Just saw the original post, thanks for keeping the thread alive.
I have lost around 22lbs since May 1 and it has been hard but also getting increasingly easy. And I have so much more energy and fun everyday totally worth it.
I don't think this is a 'magic pill' but I always said the first thing I would do if winning the lottery (and Oprah certanitly has that kind of wealth and more) would be to hire a pro chef well versed in nutrition and weight. And a personal trainer. I can't believe Oprah can't have fantastic tasting yet healthy and weight reducing meals all the time.
But for the rest of us it is...changing habits. Not being perfect. More good days than bad...Trendline ....going down. Not straight down, but downward. That is where I am at, a lot of room for improvement still but way more good going on than bad. Yes no pro chef, no pro trainer...but Oprah could have those in spades. So desire makes up for a lot of that.
In the past, if someone had said to me that their "secret" was to eat less and exercise more, I would have been one of those who would be discouraged. Not because I didn't want to put in the effort, but because I had and it wasn't that simple for me! I actually eat more now than I used to.
What I try to tell people, if they're genuinely interested, is that I learned to eat smarter, not less. I learned what works for my body--eating often, lots of lean protein and veggies, moderate amounts of good fats and fruit, much less whole grains and starchy veggies than the government's food guide, and almost no simple carbs at all. That evened out my blood sugar enough to give me the energy to be able to exercise, and the more exercise I did, the more activities I could do and enjoy doing. And I emphasize that I'm never hungry and have loads more joy in life.
I'd tried losing weight by eating less and exercising like mad, and it just wasn't sustainable. What finally worked was deciding that whatever I did this time, it had to be something I could live with for the rest of my life. It's taking longer than I would wish, but since I'm out of the "overweight" BMI range (just barely), I'm not fixed on reaching a goal by a particular date. That doesn't work for me at all (my body seems to get stubborn if I try to force it). I am a smaller size than I'd ever thought possible. My size 6 jeans are starting to slip! I'd like to lose another 10 to be able to get my wedding ring on and indulge in a pizza occasionally, but I'd really not change much of anything, goal weight or not. I wouldn't say it has been hard. Hard was getting through the fat years, being exhausted all the time.
Found this scrolling through and I think it is spot on. I too was eating the wrong things...dramtically wrong. Just way toooo many refined carbs.
I am slow and steady losing weight now eating smarter and exercising. 22lbs lost since May 1, right about 1.5 lbs a week. If I can stay on that pace that would be 80lbs in a year. I would be very happy with that. Feel so great, starting to run, exercise everyday. Never thought 22 lbs would make such a difference, but it is probably also not having so many carbs and exercising more. I've also had to have added some lbs in muscle as I am much stronger now. I have gone from 8 pushups to 25.
I'd like to lose another 10 to be able to get my wedding ring on and indulge in a pizza occasionally, but I'd really not change much of anything, goal weight or not. I wouldn't say it has been hard. Hard was getting through the fat years, being exhausted all the time.
