10 Months.....10 Dress Sizes

This month I hit the big ONE. The milestone I have been "weighting" for, since August 27th, 2010. I FINALLY dipped below the 200s on the weight scale and I'm now back into the 100s. There is a ONE at the beginning of my weight. One may be the loneliest number, but to see that number finally say HELLO after a 13 year absence...I embrace it now as the GREATEST number!!!

A ONE.....A Freaking ONE. Hello 1. Amen & Hallelujah. FINALLY out of the danger zone. Back on the right side of the scales and heading towards the finish line. This month also marks the 10th month of my journey. 10 months ago, I was dying. I was killing myself. I couldn't move. I was eating myself to an early grave. I was a size 26. NOW...I'm bordering on a size 16. I've lost 10 dress sizes. 10 months....10 dress sizes.

After 10 months of sustaining a healthier lifestyle, making saner choices for my future, embracing fitness with a sense of desire rather than urgency and embarking on an avenue of newness that I never dreamed possible; I looked in the mirror and looked straight in my eyes and said a narcissistic "Job Well Done Joan".

I’ve been overwhelmed with these types of questions; “How’d you do it, how’d you lose weight”. “What’s your secret?” “What plan are you on?” And when I tell them the trick of simply putting down my fork and starting to move, they seem shocked at my response. I’m not sure, but it seems as if they either don’t believe me OR they don’t want to admit to themselves that the answer is SO easy. And then my response is shrugged off when I couple it with the fact that I was REALLY sick and their reaction is more, “Oh, you had no choice then, oh well it’s not that way for me:”

I’m not going to lie; restricting my diet does require a lot of will power. My former fat self ate a LOT and I ate non-stop and always ate right up until midnight. I was a binge eater. I rarely ate breakfast, but I started eating at Noon and truly never stopped until Midnight. I snacked and nibbled and ate and gorged. And my body was a direct reflection of that. I was infamous for sitting down at the dinner table, and inhaling my food and then I would get up and walk to the counter to make toast. And an hour later, I’d be munching on chips. I was fat because I ate and I ate LOTS.

Here are my secrets friends…this works for ME; it’s not rocket science…

- Start every day with breakfast. Protein, Carbs, Milk, Fruits/Veggies. Whether it is an Omelet, or regular “normal” bacon and eggs or Rice Krispies/Special K; every day MUST start with breakfast.

- Up Protein, Down Carbs. Easy Math. We NEED Carbs and taking tem out of any fat person’s diet is ridiculous, it’s the cause of the failure of SOOOOOOOOO many diets. But have them in limitation and eat the cabs in the morning and the early part of the afternoon. You need them for energy later so they store up and release over the hours. Runners do this.

- No Greasy drive thru hamburgers or Fish Filets. No KFC. Eliminate all deep fried foods. ELIMINATE. Take them out, gone.

- Stop cooking with oils and use Pam cooking spray or get a non-stick skillet and cook the foods in their own oils and juices. If you have to use oil, use the spray on.

- Broil when you can or invest in a George Foreman grill….better yet….BBQ.

- Limit milk intake. Milk is essential, but I had a gorgefest with Milk and it was one of my nemesis, so I now limit myself to 2 glasses and that includes the milk in my cereal.

- I was a COKE fanatic and it ran through my veins. I had to find an alternative, and I did in Pepsi Max. I also drink Crystal Lite in my water, when in restaurants, I take the individual packets and pop them in….makes me feel like I’m drinking Freshie. MMmmm

- Chicken, Pork…..rediscover TURKEY It’s the new “thing” and there’s something in Turkey that makes you chemically feel like you’ve just inhaled a t-bone steak.

- Veggies…..Fruits….Fruits….Veggies. Learn how to make Fruit Smoothies and fill yourself up on goodness and a wonderful healthy snack. Pop in some Protein Whey powder and you’ve got yourself a LUNCH.

- Find the time to cook at home and stop eating out. It’s cheaper, it’s healthier, it can be a whole fun family affair and you do NOT need to leave a TIP.

- I try NEVER to eat past supper time and given myself that time to have water, tea, or something that I enjoy to break the fast. And on Thursdays, I have my FUNnight when I eat Popcorn while watching Grey’s Anatomy.

- Don’t forget about Wal-Nuts and Sunflower seeds to add Protein and that nice crunch that triggers the mind that you are eating something that may resemble something that used to be yummy. Plus, they add so much flavour to salads.

- No indulging in chocolate, cookies, chips or any of the” good stuff”

- Most importantly….GET MOVING. Exercise or Workout AT LEAST 3 times per week. If you can find time EVERY day to do something physical, do it. The key is to find something that you like.

The sanest choice for ME is walking. I chose walking because it is easy, cathartic, and I am able to hum, sing, and talk to myself while enjoying the crisp night air, which is a tonic for me. It makes me feel better and my body craves it. At first, the routine was a challenge. I started out slow and ended up in sweaty clothes but eventually, the walks became less strenuous and I began pushing for longer distances. Now, I walk at least 45 minutes to an hour, every day. Unless there’s thunder and lightning... I WALK. And NOW…I’m also taking Zumba Aerobics with Kelly and Lauren at the Art In Motion Dance Studio and have recently added Latin Dance Fit to My Schedule.

I didn’t start to be thin, I started to be well. I had done weight-loss programs before with mixed results. This journey has been vastly different simply because I am not focused on losing weight. My desire is to be healthier, thinner, and to get fit. I’ve always placed far too much emphasis on getting to a certain weight and watching the scales closely. This time, I am focuses on getting fit and obviously, weight loss has come with that. For the first 9 months, I never stood on the scales to see what was happening. All I needed to know was that I was eating better and that I was committed to changing my health and wellness schedule and that I was getting out and moving, walking, exercising, doing ANYthing physical. What may have been happening on the scale wasn’t a key component of my journey. It was what was happening to me inside, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I am only 10 months into my new lifestyle but I have set realistic long-term goals to stay fit and to stay on this pattern. And weight SHOULD stay off, as long as the lifestyle changes I have made remain. And they must go hand in hand. Unlike the unfulfilling weight-loss experiments in the past, this time I am truly focusing and devoting myself to ME.

"Loving the self involves faith and trust and belief in who you are, and a willingness to take action upon it. People who love themselves come across as very loving, generous and kind; they express their self-confidence through humility, forgiveness and inclusiveness." — Sanaya Roman (Living With Joy: Keys to Personal Power and Spiritual Transformation)