Thursday, July 12, 2012

Lose 10 LB's Like It's Your Job

Welcome. Please step in to my office.
Not that I have an office, but I want you know know that I take this seriously!
Do you want proof that I know what I'm talking about?

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Ok, so maybe I didn't lose 100 lbs. like the biggest loser, but I lost enough to gain a LOT of confidence and to feel better from the inside out. I know we all like the before and afters, so here are a few more:

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Would you believe me if I told you that I made these changes solely through changing my eating habits? No diet. No time at the gym. No lie. As I said yesterday, developing Hypoglycemia was one of the best things that happened to me. I was forced to change ALL of my normal habits and:

Limit foods high in sugar
Eat smaller portions, spread out over the day
Be careful about when and how many carbohydrates to eat
Eat a variety of whole-grain foods, fruits and vegetables every day
Eat less fat
Limit use of alcohol
Use less salt

Now, I'm sure you have heard these suggestions before (as had I), but when you become physically ill and they are your ONLY option...you don't argue. I dove right in and never looked back. Yep. That's a Lifestyle Change, people.


Before I get to the good stuff, I must warn you that there is NO SUCH THING as a cure-all-easy-peasy-no-work-cheating -"diet", and I'm referring to the four-letter-word-version.
Honestly, that word should just be stricken from the record, because people cannot get the negative connotation out of their heads.  What people need to understand is that your DIET is one thing, while DIETING is a whole 'nother thing.  You need to make sustainable and enjoyable changes to your DIET, not try to crash DIET, which may or may not give you superficial changes that will NOT last and probably do more harm than good in the long run. 
Think Noun, not Verb!


Wouldn't you rather think of your "daily intake of food" in a positive way, rather than "abstaining from food"?  I know I'd rather think about the food I'm going to eat that will help me to lose weight vs. not eating, which will make you gain MORE weight in the end!  I don't care if you give your "diet" a nickname if that helps you, but figure out something that will allow you to forget that four-letter-word.

A few fun options:
Aliment, comestibles, daily bread, victuals, viands, menu, grubbery, nourishment, sustenance,
or if you're Southern-we call 'em vittles ;)

I want to try to make this seem as easy and painless as possible, so I've broken it down into separate steps that you can take.  You can start off with one and work your way up, or maybe you already do a few of these and can add in a few more.  More importantly, I don't suggest doing everything at once because you will crash. I accidentally cut all grains and meat out of my diet at one point and boy did I suffer. I LOVE vegetables and fruit, but it is impossible to survive simply off them.  Well, you might survive, but you won't have any energy and will probably regress. Baby steps, people.

1)  Kick the Beverage habits.  Sodas are absolutely NOT worth the LB's.  Simply cutting sodas and sugary beverages from your diet will show you almost immediate results.  Who doesn't want immediate results?! But don't forget that, that includes flavored teas, energy drinks, sport drinks, Starbucks and even fruit juices!  Those all contain sugars, carbs, sodium and calories- all of which STILL count!  Let's say you had a morning juice: 140 calories, Starbucks on the way to work: 400 cal., a soda with lunch: 200 cal., an afternoon Red Bull (cause you needed wings): 110 cal., and a glass of wine with dinner: 130 cal.  That adds up to 980 CALORIES JUST IN DRINKS!  REALLY PEOPLE?  All I gotta say is tsk tsk tsk.  Make water your friend.

Instead:
WATER
Coffee (don't use real sugar)
Fresh Tea hot or cold (don't use real sugar)
Zico Coconut water (no more than one per day)
*Limit caffeine intake


2) Honestly, you need to stay away from sugar altogether. Point in case: Last month I got back in the habit of having 2-3 small pieces of candy each day. Guess what happened? I put on a few pounds. I couldn't for the life of me figure it out, because I wasn't overindulging or doing much different, but I decided to put down the candy and see what happened. Let me tell you, I lost TWO POUNDS in TWO DAYS. If that doesn't show you how badly sugar (including the beverages) affects you, then I don't know what will.

Instead:
Jazz up oatmeal with dark chocolate or dried fruit
Fruit dipped in PB
Fruit salad
Dried fruit
Fresh baked Banana or zucchini bread

3) Sodium is another big thing to avoid. It causes you to bloat, crave bad foods, and gain weight.  Does that sound fun? Not to me! I avoid it so much that my doctor told me that I might be the only person in  America that is "Low in Sodium".  I took that as the biggest compliment EVER. That means that I am eating pretty "clean".  To avoid it, I never salt after something is cooked, I try to eat less processed foods, I don't eat out very often, NO fast food, and I read labels. Did you know that Bloody Mary Mix could kill you with all the sodium it has?
Just by choosing ZingZang, you can save a 1,000 mg of sodium!

4) Portion size might be the biggest culprit these days. Due to supersizing everything, and everyone wanting more for their buck, we've all lost sight of what we really need to eat. Think back to the last time you were sick and lost your appetite...What happened when you could eat again? If I'm correct, it probably didn't take much to fill you up. That's because your stomach shrunk back to "normal". That's how my stomach is ALL the time now. 
Eat small portions all day and yours can be too!

5) Make the switch to whole wheat/whole grains.  White flour and white rice are straight up empty calories.  If you switch to whole wheat and whole grain, then you will be consuming nutrients and they also make you feel more full and satisfied.  Same goes with Quinoa.
No arguments with this one. Just do it.

6) Eat out less.  I know you like that the take-out place down the street knows your order, and the McDonald's on the way to work is uber convenient, but is that worth all the pounds you add each year?  If you want to know the EASIEST way to shed the LB's, then just say no.


7)  If you must eat out, and I'm talking dinner with friends, a date, dinner meeting, etc.(not just because you forgot to pack a lunch) then drink only water, say no to sauces and anything fried, choose light dressings, stick to seafood/light meat, and always opt for a to-go box vs. eating the whole thing.  Most meals at a restaurant average 1,000 calories, so you BETTER NOT eat it all. Plus, then you get to have leftovers. I LOVE leftovers.

8) Did I mention no fried foods? Yes, I know this is hard (hello, I'm from the South), BUT I can personally control my weight by laying off fried foods for a month at a time. I can eat all the pizza I want, but when I eat fried foods I can see the change with a quickness. These results have actually made me decide to stay away from them altogether.


So what does a typical day look like to me?
7:00AM Coffee (2 cups, Truvia-no sugar)
9:30AM A well-balanced LARGE breakfast. To control my blood sugar levels, I eat a starch, lots of protein, and dairy for breakfast.
1:00PM A salad, apples & peanut butter, or a bowl of Parmesan veggies.
4:00PM Handful of Chocolate Almonds or some other grab-n-go snack.
6:30PM Tofu and veggies, Sweet Potato chips dipped in sugar free Ketchup, or spaghetti squash with a meat sauce. Just depends on how hungry I am.
10:00PM Small bowl of cereal, oatmeal or trail mix.
Drink lots of water ALL day.

I have to eat approximately every three hours, and this allows me to feel full and satisfied all day. I make sure to find snacks and foods that I REALLY like, which makes it easier to stay away from what you may call the "bad" stuff. Personally, I try not to label anything as "bad", since giving food a 'bad label gives it power over you. I also find that if I tell myself no to anything I will just want it even more, so I just eat a really small portion of whatever it might be and call it a day. Like I've said before, I don't allow myself to feel guilty.

Even if Will is home, he eats healthy with me, and I just use real meat for him.  I'm not a complete vegetarian, but sometimes I get grossed out by certain meats. It makes me very happy that he wants to eat healthy too, because you need positive reinforcement. I mean, it's not hard for me, because I FEEL so much better, but when he does go through phases where he wants to eat out (like right before the deployment) then I fall off the bandwagon. It's fun for a bit, and then I feel icky, which reaffirms my desire to eat healthy.

I know there are a MILLION diet books out there, but I have three go-to books/series. I don't recommend cutting down to 1,200 calories like some of them say (NEVER do that), but they have good recipes, TONS of healthy substitutes, and the last one changed my ENTIRE mindset on eating. As in seriously changed my life. For further help, check these out:


I PROMISE (cross my heart), that if you try these things- you will not only feel better, but you will shed at least a couple of pounds.  Just remember, these are LIFE CHANGES, not quick fixes.  I could tell you more, but I think baby steps are better.  Start off with these, master them and then when you are inspired and ready for more, I'll be here..As for now- I have rambled enough! Thanks again, for getting us past 100 Facebook followers! 

On a different note, I would like to solicit one favor...My friend Lauren is getting scanned today, and we are hoping that she is negative for cancer cells. She has already beaten cancer twice, so it's not fair to ask her to do it again. Positive thoughts and prayers please!



33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ummm....this was probably exactly what I needed to hear/read right now. By no means am I overweight. We are about the same height, and I weigh anywhere between 130-135 depending on the day, and I am UNCOMFORTABLE in my own body! I will be referring back to this post a lot over the next few weeks as I try to implement some changes. This last 15 lbs of baby weight is killing me! :)

Unknown said...

What a wonderful post with so many great tips! I'm so glad you said what you did about making a LIFESTYLE change rather than going on/off a diet as people do. When I was diagnosed with an illness I was forced to forever change my lifestyle also and it was COMPLETELY for the better! Yay for us being able to see bright sides to things :)

Jenn said...

This is such a great post! I do a lot of these (and try to do all of them). My boyfriend is a sodium nazi...and due to his increased awareness, it's helped me to be aware too. It's amazing how many things have sodium...and just how MUCH sodium is in it.

I went to buy a small can of sweet corn for a recipe the other day and it had 11% of my daily value of sodium. In SWEET corn. It's ridiculous!
Thanks for sharing your tips!

P!nky said...

SUCH a great great great post!

Thank you for putting everything in such a POSITIVE manner. I hate the 'four letter word' and love the whole lifestyle change.

I am proud of you making the 'change' into a positive thing instead of 'i can't have that'!

You are inspiring in SO MANY ways my love! heart you!

xoxo

Samantha said...

this was an am amazing post. thanks for sharing! it really puts things in perspective :)

Anonymous said...

I absolutely agree with everything in this post. I weighed a whopping 175 two years ago. In January of 2010 I quit drinking pop and watched what I ate. Not as much as I should of, but timing was perfect. The shift I worked helped me get into and stay in a routine. I lost about 30 pounds that summer. I also walked about 3 miles three days a week. I was the happiest then because I felt good about myself, my energy was up, and the compliments didn't hurt either! On my birthday last year, I had maintained the 134lb weight for a year and I couldn't believe it! It was an amazing feeling. A lot of what is in your post, I can testify to. Some of it I need to start doing. I'm hoping once I move out on my own, I can do so more. Maybe I'll create a post with my goals, and see if I can follow them! Thank you so much for this post! :) By the way, you were beautiful before too! I'd love to be 127! Maybe one day, but for now, I'm happy at my 140! :) Such a wonderful post!

Lindsey @ The Hill House said...

You look great!! Before and after honestly, but I understand wanting to make changes for the better. Way to go! And hopefully I can apply some of your tips and lessons to my own life...But it sure will suck trying to kick my morning Coke (as in Cola) habit! :)

Michelle said...

Love the before and after pictures. This is all good to know! I'm not much of a dieter so this is much better.

Simplyheather said...

So a few months ago I stopped turning to scary weight loss habits after getting sick and ended up gaining weight back and it's been bugging me! For the last week now I started eating healthier. Basically doing some of the things you've listed. I really hope it works out for me too. Your blog really inspires me. Not just because of this post, but in many different ways. I was reading through blogs the other day including yours and couldn't help but notice we seem a lot alike. (: hope you have an amazing day!!

Alana Christine said...

I'm going to try really hard to start implementing some of these things into my life! I already eat wheat bread and eat several small meals. I just need to work on what those meals consist of. I also need to cut out pop again. I went without pop for 2 years, then one day decided to drink it again. haha
BTW, you are hott! In a non-lesbo kinda way ; ) hahaha

Bogert, Mr The said...

Some of my personal favorites include:

BBQ Tofu Squares
Homemade Pizza with Chicken Sausage
Mashed Cauliflower
Shrimp Avocado Lime dip

And many many more. Tell the husbands who refuse to eat tofu that real men will eat anything. Especially if its healthy and supports their wives desire to be healthier.

Charlie's Mommy (Beth) said...

Thank you so much for sharing this and I had a few questions based on your experience:

Do you eat dairy?

If you drink alcohol, what is best for someone with this condition?

What meats do you eat?

I realize you may not have the time to answer these but look forward to hearing more of your experience.

Nicole said...

This was a great review! I've recently fallen off the bandwagon, but am in the process of jumping back on. I found that using myfitnesspal to count my calories was a HUGE eye opener to show my how much I was actually eating.

Thanks for the great motivation!

Jamie said...

No sugar or wine? I'll keep my extra 10 pounds ;)

Meghan @ More from Meg said...

Love this post - I am totally bookmarking it so I can reference it later!! You give such good advice on weight loss girlie!!

Alice said...

Prayers and positive thoughts going out to your friend.

CeCe said...

It's funny that there are a lot of people who would love to have your before bod but you knew it wasn't the best you that you could be so you improved on what was already pretty darn good. More importantly your health is better. I seriously need to work on my candy/sugar addiction. Oh, and I have a weird addiction to pretzels (sodium!!). Also, I tend to eat too much bread from the bread basket at dinners but other then that I think I do pretty well. I've stepped up the water drinking big time too! I love eat this not that!

Zara said...

This really helps and reaffirms my decisions. I've never been overweight by any means, but I'm pretty sure that I have hyperglycemia as well, and I attribute it to my awful eating habits. When I lived on my own, I was able to always cook dinner, there was never any soda in my house and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. When D and I got married, he started buying all the junk :-( Soda is never absent from our fridge, pantry shelves are stocked with candy and quick on the go meals are a staple.

I've already decided to cut out soda and have always drank lots of water. BUT lately I've actually been craving water which is one of the first signs of diabetes AND I have family history of it. So now I'm scared and really should be going back to eating things that are good for my body and healthy rather then what is easy and accessible.

Thank you for posting this! You rock!

Scribble-N-Dash said...

love love loooove this! I am going to check out those books for sure... Cutting out soda was the hardest at first but honestly, now that I don't drink it, I don't even miss it!

<3 Melissa
http://scribble-n-dash.blogspot.com/

Dear Boys Love Mom said...

All of your suggestions are how I lost my baby weight after Aiden. We eat lots of fruits and veggies in our house. In fact, I brought an heirloom salad for lunch! :) fantastic tips, love!

Hilary said...

Great post! Sugar is my downfall. I have the biggest sweet tooth and cravings :( I'm going to try so hard to cut down...because your pics motivate me!!

Rach said...

GIRL! I have to tell you that you looked amazing even before the weight loss. I think most women would love to look like your "before" pictures! I do love that you have embraced such a healthy way of eating! We eat very similarly! I can't have sugar because of a heart condition which has actually been a huge blessing for me in a weird way. Keeps me healthy. :)

Anonymous said...

So thanks for making me feel like a fatty ;) Haha! I have a beer gut, but I think it is more of a I-can't-stop-eating-doughnuts-and-chocolate gut. Ugh. I really need to start eating healthier. I will definitely be referring back to this post often!
Thanks for sharing doll!

Aunie said...

What a great post!

PS>> I'm lucky if I weigh 137 on a light day... 109? Giiiiirl you're amazing.

I weighed myself this morning. At the gym. 137. And that's like... awesome :)

Anyway, that sodomy text totally cracked me up. Love!

Kelly { MessyDirtyHair } said...

another reason why were so alike, your diet is like my diet. i too cut out soda & alcohol a few years back & felt the change instantly!im big on eating a lot of small meals a day. i guess my eating is more picking. i def do not go to the gym at all. i dont even have a membership. however i gotta say even in your before pic you look amazing & what beer gut? hahah! so i didn't know bloody mary mix had so much sodium. my mom drinks them daily with the Mr.T bloody mary mix, should I be telling her to stop? because she is having trouble losing weight. anddd i LOVE leftovers too! i sometimes feel the food is better the 2nd day! so one thing that i do when "dieting" is I dont eat if im not hungry, it also helps. great post as usual! and beautiful photos! i want your photography to take my pictures! haha! loveeeyouuuuu!!! xoxo Kelly

Kelly { MessyDirtyHair } said...

wait i just realized something...is that your hubby above commenting?!?!?

Pamela said...

wow! This hit home! I know I am not fat, but I def feel like! I am so miserable & uncomfortable in my own body. I hate it. Of course, I gained weight while dating B. "Happy weight" as people call it. I call it BS, ha! Uuuggghh. My problem is portion control!! I eat too much of my plates! I hardly eat sweets, but loove my sweet tea (prob a little too much) :/ Love how your hubby chimed in & commented!! Thanks for this!

J and A said...

I love everything about this post. You are tough. I need to try a few of these for sure. I need to be mirevstrictvwith myself. Thank you for this. :) you are hot stuff. Will is one lucky man. I am printing this post NOW!!! Xo

lesley: the dream tree said...

wow, you really don't eat a whole lot throughout the day! no wonder you're thin (: that's awesome that you lost all that weight from just your diet alone.
oh, and please....your beer gut pic is smaller than mine now.
my sugar gets low everyday too so i always try and carry granola bars with me and eat every few hours. i wish i was one who could go hours without eating.
thanks for the post!

Nikki said...

I LOVE this! There are so many people who just do not realize how many calories are in the things they drink! EMPTY calories! I am all for eating a lot of what is good for you and not drinking all your calories! Coming from someone who has lost a lot of weight I feel like all I want to do is share what I have learned and all this is right on track with what I have learned as well! You look awesome! Keep it up momma!

Megan said...

You are totally dedicated!! I'm impressed! And your body shows it! Hottie!!! I just ate four slices of pizza and a cookie. FAIL. Haha.

Amanda said...

It's amazing how some small simple changes can make you so much healthier! Even swapping in fruits and veggies can make a giant difference...or eating spaghetti squash instead of actual spaghetti (that's what I did for lunch today)!

Daniel Anthony said...

You can lose 10lbs like it is your job. Know all about it
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