This is my weight removal journey. I did not and will not say weight loss because I will never find those pounds again and I'm not looking for them.
How did I get from the once 255 lb. person I was in 2003 to now the 167 lb. woman I've grown into?
I started with Atkins back in 2003. It was not a wise choice for me. Now looking back if I would of been smarter about it, it might of worked. The thing with low carb is you have to eat lean protein and lots, and lots of vegetables. Not hamburger everyday and you must drink tons of water because of all the protein. I lost 55 lbs. rapidly, never exercised much and looking back didn't feel the greatest either. Why do I say it was not a wise choice? I think during that time I lost lean muscle mass. Why do I think that? I felt weaker after losing that weight than I felt at the 255 lbs. I went off the diet as many people do and gained back 25 lbs. I maintained at about that until I decided I had had enough.
On Jan. 10th of 2007 was independence day for me. I knew I was going to remove my excess weight and never look back. I read, read and read some more. I do not believe everything I read so I took a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
I had been obese now for about 20 years. I had tried Lean cuisine dinners only, liquid diets, weight watchers, exercise without food control, nutri-system. Yes I lost weight but put it back on when I reverted to my old ways.
I knew in my heart and head that this had to be something I could stick to for my entire life.
I am very independent and head strong. I made my mind up and nothing was going to interfere with this decision.
I read YOU on a diet, SuperFoods RX and SuperFoods Healthstyle. I joined 3FC and read lots here, l looked up things on the internet and joined TOPS for the weekly weigh in.
I decided to count calories and record it on fitday. I did cardio at first liked the elliptical the most. Usually I did 60 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week.
I ate: vegetables, beans, high fiber cereals, limited fruit(I tend to over indulge), cut out beef, ate bison instead, fish, nuts, yogurt, low fat dairy, soy products, drank green tea and drank my water somedays and somedays I didn't(not a good idea). I also took a vitamin.
I recorded all my food until September. I lost all my weight from January till September. In October I started weight lifting. I had tried this occasionally but now I got serious. I read Body For Life for Women. I like how I feel much more now then when I was just doing cardio.
I feel cardio has its place but if you truly want to gain muscle you have to lift weights.
I have now bought New Rules of Lifting for women and The Eat clean diet.
I feel I will never stop learning and evolving.
The biggest mistake I made is I thought I knew how to remove the weight for a lifetime but just didn't do it. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND THAT IS WHY I WAS OBESE FOR SO LONG.
The other thing I learned it didn't matter how much I said I wanted to do it but until my head was in the right place it wasn't going to happen.
This journey has been 95% in my head but the benefits have definitely been out there for all the world to see. I wish you all the same success on your weight removal journey. I wish I could give you all a magic pill to get there.
I don't believe anyone will ever get there using someone elses plan. We are all individuals and what works for me may not work for you. Trial and error. Remember eat things with high nutritional value and exercise(weights, cardio and stretching) Good luck to all of you and take care of yourselves. If you do not take care of yourself no one can do it for you.
I just read Burn the fat Feed the muscle by Tom Venuto(on line book)
It is a must read.