WEEK 1 – HEALTHY Weight loss journey to FEELING great!

Personally I enjoy tracking and keeping record of foods, calories and my progress so figured I’d share what I’m doing along the way.

While struggling with my weight since 2002 I’ve learned it’s a direct correlation to my emotional stress. I didn’t have the tools to acknowledge and truly feel all of my feelings until recent years but even since learning those tools, I can still find myself stress eating. (Hello pandemic!!) Sometimes it’s eating junk food, but mostly it’s just eating too much. Difference now is, I’m working hard not to shame myself for this pattern or when I eat something I normally wouldn’t and remind myself life will always have its ups and downs.

In the past, I lost weight successfully a few times:

• 2005/2006 – lost 26 lbs while attending Weight Watchers (1-2 lbs/week) and without exercise
• 2015 – Lost 13 lbs (1-2 lbs/week)
• 2017 – After gaining back weight, lost 42 lbs at times 1-2 lbs/week and other times while trying some fad diets (low carb etc.)

After slowly gaining some weight at the end of 2019, the bulk of my weight gain happened during the pandemic with 15 lbs over two months. Even with exercise I was simply eating more than I was burning but when my knees started to hurt while doing yoga I knew it was time to make some changes.

I’ve learned quite a bit along the way for what does and doesn’t work for me, and I’m always eager to learn more.

2020 Weight Loss Journey

DAY 1: Friday, September 25, 2020 weighing in at 178.6 lbs
GOAL Weight: 150 lbs
TIMING: At a healthy weight loss of 1-2 lbs per week, I’m estimating I’ll reach my goal of losing 28.6 lbs by mid February, 2021

Here are a few things I’ve done to prepare and what I’ll be doing throughout the next few months:

• Bought a new scale so it’s the same machine each week (all scales vary slightly so wanted something consistent)
• Weigh in once per week Fridays in the AM before eating
• Use the MyFitnessPal app to track my foods and calories. It’s what I’m familiar with however I find their calorie recommendation per day is quite low so I add to it. I’ll be eating between 1500-1800 calories per day, with some days a little more depending on what my body needs
• Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit while limiting processed foods
• Drink lots of water/liquids
• Exercise minimum 3 times a week
• Continue to practice yoga almost daily even if just for 10 minutes

Once I incorporated exercise a few years ago into my lifestyle I found it was something that was no longer negotiable. I find it critical not just for my psychical health but also mental and emotional health too. My personal challenge is creating healthy meals that are EASY to make. As a single parent, I tend to favour recipes that have few ingredients and like the KISS method (Keep it Simple, Stupid!). I just don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen for one meal and I’m not one who needs a meal to look a certain way (just get in my belly!) but I’m always looking for new things to try. I’ll be sharing some of my meals along the way and welcome new ideas too!