heard was Dr. H (on The Biggest Loser) talking to a man who was obese. He said to him, “Your fat is killing you. How can you say you don’t have time to work out, even an hour a day? If I told you you had cancer & it was killing you, you would find time for chemo.” Well, our weight is killing us. It rob us of our happiness, our youth, our vitality, our strength & our joy. It steals adventures from our children & grandchildren because we are too tired (or too embarrassed) to do the things we could do if we were healthier. You just have to ready. You have to know this is your time & this is the last time. You have to have a “WHY?” Why are you doing it? Keep that in your mind. Jillian says, “If you have the why, you can take the how.” If you have the reason you want to be better in mind, you can do anything it takes or requires to get there. And when you don’t think there’s anymore- pray. I have prayed right in the middle of a workout for the strength to finish (& Heavenly Father supplies it every single time).
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 02:56:20 +0000
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