A Healthy Tip I Have Learned
I told y’all a month ago about my 50 pound weight loss. Well now I get to share that I hit 60 pounds this week. Yippee!
People ask me all the time, “What’s your secret? How did you do it?!” I disappoint them every time when I tell them it’s just good old-fashioned diet and exercise. No tricks, no surgery, no magic pill. Bummer, right?
My big secret is in the planning. I make sure I have plenty of healthy foods around, I lay out my workout clothes at night before bed, I plan for the days when I have to travel so I don’t get stuck with no good options at mealtime. It’s really that simple, yet not simple at all. I know. Another bummer.
Why is it that we have such a hard time getting motivated to make real changes? Now that I am on a roll and it feels more normal, I wonder what took me so long. Yet I know how hard it was. I have tried so many times before. The only answer I can think of is that God has carried me.
I gave it to Him and He gave me strength.
And I made a plan. I started with a plan for my eating. Then after a couple of weeks I started taking supplements (I take a multi-vitamin from this same company in addition to my beloved Lift Caps). Lastly I added daily exercise. And I have stuck with it. That was part of the plan too, sticking with it.
I do allow myself a little splurge occasionally. For the first 6 weeks I didn’t. I just stuck with the diet plan religiously. After that I gave myself a weekly treat. Maybe a small frozen yogurt or a couple of cups of popcorn at the movie. The trick to that, again, is planning. I never just do it on a whim. It’s always a part of the plan. I tell myself I can have a little, fairly healthy, treat once a week in a small portion then I look at my calendar for the week and choose what and when the treat will be.
On Thanksgiving, for example, I planned to allow myself a small bit of dressing and a sliver of pie. But I planned in advance to stay away from the rolls, potatoes, etc. I knew they would be passed in front of me and having already decided not to eat them really helped curb the desire to just eat it anyway. I got to indulge in the meal without losing all control and paying for it later.
I have spent too much of my life paying for it later.
This month I have a LOT of activities to go to. I will make a plan for each one, but mostly I will stay away from the sweets and carbs. I have no intention of feeling sick for the whole month and gaining weight just because I wanted a cookie. It’s not worth it to me.
I make sure I am not hungry when I arrive at the festivities. That helps a lot. I drink a lot of water, so that keeps me from feeling hungry also. I carry nuts and diet bars with me in case it gets to be too much and I need to eat something. When it really gets hard I think about how much I am enjoying my newer, thinner, energetic body and the desire lessens.
I know I can do this and I KNOW you can too!
I am praying for your success!
Romans 14:17 “…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
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you are an inspiration and a testimony to what we can do when we allow God to lead…we ask for His help…then we follow through with self discipline. i’m so very proud of you!
I love this. Planning is exactly what I have found helped me with weight loss. It’s when I get too busy or stressed that I tend to cheat. If I make planning my food (and exercise) a priority I do so much better.
Wow 60 pounds! ( that is like 30 kilo’s give or take?) that is so great!!A real inspiration!
How much do you want to lose in total? Keep up the good work!
Lisa,
I am so proud of you and excited for your success. What an encouragement you are to everyone.
Lisa, Weigh to go girl!!! I lost 96 pounds 14 years ago and have maintained that loss following the same principles as you. When people ask me how I did it, I tell them my 5 P’s: Proper Planning Prevents Pudgy People.
I love following your blog. Your stories have been a true blessing. I pray you and your family have a joyous holiday. May God bless you.
YAY!! Lisa — I am so proud of you 🙂 You are such an inspiration to so many women! I have a friend at church that did exactly what you did – she lost 150 pounds in two years. She looks amazing — she just RAN a half marathon a few weeks ago. She started to get lazy and that kick started her into having a goal. Now she’s got bigger plans – she’ll be 50 very soon and has inspired so many. She also gives ALL credit to God for helping her in this area. Sniff, sniff – makes me almost tear up thinking about how God transforms us.
P.S. What diet bars do you use? I need to look into having something like that around for myself.
Incredible! I know it’s been a journey of hard work. So proud of you, Friend! No stopping now!!! xo
You are a true inspiration ! Thank you for sharing your journey . You have inspired me to start my transformation. Prayed about it, bought the book, and will order the Lift Caps today. The exercise (walking) will have to wait a few days as our state is covered in ice.
Hi!
I have just found your blog, I too have begun my journey, having lost my brother and both my parents in the same year I have gained at least 60 lbs. (With all that loss I NEEDED to gain something,I guess my mind thought!) Everyone was so kind as I porked away, giving me permission to stuff myself b/c of my losses, I only wish someone would have said: “you don’t want to come out on the other end of this with yet another problem do you?”
It is amazing how the mind plays tricks on you I seriously did NOT know the woman staring back at me in the mirror at Target one day, it was truly a Holy Sh*t! Moment! I was actually looking curiously as one does at an exotic bird at the zoo, only I was the bird and not so exotic! A complete out of the chubby body experience! SO one thing I wanted to share with you and your readers is that killing my microwave has helped so much! Not only does it destroy nutrients in your food so that one eats empty calories (that you thinking are protein…wrong protein has been nuked out) but it takes away a part of the ‘planning’ and love that needs to go into food. I have a little convection oven for small ‘heat ups’ and a small pot on the stove for reheating coffee and tea…so the journey goes on and it is that a journey,the destination is me, or less of me, but a slow and deliberate move in the right direction! Thanks for your blog…PS Ordered lift tabs interested in seeing the affects!