Before starting my healthy weight loss journey, I used to ignore my weight. At a certain point, though, I couldn't ignore how my body felt. I lost 100 lbs. by calorie counting, keeping up a gym routine, and setting small goals for myself.
I'm still maintaining my healthy habits, calorie counting, and have taken up jogging. I still struggle, but stay motivated by giving myself new goals and mixing up my routine. And I also have a lot of great advice for others trying to do the same!
In January 2010, I started a healthy weight loss journey with calorie counting and exercise. It was just before that point that I realized what being overweight was doing to my body. My feet would hurt and my back would go out all the time. My first “Aha!” moment was in the summer of 2010 when I stepped on the scale at a local Big Lots. I was at my biggest, in the 270’s. I usually ignored my weight. Even at the doctor’s office I would look away when they would weigh me.
After that, I felt determined to set a goal and stick to it. I got down to 258 lbs. by starting a vegan diet and going on long walks. Shortly after, I started calorie counting and a gym routine.
I am currently trying to lose about 20 more lbs. to get to 140 lbs. I want to be in the middle-range BMI and have more wiggle room. When I set the goal of 158 I wasn’t sure if this was my end goal weight. I’m still a little worried from time to time about gaining. I want to get to my second goal, but have only been maintaining. I want to step it up and tone more too.
It gets harder and harder the closer you get to your goal. It’s especially hard at night when I want to snack. If I don’t meal plan my whole day seems to go out the window. I realized that I am really good at lying to myself about how many snacks are ok to eat. I'll say things to myself like, "Only one more." Or, "I had a hard day I earned such and such snack." For some reason, I need calorie counting to keep me on track with how much I can eat. At this point, I know that I have the working out down, but the overeating part I think I might always struggle with. I do know that I can’t wait until I get to my goal weight. I know when I get to maintenance mode I will have to keep up my workouts and stick to how many calories I need to maintain. There will be no giving up here! Once I finish one mountain I have to find another one to climb!
I’m struggling with the overeating. Honestly, sometimes I feel a bit out of place in social situations because I have to tell my friends that certain things are not in my calorie budget. There was a point when I quit calorie counting for about a month and gained 10 lbs! For some reason, if I don’t meal plan and see just how much energy I am consuming then I lie to myself really easily. I stay motivated by doing things like subscribing to new weight loss blogs, trying new healthy recipes, and asking friends to join me in workouts.
My new healthy habit this year is jogging. It took a while, but I am finally able to jog around Green Lake (2.8 miles) without stopping! Now I try to jog around Green Lake a few days a week in between my gym routine. Next, I am working on push-ups. I can’t even do a girl one! Right now I’m doing counter push-ups until I can work my way to the floor ones. But man, do I feel the burn with the counter ones!
Advice:
-Write a blog. It can help you create a sense of how you feel about your journey and connect with people who relate to you.
-Set realistic, smaller goals each week. Focusing too much on the overall goal can be overwhelming.
-Don't cut out all the "fun foods" from your diet completely. If you want a cupcake, have one! Just try to budget for it in your calories.
-Only lose weight if it's something you are doing for yourself.
-If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Do your research.
-Drink more water and try to wean yourself off of drinks filled with chemicals.
-Eat more whole foods. When you switch to complex carbs, like 100 % whole grains, from the white refined stuff, you will find you are fuller longer and don’t crash as easily.
-Don’t give up! This is a lifestyle change not a competition or a fad. I wanted to lose 100 lbs. in 1 year, but it took 2 years for me.
-All that matters is staying on track and only compare you to yourself. “It is not how you compare to others that is important, but rather how you compare to who you were yesterday. If you’ve advanced even one step, then you’ve achieved something great.” -Daisaku Ikeda
More info: steadyfoot.com
