I swear every year for as long as I can remember, every New Year's and glimmer of swimsuit season I would vow to lose weight and get in shape. It didn't matter if my medium build, 5'8" frame was 127lbs or 203lbs. It was the same vow, year in and year out. It never stuck. I have been everything from an emaciated looking size 7 to a voluptuous size 14. I always hid my weight well. I have always been constantly aware of every bite of food I take in. Food has been the enemy, the reward and the therapist.
When I found out 5 years ago that I had Celiac Disease I had to totally change my diet. My body started functioning properly and I managed to drop about 40 lbs in a month and a half. Wahoooo! So I thought until it slowly crept back on.
Flash forward to about three years ago. I had done a live broadcast at a local gym. In talking with the owner we decided it would be "fun" for me to be her pet project. I was SO ready for it. She taught me about fitness and nutrition and kept me accountable. For 8 weeks I did whatever she told me to do. The big difference this time around...I changed my mindset. I wasn't on a diet. I wasn't trying to fit into a gown or a swimsuit. I wanted to be healthy, feel great and as a bonus, look great.
The best things I learned from that experience...
- Write down every bite of food, every drink you take
- Plan, plan, plan. If you plan your meals and workouts you're less likely to cheat
- What happens today can be corrected tomorrow
- Try new things
- Make yourself accountable to someone
- Just when you think you can't take it anymore, push harder
- Treat yourself now so you don't go overboard later
Nothing tastes better than success.
After my hard work I had gone from 203 lbs to 153 lbs. On my body that's going from a size 14 to an 8. I felt incredible. I was stronger, smaller and healthier. I used to always get sick, had asthma and felt tired constantly. Almost all of that went away.
I am by no means at my final goal. I've gone back up and now back down since then. It's always a work in progress but I have the tools for success. I'm smarter about it now than I used to be.
There are so many fad diets out there that make huge promises. They don't work! You know what works? Hard work(outs), healthier eating and the mindset that you are worth more than what you've given yourself in the past. If you think of this as a temporary fix and not a lifestyle change, it won't happen.
I am not a dietician or a nutritionist, so I can't really give you advice on what to do exactly. I will share this...these are a few of my favorite sites for advice.
www.jillianmichaels.com
www.toneitup.com
www.weightwatchers.com
www.eatcleandiet.com
Make your workouts fun and hard, make your food delicious and healthy. Enjoy a healthier you and all the benefits you get from it.
Good luck!
xo
Bethany
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