It all started with a trip to the grocery store.

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webdiva1
webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
in Success Stories
About six weeks ago, I headed to the grocery store to stock up before the mother of all snowstorms. I'm walking down the aisle, thinking about what to get, and it hit me: not one of the things I was going to get was good for me. NOT ONE. I actually stopped in the middle of the aisle and said "wow" out loud. I stood there for a second, mentally running through the list again and hoping I'd missed something, but nope: it was all stuff that was gonna taste good and make me happy (for a few minutes) but do nothing whatsoever for my health. Didn't take long to realize that in fact, the opposite was true: it was all gonna hurt me, sooner or later.

That epiphany started me on this journey. For the next two weeks, I thought about my life, how I eat, what I eat, when I eat it. I thought about it A LOT. I knew that for things to change, it was gonna be a big deal. After all, we all know that lifelong habits are hard to break. I was pretty sure lapband surgery was the way to go for me (basically, I want to "lose a person" weight-wise). Then, in a meeting with a friend and business adviser a couple of weeks after the fatefeul trip to the grocer, I learned about MyFitnessPal. My friend is in great shape, so I was skeptical. But I checked it out and a few days later decided to give it a try.

I signed up and committed to lose the least amount of weight the system allows for (1/2 lb, if I recall) and NO exercise. (I know myself pretty well! :) I started using the system and by day three -- 2 lbs. lighter -- I was hooked. A week later, 5 lbs. lighter, I told a few people about it. They signed up and we're ALL seeing positive results. Tomorrow marks day 30 for me, and I'm happy to say I'm down 15 lbs. More importantly, I feel good, have more energy, and am proud of how I've stuck with it (historically, not one of my strong suits).

I never thought the simple act of tracking what I eat would have this effect. It's literally changed every single thing I ever thought about food and eating. If I'm going out, I now check websites for nutritional info ahead of time. I read labels. I actually exercise occasionally now, mostly walking and gardening. And I revel in a load of tiny victories every week. Thinking about the big picture -- the total number of pounds I want to lose -- is too overwhelming. But every time I drink a glass of water, or reach for an apple, or get to post that I'm under my calories AGAIN, it's a win. So -- that's why I posted this under Success Stories .... every win = success in my book. :)

I'm happy to report that in my trip to the grocery store today, every single thing in my shopping basket was way, way better for me. Lots of fresh fruit, almond milk, light soy, chicken for grilling, salmon. Feels good. Really, really good. Onward!

Replies

  • hallekj
    hallekj Posts: 6
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    Great story and it will help me think twice when I am loading up my own shopping cart. Thanks.
  • sauza
    sauza Posts: 159 Member
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    thank you for sharing
  • MizzDoc
    MizzDoc Posts: 493 Member
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    I am with you 100% on this post. Thank you so much for sharing!
  • JulieBoBoo
    JulieBoBoo Posts: 642
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    Fabulous! I've changed the way my family eats. My husband has lost over 25lbs without even trying just because we now eat so much better and I confess I make smaller amounts so we're all eating more reasonable portions -- course when it's good food it fills you up longer so you don't feel deprived!
  • AngieMMc
    AngieMMc Posts: 152 Member
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    That's a very inspiring story thank you for sharing! I had been manually tracking my food for about 5 weeks before I finally joined the 21st century and got an iphone. This was the first app I downlodd....started using it and got hooked, just like you! Now I am doing the same thing you are....checking nutrition values before we go out to eat to plan ahead and putting a LOT healthier items in my grocery baset. I am really happy to report that I am also exercising now whereas before, I was only tracking food. Reading the success stories here and seeing pics of proof that people actually CAN lose 50, 60, 100 lbs and still live normal lives gave me hope that I really really could do it this time. I have a new outlook and I have the people here on MFP to partially thank........thank you for posting this. It further validates my journey will have a great ending = SUCCESS!!:glasses:
  • MeaganAnn84
    MeaganAnn84 Posts: 95
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    Awesome story! Good for you, keep it up! I saw this quote once and it stuck with me, "treat yourself as well as you treat others". I always am taking care of my friends, I take super good care of my boyfriend, but just this week, I said to myself that I was going to take care of ME also! :) Best of luck to you!
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
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    I never thought the simple act of tracking what I eat would have this effect. It's literally changed every single thing I ever thought about food and eating. If I'm going out, I now check websites for nutritional info ahead of time. I read labels.

    I was the same way. Do you notice that you balk at the calorie content of some foods? I hardly touch rice or bread any more because for the amount that you need to make a meal you end up with 600 calories or more just from the rice or bread!

    Great post btw. You've achieved consistent and safe weight loss so far :)
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    I agree completely. I am so happy for you! I know I too love the moment when I put a ton of fresh produce, grains and healthy meats on the conveyor belt. It always makes me proud that I am making healthy choices and that I have the ability to take raw ingredients and make a recipe out of them. For the first time in my life, I feel good about eating food instead of viewing it as a constant struggle and enemy.
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
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    Yes, absolutely! My education never ends in how some foods I expected to be really ok were so ... not. :) The other number that blows my mind on a regular basis: sodium. Holy smoke! But I'm learning. It's a great journey on so many levels.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
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    fabulous, that is so great to hear. I think that you are a great inspiration :flowerforyou:
  • Mjordan1
    Mjordan1 Posts: 3
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    I am so proud of you! You, the youngest in our family, are setting an example for all of us. Each of us needs to get more healthy and I, too, am finding that being accountable for what I eat is changing me in so many positive ways. In the past, I knew the right thing to do. I totally believed that losing weight is simply a matter of eating less and moving more, but I just wasn't living that way.
    I'd heard the adage that you should only shop the perimeter of the grocery store; I just didn't.


    I told some friends recently that it was astonishing for me to realize that I'm not entitled to eat a pint of ice cream at one sitting. Matter of fact, eating ice cream at all isn't really necessary now. I'm so much happier to find something that is healthier and smarter. I suspect that I've eaten more fruit and vegetables in the last 25 days than I ate last year!

    I celebrate your success, and my own. There is much more ahead of us, I'm sure of it!
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
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    WTG! It is hard, but definitely doable with a little effort. It sounds like you have a good support system, which will help a ton! Slow and steady will win this race!
  • wannaloseit
    wannaloseit Posts: 31
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    great story! I'm in the same boat! Every time I went to the grocery store I would get embarrassed at the check out. I just knew the cashier was thinking "no wonder she is fat". I even found myself standing in a line with a plus sized worker just to avoid the embarrassment, no matter how much longer that line may have been. Ever since I started MFP I look at checking out completely different, I'm actually proud of what's in my cart! Way to go, keep up the good work!
  • Trishkit
    Trishkit Posts: 290 Member
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    Well done! I have a hard time going to "normal" grocery stores and seeing what people have piled in their cart. It depresses me to no end, and I wish there was some way I could help them see that there's something better! We shop at our local food co-op and mostly stick to the perimeter, with occasional stuff from the freezer section (mostly frozen fruit and veggies). Sometimes we'll pick up some pasta and sauce, and canned beans to keep on hand.

    But yes! It feels SO great to set all of that healthy food on the belt at checkout and be all, "Look at this awesome stuff that I'm putting in MY body!"
  • MakingAChoice
    MakingAChoice Posts: 481 Member
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    I never thought the simple act of tracking what I eat would have this effect. It's literally changed every single thing I ever thought about food and eating. If I'm going out, I now check websites for nutritional info ahead of time. I read labels.

    I was the same way. Do you notice that you balk at the calorie content of some foods? I hardly touch rice or bread any more because for the amount that you need to make a meal you end up with 600 calories or more just from the rice or bread!

    Great post btw. You've achieved consistent and safe weight loss so far :)

    I don't balk at rice, well not brown rice anyway, as it is a good carb. The white rice I will talk trash about all the time ;-) Same goes for bread, the bread I eat now, when I actually eat bread, is organic whole grains (21 grain actually). I just replaced the refined white version of the rice and bread with much better options, and it works great for me.
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
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    Bravo! Well said. :flowerforyou:
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
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    Good job on making those changes! I am going grocery shopping tomorrow for the first time since signing up for MFP...and I plan to make healthier choices.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
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    This post seriously touched me. I am a sucker for an epiphany. In the grocery store of all places! So empowering to know that you can take your health and your life into your own hands and change it, just one small tracked calorie at a time. Yay you!
  • kiwi_dee
    kiwi_dee Posts: 160 Member
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    Thank you for sharing your story, and well done on the loss so far!
  • JessDanielle
    JessDanielle Posts: 18
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    I love the way it feels to put all my healthy food on the checkout counter. I'm like oh yeah :) feels good!!

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