Weightloss Blog Four: Still Going Strong!

If you really want something "that" bad, you know you will do it; moderation, portion control, and exercise... the three biggest tools to weightloss. For a little boost, there's always weightloss programs out there too!

Here's how it all goes. If I'm at the bar with my friends, I'll drink and accept the fact that I'm likely not going to lose weight that day and go have fun and will be better the next few days to get back on track again. I'm very cognizant of what I eat and make wise choices. Being conscious is a lot easier for me than recording what I eat all the time. It may work for some people, but for me, an overall sense of awareness all the time is what I need. For instance, if I'm at a gathering and someone pulls out the mint Oreo DQ blizzard pie, you BET I'm having some. Instead of taking a full sized piece, I just take a teeny little slice to satisfy the deliciousness while staying on track. However, I don't really drink soda, energy drinks, super fancy coffee drinks, and try to avoid fast food, as well as food with tons of fat and calories in them. Oink! I try to eat as organic and healthy as possible though. I mentioned that I eat whatever I want though. Yes, I do, but I just make healthier versions of all my favorite fattening and calorie-loaded foods so that I eat it guilt free ;) I also picked up cooking a lot more (and posting my recipes on my blog) so that I control what's in my food and I fully know what I'm eating, not some gross chemicals that are in processed foods. I can find a way to homemake a McDonald's burger and fries, while swapping the soda for water or a beverage with as few calories and as few ingredients (that aren't aspartame) as possible. Aspartame messes with your hormones and can have many adverse affects on you. If you "really" have that craving for a coke, that scoop of ice cream, that ice cream cone, cookie, etc. do it! Don't make a habit of it, but if it randomly comes up every so often (ex once every other week) where you eat unhealthy with your friends or decide to splurge, go for it! Don't deprive yourself because that would make you feel like you're missing out on something. It's also soooooo good too! :P

I cut my portions HARDCORE, meaning that I basically eat about half of what I used to and not stuff my plate. I also eat slowly, which helps me recognize when I'm full to prevent me from overeating. I eat whatever I want, just less of it. I also don't snack all the time or super late at night. I usually eat 3 meals a day and maybe like 1-2 snacks depending on how hungry I am. My meals generally aren't super large either. Based on my personal experiences and what my friends who have also lost weight also done for themselves, they generally either do that or just 5 small meals throughout the day. It's all personal preference. Long story short, don't eat too much because overeating causes your stomach to expand and crave food more!

My final method to the madness is that I exercise in my own way… that makes me feel a sense of relief and accomplishment, is fun, and gives me a nice burn.  No, you don't have to wake up at 6am and go to the gym every day. I don't have the desire to do that and doing that won't make me happy. I workout whenever I personally feel like it. Doing anything that seems like a chore can be heavily unmotivating and hinder your weightloss. I've said this before, but the gym isn't for everyone. There's a method of exercise for everyone that they will pick up and fall in love with. Exercise is also very destressing. It says it all over the internet, BUT IT'S TRUE BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES REDUCE STRESS! For me, I run around hitting nerds with sticks once a week and do martial arts twice a week. Both of these activities are just a part of my weekly schedule in the same way that going to work Monday-Friday is. I also occasionally go for walks, runs, and bikerides whenever I'm in the mood.

What triggered me to lose weight in the first place? Because my poor hormones were all messed up and I was diagnosed with PCOS (you can google it if you're curious), which basically means that your ovaries have cysts on them. It can possibly cause some serious problems down the road, especially diabetes, which after going on multiple research sprees of looking up what happened if I get diabetes, I knew I was tired of being overweight and had tried 3 other times (seriously) and I was like "screw this", it clicked all of a sudden, I picked up karate (and fell in love with it) after quitting for 5.5 years, and bam, bye bye weight!

What also helped me is that I constantly talked to a dietician, which makes me take accountability for what I eat. I also have been doing this cool little thing called "Shape Reclaimed", which a dear friend of mine has been helping me with this (because he is a PROFESSIONAL -- do NOT do this without guidance… well, you kind of can't anyways). This gnarly little secret has been a huge miracle worker for me. Honestly, I'm someone who with certain kinds of endeavors, needs guidance in order to accomplish my goals. One of the serious attempts was doing it on my own and nope… that was the shortest and the least successful attempts to lose weight. It has made me more conscious of what I eat, has totally reset my metabolism that was absolutely crappy before, and having someone to discuss your eating with on a consistent basis is very helpful for me. It's also nice to feel like I have a "wellness coach" who totally motivates you. I was called fat several times and it's quite empowering when someone tells you how much progress you've made and how well you're doing.

This awesome little tool of Shape Reclaimed is the final push I needed. I did NOT lose weight "just because of this". I made an overall lifestyle change and this is just an extra boost. If you are in the Chicago area, looking to lose weight, and haven't found any kind of program to help you, you should check out a place called Balance Natural Healthcare (in Mundelein, in the north burbs). These people legit saved my life!

In summary, do you want to lose weight? Moderation, portion control, and exercise are the tools you need. Of course you need to eat healthy and find the methods of weightloss that work best for you. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not an attribute. Treat it as a part of your life like you would your career. Having any kind of wellness coach, personal trainer, etc, is always helpful as well!

If you're looking for a weight loss program, I personally think that anything where the foods pre-made for you won't teach you habits of making food on your own once the program is over, and keeping track of everything in a food diary isn't for me either. I found Shape Reclaimed works for me and if you're interested, go check out where there's a practitioner near you. It may not work for you, but if you think a weightloss program is what you need to lose weight, go for it!

Good luck to everyone and their weightloss journeys and don't give up :)

Here's me though… 6 months since the start of this journey and negative 30 pounds later: