My Simple Weight Loss Story
I was fat. I can’t say it any other way.
That’s how it was.
I lived the good life of eating, drinking and working around the clock.
My husband had passed a few subtle, diplomatic comments.
My back had developed rolls under my bra straps. Yuk.
I’d started wearing loose clothing in heavy material to hide them. Obviously the loose clothing needed to be in larger and larger sizes!
The comments from my husband landed like seeds on the dry soil of my subconscious.
It’s easier to live in a state of denial and “cover up”.
One day I went to a “flea market” (an outdoor craft market) with a good friend of mine. She is a dietician.
We browsed our way through the numerous stalls, picking and choosing things we liked. I gleefully grabbed a summer dress from one of the racks and asked her what she thought. Mistake! (or not)
She (looking me directly in the eyes) said, “Why don’t you treat yourself to that dress when you’ve lost 5kg?”
Wow. But even more surprisingly, I didn’t react with the expected defensive mechanisms I usually have so finely honed, but instead replied, “Good idea. How will I do that?”
I think those dry seeds had drifted down into more prepared, fertile soil.
My friend sat me down and explained what she calls a lifestyle eating plan – not a diet per se. It was simple. I say that because even I understood it!
No technicalities, no calorie counting, no weighing of food!
I still follow this outline today as it makes so much sense and has become a way of life. Some of the changes I had to make included:
- I started taking my own lunch to work (I used to live on pies and subs!)
- We stopped eating take-aways
- I realised that alcohol and fruit juices were calorie-full and should be planned into the total calorie-intake.
- Meals became simple : Salad & vegetables, one protein and one starch
- I’d cook two proteins and keep the one for lunch the next day.
- I used no oil in cooking; but rather a non-stick cooking spray
- I had a lsquo;cheat day” on a Sunday – where I could break routine.
It worked wonders!
I lost 1kg a week on average. A bit more sometimes, as I started race walking as well.
I lost 15kg in total. Yeah – I said I was fat!
The biggest way to implement this was to change our lifestyle. My husband and I started thinking about what we ate and planned our meals in advance (especially lunches at work).
But very soon it all becomes habit and we didn’t notice it anymore!
Actually I saw for the first time how many other people carried little cooler packs around with them to work!
I’m clearly a slow learner. But am now a true believer.
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