One year in, 78 lbs. down

Today marks one year since I joined MFP. Oh, the changes I've made, and the things I've learned!

Thought I'd share a few of them here. They might mean more to folks who have lots to lose, but feel free to use what you like and roll your eyes about everything else.

Back story first. I started MFP just shy of 300 lbs. I've been way overweight all my adult life (and still am ... just not for long). Despite that, I was a decent athlete -- lots of volleyball, softball and soccer back in the day. Did lots of knee damage, though; had my first knee surgery in the late 70s and finally had both knees replaced in 2003, after hobbling about with a cane for 6 years. Thought that would be the event that would get me off my keester, but nope. I was able to walk like regular people again (which still blows my mind, by the way), but I kept living the unhealthy lifestyle I had before.

Three things changed it up for me.

Last January, I was at the grocery store to stock up before a Midwest blizzard, and I had this stop-in-the-middle-of-the-aisle, John the Baptist sort of epiphany: I realized that every single thing I was gonna buy was unhealthy. Really, REALLY unhealthy. I actually stopped dead still and said "Wow" out loud. That moment, I started to think differently about food and the role it plays in my life. I thought about it A LOT over the next few weeks.

A couple weeks later, I discovered one of my clients had lost 98 lbs. without surgery, just by exercising and eating differently. Yeah, yeah -- we've all seen those stories. But this is someone I KNEW. Moreover, she's one of THE most stylin' women I know ... she always looks so put together. OK, I thought: I see now that it actually CAN happen, and without surgery. (I'd been seriously considering lapband surgery at that point, but hadn't taken action. You're detecting the pattern there, right? "Inaction" was my middle name, for a very long time.

Finally, a week or so later, a friend told me about MFP and suggested I give it a shot. I was completely skeptical but decided to sign up anyway. I committed to losing the minimum amount a week -- 1/2 lb. -- and NO exercise. Didn't tell anyone about it; didn't come near the forums; just started tracking what I ate quietly. Five days in, I was 3 lbs. down ... and I've never looked back since.

The number one thing that's made this lifestyle change happen for me is this: I had to get my head in the right place FIRST.

I'm addicted to food. Knowing you have a problem is the first step, right? So for me -- for now -- I'm OK with that. But NOW my focus is on what healthy choices I can make ... at the grocery store, at restaurants, whatever. Next, I knew I had to be willing to making changes for **life**. After knee surgery, I knew a time would come when healing and rehab would be done. But this journey I'm on now will NEVER be over. That was daunting for me; for a long time, I just didn't think I could do it. So I started with small, easily attainable goals. I stayed under the 1980 cals a day MFP assigned me back at the beginning. I drank less tea and more water. I kept an eye on what I ate, and I tracked it all in MFP. I forgive myself if I blow it, and remember that every day is a fresh start. And I'd focus on losing 5 lbs. at a time.

It worked. With so much to lose -- my goal is somewhere around 150 lbs. -- the weight came off fairly easily for the first 9 months or so. I was learning about the food I ate -- such as the insane levels of sodium in everything -- esp. lunch meat and canned soup, both of which I ate a lot. I started to lurk on the forums, and picked up some good tips and tricks from lots of smart folks.

I started drinking water to flush out the sodium. About 7 years ago or so, I finally kicked my addiction to Coke -- as in The Real Thing, with all those stoopid calories, sugar and caffeine. Mine was a serious addiction; I drank on average two 2-liter bottles a day for years. (Yeah, I know: insane. That was then, and those days are OVER.) So I switched to Diet Green Tea with Citrus. Somewhat better -- no calories, but fake sugars and still some caffeine. And they were expensive, too -- ridiculously so, for stuff that has no nutritional value whatsoever. Once I joined MFP, I gave up the green tea and switched to water, and that's what I drink now almost exclusively. I drink LOTS of it, every day ... 14-18 8-oz. glasses on average, I think. Having a bottle of cold water within arm's reach pretty much all the time works for me. There are about 15 bottles of filtered tap water in my fridge at all times now; when one's done, I grab another.

Next, I started focusing on fresh food -- nothing boxed or canned. I added LOTS of veggies and fruit to my diet. My fave way to get these in is to hit my grocery store's salad bar and make a ginormous salad that will do me for a couple of meals; it's fast and easy. The difference between what's in my grocery cart today, and what was in it a year ago January, is night and day.

About mid-March last year, I decided to take a little walk. Nothing major; just a walk around a couple of blocks in my 'hood. Good grief: you would've thought I'd just run a marathon! I was seriously whipped, and it only took a couple of blocks to do it! I was ... ticked. Irked. Really, really annoyed. THAT turned out to be a great motivator for me. A couple of days later, I did it again. The next day, again, and just a little further this time. I was still tired, but I was realizing that a whole lot of the tired was in my head. If I *thought* it was gonna be hard, it was. So I worked to change how I was thinking about that, too, and just stayed with it. The first time I walked a mile ... about a month after I started walking regularly -- I cried happy, happy tears. Did it again when I walked three miles, about three months into what had become more or less routine. When I walked eight miles late last fall, up and down hills, without taking a break, well ... you can imagine. I came home and wrote my orthopedic surgeon a thank-you note for my bionic knees. Without them, the Miracle of 8 Miles would never have happened. But I also know that *I* was the one who really made it happen. That sense of empowerment is ... remarkable, and the feeling I get now when I exercise carries me through. For me, it's very, very motivating.

Finally, I made a few friends here on MFP and for me -- it's made all the difference. My MFP pals sustain me, encourage me, support me and keep me going ... and they welcome the same from me. If you don't have a few really great MFP friends yet, seriously: find some. Just ask. That support network of people who are in a similar place, who understand where you are and what you're trying to do ... well ... I can't say enough. You friends of mine -- and you know who you are -- I love and thank you all. We totally rock.

At this point, I'm over halfway to my goal. I've joined a gym and go with a friend three days a week or thereabouts. A couple of months ago I switched up my goals in MFP myself, and am currently at 1400 cals a day. But I'm gonna switch it up again here before long, to 1600 or so, just to see what happens. Speaking for myself, I like to change things up occasionally. I look at it this way: what's the worst that could happen? If I gain a couple of pounds, no problem; I'll just switch things up again. It's the what's the BEST that could happen where things get interesting.

For me, this journey isn't about hope, or luck, or wishing. It's about DOING ... or in some cases, NOT doing. I have great days and less-than-great days ... sometimes I have epic fail days. Doesn't matter ... the key is to get up and get back on track. That's all. All that negative energy we waste feeling bad or berating ourselves for failures is such a waste. It's done; we can't change it. But we CAN change what we do next.

So. My journey continues, and I can't wait to see where I'll be this time next year. Forward we go!