Over the past decade or so, I have gained what has amounted to approximately 60 pounds of excess weight. Granted, my weight has fluctuated up and down primarily because of pregnancies, however, even after losing “baby weight” I seemed to gain 10-15 pounds between each child.
During this time, I have attempted to lose weight, using several different methods, on many separate occasions. Some of these methods provided short-term success, but it seemed that whatever weight I lost always managed to find its way back to me.
If I calculated only the four “major” attempts in which I lost a significant amount of weight with a program, it would look something like this:
Attempt 1 .................... Lost 35 lbs .................. Gained 70 lbs
Attempt 2 .................... Lost 25 lbs .................. Gained 35 lbs
Attempt 3 .................... Lost 20 lbs .................. Gained 30 lbs
Attempt 4 .................... Lost 30 lbs .................. Gained 25 lbs
Total ...................... Lost 110 lbs ............... Gained 160 lbs
Give or take a few pounds here and there where I may have lost 5 or 10 and gained back the same, it seems that somehow, even though the ‘designer diets’ were successful in the beginning, I could never maintain the weight loss that I had achieved.
Why is that?
I started to wonder about what might have gone wrong. Obviously the diets were working, because I was losing the weight. My clothes were fitting better, I had more energy, and felt great overall. But what was lacking was the long-term solution for weight “control.” Once I lost the 20-30 pounds that I wanted to lose, I no longer needed to lose weight, so I “stopped” the diets! Silently, but without fail, the pounds snuck their way back on. It was then that I realized that all of these designer diets did not provide a *realistic* long-term solution to maintain the desired weight level.
Oh sure, they call them “maintenance,” or “lifetime maintenance” stages, plans, programs – but I have yet to find one that is realistic for ME. When I say that, I mean a program designed for a working mother of four children under six years old. Something geared for a working person who usually eats meals while ironing clothes just to save time. Something geared for a busy person who HATES programs!
I decided the only way I was going to find a program that was geared towards my lifestyle was to design one for myself. Taking everything I had learned from all of the different programs, diets, meal plans, etc., I basically squished them altogether into one big batch, took out the bad stuff, dumped the boring stuff, added a bit more of the good stuff, and came up with a Franken-diet, if you will.
So far, I have lost 35 pounds and I have kept it off without fail, and I’m on my way to lose another 25 pounds before the summer (you see, I have a few new bikinis that I need to fit into :-)
Disclaimer … I am not a dietician, nor a doctor, and I am not purporting or even pretending to give any advice on how to lose weight. If you are looking to change your own eating habits in any way, shape or form, seek professional medical advice first. This is my personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I cannot be held liable for any actions of those who may read this article.
Read full disclaimer
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How Did I Get So Fat In The First Place?
It has taken me a very long time to admit that I was F-A-T … shhhhh – not so loud! I used to make up excuses and say things like, “I have a few extra pounds, but that’s okay, I can lose them whenever I want.” Or my favourite, “I’m just building up my winter supply.” When I discovered that the 55 extra pounds and a BMI of 30+ actually put me into the category of “obese,” I freaked out. I mean, really freaked out! Me? Obese? Impossible! … But, in the famous words of Shakira, my hips were not lying. I finally admitted that I was actually overweight, and not just carrying “a few extra pounds.”
So how did I get there?
I think the best place to start would be at the beginning. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I typically weighed anywhere from 115 lbs to 120 lbs. (I am only 5’2”) My metabolism was that of a young woman, and I never really had to worry about my weight. I ate whatever I wanted, however much I wanted, and whenever the mood struck me. This continued for a number of years without repercussion.
Fast forward to around the age of 25, and things started to change. My metabolism began to slow down, and my life became a little more sedentary. I actually found the numbers on the scale increasing for the first time in as long as I could remember. I reached 155 lbs and realized that I had a serious problem on my hands. But, because I never had to worry about losing weight, I didn’t know how to stop the process. I tried all the fad diets, clinical diets, doctor supervised diets, some successfully, some not so successfully.
Let’s fast forward again another decade, and I found myself the mother of four children in six years, and a whopping 176 pounds. And, at the height of my pregnancies, I tipped the scales at 205 lbs! After the birth of my fourth child, I decided that drastic measures needed to be taken. I waited the obligatory six months for my body to re-stabilize after the birth, and got down to business. The business of losing weight.
My story is not unique – millions of people in North America are in the same boat. The purpose of my writing is to hopefully inspire others to take action and take control of their own lives.
Stay tuned!
Disclaimer … I am not a dietician, nor a doctor, and I am not purporting or even pretending to give any advice on how to lose weight. If you are looking to change your own eating habits in any way, shape or form, seek professional medical advice first. This is my personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I cannot be held liable for any actions of those who may read this article.
Read full disclaimer
So how did I get there?
I think the best place to start would be at the beginning. When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I typically weighed anywhere from 115 lbs to 120 lbs. (I am only 5’2”) My metabolism was that of a young woman, and I never really had to worry about my weight. I ate whatever I wanted, however much I wanted, and whenever the mood struck me. This continued for a number of years without repercussion.
Fast forward to around the age of 25, and things started to change. My metabolism began to slow down, and my life became a little more sedentary. I actually found the numbers on the scale increasing for the first time in as long as I could remember. I reached 155 lbs and realized that I had a serious problem on my hands. But, because I never had to worry about losing weight, I didn’t know how to stop the process. I tried all the fad diets, clinical diets, doctor supervised diets, some successfully, some not so successfully.
Let’s fast forward again another decade, and I found myself the mother of four children in six years, and a whopping 176 pounds. And, at the height of my pregnancies, I tipped the scales at 205 lbs! After the birth of my fourth child, I decided that drastic measures needed to be taken. I waited the obligatory six months for my body to re-stabilize after the birth, and got down to business. The business of losing weight.
My story is not unique – millions of people in North America are in the same boat. The purpose of my writing is to hopefully inspire others to take action and take control of their own lives.
Stay tuned!
Disclaimer … I am not a dietician, nor a doctor, and I am not purporting or even pretending to give any advice on how to lose weight. If you are looking to change your own eating habits in any way, shape or form, seek professional medical advice first. This is my personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I cannot be held liable for any actions of those who may read this article.
Read full disclaimer
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Personal Disclaimer for This Site
The information presented within this website, and any other related article, regardless of how remote the relation may be, is strictly based on my own personal experience. While I make every effort to ensure information is free from error, the information contained in any of these articles is intended for entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace the advice of a qualified medical practitioner. Publishers and any authors of the material contained within this website and related articles, cannot be held responsible for any loss, injury, liability or death whatsoever caused by the following of, use of, duplication of, replication of, or reproduction of any information given. Any persons or companies associated with this article, and any other related articles, are not qualified, nor do they purport to provide medical advice. The contents of this article are a reflection of my views acquired through independent research and personal experience only. The advice of a qualified, professional medical practitioner is strongly recommended before any changes or alterations to your daily diet are made. My intention is only to present information about my own personal actions that I believe to be safe and beneficial to myself, and which are performed on my own will and volition. Because I have no control whatsoever over how someone reading this article may interpret it and act upon it, I do not assume or accept any responsibilities should a reader decide to do what I have done. By reading this article, you agree with this disclaimer, and you understand that if you decided to eat what I ate, and do what I did, it is of your own will and volition, and you are solely responsible for any result of your actions.
I Am Not A Doctor!
Before I continue along with my site, I need to put out a bit of a disclaimer. Please read this carefully! … I am not a dietician, I am not a nutritionist, I am not a doctor, and I am not even remotely purporting or even pretending to give any advice on how to lose weight. If you are looking to change your own eating habits in any way, shape or form, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST!!!
Seek professional medical advice, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT simply listen to what anyone tells you, especially someone you do not know who decides to tell their own story in a blog! (Including me!) This is simply my own, personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I think that pretty much covers it, but because I cannot control the actions of some who may read this article, there is a full disclaimer available here to protect myself and the reader from each other. I will also include a link to the full disclaimer at the end of each article / posting.
Seek professional medical advice, and do not, I repeat, DO NOT simply listen to what anyone tells you, especially someone you do not know who decides to tell their own story in a blog! (Including me!) This is simply my own, personal story about my struggles with weight loss and how I overcame them. I think that pretty much covers it, but because I cannot control the actions of some who may read this article, there is a full disclaimer available here to protect myself and the reader from each other. I will also include a link to the full disclaimer at the end of each article / posting.
How I’m Losing Weight Eating Bacon, Eggs, and Cheese
In the past six months, I have lost 35 lbs, and I plan on losing another 25 lbs over the next four. Given my recent success, I know this is possible, and I thought it would be a great idea to chronicle my success while I was going through the experience, rather than *weight* until later (sorry, had to do it).
I am not starving myself, I do not take magic diet pills or potions, and I do not go to weight loss clinics. I do not get injections, I do not count calories, nor do I use point systems. I do not weigh a single bit of food, I do not eat six meals a day in three hour intervals, and I do not have any special weight loss food in my pantry. In fact, I eat whenever I want, (almost) whatever I want, and as much as I can manage. Really! Believe me when I say it has certainly not been an easy ride, but the process has worked. And, the most amazing thing is, my main meals often consist of bacon, eggs and cheese.
"How is this possible," you ask? Well, this is the reason for this website. I’m going to tell you. Everything. For free. I will post some of my daily menus, recipes, etc., and give you all the information I can about how I did this (and how I'm doing it again!)
I am not starving myself, I do not take magic diet pills or potions, and I do not go to weight loss clinics. I do not get injections, I do not count calories, nor do I use point systems. I do not weigh a single bit of food, I do not eat six meals a day in three hour intervals, and I do not have any special weight loss food in my pantry. In fact, I eat whenever I want, (almost) whatever I want, and as much as I can manage. Really! Believe me when I say it has certainly not been an easy ride, but the process has worked. And, the most amazing thing is, my main meals often consist of bacon, eggs and cheese.
"How is this possible," you ask? Well, this is the reason for this website. I’m going to tell you. Everything. For free. I will post some of my daily menus, recipes, etc., and give you all the information I can about how I did this (and how I'm doing it again!)
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