The Big Secret

More often then not when people find out or remark that I've lost weight, the very next question they have is how did I do it?  And isn't that one of the biggest questions we face in this era when so many of us are struggling to lose weight and the nation is facing the obesity crisis?  Well I am here to tell you that there is no secret to how I've done it.  There is no magic pill or medical procedure or crazy eating plan. I'm not knocking other ways of weight loss because you have to do what works for you, but I knew that for me to make this work this time, I would have to fight my way through this rather than take a faster way out so that it would be a true lifestyle change that would be permanent. I'm not a professional trainer or nutritionist, but if you're interested in my weight loss process, here's the high points:

• I started by simply getting moving.  For the first week or two, I didn't change my way of eating at all and got to the gym twice a week.  Gradually I started adding on workouts until I was at the level I'm at today of working out five to six days a week.
• Next I changed what I ate. I watch my calories and try to make the majority of what I eat lean protein and vegetables and try to limit the carbs.   Carbs are my weakness and I've noticed that I lose more on the weeks that I really try to eliminate them, regardless of my calorie consumption.  I've also learned that the cleaner I eat (i.e., the less processed food), the better my weight loss and the greater my energy.
• Water is so important, but I struggle with drinking enough of it for some reason. I have noticed that I am a lot less hungry when I push the water and that I have much more energy.
• I'm still not good at going to bed early, being the night owl that I am, but they say that aids in weight loss.  I'll report back when and if I ever manage to go to bed at a decent hour.
• The true difference this time around is the friendships I've made with the people I work out with.  A lot of times when my will to work out is waning, just knowing that my buddies will be in the gym motivates me to go hang out with them. On days when I feel discouraged, they lift me up.  When I feel like I can't do something, they cheer me through it.  They provide constructive competition to push myself harder, and I hope that I do the same for them. 
• The last piece of advice that has made the difference for me this time around was that I took my safety net away. When I was getting ready to start my change, my instinct was to keep my goals to myself and let people notice my weight loss when and if it happened, but then I realized that in doing this, I was giving myself an out. So, I decided to not give myself a loophole.  I told everyone I knew what my intentions were: my friends, my family, my co-workers, random strangers in line at Subway... That's how this blog was born. I wanted to make sure that if I gave up on my goals, I would have major egg on my face. Some days, that's all the motivation I need to keep myself on target.  Take your safety new away and see what happens, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 So, no great revelations right? No new innovations or fancy tricks.  Just the basics, but as my friend and workout team mate Millie says, "This weight loss means more this time, because we've fought so hard and worked so hard for it." Well put Millie, and very true.