Weight Loss Made Easy
Many people have been coming to me recently about how I managed
to lose so much weight so quickly. The truth of the matter is
that weight loss really is a choice that we have to make. When I
reached my peak weight of nearly 400 lbs, I knew that I either
had to lose weight or I was going to die of a heart attack. So I
made that choice that no matter what I was going to lose weight.
The first thing I had to do was identify what healthy eating was
for me. I had spent many years addicted to fast food, caffeine,
sugar, and starches. So for me, Adkins was a great diet plan. So
I began that process. First I cut out all regular sodas and only
drank diet soda. Then, I increased my water intake to 8-10 8 oz
glasses of water every day. Changing our lifestyle is a gradual
process I don't suggest anyone who's had a food addiction to
just very abruptly change everything about their current eating
habits. The next thing I did was cut out fast food. That was a
hard one. I remember, many times having severe cravings for fast
food, for something juicy, and greasy. Every time I would drive
by McDonald's or Taco Bell, I would almost pass out thinking I
was starving and that I had to have fast food. But in reality,
any fast food place you go to has healthy choices. For instance,
McDonalds and Wendy's both have salads which are definitely
healthier than a Big Mac and Fries. I remember calling a friend
and I couldn't hardly stand the cravings. She talked to me and
helped me over the hump.
The next thing that I did was I cut down on all sugar. I looked
at labels very closely anything that was high in sugar, I didn't
even buy it and bring it into my home. There are many items that
are sugar free that are just as good as something high in sugar.
I used to really struggled with liquids because I liked Dr.
Pepper. But I have found that Crystal Light is just as good as
Dr. Pepper and it has no calories. There's also some really good
ice cream bars out there that are sugar free. I used those as a
treat once a week when I stayed on my plan all week, I got an
ice cream bar.
The next thing I did was cut out the carbohydrates. That was the
hardest thing I did. The cravings usually last about 3-4 days
and I did really well after that 3 days. I still craved carbs,
but not nearly as much as I had in the past. By the end of the
first week of a carb-free diet, I had lost 11 lbs. I was so
excited. I could finally see the numbers going down and results
of my hard work.
Losing weight isn't just about eating healthy. It's also about
exercise. I started exercising at about the same time that I cut
out all the unhealthy things out of my diet. As you can imagine
at 400 lbs, I had a really difficult time with exercise. But the
more weight I lost, the easier it became. Today I go to the gym
6 days a week for about an hour a day. You don't have to work
out 4 hours a day. In fact, it's more healthy if you just do 30
minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of sculpting. This will prevent
you from getting lose skin especially when losing large amounts
of weight like I have. I didn't hire a personal trainer, however
I highly suggest anyone who is wanting to lose a large amount of
weight to hire a trainer to help you monitor your progress. It's
important to not lose to fast. Weight loss isn't a quick
overnight process. It is a one day at a time journey into health
and well being.
I also believe that weight loss is a spiritual journey. I found
that when I really started believing in a Higher Power and
really started my spiritual journey, it was so much easier for
me to lose weight. I would pray to my Higher Power each morning
and ask Him to help me to stay on track that day. When I didn't,
I would inevitably fall off the wagon. I found that during this
time, I grew spiritually by leaps and bounds. I developed a true
sense of who I am as a person. You see, with each and every
pound that I gained, I lost a little bit more of myself. I was
hiding behind all the extra pounds. Today, I can say that I
still have about 110 lbs left to lose, however, I am healthier
and more fit than I have been since I was in high school.