Some Easy Ways to Loose (long post)

[AliRBailey]

Hello Ladies,

When I started on the IF journey at 35, 2007 (we had been trying for 4 years), I read things on the Internet saying that sometimes loosing 20 lbs could result in a positive outcome (still no baby, 3 IUI's last fall, bad economy this year).
Having been thin most of my life (I'm 5'10" and varied from a 6-8), when it was required I go on some meds that are notorious for weight gain, I gained, and gained, and ate and ate. I was a size 12 when I married in 2004 (was size 4-6 the year before), then the weight piled on. So when we started the IF road, I was 223( summer of 2007), up from 130 in 3-4 years. YIKES!
I tried the popular diets and they really didnt work long term. So, I started thinking about what I really put in my mouth and these are the "rules" for the diet I felt was best for me and lost 50 lbs (so far~have restarted on the Flat Belly Diet to jump start re-losing).

Rules Per Alicia:

-No fast food (I get McDonalds once a month without guilt)
-No soda's or sugary drinks(I drink seltzer with lime for the fizz)
-Always eat with a knife and fork, even a sandwich...it really slows down the eating process so you register "full" when you really are. (my DH thought I was crazy till he saw the results).
-Don't wait too long to eat, try not to get to that ravenous feeling. Keep unsalted nuts or a cheese stick in your purse to stave off hunger.
-WATER ~I premeasure out how much I need per day to keep track~
-No alcohol...some people can have one, not me, so I cut it out (and if you do have a drink, choose a white liquor with a diet mixer (I like Ruby Red Grapefruit Light with vodka) or a glass of real red wine, not sugary wine). A maragrita has 500 calories.
-Nothing processed, no lean cuisene, frozen "meals", however easy it is to grab
-eat only whole grain carbs (besides fruits), learn to read lables.
-Fresh dark fruit and veggies
-use cold pressed olive oil, the darker the better (but dont let it sear in your cooking pan, it looses the health benefits)
-Don't even keep crappy food in your house, even for "the kids", they don't need it...if it's there, you'll eat it.
-When you eat snacks, try 100 calorie snack packs. How many times have you opened a big bag of chips and before long you've eaten half the bag...every snack has to have an end (100 calorie snack packs)
-Buy a good scale: WalMart has a good Weight Watchers scale for about $25 and weigh yourself at least once a week (not during your period EVER)...I dont care what people say about being a scale watcher...if you really want to get real with yourself, you need to be aware. You wouldn't go month's without checking your bank statement, why wait to embrace (and get real) about where you are? If you're up 5 lbs, you can easily re adjust quickly.
-get a small food scale so you really know what a "portion" looks like.
-when you fall off the wagon, and you will, DO NOT beat yourself up and quit, just start back where you left off.
-don't expect magic results...no "Loose 50 lbs in two weeks"...no pills...all those before and after pics are photoshopped.
-don't be in the "clean plate club"...when you're full, put the rest of your meal away and take it to work the next day!
-have snacks that are easy to grab, ie low fat cheese sticks, sliced deli turkey, yogurt, carrots (yuk), fresh strawberries (they taste like a holiday!)
-I LOVE Jasmine green tea, it's in most grocery stores and tastes like flowers (not that I've eaten too many flowers...)
-If you eat meat, eat real meat, bologne isnt a meat, nor is a bratworst. (I eat meat, even red meat)...but i DO eat a bratworst about once a month, again, no guilt.

Using these tools/idea's that I came up with myself helped me loose 50 lbs. I was only going for 20, but when I needed new jeans (per DH when he said my jeans butt were too baggy, YEAH!), it was easy to keep going...so now I just got into a size 12, down from a tight 20. I'm still a big girl, but I am getting fewer comments of "when are you due??" GRRRRRR. That always makes me want to SCREAM!

Through this, I didnt exercise...I know I would have lost more, but I didnt want to huff and puff. Now that 50 lbs are gone, I'm going to start walking and doing resistance training.

I always hated those diets where you couldnt have this or that, it only made me want it more...if I want it, I eat it (just not everyday).

I'm not trying to preach, just sharing some idea's that helped me loose 50 lbs in a year, that hopefully can help with the ding bat RE who tells you to loose weight.

~Alicia
I'm collecting my before/after pics so I can keep on getting healthy.

[IWantToBeAMommy]

Awesome thread!

[Kielol2]

Great info thanks for sharing.