Over the course of the previous two weeks, I have discussed “when” I made the decision to lose weight, as well as “why” I made that decision for myself. Today, I will conclude this series by discussing “how” I was able to achieve my goal of weight loss. This is most likely the question that I am asked the most often! In the following paragraphs, I will make an attempt to explain everything in detail and walk you through each step that I took.
When I had my epiphany and realized I wanted or needed to lose weight, the first thing I did was stop drinking sugary sodas since I had seen on Oprah that they were unhealthy for you (#ThanksOprah). In a little over two weeks, I was able to lose about 15 pounds! I was now firm in my resolve. Therefore, if Oprah, the local news, or even infomercials (yep, you read that correctly) presented any type of health advice, I would jot it down so that I could learn more about the subject.
I began becoming more educated on calories and how to read labels that come with packaged foods. I immediately realized that I could reduce the number of calories I consumed by ordering some foods, such as burgers and burritos, without cheese or by eating smaller amounts (for example, a happy meal rather than a #2). After a few months, I hit the holidays, which threw off my decline, and for the first time in my life, I was beginning to see my numbers soar. At this point, I was on a roll and starting to really lose weight, but after a few months, I reached the holidays. I made the decision to start keeping a calorie log, which proved to be a significant turning point and resulted in considerable weight reduction.
The next piece of the puzzle was determining what “triggers” I had. When I first began keeping a notebook, one of the first things I noticed was that my after-school eating was where most of my calories were going. My favorite thing to do was to get a whole bag of chips from Sam’s Club, sit in front of the television, and watch whatever it is that middle schoolers watch. This prompted me to make two different adjustments. One, I never watch television while holding a full container of anything, and I always make sure to portion up all of my snacks. Two, rather of going home after school, I tried out for every play and musical (SHOUTOUT to my fellow Berry Bear Theater Nerds), and I joined as many after-school clubs as I possibly could.
These steps were what ultimately lead to my best achievement as well as my first weight reduction of 70 pounds. Bear in mind that in order to put all of these procedures into action it took me a little under 18 months. During the following two years, I began to include regular exercise, and then, when I was in college, I worked on becoming “Miss Texas” ready (more on it in a future blog). When I read back through my “how” explanation, I see that there are three main elements. At first, there was a slow buildup. I did not go on a crash diet, I did not force myself to go without food, and I did not make changes in my lifestyle that were so extreme that I wanted to quit. Second, I kept careful records of everything. If you are really committed to dropping some pounds, I believe keeping a food journal is an absolute need. Not only does it ensure that you remain responsible, but it also teaches you what truly works FOR YOU (because not every diet is effective for everyone). Third, I was able to solve my problems and remove the primary source of my anxiety.
Although I cannot promise that you will also have success if you follow these procedures, I can state that this is the approach that was successful for me. I have no doubt in my mind that in order to make a change, you will need to take baby steps, keep a food journal, and look for answers to the problems that cause you the most stress.
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