Dawn’s Weight Loss Journey

So. As I keep movin right along (Cue the Muppets please!)

 

I thought it was important to note a few things I now do that I will always do. Little changes made here and there…These things I will take with me till always.

 

Sugar.

I don’t use it any more. I went from having a cup of coffee every morning with THREE TABLESPOONS of sugar. As a matter of fact, it was often asked of me “Would you like coffee with that there sugar?”

 

This was one of the first changes I made. I switched to Equal. After about a week, I was so used to it, I have never ever missed my sugar. I will never go back to sugar. I will continue to explore sweeteners to find the healthiest one for me. But NO MORE TABLESPOONS in my coffee.

 

Pop. (I am from
Ohio and yes, we say POP!)

I drank about two cans per day, and on the weekends 3-4. I was a RABID diet pop hater. I refused, even three months into my journey, to kill the pop. I went with water or without. Did NOT want to drink diet.

 

But, as with most things, I soon got bored. I love me some water, don’t get me wrong, but there is only so much I can drink before I get bored to tears.

 

So I ventured into diet pop. I now drink MAYBE one can every other day, and not even. I love Diet Orange Sunkist, Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, and Diet Mt. Dew.

 

When I drink regular pop now its only if there are no other options, and very rarely, it tastes like syrup to me. I hate it.

 

Labels.

I read them all the time. Even when I am not on plan. It’s a habit. A good habit. I want to know what I am eating, even if it’s a 600 calorie donut!

 

Buffalo Wings.

Okay. So what’s with this? Well, prior to my journey starting, I can say I was HONESTLY addicted to them. I ate them at least once a week. Sometimes twice. With all the bells and whistles…RANCH DRESSING…YUM…

 

I still love them. And I will indulge a time or two, but I now have them MAYBE twice a year. And only six at a time as opposed to 12 or 15!

 

Portion Sizes.

Even when I fall off plan, my portion sizes remain fairly small. I just cant put away the amount of food I used too. Period. I get full quick even when I am being bad. This, I believe, is from four years on this journey.

 

And finally, and the one I am most committed to. THE GYM!

 

Now. I will NEVER be a gym bunny. Will never be one of those people that LOVES to work out. There are days I hate it. And days that I grumble to myself inside my head the whole time I am sweating. 

But…I realize that I need it. And will have to do it for the rest of my life.

 

You see, I could have dropped the weight, eventually, with eating changes alone. I am sure.

 

But. The changes to my body have been absolutely remarkable. And I could not have gotten there without the gym.

 

I mean, I REALLY wish I had taken nude pictures of myself before starting this journey. But EVERYTHING about me has changed and reshaped. My calves. My BUTT! (I LOVE MY BUTT!) I call it my elliptical butt. I never had a butt before.

 

Seriously. I come from a long line of family members with no butts!! True, it’s a bit fluffier these days, but its still cute!

 

My arms, while still fat, are muscular. My neck seems longer. All these things are from using different pieces of equipment at the gym. And I love it.

 

Coincidently, when I regained some of my weight this time, I gained it differently too, which is a direct result, I believe, of all my shape shifting.

 

I am in better shape now, at my current weight than I ever was as a teenager at a lower weight. I can endure lots of things now I never could before.

 

I love doing 5 and 10ks now. I wouldn’t have attempted it before.

 

Yes. The gym, more than any other change in my life, is one that I will never ever give up.

 

Sure. I take breaks from time to time, but I always return like a long lost puppy…

 

It helped me, for the most part of last year, actually maintain for awhile, even when my eating went to the dark side. Simply working out helped me to maintain for quite some time…(Eventually, it caught up with me of course, or I wouldn’t be here rambling on!)

 

So, in closing, I guess the point of this blog is this:

 

If you aren’t ready yet to dive head first into this journey, then start with little things. Even things you THINK you cant do. Baby steps. Small changes.

 

Little by little, the baby steps add up. And before you know it, the landscape around you changes, and you look back and realize how far you have come!

 

And the further you travel on your journey, the less important those things seem to be…

 

Little by little.

 

Some people come here, everything clicks, and they lose the weight within 4-6 months and they are done. And that’s great.

 

Some people, well, it takes longer.

 

Don’t get discouraged. Don’t get angry. JUST GET STARTED!!!!

 

There is no right or wrong way. There can only be YOUR way.