Losing weight 101

Losing weight is simple.  Not easy.

There is a difference.  Basically, all you have to do to lose weight is burn more calories than you consume.  But counting calories burned and consumed is pretty much impossible to do with 100% accuracy unless you are living in some sort of lab where your body and food are constantly weighed, examined and measured.  And even if you are able to do the whole counting thing relatively accurately at home– this kind of behavior can very easily turn into an obsession and disordered eating.  So lets talk about some reasonable ways to lose weight.

1) Commit

In order to lose weight you have to commit to living a healthier lifestyle.  If you take on small incremental goals with regards to exercising more (or more effectively) and eating healthier (not less) you will lose weight.  That being said you may go weeks without losing.  You may lose a lot in the beginning and hit a plateau.  These are all normal, natural parts of the process.  This is where your commitment must show up and where making goals around feeling better, performing better and living better are so important.

When I was still in “weight loss mode,” which for me was until I neared a healthy BMI, I had a shaky relationship with the scale.  I would look at it probably too often and sometimes be discouraged– going weeks on end without seeing it budge.  But as my goal was to stay active and keep eating healthy it would eventually move.  Sometimes (oddly) I would see a 6lb loss in one week after seeing no “action” for several.  You have to commit to see change.  There is no way around it.

2) Educate yourself

All it takes is one trip to the supermarket to see how easy it is to pick all the wrong things.  Short of strobe lights and neon signs- packages pronounce loudly they are “heart healthy!” “Light/lite,” “low fat,” “low cal” and “diet.”  *didja know that “light” can even mean “light colored”… yeah.* The vast majority of these foods are not healthy.  While the super healthy foods like spinach sit alone, in no package, with no signs pointing loudly “A good pick for weight loss!!”

Eating healthfully does not have to be ridiculously hard, but there are entire industries that rely on our ignorance and aimed at keeping us overweight and reaching back for the diet food.  This is where hiring someone like me might be a good investment in your health, but a quick paroosal of my resources tab will give you all the information you need to get started.  Either way, you will have to do more than read the flashing signs to know where to get started.

3) Know where you’re at, but don’t obsess

Easier said than done right?  The best indication I have of my largest point is a body cast my husband made of me when I was pregnant.  Yes, I know, I’ve heard that being pregnant doesn’t count.  But I only gained a few pounds while pregnant.  Too terrified to get on the scales after they tipped around 240, I don’t know exactly where I started. And boy do I wish I did.  I have one “before” picture taken before an honest attempt at weight loss in college- but after losing about 30lbs I gained a good 70.  So this picture is “before” gaining 70lbs.

Now I weigh in regularly, mostly to see where I’m at.  As I continue to focus on my performance gains, I don’t stress about the numbers.  Recently I have actually gained 5lbs and lost a few inches.  The regulars at the gym I frequent have been making comments lately about how I have “lost a lot of weight” (little do they know I lost 80lbs before I ever set foot in there), but in terms of the scale the “loss” they see is actually been through weight “gain.”

Once upon a time I had a goal weight.  (Originally it was to be under 200, then 180 etc).  The goal weight was not based upon my body and what it would naturally do- and I hit it, once, in the morning after using the bathroom and before drinking water.  It has never appeared again.  I am now fine with whatever number ends up on the scale because the focus has changed.  I want to improve.  I’m getting compliments about weight GAIN now.  I let my body figure out what is comfortable weight for me while I just keep plugging away and enjoying myself.  See the difference?  I may never see that elusive goal weight again.  And I may.  It isn’t my focus anymore.

So collect some accurate before info.  Weight, measurements etc.  Scared of the numbers?  Try this instead.  But also focus on what you are able to do physically and how you change what you put in your body.  When you see progress in these areas the rest will follow.

4) Take the long view

This is the same as commit, but commit might as well be numbers 1-20.  There is no wagon to get on and off.  There is no start tomorrow, start next Tuesday, give up Friday.  You just do your best.  And know that your best today is not the same as yesterday.  This does not always mean you will be better today.  Today may be a big suckfest.  There may be too many temptations.  You might REALLY not feel like working out.  You may have a “bad” day.  It’s okay.  Bad days happen.  Everyday is not full of “loving-yourself-so-much-you-can’t-wait-to-do-burpees”-ness.  That’s just fine.  Taking the long view means these days will happen.  These moments will happen.  These weeks will happen.  Just do your daily best, whatever that is and keep truckin!

In the spirit of the season, and because that before picture is staring sadly at me; here is my halloween costume for your viewing pleasure: