How I did it

Three years ago I developed very strong motivation that helped me implement drastic changes in my eating habits.

In May 2010 my weight was 261 pounds. During annual physical, the doctor told me that the test showed something in my heart. He told me that obesity was one of my risk factors and referred me to see cardiologist. The cardiologist recommended heart “procedure”.

The idea of surgery frightened me. I was determined to do anything humanly possible to lose weight. I gave up practically everything I liked. I adopted a diet that consisted only of fresh non-starchy vegetables, fresh low-sugar fruits, lean protein and a slice of whole grain bread. I took Omega 3 (healthy fats) and multivitamin supplement daily. I drank unsweetened hot tea three times a day and tried to drink a lot of water.

Changing my eating habits was not super easy and initially I experienced some level of stress after I gave up all of the foods I liked. The first few days were most challenging. I felt weak and had no energy, but I didn’t feel hungry. Since my new way of eating provided rapid weight loss at the start, I had the additional incentive to keep going. When I saw the numbers on the scale going down every single day, I got excited and wanted to stick with my method. Soon cravings for junk food disappeared and I honestly could say that I liked and enjoyed healthy foods I eat.

During my weight loss process I tried to learn as much as possible about losing weight, different diets, and challenges faced while attempting to lose weight. I read more than many books, hundreds of articles and reports, and extensively researched the weight loss related issues on Internet. I learned a lot about physiology, nutrition, health and exercise science, and perhaps I know more about losing weight than an average person. I know what my body needs for successful weight loss and good health, and I use this knowledge to continue to be successful.

I found out that by eating the new, healthy way I didn’t have to endure hunger to lose weight. I believe that feeling full and satisfied while eating nutritious foods was a critical part of my eating plan. The food choices I made helped me feel full with fewer calories and assured that I didn’t feel hungry.

Also learned that weight loss can be achieved without exercise. Shortly after I started losing weight I injured my knee and had surgery. Exercise was out of question, but I continued with eating habits changes that I implemented. The scale continued to show lower numbers at the unchanged rate. I could not exercise for 12 months, but kept losing weight.

I researched this issue and found out that what was happening to me was nothing unusual. Being active and exercise is great for our health but in terms of pounds, exercise contributes a little towards weight loss. Food is the component that largely determines whether we are gaining or losing weight, and the key to losing weight is focusing on eating of the foods that promote weight loss.

After I lost 91 pounds I determined to make this a lifestyle and not to return to my old ways. Since a healthy lifestyle is a process, I knew that to keep the weight off my new behaviors needed to continue.

Once I reached my goal weight, I was determined to make this a lifestyle and not to return to my old ways. I knew that to keep the weight off my new behaviors needed to continue. I have my weak moments, too. I allow myself to eat differently during joyful situations like holidays, birthdays and other celebrations - beautiful moments themselves, but at the same time, create opportunities to deviate from my healthy behaviors and eating habits. These are choice based behaviors and I believe I could have made different choices had I wanted to.  Unfortunately I also have moments when I am unable to control my choices. I sometimes experience binge eating.  I still frequently forget about drinking enough water.

Today I am no longer overweight and I maintain the weight of 170lb. I’m so positive about almost all aspects of my life and I became an advocate for idea that it is possible to lose weight, no matter what your life, your current situation looks like. If you can change what you eat and how you eat it, you will be able to lose weight.

I am someone just like you. I am no different than you when it comes to losing weight. I don’t have more willpower than you do. I don’t lose weight more easily than you do. Since I lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off, I believe I am in the position to be able to offer hope to others.

No single approach, formula, or plan for weight loss can work perfectly for every person. Losing weight is about finding what works for you and choices that make you feel good both physically and emotionally that you can stick with. When you know what works, then it is just a matter of commitment on following through each week on your best actions, adopting it to your unique circumstances and lifestyle until they become second nature.

To set yourself up for success you need to decide what is more important to you. When you are convinced that losing weight is more important than what you are giving up, then you are ready for action and you will likely succeed.

If you want to learn what worked for me please visit: ilostweightyoucantoo.com

The key is consistency

I found the precise formula that takes care of my weight in the best way possible for me. My approach is based on healthy foods and a few simple strategies.

The key is consistency. Almost every day I eat well, in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy weight. And when I fail to make proper nutrition choices, I just get back on my eating program the next day.

I am following what can be called 90/10 rule of weight management. I maintain healthy eating habits and activity at least 90 percent the time.

I mentioned 90/10 or when I travel it’s probably 80/20, because I lost weight already, and eating real food and staying away from processed food is a part of my lifestyle since my transformation. However, if you want to achieve weight loss, and especially, if you want to lose weight fast, the closer to 100 percent you get the better your chances of losing weight.
 
Achieving weight loss does not require magic formula or secret ingredients. Your body knows how to lose weight. It’s simply focusing on what works versus what doesn’t work.  It’s a matter of trying out approaches, observing your body’s responses, and monitoring how you feel until you find an approach that works.

Than you tweak it so it that it fits you. When you know what works, then it’s your choice and commitment on following through each week on your best actions, until they become second nature.

If interested in what works for me please visit ilostweightyoucantoo.com and click on the Eat like Me link on that page.

Guest Post: Never Giving Up

5 years ago, I hit rock bottom.  I was fat, miserable, depressed, and sick. I just didn’t care about myself.  Today, I'm still fat but I'm not miserable, depressed or sick any more.  I finally broke free of the vicious cycle I was in.

3 years ago, I started to teach myself how to eat.  Seriously.  I thought I would be even happier if I was skinny. I learned about counting calories and understanding that you must expend more calories than you take in to lose weight.  I found there are two ways to reduce your calorie intake.

Artificially, by eating reduced calorie processed foods or by eating naturally low calorie foods such as fruits and veggies.  Not wanting to give up the things I love, I started out with reduced calorie versions of all those yummy things.  They turned out not so yummy.  Did I lose some weight?  Yup.  But then I discovered I got more bang for my buck eating naturally low calorie foods.  Even better, I discovered that I felt better, both mentally and physically, when I ate unprocessed foods.

Five years later, it’s 2013.  I feel pretty darn good.  Many of my previous health problems are non-existent.  Have I lost weight? About 55 pounds and counting.  But on this journey, I discovered a few things I wasn’t expecting…

•Skinny does not equal healthy.

•Healthy food does not equal low fat, low calorie

•There are lots of weird, scary things in processed food

•When I feel good, I actually enjoy physical activity

•My taste buds are trainable

•When I feel good about myself I don’t care what other people think about me

I still struggle every day.  2013 has been particularly difficult for me as I try to deal with some digestive issues since getting a stomach virus over 6 months ago.  I haven't lost any weight. There are points where I want to give up and go back to my old ways.  Trying to be as healthy as possible can be exhausting at times.  Sometimes I wish I could hit up the closest fast food restaurant rather than spending an hour in the kitchen cooking a meal. However, I know I can't quit.  Quitting means returning to the life I left behind.  Quitting means getting sick again. Quitting means being miserable.  I won't go back.

There are so many ups and downs when you take the first steps to getting healthy.  In the end, the ups are WAY better than the downs.  I may take a few steps backwards every once in a while but I will always make sure I have more steps forward in this journey.

Mandy

Website: fatgirlgonehealthy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findvitality

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fatgirlhealthy

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fatgirlhealthy

 

Weight is an issue for almost everyone

Weight is an issue for almost everyone. If you are reading this blog, you are probably overweight. And most likely you have already tried to do something about. If you still trying, because you haven’t had much success I want to tell you that being in control of your foods choices is the “secret” to weight loss.  

It is always your choice. You can chose the type of foods you eat. And you can make some better choices. Achieving weight loss does not require magic formulas or specially purchased ingredients. It is focusing on what works versus what does not work.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, then it is absolutely essential that you provide your body with the best fuel possible. Your body knows how to lose weight; it is just a matter of trying out approaches, observing your body’s responses, and monitoring how you feel.

When you know what works, then it is just a matter of commitment on following through each week on your best actions, until they become second nature.

Defeat negative thinking

I know that negative thoughts are part of our life no matter whether we want it or not. Life is a little bit more complicated than just being happy and positive. Negative thoughts are normal — everyone has them, but, left unchecked, your mind may pull you into a self-amplified process.

The danger with negative thoughts is that the more you have them, the more they stick around. Our negative thinking leads to inaction, which leads to no results, which confirms and reinforces the negative thinking.

You can redirect the energy you spend on negative thoughts into planning and setting goals for yourself. Rather than telling yourself “I can never give up the foods I love” turn those thoughts into something positive instead. Think about how losing weight will contribute towards something you desire or help you experience life better. Instead of thinking, “I don’t have the discipline or the willpower” or “I tried that and it hasn’t worked”, redirect that energy into planning something positive and put that energy into taking action. When you take daily action, you’ll find that things more often go your way.

It can also be helpful to remember that thoughts are different than facts. Just because you have a thought about something doesn’t mean it is automatically true.

This may sound like a small step, but it opens up big possibilities. It introduces the potential for success, which can help keep us motivated to continue trying. In the future all things are possible. Where is it written that this is impossible? Others have made these changes. Why can’t we? Sure it will take work, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to eventually.

Guest Post: Finding Your ‘Why’

There are countless factors in play when it comes to how we eat. Making a change to diet or lifestyle can be daunting; so much so, in fact, that most of us elect to remain inactive, opting for ease and familiarity rather than challenge or change.

For many, the desire to make a change is rooted in “what things will be like” on the other side. Inaction is the paralyzing fear that the sacrifice, the work, the effort won’t be worth it. That we will fail, or worse, miss out on something good — and that won’t be worth it either.

If these worries are holding you back, consider instead the impact of making this change across our entire life. What will making this change mean for you? What will you gain from it?

Do you want to lose 10 pounds? Do you want more energy? Do you want to prevent disease? Do you want to be able to run up the stairs or pick up your kids or finally rid yourself of digestive upset? You can. You just need that ONE CLEAR REASON in mind to push you forward. What will that change mean for you? What will it add to your life? Moments of envy, frustration, doubt, or desire will be far more bearable when we have a big-picture motivator to keep us moving in the direction we intend.

In my practice, I work a great deal with people looking to overcome emotional eating and rebuild their relationship with food. Changing food habits means we need to get in touch with why we eat the way we do. This means considering why we associate certain foods with certain situations, looking at the connection between food and mood, and tuning into the signals our bodies provide. It can be overwhelming. There is a lot of information there, both physically and emotionally. When we start to look closely at our choices – really give ourselves space to think about why we make the ones we do – we begin to find opportunities hidden in our patterns that will permit us to break through. The key is taking a step off the ledge, acknowledging that we wish to make a change, and choosing to actively do so.

Keeping that goal in the forefront provides constant motivation and a rubric against which we can assess our choices: is this in line with where I want to go and who I want to be? Will this choice guide me closer to that goal? Know that you can make any change you want to, and that your reasons for doing so are valid, strong, and impactful.

If you’re looking for a clear place to start, these five ideas may help to stay motivated when it comes to making changes to your food patterns:

- identify your trigger foods: these are the things you can’t turn down and the ones that usually leave you feeling less than great. Start to make the connection between mind, body, and food.

- find substitutions you enjoy: the more good stuff there is in your diet – and your life in general – the less room there is for the more undesirable stuff. ‘Crowd out’ foods that don’t fuel your body with a variety of ones that do (and ones you enjoy).

- keep your big picture goal in mind: post it somewhere you will see it often (perhaps the wallpaper on your smartphone)

- don’t deprive yourself: when you choose to partake in a treat, allow yourself to enjoy it fully.

Guilt only exacerbates feelings of deprivation – and that’s not what we’re after! Flexibility and balance will serve you far more effectively.

- surround yourself with people and situations that support you: again, ‘crowd out’ negativity with as much positive energy as you can find. How do these interactions nourish you in ways food cannot?

- be open to new things: embrace adventure and exploration with your food.

- remember that there is not one diet that works for everyone: be open to tapping into your body’s intuition. It will tell you what it needs.

Every action begins with two decisions: the decision to act, and the decision to act in a specific way. Set that big-picture intention, keep it in mind, and let it guide the decisions you make. Then let things unfold as they will and revel in how great you feel for doing it.

Guest post provided by Amy Height.

Amy is a Holistic Health Coach and founder of From the Ground Up Wellness. She works with individuals and families looking to reestablish their relationship with food and build a strong foundation of lasting, healthy habits. She specializes in plant-based nutrition, weight loss, nutrition for children and young families, and managing food intolerances.

A graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Amy combines a breadth of nutritional training – and the concept of ‘food as fuel’ - with her own weight loss and fitness journey to provide motivation and resources to empower personal transformation.

She is certified by the American Association for Drugless Practitioners.

Try out a ten-day plant-based eating plan. www.fromthegroundupwellness.com

Make eating apples part of your routine

Whole apples are convenient snack. The fruit is low in calories. A medium-size apple has only 80 calories. Apples keep you hydrated: 84 percent of an apple’s content is water. This means apples not only satisfy your hunger but can satisfy your thirst as well.

Apples have long been associated with a healthful diet. Fresh apples are high in fiber and immune-boosting Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for the growth and repair of all body tissues. Vitamin C also helps to heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

When I eat apples, I keep the skin on. Eating whole apples with the skin is the most nutritious way to enjoy the fruit. A significant amount of the nutrients and beneficial compounds in apples are located just under the peel.

Apples are loaded with the powerful antioxidant, but is found predominantly in the skin. It has anti-inflammatory and heart-protecting qualities, and may reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells. Google “quercetin” to find out more. In addition, most of the fiber in apples comes from the skin and the pulp. When you remove the skin, you remove about half the fiber.

Apples are good for you. Numerous studies confirmed that apples have disease-fighting nutrients. Make eating apples part of your routine.  Be cool and bring apples to the office. After a few days you are likely to notice that you’re not the only one.