How I Lost 50 Pounds

So as you likely know, once upon a time, I lost 50 pounds. . .and actually the secret truth is that I lost 60. I am not proud that I had that much weight to lose, but I'm proud that I lost it. Yes, I gained 10 back but that seems to be the easiest spot to maintain and I am happy with it.

I don't have many before/after pics, this is the best I can do!

I am not here to preach about how to lose weight, or what the best method is to do it.  The best way is the way that works for you.

However, I will tell you this.  You have to be ready to do it.  There's telling yourself you're ready when you are not.  And then there is actually BEING ready.  

If you are not really ready you will know fairly soon. You will figure "I'll just have a little" of something and instead it turns into having a whole lot of that something.  I'm not saying that isn't going to happen even when you are actually ready.  It's just that when you're not ready, that whole lot will turn into a whole lot more and into a series of bad days until you realize that you weren't ready.  

When you really are ready you will realize what you have done and behave after that one bad day, or you won't let that day get that bad to begin with.

So where did I start?  I really started paying attention to what I was eating.  This does not mean that I ate "healthy" food, I still ate mostly my regular food.  Instead of having seconds, I would only eat firsts!  I would take one serving only.  For example, if the box says one serving equals 3/4 cup, I only took 3/4 cup.  One piece of meat, or two if it was smaller.  One cup of cereal with 1/2 cup of milk and so on.  

My thoughts. . .everything in moderation! You want chocolate, have chocolate. . .just eat 1/2 of the chocolate bar (put the rest in a Ziploc bag for the next time or give it away so it can't tempt you - everyone at work wants the other half of my chocolate bar). You want chips, eat chips. . .just take one small bowl. The best thing I own is a digital kitchen scale, then I can measure just one serving.  Moderation is key, if you deprive yourself you will eventually snap and binge. This way you can factor a little "cheat" into your day and not feel guilty!

I ate fast food!  I didn't usually eat a giant burger and fries (I admit it happened occasionally), I just got that one thing I really wanted.  Maybe a burger one time, fries another time.  I did LET myself have that bad day once in a while though (usually once a week).  Then I returned to my good days.

Now this worked for me, I'm not saying it will work for you.  You might not agree with my way. Maybe you want to do it differently, perhaps a "real" diet, or cutting carbs, or trying to be a vegetarian or maybe trying Paleo (this one interests me but is extremely difficult due to nut allergies in my household).  But if you are wondering how I did it then that was it. I have also fallen off the "food" wagon many times, but when a few pounds creep back on, I go back to being good.