Weight Loss

Brief overview: I weighed around 158lbs when I started working my first “real” office job in 2008. I then went on to gain 20lbs. A year later, I shed the weight, and went back down to 160. After I hooked up with my boyfriend, I started to gain again. By last spring, I weighed over 210lbs. 

Over the last few months I’ve been working on losing weight. I’ve managed to shed over 30lbs, and now sit in at 178lbs on the scale. The photos below compare what I looked like this past spring (left) with my current appearance.

This isn’t the first time I’ve made a concerted effort to lose weight, but it is the first time I’ve done it right. My previous approach had been terrible: I’d eat one massive unhealthy meal a day, which I’d get from a local restaurant. By reducing my consumption to a single meal, I did end up shedding pounds – at the expense of my life span.

This time, I’m eating again, but eating smarter. I started measuring portions and counting calories. I set daily calorie intake goals for myself. I found that I was eating much more than I needed to, and started make changes to my eating habits.

I eschewed bread and cheese for vegetables as my snack of choice. Chicken breasts, fish, salads, stir fry’s became our dinner staples. Gone were the foods that came in boxes from the grocery store. Pasta became rarer. I stopped buying coke and chips from the work vending machines, and resisted our doughnuts Fridays. Frozen juice replaced ice cream at home.

I became aware that I did not need to eat as much to feel satisfied. That I could be happy with a burger without the fries and the sugary drink. That I didn’t need to buy popcorn at the cinema. That using smaller plates, limiting the items per plate per trip at a buffet, placing the pots of food outside of arm’s reach, and eating slower – would all make me eat less without actually putting restrictions on food.

Most important of all: I didn’t stop eating the things I like. That would have been a sure way to guarantee failure. It’s all about eating smart, and that just means putting those foods in context.

Unlike the last weight loss stint, these changes to my eating habits are permanent. To be honest, I can no longer envision myself living like the old days – and I couldn’t be happier for it.