Exactly how I lost 89 lbs

Exactly how I lost 89 lbs

Yesterday, someone asked me, "exactly how did you gain over 80 lbs with your pregnancy???"  I think a more appropriate (and considerate) question would be to ask exactly how I have LOST over 80 lbs SINCE my pregnancy! (89 lbs to be exact) So, that is the question I am choosing to answer instead! 

The answer is simple: dedication, commitment, and hard work.  

Now what exactly does commitment look like in every day real life scenarios? What does it mean to be committed? Well, for me, it means that when I want to take a nap with my son, I pop in my Focust25 DVD and press play instead. It means when I don't feel like cooking a healthy meal, I do it anyways. It means that when I don't want to eat my carrots, I still do. It means saying "no" to over eating. It means finding other methods to managing my emotions. It means stepping outside my comfort zone. It means getting sweaty, and sore and pushing myself harder than I ever thought possible. It means managing my time, and prioritizing my health. It means being honest about my struggles and reaching out when I need it. It means planning out my meals. It means learning to be self-motivated, and it means pulling myself back up when I slip. It means changing the way I think. It means never giving up. It means repeating all of the above. Every. Single. Day. That, my friends, is what commitment looks like.

Many people told me after I had my son that the weight would "just melt right off". They lied. Nothing melted. It has taken honest to God effort to drop this weight.89 pounds is no joke.

A lot of my patients see me now and automatically assume that I am one of those lucky individuals who is simply naturally thin. They assume that I don't understand where they are coming from with needing to lose a significant amount of weight and that I don't know what it feels like to have to purchase clothing in sizes you never thought you'd see, or to feel winded when walking up a flight of stairs. Well, your wrong. I know what it feels like to fit perfectly in a size 14. I know what it feels like to get out of breath with minimal exertion. I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! Because I too, have been there.  I wish I could say that I am just naturally thin and that I don't really have to work at it, but that'd be a lie, and I want my blog to be a place where I can truthfully express myself, preferably, free from judgement.

There are three specific steps I take daily that have led to an 89 lb weight loss over the course of 16 months.

 1)      Diet.  I follow the 21 day fix diet plan. I portion out everything in advance to eliminate excuses. Here is my SPECIFIC meal plan that I stick to almost everyday:
Breakfast- shakeology and 1 cup strawberries

Snack- 12 almonds and an apple

Lunch- chicken black bean salad (3-4 oz chopped chicken breast, 1/2 cup black beans and 1 cup of salad greens)

Snack- Fage 0% Greek yogurt cup with chia seeds

Dinner- varies (see my plan and prep blog post to get the details. )

2)     Exercise.  I  originally started working out with Jillian Michaels immediately postpartum, and it wasn't until January until I bit the bullet and purchased p90x3 and later Focus T25 (both amazing workout programs in which I will post reviews later). I REALLY wish I had taken the plunge to trying out the beachbody programs and Shakeology sooner than I did, but I am thankful I did, finally give them a try. The key here is that I give it my all. When I think I am ready to give up- I do 5 more. And I don't wait until I feel like doing it, I just do it. Even when I am busy, tired, and not feeling well.

3)     Mindset. This is the third key, and perhaps the most important. I commit, and re-commit, and focus and re-focus, DAILY. I motivate myself daily. I remind myself of my goals and where I want to be and why I want to reach them. Mindset is HUGE. You have to REALLY want it in order to make changes. I see this all the time. Patients that don't really want to make a change in their lifestyle, and yet still somehow expect to get results. These people are simply interested in weight loss. It takes more than interest though, you actually have to be COMMITTED. You have to be willing to make changes! How can you possibly see a change if your not willing to make a change?! You have to have the mindset that, despite all of the barriers working against you, your still going to make it happen rather than making up excuses as to why you can't. And along with mindset is realizing that perfection just doesn't happen. That life gets in the way sometimes or we have a bad day and lose focus. Those days will happen, but under mindset- this is where you don't let those days ruin your progress. You have to get back up and keep trying. Daily persistence is what brings results greater than you ever thought attainable. Remember- this is all about the journey, not just the destination. 

Like I said, I wish I could tell you that losing 89 lbs was a walk in the park, and that it just melted right off like everyone told me it would, but it wasn't. It is hard work, but totally worth every ounce of effort to have that feeling of health, energy, and confidence in yourself!

If you are ready to take the next steps to your health and fitness, and you want one on one guidance from me as your personal dietitian and health coach, then just shoot me an email me and I will help you reach your goals. I have done it myself, and I help others do it every day. Now its YOUR turn! 

Happy Friday everyone! Lets make it an AMAZING weekend!!!