How I Lost Weight: EATING
I never thought I'd be writing any kind of "How To" post about fitness because I'm definitely not one of those people that workout everyday or schedule my life around any kind of diet. I'm not the girl people are asking for fitness advice or how to get those killer abs (maybe someday!)So, who am I? I am the kind of woman that eats healthy like 70% of the time and works out two or three times a week and almost never brings workout gear on vacation (I'm trying to change that.)So, why am I here talking about my weight loss? Coming off a very rough year filled with depression, postpartum weight, and the first time use of antidepressant medication, left me feeling like I was living in someone else's body, and I hated it. It seemed like there were always 100 things wrong and I felt like I was never going to feel like myself again mentally or physically. (If you're new to our blog, read background story here.) I was on Lexapro for about 6 months and I felt like a complete slug. If you've never taken antidepressants it may be hard to understand but it literally took away all my energy and my desire to get out and do things. I felt like a zombie most of the time, but for me that was better than the overwhelming sadness and heartache I had been feeling. Ultimately, I got off the medication because I realized how much I was hating how it made me feel and was ready to change it. This was step 1 in the quest to get me back to me.I don't have a cliff hanger, nail biting, big reveal...because it just wasn't that extreme to begin with. Overall, I managed to lose 12 lbs. in about 6 months and the people close to me in my life took notice. I was shocked because I hadn't thought of anyone else's reactions. I was doing this for me, not for them...but still, they noticed, and it felt GREAT! For most people 12 lbs. may not be a lot of weight but I got back to my pre-baby weight and am down even a few more lbs. from that. I wanted to share my tips with you because that's what friends do, right? There will be three parts to this series: Eating (this one,) Hard Work, and Cheating. Stay tuned for the other two coming out soon because for me, there really isn't just one simple answer. ;)
EAT LESS
Yes, that sounds completely psycho and harsh, let me explain. You need food to survive, I know this. But seriously you don't actually need to finish your whole meal. You don't need to eat an 8 oz steak, and potatoes, and vegetables, and bread rolls, and salad....see what I mean. Most of the time there is sooo much food on a plate or what is considered a serving. Your body does not need that much to survive. I was eating all of that! I would typically finish my meal because that's what I've been told since I was a child. I really took a step back and looked at how much food I was eating and how many calories I was consuming each day, it was way too much! I was in the routine of eating without paying attention and that needed to change. I decided that I was going to eat less. I made a pact with myself to not eat to the point where I was completely full, rather just satisfied. I began eating small, healthy snacks throughout the day just to keep from feeling hungry. When I would feel hungry I would eat something small, drink a ton of water, and wait. If I was still hungry in 20-30 minutes I would eat something else small. At no point was I sitting down to indulge in an entire plate of food. (Dinner time is a meal with my husband but I just put less on my plate.) This task was harder in the beginning but as time went on this was easier and I didn't feel as hungry because I feel like I had succeeded in shrinking my stomach back to it's designated size. (My medical prognosis must all be accurate as I have a degree in Business Management, lol!)
MY FITNESS PAL
How on earth do I track everything? Never fear, there's an App for that! There is a phone app called My Fitness Pal by Under Armour that will help you track all of your calories, add in exercise, and subtract it from your daily caloric goal. It will help you set these goals by inputting your current weight, weight loss goals, and other information. For me, it seemed like a lot of work in the beginning to keep track of everything but it was the only thing that was giving me honest feedback. I really didn't know that certain foods would take up the amount of calories for a whole meal. It was so nice to see how many calories I had left throughout the day to keep me on track. I also really love how you add in your exercise because you can see that you are allowed more calories to eat that day and you feel great from working out! WIN WIN! I promise you if you are strict about using this app for two weeks you will start to become more aware of what you are consuming in a day. You will most likely come to the realization, like me, that it's too much food.
ALCOHOL
This is the hard part. As we all know, alcohol contains so many extra calories. (My Fitness Pal will constantly remind you of this sad news.) A few drinks can actually take the caloric allotment for a meal. I wasn't having any wine weekday evenings, even though I really wanted to, I was determined to stick to the plan. The decision is always yours, it's just hard to get the number on the scale down if you're enjoying your drinks.
A HARD NO!
There things out there that seem obvious but I guess not. Here are some things that I just don't do. If you can eliminate these things from your life I know you will see major changes without lifting a finger at the gym.
- Fast food. I don't eat it! (ok maybe like twice a year, upon which I immediately regret it!) Once you begin to eat healthy, quality food, crap like this will wreck havoc on your stomach because who even knows if it's real food. EW! I usually am forced into this on road trip situations or if my flight lands super late at night and I'm starving. I stick to this rule because seriously nothing good comes from something that can be made in 30 seconds.
- Soda. I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry, it's gross! Regular, Diet, it doesn't matter. If you need something fizzy drink flavored seltzer water. Regular soda contains more sugar than you probably should have in an entire day and the diet ones are packed with odd chemicals.
- Coffee-ish drinks. There is coffee and then there are other coffee things that claim to be coffee but are actually a milkshake. WTF!? Would you have a milkshake for breakfast? No, the answer is no. But if it's disguised under another name you will. Your daily coffee shouldn't be doused in 400 calories of whip cream, nor should it have some sort of fudge poured on top.
- Sabotage. I used to work in an office where a colleague would put out jars of candy every week. I would always pass it up and she would try to talk me into eating it. I didn't fall victim to it but I would have loved to. PS. When someone gifts me candy/cookies/etc I give it away 90% of the time. I don't want it in my house, because I will eat it.
FAVORITE SNACKS
I keep healthy snacks on hand at all times, even in my car, so that I won't binge on crap if I get hungry. My friend Kim loves riding with me because she loves my little assortment of snacks in the back seat. Here are a few easy things to keep on hand to keep you feeling satisfied.
- Sliced Turkey: not like the wet slimy one, but get a good fresh cut one from the deli section. Roll it up by itself or with a piece of cheese. Eat 3 or 4 of those and huge glass of water.
- Cheese: as a solo snack or with some whole wheat crackers
- Nuts: Cashews, pistachios, almonds...very satisfying
- Carrots and hummus: eating the whole tub of hummus does not count as healthy lol
- Protein shakes: mix with almond milk and fruit for a filling treat or lunch substitute
- Fruit and Veggies: because, duh.
- Spoonful of nut butter: if you really feel like you might crash and burn a spoon of almond butter will help you feel like you can make it thru!
Like all things in life, moderation is key. I wish I had the strength to just eat veggies all day, every day but that's just not realistic. I love wine and chocolate too much. I stick to this plan majority of the time because if it was 100% of the time I would probably snap and life would be difficult for people around me. I am still working on myself everyday and there are still improvements to be made, c'est la vie.P.S. You can do it ♥
Love Always,Katy
xo