Advice from a 100+ lb LOSER!!!!

Hey all!

I have gotten a lot of emails asking me how I have managed to lose the weight I have. I am happy to receive and answer any email I get but just wanted to post something for those that might not feel comfortable emailing me.

I am not an expert by any means, though I feel like I have learned a lot over the past few months. The thing is, I didn't put too much pressure on myself. I started by making one small change after another. At first I just started lowering my calories, then after a few weeks, I started to pay attention to where those calories were coming from, which lead to getting more nutritious foods into my body.....like whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits and veggies. Also, from day ONE, I was drinking a lot of water. I have these cups I got from Ikea...and each one holds 24 ounces. I drink one first thing in the morning before I even allow myself my one mug of coffee for the day. My goal in the day is to drink down at least 3 of these cups, but I often get more than that. Then, that lead to watching my sodium intake....and then I started to add more exercise, slowly upping the time and resistance as I went along. I used to hate exercise and now I absolutely LOVE it and love how it makes me feel.

My point is that if you just take it a week at a time and take baby steps as you go, you start to realize that these changes are almost happening automatically because you are changing the way you think in the process and also educating yourself. No one is saying you have to become a fitness or nutrition expert overnight. You just need to make wiser choices for you.

Probably the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone embarking on this journey, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose....is to work on your brain. Honestly, it is ALL mental. You absolutely need to change your relationship with food and change how you view food for this to be a permanent change.

I used to think I had to starve and suffer and was basically afraid of food. Yes, I LOVED it and used it to comfort myself, but that wasn't a healthy way of looking at it. I still enjoy food. I love to cook and go out for a nice meal and try different things but I think of it in a completely different way now. I love how you can add a ton of interesting flavors with herbs and spices without a lot of fat. I love realizing that you can enjoy delicious meals and still lose weight. I love that nourising and fueling your body just feels SOO great that it becomes easy to eat healthy. My body protests now if I even eat ONE french fry because I have gotten so used to not eating it and my body is HAPPY because of it.

I just wish I could pass on the willpower I have been granted while on this journey. I am a religious person and pray DAILY for many things, and included in those prayers are that I can continue on this journey with the same willpower and strength that has gotten me this far. I also pray that all of you can find that same strength and willpower to reach YOUR goals.

I haven't come to these realizations overnight. It took many failed attempts to lose weight for me to realize that this HAS to be done right for it to be forever. Yes, losing weight slow and healthy WILL take longer but it won't take near as long as you think IF you stay focused and keep on, keepin on!! September 6th will be ONE year to the day that I started this. And the way my life has changed in this year is astounding!! And by taking the time to change my relationship with food, I am going to enjoy the HOPEFULLY many years to come so much more!

So, the point of this is that I want all of you who are struggling to try to view things differently. Think about why food is even here. It is here to fuel us. To give us energy. To keep us alive. Yes, it can bring us joy and give us something great to taste but that CAN be done in a healthy way too. Food is supposed to contribute to our health, not take away from it. When you start thinking of it that way, it becomes SO easy to eat the foods that will nourish you.

Good luck everyone!!!! I KNOW you can do this!!! You are all in my prayers!

:flowerforyou:
-Tami

Very well said, Tami! Thanks for your prayers. I pray, too, but it's nice to know we aren't alone in this. You've been fantastic in keeping on with what you started. Would you please pray that my back will heal soon (from the fall I had Tuesday night) so I can start walking again? I really miss my daily jaunts, and I'm wondering if my neighbors who walk, too, have missed me. I sure have missed them.
Keep up the good work. Bless you for your strength and kindness.
Marti