A weighty topic...

Ugh. I've written and rewritten this post so many times and I always end up deleting it because I can never seem to get it to where I want it to be. But this time I'm determined to get it out there. Weight loss is, well, a weighty topic. Pun obviously intended.  But seriously, talking about weight loss and diets is not only painfully boring but it always comes across as incredibly condescending and self-righteous. Which isn't how I feel at all about it. So anyway, this is me just sharing what I've done recently to lose a little weight. I'm not trying to say that I think everyone should do what I do or eat the way I eat.

Last year my weight yo-yoed up and down due to three consecutive miscarriages. My last miscarriage in December left me 20 lbs heavier than my normal weight. My body goes into panic mode when I'm pregnant and holds onto everything I eat. And then it doesn't help that during the nausea of the first trimester the only things I can stand to eat are starchy carbs. So I began this year with the goal of getting back down to my normal weight again (which is 135-140, in case anyone was wondering and I'm 5'5) and regaining my health. Last month I started a new Instagram account to document my weight loss journey and my new healthier eating habits. Not only has it been a really fun and motivating project for me but it has also been a good distraction from the baby hunger and post-partum depression (yes, you can have full blown post-partum depression after a miscarriage). Recently I've been getting lots of questions about my diet and exercise routine. I'm happy to share but let me just say first that I'm not a health professional, this is just a plan that works for me.

I decided to cut out sugar completely and most carbs with the exception of carbs found naturally in some foods like beans and fruits.  I've done this before with success. I don't really subscribe to the traditional low-carb diets like Atkins or Paleo because I feel they are too restrictive. I love cheese, butter, sour cream and beans which aren't allowed in Paleo and I do eat some fruits occasionally which isn't allowed on Atkins. I don't like how meat heavy most low-carb diets tend to be, sorry but I just can't stomach steak for breakfast. I try to get my protein from eggs, cheese, milk, nuts, beans and sometimes protein drinks and I only eat fish for chicken for dinner. I also eat a TON of veggies every day. I usually have veggies with every meal and as snacks throughout the day. I do avoid some of the starchier veggies like potatoes and corn.

As for exercise I'm certainly not the most avid exerciser but I try to make sure I do something active everyday. And thus far I'm down about 17 lbs. I posted a before and after picture a few weeks ago and I got a lot of questions about what my secret was. There is no secret really. Watching what you eat (in some form or other) and working out. I do the low carb thing because that is what is easiest for me but I've known plenty of people who just count the calories or who cut back on portions or try other healthy eating plans. I think everyone is different and you have to do what works for you. I plan on incorporating healthy carbs back into my diet once I get down to my goal weight but I'm so done with sugar. I feel a hundred times better not eating sugar and I'm now convinced of how bad it is for you. Another question I get a lot is if I ever cheat on my diet or if I have preplanned cheat days. The answer is yes and no. My one left-over vice is diet soda, I love it even though I know it is definitely not healthy. Hey, I'm only human. I allow myself to have one a few times a week. But other than that no, I don't have cheat days or anything like that. 

The hardest part in all of this is being patient. People seem to want a quick fix for everything. I can't tell you how many solicitations I get for weight loss wraps, diet pills, protein powders, and other products. Weight loss is a multi billion dollar industry but it doesn't have to cost a dime. Normally I might be tempted by these products but I'm broke so I just workout at home and cook my own meals. Just goes to show that weight loss doesn't have to be expensive.

And if you hate weight loss before and after pictures, just quit reading now.

the two top pictures were taken in early January, the bottom ones were taken last week.

A few other tips I found really helpful are:
1. Keep healthy snacks around. I keep dry roasted almonds and mozzarella sticks with me all the time. You are much less likely to cheat if you have a healthy option to turn to.
2. Don't let yourself get hungry. Especially in those first few weeks. When you get hungry you get angry, and when you are hangry you are more likely to say "Screw this diet, I'm going to Taco Bell." So keep yourself from getting hungry with healthy snacks and well rounded meals.
3. Be kind to yourself in other areas of life. Take a bubble bath. Get a massage. Get a pedicure. Go to a movie (take your healthy snacks in your purse!). Start a new TV series on Netflix. Take up a new hobby. Buy yourself a new outfit, shoes, purse. Spoil yourself in ways unrelated to food.
4. Keep busy. It goes without saying that boredom leads to eating. 
5. Plan ahead. Make a meal plan every week and then grocery shop for it. Also, if you are going out to eat at a restaurant look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you want before you go. Most places have their nutritional information online. It's much easier to make a good decision in advance rather than in the spur of the moment.
6. Experiment with food. If you just eat a chicken salad every day you are gonna get really bored really fast. Look up new recipes. Try some things out. Mix it up and keep it interesting so that you aren't tempted to cheat out of sheer food boredom.
7. When you are feeling tempted it's helpful to remember that there will always be junk food. This isn't the last time you can ever have a brownie, or a taco, or french fries. Those foods will be around forever. This isn't the last time there will ever be donuts at work on Friday. There will be donuts next friday. And the next Friday. There will always be other birthdays, holidays, and events with tons of junk food. I try to remind myself that when I get down to my normal weight that there will still be plenty of opportunities to indulge occasionally. But for now I'm resetting my eating habits.
8. Be patient. I went two and a half weeks without dropping an ounce when I first started. It was hard to keep going but I had to remind myself that giving up and eating a bowl of ice cream wasn't going to help me get where I wanted either. I learned in a nutrition class that our bodies crave stasis (staying the same) so it will try to fight weight loss at first, but the key is persistence and eventually your body will start letting go of some of the weight. 

Anyway, I hope that answered all the questions I've been getting. If you want to follow along my instagram handle is wholesome_goodness.