Today marks a pretty special milestone. Today I am 26kgs down from my heaviest weight 3years ago. In three days it will be 3years since we moved to this beautiful part of the country - coincidence?? kind of, but not really.
FOUR years ago, I was unhappy, I was frustrated and I was unknowingly suffering from depression and anxiety and previous blog posts will explain that side of the journey.
Three years ago I was finally feeling in control of that black dog and at the same time our sea change became a reality and I was feeling alive.
SO for anyone battling with weight (and I still am), here are some of my lessons learnt so far.
1. YOU HAVE TO BE THE MOTIVATION - I had to be the one to decide I had had enough of being overweight, I had to find the motivation and I had to want to change my lifestyle. I couldn't do it unless I was 100% committed.....until I had that commitment, I would always fall off the wagon and everytime I did it would take longer to climb back on.
2. QUICK FIXES - they don't work, don't last and are not healthy I have tried a few and whilst the first week I got results, I'd gain the weight back quickly and often gain more. They fool you into believing you ill lose massive weight and keep it off, if you lose the weight it doesn't stay off as you are not learning anything. You need a change of lifestyle forever not just for a week or two.
3.UNTREATED MENTAL ILLNESS CAN BE A BLOCK I had to get my head sorted first. I had depression and anxiety and until I had control of these, it was impossible to lose any weight, instead I was gaining because I was taking solitude in sugar to deal with the ups and downs of mental illness.....granted it wasn't drugs or alcohol, but it was poison to my body.
4. CUT IT OUT...... I cut the crap - one step at a time. I didn't cut everything at once. I no longer lived close enough to the temptations of takeaway food and sweets so I decided to take advantage of that and cut it out. If your vice is Softdrink - start with that, just cut softdrink and don't go near it for a month. You'd be amazed at just one small change and how much it helps. Find alternatives....pick up a handful of nuts instead of lollies. Cut one thing a week and once it's cut don't go near it, don't have it in your family at all. Seriously get rid of processed foods - they contain chemicals, they are not nutritious and they are not good for you. Fresh is definitely best - fresh meat, fruits, vegetables and keeping it simple.
5. START NEW HABITS & REPLACING GOOD FOR BAD - Once I spent a month cutting the crap, I tried then to spend a month creating better habits - drinking more water (still guilty of not drinking enough though), portion size control. Replace snacks for healthier alternatives. Start learning about calorie control and exercising -even if it's 10minutes a day, it's still something. It's all about routine and organisation. A lot of these I learnt from Michelle Bridges 12week Body Transformation - her program's mindset training is worth every cent of her program and it only forms a part of it.
6. ALL IN - everyone in the household was eating what I was. Nobody had sweets in the fridge, biscuits in the cupboard or any of my vices. It was important to lead by example and I was, but my husband had to do it too and it's a healthy change so nobody was going to be hurt by it.
7. MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE - to begin with I'd take measurements every 4 weeks, this is where I really noticed the loss. Scales are hopeless and can really deflate confidence.
Take measurements and watch them lower as it's more of a confidence boost. Only stand on the scales once a week and understand they will fluctuate at times....especially if you are female.
8. 12WBT - Look at and seriously consider Michelle Bridges program, it is one thing that has been instrumental in my weight loss as well as 100s of 1000s of others. I cannot recommend this program enough (no I am not being paid to type this). The support, the mindset training to get your head in the right space, the tips, the recipes, the exercise program it all helps. It's an excellent community.
9. UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS - I have had many health issues in the last 18mths and it has meant that my focus on food and exercise has failed, but I haven't gained weight, it has maintained.....because I started losing it properly and I kicked up my metabolism again. My health issues led to a diagnosis of Celiac Disease and I have not cut out gluten and I am not watching the weight drop again, I am watching the bloat disappear and I am also starting to realise that this condition has probably plagued me since I was a teen and been the evil thing plaguing my body. I am now starting to feel better and gaining confidence again. I have done some research into Wheat Belly which has some fascinating facts and is something I believe a lot of people need to consider. Dr Oz has recently aired an episode on Gluten sensitivity and this affects up to 1 in 2 people.....if you cut gluten for a month and feel better, then apparently it's a good sign that you are sensitive to it...food for thought right there. Of course speak to you GP, but I do recommend doing a little research on the subject yourself.
10. GABRIEL METHOD - it's another book that makes a lot of sense check it out. A man that was very obese and 'got healthy'.
At the end of the day everyone is different. If it's not a lifestyle change, don't waste your time or money. I know there's a lot of focus on obesity in this country and I can understand why. I am still not in the healthy weight category, but I am getting closer. I am under 30 and have had health conditions, I shouldn't have had due to underlying illness. I want to be healthy, I want to be around for a long time and I don't want to be old and lying in bed because I can't move. I love being able to be active with my kids and feeling young. Shaving my head for the World's Greatest Shave was something I would never have had the guts to do before I started this journey. Thank you to those that have stuck around and supported me and continue to support me. I am going to be at my goal before my 30th, that's the plan and I now plan on smashing it now there appears to be nothing in way.
