BLT4ever

I get asked a lot how I’ve gotten all this weight off and I wrote a blog about it once.  Thought I’d post it here as a “page” to give it easy access.

1. Make the decision to be committed and don’t back down…no matter what.  This is #1 in my book for a reason.  Have discipline, get set in your mind that you are going to follow your plan, you aren’t going to allow yourself to sabotage your weight loss strategy!  Otherwise, none of the other things you try and do are going to matter!
2. Set realistic goals.  A good one that I go by is to set mini goals of 10% loss at a time.  For instance, my starting weight this time around was 248 lbs.  So, I’ve set my mini goals at 25 lb. increments.
3. Remember that the weight often comes off fast in the beginning and can slow down drastically after a week or two.  Don’t let this deter you from your commitment to yourself.  Don’t let the scale rule you, it is merely a tool.  The most important thing is how you’re feeling and how your clothes fit.  Sometimes scale isn’t kind to us but are clothes are looser and fitting better.
4. Eat 1200-1500 good calories a day.  I eat foods high in protein and low in fat, if I need a sweet snack I’ll eat something from the pre-packaged 100 calorie goodies out there.
5. Portion control!  Can’t emphasize this enough.  Take the time to measure; at least until you get the hang of being able to eyeball it accurately.
6. Eat on a regular schedule, go no longer than 3 hours between eating, allowing for three meals and three snacks a day.  I like to keep my breakfast and lunch at around 200 calories each, dinner at around 300-400 each and snacks between 100-150 each.
7. Stay away from all fried foods.  No matter what!  They are never okay for our bodies.  Never.  Keep these in the super rare treat category.
8. Exercise at least twice a day for at least 30 minutes a go.  My exercise routine - each morning I get in 30-40 minutes of all over body strength training to include sit-ups.  Each afternoon I get in at least 30 minutes of cardio, which is often just having fun swimming in our pool but can also be a bike ride or a walk.  Each evening I get in one hour of either kickboxing or karate, depending on the day of the week.  Obviously if you don’t do these activities, you can get in some other form of cardio that you find fun, even if it’s just going for a walk.  I just urge you to do it twice a day.
9. Drink LOTS of water.  At least 80-120 oz. each day.  I carry a 64 oz. giant insulated cup with me everywhere I go so that I am always drinking nice, cold water.  I very often will drink three of these a day; that is equal to 192 oz. and is a bit extreme, but when you’re sweating as much as I do, it is necessary.  Water not only helps to flush out the fat, it replenishes our cells and keeps us clean.
10. Stay away from sodas and juices…just say NO to all drinks that have calories.  I am an avid lover of milk…love, love, love the stuff.  But I won’t even drink that when actively trying to lose weight, except for on Sundays, which is my “day off”.  The rest of the days I take calcium supplements.
11. Take vitamins daily.  I take one multivitamin each morning, along with my calcium supplement and some fiber pills to help me stay regular.
12. Eat consciously, every time you eat be completely aware of the entire experience.  Eat slowly and enjoy the meal.  Make every time you eat something you enjoy doing, that will help keep you from feeling deprived.
13. Plan ahead, bring healthy snacks with you if you’re going somewhere you know that you will be tempted to have a bad snack.
14. Take one day off a week.  No exercise and no calorie counting.  This of course doesn’t mean to go wild though.  Eat whatever it is you want to eat (except for fried foods!!!) but stick to portion control.  Craved Chips Ahoy cookies all week long?  Allow yourself to have a serving on your day off.  When we allow ourselves to have a day off, it helps us fight off those maddening cravings throughout the rest of the week.
15. Keep track of your food intake and exercise daily in a log.  You can keep a written journal in a notebook; I use a program called Fitday.  I sincerely love that program cuz’ it keeps track of everything for me.  Shows me how I’m doing over time in graph form even.
16. Every now and again you’ve just got to go wild and refuse to feel guilt about it!  About once a month I will indulge myself and have pizza with the kids, or order that appetizer of fried mozarella sticks, or go to Coldstone and get a love it size of my favorite treat there.  The key is to making this a rare treat, a one meal or snack kind of thing…not a whole day kind of thing.
17. NEVER, EVER, NEVER give up!  ALWAYS persevere!  Prepare yourself, it IS going to get tough from time to time.  Expect that and you will never be surprised when it does.