So here is HOW I am doing this... I will tell you. I started out taking a prescription drug from my doctor, called "Phentermine". I took this option because at the time I felt there was no "hope" for me. I felt as if I had "tried" everything and just could not lose weight. So I started taking the pills. Once everyday, as soon as I woke up. I never felt as if the pills did anything for me, but I did start to drop weight. Along with taking the pills I also started a new plan. A healthier me plan. I did not want to use these pills to lose weight and then stop taking them and gain it all back... Oh no no no, that would not be a solution to my problem. What I was and still am after is an overall healthier me. So I started researching what causes weight gain. Come to find out, all of these processed foods, full of sodium... especially LOW FAT or FAT FREE foods... these are not going to HELP you... sure, if you eat them in moderation, but they lack FAT and FAT is what helps us to feel "full" when we eat so we will eat way more than ONE serving of them and still never lose weight! DUH! Also... SODIUM, I think some of you have heard me preach this for a while now... sodium is the devil in my eyes. It causes out bodies to retain water and store BELLY FAT! (gives sodium the evil eye)... and all of these processed foods in the grocery stores these days... they are LOADED with sodium because it helps to extend the shelf life of the foods... saving these food companies money, but cause many of us our health and even LIFE. Another important key to getting healthy is drinking water. Sodas, teas, juices, sports drinks, energy drinks.. all of that stuff are empty calories that you are just pouring into your body.. STOP IT! Drink water.. Those of you who know me and have known me for YEARS must be in shock to hear ME say this... I am a self proclaimed sweet tea-aholic! I have lived off sweet tea my entire life. Guess what? It has been almost 4 months since I had a glass of it! OH YEA!!! I also have hated water my entire life. So many times my doctor would tell me to give up the tea and watch the weight come off and I would laugh at her (You actually KNOW what you are talking about Dr. G... imagine that, a doctor who knows what she is saying... haha, seriously you rock Dr. G!) but look at me now... I drink water all day long, everyday, and I am not even tempted by the sweet tea that my mother in law keeps in the house. I even help make it sometimes and I still do not drink it. I know that it is a huge contributor to my weight being so out of control so I just refuse to drink it anymore. I tell myself it is poison. Now... if a time comes and I feel like I just NEED a glass of that tea, guess what?! I'll have it. Why!!?! Because if I deprive myself and tell myself that I just CANNOT have it, then I'm going to rebel. I have to make the choice if I want to drink it or not. I just continue to make the right choice. There have been times I have slipped up in the past. I've still had a meal from a box that contained tons of sodium, but I just don't get upset over it. I tell myself that tomorrow is a new day and to just get over it. Mistakes are going to happen and we can't go back and change them so all we can do is live with what we did and move on and do better. So the one other big difference I've made in my diet is that I try my best to never eat after 5pm. There have been times that I have messed up on this one too... because honestly, when my mother in law cooks and it is after 5pm, shoot, it is REALLY hard to NOT eat her cooking! She is an amazing cook!! I have NOT eaten when she has cooked late in the evening, but only because I lock myself in my bedroom and refuse to go toward the kitchen where the temptation of the yummy food is. Had someone brought a plate to me, I know for a fact I would have melted and ate that thing! I just start the next day over when I mess up. Could I have lost EVEN MORE weight so far had I not slipped up? Sure... but do I regret it? No... whats the point. I'm still losing and doing good. This is a slow journey. Eventually I want to only eat fresh, home made foods. I want to grow my own garden of fruits and vegetables and I would even like to have chickens for fresh eggs... I plan to live this dream one day. I believe that society is to blame for why people are so large these days. I think they have created all of these "fast and easy" meals because our lives are so fast passed, but if we could all just slow down and enjoy our lives, we would be much healthier and happier.
A "meal" day in the life of me:
Breakfast: One egg, over medium
two sausage links (small)
one slice of 100% whole wheat or 7 grain toast with light butter (butter processes in our bodies faster than margerine and is actually better for you than that other "stuff")
Lunch: CLT (Cheese, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)
Mustard, not mayo. Mustard contains less calories
Dinner: 4oz chicken breast
brown rice with broccoli and cheese
carrots
I have always heard that a "colorful" plate is best. I try to make each meal have a little of every color on the plate. Orange carrots, green broccoli, yellow cheese, brown rice, white chicken. Some slices of red bell peppers would be really good with this meal also.
Drink tons and tons of water all day long.
