How I Lost 28 Pounds: Tips to Help You
Losing Weight Needed to be Realistic for Me
I am a high school math teacher in Texas. I have two grown children, a fiancé, and two cats. After the pandemic and quarantine hit, my already slightly overweight figure became even heavier. I was done gaining! I had no idea what to do. I had been successful years before doing only low-calorie, but it was very rough going.
This time, I searched online and talked to Facebook friends that touted different diet programs. I tried to see what I could do differently besides, solely, low calorie.
I have arthritis in my back and knees so exercise is rough. A recumbent bike is about all I can do. Though I did not exercise during the 6 months that I lost the 28 pounds, I have slowly begun to add it now to help me maintain my weight.
I will break down my research and let you know what I found that worked for me.
Before & After
This is a picture of me 6 months before I began losing weight and then 6 months after. I have not been under 130 in probably 15 years but I am now. Sadly I tend to gain most of my weight in my stomach, then face and hips.
How I Started Losing Weight
- I started with low calorie only, since that is what I had done in the past. I would eat around 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day.
- Tracking the calories is super easy with the free "Lose It" app. You just enter what you eat and it adds up the calories.
- I did begin to drink more water. I had been terrible about drinking only Diet Pepsi. I bought myself a half-gallon water jug and did my best to finish it every day. I did however add Mio flavoring because I just really don't like plain water.
- Cheat Days or a couple of weeks?!? The thing with low-calorie that I have found with me is that after some good weight loss it stops. I hit a plateau and seemingly can't lose any more weight. This time I realized that a cheat meal was actually necessary. Your body is convinced that it has to store fat.
Tips to Make It More a Lifestyle Than a Diet
I researched a lot of things. I tried to build my own diet plan by taking bits and pieces from all the articles I read online. Here are a few that worked for me:
- Weigh Every Morning! This is not done to discourage or encourage you. It is simply so that you know what is working and what is not. Especially now, as I am maintaining, I can correct when I have put on a pound or two and cut my calories slightly back the next week. During the diet it allows you to continue what is working well. It also, allows you to know when you plateau and need a cheat meal or day.
- Don't Starve Yourself! I researched tons of "zero" calorie foods and added those as I was hungry. The "Lose it" app helped me to realize what had fewer calories that I could eat more of. Never did I go hungry. In the next section, I will talk about foods that worked for me.
- Drink Water! Yes, I know I already said this, but it is very important. I found that if I drank about 8 ounces before I ate, I wasn't quite as hungry. Sometimes your hunger is worsened by a lack of fluids in your body. Also, drink water while you eat. Pause between bites and drink water. This allows you to slow down from shoveling food into your mouth and it also helps to
Zero and Low-Calorie Foods That Worked for Me
| Salad Fixins' | Smoothie Fixins' | Snacks & Veggies | Proteins |
|---|---|---|---|
Lettuce | Non-Fat Greek Yogurt | Popcorn | Shrimp |
Tomato | Non-Fat Milk | Broccoli | Fish |
Cucumber | Oats | Zucchini & Squash | Eggs |
Spinach | Chia Seeds | Black Beans | Pork Tenderloin |
White Mushrooms | Apples | Celery | Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast |
Berries | Carrots |
One Day at a Time!
Shocked at How Far I Had Come! I hadn't realized how big I had let myself get. Now I watch the scales and monitor even a few pounds and adjust my diet to work for what I need that day.
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2022 April McMichael
