Current Pictures--progress!
Well, for years I had been trying to lose weight. My one major weakness is Mountain Dew. I hear from a lot of people that that soda is almost as bad as cigarettes to quit. Every time I quit drinking it my husband would buy a bunch and leave it out for me to see every day. Then there was the stress of living the way we did and me working screwey shifts to support the entire family since he didn't work.
Well, at the start of this year I reached 250 pounds. Now I'm holding at 208. I still have 70-80 more to go. I still have issues with my blood sugar--it goes up and down. As a nurse I've seen too many with diabetes and how bad that illness can get. In the long run wounds do not heal. Gangrene can set in the feet requiring amputation. Blindness can set it, etc. It's ugly and a good enough incentive to get weight off.
So I've decided to document my progress here. I get asked a lot what I am doing. There has been noticable differences. Just yesterday I had to purchase smaller bras! I went from a size 26W pant to 20W just this week.
So, here are some tips. It's going to take anyone in this situation a long time. You have to change habits--which are hard to do.
1. Quit your worst habit. Mine was Mountain Dew which has 120 calories per can. Not to mention there are tons of chemicals. My change was to completely get off of ALL SODA. I don't drink diet or anything. Sorry, but those chemicals are horrible on your system. Dont think I'm making step one easy. It isn't. The first month or so it's going to drive you INSANE!!! You are going to crave it as the crap gets out of your system. Fight it. My trick was to drink lots of green tea with lemon and honey. Or ice water that lemon slices has been soaked in.
2. Excercise. Yes, this has been said before. But seriously do make yourself a schedule. Stick to it. Don't be frustrated if you can't last 10 minutes at first. I started on the eliptical machine (LOVE IT) and couldn't do 10 minutes. Now I'm at an hour. However, excercise is moving around period! Walk away from your desk. Park farther from any entrances. Keep music on that makes you want to move--stuff you can't stop tapping your feet to. And vary your workout!!!!! I have videos from Belly Dancing to Tae Bo. First off--anyone can belly dance. It's wonderful excercise that uses a lot of controlled movements like Yoga. There is also a great video called "Yoga for Weight Loss" that has adapted routines for various weights and body types. That is empowering. I try to work out at least 5x a week. Now my workouts are an hour each. According to the MMA (Minnesota Medical Association) 20 minute workouts 3x a week are a fallacy. Your secret is to burn more calories a day than you take in so you can drop the weight. This leads to the second thing....
3. YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR CALORIES!!! I still have ice cream at times, or something sweet. I love those tiny candy bars for if I want something sweet. One every other day does it for me. Find out what does it for you. Don't quit the things you love, but slowly change your eating habits. I could go to a buffet and eat 3 plates of food at the start of this year. As of today one plate gets me so full I could almost puke. I cut down the volume of food with the calories. Read every label--check not only calorie content but NUTRITION as well. What vitamin content, fibre, sugars, etc are you getting? I stay away from things heavily processed because they just do not have the nutrition content. Plus the processing introduces a lot of chemicals into your body. Make this your first step. Also check with your doctor to see how many calories a day you should have to lose weight. This doesn't mean you have to measure food portions. I don't. But in my colorie watching I avoid: sodas, white breads, and most pastas. Mind you that was easy for me because I'm not a big pasta eater to start. You HAVE TO HAVE CARBS!!! Carbohydrates include your fruit and vegetables. These provide vitamins and fibre. You need these to get your health back.
4. Take vitamins. I like Centrum High Performance. That is a once a day multiple vitamin. I also take extra iron and calcium. Diet pills DO NOTHING. Don't bother. And don't take calcium until before you go to sleep--for it makes you tired. Calcium does help with weight loss too. Just don't bother with Tums. That is calcium without vitamin D and you need vitamin D for calcium to be absorbed. Caltrate is a good one to take. TUMS is worthless in that respect despite the advertising to the contrary.
5. Keep yourself hydrated. I drink water, milk, or tea. If you are thirsty drink. Especially when you start excercising.
6. Torture yourself a little. GO WINDOW SHOPPING. Go to stores you like and look at clothes YOU WANT TO WEAR!!!! Touch the fabrics and try to picture yourself in these when you are thinner. It provides you incentive. Trust me. These become your long term goals. Tell yourself you WILL be wearing these someday. You will too.
7. Don't be negative on yourself. If your scale shows you've gained one day, don't beat yourself up over it. The body fluctuates. You are going to build muscle which weighs more. Losing 10 pounds in a week shocks the body and is not healthy. 1 to 2 pounds a week is good because weight has to come off slowly in order to stay off for good.
8. This isn't a diet. Don't think of it as a diet. Think of it as gaining control of your life and your health. YOU ARE BECOMING HEALTHY!!!
10. Do this for your health.
11. Dont' let others sabatoge you. This can be a form of abuse--such as them knowing you are trying to quit something (like soda) then leaving a lot of it laying around. This may mean you might have to lose those people in the long run. Let others know what you are trying to do. If they make every effort to sabatoge your efforts--they are not exactly a friend or someone that loves you.
12. Do tell yourself you are too heavy. Don't use the word fat--just too heavy. Keep it in perspective. Tell yourself that, then say...."BUT I'M CHANGING!"
13. I weigh myself daily. Weekly is fine though. Mark it down in a journal. Keep track of your progress and expect ups and downs. Have photos of yourself as well.
14. Don't stay away from favorite foods. Just control how much of them you have.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. Here are my Oct 31st 2005 pictures. I had 15 pounds of belly dancing gear on. I plan on more pictures in the spring.
Well, at the start of this year I reached 250 pounds. Now I'm holding at 208. I still have 70-80 more to go. I still have issues with my blood sugar--it goes up and down. As a nurse I've seen too many with diabetes and how bad that illness can get. In the long run wounds do not heal. Gangrene can set in the feet requiring amputation. Blindness can set it, etc. It's ugly and a good enough incentive to get weight off.
So I've decided to document my progress here. I get asked a lot what I am doing. There has been noticable differences. Just yesterday I had to purchase smaller bras! I went from a size 26W pant to 20W just this week.
So, here are some tips. It's going to take anyone in this situation a long time. You have to change habits--which are hard to do.
1. Quit your worst habit. Mine was Mountain Dew which has 120 calories per can. Not to mention there are tons of chemicals. My change was to completely get off of ALL SODA. I don't drink diet or anything. Sorry, but those chemicals are horrible on your system. Dont think I'm making step one easy. It isn't. The first month or so it's going to drive you INSANE!!! You are going to crave it as the crap gets out of your system. Fight it. My trick was to drink lots of green tea with lemon and honey. Or ice water that lemon slices has been soaked in.
2. Excercise. Yes, this has been said before. But seriously do make yourself a schedule. Stick to it. Don't be frustrated if you can't last 10 minutes at first. I started on the eliptical machine (LOVE IT) and couldn't do 10 minutes. Now I'm at an hour. However, excercise is moving around period! Walk away from your desk. Park farther from any entrances. Keep music on that makes you want to move--stuff you can't stop tapping your feet to. And vary your workout!!!!! I have videos from Belly Dancing to Tae Bo. First off--anyone can belly dance. It's wonderful excercise that uses a lot of controlled movements like Yoga. There is also a great video called "Yoga for Weight Loss" that has adapted routines for various weights and body types. That is empowering. I try to work out at least 5x a week. Now my workouts are an hour each. According to the MMA (Minnesota Medical Association) 20 minute workouts 3x a week are a fallacy. Your secret is to burn more calories a day than you take in so you can drop the weight. This leads to the second thing....
3. YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR CALORIES!!! I still have ice cream at times, or something sweet. I love those tiny candy bars for if I want something sweet. One every other day does it for me. Find out what does it for you. Don't quit the things you love, but slowly change your eating habits. I could go to a buffet and eat 3 plates of food at the start of this year. As of today one plate gets me so full I could almost puke. I cut down the volume of food with the calories. Read every label--check not only calorie content but NUTRITION as well. What vitamin content, fibre, sugars, etc are you getting? I stay away from things heavily processed because they just do not have the nutrition content. Plus the processing introduces a lot of chemicals into your body. Make this your first step. Also check with your doctor to see how many calories a day you should have to lose weight. This doesn't mean you have to measure food portions. I don't. But in my colorie watching I avoid: sodas, white breads, and most pastas. Mind you that was easy for me because I'm not a big pasta eater to start. You HAVE TO HAVE CARBS!!! Carbohydrates include your fruit and vegetables. These provide vitamins and fibre. You need these to get your health back.
4. Take vitamins. I like Centrum High Performance. That is a once a day multiple vitamin. I also take extra iron and calcium. Diet pills DO NOTHING. Don't bother. And don't take calcium until before you go to sleep--for it makes you tired. Calcium does help with weight loss too. Just don't bother with Tums. That is calcium without vitamin D and you need vitamin D for calcium to be absorbed. Caltrate is a good one to take. TUMS is worthless in that respect despite the advertising to the contrary.
5. Keep yourself hydrated. I drink water, milk, or tea. If you are thirsty drink. Especially when you start excercising.
6. Torture yourself a little. GO WINDOW SHOPPING. Go to stores you like and look at clothes YOU WANT TO WEAR!!!! Touch the fabrics and try to picture yourself in these when you are thinner. It provides you incentive. Trust me. These become your long term goals. Tell yourself you WILL be wearing these someday. You will too.
7. Don't be negative on yourself. If your scale shows you've gained one day, don't beat yourself up over it. The body fluctuates. You are going to build muscle which weighs more. Losing 10 pounds in a week shocks the body and is not healthy. 1 to 2 pounds a week is good because weight has to come off slowly in order to stay off for good.
8. This isn't a diet. Don't think of it as a diet. Think of it as gaining control of your life and your health. YOU ARE BECOMING HEALTHY!!!
10. Do this for your health.
11. Dont' let others sabatoge you. This can be a form of abuse--such as them knowing you are trying to quit something (like soda) then leaving a lot of it laying around. This may mean you might have to lose those people in the long run. Let others know what you are trying to do. If they make every effort to sabatoge your efforts--they are not exactly a friend or someone that loves you.
12. Do tell yourself you are too heavy. Don't use the word fat--just too heavy. Keep it in perspective. Tell yourself that, then say...."BUT I'M CHANGING!"
13. I weigh myself daily. Weekly is fine though. Mark it down in a journal. Keep track of your progress and expect ups and downs. Have photos of yourself as well.
14. Don't stay away from favorite foods. Just control how much of them you have.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. Here are my Oct 31st 2005 pictures. I had 15 pounds of belly dancing gear on. I plan on more pictures in the spring.