In July of 2019 I set a goal for myself: lose 100 pounds in a year. Sounds a little crazy, yes, but in 6 months I have lost 87 pounds. Once I reach that goal I’m going to continue losing until I’m a healthy weight.
Losing weight is really trial and error. What works for me may not work for you. You have to have willpower and that’s one thing I never had until July 2010. I woke up one morning and decided that it’s now or never and I haven’t looked back since.
I don’t claim to be a weight loss expert or a health care professional. I’m just a single mama from the South who swore off soft drinks and fried foods. (Gasp! That’s blasphemy here in the south) I only drink water and my foods are either baked, broiled or boiled. I’m still learning as I go. The biggest thing, I believe, that’s helped me is using an online food diary that calculates the calories I take in as well as the ones that I burn through exercise.
Here are 10 things that I learned in 2010 that will hopefully help you too.
Only YOU are responsible for your actions, habits, words, etc. It’s so easy to put the blame on someone else but when all is said and done you’re the only person that is reflected in your “life’s mirror”. You don’t have to put butter on everything. Excuses are only excuses and only sound good or reasonable to you. “Can’t” should be struck from your vocabulary because it equals “won’t”. Soda isn’t a necessity. It’s a crutch that contains the drug caffeine. Caffeine is what keeps you addicted to it and it’s just bad for your blood sugar, heart and kidneys. Water CAN and DOES help your diet (aka lifestyle change). I had a friend tell me that their doctor said that water helping your diet is a myth. Hello! Water has NO calories or caffeine. If you’re drinking it with meals and throughout the day you’re not filling yourself with empty calories the way soda does. Exercise is fun and necessary. If you’re not moving, you’re gaining.
You can’t expect to lose weigh without breaking a sweat. You have to MOVE. I’ve learned that just because someone says they’re your friend doesn’t make them a real friend. If they’re not a positive influence in your life, you don’t need them. They’re like empty calories. Wheat isn’t a bad thing. IF I eat pasta, it’s wheat pasta and if I eat bread it’s Nature’s Own 12 Grain bread. I’m doing this lifestyle change for the right reasons: my 3 children. I can already tell that I’m not as tired when I play with them. I have more energy to play with them and it’s a lot easier to get up and down from the floor when we’re playing trains, cars, Power Rangers or whatever. I’ve learned that I can do this. I am stronger than whatever gets thrown my way. And so are you!
Here’s to a new year of lessons learned!
