It's been a year!!

Good Day to all,

It has been a year since I hit my “goal weight”…yes I have kept it off for a little over a year. I wanted to share a few things I have learned along the way:
1. Always do what is right FOR YOU….just because someone lost 30 pounds in 2 months it doesn’t mean you will too, if you do GREAT, if you don’t that is fine too.

2. BE Patient!!! I know, it is easier said than done. I know I have been there done that. But when I got “stuck” I reminded myself “Karla you didn’t gain the weight overnight, what makes you think you will lose it overnight?”

3. It’s for the most part 70% what you eat and 20% exercise. You can lose weight by simply knowing what to eat and knowing how much to eat. However, I do recommend exercise so you can stay strong and fit.

4. Just because you are skinny it doesn’t mean you are healthy, I often seen people so worried about going over their calorie intake, stressing themselves to depression if they don’t hit it. I think it’s about hitting your calories with the right type of food. You WILL lose weight if you reduce your calories even if you eat crap all day, but is that really what you want to do? I learned that I didn’t care if I went over as long as it was with the right type of food!!

5. Short steps will get you there. If you push yourself so hard and exercise every day and deprive yourself, sure you will lose weight but I have seen it often when people (me included) create this exercise routine and “diet” plan that is so difficult that after a couple of months or a year later, they are back to the weight they started with. The small changes are slow, but they will help you keep up with it. So if you are used to eating a whole bag of chips, next time you eat half, and so on and so forth, until you notice that 1 bag will last you at least 2 weeks .

6. Remember is not only about losing weight, is about changing your lifestyle. Changing the way you think about food and getting to know your body and when it’s actually hungry or just plain bored or thirsty!

7. Get informed!! See what is out there and apply it to your life IF it fits or it feels right.

Most important…HAVE FUN….that makes all the difference and remember that your perception is always your reality. If you are interested on seeing before and after pics you can take a look at the “Everyone’s before and after pictures” thread, I am on page 4.