How to Wednesday:How I Lost Weight

This is a question I get a lot in real life and on my blog so I thought it was time to address it. One thing I want to say first is that there is no HEALTHY way to lose weight fast. There are things that can boost your weight loss but the only truly healthy way is to lose weight slowly by eating healthy and exercising regularly. So many people want the instant gratification of losing weight which you may get if you go on crazy diets but in the long run you will just gain that weight back and it will be a viscous cycle you can't break. So with all that being said this is how I lost weight...

1. Find a Supporter
In May my husband deployed and I left to live with my mom in another state. Honestly, having her right there helped me. She was my motivation. She would tell me how great I looked when I had a good week and push me to work out when I needed to be pushed. This is the number 1 most important thing in losing weight to me. Whether it's your husband or your best friend or your mom...tell someone your goals and have them push you and love on you when you're feeling down.

2. Do Your Research
Before you start, research healthy foods and healthy recipes. Take your favorite meals and find ways to eat those but in a low calorie way. For example...I love  quesadillas. I couldn't find a way to cook these low cal so I bought Smart Ones Weight Watchers Meals(from the grocery store frozen section). They make a pack of two chicken & cheese quesadillas. So I would eat one of these which was 220 calories and dip it in Fat Free re fried beans(with low fat cheese on top). This was a healthy and delicious meal that would fill me up. If you love to cook there are so many ways to make foods healthy. Start small. When buying butter look at the label and look for low fat options. Look at what is in the foods you're eating and the fat/calorie intake. You do not have to give up all the foods you love! I was convinced that if I was going to do this it was something that would be a life changing thing. Not just another 'diet'. I hate the word diet. I love food and I REFUSE to give up the foods I love...I just find healthy versions of them.

3. Find an exercise plan that works for you
I didn't have time or money or daycare to join a gym. In the mornings I took my jogging stroller with daughter in tow and walked/ran. I made goals for myself. I would say 'Okay today you're going to make it to the outdoor shopping center and back. You can brisk walk as you browse the stores than run/walk back home'. This made it fun for me and my daughter. We would go to Barnes and Noble and I'd spend time reading to her or after lunch we would go to Coldstone where I'd get her some ice cream and a water for myself. I loved including her in my work outs and she loved it too. At night when my mom got home from work I would go running. It was usually at around 9 or 9:30 at night. I would run as far as I could make it and walk when I got tired. I had a work out mix on my iPhone to listen to. Each day I would get better and run farther and the walking became less. It was such a great way to let out emotion. I had a rough summer during deployment and sometimes I cried while I ran. It was my way of letting it all out and unwinding before bed. I used to hate running but this made me love it.

3. A Weight Loss Aid
Alli. Alli is what I took.  When you buy a starter pack of Alli(bought mine on amazon.com) you not only get the pills but you get many resources to help you along the way. You get a book that helps you with knowing how many calories are in foods as well as a food diary and a few other neat things. You also get access to an online community where you weigh in once a week, can look up recipes and set up a meal plan, and chat with others. Now, what Alli doesn't do it make you jittery or make your heart race. It doesn't take away your appetite. It's NOT a diet pill but a weight loss aid. All Alli does is block 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed into your body. When you buy Alli and sign up online with your starting weight and goal weight it gives you calorie breakdown of how many you can have per meal. Does Alli have side effects? Oh yeah but only if you don't stay in your calorie limit. The side effects can be pretty gross but I think that is even more motivation to eat healthy. Regardless of what you read online Alli really is a great pill that boosts weight loss and helps you stay on track.

4. Don't Give up!
"You can do this!" I can't tell you how many times I told this to myself over and over. You CAN do this because you are strong!

So there you have it. This is how I lost weight. I lost almost 30lbs between May and September. It wasn't easy but I did it and I'm so glad I did! Now go out and change your life :)