For decades I have sought the meal plan, exercise, emotional help that would enable me to lose weight and keep it off without the usual starving, binging on crisps, lollies and biscuits that would follow.
I read, researched and listened to everybody around me including books (I must have over 50), TV, friends, strangers,family, anyone who had any breakthrough or loss no matter how small or short lasting to get the scales to go down and stay down.
But it didn't happen for me.
Until recently when I found a great book that helped me to understand the way my body processes the food I eat. I started eating more protein and fat and fresh vegetables and salads and less carbohydrates that meant no bread but small amounts of rice or
pasta or potatoes and walking and I bought calipers to measure fat and muscle loss and gains and started charting my progress and have in 17 weeks lost 14.60 kilos. It is amazing to me.
Mostly because I am able to eat a lot more than I am used to, I exercised a lot at the start because my metabolism was 'non existent' but had some success and the kilos started to fall away. I had more energy than before and found that after about five weeks my cravings were for fresh good food that would aid in the losses I wanted.
My lifestyle defining moment, when I realized this was for me and not just a thing I was doing till I failed and grabbed the packet of Timtams to commiserate with, came when my daughter and I were at the shopping centre and as usual the question came up "Mum let's get coffee and cake" and my reply was "no I want a salad and protein".
It struck me that I really did want it because it was the thing that was getting me to find the bones that had been long hidden under fat, the muscles that were strengthening and leading to less back pain. The stomach fat that was shrinking and revealing a body beneath not a 'blob' and I liked it. I wanted it and I was going to continue till I reached the goal I had set .
Now don't get me wrong there have been tears and anger , frustration and complaining along the way it is a hard road when you have not been used to discipline or exercise but I have grown to enjoy and want to do it for the results I've been getting.
I joined Sparkpeople which offers a site that is free where you can keep trackers of food, exercise, other goals and get loads of help and advise and share it really rocks.
Diets suck but a life style is something you can do forever and get results that you feel good about.
