That photo is definitely not of me. I wish it was. That guy looks awesome. But it’s not me. However, I lost 50 pounds in 6 months, and I am so happy about it. It was really hard, and it took a lot of work, but boy was it was worth it! Here are a few of the changes I made to my life. It worked for me, and I understand that it probably won’t work for everyone. You might find something you can use that will work for you too.
Cutting Out the Sugar
We know that sugar isn’t good for us, but we still consume it. In addition to the weight gain it causes, sugar overworks your pancreas until it will eventually give out. This leads to diabetes down the road. Losing weight isn’t as simple as saying, “I’ll exercise this sugar away” because things affect the body in different ways. If you could exercise everything off, we wouldn’t hit plateaus. I knew I needed to cut out sugar and simple carbohydrates altogether. I began opting for sucralose instead of sugar, and I found other ways to cook and eat.
Balancing Meals with Fruit and Vegetables
Once I started eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, I started noticing a huge difference in my weight. If half your plate isn’t full of fruit and vegetables, you’re not eating enough. You might think it’s a downer to have to share your plate of meat and bread with fruit and vegetables, but it’s a good thing. It can also make eating a more exciting process. Find ways to incorporate fruit and vegetables. For instance, a simple cucumber, tomato and scallion salad with lemon, salt and pepper mixes nicely with chicken and rice. Cut up fresh fruit to put in your oatmeal. Make a stew with a lot of vegetables and your favorite type and cut of meat. Go vegetarian and eat a variety of legumes with your stew.
Having Fun with Food
I skipped bland recipes, and I chose to explore different ideas. I went with soup for breakfast. I started using cauliflower in place of potatoes. I used leeks, bell peppers and other ingredients I didn’t normally eat, and it made everything taste amazing. You can make low carbohydrate pizza for dinner and spicy sausage, leek and parmesan soup for breakfast. Use your crockpot to cook your breakfast overnight. Eat good food, but don’t go crazy on portion sizes. This is especially true for those with a gastric balloon, which helps people to lose weight by eating less. You want to eat healthy and proportional to what your body really needs.
Aerobics and Dance
I started really sweating it out with aerobics and dance. I chose upbeat dance songs and old house mixes to dance to. Turn off the lights and bump your music as you dance. Use glow-in-the-dark sticks, bracelets and other accessories. Don’t think of rules or being boring when you’re exercising. Decide to have fun with it. A lot of people have mobility issues in the world. Celebrate your body and move it in the way you can.
Weightlifting
Another change I made was that I got into weightlifting, and I found that I loved it. Weightlifting doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to make weird sounds while doing it. Plus, an entire session is relatively short compared to the amount of cardiovascular exercise you normally do. You’ll start to love how you look too. Exercise has a way of making you look more youthful. Don’t be alarmed if you start gaining a little bit of weight from weightlifting. That happened to me, but you should know a pound of muscle burns 50 calories while at rest. That’ll help you to shed weight more easily.
Taking Time to Savor Moments
So often when we want to achieve a goal, we focus on getting to that point but not about anything along the way. I realized, though, my change was about transitioning into my true self by cutting out what I didn’t need. The real me enjoyed moving and dancing, the real me likes to use my muscles, and the real me enjoys scrumptious food that wouldn’t make me feel horrible the next day. It wasn’t just about losing weight. It was about actual change to live a higher quality of life. That means I wasn’t going to go back to unhealthy ways once I lost the weight, and I haven’t.
You have complete freedom in what you choose to do in life. This includes how you lose weight and achieve optimal health. Decide to make it fun and enjoyable.
