My Diet Journey!

I have lost 40 pounds in about 5 months. I would like to share with you my discoveries about dieting. Here are some key ingredients for a successful diet to work:
1.)Motivation
2.)Plan/Goal
3.) Exercise
4.)Diet
The order here is very important. Notice that diet is in last position. A weight loss program will not work without the previous 3 items being in effect.

Motivation

I can't tell you what will motivate you. Motivation is very individualistic. I can tell you what motivated me and perhaps add a hint or two that will start you looking in the right direction. I sent a picture to a friend via email. I thought afterwards, "Why did I do that!" I looked awlful. I am 5' 6" and at that time weighed 194 1/2 pounds. (I don't suggest you do this if you are in anyway emotionally fragile.) This weighed on my mind until I found myself saying, "Wait a minute, this is something I can change about myself. There began this Journey!"

Promised hint: Put a picture on your refrigerator in a bathing suit. Second hint:Add a note to the picture"Am I hungry?"

Plan/Goal

Any good plan should be flexible enough to allow for changes. My goal was to lose weight! I decided on 5-10 pounds a month. My ultimate weight loss would be 50-60 pounds. I kept in mind this needed to be realistic and fairly easily attainable or I would get discouraged and quit. I started a journal to track what and when I ate. How I felt, tired, bored, sad, angry. "Was I living to eat or eating to live? "I weighed at work 3 times a week to start. My rationale for doing this was simple. I work at a hospital and trust those scales. I also work the same shift and can do this at the same time of day, suggested by most diet gurus. Everything pertinant to dieting went into my journal, including the failures.(Which were few!) I also used a new wall calendar to track my weight. Rationale: This was easy to see at a glance on a monthly basis.

I decided to jumpstart this diet with a semi-fast. (the body can go into starvation mode with a total fast and the weight will not come off as well.) I used a nourishing liquid diet for 3 days. I had a glass of V8 juice for breakfast.(8oz=50 calories 0 fat) I had a small can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup made with 2% milk(about 250 calories 14g fat)Another can of soup for dinner. A glass of juice at bedtime if I was hungry. It is hard to sleep with a growling stomach!

I started walking.

(author's note:I do not suggest this plan for everyone. Please work out one that will be the best plan for you. Get some medical advice, especially if you have any health problems.)

Exercise

Walking is inexpensive and available to almost everyone. I was getting very little exercise, so I started off slow. I walked 6 blocks fairly fast the first 3 days and increased by two blocks every other day. I now walk 3-4 miles three times a week, occasionally four times a week. I decided to walk my dog, to have company and to make my walk more enjoyable. I will jog now and than too, but only a couple of blocks at a time.

promised hint: Walking is not for everyone. Find something you would enjoy doing and can/will do consistantly, such as an exercise video, dancing to music, or swimming. Do it for a minimum of 30 minutes 3-4 times a week, more often would be better. This is an area you can easily increase if you are not losing weight as you think you should.

Diet:

A diet needs to work for you. If it is too monotonous, or food you don't like, it will be much harder to continue. Learn about yourself to make this work for you. How much do you want to lose weight? How much does food mean to you? What are you willing to do and where do you draw the line and say, "No, I won't do that!"

(oops got sidetracked there!!)

I continued with the v8 juice for breakfast until I got tired of it. I had 1 or 2 cups of coffee with cream and sugar; Calories about 150, fat grams 3 unless I got heavy handed with pouring the half and half. Lunch, can of soup, usually creamed, small tossed salad or piece of fruit; Calories, 250-350, fat grams 14-20. Supper was anything I wanted in moderation from a pot roast with a small potato and 2 carrots, no gravy, to 2 slices of pizza with everything. 1-2 cups of coffee with cream and sugar. The calories are harder to estimate here but I would guess at around 300 to 400. Fat grams also vary more and from 10-15. I would have a 6 oz yogart or half a cup of cottage cheese as a bedtime snack, if I felt the need for one. Total daily calories usually under 1000 and fat grams around 20. I also added vitamins to this since this is a strict diet and I knew I would take the chance of becoming ill. I took 1000mg of vitamin C, 400IU of Vitamin E, 600mg of calcium. I would suggest a good one a day vitamin instead of doing it this way. You do get a good overall additive to your diet that way and don't take the chance of getting too much of one and too little of another. (above all, consult your Dr. for the best vitamins for you.)

I lost ten pounds a month the first 3 months using this diet and exercise. I lightened up some and am eating a bit more and losing a bit slower, but that is ok. The first 3 months proved to me I can do it and now it is a matter of losing only a few more pounds 10-15 and maintaining that. I continue to lose about 2-4 pounds a month. I continue to weigh, but only once or twice a week. I think, for myself, it would be fairly easy to put the weight back on so I will continue to monitor my weight. I plan to eventually weight once a week or every other week, after I hit my goal.

I will be including some good links from the web on dieting, or weight loss support groups. Scroll down to see a before and after picture of myself. Please feel free to email me your own success and failures in this and if you want me to include your story here, let me know that too.

Do Not beat yourself up for gaining a few pounds over the hollidays!!

Do Reward yourself for meeting your goals!!

Do Not reward yourself with food!!(clothes work for me! :))

Do remember tomorrow is a new day!!

Do not continue to say Tomorrow is a new Day!!

Do continue to exercise!!

Do make the exercise something you enjoy doing!! (must be something you like)

Do continue to keep track of your weight!!

Do not weight 2-3 times a day!! (once a week is enough)

Do send me your success stories!! (We all need encouragement)