Ok, hold the applause, I am feeling good to see that I’ve lost so much weight, but a little disappointed that I didn’t quite meet my goal. I had planned on losing at least two pounds per week, so while I was thrilled to see the scale dipped below where I was.  I still have a way to go if I hope to make my targeted weight loss goal. I am 1.5 pounds shy of my target for the period, but with another 7 weeks to go I may still lose the targeted 20-24 pounds.

So what have I been doing? Eating properly, but I really need to get more exercise into my routine. The weight I’ve lost will serve as the motivation I need to step up my routine. So starting next week I will be adding walking to my exercise schedules. My dear hubby has been trying to get me to do more abdominal work, but it sure isn’t any fun granted no one ever said that this would be a walk in the park.

One secret I used many years ago was to always try to hold my tummy in constantly. It had become a habit with me, but after I lost some of the weight I stopped. One thing is for sure, I plan on taking it off and keeping it off this time. Since starting this again a little more than a week ago I honestly see a difference.

So what exactly have I been doing to drop the unwanted pounds without resorting to fad diets and weight loss pills? Well, so far it has all been pretty simple and fairly easy to do:

Meals:

• A cup of tea or coffee – for the most part I avoid adding any sweeteners.
• Breakfast remains relatively simple: a sandwich with whole wheat bread and some cereal or a bowl of oatmeal or some fresh fruits and a bowl of cereal with soymilk. Periodically I will also treat myself and have some fried dumplings courtesy of hubby – he makes dumplings to die for.
• Mid-morning snacks of sugarless tea and fruits or just tea. I was previously hooked on unhealthy snacks such as biscuits.
• Lunch: This is my carbs meal so I will have some yam, potatoes with chicken or fish and lots of vegetables without any dressing. Once per week at least I have soup for lunch.
• Dinner: This is mostly a small piece of chicken or some fish and vegetables and I try to avoid eating after 7 PM. Of course, I need my cup of tea before retiring.

Exercise:

• This is my weak spot. I try to ride my stationary exercise bike for at least 15 minutes everyday. I also put in stretching exercises a couple days per week, and lunges which are good for toning the thighs.
• I am committing myself to adding to this by starting some serious abdominal work.  I doubt I’ll ever have washboard abs, but I sure can try.

One thing I’ve found out since I?ve started this journey is the desire to dress up again and use makeup. It?s funny how gaining weight can eat away your self-worth and confidence without you even knowing it. I must confess that it feels good to see a glimmer of my old self slowly being revealed again.

If you have any healthy weight loss tips to share, I would love to hear about them.

Ok, I’m still working on losing the excess weight, but must confess that it’s not an easy journey. There are days when it’s a breeze and others when it’s really hard. Valentine’s Day was especially hard so yes, I did have some chocolate after all, I still need to enjoy my life while losing this excess baggage.

I have really been consuming lots of vegetables, I think even more than I used to when I was a vegetarian before becoming pregnant in 2004. I have found that cutting out carbs at night wasn’t hard I just have a small piece of chicken or fish and some vegetables and I’m good to go.

Water, Water, Water

So far the hardest thing to keep doing is drinking half my weight in water when you get to my size it’s really, really hard to do especially when you do not like water and never had more than a glass or two per day. Interestingly, not only can I tell that I’ve lost some weight, my skin is improving. Seriously, I can see a difference in the way the skin on my face looks, so I’m two-for-one.

I have taken to adding some lime juice now and then to the water before drinking it. This makes it a little easier to swallow, plus I have found that this is also good for your skin. If I am going to lose weight, I might as well do all I can to look really good in the process.

The constant need to rush to the bathroom almost every 20 minutes or so since I started drinking more water is decreasing. I really felt at first that increasing my water consumption was a waste of time since I was putting it out as fast as I was putting it in. I’ve since learned that is not really the case and that my body was actually flushing itself of years of waste I was storing because of not drinking water.

Dietary Changes

Some of the main changes I have made since beginning this weight loss challenge is to seriously revisit my dietary habits. Like most Jamaicans I have to have tea or coffee in the mornings, plus another cup or two at work. When I make mine at work I rarely add a sweetener, of course, I?m still working at getting my husband to stop putting sugar or milk in it when he does the job at home.

I rarely have a drink with lunch or dinner anymore, opting for water instead. This was hard the first two weeks but is a normal part of my dining routine these days.

I now need a belt for my favorite pair of black pants, and I can now tuck my blouse inside my skirts which is something I’ve not done in years. I know you are curious as to how much weight I’ve lost since February 1. I wanted to tell you how much weight I’ve actually lost since starting, but I now have to go buy a new scale today. But never fear, I will update you on Wednesday when I promise to do another update. I am hoping for at least fours pounds, which will be less than my targeted six pounds, but hey-  I’m working on it.

Exercising

This as I told you before is my weak point and I’m sure I would have done much better if I was consistent with exercising. However, I’ve started trying to do at least 10 minutes on a stationery bike every evening before anything else.

I will also be adding walking on weekend mornings to my activity list, plus getting back in full swing with my gardening. I’ve asked someone to turn the soil in my small vegetable plot for me.

I’ve come to realize that losing weight naturally is slowly becoming a part of my life and I think that even after I’ve lost the unwanted pounds I’ll still be doing these new things for me and those I love.

On day 7 of my weight loss journey the healthy way, I have a few bits of information to share with you. The first thing I found out is that water intake is important for so many things, including losing weight. Now, I really do not like water and I?ve come to realize that there are quite a few of us who do not. Anyway, the first thing I had to change was my water intake. A little research changed my entire view on how much water to drink on a daily basis. No, it?s not just eight glasses per day ? I found out that if I really wanted to lose weight properly, I had to divide my weight in half and the result was the amount of water in ounces I should be consuming per day. Of course, I will not be telling how much that is, but I promise to do so at the end of this journey.

The first day was a breeze, I almost made the target, day two was excellent, I actually drank more than the first day. My secret was to just get up at set intervals and just down an eight-ounce glass of water. I really have been drinking lots of water and I have seen some differences already, however, I really didn?t do so well on days 5 and 6. I had meetings and a number of rush projects that caused me to forget. Solution ? I?ve set my Outlook to notify me every forty-five minutes to get up and drink some water.

In addition to increasing my water intake, I have upped significantly my consumption of fruits and vegetables and cut out lots of carbs. Being a Jamaican, carbs are the main stay of our average meal: breakfast ? lots of carbs, lunch and dinner ? carbs and more carbs. Now, I have halved that and on a couple of mornings actually eliminated my intake of carbohydrates. I have a slice of toast and fruits or just fruits and cereal. Lunch is now my main meal time, so I do take in carbs most of the time. In addition to needing carbs for energy, it is needed for optimum health and actually helps in the weight-loss fight. If you starve your body of calories, it actually will store fat to compensate.

For dinner it is mostly vegetables and proteins, and I am enjoying that. My dear husband makes sure that I eat the right portions at night. Other small changes I have made so far include almost totally eliminating milk and sugar from my tea and having water with dinner instead of a drink. For lunch I no longer take a drink at every meal.

In case you are wondering, no I have not hit the scales or measured myself yet, but I can already feel the difference in my clothes. Yes, the waists of my pants are a little looser. I also tried on a shirt I just love that I could no longer wear ? and guess what ? I was able to button it. The best thing about doing this is I do not feel deprived, one of the things I hated most about dieting. At my next update, I will tell you how many pounds I have managed to shed.

Over the last few years since the birth of my son I have been half-heartedly trying to lose some weight. However, I’ve gotten to the point where I really must, not only for my own self image, but also to stay healthy for myself, and my family as well. My son, Jalen, at three and half often refers to me as his “fat mommy”. But what takes the cake, is when he finishes by saying “I love you still my fat mommy.” Now, wouldn’t you say that even at that tender age he’s telling me to get with it. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to return to the rail-thin 100 pounds of my twenties, but some of these excess rolls and folds have to go.

I plan on sharing with you my journey to lose weight. My goal is to shed at least 30 pounds. However, I am not into fad diets and quick fix methods – it means that I will be doing this the healthy way. Starting today, February 1 – wow, a new month with me on the path to a new me and I didn’t even plan it this way. I will be cutting calories and upping my exercise routine. OK, there really wasn?t much of a routine to begin with, but this time I have to be a good girl and stick to it.

My aim is to lose two pounds per week for the next 10 to 12 weeks. Now, I have to do this, but I sure could do with a cheering corner as I try to curb my sweet tooth. Chocolate is my weakness and Valentine’s Day is upon us, but I will be strong – no more than a small piece for me. Now, don’t start shouting at me – I still plan on living my life and enjoying it, just in a healthier way. No more large chocolate bar on a regular basis or late night eating. it’s a piece of chocolate every now and then as a treat as I work towards a healthier me.

So, if you want to go on this journey with me, by all means do so – let’s share our triumphs and failures, yes, there’ll be those too. I will not be posting everyday, but will keep you updated on my progress once or twice a week. Bring it on, or in this case, take it off, the journey has begun.