Quote:
Originally Posted by numb
Thank you all for your comments. I'm in shock reading the few stories on here that I have. More then one has lost an amazing amount of weight without surgery.
How do I start? What do I change first?
I can only tell you what worked for me. I think it's very important for each person to determine what is right for them.
In July 2004, I weighed close to 200 lbs. I was desperately unhappy. I dreamed all the time about losing weight. I half-heartedly started "diets" that lasted 1 day or 2 days. In the past, on 2 separate occasions I had lost a lot of weight and had regained it all back and more. I didn't think I could ever lose weight.
Several triggers happened, and one day I decided to just do it. It was like I flicked a switch - no turning back, ever from that day. My goal was not to reach any particular goal weight, but to be healthy, to use food to be as healthy as possible. I read this great book called Super Foods: 14 Foods that Can Change Your Life and based everything I did around that book.
I decided to keep a food journal. I decided to actually see what I was eating. I decided to eat as many whole foods as possible and avoid packaged foods. I decided to start planning meals, planning healthy snacks. I decided to try to eat 5 servings of vegetables every day, at least 2 servings of fruit, switch from white carbs to better carbs (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, oatmeal) and tons and tons of green tea
. I cut out fast food, packaged baked goods and sugary soda and haven't touched any of that since July 2004. I made my house a completely junk free zone.
I had read a little about calories and the starvation effect, I didn't want to sabotage myself by hitting my goal weight with a wrecked metabolism and an urge to binge. I tried to keep my calories between 1500 and 1700 and never went below 1200. I ate foods I liked, I ate every 2 hours, I never binged, never "cheated."
I looked at the foods I ate and made changes so I could stick with it forever. I planned in advance for how I would maintain the weight loss. Now that I am maintaining, I do exactly the same thing, except I allow myself more calories per day (and occasional treats).
My tastes changed. I love the foods I eat. I would rather have a fresh mango than a brownie. I feel wonderful - I used to be sleepy every afternoon, I used to have a hard time waking up in the morning. It's hard to explain how huge the changes have been. I went from a tight size 18 to a comfy size 10 (sometimes 8), my skin looks great and I feel amazing.
In a way, once I decided to do it, it was the easiest thing I have ever done. It's just science - calories in vs calories out, eat healthy food, limit junk and make sure you have a plan as often as possible.
Pictures!
http://gloriana.myphotoalbum.com/vie...umName=album02