Losing the Weight is Never Easy but It's Necessary

I Am Overweight!

I began my weight loss journey on October 11, 2022. I am not the heaviest I’ve ever been, but I don’t want to get there either. At five feet eight inches tall, 200 pounds is not good for me. I was a skinny child, teenager, and young adult. After giving birth to my youngest, I maintained a good weight of 150-155 lbs. That was until my thyroid decided it was going into lazy mode and no longer working. Dang it! How I wished there was something I could have done to prevent it from happening. It seemed the method I was using to lose and maintain an appropriate weight was no longer working. Nothing seemed to work then and now. To top it off, there are not many exercises I could do since I am on a CAM Boot for a torn tendon. Therefore, walking was out of the question. The weight probably made the tendonitis worse. The stationary bike is my best option right now.

Tracking My Eating Habits

To track my eating habits, water intake, and workout, I subscribed to the Lose It app. I like it has so many features and keeps me on track with my protein, carbs, and fat consumption. There should be a balance between them. Eating all carbs and no protein will only make you gain weight, even if you are consuming fewer calories than you should. Therefore, it is imperative to eat the right amount of each one to make it a balanced nutritional meal and maintain your caloric amount.

I love it keeps me on track with my water intake too. Though I drink plenty of water throughout the day, it is nowhere near what I should drink according to my weight and height. But with this app, I can track my water consumption, thus reminding me to drink more. Since I linked the app to my iWatch, it also tracks my steps. Not that I get in as many as I should daily. With the CAM Boot, I’m lucky if I get anywhere near 6000 steps a day. To top it off I work at a desk all day. However, it allows me to include what little yoga I do, plus any house chores, or gardening. Every bit counts.

I Am Motivated

As I mentioned earlier, my journey began at 200 pounds on a five-foot-eight-inch female frame. My goal is 150 pounds; therefore, I need to drop 50 pounds. Besides weighing myself, I also measured my shoulders, breasts, waist, hips, thighs, and arms. Wow, how did I get to this point and not notice? I also visited my physician and had labs done, especially to make sure my thyroid was under control before starting on this diet.

That's It, Two Pounds?

During the first week, I weighed myself every day. It was discouraging. I only lost two pounds. Two measly pounds! Some say, “Hey, that’s great! At least you didn’t gain any.” That is true. But considering how structured I was, I expected to lose more. I am on or under my 1200 caloric index, eating between 50-70 grams of protein, and cutting all the sweets out. My only sweets comprise two fruits per day. I don’t drink coffee, only caffeine-free tea with no sugar, or water, and my carb intake is minimal. Occasionally, I have a glass of wine but have only had one glass since I began the diet. Why is it taking so long to shed the weight? Yeah, I too wish it would just go away overnight. However, I lost one and a half inches from my waist, and a half inch from my thighs, arms, and hips. Now that I am writing about it, it doesn’t seem that bad.

Desperate for Results

During my second week, I tweaked it up a bit. I did intermittent fasting - 12 hours open eating window and 12 hours fasting. Out of seven days, I was good for five. Plus, I had a four-ounce glass of red wine during the weekend but was loyal to the rest of my diet. At the end of my second week, I lost two more pounds totaling four pounds of weight loss. Oh, my Lord, this is dragging! But I won’t complain anymore. No weight gained and only a couple lost is a win. I will not give up.

Looking Out for Myself

I am on my third week now and can see that I am eating much less than I used to. In fact, I am almost forcing myself to eat. As a Hispanic woman, I love my rice and beans. Last night, for the first time since I can remember, I only had half a cup of white rice and a quarter cup of beans, alongside a three-ounce pork chop and avocado and tomato salad, and it satisfied me. No dessert or anything else for the rest of the night besides water and a cup of tea before going to bed.

I am so proud of myself! Let's see what the rest of the week looks like and where I’ll stand in weight loss. I am sure I will hit my goal weight someday. There is nothing stronger than our own willpower and I know I will succeed. While I'm on this journey, I promise to update my status every week until I reach my goal.

Therefore my friend, if you are struggling to lose weight, trust yourself and don't give up. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. And maybe we can become journal buddies.