Monday, September 08, 2014

I Lost Something

NINE POUNDS! So far.

About two months ago I noticed a friend of mine had lost a significant amount of weight.  I asked her the secret and she told me... `Trim Healthy Mama'.  I'm not into diets.  At all.  I know weight just comes back.  I don't want to obsess over the scale because I spent 10 years doing that.  I was not willing to count calories or deprive myself of what I love (chocolate!).   I felt for the past 2 years that trying to lose these extra 15 lbs was not worth it.  Until now.  It reached the point where clothes were just too snug and I just felt so bloated. 

I've tried several times since Nya has been born to lose weight by exercise alone.  It did not work like it used to!  I don't know if it's my age or hormones or three pregnancies where my belly stretched to astronomical proportions,  but I could not lose the belly weight.  Now it is a priority.

This way of eating is based off a book called `Trim Healthy Mama'.  I will tell you now that the book is huge and I think half of what is written does not need to be in there. I'm an efficient person and it's not written concisely.  That aside, the ideas in it make sense and totally work.  If you have fat + sugar (carbs), then excess energy will be stored in fat cells.   I was definitely storing excess sugar/carbs as fat, mostly in my belly.

What is the plan?  Here is the gist of it (from me skimming the way too long book and putting it into practice):

1. Protein at every meal (I learned in pregnancy that this keeps you full longer!)

2. Eat every 3 hours.

3.  Little to no sugar (this includes white rice, potatoes, most fruit, carrots, etc).  I think this is what has helped to alleviate my bloating the most.

4.  You can have a meal with higher fat but then you must have low carbs.

5.  You can have some carbs (like brown rice, sprouted bread) but then you need low fat.
You can't have high carbs AND high fat.  For specific numbers, a meal with less than 5g of fat can have 20-40g of carbs.  More than 5g fat should have 10g carbs or less.


My old breakfast would be toast and peanut butter.  Now?   Either an omelet (egg with cheese, tomato, green peppers) or Greek yogurt with blueberries.  I also add some Qi'a from Costco (hemp hearts and chia seeds).

My snacks before?  Oh man, I was such a carboholic!  Crackers, cookies, granola bars and muffins  Now? Nuts (I'm allergic to almonds), cucumber, pepper, a cup of berries, a green apple, or some quinoa crackers and hummus.  I always make sure to have a container of nuts in my purse.

I  just adapt our regular meals to make it work for me.  If we have `Taco Tuesday', I omit the wraps and have it on a huge bed of lettuce.   If we are going to have potatoes, veggies and meat, I replace the potato with sweet potato or pureed cauliflower.  If we are going to have a curry or Thai sauce, I just don't have it over rice.  You could put it on brown rice but that is just a slower weight loss.  When we were on holidays with friends, I was probably only able to eat 60% on plan so I gained 1 lb back that week.

For a treat?  I have 85% dark chocolate.  Yes, there is sugar but very little.  Or, I can make my own chocolate with coconut oil, cocoa and a sugar replacement (xylitol).  I'm not really sure how I feel about alternative sweeteners...they taste fine but make me a bit nervous.

This picture is embarrassing because I don't love showing my belly.  However, I do want to celebrate progress.



{6 weeks and 9 lbs down. Yes, I'm getting a hair cut this week.}

Do I miss anything?  I still have about a glass of wine or a beer once a week so that part is okay.  I miss my ice cream.  I know there are low carbohydrate ones out there but I miss the really good stuff.

My plan this fall is to start working out a bit more to aid in the weight loss and toning up.  I want something that I can keep up so we'll see what happens.  I currently run just 3 km two times a week and walk or bike 3 days a week.  My hope is to lose 18 lbs overall to be my pre-kids weight.  It's a huge goal but I'm in no rush, so if it takes 6 months or 6 years, I'm totally fine with it. I love where I am now; my pre Nya weight.

I don't like talking about diets or losing weight BUT I'm sharing it in case it's something you were interested in addressing in your life.   It is the easiest time I've ever had losing weight (well besides when I was sick with a hyperactive thyroid) and I'm not hungry.  I'm trying to be very careful about talking about weight loss around my kids.  Eating healthy? No problem.  Weight loss?  Not a topic I want them exposed to.   Gary, also a carboholic, is on board with eating differently too so we will see how it goes!


Love, 
Louise

8 comments:

  1. Good for you. I have been up and down over the years - really up right now. It is so hard! Thanks for sharing what has been successful for you. You are looking great - I don't think you need to lose anymore, but you know best.

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  2. Nice work chika! You look great. I lost 11 lbs this spring too, and aim to lose another 6 or 7. But nobody really noticed. Lol. Oh well, I'm doing it for myself anyways! And I definitely agree that it was harder after 3 pregnancies and being a wee bit older...
    My secret was an app for my phone. I already eat few carbs and protien with each meal/snack after my diabetic pregnancies but the app for my phone helps me keep track of calories. I was eating healthy but too much! Maybe I will keep a closer eye on the fat/carb ratio too!

    Miss you!!! I don't get to blog or read that often anymore...

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  3. That is awesome! Well done! Thanks for sharing. I know that I really REALLY need to do something about my weight and eating habits. Cutting down sugar is my first step and increasing my water. I need to pay more attention to my carb intake though.

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  4. Thanks Lou for posting. I like the nuts in purse idea. seriously don't know if I could give up fruit, but a good reminder to rethink my habits, and great job to you!

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  5. Way too go! It's wonderful to beable to see results when you make up your mind to go for it. I've been up, I've been down for the last 20 years. It's been a struggle for sure. But along the way I keep learning new and healthy things about my body, eating and healthy living. It's a process. I always say time is going to pass any way , I might as well do something that will benefit my health and then be happy down down the road instead of regretful. You look great! Xo

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  6. Carol-it is so hard, I think especially as we get older. Our bodies just change! I know what you are saying about not needing to lose more...I do feel like my set weight may be higher than I think and if I stay where I am now, totally fine ;)

    Mel-way to go my friend! 11 lbs is awesome! We missed you last weekend when we got together with J&A and S&T. Hope you are well! My friend Ali's husband just finished depot and they are off to Williams Lake! Reminds me of you guys.

    Lori-yes, sugar is key! And you're right, I didn't talk about water but that is super important too!

    Tess-you totally don't need to give up fruit but I think less than 2 servings maybe? Berries are okay! I love berries. Otherwise I have a green apple, not my fave but low sugar.

    Erin-thank you. It is nice to see some results! Truly it is about being healthy and the older I get the more important it is to me! And you're right, better to be happy than regretful!

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  7. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! that is super amazing and awesome! I am a carb lover. and chocolate addict for a certain week each month. I do need to cut out some things...but it's so hard! (insert pathetic whine here).
    You're doing great - keep it up!

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  8. Awesome! You look great. I've eaten toast and peanut butter for breakfast every morning for the past 7 years. Maybe time to switch that up!

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