This is more of a personal post, so feel free to skip it if that isn’t your thing. I’ll be back with a recipe soon!
Spoiler alert: This post is about how I lost 32.5 lbs in six weeks. If you are curious about some more details, you can keep on reading. 🙂
- I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. I feel like it really went downhill when I was diagnosed with asthma as a child and that limited my activity.
- Around the age of 19-20 I decided it was time to really dedicate myself to losing weight and I lost 80 lbs. Yay!
- When I turned 21 I moved out on my own and pretty much from that day forward I have been gaining weight. The 80 lbs I lost, plus a lot more.
- Off and on over the years, I have tried diet and exercise maybe losing 10-15 lbs here and there but never sticking with it long enough to get the real results.
I decided 2012 was the year I was going to make things happen for myself. I decided on February 1st to stop drinking Diet Coke(and really all soda). This was huge for me. I loved my Diet Coke. Honestly, I still miss it sometimes. I gave myself 2 months to adjust to that and then at the beginning of April, I began exercising everyday and eating healthy. My goal was to lose 30 lbs in 6 week. When I weighed in on May 14th to see I had hit my goal plus a little, I was beyond thrilled. Now, this is just the beginning of my journey but it feels great to have made my first target.
I get asked a lot what my secret is, so here is what I have been doing differently:
- No soda – I drink only water and on a rare occasion I will add some Crystal Light
- No eating out – I used to eat out all the time.
- Meal plan – This is essential to not eating out. At this point I’m only planning about 1 week out, but it has helped tremendously. Include a plan for lunch, it’s easier to avoid the drive through when you have a set plan.
- Try to make one meal a day a salad. Sometimes it has a protein on it sometimes it doesn’t.
- Smaller portions – I was a total over eater, so I’m doing my best to reign that in.
- Exercise – There is a park with a lake near my sons school. There are lots of hills. I walk nearly everyday for 40 minutes. A good deal of the time, I am pushing my daughter in a stroller which adds to the intensity.
- Don’t eat until you are full. I don’t think I have been ‘full’ one time in the last 6 weeks. It feels better than feeling weighted down and blah because you ate too much.
- Every night my “dessert” is a cup of ice water with store bought crushed ice. I love chewing ice and it keeps my mouth busy while the husband and I watch TV in the evenings.
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I’m sure there are more things but those are the main ones that come to mind right now. So that’s where I am at now. I know I have a long way to go still, but I am really happy that I started. Maybe one day I will even get really brave and post some pictures. 🙂
Thanks for your support! If you have any questions I didn’t answer please let me know. If you are on a weight loss journey yourself, I would love to hear about it too!
You inspire me! I am going to start my own weight loss challenge. First off soda, wish me luck!
Awesome job! I love the idea of drinking ice water with the store-bought ice! Keep it going!
Great job! You are very impressive. You have made many difficult changes in your life(no diet coke, no eating out and exercise and controlled eating)! None of these are easy but to take on all of them at the same time is amazing and the results are showing! Keep up the great work!
Congratulations! That’s fabulous–especially in 6 weeks! I LOVE that you are doing things just a normal, healthy way. Difficult for sure, but no crazy diet fad! Keep up the great work! 🙂
WOW….that is fantastic!!! I am on the same journey..we WILL succeed 🙂
Great job, Ashley!! We ought to get together soon, or at this rate I won’t recognize you next time I see you! It sounds like you are doing this the right way! Congrats!
That’s really amazing! I am so happy for you, and glad that you are willing to share along your journey. You should feel so proud of yourself! You are doing great things and going about it in the right way. Congrats!!!
Congrats!!! way to go.
Nana
Congrats! That is wonderful! I’ve tried to give up Diet Coke and it’s so hard. Did you start to loose weight when you stopped with the soda’s?
Great job! I lost 100lbs 15 years ago & have kept it off. It’s a lifestyle change! Keep it up!! 🙂 exercise & healthy eating are the key!
You are amazing! So proud of you and your accomplishments!
Thats great!! I’d love to see a sample of your weekly menu plan! I have the hardest time with that!? 🙁 I keep thinking if we can just survive this move – get moved in – actually grocery shop – have time to exercize – menu plan etc etc etc. but at this rate I’m gonna be old and dead unless I just START NOW!
Good for you! That’s an amazing start.
What is it about diet Coke and/or any diet soft drink? I am diabetic II and have to lose weight which has been so difficult. I ‘treat’ myself with a diet Coke, but from everything I read it is not a good choice at all.
32 pounds in 6 weeks is amazing!
I need to jump in with you but I whimper at the thought of giving up my diet coke.