I enjoy cooking food and I enjoy eating. However, dieting? Not so much. Although I have always been a mostly healthy eater, I’m not one to avoid a late night bowl of ice cream. But indulging a little too much, and a little too often resulted in a slow gain of 100lbs pounds by my late-30s.
When I was younger, I managed to maintain my weight of 105 pounds by being active. During college a car wasn’t in the budget and the bus rides were always packed, therefore I walked everywhere. After college, I was very active over the years with my three daughters and I was able to appreciate and maintain my weight of 135. The weight came when I moved south and started a desk job. With that came long hours, fast food lunches, and plenty of late night snacks. It seemed like overnight my weight climbed to 235 pounds, which was too much for my 5-foot-2-inch frame.
One day my husband pulled me aside for a picture. We haven’t taken a picture together in years. Looking at the physical proof, I was embarrassed by how much weight I had gained. I asked him not to post it online. I went home and rushed to the scale to see that I had gained 100lbs. I started looking through the pictures on our phones and I wasn’t flattered by what I saw. I was so disgusted that I deleted most of them.
The next day a got a gym membership, which I thought I needed to take control of my weight. I started exercising at the gym most mornings. Even though I was burning plenty of calories through exercise, I wasn’t losing any weight. I found my eating habits were preventing me. While on the other hand, the busy season at work was quickly approaching.
My girlfriend suggested I do the liquid diet since I wouldn’t have time to work out. This diet included drinking spicy lemonade and water only, a laxative tea at night, and salt water flush in the morning. THAT took a lot of willpower! So after 21 days, I lost 25 lbs. However, once I returned to my way of eating, I gained 20 back within a month.
Feeling defeated with two months remaining in the busy season, I had to face the fact that what I was putting into my mouth had to change. I researched the low-carb diets. After looking at the meal plans, I felt it work perfectly for my current lifestyle. After the busy season, I was happy, I was down 30 pounds with no exercising.
Welcome the holiday season! By New Year’s Eve, I was at my largest weight ever – 238 pounds. I did more research on the most popular diets. I read the good and bad stories. I realized all diet and fads are not a one-size-fits-all answer. Therefore, I decided to research me. What I learned about myself has changed my life. I can’t wait to share it with you in my next blog, how lost 70lbs and jump started my weight loss journey In the meantime, have you tried a diet and had success or failure? What were you weight loss challenges? Please share in the comments below. I really would love to know.
Until next time, shine amongst the stars!
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I’m excited to hear what you learnt about yourself and the changes you made! I’m currently at my biggest weight also and am about to embark on a 6-12 months of traveling so it’s going to be tough, but I’m pretty determined to eat healthily 80% of the time and also have treats while visiting certain places!
Safe travels Courtney, I list the changes I made in the following post. How lost 70lbs and jump-started my weight loss journey After 3 months of this lifestyle change, I had lost 70 lbs.
http://lavandamichelle.com/2017/09/01/how-lost-70lbs-and-jump-started-my-weight-loss-journey/
I personally don’t believe in diets as I think they set us up to fail in most cases. Instead I believe in a lifestyle change. Our daily habits are what form our lives and if we eat mostly junk our body will feel like junk. I suspect you’ve already figured out that the best way to lose weight is to stick to healthier whole foods and cut down on preserved, prepared foods and exercise more.
I myself am at my heaviest after three children and it’s taken me awhile to start dropping the pounds until I started paying more attention to my own lifestyle. Every body is different and loses weight differently too.
Best wishes and good luck!
You are right! That is exactly what I did. It’s all listed in my latest blog. “How lost 70lbs and jump-started my weight loss journey”
After 3 months of this lifestyle change, I had lost 70 lbs.
http://lavandamichelle.com/2017/09/01/how-lost-70lbs-and-jump-started-my-weight-loss-journey/
Acceptance and aspiration are the first steps I’ve found which is generally what I’ve learned! – It’s an inspiration that you have achieved both.
Acceptance and aspiration was certainly myfirst steps.
Wow! Thank you for sharing part of your journey. I’d love to read more!
Thanks Heather, more coming soon.
I’m following you on Facebook and here! Can’t wait to read more!
When it comes to slimming down – two things that matter are right diet and right exercise. Eat smart. Exercise smart. Don’t overdo anything. Starving yourself is a big mistake most people do. But, weight loss is much easier if you’ve good metabolism which is only possible when you take a balanced diet. All the best!
It took some time, but that is the lesson Ilearned.