[deblosingit]

I have had success with my weight loss journey having lost 71 pounds since January 20th of this year. When I started, I made a 6 month commitment to myself that I would go to the gym 6 days/week. I was fortunate to be able to hire a trainer and worked out with her 2 days/week for 3 months. This time of "no excuses" helped me to develop the habit of exercising. I love the endorphins!

My weight loss really kicked into gear when I went on the Daniel Fast for lent. The Daniel Fast is basically a vegetarian diet (google it). This complete change in eating habits for 6 weeks enabled me to break a lot of bad habits and try new foods. It also let me step back and reevaluate my relationship with food.

When the Daniel Fast was over I slowly started adding foods back in to my diet. I started calorie counting and have been doing that now for months.

I'm glad that I found this community of supportive like-minded people. I still have a ways to go, but I am encouraged by the success stories I have read on these pages. I know I can do it and look forward to encouraging others and being encouraged along the way.

[NEMom]

Wow 71lbs is great!!! I am glad that you have found a new love for exercise and a diet that has worked for you.
As someone who considered walking to my car exercise, at 42 years old, I have discovered that I love lifting weights. Will never be a body builder but I like to strength I feel when I am using my weight machine.

[kateleestar]

Welcome deb!! 3FC is a great place and I'm sure you will love it here!!

[Nordicat]

Deb
You mentioned exercise and counting calories. I'm curious to know how many calories you allow yourself each day. I know I need to do a better job of counting mine but it seems like I don't get the amount everyone says a person needs....a minimum of 1200 per day. I gain on that many and that's not with many carbs included, either. I've got about 10 years on you so maybe the age is the problem and not enough exercise. (I have bad arthritis in my feet.)

[deblosingit]

Hi Nordicat,

I had almost finished my reply to you when my computer hiccuped and then it was gone. So I'm going to try and recreate it now.

I played around with my calorie limit. I found that 1200 was too low for me and I'm most comfortable around 1350-1550 cals. I am pretty obsessive about logging my cals, although I go in spurts. This week I didn't log anything but I tend to eat the same things every day, except for dinner, so I have a good idea of my cals. I use a digital food scale and use grams as my preferred unit of measurement. I put my plate on the scale and weigh each item as I add it. My scale lets you zero out after each item. I keep a small post-it pad by my scale and write everything down. Then, I use Caloriecount to log my food. They have an extensive database.

I've read a lot about "starvation mode" and if you are under 1200 cals then you could be having that problem. I'm sure that there are lots of posts about that on this site.

Being on the Daniel Fast really changed my tastebuds. Now I eat really clean. I stay away from processed foods, red meat, diet soda and sugar. I eat a lot more fruit, veggies, and nuts. I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks every day. I have eliminated desserts, ice cream, cookies, chocolate, chips, all liquid calories. I find those foods to be triggering and given my calorie budget, I don't want to spend my calories there. I'm hoping that when I get to goal I can incorporate some of them back into my diet.

This is my typical day. Breakfast - 1 egg + 1 egg white (86 cals) thinned with water not milk and cooked with a spray of Pam, fruit (50 cals), and toast (80 cals) with no butter. Sometimes I will have 1% cottage cheese (80 cals) instead of the eggs.

Then I go to the gym. After my workout I have a snack of a granola bar (140 cals) or 1/2 can Chicken Noodle soup (90 cals). Lunch is around 300 cals. Afternoon snack 200 cals. Dinner 400-500 cals. Evening snack 200 cals.

If we are going to a restaurant I will look up the nutrition info and plan ahead as to how I'm going to use my calories. So, I guess you could say that I am quite "strict" with my diet. My mindset is right and I am comfortable living with the rules I have given myself because I know that to lose the weight I had to make big changes and I'm okay with that. For the first time in my life I'm eating healthy!

Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I know you said that you have trouble with exercise because of arthritis. I firmly believe that you can be successful in your weight loss without exercising. Best wishes and let me know if you have any other questions.