How I Started

My Weight Loss Plan

I plan to get down to my ideal weight 150 to 170 pounds by the time I am 30 years old (June 2015). That gives me about 3 and an half years. The heaviest I have been was in June of 2011. That was 305 pounds (I know you are thinking "There's NO way you've weighed that much!" well I DID!!) I got rid of about 40 pounds from June 2011 to January 2012. It wasn't easy. I had to learn to listen to my body and pay attention to what I was putting into it. Learn to make better choices with your health and life. How I did it is by doing these simple things.

1. Don't Cut Anything Out!!

         I didn't "cut out" anything.  If I wanted potato chips. I ate a SERVING of potato chips. If I wanted a candy bar I ate 2 or 3 mini's (Snickers are only 45 calories a mini). If I HAD to have a soda I Drank half a can. I either dumped the rest or gave it to Kiya. Make the decision that you don't NEED IT and stick to your decision! You have to STOP!

2. Stop taking in Empty Calories

         You wouldn't believe how many calories there is in a 12 oz soda (Pepsi- 150 Calories). I know that most people don't like the way that Diet Soda tastes. Well don't drink Soda! There is sparkling water.. Crystal Light... WATER!!! Plain Iced Tea has NO calories. Find something that you can drink instead..  One candy Bar has about 400 Calories in it! You know how many calories you are supposed to take in 1500-2000 that's almost 1/5 of your daily calories! If you can't give up the empty calories you aren't committed to losing weight.You probably shouldn't read any further.

3. Portion Control

         Eat just enough to satisfy. Portion control is a BIG thing. Don't go back for seconds!!! Chances are you are NOT still hungry!  You either ate too fast or your body is telling you that you need something other than what you ate. Drink a glass of water, Wait 10-15 minutes, and re-evaluate how you feel. If you are still hungry eat what your body tells you you want. Most of us buy a 20 oz steak and eat the whole thing. To buy a good quality steak is roughly $10 you sit and eat that (plus sides) for one meal. Try taking that steak and cutting it in half. You can cook it at once but cut half off and stick it in the fridge (make a yummy breakfast burrito the next morning). This not only will cut your food cost but your stomach will gradually shrink down to the size it was meant to be. By no means am I saying stave your self. You know Who I'm married to. He'd NEVER let that happen! However if you cut your portions gradually it will leave your stomach shrinking and you wont even know the difference. How I figured out my stomach had shrunk is by letting Rob serve my plate and I ate about half, and could not eat any more. 

Example of what I was eating a day... My typical day begins at 3:30 am

Wake up- Protein or granola bar and a 24 oz glass of hot tea with 1/3 cup 2% milk

Lunch(9 am)- Usually left overs from some time in the week.. PORTIONED PROPERLY!!

Snack (2 pm)- Something small be it 4 or 5 pieces of General Tso's, a sand which. 

Dinner (6pm)- Pretty much anything that We cooked for the family. No seconds and PORTION CONTROL. My typical dinner- protein should be about the size of your fist. Be it Chicken, Steak or Fish. WHAT doesn't matter but HOW MUCH! About 1/2 cup of starch be it rice, potatoes, pasta and 3/4 cup of vegetables.

4. Move More

          Park 2 spaces further than you normally do, take 3 trips to bring in groceries instead of 2, vacuum the living room or sweep the kitchen even if it doesn't need it. Little changes burn calories. If you make little changes again you wont see the difference. 

5. Cheating IS Important!!

         Allow yourself to "cheat" you didn't gain it overnight you surly aren't gonna loose it over night! Even if you cheat twice in one day. Don't say "oh well I will start over tomorrow". Tomorrow normally doesn't happen. Start again right then! Eat the brownie with lunch then do good with snack. Eat too many potato chips on snack but do better with dinner. It's your constant decisions to better yourself. Even it your aren't loosing a pound a day or even a week! Any loss is still Loss and it's good.

I don't think that is too much change. Like I said it's about learning to make better decisions. Your body will tell you what it needs and want's. Cravings don't happen for no reason. Most of the time you are lacking something in that food. A craving is your body's way of telling you to eat something because it's the fastest and easiest way to get what you need. I was horrible with Pickles in June/July 2011. Come to find out I wasn't getting enough salt in my diet. We have started using more salt in out cooking and no more craving.