Why not start with this week's weigh in- especially when it's a great number like this!
Last Week: 160lbs
This Week: 157lbs
Weekly Loss: -3lbs!!!
Grand Total Loss: 195lbs!!!
Total Pounds to Goal: 7!!!
I've lost 195lbs. That's kind of crazy, right? That means I've lost another overweight person.
Wowzer.
I have been dropping lbs consistantly over the last month (and this mornings sneak peek weigh in had me down even more) and for a few months before that I had kind of hit a wall where not much was really happening on the scale. I'm sure most people can imagine that getting your body to continually lose weight for 3+ years after already having dropped a significant amount can be tricky but honestly...it's not.
Losing weight is pretty simple actually. Notice- I said simple. NOT easy. A few months or so ago when I wasn't seeing the pounds fly off, I began to blame it on the fact that I had hit a plateau or that it was just so much harder to lose weight as you get smaller but I'm not sure I really believe that anymore.
So what have I been doing differently in the last month to get the weight loss train rolling again & have me only 7 stinking pounds away from my final goal???
Well...I've been doing the same stuff to lose weight at 157lbs that I did at 352lbs to lose weight; I've been:
1) Practicing self-control & making sacrifices:
When I first started this weight loss journey, nothing could break me. It didn't matter if my co-workers brought in cake and fried chicken for the office, I was unstoppable and I saw the rewards of that self-control on the scale. However, in the last few months, I decided I no longer wanted to sacrifice and began eating things that I really had no business eating simply because I wanted them.
And mind you, I'm not talking about having 2 donuts or 4 slice of pizza- I'm just talking about little snacks here or there but THEY ADD UP. I had to remember my old mantra that helped me say no to sweet "treats" in the past, which was, "No one is going to make the decision to put you first for you, you've got to make it for yourself."
Those gorgeous looking donuts were brought into work last week and from what I hear they are the best donuts in the 'Burgh- so did I have reason to have one? Sure. Did I? Nope.
Why? Because it's not a decision that would get me closer to where I want & deserve to be. Plain and simple- it takes sacrifice & self- discipline to lose weight for the long haul.
2) I've worked out consistently:
I am convinced that part of the reason for my continued weight loss (especially in the last month) is that I've been giving my all and challenging myself in the gym. As many of you know I am currently training for a 5K & it hasn't been easy (I'm currently dealing with some strange abdominal pain that has put a bit of a kink in my training) but I'm fighting.
There are VERY few days that I feel like going to the gym. There are MANY other things I could be doing with that time. But you know what, I know what works physical activity is what keeps those pounds flying off of me.
Challenge yourself. Make yourself a priority. Prove yourself wrong by doing something you never thought you could do.
3) I've been planning & preparing my food:
(BBQ Chicken Quinoa) *recipe below
The popular saying is true- "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail." A few months back I fell off the wagon of planning and preparing my meals weekly and found myself multiple times a week in a Starbucks, Subway or Chipotle eating stuff that isn't necessarily bad for you but isn't really that great for you either.
Like many of you, I am VERY busy. Most weeks, I have something that I have to be at almost every night of the week and it's easy to use a busy schedule as an excuse for not planning and preparing healthy meals. And that's fine- that excuse would be legitimate. But it's not gonna get you far on the scale.
If you have followed this blog for any period of time you know that when I first started this journey I hadn't ever made a real meal in my life! I ate chips, dip & frozen pizza for dinner. Thankfully, I've come a ways in the last 3 years but I am still very much in the beginning cook phase but I still put myself out there every week and try something new.
I prepare all my food for the week on Sundays (or as much as can be prepared ahead of time) to have one hand during the week. I love to eat out and believe it can be done in a way that is healthy but the truth is that the more I eat out, the less I see the pounds coming off.
It's easy to blame not losing weight on a plateau but I think when we stop losing we need to start by taking an honest look at if we've really been giving 100% or if we've been slacking in an area or two. I know I had started to and now that I'm back on track I'm not only happy to see the pounds coming off but I'm even more overjoyed to feel like I am truly in control & living free over food.
Can anyone relate?
Also, here's a recipe for a dinner I whipped up last night- it was my first time cooking with Quinoa (yum!) and it turned out to be DELISH!!! Can't wait to have it again this evening!!!
BBQ Chicken Quinoa: 4 Servings, 1 1/2 Cup Serving Size
2 Cups Pulled Chicken Breast (I made mine in the crock pot the day before)
1 Cup Quinoa cooked in 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Corn
1/2 Cup Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 Cup Diced Red Onion
Dash of sea salt
Garnish with green onion and cilantro
Top with 2 tbls. BBQ sauce (per serving)
Top with 1/2 avocado (per serving)
Total Calories: 429 per serving
This was YUMMY!