Sunday, February 26, 2012

That nasty "D" word!

Yes, the "D" word.. DIET!!!

A diet doesn't have to be just another bad 4 letter word. It's actually a good word. It's a word that describes how you eat. You can have a good diet or a bad diet. Everyone has one or the other.. I slowly decided to change my bad diet into a good diet. These changes allowed me to recently loose over 25 lbs!

I'm going to go over just a few simple things I did to change my diet so maybe you can get a few ideas on simple things y'all can do to change the way you see and feel about food.

1. I started out doing the Atkins way.. I count carbs on everything! You'd be really amazed at the amount of GOOD food you can eat on Atkins. I have to admit it's challenging at first, but after you get the hang of it, it's actually fun to find new recipes to try and test with your friends. :) I don't stick to it quite as strictly as i probably could though..

If something is high on carbs and that's all that's available (like pizza) now I'll eat 2 pieces instead of 3. I eat a 1/4 plate of spaghetti noodles instead of 1/2 plate (buying the wheat kind as usual). It's not something I eat everyday. It's way high in carbs!
My spaghetti sauce I buy has the lowest carb count possible ALWAYS! This is dependent on which store I shop at. It's not always the same.

2. I try to never shop hungry!!!

3. I watch my portion sizes on EVERYTHING except water.. I just drink as much as I can. I carry water with me everywhere I go! We often mistake thinking we're hungry and it's really thirst. Not only that, but if we're not drinking enough, our bodies are living in a survival mode and wanting to hold on to all of water it can hold to sustain us cause it thinks that water is scarce... This causes us to hold a lot of excess water weight. I was shocked how much water weight I lost by just drinking more water. It seems like the opposite would be the case doesn't it? lol

4.
I eat "no sugar added" sweets. I eat omelets almost every morning. I never ate them EVER before starting to diet. I can have so many good foods that I am really missing NOTHING! The sugar free alternative are really good!!!

5. Stop eating when you're FULL and not STUFFED, If you do this you'll fell so much more satisfied. I am convinced that overeating leads to a stretching out stomach and it actually takes more to fill it. I've never been told that, but that's my own personal theory. Now I eat less and I'm fuller longer.

6. Have plenty of low carb/sugar free snack foods on hand. You don't want to feel like you're punishing yourself by being on a "diet." Also if you don't prepare, you can get off  track and have to grab something that is probably not the best choice.

7. Find a buddy! It is a great help to have someone that wants to loose a few pounds a long with you! I didn't have anyone start when I did, but I had two close friends that had committed to doing Atkins and they paved the path for me to start. Seeing how great they looked inspired me to start.

I really hope these tips will help you and make you feel encouraged on your weight loss journey. That's what it is.. It's a one day at a time plan. It's a decision that you make that will change the way you think about food. I know I see it differently. YOU are the one that has to make the decision. No one can make it for you! I finally reached my 25 lb weight loss goal, and I've actually passed that without trying. lol I feel better than ever!

I went for a long walk with the children down a small portion of the Natchez Trail in Mississippi today and didn't get wore out! What a great feeling! :) I'll have to dig up a "before" picture and take and "after" picture soon and add her for y'all to see. Last time I checked, I had lost over 25 lbs, 7 1/2 inches, and 2-3 pant sizes. Some size 8 are to big for me now! You know how long it's been since I've seen size 8??? 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I wish you all success on any journey you find yourself on. God bless!












Right: This is Before and After I lost 30 lbs! You can't really tell in my arms because of the shirt, but you can tell in my face, neck, and thighs!

1 comment:

  1. Lisa: TeamBrazeltonApril 17, 2012 at 10:55 PM

    You look GREAT! I'm right behind you ~ after lots of frustrating diet plans, I finally went on a high protein/low carb Atkins style diet and FINALLY lost my 1st 10 lbs of about 30 I'm working toward. Since our DC trip, I've been off the strict diet and exercise, have still watched my eating, and have maintained,BUT am now getting back with the program. So happy for you!!!! You are an inspiration to me!!!! :)

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