Wednesday 11 July 2018

My -48 Pound Journey Part 2: How I Got Back from There

As I approach my 39th birthday tomorrow, the last year in my thirties (eek!), I think back to my most life changing year. 
Last summer before I started my weight loss

If you were interested in my secret to losing 48 pounds and read my last blog, I decided not to get into the details but to explain how I got there. We all have a different story, for those people who want or need to lose weight. This time I’m explaining where I went to get back from there.
Pregnant with Twins after two singleton pregnancies and the loss of our daughter has been rough on my body
Pure motivation didn’t allow me to lose the weight (48 lbs). Let’s be real, I needed help with it as there was no way I could do it on my own. I had lost around 30 pounds previously before but never truly got back down to the “weight I used to be". I put those words in quotations because there were many people who asked me that question. I had no idea if I could get back to “that size" again, or even what it was – it was a tricky question that I stressed and pondered, often! 
Just over a year ago!
Being a planner type of person, I wanted to know where I was going and set realistic goals but I also knew I wanted to lose quite a bit of weight. It was important for me to see how I looked and felt and what I thought I could maintain for the long term. I seriously struggled with these thoughts for weeks. And finally decided I would start losing weight, figure it out as I go and set a goal I wasn’t fully certain about.
I yo-yo'ed through my 20's
I used the Weight Watchers program to lose 48 pounds and become a lifetime member. I have kept the weight off for 6 months and only now I feel ready to share the story - as it feels more real.
Before and After
I started last August 2017 and pretty much lost all of the weight by the end of January 2018. I attended the weekly Saturday morning meetings at 7:45am at a local church with strangers who quickly became teammates. I made it my time to do something for myself and left the twins at home. I weighed in, I tracked the food I ate and I shared my story with the group, not only my scale losses but also my emotional ups and downs that went with it. I’m an oversharer, so this part was easy and comfortable for me. 
Juggling the twins and the hospital didn't set me up for healthy eating
It’s no secret, it’s no miracle, it’s a program that works if you do what you are supposed to do. With the new program you get 23 points a day towards food. The program is about choice and learning ways of eating that wouldn’t be considered a diet but a lifestyle. A lifestyle you can maintain. The program also has quite a lengthy 0 point foods list including lean chicken and turkey (no skin!), all fruits, all veggies, all fish, all beans and eggs. There is a lot you can do with that list of food! 
Canada Day 2017, just over a week after the twins were born
You start setting smaller more attainable goals throughout the journey. You celebrate the first 4 weeks on the program as well as other milestones including 10% weight loss, 25 pounds and even small not weight related goals if you wish, such as changing a habit or trying something new.

I’m a creature of habit. I chose to figure out the food values for the foods I like and normally eat and tweak them by finding healthier choices. I will share more details about some of the recipes I often used in a future blog. The weight started to come off and continued to fall of week by week. I was often losing 2-4 pounds a week and the scale was turning counter clockwise faster than I expected. I was eating, feeling full but also able to eat my indulgences as well, in smaller portions. I didn’t feel deprived. There was definitely changes made, smaller portions, healthier snacks and the motivation to eat less sweets and goodies. I DID NOT WORKOUT. 
My new body has been a huge mental adjustment
When the weight was coming off I found it easy to say no to my old ways because I felt and SAW the changes!! By this time the twins were over a year old and the majority of their health issues were behind us but I was still going to a lot of appointments, hospital visits and stays, dealing with situations like a tiny finger getting caught in the glass shower door and the decision to look for a new job.  There were many opportunities for me to go off track and I often did. But I decided I would make the best choices I could for the situation I was in! And keep on working at it. 
Days before Stella (my first born) was born
Life is never going to be so easy that I’ll have enough time to cook perfectly nutritious meals or hit the gym daily. I’ll never have enough money to eat purely organic either. There are many obstacles that are in my way but I found ways around them. 
I've spent endless hours at the hospital since the twins arrived - Tim Horton's was often my only food!
My reason to lose weight was very different than my fellow meeting members. Some people wanted to get off blood pressure medications, some wanted to get fit, others wanted to be there for their children and have the physical ability to play and run with them. My health is always a priority but as mentioned I did this for ME. I wanted to feel good in my skin and look good in photos. I wanted to look on the outside as I felt on the inside. I wanted to show that I could have FOUR babies, twins, endure the loss of Stella and the craziness of twins by doing it purely for me and to be able to look like I didn’t go through any of it! Why not. I’ve never be secretive as to why I decided to make the change and I think by being true to myself, it gave me the motivation I needed. I am important and I deserve all the good things to come in this new body! It is my time.

I started at 196 lbs and now weight just under 150 lbs, near the top end of my WW weight range



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