Hi everybody!
I am more a steady gainer when it comes to my weight rather than an on-off dieter! Last summer my weight reached its all time high - 287 pounds and I was feeling so sluggish and full, literally! Those last few pounds I gained during the summer... ugh! When the September came I was just fed up. Complete! I remembered reading - ages ago - on this forum, that as a journey, the weight loss strategies should also be planned ahead. So I did. For a few days I just reduced indulging in white bread and other addictive food that are my biggest problems and by Friday I had a short term plan. I decided to go on VLC-diet (very low calorie diet), which (here in Finland) basically means consuming less than 600 calories a day of diet shakes or soups plus vegetables. I did that for three weeks and gradually started eating again, but without pasta, white bread, potatoes etc. No candies, no crisps. I fell of the wagon a bit during Christmas, gained a bit and had another go on VLCD in January. Spring time was difficult, for a long long time I didn't either loose or gain, until at the end of April and May I gained 9 pounds. And from 256 I started last Monday with another go on VLCD. By today (Saturday) I have lost 7 pounds, most of it IS water. I've eaten some extra protein to help my muscles a little bit on the way and have exercised A LOT! My first minigoal now is only a couple of pounds away at 110 kg which is 242.5 pounds. OK, this is my diet history so far on this decade. In past, I have used Weight watchers and calorie counters. Now I aim for exercise and diet with lower carbohydrate amount and more protein.
As I already mentioned, I live in Finland. I am 35 years old and at the moment I study architecture. I am still involved with my previous profession, and hence I have taken a couple months just for myself to complete my thesis and to have time to exercise regularly. I live with my husband and two dogs and I love to read and to listen to music everywhere. What else.. for exercise I mostly walk, I am learning to run (veeeery slowly), I love Davina McCall's DVDs and ordered today a bunch of Jillian Michael's DVDs. I have also the Zumba DVDs, but so far I haven't used them... I felt too clumsy when I tried them out, but will have another go later on, when I am smaller.
We live outside of town, so I don't really have good gym options close by but a great forest to have long walks. Oh, and
valo in Finnish means light, just in case it means something really bad in another language!
Back again! After a decade or so...
