I Lost 150+ Pounds--and I Didn't Give Up*

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Many of you asked me why I never gave up, how I lost this weight, and why I s
 
I try to fight the good fight against my ill health with intensity and fire now.  LOL!  No.  Actually I fight against my ill health one choice at a time.  I used to fight with fire and intensity, but I always burned out and gave up, calling myself a failure once again.
 
It all started very simply with one change at a time.  As I got used to the change, I changed something else.  For example, I made a rule for myself to eat from small plates when they were available.  Then when I got used to that I began ordering small instead of large and sharing meals at restaurants.  1% organic milk became a staple grocery item, and then I added more whole grain products, fiber, lean protein, and fruits and vegetables.  One of my favorite sources of healthy fat became spray canola, olive, or sunflower oil. 
 
I learned for myself that quality of food satisfied me better than quantity.  In other words, I would eat less if I gave my body better foods like those mentioned above.  When I eat junk, cravings hit me and I go into what you would almost call a food frenzy where I can’t eat enough.   So basically, where food is concerned quality tops quantity at satisfaction for me.
 
I eat every 3-4 hours to keep from getting too hungry in a mini meal fashion.  It keeps blood sugars steady, thus ending the starvation feeling that one can get from not eating for hours on end.
 
Challenging myself physically has become a big part of my routine.  Whether its going on a machine for 1 minute and building up to 2 then 3…. My goal is to beat MY personal best.  Right now I am working very hard on trying to walk again.  I went 1.34 miles last week, but it took the whole day, lots of rest stops, much water, and my walker, “Freedom,”  My goal is to do an all day my way 5K by Christmas.  Big challenge and kind of scary! (And I did it last week!)
 
That brings me to the fact that I’ve had to come out of my comfort zone.  I have to wear workout clothes to make me want to move, go to the gym and exercise in public, change in the locker room and the list continues.  For me, each time I get a bit more daring, it’s like taking another lock off the door and glimpsing the wonders I could be part of again.
 
SparkPeople keeps me going- you the people part.  I need all of you and I want to help all of you through my blogs.  I feel if I were to go back to my old ways, it would take hope away from someone who might be able to identify with me.  I also meet my Spark friends in person at rallies and the local meetings I hold here in Indiana.
 
Here are a few pieces of advice in summary:
 
Eat high quality foods.
Eat every few hours.
Eat smaller portions.
Track everything
Push yourself a little.
Get moving as you can.
Get support systems going.
 
 
My progress thus far is a loss of 151 pounds, down from a size 8x to a 3/4x.
Believe in yourself.  You can do this, too.
 
Do you believe in yourself? Is it hard?

*Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program.