Vanity got me here...

witkinb

Hi everyone. I've been using this app on my phone for about 4 months, and didn't realize the community aspect until recently, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I included an old photo because I, like most people that aren’t confident in their appearance, stay away from the camera and don’t have something current. I’ll work on that. Anyway…
I started to get back into shape last January (2010). I’ve been going to the gym 3-5 times per week, cardio and lifting, for about a year now. But this August, with all that work, I’d found that I hadn’t dropped any weight… in fact, I think I gained more weight due to the weight lifting (235ish). I found the fitness pal app and decided to prove to myself that diets and calorie counting don’t work for me, that I’m special, a hard worker that isn’t rewarded, and life has it in for me:)
I quickly realized that my normal diet was in the 4-5000/day calorie range… I was going to the gym, didn’t I need the extra fuel? The clear answer was no, very few people need that many calories, and my intake was littered with junk food to boot. I got brutally honest about counting what I ate, and realized about a month later that pounds were falling off and my clothes were fitting looser. I still contend that there is no better feeling than pulling on a pair of old jeans and thinking, “wow, I bet I could get into a xyz now”.
All told, I’m down about 25-30 pounds, and I’m in more of a maintenance/”if I lose a little more, ok, but we’re pretty happy here” type phase. I wish everyone the best of luck, for whatever and any reason you have for getting into shape. I’ll end my intro with a few of my tricks and some caveats I’ve discovered along the way…
•A pairing knife and an apple are your best friends in weight loss. I use this trick at night while watching t.v. or reading. Cut small slivers and eat 1 sliver at a time: it takes time, gives you something to do with your hands, and at 50 calories (medium Gala apple) is pretty easy on the calorie total.
•Same thing with pomegranates; cut into quarters, drop in a bowl of water, and remove all the seeds. This takes forever, which is the point, and the seeds are tasty.
•If at all possible, get rid of butter, cheese and mayo. I truly love all these foods, but they’re killers for weight loss
•My personal caveat special: I got really righteous and high-minded with my success. The answer seemed so simple, why couldn’t everyone else just get it like I did. The bottom line is, when people are ready, they’ll either change their lives and get it, or they won’t. Pointing to my stomach and saying things like “this is what makes me an expert” is both self-serving and completely not helpful (I never actually did that, I just thought it’d be a funny illustration). Try instead for support and personal experience, and say things like “well, I can only tell you what worked for me…” Experience and vanity sometimes cloud otherwise rose-colored glasses:)
Best of luck…
Brian in Houston

mirna_ayala0428

Thank you for sharing. I agree with the honesty and everyone knows when they truly are ready to make a change.

Take care,