I have many friends that are in a place in their lives that finds them heavier than they wish. As they watch me losing weight, many of them tell me, "You are my inspiration." They want to know what I am doing, how I am doing it- they want weight loss success. I don't know that I have words of wisdom for anyone, but I will say that the secret to my success is Jesus's grace and mercy on my life. Why did it take until I was 45 years old before I was ready to lose weight? I can't answer that, but I can tell you that I am thankful that I have been able to find success.
I have not hit my target, I still want to lose about 60 lbs. more- because I want a BMI that is "healthy." According to my BMI, I am still "obese," I don't ever want that word associated with me.
So how have I lost 100 pounds? First, my husband has been very supportive. He usually answers my cravings with the statement, "But honey, you have worked so hard to attain..." And that reminds me that I don't want to undo all that I have done. He also tolerates my "obsession" with the gym. He hasn't judged me because I can't do it all- I have to give up about 3-7 hours a week to working out and he doesn't give me a hard time when I say I'm going.
Next, it is all about calories. 3500 calories makes one pound. If I eat 3500 calories more than I burn, I gain, If I eat less, I lose. Your body doesn't lose track of the calorie deficit or surplus at the end of a day, it keeps track and over the course of a week or a month or a year, it adds or subtracts weight all based on the calorie counts. So I count my calories going in and burning off- I use an online food journal to keep track of what I eat. It helps me to count accurately what I am putting in my body. Before the internet, I used to use a small notebook and I wrote down what I was eating, but back then, it was much more difficult to find out nutrition information. The information age has made nutrition information much more accessible and I can easily find out the info I need. Keeping it all organized along with my loss information really has kept me on track. It also helps me know what my calorie goals should be. How many should I consume, how many do I burn? It helps me set my goals and it helps me attain them. My current goal is to consume 1600 calories a day and to burn 2550 a day. That translates to a loss of about 2 lbs a week.
When I hit about 90 lbs, I bought and started wearing the Body Bugg. It is a computer that I wear on my arm that keeps track of my steps, the calories I burn, and the amount of time that I devote to activity. It has really helped me to stay on track because I wear a watch that communicates with my Body Bugg and tells me where I am at- how many steps do I have, how many calories have I burned and have I hit my activity goals. This allows me to get up and move more on days when I am close to a goal.... more activity means burning more calories, that helps me to keep losing weight.
Finally, I allow myself little splurges throughout. I eat baked Lays (using my food scale to ensure that I have the proper amount for a serving). I eat the 100 calorie packs. I save calories for end of the day snacks. I don't count when I eat. I don't count sugar, fat, or carbs, though I try to be smart about my food choices and keep my food choices healthy.
I would never call myself an inspiration, but I am just trying to persevere through this season of my life. I have come too to understand that this isn't for a season, this is for a lifestyle. The gym, the counting calories, they will have to be habits that I carry for the rest of my life. Thankfully I will be able to more freely when I hit my goal, because I won't need to figure in a deficit, so maintaining a 2000 calorie day will allow me to maintain my weight without working out and if I work out, that will raise my calorie limit about 500 calories a day. And hey, that is an occasional treat!
