New to this subreddit, howdy! Here's my story, for anyone interested or needing extra motivation.
I've always been a little thicker and buxom, and I've had short stints of watching what I eat and exercising more. The most successful time period was when my husband and I were living in the Twin Cities and lived 20 minutes away from the Mall of America. We'd go several times a week to walk the floors, people watch, and occasionally grab an ice cream sandwich from the dollar store. It was great! I miss that mall! I slimmed down without really trying because we were walking so much.
When we moved back to Indiana to be near family and start having kids, it was harder to find good indoor places to walk. We Hoosiers are a stagnant people 😂. Almost immediately after moving back, we got pregnant and started our journey as parents. Fast forward three years and two kids later, and I have the typical body of a mom who's thrown herself full force into being a mom - too busy and worn out to watch what she's eating (or so I thought). This past Christmas, I was the heaviest I've ever been, and every time I saw myself in pictures I was really sad and didn't like what I saw at all.
In the middle of January I decided to start making healthier choices. - I used MyFitnessPal to count calories, aiming to lose at MOST a pound a week so that I could work gradually, and to have this be a lifestyle change instead of a "diet." And unless I had something like a dinner date to plan for, I tried to eat right up to my caloric limit each day. - I used a kitchen scale to weigh all my portion sizes. WAY easier (and less to wash) than counting out chips or measuring cups of this or tablespoons of that. - I tried to commit to exercise, 30 minutes, 3x a week. And it needed to be something fun and easy like YouTube dance aerobics or playing DDR, otherwise I knew I wasn't going to stick with it. - I made a list of all the foods I snack on that make me want to eat more, then I decided to stop keeping those in the house. This included stuff like pretzels, but it also included stuff like celery because eating that stuff raw makes me want to "revenge snack." - I made a list of all the foods I could think of that I really like which are dense in nutrients and protein, and I made sure the house was stocked with them at all times. - I made a list of situations and scenarios that make me want to idly eat, and alternative things I could do in those situations (chew gum, journal, exercise, etc.) - Weighing in on Sunday, because any time I'd ever used Friday, I'd get overconfident about any weight lost and blow the whole weekend. Sunday would help me keep better account of my weekend as a whole. - I arbitrarily committed to doing all of this for no less than 12 weeks, to help me further in sticking with it. -This wasn't part of my plan, but it definitely gave me a huge boost of confidence to start: I went and got properly fitted for a bra. I'd never had a properly fitting bra in my life before, and that alone made me look and feel like I'd lost 5 pounds. (Anyone interested, PLEASE check out the amazing subreddit A Bra That Fits.)
Not only have I lost 25 pounds since then (I'm on my 9th week), and with far less struggle than I ever expected, I've noticed so many changes...
In being intentional about what I eat, I enjoy food a lot MORE. Especially the junk food, not only because I plan for it, but I also don't settle for "diet" treats or anything that I don't personally find absolutely delicious. If I'm gonna eat a donut, I'm not just gonna eat a glazed yeast from the megamart bakery; I'm going to the best donut place in town, I'm getting the one with raspberry filling and chocolate ganache, and I'm gonna revel in it.
I really like working out. I've discovered more of the physical range my body has, and I enjoy using it. I enjoy the feeling of being all sweaty and breathing hard during a cool down. I have so much more energy, and I can keep up with my family!
My husband's a naturally skinny man, but I've even seen some minor weight loss for him, simply as a result of me snacking less and therefore him snacking less with me. I'm shocked by how much we're saving on groceries each month, particularly when I feel like I've been buying double to triple the produce I used to.
I've kept this all pretty quiet, with the exception of my husband as a support and some of my close family members. It's really interesting to discover those in my circle who are more observant than others and have noticed! I'm getting to that weird point where I'm noticing things like the very contours of my face are different when I wash it. It's so interesting!
Anyway, I set myself up for a plan that was as uncomplicated as I thought I could make it, and it's been working. Really working, and in a way that makes me think I could maintain it for the rest of my life, because I feel like I'm living more fully instead of like I'm punishing myself.
I hope someone's encouraged by this! You can do it!
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