After finding a more positive mind-set and reaffirming my self-worth, I lost all the weight and got in shape by doing the following:

I purchased a one-month supply of Herbalife products.

This included meal replacement powder, vitamins, and other supplements. While I don’t think meal replacements and supplements are necessary for weight loss, they were for me. I needed the help to jump-start the loss. Once I lost 20 pounds, I had regained control of my appetite. I was so motivated by my new look that I didn’t need to continue the meal replacements, energy boosters, or appetite suppressants.

I scheduled exercise.

My good friend and I made a “date” at least 4 times a week at her house to use her treadmill and exercise videos. She’d do one and I’d do the other, then we’d switch. Of course being single with no kids, I had more time for this than most people probably do. Scheduling the time and considering it an important appointment that you must keep really helps.

I ate less, and what I did eat was healthier.

Obviously, I was eating fewer calories while on the meal replacement shakes. I drank a shake when I arrived at work, one for lunch, and my mom made me a healthy dinner each night. I kept myself busy after work by doing my exercise. Before you eat is a great time to exercise, and you will actually burn more of your food calories that way.

I didn’t starve myself.

The meal replacements were heavy on protein, which helped suppress my appetite. I did get hungry while working though, and kept a tube of saltine crackers on my desk. While they aren’t the healthiest things in the world, they are relatively low in calories. When combined with massive amounts of water, they filled me up. (Though I should probably recommend fruit and veggie snacks, crackers worked best for me.)

I drank as if my life depended on it.

Seriously.  Luckily, the office I worked in had a full kitchen with a sink and the best weight loss tool — water. I filled up a pint sized plastic cup and vowed to finish one of those for every hour I worked. It was easy, even while doing my job as a receptionist and billing clerk. Did you notice what I did to make it easy? I scheduled my drinking. By making myself empty and refill the cup once each hour, I ended up drinking a full 128 ounces of water over the course of my day. That’s 16 cups of water, 2 for each hour I worked! I can’t even begin to explain the benefits of water while losing weight — that in itself deserves its own post.

That’s it. That’s what I did. Perhaps I was in the minority by having family support, exercise equipment at my disposal, and time to put myself first — but those are all very important parts of successful weight loss. Of course, as you probably have guessed by now, I did gain the weight back eventually. Such is the life of someone with obesity written in the genes. You might be asking why bother then….

I kept that extra weight off for about 4 years, and the only reason I gained it back was because of my first pregnancy. During those 4 years, my thyroid hormones stayed at a normal range, I was at less risk for heart attack and stroke, and I felt energized and healthy.

It was worth the effort.

Post from: Blisstree

Weight Gain and Hormones, Losing the Fat

Today, I have something extra special for you. I had so much to share with you that I have multiple posts for you. I felt this information was too important to wait another week. I’m going to explain why your mind-set is important to your weight loss, explain how I lost the weight I had gained, and then tomorrow I’ll discuss a little secret about the how weight loss affects hormones.

I walked out of the doctor’s office that day I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a little dejected that I was offered no help with my weight other than the advice to eat less and exercise more. That’s the worst thing we overweight people want to hear — it’s almost as bad as “but you have such a pretty face.”

Eating less and exercising more is easier said than done, right? Wrong! Okay, now don’t hate me and please just listen for a second. The reason we begin to believe that we can’t lose the weight is purely psychological. If you can get past the limitations of your mind, you can do almost anything.

Over the course of six months to a year, I found myself obese, depressed, and to top it off — in a very unfulfilling relationship that I was hanging onto just because I believed I didn’t deserve better. What did I do? I woke up!

So much of losing weight is about appreciating yourself. I will touch upon the psychological aspects of weight loss many times over the life of this blog, because it’s so important. You have to love yourself, AS YOU ARE NOW, in order to feel compelled to change.

Let me put it this way. Would you rather suffer the consequence of being overweight by dying of a heart attack at age 50…or would you rather fit into some skinny jeans? Most people would be more motivated by the former, the consequence versus the reward.

Okay, so what did I do? I dumped my fiancé who was no good for me, called up one of my best friends to let her know my intentions, and yes, I did buy some supplements to help me. I also let my parents know what my plan was, since I was living at home and my mom was still the cook in the family.

It was important to put me first, and for a change I was going to do it. If you’re married with kids, or even have a demanding job, I understand this is easier said than done. You must understand how essential it is to your success. It’s critical! If you don’t have self-worth, what motivation is there to take care of you and your body?

So now, please read my post on the tools I used to finally lose the weight.

Post from: Blisstree

Weight Gain and Hormones, Your Mind-Set

Today I get a little more controversial as I explain why this weight gain shouldn’t be 100% blamed on the disorder that caused the imbalance.

Continued from last week…

The doctor explained that the hormones were at least partially at fault for my weight gain, even if just by making me so hungry that my self-control could not function. There was a catch though…hormones alone were not going to take the weight off. I would need to use what self-control I did have and shed the fat before my body would respond properly to treatment.

Confused? I was too, but I’ll try to explain what I’ve come to learn.

If you have an imbalance, you can supplement your body with hormones, but you still need to lose the fat. Why? Getting your body back into balance will help your overall health, and having excess weight means you are out of balance. Losing extra weight is crucial to your health, especially if you suffer from disorders such as diabetes, hyper- or hypothyroidism, or even infertility. It makes sense to treat any disorders once you’ve done all you can to eliminate any imbalances you created on your own, including weight gain, though that’s just a personal opinion.

Although hormones can lead to excessive hunger, overeating, and therefore weight gain — I would caution you against blaming the hormones, and only the hormones. You don’t want to trick yourself into thinking that diet and exercise won’t work. While there are some conditions that may make it impossible to lose weight regardless of eating well and moving more, I still suggest that you try. Sitting around and waiting until a doctor can prescribe you something means one thing — more weight gain as the time passes.

While I was busy gaining 75+ pounds, I made the mistake of doing nothing. I waited for science to tell me what was wrong with me, instead of taking back control. When I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a form of hypothyroidism, I asked the doctor how to lose the extra weight. He point-blank said I needed to diet and exercise, and I was disappointed to say the least. I expected him to give me a pill that would shed the pounds effortlessly, but that’s not how our bodies work.

An imbalance of hormones caused my cravings and hunger, but it didn’t physically put the food in my mouth, turn that food into calories, and turn those extra calories into fat. I did that. Me. Now I was the only person who could fix the mess I found myself in.

Join me next Thursday for the last installment Weight Gain and Hormones. I’ll talk about how I lost the weight, and how hormones are affected by weight loss.

Post from: Blisstree

Weight Gain and Hormones, Part Two