33 Lbs in 4 Months

First of all, this is only the beginning; I have a very long way to go. I have met one of my milestones, to get under 375 lbs, but still have almost half my weight to lose. Still, I feel like I'm making good progress and am more "in control" than I've felt in six or seven years. How? In some ways, I think it was just time, but in others, I have employed some strategies that I hope might be useful to other people.

I was making some small advances last year, but four months ago I made the decision to give up sugar; that marks the beginning of any real progress I've made.

This isn't the first time I've given up sugar. I read a book in 1990 by Janet Greeson called It's Not What You're Eating, It's What's Eating You, in which the author talks about a 12 step approach to overcoming food addiction. While the main focus of the book is the psychological reasons for food addiction (of which there are many), one of her admonishments was to give up sugar. I remember her clearly writing something about how "you might deny this now, but eventually you'll see this is the only way to really overcome your addiction." Since then, I've struggled and justified, lost and gained, and eventually come to that place she talked about.

Giving up sugar may seem extreme, and for some people it doesn't seem to be necessary, but for someone like me who has struggled with being overweight since early childhood... I've lived long enough to know the patterns that I go through when it comes to food. To me, sugar = lack of control. Some cycles I have gone through, many times, include:

• I'll just have sugar on holidays... "holidays" soon include birthdays... family get-togethers... performance after parties... celebrations... and soon enough: every day is a holiday.
• I'm off sugar for good... things get stressful... I'll just have one... one becomes three... three becomes five... five becomes uncontrolled binging.
• I make a poor food choice... well, I've already fallen... it's hopeless... I'll never change... depression sets in... food lessons the negative feelings... just eat what you want.

What's different this time? How have I managed to avoid these and other potential downfalls? How am I down 33 lbs?

1. I wrote down a goal that said I was not going to have sugar for a full year. I knew it was time to do this. I knew I had to do it. Writing it down made it real. At first, this was it. I didn't try to start everything at once. I added other goals as time went on.
2. I decided that I needed to examine my emotions every time I felt like eating something. Do I want to eat this _______ because I'm actually hungry, or because I'm stressed, anxious, depressed, etc.? Paying attention to my mind and my body has made a big difference in my awareness and control.

3. I look at labels for hidden sugar and avoid it. For a time, I was using some low-glycemic sugar alternatives like coconut sugar and xylitol to make some treats. This was good as a transition, especially in the first month (which is the worst of it). Over time, I have used these less and less, until now I am quite happy with a piece of watermelon, an orange, an apple, some grapes, etc.. I may make something with alt-sugars for a birthday or holiday, but no longer on a regular basis.

4. I bought a book about clean eating called Peace of Cake by Jenny Carr and have been following a number of the guidelines. I drink 32 oz of water when I get up in the morning and then with every meal. I've tried to consume "clean" oils like olive and avocado oil. I keep processed foods to minimum. I try to eat organic for anything I eat the skin of (apples, potatoes, zucchini, lettuce, etc.). My mindset for this is that I want to give my body every opportunity to let go of fat, rather than use fat as a barrier against the toxins of a modern diet.
5. We're trying to eat grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and eggs when we can afford it, for the same reasons as above. I've found that buying beef in bulk and putting it in the freezer really helps with the cost and the mental pain of buying something so much more expensive than I'm used to.
6. I chose to try an intermittent fasting plan where I eat two meals between the hours of 11 AM and 8 PM and may have a snack and/or a small treat (like a Trader Joe's Honey Mint, which at first I found very bitter, but now really enjoy). Most days, this is not a problem for me. I find that drinking as much water as I have been seems to help a lot with hunger.
7. If I find I am truly hungry, I grab a boiled egg, a handful of nuts/seeds, or some guacamole. A small amount of a high protein/fat item goes far longer than one would think.
8. My wife and I don't eat out nearly as much as we used to. This has helped us to make a lot of healthy food and save enough money to buy the organic produce we want to really be eating.
9. We made a month-long menu of dinner items, so we are not constantly scrambling about what we're going to eat each night. This has helped our resolve to eat out less, increased the variety of what we eat, and to be sure of what we're putting in our bodies. We made a little game board for our fridge with the menu on it and have a magnet (Mr. Spock) travel the board to help us keep track of where we are and what we need to shop for.
10. I was eating whole wheat bread for quite a while, but have mostly phased bread out of my daily diet. I may eat it if it is part of a meal we have on our menu though.
11. Because my wife is sensitive to cow dairy, we've switched mainly to goat/sheep milk, yogurt, and cheese. We tried a lot of good cheeses out, but have settled into using manchego and pecorino as our main cheeses, largely due to the fact that they are not too costly, comparatively, when you get them at Costco.
12. Once a week, I go with my son and mother for a walk, and then to get these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches at a local eatery. It has not stopped me from losing weight. I no longer eat the sugar cookies though (that is probably the hardest thing in my week when it comes to food... just turn away).
13. Recently, I bought a popsicle mold and have been having fun with my son making up popsicle flavors. We've done kiwi banana, chocolate almond milk (unsweetened), and banana, as well as green smoothie. It's nice to be able to make something we both enjoy that has almost no impact on our intake.
14. Within the past couple of weeks, I decided that I was making good enough progress to justify making a bet on myself. I went to Healthy Wage and laid down a hundred dollars a month for the next six months that I could lose fifty pounds in that time. I'm pretty sure I can do it, but even if I don't, the money factor has been proven to be a powerfully motivating force to keep people to their goals.
15. Yes, I'm eating more salad.

There may be other things. For instance, I try to walk each day and go on a larger hike at least once a week, but I think the main thing that has helped me is freeing myself of the burden of trying to control sugar in my diet by putting it out of the realm of possibility. To me, it is poison and addiction (the cravings DO eventually go away). Mindfulness about why I want to eat is another major factor. I eat when I'm truly hungry, which is much less of time. I really think the water I drink helps with that.

Cautions:

• I'm not a doctor. I'm not telling you what you should do, except to be wise.
• I take vitamins. When a person is not eating a lot, I think it is wise to make sure they're covered with basic nutritional needs.
• A person can drink too much water. I've recently ordered some electrolytes to take in the morning to make sure I'm not depleting those too much.

I figure I'm a bit over an eighth of way to where I want to be. I hope you'll wish me luck in the rest of the journey.