excerpt from an email i wrote
I sent this email to a friend who had asked me for some tips since I have lost 20 lbs and am still losing at a rate of about 2 lbs per week. A few things that I'd like to add to that are that I now exercise nearly everyday which I did not do before. Consequently, I am eating more calories than I was before though I don't actually count calories actively anymore. I simply added an extra snack or two based on whether or not I am actually hungry- which I am now able to recognize for the first time in years. The key thing for me is that weight has not been my primary focus.
"Basically my strategy has been multi layered since I found my cholesterol to be 250 :-o . I started by attempting to stay at or under 1800 calories a day- which is plenty for me since I don't really do anything. That in mind, I bought a $5 kitchen scale at Walmart and a couple of plastic measuring cups. I read the labels for everything I cooked and measured out exactly as much as it said a serving was after cooking- except meat which is weighed before cooking. I did this for about a month to familiarize myself with what a single serving actually looks like and trust me- it's ALOT less than I had thought, haha! I measured out snacks into individual bags so that when I wanted a snack, I already had it measured out and wouldn't grab the full bag of chips or can of nuts and gorge on them. It took maybe 20 minutes to premeasure everything and seperate it after coming home from the store. I switched to whole wheat pastas and breads and I use organic stuff as much as I can, but as you know- that gets really expensive. There are some great websites out there that list the nutritional content of veggies and fruits. Generally, if you eat more fruit and veggies and less meats, breads, and dairy, that is going to cut down on calories automatically. Nuts and beans are pretty calorie dense too so I have to be very careful with those.
It does take alot of maintainence at first. I wrote down EVERYTHING I stuck in my mouth from a stick of gum to a "cheat meal" at Taco Bell. By doing that, I was able to see exactly what I was doing wrong and fix it. Studies show that most people underestimate what they eat in their own diet journals- so I kept that in mind and told myself that no one was going to be fooled but me if I neglected to write it down accurately. I didn't chastise myself for a slipup, but I made sure to take it into account and compensate for the poor choice at my next meal. After two months, I felt confident enough to stop writing it down and now I only occasionally measure my meals just to make sure I am still doing it accurately. I am no longer "counting calories" strictly because I automatically know when I've done something I shouldn't.
As for the fat intake, my Dr says that as far as weight loss goes, that doesn't matter. It's all in the calories, BUT that by eating less fat you automatically eat fewer calories. I am supposed to keep my saturated fat below 20 grams. He didn't give me a limit on total fat though. My own belief is that I don't like eating stuff I can't actually pronounce. Do we really know what all these chemicals are doing to our bodies? Since it's impossible to cut them out completely (seriously- organic foods and health food stores barely exist in East Texas), I do my best to read labels and cut out as much as I can. It makes me feel better about myself.
But the most important advice and the most helpful thing that I have found is to stay committed to doing this to be healthier. I think the reason I have been successful at losing weight is that "looking good in a bikini" is no longer the focus for me. My 100% focus is on my health now and I must say that it has been the best motivation I have ever found. I want to be alive in 20 years and not just alive, but actually "living"!
Sorry to be so long winded, but I am just really happy to be able to share what I have found. Hopefully, it will help you as well. :-)"
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