Happy New Year!
January 1 is probably one of my favorite days! I love New Year's. I do. It's an opportunity for everyone to start fresh. Set a goal, make a change and make the best of the 364 remaining days to reach those goals. I think New Year's Resolutions are awesome and I am a living testimony that they can and do work. If you stick with it, no matter what. No. Matter. What. Never Give Up! It's that easy!!
I weighed 232 lbs. on January 1, 2014. Four years ago today. I felt awful. I was fat, didn’t like the way I looked in the mirror, hated having my picture taken, was depressed and had no energy. I was in pain all the time.
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| Christmas, 2013 I felt awful. |
I used to tell everyone, “I’m a lifetime member of Weight
Watchers. I know how to lose weight, I
just have to do it.” So I tried to do it
my own way. I cut back on food, ate lots
of Weight Watchers vegetable soup.
Starved myself, went to the gym and did what I thought I should do. And failed.
But the truth is, I did not fail.
That year, I learned to not give up.
While I did not lose 10 lbs, a month or even 2 lbs., per week, I did see an overall weight loss that year of about 25 lbs.
But it wasn’t enough.
I still was in pain and still needed to lose a considerable amount of
weight.
While I did not lose 10 lbs, a month or even 2 lbs., per week, I did see an overall weight loss that year of about 25 lbs.
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| That's me on the far left...This was taken Thanksgiving, 2014. I had lost about 25 lbs. here. |
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| Arthritis in my left knee, used to plague me. I still have it, but it doesn't trouble me much at all anymore. |
With the guidance of a personal trainer, I finally decided
to stop doing things my own way and listen to what he recommended. When I told
him I couldn’t do it that way, he said, “Then I can’t help you.” That was my reality check.
So, how did I do it?
How do I keep the weight off? I
use MyFitnessPal to keep track of my calories and macros. Macros is short for macronutrients. These are the key components of the food you
eat: fat, carbohydrates and
protein. I heard the saying, “Calories
in / calories out.” (Meaning you have to burn more calories than you eat.) I believed the best way was to cut back, but
was wasn’t eating enough. I actually had
to eat an additional 400 calories every day over what I had been eating
previously. Your body needs calories to
burn calories. It's easy! Seriously, it is. Believe it!
The second thing I started to do is watch my macros. I adjusted the amount of carbohydrates and
fat I consumed and increased my daily protein.
While I was working out, I wasn’t eating enough protein, which my body
needed for lean muscle. I had heard
people talk about low carb diets, but I knew that was not for me. By limiting my daily carbohydrates, I learned
to be smart about them. Finally,
contrary to everything I knew from years of being on Weight Watchers, I threw
out every low fat or sugar free item in my cupboard. Fat is not bad for you. Your brain needs fat to function properly. While everything I thought about counting
points told me low fat and fat free was best, I learned that 1 tbsp. of peanut
butter in my morning protein shake or a handful of almonds kept hunger at bay.
Because it’s learning curve, counting calories and macros can seem overwhelming at first. Take it slow and focus on calories. If your goal is 1700 calories / day, make sure you eat at least that many calories. Then try to eat your protein goal for the day. Plan your meals to include at least 20-25 grams of protein. Eat protein rich snacks to fill in the gap. By focusing on calories and protein to start, you can gradually work on other food groups as well without overwhelming yourself.
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So whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31
This strategy works and it's easy, especially once you get the hang of it. I haven’t gained the weight back because I
stick with the program. I hurt my back
last February, which severely limited my activity. While I did lose muscle mass during the
recovery time, I did not gain any weight. (Does the holiday weight I gained from Thanksgiving - New Year's count?)
Please contact me if you have questions on how to track calories or use MyFitnessPal. It really is easy. My favorite thing is that I can eat whatever I want, as long as I'm not eating crazy all the time. It's about balance.
New entries coming soon:
10 Minutes. For those who want to make a change, but are still stuck in first gear. Making a 10 minute workout count.
Why have a trainer? When you're stuck or feel like you need an extra push, sometimes it helps to have a personal trainer. Here I will share the successes and failures in working with a personal trainer. It's worth the investment, I promise.
Tune for your play list: This song has a great mellow beat, great for lifting or transitions during cardio or running.
"Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey
Do you believe in resolutions? Do you have any resolutions for the New Year?
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Email: tracoleman99@gmail.com
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