When Mom was here at Easter, she was watching me cook at the stove, and she said "Well I'll tell you one thing, Mary Rose. You sure have lost a lot of butt."
Aww, thanks Mom!
It's true, I have lost a lot of butt. Twenty pounds of butt (and other various body parts) to be exact. I've lost so much weight that I had to finally break down and buy new pants. All of my capris from last summer looked like clown pants when I put them on. The photo above was taken from the tag of my new pants. I thought it was too nice to throw away...a sturdy piece of chipboard, a nice piece of stitched grosgrain ribbon secured with an eyelet.
Hmmm....
I made this card using the Dockers tag as my inspiration. I used a wide piece of grosgrain, a felt flower and button in place of the eyelet, and white lettering just like the tag.
{recipe:A Perfect Day rub-ons (SU), real red and old olive cardstock, Summer Picnic DSP, red grosgrain ribbon, felt flower and flower button, thread}
The Little Things Add Up!
So you may be wondering...how exactly did I lose twenty pounds since January? Was it Jenny Craig? Weight Watchers? Nutrisystem? Acai Berry and Colon Cleanse? Nope. None of those things. It wasn't one big thing. It was ( yeah, you knew I was going to say this, didn't you?) a lot of little things that made a big impact.
For starters, I'd been reading the Eat This, Not That books, and it got me thinking about nutrition in new ways. I started seeing how a lot of my choices were not the healthiest, and how certain foods were not fueling me and giving me energy, but leaving me feel more tired instead. I also read about the sugars added into processed foods, and I became convinced that sugar addiction was a big part of my problem. So I eliminated some things from my diet, and added new things in their place.
I managed to eliminate:
Cookies, brownies, sweet stuff that I craved late every day. I was snacking because I was tired, and these things just made me more tired. It was tough at first, but after some time, those sweet things just don't even tempt me anymore. I see them as empty calories that will pick me up temporarily, but drop me like a hot potato later. No 100 calorie snack packs, no "just one" rationalization. None! I know myself...I just can't eat the stuff.
Heavy carb-laden items like pizzas and pastas with creamy sauces. Same effect as above.
High-fat items...no fried anything. And certain cheeses are out.
Restaurant eating...you just can't trust them. You think a salad on the menu is a good choice, only to find out it's loaded in hidden calories, sugars, and fats. And you may eat a yummy soup and sandwich that tastes like homemade (hello Panera's/Bread Co!), only to find out it's loaded in fat and calories. I'll make my own foods at home and know what the ingredients are, thank you!
So what did I add to my diet?
Lots of high fiber items. I won't eat an ordinary bread if I can find a better alternative that has twice the fiber. Fiber is filling, and so good for you. I've been eating Brownberry's Grains and More Whole Wheat double fiber bread. I also love Thomas brand Hearty Grains english muffins with double fiber (honey wheat is my favorite).
I read a lot of labels to get the highest fiber with lowest sugars and fats. Why would I buy Uncle Ben's wild rice if the Kashi brand has double the fiber?
I eat a lot of Mediterranean foods...feta cheese, cous cous, tabouleh, hummus, olive oil, olives, artichoke hearts, capers, all good for you.
I eat a lot of fruits and veggies. A LOT!
I snack smarter...hummus and Triscuits, apple, hard-boiled egg.
I choose a lot of lean proteins like eggs, chicken, pork, fish.
I added a lot of beans and grains to my diet...garbanzo beans, black beans, lentils,chick peas, etc.
Simple substitutions...I switched from 2 % milk to 1 % milk, I bought the best low-calorie ranch for my son John(ranch dressing is the worst, but he can't give it up!), Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil (half the fat of regular), Kashi cereals and pizzas for the higher fiber/lower sugars. I try to make salads with greens other than iceberg lettuce (which has the nutritional equivalent of water...not much).
Super foods that are so good for you...blueberries, walnuts, dates, oats, spinach among others. Dark chocolate with more than 70% cacao for my sweet treat.
And no, I cannot give up my coffee. But I can switch to non-fat and make myself feel a little better about the choice. This is my one sugar splurge, I'll admit! But I usually make my own at home, so I can keep track of the sweet stuff.
This has just worked for me. I'm not a person that can follow a food plan, write down my caloric intake and count my food exchanges. I have no will power! I just had to make a choice for healthier eating, and stick to it. I have never really dieted a day in my life! I knew I had to make it a lifestyle, not just a fad.
Thanks to my new lifetstyle, I'm a size that I have not seen since B.C. (before children), and I'm lovin' it!
New clothes? Well, that's just the gravy on the top!
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