From time to time I like share the weight loss accomplishments of my friends, as well as give them a chance to share information that has worked for them along their weight loss journey. I’m thankful to Danielle, Keisha and Vera who have shared their stories and expertise on the weight loss process. Today, I want to introduce my friend Nicole. I met Nicole in my Zumba class. You wanna talk about moves…Nicole has the moves for you. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her teaching her own class in the very near future…hint hint
Nicole has been so very gracious to share these tips, which she has learned and incorporated into her life. She has lost 39 lbs. and counting. Whoot! Whoot! Go Nicole! She is a powerhouse and I am inspired by her journey and accomplishments and I’m sure you will be too. I’ll let Nicole take it from here:
“First, I want to thank Stacey for giving me this opportunity to share my story. I know so many people struggle with their weight and being happy with how they look so I wasn’t sure I had much to contribute. I used to watch shows like The Biggest Loser and think if I only had someone to tell me what to eat and how to work out, I’d be able to lose weight, too. Then I was presented with an opportunity to participate in a weight loss & maintenance study at Drexel University where they do just that.
I attend regular classes where we learn skills that help us make healthier choices and we are held accountable for our food intake and our exercise routine. We record our daily food intake to the letter and have a goal of exercising 5 days a week for 50 minutes each time (I’m not there yet). Consistency is one of the keys to success. It is an 18-month study and I’m approaching the 6th month. Our initial goal is 10% weight loss from the beginning of the study and I am proud to say that I’ve reached my goal!!!
Now we move into the maintenance phase – keeping the weight off – so it’s far from over. I wanted to share a few of the best tips I’ve learned through this program in hopes that it will help someone else.”
Weight Loss Hinges Upon Reducing Your Caloric Intake…Period!
The rule of thumb is if you want to lose 1-2 lbs. per week, 1200 – 1500 calories per day is suggested (if your current weight is less than 250 lbs). Pick a calorie goal and record the results for 3 weeks. If you are hitting the calorie goal but aren’t getting the desired result, lower the goal but don’t go lower than 1000 calories. I found it very useful to track my calories using an app on my phone. I used myfitnesspal because it syncs with my fitbit but there are others out there that are just as good.
Record EVERYTHING You Eat
Again myfitnesspal was great for this because it has a vast database of foods and you can scan barcodes of packaged foods to log them quickly. Or you can go old school and write down the description, serving size, number of servings, and time of day as long as you tally up those calories daily. Recording can get tricky especially if you cook at home because most recipes don’t provide calories but you can usually look up a recipe that’s similar online or in a calorie count book. When you have to write down everything you consume, you can see where your calories are going. And I mean everything, including that handful of M&M’s I grabbed on my way past the receptionist’s desk, and my nightly glass of red wine. It all adds up. I also realized that some “healthy foods” still contributed LOTS to my daily caloric intake like fruit, so now I put more veggies than fruit into my morning green smoothie.
Pay Attention To Those Food Labels
Calories are listed on nutritional value labels of packaged goods and until you start looking at these, you have no idea of where your calories are coming from. Or if you are REALLY eating a serving. Many times I thought I was eating a serving but I was really eating 2 or 3!! Companies often reduce the serving size to reduce the calories especially now that most put the calories on the front packaging. That 20 oz. Coke you think is only 120 calories is really 120 per serving and there are 2 servings a bottle!
Exercising For Less Than 10 Minutes Doesn’t Count Towards Your Weight Loss Goal
This was a hard one for me to swallow. I want to think that every step I take is one step closer to my weight loss goal but this isn’t necessarily true. It is a step closer to being HEALTHIER but studies show that in order for a cardio activity to impact weight loss it must be sustained for at least 10 minutes and be strenuous enough that you can talk but can’t sing while doing it. HUNH?!? The 10 minute guideline is because you need to keep your heart rate up long enough for your body to start burning fat. The singing thing is a little weird. Basically, if you are walking with your buddies and you are able to break out into your favorite song while doing it, you need to pick up the pace. On the flip side, if you are running and you can’t eek out a single word, you are working too hard and you need to slow your pace.
Weigh Yourself Once A Week
Our weight fluctuates constantly so if you are weighing yourself every day, your number is likely going to cause an emotional roller coaster ride for you as it goes up and down. Pick a convenient day of the week and weigh yourself when you first wake up after you go to the bathroom wearing the same thing or nothing at all. This will give you a better tracking of your weight. And no matter what the scale says, remember that every time you put something in your mouth, you have a choice to make – is this going to help me get to my goal? I ask myself that question and sometimes the answer is NO but I eat it anyway and I can’t beat myself up for that choice. I just have to accept the consequence of it and try to be better with the next choice. This leads to my final point.
Keep Living Life And Find Ways To Make Better Choices
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a foodie. I was so worried that this study would turn me into a rabbit eating salads 2 meals a day and not able to enjoy food. This was not the case. So, there are some tricks I learned that help. If you know you are going to an event (a party, a catered event, etc.) plan ahead – eat lighter during the day to leave room for the calories you know you will consume at the event, or tell yourself you will make healthier choices before you get there (I won’t have dessert, I’ll only have one drink, I’ll ask for double salad portion so I won’t be able to eat my whole entrée). I know from experience, the more alcohol I consume the worse choices I make so the one drink limit is a must for me. If you are going to a restaurant, see if they have their calorie counts online and pick what you are going to eat before you arrive and STICK TO IT! Planning is nothing if you don’t put the plan into action.
“I hope these tips are helpful. I’m sure there are a ton more I could share since we learn new life skills every week but these are the ones that I’ve found most helpful. Even with this knowledge, I still struggle with this program because this isn’t a perfect world. Sometimes I work too many hours to get my exercise in or I’m stuck in a lunch meeting where I don’t have any good choices but I keep at it. I forgive myself and I move on. I’ve got about 20 more pounds to be truly happy with my weight but when I recently went shopping and was able to buy clothes 1 size smaller, it felt good and gave me the necessary motivation to keep at it.”
Your Turn To Share
How do you plan to incorporate these tips into your weight loss journey? Remember the results come from the doing…Nicole is an example of that!