This is not the first time in my life that I have lost weight. My weight has been a constant burden in my life for as long as I can remember. I have always been a "big" girl! I was never very active growing up and my eating habits were always horrible. It wasn't until I moved away to college that things began to change. From the time I went away to college until the year of 2010, I lost a good bit of weight. I wasn't exactly doing anything to lose the weight. My life happened to become busier and more active. I believe I was at about 216 lbs at my lowest. Then the Winter of 2010 came and Jacob died. :( After losing him, I started constantly gaining weight.
I tend to eat when I am upset, mad, stressed, bored, etc. EMOTIONAL EATER HERE! Well, I was most definitely going through a crazy roller coaster of mixed emotions over the years following that loss. I ate and ate and ate! The more I ate, the more the weight piled back on. Gaining all of that weight back made me feel absolutely miserable and gross. Fortunately, I had never suffered from a lot of health issues. However, that doesn't mean I wasn't in danger! Plus, I was feeling more lethargic and depressed with every pound I gained.
Something had to give!
I was at 265 lbs! I am not sure if that is the heaviest I have ever been, but I knew I would surpass that number if I continued on the path I was heading down. Finally, I reached a point where I had to take a stand against continuing down that path.
It was difficult to get started but I began making those small changes here and there. Along the way I have struggled with the mental battles of unbelief, doubt and negativity. I've wrestled with all of the voices in my head telling me that it was too hard and I couldn't do it; and I've fought all frustrations that have made me want to give up and quit. There have been days of disappointment and days when I have gotten off track/failed. Yet, I NEVER GAVE UP!
Currently, I am at 217 lbs and have lost a total of 48 lbs. I'm aiming at getting down to 150 lbs. I am not looking to be a size 0 or 2. My desire it to become healthier and stronger. Once I am at my goal weight of 150, I will have lost a total of 115 lbs. My goal now is to lose 10 more pounds by the end of the month. Overall, I still have 67 lbs to lose before I reach my goal weight.
It isn't always easy to stay on track. Changing old habits definitely takes a lot of self-discipline and motivation, There are still days that I am frustrated and feel like giving up. As I just confessed, there are times I do fail and there are disappointments along the way. There is not only a physical battle at hand, but there is a huge mental battle as well. The mental battle is the toughest! If I can overcome my head, then I can do so much more!
Since others have learned of my weight loss, I have been asked to share some advice/tips. The following are some tips based on what I have been doing.
* EAT but EAT HEALTHY!
-- eat more whole foods (fruits & vegetables, nuts/seeds, beans/legumes, whole grains)
-- canned/frozen fruits & veggies are ok if they're not packed full of sugar or sodium
-- eat leaner meats
-- eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks a day
-- don't skip meals
-- use portion control and eat slower
-- no late night snacking (try not eating after 8 PM)
-- watch sodium/sugar intake; cut the greasy and fried foods
-- cut back on eating out and try steering clear of fast food if you can
-- use healthier oils, dressings and sweetners
-- cut back on eating out and try steering clear of fast food if you can
-- use healthier oils, dressings and sweetners
* EXERCISE!
-- 5-6 days a week for 20-30 minutes a day
-- alternate between doing strength & cardio
-- switch up your workouts (don't do the same thing all the time)
-- do some Yoga
-- go walking 30 minutes a day
-- get outdoors
-- don't forget to stretch
-- go walking 30 minutes a day
-- get outdoors
-- don't forget to stretch
-- take time to rest
* DRINK WATER
-- drink lots of water throughout the day
-- drink 1 cup of water before meals
-- drink 1 cup of water before meals
-- if you want flavored water, use Crystal Light or something like that
-- also drink Green Tea (I drink a cup first thing in the morning and usually sweeten it with Stevia).
-- also drink Green Tea (I drink a cup first thing in the morning and usually sweeten it with Stevia).
-- no sugary beverages
*SLEEP
-- try to get at least 8 hours of sleep
*OTHER
-- make realistic goals
-- reward yourself when you reach your goals
-- reward yourself when you reach your goals
Good job, Shay! That is AWESOME, and you can do it! The comic at the top makes me laugh, because I feel like that ALL the time these days. I've been on a mission to lose weight also, and people don't always understand. It really is not just a diet. Once I do lose all the weight I want to, I'm going to have to keep eating this way to maintain.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the best things I've done is to give up all other drinks besides water. It's been about a month, and I finally don't crave coke anymore.
I also avoid "sugar free" and "fat free" things like the plague. I saw a pin on pinterest that said whenever you see those words, think "chemical s**t storm" (sorry for the language!). Instead, I try to just eat very little added sugar at all (and carbs), but still eat plenty of healthy fats and even some unhealthy fats in moderation.
Anyway, I think I'm going to set my goal to lose 10 pounds by the end of this month as well. Thanks for the motivation!! And keep going strong! It really is a mind game, especially for us emotional eaters :)