Today I have officially lost 25 lbs which is quite fitting (literally - ha) because I embarked on this journey nearly one year ago on March 7. I'm a 47-year-old pre-menopausal woman. It took me an entire year to lose 25 lbs. There are no quick fixes. Do I feel like I've lost the weight for good? Have my habits changed enough to stay healthy? I've recapped what worked for me and what I've learned along the way.
My journey has gone from intermittent fasting to no carb to low carb. As time went on, I got sick and tired of waiting until after 10 to have creamer in my coffee or heaven forbid drinking my coffee at 8 am without creamer. Also, telling myself certain foods were bad (carbs) got annoying. If I really wanted to change my relationship with food, I knew I couldn't put foods into "good" and "bad" categories. Now I eat what I want (but I do stick to relatively low carb) when I want and that works best for me.
I know that in order to lose weight I must be in a calorie deficit. I used an app and kept count of my calories. These days I still keep count but I'm not religious about it. I pretty much know how my day should look, eating wise.
I get 12,000 steps/day. No excuses. No one is going to show up to do the work for me. I strength train 10 minutes per day five days a week. I know I've built muscle. I did not see any definition or change with this until maybe 9 or even 10 months into this journey. Patience is a virtue when it comes to this. I know that losing weight is 80% nutrition and 20 % exercise. I don't equate exercise with weight loss. My philosophy is move, move and then move some more. I'm convinced my stand-up desk at work has added years to my life. If you work at a desk, get a stand-up desk. It's a game changer. I probably get 50% of my steps from standing up at work and simply moving. Working out is not rocket science. I used to think that if I didn't sweat then I wasn't really working out. That is bullshit.
I've figured out different, fun ways to get my protein. Hunger was also a huge issue for me in years past. I'm sure I wasn't eating enough calories and I certainly wasn't educated enough on the value of protein. Protein has helped me build muscle and keep me fuller longer. The app Tik Tok - although I'm convinced it's the devil's playground - has helped me tremendously in educating myself in all things protein and coming up with fun ways to get it.
When I travel or go out to eat, I do not restrict myself. I know now that it's what I do 90% of the time. The 10% of travel time or going out to eat is not going to make or break me.
One thing I'm still working on is my cocktails. I lost this weight without giving up alcohol. I simply added those calories into my daily intake. In October I gave up alcohol and honestly, I didn't notice that much of a change. I'm not tooting the alcohol horn. I know it's something at the very least I should limit. But it goes back to what works for me. I enjoy my nightly cocktail and long term I knew I wasn't willing to give it up.
Sleep! As I got farther along in this journey, I noticed my sleep improved. I also learned sleep is vitally important for weight loss. Even when I have my nightly cocktail, I stop all alcohol at 7pm and switch to water. It has not been an issue for me. I take magnesium before bed and sleep soundly.
Mentally and physically, I am better. I feel better. I look better. I think that if I really ask myself what has changed this time around it's that I never saw this as a diet. I saw it as a lifestyle change. The way I eat and the way I move is simply a part of my daily routine.
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