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Overweight From Childhood
by SSM
I was overweight from chhildhood but it wasn't significant stage. You can say acceptable stage, but I didn't notice since at this age no body think about being healthy. Then, on my teenager the stage become really serious, I gained more weight I felt really bad it was annoying. I used to wear the biggest size among my sisters “my old sisters ". Sometimes I couldn't find my size from the market my mom had to go to trailer.
One day on my teenager stage I felt a pain on my knee and it was repeatable pain. My mum advised me to see doctor and she bring me to a doctor. First question by the doctor was what's the problem? I answered him. Then he said stand up at the weightier. I stood then he said. You are overweight you have to lose some weight. I weighted at that moment about 67 kgs. When I come home I weighted myself and I chocked I didn't notice this before.
Since this day I tried every thing I found a diet on my mom room and I follow the diet. At the same time I heard about rejeem tea I tried it. After that my weight stood at 62 kg. That was my weight until I finish my high school and it maintained 4 months after the school then I lost 2 kg and that was during the second semester. In summer like this day I stood at the weightier and I found that my weight become 57. I was happy for this I broke the 60. I complete my behavior then after 7 months from the summer I found my weight 54 and I didn't notice this.
I run on diet maybe 2 to 3 weeks to encourage my friend and I lost 2 kgs I maintain this weight until last 4 months. today my weight is 50 at morning. My current height is 154 cm about 5 feet 1 inch. You can imagine how was my shape when I was younger shorter and fatter.
This was my real story.
Many people ask me how did you reach that. I said I don't run on diet I didn't kill myself I just be healthier.
The secret is to cut eating unnecessary food during the day I eat my breakfast my lunch my dinner I don't skip any of them, but I don't eat fast food "junk food". I don't eat chips chocolates and sweet more than the normal. I don't drink soft drinks. Now it's normal that I don't drink soft drink whole the month or 3 half cups per month. I love chocolate so I eat chocolates. I don't like to eat chips not because of the taste because of the contents thinking about the fats inside makes me disgusted.
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Atkins Diet
by Maureen Russ- Social Worker
(Daly City CA)
Atkins Diet
I was a heavyweight college student; I really never tried to go on diet because I thought all of them did not work except for Atkins Diet, . After all the years of being fat Atkins Diet was the only one I tried and the only one that worked. A friend once asked me if I was really happy with my being fat and all. Apparently she was really concerned and offered to help me. She read somewhere that I could join the Atkins community for free and it will not cost me anything to find out all I need to know about Atkins Diet.
Although I was skeptical about all those diet, I showed appreciation for my friend?s concern and joined Atkins so I could start with my weight loss plan. To my surprise, the Atkins Diet program seemed attainable which gave me a little push of encouragement. It was not a starvation program as I had originally thought but was only about eating the right food combined with exercise. After the very first month that I tried Atkins Diet, I experienced weight loss for the first time in my life. It has been ten months since and from my original weight of 200 pounds I am now only 135 pounds.
Thanks to my friend, I now know what being happy means. I still aim to go down to at least 120 and stay there for good by following all that I have learned from Atkins Diet. These are the things I learned and if you have weight problems like I did there is really no harm if you will try them yourself:
1. The Atkins Diet program is about eating right and about knowing the right food to eat so you do not add any more of the calories you have stored. Although there was the induction stage to deal with at first, it was like more on trying to acclimatize my body system to the type of diet I will be having. It was a 14-day diet that introduced my body to burn fat instead of burning carbohydrates. It was also a start up stage for lessening my desire for sweets and other forms of carbohydrates that only added to calories instead of nutrients.
2. Actually, during that induction stage, I almost quit because I started having those "Carb Withdrawal" side effects. I had feelings of nausea and spell of dizziness and would have given up if not for my friend and for the support I got from Atkins. The severity of the side effects was lessened by intakes of vitamin supplement. I was constantly reminded that unlike other weight loss diet this was not going to take a long time and only for two weeks at the most.
3. Although calorie counting was necessary it was just a matter of common sense. Since I can eat three regular meals and two snacks and keep my calories at 1,500 a day the Atkins Carb Counter gave me the equivalent calories and carbs. The food I chose from was based on the Acceptable Food list and it made meal planning and calorie counting really easy.
4. Of course there was the matter of exercise to burn off all the fats which made feel lighter as months passed.
I had no idea that dieting could be this easy and now I regret the fact that I did not do this before during all those years that I was fat. Thanks to my friend who talked me into losing weight and to Atkins Diet that made dieting easy.
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Healthy Eating
by Nancy Trent- Full-time Mother/Housewife
(Phoenix, Arizona )
Healthy Eating
Let me share with you my experience on how "healthy eating" was the only way I was able to shed off pounds. I grew very very fat after I gave birth to my second child. The first pregnancy was actually the start, because I never regained my original weight of 120 pounds. After the first child I stayed at 180 pounds, then the next pregnancy left me at 260 pounds.
It is not that I did not make any effort to lose weight. In fact, I was into every diet craze I encountered. My experience with dieting was losing a few pounds here and there and do a lot of exercises. Then I had to stop because my doctor said it was only making me weak and my heart was getting strained. He often advised me against these weight loss diets and just go into "healthy eating" for a change. However, I was a bit too desperate to listen, so I never really heeded his advice.
It was only when I started experiencing elevations in my blood pressure that "healthy eating" became my only choice to lose weight naturally. Now how did I lose weight just by healthy eating?
1. In "healthy eating", the first thing you should correct is eating in over abundance. When I was into regular eating, I never stopped until I felt I had my belly full. That was how I grew fat. Then I went into diets that told me to eat more of this and less of that. In some cases, I could eat all I want then stop at this particular hour because night time is for retiring. The problem with those diets is that it did not give me enough energy to exercise.
2. By "healthy eating", my doctor told me to eat "feel full foods". They were mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and he said I should choose those with high water contents. So if I had a bad habit of eating until I felt full, these fruits and vegetables can be eaten in large portions but with less calories.
3. The grapefruit is one of my favorites, it has a lot water content but only 18 calories. You know how water can make you feel full. So I can eat a whole grapefruit, feel full but with less calories. As soon as I feel some hunger pangs, I can eat carrots which also have plenty of water content but only 52 calories in a cup size serving. By this time, I had already burned the 18 calories I got from the grape fruit, so I can afford to take in more.
4. By the way, "healthy eating" also means eat slow. Chew your food, take time to savor it and allow it to be absorbed or broken down into nutrients.
5. Do not skip breakfast. Take some energy giving foods or anything that is not processed or has too much oil or fat. I eat two sunny side ups every morning and two toasts and a cup of tea. I occasionally engage in a cup of brewed coffee, but I find my digestive system works better with tea. I also indulge in pancakes, but I use the new kind of flour made from sweet potato because they are the organically grown type. (You see, that is the trouble with me, I often go with what the "in" thing is). The fad now is to go organic, but it really is okay though.
6. Stop eating fast foods and do your own cooking. Not only is it cost saving, it is healthy eating too.
7. Indulge in feel good foods once in a while but make it a point to exercise in order to lose the additional calories. I only started to indulge in feel good foods when I was already down to 200 pounds. In a way I was testing the sustainability of my new found diet program.
8. Do not forget or forgo the exercise routine. If you cannot go out to walk or jog, do some house chores. Clean the rooms, bend and pick up toys, reach for the clothes wire and stretch your arms. If you have a second story to your home, go up and down the stairs yourself. In fact, I think I burn more energy doing these things. Once I started losing weight, I seemed to be light enough to start moving myself around the house.
Most important thing of all about losing weight naturally through "healthy eating" is to stop thinking that you are on a diet. This way you do not have to be impatient on the weight you are trying to lose. "Healthy eating" made it possible for me to cut down my calorie intakes. Eating only healthy foods gave me enough nutrients to be active and burn the fats I had stored for years.
It took me three years of fad diets but with no significant weight loss. It took me two years of "healthy eating" and I am not only sustainably fit at 135 pounds but sustainably healthy as well.
Take my advice, stop with the fad diets and start with "healthy eating".
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How to Help Kids Eat Healthy
by Caitlin O'Shea - Dental Practitioner
(New Brunswick, Canada)
How to Help Kids Eat Healthy
I would also like to share my own experiences onhow to help kids eat healthy. This has something more to do on how you will let kids have their own way when it comes to food even if it is no longer eating healthy. You see, when I was a child I was hardly active and ate most of the time. The thing is I always had my way because my parents were afraid that I would throw up a fit.
Until I started getting sick. I was hospitalized for a week because I was having hypertension at age 12. They stuck with me needles which I remembered as very painful because the nurse found it hard to get a good vein to stick the needle in. I saw my mom crying every night and I really felt sorry for her because I knew she wanted to see me happy. I heard her ask the nurse about any tips she might know on how to help kids eat healthy
The doctor showed a different way on how he could help kids eat healthy. When I got better, the doctor talked really seriously to me and said he never wanted me to be his patient again. He looked a little stern. He told me that the best way for us not to meet was to drink my medicine and eat the right kind of food.
He will meet with me from time to time just to make sure I was following orders but not in a hospital bed again. If I did not obey everything that was told to me, he will just prick me with the large needles that he uses for grown ups so everything will work fast. I took all that seriously so I obeyed everything. In my later years, and when I got better he said that I was a notorious little brat and he just wanted to have the upper hand.
When I became a parent myself, I did not want to raise a child like me. I was so spoiled rotten that even my eating habits were affected. I researched the net for proper ways on how to help kids eat healthy and I was glad I found a lot of help myself. Actually, I learned a lot from my parents regarding ways on how to help kids eat healthy, and that is not to spoil them.
Let them cry, let them throw tantrums but do not show that you are affected. The situation will not last long that way because the child will see that it does not do her any good. It does not mean however that you will keep a barrier between yourself and the kids. Have a change of mood only when they are acting up or trying to challenge your authority as parents.
My parents realized there was nothing wrong with the food nor with their own eating habits. It was only a case of spoiling me and giving in to everything I wanted even if it was not healthy anymore. I realized later on that it was not the food that I liked but the hold I had over my parents. I demanded attention by acting up and eating as much food as I can. I thought, the chubbier I get, the more they will squeeze and hug me. Soon enough we all learned that it only led to my deterioration
My parents started to change. They did not give me the things I wanted just because I cried and hollered for it. I had to earn it by behaving and eating right. It was hard for me then and I guess for them too because I often heard them arguing. My mom always wanted to take my side but my dad said that letting me have my way will only lead to future problems.
If my parents did not heed advices on how to help kids eat healthy, I would have had a lot of health problems aside from turning out obese. Fortunately, they stopped spoiling me for my own good and things turned out well. Today as a parent I also spoil my children but not materially or through food. I spoil them with a lot of attention and by teaching them to be active. I do not use food as a reward but let them eat crazy once in awhile just to break the monotony of home cooked meals.
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Good Eating Habits
by Debrah Hertz Community Worker
(Rockford, New Jersey )
Good Eating Habits
I am sharing this diet experience about good eating habits and this is because I actually agree with the Vegetarian Diet Tips you recently posted. The writer Terry is right about our children not being able to lose weight if they will go through it alone.
I practically had the same experience with Josh, my ten year old boy, who grew too fat for his age. It was all a matter of good eating habits to put him in the right weight and it was not something only he had to practice but the whole family as well.
Parents as Models of Good Eating Habits
Josh being the first of my three kids, acquired his not so good eating habits when my husband and I were just new parents. Back when Josh was growing up, we really were not into good eating habits because we often had ours at fast food diners. We really did not mind whether the food will give us enough nutrients but only something that could fill us up in the quickest and most satisfying ways possible.
I cannot say that we had a too busy lifestyle, it is just that burger, pizzas, tacos and the likes tasted better than the food I attempted to cook. Naturally, all three of us grew thick around the belly
When I became pregnant with my second child, it was important that I got into good eating habits. I cut off on the fast food cuisine and stayed on the diet my doctor prescribed. He gave me stern warning to follow it if I do not want any complications with my pregnancy. That was when I became a good model of eating habits.
Persuading Kids to Develop Good Eating Habits
Josh was not too happy with the vegetables, although he welcomed the fruits. He tended to have these tantrums because he was hungry for the burgers and the fries. It was really a battle of wills between us. I tried to explain to him that something bad will happen to mommy and the baby if we do not eat healthy foods. I was not sure then if it was right to scare him that way but somehow it worked. We settled to a compromise of him having burgers and pizzas on weekends if his daddy was home.
Soon enough Josh developed a taste for salads because he liked them crisp. He started to like omelets because egg was the only thing I mastered in cooking. I searched the net for recipes for vegetable omelets and soon I was whipping up different recipes. In the nine months that I was on a strict diet, Josh totally lost all interest in fast food and became interested with home cooked meals. As for me, I found out that cooking was not really that hard. It was only a matter of not giving up if it did not turn out right the first time.
Making Meals a Family Affair is a Good Eating Habit
I realized later that Josh only developed his not so good eating habits because it was what he saw in his parents. Meals now became a family affair. The other kids grew up seeing the family eating properly at meal time. Unlike when Josh was growing up, we often took the fast-food meals in front of the TV, watching movies or playing video games.
Even our family doctor gave us the thumbs up sign, for changing our lifestyle because he said good eating habits will save us a lot of health problems in the future. Josh slimmed down but he is still heavy but more solidly built. Unlike before when he was obviously fat and flabby looking like an overgrown baby.
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Vegetarian Diet Tips
by Terry Garret - Kindergarten Teacher
(Camden, New Jersey)
Vegetarian Diet Tips
This is my story about weight loss and my vegetarian diet tips. I hope it will inspire you. Actually, it is not about my weight loss but that of my 14 year old daughter. I realized that no matter how hard she tried to lose weight, she will never be able to do it unless we, her family supported her with our own eating habits. So I asked a dietitian for suggestions because I also had my younger kids to think about. So the dietitian suggested that the family should simply go on a vegetarian diet.
A vegetarian diet seemed like a difficult choice but then I guess there was no harm in trying. It is not something that is going to cost us money. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. I talked to my husband about it and he was not so happy with the idea, because he imagined himself getting weak without meat in his diet. As a compromise, I promised that there will be at least one meal in a week with meat. I consulted this with the dietitian beforehand and she said it was basically okay, because the body also needed the nutrients we get from eating meat.
Here are the vegetarian diets tips that helped me changed the eating habits of my family and eventually helped my 14-year old daughter to lose weight:
1. In a vegetarian diet my first concern was to find non-meat sources that were full of the nutrients we get from meat. For protein you can cook up some oil-less dishes using bean curds, tofu, soy, lentils; iron nutrients can be derived from dark leafy green vegetables, enriched cereals, whole grains, peas and dried fruits. We can get our calcium nutrients from low fat dairy, fortified soymilk and tofu while zinc will come from whole grain products, nuts, wheat germs and soy products,
2. According to our dietitian, it is important that we had as much Vitamin C nutrients as possible, in order to help us absorb these nutrients especially iron. This is important especially if we do not derive these nutrients directly from meat sources.
3. Spice it up; there is nothing about vegetarian diets that exclude spices and herbs. They will enhance the flavor of vegetables, throw in some nuts, add a little chili, use a little black beans but not too much because they could be too salty, add some mushrooms.
4. I was advised by the dietitian of the possibility that a vegetarian diet plan can be effective only as far as cutting off the fat in meat. There should also be focus in avoiding food preparations that add heavy sauces, creams, oil used for sautéing, peanut butter, cheese, and condiments.
5. Don't forget the 8 glasses of water as part of the daily regimen.
6. Have lots of fruit and vegetables. However, the vegetarian diet foods do not always have to be the main course; red meat can be served but only once a week and only in small portions. On some days it could be fish, on other days, the white meat of chicken.
7. During snack time, I give the younger ones foods that have higher calorie contents to give them energy like peanut butter or cheese sandwiches and other healthy snack foods and fruit juices. Children do not have to stay on low fat types of milk because they need lots of calcium and energy giving foods. From time to time, I treat them to some chewy fruit bars, fruit yogurt and occasionally, ice cream.
8. My husband and I still have coffee using low fat cream. It is important that everyone eats breakfast of cereals, mueslis, dried fruits, fruits in season. These days, it is not so hard to find substitutes in grocery stores, just to have a variety in the food that I serve.
Megan, my used to be "fat 14-year old daughter" is now 16. Not only was she able to lose weight but her complexion cleared as well. She has grown taller and her muscles are well toned because she went to jazz dancing lessons as her form of exercise. I like the fact that she is a happy and a contented teenager with a lot of plans for the future. Boys, as she said can wait; she had other things in her mind,
As for my husband and I, another year and we will be in our 40s. Modesty aside, people who do not know us well enough, think we are only in our early thirties.
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South Beach Diet
by Marina Gibbs- Employment Consultant
(Queanbeyan, NSW Australia)
South beach diet review
I started out with the South Beach diet when I went out shopping for a pair of pants and I found out that I did not fit in an XL size anymore. I tried the next size XXL but it was still too tight for comfort. It took me a lot of courage to pay for the XXXL size and it finally dawned on me that I was indeed obese and not just overweight as I always tried to convince myself.
In fact, my doctor already told me about this when I consulted him about my back problems. This later on worsened and developed into another problem called Plantar Fasciitis or commonly known as tendonitis. The latest diagnosis I had was that I had sleep apnea. My breathing was becoming shallow and I could not get a good nights sleep anymore as I sometimes find myself gasping for breath while in a deep sleep. Despite my doctors advice I still could not get myself into a diet because eating was just something I could not resist. It is like taking away all that I am living for, which all the more makes my situation worse.
Now my doctor told me to try South Beach diet because the program was not about depriving me with food but more on learning how to stay away from food that causes me to store excess fats. Now with the size XXXL pants that I bought which finally convinced me that I am indeed Extremely Extra Extra Large, I now believe my doctor. That all my health troubles were due to my weight and by not doing anything about it the more health disorders I am bound to develop. The more food will be banned from me.
During the Phase 1 diet, I found the program agreeable because I was allowed to eat in regular portions although meals were mostly limited to chicken, fish, turkey and some lean meat plus some vegetables and eggs. Except that with chicken, I could not have the wings, thighs or legs or even cereals for breakfast or ice cream for dessert. Nevertheless it was quite encouraging because after two weeks I lost about 6 pound which was the first weight loss I experienced after two decades of being fat.
In Phase 2 I could say it was much better but it still would not allow me to eat my favorites except for pasta which had to be whole wheat and cereal which had to be extra-fiber all bran. Baked goodies were limited to sugar-free muffins. I lost about 1 pound a week. I started out with the diet in 2006 weighing 290 pounds and as of last weight check I am down to 210. I cannot say that I am any happier except that I can fit right back into some of my old clothes. If not for this, I think I would have cheated more often and still weigh even heavier than 210 pounds.
I am still aiming to go down below 200 pounds but I must admit that with the South Beach diet, I feel like I could not help myself from cheating. I still feel deprived of some food by basically sticking to those listed in South Beach list of Foods to Avoid and Foods to Enjoy.
Now I have read a recent review about Atkins Diet where there is a list that gives the acceptable foods and the equivalent in calories and carbohydrates. I have a mind to try this system because I find my progress with South Beach too slow. I still have this tendency to crave for some food and I just could not resist having a taste of it again. Now I was thinking that if I knew how much calorie I was taking in if I cheated, I will know how much calorie I will have to pay for when I sweat it out in my treadmill. I would not mind counting some calories and carbohydrates if that will allow me to enjoy some of the foods I am missing.
The bottom line is, South Beach diet works only if you have the will power to stick to the list of foods for the rest of your life. At least, South Beach diet helped me lose my tendonitis since my body weight decreased. Although the occasional back pains and sleep apnea are still there because I still have a lot of flab in my belly. In fact, only the thought of developing more health disorders and being deprived of more food keeps me motivated in using South Beach Diet. I just wish there was a better way or perhaps, better food.
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Counting Calories
by Megan Henessy - Dental Clinic Assistant
(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Counting Calories
This is a story that I hope will inspire you about losing weight by simply counting your calories. When my doctor told me I had to start counting calories, it felt like a lot of load was being heaped on my shoulders. If there was one thing I considered tedious, keeping track of details was the likeliest. However, my doctor warned me that with my weight and the unburned calories stored in my cells, I was bound to develop diabetes Type 2. Now I had a choice of counting calories or become a full blown diabetic which required more monitoring than what he was requiring me to do.
It has been a year now and I am glad I followed the advice my doctor gave me. Had I not been counting calories everyday, my dress size would still be size 16 instead of the size 10, I am wearing now. Today, a lot of people marvel at how healthy I look. All good things happened to me, a job promotion, my boyfriend finally proposed (which I accepted of course), and all feelings of depression gone, all because of the simple act of counting calories.
Here was how I went about it:
1. The objective was to burn more than the number of calories I ate. If I loaded about 3500 calories, I had to do some exercises that can burn even as I sleep. As long as I could keep burning 3500 calories per week, my doctor gave me the thumbs up sign.
2. Sometimes, if I could not exercise, I avoided loading up on food that had lots of calories. Counting calories was not really as hard as I thought; 3,500 calories a week meant I had to lose 500 calories per day. In a weeks time that meant losing 1 or 2 pounds every week. If I stayed away from a piece of cake, 2 to 3 pieces of cookies, a medium fry, and about 3 cans of soda, it would mean avoiding 500 calories.
3. I started eliminating the high calorie foods I liked by gradually cutting them off from my diet. I went down into small portions until I totally took them off from my diet and replaced them slowly with lots of fruits, vegetables, white meat, and low carb foods. In about two months, I was totally rehabilitated as far as my diet was concerned.
4. I did not have to starve, all it took was counting calories, made sure it was kept at the RDA of 2000. Then I got into exercising like treadmill, running, swimming but usually walking on a long stretch of beach road. It was light aerobics in the morning for about an hour and then an hour of treadmill or running around the block early evening before meals. A long walk after meals down at the beach road was also nice.
5. I thought exercise was something I would hate doing, although at first I did. However, since I started losing pounds I became lighter and it gave me a different feeling. I slowly felt some lift in my spirits. I became more agreeable as a person instead of constantly griping about something. I was in fact, a happier person.
6. If you are curious how I did the counting, I was like an obsessed person jotting down the calories of every food I used to eat. When I summed it all up, I was actually consuming 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day and was burning only 1,500 calories to match it. No wonder I grew fat.
7. Those food that had low calories, I kept them in my diet. In buying food I was into reading the labels. I checked everything and if they passed, they became included in my good calorie list and therefore became part of my diet. Initially, I always referred to this list if I had to shop for food or prepare a meal. In time, I came to know them by heart, hence, counting calories became easier.
I really cannot remember which came first, the feeling of happiness because I was losing weight or because my boyfriend did not make up any excuses any more not to go out with me. In fact, part of the happiness I felt was when my boyfriend started joining me in the late afternoon runs and walks down the beach road. (I think he was making sure I kept with the regimen).
If seeing more and more of my BF, made me happy and motivated me to keep watch over my calories intakes, it does not matter. What is important is I lost weight naturally by counting calories.
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How to Lose Weight Naturally
by Emilia Ross - Sales Rep
(Wilmington, Delaware)
How to Lose Weight Naturally
I have tried all sorts of diet on how to lose weight naturally, but I also ended up losing my health. My doctor’s first advice was not to go into any kind of diet without first asking him about it because the diet may work well for others, but it doesn’t mean it will work for me too.
I Lost Weight but also Lost my Health
That was particularly true when I punished myself for a week by getting into some low carb diet and did some intensive and serious treadmill running. End result? I was so weak from loss of muscle fuel and near dehydration I simply plopped on the floor and went all blank. My doctor was quite flabbergasted with my lack of knowledge. The foolhardy person that I was did not know that unused carbohydrates are not really stored as fat but are used as fuels by the muscles. So what I was really losing was more of muscle tissues because they were unable to repair and form new muscles after I got through with my intensive treadmill running.
Not only was I losing muscle tissues but I was also losing body water by eating less carbohydrates. I came to know that for every gram of carbohydrate, our body will hold 2.4g of water which is what water retention meant. So even if I drank ounces and ounces of water, most of it will just pass as waste instead of being held by the body.
The reason I lost consciousness aside from the weakness is because the brain also uses carbohydrates as fuel. I lost weight but I lost my health too. I had to stay in a hospital bed for a week with dextrose needles supplying the glucose that I needed. My muscles were simply starving and I had to have something that was fast acting.
How I Lost Weight Naturally without Losing Health
From then on I became afraid of trying out fad diets and learning how to lose weight naturally without losing my health became almost impossible. My doctor told me that since I obviously lacked the knowledge, I could probably do with some educating. He told me to simply follow the American Dietary Guidelines, and continue with my exercises and just be patient about it. After he computed how much of my weight was body mass and how much was stored fat, he estimated that maintaining my calorie intake at 1200/day would be enough to provide the fuel I needed for my daily activity.
I had been overweight for years and I had to condition my mind that I did not have to be in a hurry to lose weight. With that in mind I was able to learn how to lose weight naturally without losing my health. Here are the things I did:
1. Since my diet failures were mostly based on ignorance about foods I came to learn about each food group and what kind of nutrient I got from them. The stored fat I had in my body came mostly from calories and they came not only from simple carbohydrates but from different types of foods.
2. I learned which foods have more nutritious content and at the same time low calories. I always chose low fat or fat-free over whole, lean over marbled, unsweetened over sweetened, baked or boiled over fried and fresh-picked over canned.
3. I got into the habit of reading nutrition facts on the labels. I took note of the calories per serving, so if I will just limit myself to one serving, then I get only the amount of calories stated on the label. If I had two more then that would mean more than doubling my calorie intakes. I also learned the other names by which sugar is called like honey, molasses, fructose and maltose, so I know that they are still sugar and will still add to the calorie intakes.
4. Instead of copying meal plans from some weight loss website, I planned my own meals and kept them in portions. I could eat as much as I want just as long as I kept my calorie intakes at a certain level as well as kept my nutrition facts right. My doctor did not find anything wrong with my planned meals seeing they eliminated mostly those that are sources of solid fats or simple sugar.
5. I have lost 15 pounds from last year because I maintained my calorie intakes at 1200 per day. You do not have to starve yourself or deprive your body of any nutrient; you simply had to watch what you are eating. What was important is not to add anymore of the stored fat you already have in your body. I was burning whatever stored fat existed in my body through my regular walk-run exercises using my treadmill.
How to lose weight naturally without losing your health was all matter of knowing the right foods, watching your calories and regular exercise. It was a bit tedious at first, but I soon learned the right food by heart because I took charge of planning my meals. Besides, it is a lot easier than starving constantly. Now I am beginning to enjoy shopping for clothes because it meant I was making progress if it became necessary for me to buy new ones.
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