Real Talk: Weight Loss, Part 2

To continue down the path, I had to get on a routine that would help me eat properly without feeling like I was depriving myself. I just altered what and how I ate.

My Regimen

-Eat 6 times a day.
Yes, 6. 3 major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), 3 snacks (Fiber bar, yogurt, 100 calorie snacks, etc).  Some would say 5 times a day (3 meals and 2 snacks, however I’m doing so much throughout the day I’ll burn off a lot of calories.  I want to avoid depriving my body of food.)

Skipping breakfast is not an option and I try to eat every 3 hours.  With this routine this keeps the metabolism moving faster and keeps me on a consistent eating schedule.  This way, I’m not a super grouchy person if I haven’t eaten!  If I go 4 hours without eating, I get light-headed!

Snacks should consist of healthy stuff that also taste great.  For instance, if I wanted a cookie or something sweet, I would opt for buying these or these. Both taste like sheer heaven and isn’t high in sugar to sweeten!

-Cut my sugar intake.
If I ate sugar, it was sparingly! If I had tea, I’d sweeten it with honey. To this day, I refuse to use white or fake sugar to sweeten anything.  Some other subs for sugar Agave Nectar and German Rock Sugar if you’re an avid tea drinker, like me.

-Increase my fruit and vegetable intake.
This included eating more green, leafy vegetables. Okay, we’re not 5 (for grown ups that think “Eww”). Our bodies are made to digest foods that come the earth rather than a box.  My veggies range from broccoli, collards, or spinach.

-Pig out…on whole grains
This is where I got crazy. Oats and whole grains, I got crazy with. I switched from boxed oatmeal to real oats. Whole grain pastas instead of white pastas. I changed from white breads to whole grain loaves of bread and I absolutely love granola!!

-Seasoning food should be only done when cooking. Reduce the salt intake.
Adding salt, especially after food is cooked was a no-no. I only seasoned with Sea Salt and I only used a little. Salt makes you retain and hold water like you wouldn’t believe! I trained myself to get away from the logic that food has to be heavily seasoned for me to enjoy it. Simply not true.

-If it’s not high in fiber, and low in sugar, I wouldn’t buy it.
Fiber keeps things moving – get my drift. Point blank. Period. You can’t eat and eat and eat and nothing comes back out. Beans and veggies which are high in fiber, especially. For those that proclaim from every mountain top that you have no problem “going”, understand approx. 1/3 of what you eat actually comes out. Think about that.

-Water. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of…okay do you get it?
Water is an acquired taste, but I forced myself to acquire it. Everything I drank was water. Not sparkling water. Not seltzer…WA-TER. I would jazz it up by cutting a lemon in half and tossing it in my jug. However, I strived to drink 64 oz. per day. Or more.

When eating meals, I would not drink water until 30-45 minutes after I ate to let my food actually absorb the nutrients and digest.

-Milk and dairy. I ditched it.
Do you know humans are not supposed to consume cow’s milk? Say what? Alicia’s book outlines Cow’s milk is designed to turn a baby calf into a 400-pound cow.“* Many of our bodies simply can’t process it. Lactose intolerant, anyone?

I’m a cereal monster and I needed milk, so I substituted the regular 2% milk for Almond Milk instead. The Vanilla Almond Milk. Delicious!!! Some of you can opt for Soy milk, as well.

Those of us with allergies, like myself, have it bad if you drink milk. To elaborate, The human immune system recognizes milk from another species as an attacker – or allergen – that causes the body to go into red alert. This is why many people walk around with chronic runny, stuffy noses – even asthma and allergies and think it’s normal!*

-Chew my food slowly and thoroughly.

Many of us are always in a rush to just chew a few times then swallow.  Your body will take longer to digest.  I’m still working on it, but I try to  chew at least 50 times, when the food is liquid, before swallowing.  This makes digestion a lot easier.

-Exercise like a mofo!
I hate working out. I’ve always “worked out” in some type of group setting (playing volleyball, cheering, outside activities), so actually getting on a treadmill bores me to tears. So I decided to take up some new activities at my gym. Three days a week I participated in a weights class to strengthen and tone, and joined Spin, which I heard was crazy, but I didn’t know the half.

Never the less, you must work out.  I recommend Cardio exercises (Cycling, Running, Swimming) and utilizing weight training for strength (Free weights or machines).  Pilates and Yoga are excellent for working on flexibility and the core.  Get with a buddy who has the same vision and goals as you and work together!

Getting Motivated

I pushed myself for months. Constantly taking away excuses to fall backwards. Remembering my beautiful dress being torn to shreds just to go across my back that was 2 sizes too large made me push harder. Spring time barbecue, you say? I would let the host know I would bring my own foods. I would purchase zucchini and yellow squash and boca burgers to have on the grill. Over time, I no longer craved so many of the things that were bad for me. If I did, I substituted something that was good for me to fulfill the need.

The Results

I lost 15 lbs.  Kid you not.  Between Feburary 2011 – May 2011, I stuck to this plan and it worked.  It was extremely hard at times.  However I made all the gym instructors aware of what I was trying to do and they pushed me when the pain set in!  As far as my dress…:)

I fit into it perfectly! The same dress you see here that exposed my back upon arrival zipped with perfection.  I didn’t have to have the seamstress alter this dress not one bit!

Staying motivated
Now that the wedding is over, I have been continuing on this path and it feels great. It’s a lifestyle now. I admit: I am far from perfection and not always a good girl. However, I get up and get back on track to being better. I want to continue to live healthy and be healthy to live a better and longer life for me, my Husband, family and one day children.

A word of advice
-A lot of diseases, ailments, skin issues, and whatever else that ails us typically comes from the foods we eat. So much of our foods are processed, filled with hormones, come from a can or box, or they are microwaved.

This about this:  diseases and ailments that plague us come from within.  We go to doctors to get checked and they all exam what’s going on inside of us.  Even if you see a dermatologist or allergist, they will make a diagnosis of your issues based off of your inner body or when your body releases histamine when having an allergic reaction.  So if you’re on a path to lose weight, why don’t you think the food you put inside you would not have the same effect on your body, as well? It starts from within!

-Bloated much? Have a “pooch” or “muffin top” that you constantly keep working on and see no results? Chances are: it’s the foods you eat.

-You have to have a diet high in fiber to really keep things moving. Women should eat about 20 grams of fiber per day; men, 30 grams.

-Food that does not come out stays “stuck” in your body and seeps through your insides.  If you find yourself always taking something to “go”, you have to increase your fiber intake. To add to fiber intake, I truly believe in colon hydrotherapy. If you’re in the Atlanta area, I can recommend a phenomenal place!

-These “get quick” diets that have you take away carbs and what have you are not good for you. Eat more foods that are locally grown and require you to actually cook instead of “heat up” and you really can eat what you want, even more! Start off slow and continue to build a regimen that’s right for you. A habit, let alone lifestyle just does not start off right away.

-Set goals!  Plan your work then work your plan.  Avoid buying exercise gear because it’s cute and then never go to the gym.  Understand that issues with the body start from within then work their way out.

-It’s true what they say about diet and exercise.  If you start off with drinking 8 glasses a day, you’re already ahead of the game.  Attend community exercise classes to keep you focused.  Stay away from fried foods.  If you want to eat meat, go for lean meats instead of red meats.

-Don’t deprive yourself!! Find other ways to season and sweeten! Fruits in season are much sweeter and need no sugar added!

-Stay motivated!!! What’s your motivation?

Who knew a few changes would become a lifestyle?

Source | Source | Source | Source

*Silverstone, Alicia. The Kind Diet. A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet. New York, NY: Rodale, Inc., 2009.