I started this journey back in April, knowing I was in for at least 6 months of supervised dieting. So I decided, if I'm going to have to do it anyway, I was going to make the best of it and drastically change my habits. The way I look at it, this will put me that much closer to success in the end, and increase my chances of having a smoother adjustment period post-op. So far, that's been absolutely correct. I am super happy to report that, as of today, I have lost 25 lbs! Well, 25.2 to be exact, but who's counting, right? Oh wait...I'm counting. In 7 more pounds, I will have successfully shed 10 percent of my starting weight, and I have no reason to believe I won't hit and surpass that well before my surgery date.
So now the big question: so many people around me have asked, "how are you doing this?" Well, I'm happy to tell you! Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE to talk about myself, and especially my successes, so buckle in, because this is bound to be a long read.
We'll start at the beginning. When I started all this, I was shocked and alarmed to find that I weighed 335 lbs. Yeah, you read that right. It's the heaviest I've ever been in my life, and SO not okay with me. I even have a hard time typing that number now, even knowing how far away from it I've gotten, and how much further I'm going to continue to go. It was easy for me to hide from the truth...I've always enjoyed great physical health, and am far more fit than the number on the scale might lead you to believe. I also carry my weight pretty well. I'm on the taller side of average and pretty muscular, so I look about 40 pounds lighter than I really am. I could clean up at those "guess your weight" games they play at amusement parks, if I were willing to share my actual weight with complete strangers!
Well, it pretty much goes without saying that seeing the naked truth in digital numbers in front of me was more than a bit sobering. I knew that big changes needed to be made, and fast. So I started gradually eliminating things. I read this article on livestrong.com about the benefits of giving up soda, so that's where I started. I thought I was doing ok because I was only drinking diet soda, but the truth is, I still wasn't doing my body any favors. As someone who already takes a stimulant med for ADHD, I certainly didn't need the extra caffeine to drive up my blood pressure, and the artificial sweeteners...well, the jury's still out on whether or not those are TRULY harmful, but I look at it like this: if I don't KNOW for sure, why risk it? So I started by switching to caffeine free sodas, then went to only clear diet sodas with no caffeine. Once I had a handle on that, I started drinking water flavored with Mio or Crystal Light, then gradually reducing even that, until I was drinking only clear, unflavored water.
If you had told me 3 months ago that I would not only drink just water, but come to actually prefer it, I'd have told you that you were insane. But now I drink a gallon or more of water a day, and I find that I've started to actually crave more water. It has to be super ice cold, and I don't care for tap water, but I'm getting it in. On very rare occasions, I will drink iced tea (decaf if I can get it), and even more rarely, I will still have a can of soda, but I don't drink anywhere near the amount that I used to.
Cutting out soda and changing nothing else about my diet netted me a 6-pound weight loss in the first 2 weeks, but there's no sense in doing things halfway. So I started taking a look at the food going onto my plate, too. I learned during my research on Obesity Help and sites like livestrong.com, Spark People, and My Fitness Pal that lean proteins are hugely helpful in weight loss. I have a hard time getting in my proteins because I'm a vegetarian (more on that later), so I've found that the best way for me to add protein is in beverage form. It doesn't work for everybody, but it's what works well for me. I particularly love Syntrax Nectar because they come in a bigger variety of flavors than most shakes, and they don't have that horrid protein aftertaste and smell that are so common in protein-enhanced foods. My favorite flavors are the Cappuccino and Fuzzy Navel. I like to mix the Cappuccino with their Vanilla Bean Torte or Double Stuffed cookie flavors to make a drink that's just as good as anything you can get from Starbucks, with a whole lot more bennies!
Here's the nutritional info:
This label is for the Cappuccino flavor. Some flavors have 100 calories, but they all have no fat, no carbs, and that wonderful 23 grams of protein!
So back to the vegetarian thing. I love animals, really I do, but honestly, my decision to go vegetarian had very little to do with fluffy bunnies. I was mostly motivated by the fact that I don't love the idea of all the chemicals and other nasties that go into meat processing...I'll spare you all the disgusting photos and web links that are usually associated with this mention...and I, personally, just generally feel better when I don't eat meat. My digestion is smoother, and I have more energy and fewer problems with my joints and skin. Again, it's not for everyone, but it works for me. I'll be the last to tell anyone not to enjoy a big fat steak, if it makes them happy, but if you ask me why I eat the way I do, you should be prepared for a lot of information! If, after hearing me talk, you still want that steak, that's your business and I won't try to change your mind. I do still eat eggs and some forms of dairy...for me, protein was nearly impossible without those.
And now for a gratuitous picture of a typical lunch for me. This salad contains dark leafy greens, Laughing Cow cheese, a cup of sliced strawberries, and a vegetarian protein patty from Morningstar Farms. On this particular day, I think it was California Turkey flavor. I like my dressing on the side, and it's usually some sort of vinaigrette. I never eat more than a few tastes of the dressing anyway.
Breakfast is either Greek yogurt and fruit, or an Egg McMuffin with no canadian bacon. Dinner is more often than not a similar salad, sometimes a shirataki noodle stir fry or an omelet, and half a cup of nonfat cottage cheese. I use the protein shakes I mentioned before as a snack twice a day, and, honestly, I don't ever get hungry or feel deprived. I pin a whole lot of vegetarian recipes, and I visit more food blogs than I ever did before I started eating healthy. I'll put some of those in my blogroll as time goes on. Right now, I'm a bit too busy enjoying the process of learning about new recipes myself, and I don't have a huge list of readers, but I do LOVE to share, so don't hesitate to ask if you want to know!
This has already become a bit windy, so I'll wait to talk about my exercise habits til next blog. See you soon!
Love,
ME
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