About nine months ago, I addressed my weight issue. I told her I was ready to lose some weight, and her reaction was, “I think that’s awesome.” She had never brought it up to me. She’s so smart. Had she said something, I’m sure I would have clammed up, and probably would have been scared away. That’s when she told me about her weight loss program and sent me home with a couple of assignments. Her approach to weight loss is information. She gives her patients the information and tools that they need to make educated decisions about diet and exercise. She got me excited about losing weight. She showed me that she cared by requiring me to fix the problem within myself and my association with food. She helps her patients change their lifestyle and not just the number on the scale.
I read the book, French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. It was very refreshing! I’ve read several weight loss books, and they are all so clinical and uninspiring, but this book was different. She tells about her experiences as an exchange student in America and the weight gain that she experienced, along with her journey losing the weight. In addition, I wrote down everything I was eating in the form of a food journal. That’s when I realized something; if you are ashamed to write down something you are eating or even how much, you probably shouldn’t be eating it. I mean, there’s a big difference between eating a cup of popcorn and a whole bucket! That’s when I realized what I was doing to my body. Once I stepped away from myself and looked in, things were so much clearer to me. She also had me watch Super Size Me. What a revelation! For a few months, I wouldn’t eat a morsel of fast food. I still haven’t had McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets since I watched that documentary. I still have fast food every once in a while but nothing like I had before.
By the time I went back to see my doctor in November, I had already lost a few pounds without much effort. The next assignment was to add more fruits and veggies to my diet and to watch the documentary, Food, Inc. Watching this is startling and eye-opening! I was shocked to see where our food comes from. Such extreme measures are taken to mass produce our foods. This is when I really started changing the way Justin and I were eating. I began making everything from scratch, using more herbs, and finding exciting new ways to cook food. I started buying lean meats, more fresh fruits and vegetables, and more whole grain products. I quit buying as much processed foods as possible, i.e. the NASA experiments (see In the Bag...). Once I got started, I began watching Rachael Ray on TV to get cooking tips. If you know how to cook, you can make vegetables taste good, you can make your own take-out from home, and your family will actually like the taste of the food! Practice makes perfect. Now, making dinner is a game for me. I have this, and I have that. Now, what can I make out of it all?
I began exercising more (see In a Timely Manner...) and becoming more active on the weekends. My life has changed because of my doctor. I’ve lost 35 pounds since it all started, and I know I’m a million times healthier. I’m so grateful that she cares so much. She gives me a double high five every time I come in for losing more weight. She’s done what no one, no book, no talk show, has ever done for me…she has helped me change my connection with food. The best thing is that I’ve never felt deprived, unlike all the times before. If I want the chocolate, I eat a piece…just not the whole bar. I still have a ways to go, but I’m confident I’ll get there and keep it off!
My best tips:
• Everything in moderation: Have an actual serving, not 2 or 3.
• Cook healthy meals for your family: Don’t use a meal in a box of any kind.
• Eat out once a week or less: Eating out will surely make you overeat and consume way too many calories.
• Have dessert every night: If you have a sweet tooth, something simple like sugar free pudding will satisfy you.
• Move your body: Exercise moderately, and then increase as you get stronger.
• Stay positive: Having the right attitude will make everything you do easier.
There is no diet, no pill, or no one that can do it for you…
Way to go on the weight loss!
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