17 pounds

02/23/2012 at 4:51 pm | Posted in weight loss | 24 Comments
Tags: diet, eating healthy, lifestyle change, Mayo Clinic diet, weight loss

I haven’t been writing about something very big in my life. I’m afraid of jinxing myself.

But today is the day! Because I’m excited and it’s high time I share this with you guys.

I’ve lost 17 POUNDS since Christmas.

That’s almost a whole Sophie!

And much to my surprise, it’s been relatively simple. No crash diets. No cutting of my beloved carbs. Although I haven’t had a biscuit or a piece of fried chicken in two months. Even I can’t believe that little fact.

I really have my husband to thank. He met with a nutritionist right before the holiday, and ever since then, he’s a motivated man. Don’t even get me started on how much weight he’s lost. Probably more than 25 pounds by now. His pants are falling off him.

The neat thing about what we’re doing is that it’s going to stick. We’ve changed our lifestyle — some big adjustments, some small — with the plan that this is how things are going to be from now on. We’re eating out less, we’re more aware of calories, we’re buying mostly whole foods, we’re baking fish and chicken instead of frying them, and we only indulge in “real” sweets on occasion (the rest of the time, it’s fruit, frozen yogurt, low-cal cookies, trail mix).

It was difficult to get used to at first because I LOVE to eat in restaurants, I live on sweets, and baked meats with steamed veggies for dinner sounded so boring to me. But as the weeks pass, I realize my tastes are changing. Vegetables actually taste good (epiphany)! Moderating cheese and bread and sweets isn’t that hard. We’re not depriving ourselves, so I think that makes a big difference.

In fact, our little family goes out for pizza every Friday night. But we load up on salad (even Lily!) and eat only a couple of slices.

This was my lunch the other day. No "diet" food in sight!

I’ve also stopped eating until I’m uncomfortably full. That never felt good anyway. And portion control has been really eye-opening. Until now I never knew a portion of meat was the size of a deck of cards. And a cheese portion is only a one-inch cube. Shoot, I used to eat a dozen cubes (with crackers) in a sitting.

I do miss cookies, though. And sweet tea. And cupcakes.

So I treat myself every now and then. And when I know I’m going to indulge a little, I just exercise that day or keep the rest of that day’s calories in check.

I walk a few times a week, and I have a little strength-training routine that I do while I watch TV. Before we began all this, I thought it would be impossible to squeeze exercise into my schedule. But it’s not. I use my lunch hours and the girls’ nap times. I do sit-ups before bed at night. I walk to the grocery store, often pushing one of the girls in the stroller.

My Fitness Pal is a wonderful app that’s helped me keep track of how many calories I’m consuming and burning. I also love Calorie King, especially when I’m trying to make healthy choices at restaurants. And I read The Mayo Clinic Diet cover to cover. It’s been a huge help.

My favorite foods right now are: Morningstar Farms spicy black bean patties (on whole wheat tortilla with salsa, lettuce, reduced-fat cheese and a bit of low-cal sour cream), Skinny Cow dreamy clusters and ice cream sandwiches (these little suckers are soooo good!), grilled fish, and eggs (I usually scramble one whole egg with one egg white). And my favorite breakfast is a whole-wheat English muffin with peanut butter and sliced banana. Protein really helps me stay full longer (which I thought was hooey until now.)

My goal weight is about 10 pounds away, and to stay motivated I picture myself fitting into shorts and a new swimsuit this summer. Once I hit the mark, I’ll still use these tools to maintain my weight. It’s so easy, especially with these apps, so I figure why not?

Above all, though, it’s so nice to feel good. Like, really good.

I don’t get winded after climbing a flight of stairs. I sleep better at night. I don’t cringe when I look in the mirror. And I hope I’m passing on to my girls the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and self-confidence.

I want them to love themselves much sooner than it’s taken me to do it.