How I Lost 25 Pounds

Somehow the weight crept on over the years as I continued:

. Stress eating

. Boredom eating

. Junk food addiction eating

And I, who weighed 120 at our wedding 24 years ago, was up to 185. I didn't like it, but things in my life were such that I had neither the energy nor motivation to do anything about it. Talk about frustration. For someone who (in her former life) loved to dress smartly and look sharp in her clothes  ... shopping in the women's department was a real downer.

So how did you finally get motivated, you ask? I'm glad to tell you.

It started when my 5'2" friend Jenny*, weighing 220, went in for medical tests. The scans revealed the possibility of a heart problem. Further tests gave the "all clear," but the doctor looked at Jenny and said, "There's nothing wrong with your heart. You're just fat!"

Ouch! But Jenny walked out of his office that day saying, "No man will tell me again that I'm fat!"

Using the doc's 1200 calorie diet, Jenny, dedicated to her plan, lost 80 pounds over a nine-month period. She looks fabulous.

I was inspired and jumped on the bandwagon. I didn't have a copy of her 1200 calorie diet but instead made up my own diet.

My first dieting meal plan:

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

Breakfast: oatmeal with a dash of salt and milk.
Water, water, water throughout the morning

Lunch: can of tuna (in water) drained with 1 tsp mayo with glass of water
Water, water, water throughout the afternoon

Dinner: Salad including cheese and meat, low-fat dressing. Water

Within three weeks I lost 11 pounds! But I began to feel ... well, not so good. Rather sick, actually. I went online to determine my calorie consumpation daily; it was only 600 calories daily. A starvation diet. Bad!

DO NOT DO THE ABOVE!

I stopped dieting but found that smaller portions now satisfied me. I returned to my daily large McDonald's sweet tea and M&Ms. I didn't lose more weight but didn't gain any either.

 

A few months later I decided to try again, this time the goal was to lose 9 pounds, which would make a total of 20 lost.

My modified meal plan:

Breakfast: oatmeal with a dash of salt, milk, fruit
Large McDonald's sweet tea to sip on throughout the day 

Lunch: Can of tuna (in water, drained) with 1 tsp mayo and 1 Tbsp pickle juice, bagel with cream cheese, fruit, water
Some water throughout the afternoon

Dinner: Meat and veggie, but by now small portions satisfied me. M&Ms in the evening.

Within a few weeks I'd lost the 9 pounds, putting me at 165. My clothes were getting looser. I looked up the ideal weight for a 60-year-old, 5'7" woman: 140 pounds.

You can determine your healthy weight here: Ideal Weight Calculator

I knew I'd have to do this in increments, so my next goal was to lose 5 pounds.

Good-by sweet tea. Good-by M&Ms. And the 5 pounds left quickly.

Finally I was ready for a smaller dress size.

I'd like to lose another 20 pounds, down to my ideal 140 pound weight, but for now I'm in my "maintain phase." I look forward to getting on the bandwagon again, aiming for 10 pounds the next time.

(loose slacks!)

This is not a traditional diet plan, but it did work for me. Maybe you're the type who would print a 1200 calorie diet from an online site and lose weight the traditional way. Definitely check with your doctor first.

For now, I'm happy. My doctor's happy. My hubby's happy. And I'm especially thankful that I no longer worry about developing diabetes due to a constant sugar overload. And hopefully a reduction in chances of heart disease, which runs in both sides of my family.

I'd love to hear what you think about this post - leave a comment and I'll respond!

Mary

I'm sharing at:

Tweak it Tuesday