I did it! No, I really did it!

I am in shock and awe at myself!

What Am I Talking About?

Okay, I will try to not sound like a lunatic here. Well, I really cannot promise anything.

If you have been with me since the beginning of this journey, and I hope you have been, then you know that my goal was to lose weight. I am not someone who just needed to lose a few pounds or to fit back into a size 4 dress.  I wish it were that simple, but that is not my reality.

When I first conceived this idea for a blog, it was to get an audience that I could be accountable to, a supportive group that would “figuratively” guilt me into finding ways to lose weight.

I have been overweight my whole life, mostly solid growing up but now that I am (gulp) middle-aged, I needed to figure out how to get rid of some of this extra, extra weight. The force of gravity did not help as I went through the late 40s. (Just a warning for all you young-uns, get the weight off before that time period).

The Method To My Madness

Anyway, the amount that I wanted to lose was daunting. At times over the years, it seemed impossible. So, in my devious brain, to trick myself into sticking with it, I focused on “only ten pounds”.

My goal was to lose ten pounds. It did not sound impossible. It sounded reasonable. Some years back, I stopped eating fried foods and started walking more and lost ten pounds in about six weeks.

Well, that was then, and this is now.

I started out by getting back into walking more. I went from not exercising regularly to going to the gym three times a week for a half-hour. I tried different equipment but because of knee pain, I worked on the treadmill. And I did it! Solidly! For months!

I was proud of myself for actually achieving this goal. Fast forward to months later and the problem was, I did not see results on the scale. Not at all!

Wait, what! So I went back to the drawing board, or in my case, the internet.

What I Found

I am in different Facebook groups on losing weight, getting fit, etc. and learned a lot. I read through what seemed like thousands of threads and comments. I learned new things like intermittent fasting (IF), tracking macros (well, I did not really learn much about that because I am a newbie and have not researched that as much), negative calorie deficit, many different apps and old things like Weight Watchers, which is now WW.

I did not commit to any of these because I just did not know if it was something I could do. Not everything works for everyone. I needed to find what might work for me. And I wanted something that would not cost me any money.

I kept coming back to counting those dreaded calories. I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to my phone and started. It did help me to realize how much less I needed to eat to lose weight. The goal is two pounds a week, which is what all the experts say also. I put in my statistics and the app put my total daily calories at 1330 to achieve this goal.

My Results

I was supposed to reach my goal on June 9^th, but I did not do it on their timeline. There was a learning curve involved when you are doing something new, especially with dieting.

But every pound lost was hard earned. I will tell you that. And it sucks having to count every calorie. Even when you eat something that doesn’t seem bad…it adds up!

The hardest time for me is the weekends. We go out to eat for dinner usually. So, I have been working on eating less throughout the day when I know that I will be going out to eat later.

There have been slip ups too. But generally, I am working on items that I know the calories of and eating them. I try to save the most calories for the later part of the day. I know I should eat the majority of things earlier in the day but realistically for me, nighttime is my down time.

So, it goes, day by day, sometimes hour by hour (when I am hangry and trying to wait until the next meal). I make some accommodations, switching some foods for others, and indulge in some sweets (just not too much).

I love Snow Caps. You know the non-pareils candy in the movie box. I get them at the Dollar Store. The box might last me a week or two. I eat about 10 at a time but not every day. It is more about knowing that I can have some if I want. That is what works for me.

I also will eat a handful of peanuts or cashews at times. These are good for you anyway, and it is a handful. It is just to tide me over.

Pickles are also good to help with hunger. They are zero calories. Yes, I know they are high in sodium, which is something to watch out for but I am eating one or two spears. And of course, lots of fruits and veggies to snack on, as well.

Which leads me to moderation. No, it is not very fun. In my case, it is necessary. I would never be able to stop eating sweets. What is the point of eating if you cut out sugar, dairy, and carbs?

So, I am continuing to count my calories, restricting my eating and walking, walking, walking. For me, it has been working.

Slowly, but hopefully, surely.

First big goal: Lose Ten Pounds      (check)

Now, on to the next ten. Wish me luck! I will need it.

By the way, I keep looking at myself in the mirror, at different angles to see if I see a difference. Sometimes, I feel like I do. Other times, I see no difference. I think when I finish 20 pounds, then I may see some differences. Or maybe at the 30-pound mark. Here’s hoping.

How about you? Are you hitting any of your goals? It does not have to be regarding weight. It can be organizing your space. Eating healthier in general. Beginning a workout routine. Writing a novel. Getting a new job.

We all have goals. We all have different lives to lead. This is mine. I hope you are living yours to the most that you can!