About two weeks ago I celebrated a major milestone in my quest to get fit – I finally fell below 300! As of today (April 18, 2010) I’m sitting at 294.5 – or roughly 50lbs lighter than when I started my journey in late December 2009. Talk about a motivator – seeing those magical numbers on the scale really gave me a confidence boost!
Looking back so far, I’ve learned a few things – first, you really can enjoy what you eat, just as long as you enjoy it in moderation. Starting out I told myself I wasn’t getting involved in any fad diet. I’m always amazed at the amount of money people throw away on the “diet of the moment” thinking that by denying themselves something they are going to be able to take weight off and keep it off. By watching what I eat I’ve managed to cut the calories and fat without really changing what I eat. I still enjoy frozen yogurt, the occasional order of french fries (maybe once or twice a month!) and my favorite – baked potatoes. The big difference between now and then is that I make better decisions instead of eliminating foods altogether. For example, I love a good baked potato – but I will skip the sour cream and butter and instead sprinkle some olive oil on it and pile on the garlic and chives. Mmmmm!
Secondly, no matter what you do, you have to get up and get moving. There is no doubt in my mind at this stage of the game that without regular physical exercise any of this would have been possible. Sure, there have been plenty of times when I was just wore out or just plain lazy and didn’t want to go to the gym – but I went anyway. What I found out is that after my 40 minutes or so at the gym I had more energy than ever. You just have to get motivated to do something – anything! Sitting 
around watching TV doesn’t count!
It’s not an easy journey – nobody said it would be – but if you have the motivation and desire you can make it an exciting one. If I could offer anyone advice to get them started it would be this:
- Put down the processed foods (ready-to-eat meals in a box from the store, fast food burgers and sandwiches, etc.)
- Get up and get active – even if it means just walking for 30 minutes a day
- Add strength training to your exercise – lift some weights, you will be surprised how much it boosts your cardio routines!
- Don’t sweat it when you fall off the wagon or indulge for a day; it’s OK to be bad once in a while as long as you keep moving towards your goal
- Get creative in the kitchen – you’d be surprised what you can create at home that is far, far better than the fat-laden, calorie-laden meals you will get when you eat out. Pecan salad anyone?
If I can do it – YOU can do it!