KH, the only way I was finally able to get rid of the last 20 pounds (after carrying them around for about 5 years) was to keep a food journal and count calories. It is boring to think about doing it every day but you get used to it and it really works. I use a Bob Greene journal and I still use it a year and a half after I lost the weight. If I don't use it for a week or so, I gain a couple of pounds. For me, it is just simple math and I had to find the formula that worked for me. I found that if I ate about 1300 to 1400 calories a day and exercised at least 5 hours a week, I would lose 1.5 pounds a week. I like the Bob Greene one because it has little veggies and fruits and glasses of water to check off and a place to keep track of your workouts. You could use any little notebook though. Try it. It works! I find that it doesn't really matter how I use those calories - carbs or protein or whatever - as long as I keep it to a certain number.
KH, the only way I was finally able to get rid of the last 20 pounds (after carrying them around for about 5 years) was to keep a food journal and count calories. It is boring to think about doing it every day but you get used to it and it really works. I use a Bob Greene journal and I still use it a year and a half after I lost the weight. If I don't use it for a week or so, I gain a couple of pounds. For me, it is just simple math and I had to find the formula that worked for me. I found that if I ate about 1300 to 1400 calories a day and exercised at least 5 hours a week, I would lose 1.5 pounds a week. I like the Bob Greene one because it has little veggies and fruits and glasses of water to check off and a place to keep track of your workouts. You could use any little notebook though. Try it. It works! I find that it doesn't really matter how I use those calories - carbs or protein or whatever - as long as I keep it to a certain number.
This is really encouraging. Thanks for posting it. I even have Bob Green's book. (I just need to read it again). I didn't know you carried 20 extra lbs around for so long. It really encourages me to know this. I've seen the photos of you that you posted and I just thought you had always been that way. It gives me hope knowing that we all need to work at this. I will start writing things down. I think I need to start blogging again. I'll set it up with a link in my siggy for accountability. Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad it helps. I was always very thin and athletic, but between my pregnancies (my kids are 5 years apart) I hovered around 140. I didn't like it. Then when ds #2 had his first birthday I had actually GAINED weight since I had him and was at an all time high of 147. I was really struggling with the second child - it was a big adjustment for me - and it took him forever to sleep through the night so I was just exhausted that first year. I vowed to get back to my old healthy habits that day and I haven't looked back. So I have lost about 30 pounds since then and most importantly I have kept it off.
Maggie - thanks for your tips. I'm definitely going back (started today) journaling every morsel I eat and concentrating on that.
Feel free both you & KH to check out my weight loss journey (see in my sig). 30lbs lost but a few have crept back on, so now it is time to kick it up a notch and lose the 5 more pounds!
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Check out my weight loss journey ~ sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=MAMAOF3KIDDIES
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