How I've Lost Over 50 Pounds

[Composed on my phone... So ur bout to read my texting lingo.]
Bc I'm paranoid of being blamed for smone's heart attack, or wooziness, or even just them being outta breath after a mild run, I hafta start by saying I'm not a healthcare provider in any way, form, or fashion. This is STRICTLY MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Each person's body is unique & u shld not assume u can do ANY of wat I've done w/the same results. Get professionals involved so u can sue them if smthing goes wrong. :-)

Im long-winded. So heres the nutshell info...
Professional assistance
Eating program
Exercise
Maintaining

It's been a five yr journey for me to lose 50 pounds. It's taken constant revamping & readjustment. So in theory u can say it took a yr to lose 10 pounds... In reality, sm years, between the gains & losses I didn't even lose 10. So it TRULY is a lifestyle change if the goal is to keep it off. If the weight loss is a quick fix for a reunion or anniversary or smthing, then one of those fat flush magazine diets will do the trick & get u thru the weekend. But it'll b back within 2 wks. And when ppl continually do this type of dieting it's very bad on their body, from metabolism, to bone mass loss, to digestive system damage, skin, etc. it's really not healthy.

So... Here's wat my journey has been like....

I weighed over 200 pounds, went to the doc & got a script for Phenteramin. (It's the "good" part of phen-phen. Has been on the market since the 1950's.) For me it was PERFECT. Curbed my appetite & gave me energy. I loved it! I hv had sm friends try it and they hated it. Made their heart race, made them moody. So it's clearly not for everybody. But it was Awsm for me.

However, even while taking Phnteramin I RARELY wld lose 1 pound in a wk. I wld lose .2, .6... But I had determined at the start that ANY loss was perfect. Losing .3 is better than gaining .3!

After about 2-3 wks on phentermine I started going to weight watchers. THIS WAS VITAL for my weight loss. I actually only went for a couple months, & I still didn't lose more than a pound or two in a wk. (& that was a RARE week. It was still usually less than a pound a wk.) But, this is where I learned the diff in foods. That has proven very important long term. Counting points is a healthy way to sum up a food. I highly recommend the program b looked into.

I knew exercise was important to my weight loss, but I was so heavy at first I was 1. Too embarrassed to work out w/any1. 2. I was too heavy to workout for hardly any time at all. So wat I started doing was turning on crazy songs & dancing my head off at home. I just jumped & wiggled & boogied w/no one arnd! I loved it!

I went on a vacay, & while I was gone I cldnt dance in the hotel rm cuz it was too small. So I was forced to a treadmill. This was PERFECT! I was still alone (turns out hardly anybody uses hotel workout rms! Ha!) and I cld go as slow or fast as I wanted. I walked the rest of that vacay.

Came home & kept walking. But I didn't hv a treadmill so I was outside walking. By this point I was not attending weight watcher meetings anymore (group sessions r not my best growing environment. I'm a very private person.) but I was still counting points. I had been dealing w/some personal health & emotional issues stemming from various family upheaval so the walking was helping me on so many levels; endorphins were being released, I was away from the mess. But I was walking 5 miles a day & that was TOO long away from my kids. A friend told me to try jogging. That a mile of jogging wld do more for me in fat burning than 5 miles of walking.

I can't tell u how NOT athletic I am!!! And I loathe the phrase "go for the burn." & the concept of "no pain, no gain" is NOT part of my motivation. Plus, running seemed like such a "professional" thing to do!! I was truly, utterly intimidated by it. But I tried it... & HATED IT! Lol But did it again anyway... & again... I'm absolutely IN LUV with running now. I don't run socially. I don't do marathons. I despise competing. I just do it for ME. I hv nothing to prove. That means I can stop every time I want. I can run slow or fast. I can run, walk, then run. I can run for 5 miles or a 1/4 mile. I've worn out 5 pairs of sneakers in the last 3 years. It's one of my fav accomplishments in my life.

By this time i wasnt taking the Phentermine anymore. Running is wat pushed me into that zone where I was losing more than a pound a wk. I was losing 3 pounds, 2 pounds, Smtimes 5 pounds! I was also doing ab work, biceps, triceps, etc. toning up my muscle to fix the loose skin due to weight loss.

It's a simple matter of b aware of the nutritional content u put in ur mouth, & exercise to burn off wat uve eaten.

At this point I hv a few "tricks"...
Move, move, move!
I do not sit for more than an hr at a time. I hv a "happy exercise" that goes off on my phone every hr. included in that is "move ur body." So I'll close my ofc door & do sm pushups, or sit ups, or I'll go for a walk, or do jumping jacks. My co-workers laugh at me when I run the stairs.

Portion control
It's rare that I eat the entire plate of food at a restaurant. Our culture serves/eats WAY too much. I usually ask for a to go box when they bring my food & I immediately box at least half of my meal before I eat the first bite.

When we go thru drive thru's I always get the kids meal.

Home foods
I'm not a cook so recipes r not a weakness for me. I gv each if my teens a $20 & tell em to buy wat they want for that wk at the grocery store. I don't hv tons of food in my house.

Usually if I'm craving "home food" it's gonna b fruits & veggies in various forms. I'm not a major carnivore. This def has helped in my journey.

Junk food
I DON'T HV IT IN MY HOUSE!!!
1. My kids don't need it. They deal w/weight struggles like we all do. They eat enuf junk foods w/their friends & at their dads. They don't need it here.
2. I WILL EAT IT! I hv wimpy will-power. If I'm PMSing & liable to bite smbody's head off if I don't get chocolate, then I'll buy the fun size plain m&m's. Opening bag after bag makes me aware of how much I'm eating, so that tends to aid in portion control. I don't buy chips, I don't buy baking mixes. I just don't keep junk foods in my house. I'll eat a sundae, or fries, etc. But I eat it OUT & not at home.

Supplements
I drink protein shakes. Bc I'm not a cook & my kids don't like bfast, I hv protein shakes that we like to grab on our way out the door. I tried smoothies but for watever reason my kids didn't like them. (I'm really NOT a cook! Lol)
Check out this list for the vitamins I take. http://musingdenee.blogspot.com/2012/08/vitamins-i-take.html

When it's hot...
I hv a treadmill now that all 3 of us use. But I don't run much after May. I "stretch" & tone. It makes me sweat, builds muscle, & it gets my heart rate up. I'll run again near the end of Sept. :-)

Vitamins I Take

[Composed on my phone... So ur bout to read my texting lingo.]
Bc I'm paranoid of being blamed for smone's heart attack, or wooziness, or even just them being outta breath after a mild run, I hafta start by saying I'm not a healthcare provider in any way, form, or fashion. If u were to put me up against cooking mom's (which r at least "nutrition providers") I'd cm in dead last. But ppl hv asked wat supplements I take, so this is a bare bones list of wat I tk and why I tk them. I'm not gonna tell u how much I tk, just which ones & their benefits. U REALLY need to do at least a smidgen of research for urself so u don't tk too much, etc. Also, taking certain supplements w/certain medications can b VERY dangerous, so if ur on prescriptions talk to ur doc. (I've heard sm supplements cancel birth control, for instance. I'M NOT GONNA PAY U CHILD SUPPORT IF THAT HAPPENS!! Lol) Of course, anything I've ever read or watched that has to do w/health, nutrition, exercise, etc. is VERY clear that u shld talk to ur doc, whether ur taking prescriptions or not.

Oh! BTW... I'm aware whole foods is a better option than supplements. So I'd like the health gurus not to gv me grief. Just write ur own blog for Pete's sake! Lol :-)

First thing in the morning... (and I do mean "FIRST" bc all of these r major energy boosters.)

These r all great for hair, skin, nails, metabolism & ENERGY...
Biotin
Green Tea
Super B complex
CoQ-10
Chromium Picolinate
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Acrtyl L-Carnitine
Niacin (Flush free)

These all aid in mood, heart, immunity, joint, eyes, nervous system, & a load of other things! Again, DO THE RESEARCH!
Glucosamine Chondroitin
Zinc
E
A
C
Fish Oil
5-HTP (The "just 5-HTP" I tk at bedtime cuz it can help u sleep. But if u get the complex version, tk it in the morning bc they tend to add a B vitamin.)

And one last thot... Watch the documentary "Forks Over Knives." It's very inspiring!