From Oct 2011 to now and beyond

Since hubby and I are off soon to our 2nd wedding anniversary vacation, I thought I'd post my story now. Thank you all so much for your support, information and inspiration, I could not have done this without you

I started my weight loss journey in Oct 2011. Not only did I turn 46 but I felt fat, out of shape and unhealthy. A weigh in at the doctor’s office of 147 on my 5' 4" frame really upset me. It was there that I got my motivation. I was on medications for IBS and depression. I felt tired and achy all the time and I often put my back and neck out. I made the commitment to get in shape and feel more confident in my skin. I set a goal of 125 lbs., well within a healthy range for my age and height.

At the beginning of my journey, a doctor suggested 1000 mg of Vitamin D3 daily and within weeks I felt better all over. More energy, less aches and pains. I noticed an obvious feeling of wellness. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

I started improving my diet with baby steps. I entered all my food and beverage into a calorie counter (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/). I looked at the calorie content as well as the protein/carb/fat ratio of the foods I was eating, and tried to keep my daily food calories within my TDEE (more about TDEE below) minus a percentage. As time went on my food diary got cleaner. I started including more fruits and vegetables and cut back on “dirty carbohydrates " (bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, etc.). At first I made small food changes. I stopped using sugar in my coffee and replaced it with Splenda, I then read about the chemicals in artificial sweeteners and switched to Agave Nectar (which tastes 100% better than Splenda and does not raise your blood sugar like cane sugar). Due to a bad reaction to it, I cut out almost all dairy. I looked at everything I was eating and tried to get a better version. I started each morning with a great breakfast high in protein and healthy fats with whole grain carbohydrates. For lunches, I originally started by packed Lean Cuisines and upon realizing how full of carbohydrates and preservatives they were I started packing my own lunches. I made little changes as I learned more. Originally my morning snack consisted of just a small apple and I found that it made me hungry quickly so i paired it with a 1/4 cup of nuts (sunflowers/almonds/pumpkin seeds/walnuts). By eating them together (a carbohydrate and a fat) I was not hungry until lunch. I started getting my "energy" from healthy fats, instead of "dirty carbohydrates. The problem with the "dirty carbohydrates " is that actual increase your appetite, similar to the way sugar does. Have a donut or a bagel for breakfast and see how quickly you are hungry again. These types of carbohydrates are pure sugar and raise the blood insulin levels. For me, the key to losing weight is to cut dirty carbohydrates and increase protein and healthy fats. A very good resource for healthy foods is located here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/media/pages/ladder/. By choosing foods from Tier 1 and 2 you are eating healthy. I also like how it shows if a food contains carbohydrates, fat, and/or protein. I am not advocating a low carb diet by saying eat low carbs. I tried it and as soon as I increased my carbohydrates I gained some weight back. I’m talking moderate carbohydrates, around 100-150 carbohydrates a day.

I have found that for me, the true enemy is sugar. I love it to the point that Skittles are my favor food. I cannot eat one candy bar, one cookie, one cupcake. I can’t do sugar in moderation. That is just me, maybe you are different. There is a lot of controversy about “cheat days”. You have to find what works best for you. I prefer to call them “earned days”. It keeps me motivated to work out knowing that I get to splurge once a week. Mentally it helps me be able to say “no” to treats throughout the week. . I have been told by some that I am slowing my overall success but
personally I would have failed long ago if I did not incorporate a “earned day” into this lifestyle change. I have tried various methods, such as a full day of eating whatever I want with no workout, a period of a few hours in which I indulge (such as parties, picnics, etc). What I have settled on is using Saturday afternoon and evening as an “earned” day. I start with a good workout and a calorie burn around 800. I have a healthy breakfast and then a afternoon and evening of whatever I have been craving that week and as much of it as I want. That gets rid of the craving for me. And it’s back on the wagon on Sunday

It was surprising to me how my taste buds seems to recalibrate themselves once I cut out sugar and "dirty" carbohydrates. A piece of fruit tastes so sweet now and foods just seem to taste so much better. I am eating foods I never ate before and truly enjoying them. And the best part, my stomach loves it. No more IBS and no medication for it.

The things I have learned have surprised and somewhat shocked me. It's no wonder people have weight problems. I did so much damage to my metabolism in my youth using crazy fade gimmicks to drop the weight fast, in time for summer and swimsuit season, only to gain it all back plus some over the winter months. I made the mistake of looking at the actual weight on the scale and not how much of my body was made up of fat versus muscle. I believed what I read about eating low fat and whole wheat. I starved myself and in turn my body and metabolism slowed down and instead of burning off fat, I burned off quite a bit of muscle with it and set myself up for a cycle of gaining and losing weight.

Yes, you will lose weight if you take the meal replacement shakes, use the diet pills, or very low calorie diets (fad diets) because you are creating a calorie deficit. That is what weight loss is about, creating a deficit from the amount of calories you take in versus the amount of calories you expend, but can you do it for a lifetime and at what cost to your life? Why would you want to drink your meals, take pills, or eat very little amounts of food? Wouldn’t you rather learn how to eat properly and manage a healthy lifestyle for a lifetime?

These methods actually cause body metabolic damage. The human body is an amazing thing, it is meant to chew and digest food. Your body actually expends calories during the act of eating and digestion. If you create too much of a deficit you will not only slow down your metabolism, but you will burn off precious muscle along with body fat. Trust me; you want to hold onto every single pound of muscle that you have. Muscle in the body burns more calories per minute than fat does.

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of calories that you body uses on a daily basis while in a coma like state. It is the calories used by the body for your heart to pump, your lungs to breath, your vital organs to work. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the amount of calories you burn by your daily activity level. If you eat at your TDEE level (which is your BMR times your TDEE) you will maintain your weight. You never want to eat below your BMR because that is what causes metabolic damage. Many people think that they will lose weight faster if they eat under their BMR and they will initially but they will also lose precious muscle with body fat and will cause their metabolism to slow way down. Just like a fire needs wood to keep burning, your body needs food to keep your metabolism high. Years and years of yo-yo dieting with low calories plans and you will keep gaining the weight back two-fold and with it, increase your body fat. To lose weight and preserve muscle you want to eat at a 15-20% cut (and even less of a cut as you get closer to your goal weight) from your TDEE level every day.

To calculate this, you take your BMR, which is based on your age, sex, height and weight (online calculator here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ ) and you then times it by your TDEE by choosing your activity level. Now you minus of 20% (if you have a lot of weight to lose) and 15% (if you have less weight to lose). By doing this, you are preserving muscle, giving your body enough nutrients and you will lose weight. A general rule of thumb for TDEE (activity level) is:

Sedentary - 1.2 (little of no exercise, desk job)

Lightly Active - 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

Moderately Active - 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk

Very Active - 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk

Extremely Active - 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2x days)

For instance, my BMR is 1305, I take 1305 x 1.55 (Moderately Active) and get a total of 2022. As I've gotten closer to my goal I have lowered my deficit from TDEE to 15% so I eat 1700 calories every single day, even non-workout days. This continuously fuels my body to burn fat and maintains muscle. As I get closer to my goal and go into maintenance I will close that gap and if I continue with a lifestyle of Moderately Active, I will get to eat the full 2022 calories each day.

I will admit that I gained weight at first. My body was so used to low-cal diets of 1200 a day that it held onto the extra calories for fuel. I had to basically reset my metabolism. The scale can be so discouraging so you have to take measurements and photos and if possible, have a body-fat composition done. There were weeks when I did everything right; ate healthy, worked out and yet the scale would show a gain, other weeks such a small loss. It was frustrating yet the weight was coming off very slowly. In my younger years I was able to drop weight fast in time for summer but years of doing that had wrecked my metabolism so it has taken so much longer to get the weight off. Don't give up, ever. If you fall off the wagon, brush yourself off, get re-motivated and get back on. Weight loss is not easy nor is it fast. It's slow and steady. Read, read, read and read some more. Education yourself on nutrition and exercise. Write out your goals and stick to them. There are no short cuts to this, no easy way to do it.

As I made small changes to my eating habits, i also started to exercise. No pressure, just 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. Each week I would add more time my workouts. I found the more active I was, the more active I wanted to be. I started jogging and found that I loved it. I went kayaking a few times, did a few Zumba classes, hiked from Bellefonte to State College. It feels good to be active.

I started weight training in March 2012. Weight training is where I saw the greatest changes in my body. The scale told me I gained weight but the photos showed a whole different story and using my measuring tape I could see I was losing inches. I have talked to numerous people and they advised me that when you start weight training you have to ignore the scale, easier said than done I know. I still have a love/hate relationship with it. Muscles hold a ton of water and can add up to 5 lbs for a weigh in.

I reached my goal weight of 125 on May 30, 2012 with a body fat percentage of 18.93%, lower than the average under 40 year old. And now that I’ve reached my goal, it has changed. I want muscle, as much of it as I can get. Plain and simple............

Some tips that I’ve put together:

I can't speak for everyone, I can only speak for myself but here are some things that are working for me:

Calculate your BMR and then add your activity level to get your final TDEE and eat slightly below it. Do not under-eat, it will get you nowhere but hungry. My weight did not move on 1200 calories a day. There are many calories counter apps and websites out there; I use www.myfitnesspal.com, find one you like and use it. Log everything that goes into your mouth into it. Spend the first week or so just entering your regular foods to get an idea of where your calories are going.

Experiment with your macros - the percentages daily of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. I do better now in my 40's with a matched amount of proteins and fats and about 30% clean carbohydrates - you may be different, you need to experiment a bit. Try to get 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight especially if you are working out hard - it will keep you full longer too

Make a good solid grocery list and prepare your meals in advance. Hubby and I do a crock-pot of boneless chicken every Sunday - this is enough chicken for both our lunches and a few dinners throughout the week. Input your meals into MFP the night before so you can stay on track and can manipulate your macros if need be. This also gives you a chance to plan out the next nights dinners (defrost time,etc).

Don't be afraid to try new foods. Your taste buds re-calibrate themselves when you only feed them good foods, and they actually start to taste pretty darn good. I love roasted cauliflower now and I never thought I’d say that

Don't be afraid of healthy fats. We are told over and over to keep a low-fat diet but it's not the fat that hurts you, it’s the sugar. My weight loss took off when I upped my fat percentages from 20-22% to 30-35%. I use sunflower seeds but you can use any type of nut that you like. I used to use margarine but now I use butter (in moderation of course). Switch over to coconut oil for cooking when you can and avoid items labeled as fat-free or low fat, they are full of sugar and chemicals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?pagewanted=all


Drink 1/2 of your body weight in water a day and never waste one precious calorie on a drink, save those for food. If you drink diet soda, quit, the aspartine (used to sweeten it) is horrible for you.

Eat a breakfast high in protein - I eat two full eggs and 4 egg whites and top them with salsa, and a slice of Nickel bread (plain) keeps me full for four hours. If you don't have time in the morning for breakfast, eggs can be cooked the night before and reheated in the microwave. Greek yogurt and a handful of almonds (protein/fat/carbohydrate). Try not to eat carbohydrates without at least a fat or a protein food with it.

Exercise as often as you can and don't be a wimp about it, be out of breath, sweat a little, make the time you spend working out worth it. Push yourself, challenge yourself, try to beat your personal best each time. Women, don’t be afraid to lift weights, and lift heavy. You will not get bulky and ripped like men, you lack the hormones required for that. Rest when you need to. Your body needs to recuperate and rest.

Get a restful night sleep as often as you can. Studies show that people who don't get enough sleep actually gain weight.

If you work outside the home, prepare your foods the night before and pack your foods up in the morning. Where I work there is a ton of food every day. If I didn't pack my food bag it would be very easy to fall into the trap of grabbing a donut or muffin. I pack two big water bottles, two snacks and my lunch every morning. Takes the guesswork out of what I’m eating each day.

Buy a good food scale, a good pair of sneakers and a Heart Rate Monitor (if you can afford to) and tons of food storage containers, great for carting foods around. The only way to get an accurate calorie burn is by using a Heart Rate Monitor.