Weight Loss Challenge - Mechanicsville, VA

Aaahh...you've been reading posts. I usually shoot at Black Creek or for sporting clays, I go to Old Forge. Don't get the chance as often as I'd like, though.

I hesitated for a second before responding because I really don't like to give advice. One thing about this site is that many people present themselves as experts when I do not get the feeling that they actually are. Don't get me wrong, there are very many well trained and really experienced people here. The exoeriences and motivation provided by folks that are farther along in their journey have been invaulable to me and it's one of the things that has made me stick with MFP. However, I see things being presented as fact from some folks that just strike me as overstating their knowledge. The best thing for me is to read everything and then think it through and decide if I think it's applicable to me.

That being said, I admittedly have no expertise at all. So all I can do here is describe what has been working for me personally. That doesn't mean that it would work for others or that it's the best way to go. I feel like I have gotten really lucky by combining a few specific rules for myself. Thanks for asking, actually, because writing them here gives me a chance to review them with myself and solidify them in my miind.

First, I decided what I wanted to do and I have made it the number one priority in my life. I absolutely do not cheat or vary from my plan. I do not allow myself to because I made the decision that dropping the weight and getting healthy is more important to me than enjoying a bowl of ice cream or going for a drink with friends. The time will come when I can work those things back in to my life, but it's not now. My commitment is not halfhearted because I have done that and it didn't work.

I eliminated the things that I know are bad for me. No fried food, no sauces, no soda, no drinking alcohol, no soda, no chips, junk food or fast food. I have not had a meal out of a box or a can since I started. Everything is fresh and healthy. I have only drank water and iced tea (unsweetened with sweet'n'low) since I started. Again, these things just don't have a place in my life if I am trying to lose weight.

I eat a LOT of veggies. I premake a large salad at least once a week and keep it in the fridge. That way I can just dish it out whenever I want. Salad has become a convenience food for me. I am lucky that I really enjoy veggies, so I have quite a variety of veggies in the salad. I almost never use dressing, never have really even before I stared trying to lose weight. I enjoy the taste of most veggies, so I don't like to cover it up. At least one of my meals every day includes a large salad.

I also make a fair amount of stir fry, using fresh chicken or turkey (boneless and skinless). No oil ever, just Pam. Sometimes no meat, just veggies. It depends on my mood and what is in the house. I find that I can eat a really large plateful and still be well under 200 calories (and be really full). Veggies tend to make me feel full for a long period of time, so that's a benefit.

I also premake homemade soups at least once a week. I can control what I put in them, so again I can limit fat, sodium and calories, while packing in more servings of veggies (I am starting to see a theme here). I will portion them into tupperware and try to get the calorie count down below 175 or so. That way, I can just pop it into the microwave and in minutes have a heatly, filling meal. Often it's paried with another salad.

I also eat fruit almost daily. An orange, banana or apple is typically at least one or more of my snacks daily. I take fruit to work, so I have a good snack available. Like you, I portion snacks. I take the time to count out how many pretzels I put in my baggie to take to work. Anal? Yes. Does it work for me? Yes. I work 11 or 12 hours a day in a fast paced environment, so if I don't have the right things available it becomes too easy to make the wrong choice. Luckily I work less than 2 miles from home, so I can go home for lunch and I don't have to face the issue of packing lunch or eating out. I also make sure I have water available at work, so I can zip in my office and drink a cup or two every hour or so.

I have started to experiment with other things, trying to find healthy things that I like and that I can work into my day. For example, I recently tried eggbeaters. I actually like it, so now I can have eggs for breakfast again. I can do a pretty big portion of scrambled eggbeaters and a sliced orange and be well under 200 calories for breakfast. Add a banana if I am still hungry and be out the door for under 250, starting my day off with healthy bang. I also have developed an affinity for FiberOne cereal, sometimes with a banana sliced into it. Three months ago, the thought of eating something other than Cap'n Cruch would have made me laugh out loud! Now I can't imagine it.

As I mentioned, I log everything. Even my vitamins, but that's mostly to help me remember to take them. I log all my food as I am getting ready to eat it, not before, not later. That forces me to think about where I am for the day and make a good decision about what I am eating.

I do not really listen to the calorie limit from MFP. Not because of any real reason other than when I started I found that I was really full all day and was in the ballpark of 1200 calories. That amazed me because I sure didn't get to be 300 pounds by eating 1200 calories a day! So...I just stuck with that and usually eat about 1200-1400 calories a day. I listen to my body, though, and some days I eat more, some less. I don't want to feel like I am denying myself, so if I am hungry, I eat. I just try hard to eat the right things. I have days where I consume 800 or 900, then I have days where I go as high as 1400-1500. Most often, I stay hovering around 1200. With the amount of veggies and fiber that I eat, I am almost never hungry, even on those 900 days. What I will never, ever do is approach too closely or exceed the MFP recommendation. Exceeding it would be out of the question if I am truly dedicated to weight loss.

I don't really exercise, in the sense of going to the gym. I do walk daily. Twice a day, about 3 miles each time. I started with once a day for a mile and worked up. This, too, I am very strict on myself about. 75 days in to this journey and I have missed I think 3 or 4 days. Once because of a doctor thing and the others because of knee pain. Walking is a big part of my job, so when my knee was hurting I felt like I needed to take a day off from the exercise walking so that pain didn't interfere with work. Other than at work, I was pretty sedentary. Walking has helped me break that cycle and also keeps me away from the TV. TV time was always one of those habit eating times that caused my weight problem in the first place, so being outside moving around has helped me break that (along with the health benefits).

Anyway, that's my approach. I know this was a longer answer than you wanted or expected, but it was helpful for me to write it out. It's always just been in my head and by writing it down it has helped me recommit to it. In fact, I may just print it so I can reread it every so often and make sure I am sticking with my plan. And, again, it is just what works for me. I would never presume to tell anyone else that this is what they should do. I became an expert on gaining weight, but losing weight I am really, really new to. Luckily, I am having some success with this.

Good luck to you! You've got a great start. 18 pounds so far is fantastic. Keep it up!