Carbohydrates are not your enemy

So this week I lost another 2 pounds. For those who are keeping track, I weighed in at 278 pounds on Monday. So after another successful week I started to reflect on what my food intake had been like the last few weeks. The answer may come as a surprise to some people, because although I had stuck with fairly low fat food, I had consumed plenty of carbohydrates as well. Recently with diets like South Beach and Atkins, carbohydrates have been given a pretty bad name, but I’m here to say that carbohydrates are not your enemy, at least complex carbohydrates aren’t!

Weight loss, if you have a lot to lose

This video, by EliteFTS, sums up a lot of my thoughts on weight loss, in particular if you have a lot of weight to lose. Start by making small changes, any change for the better will result in some weight loss. As you lose more weight, and start to get more energy add in some cardio, even just 30 minutes of walking a few times a week. Slowly decrease the amount/calories you eat, and increase your workouts and you’ll be well on your way to a new healthier you!

Week 15 Weigh In

Well it’s been a while, but I’ve got myself back on track to achieve losing 100 pounds in a year. Last week I had a check up with my doctor, and got a nice surprise – I had lost exactly 30 pounds since I last saw him. I had a lengthy talk with him about how I was doing. He seemed happy with my progress and the fact that I was following the inverted food pyramid instead of following some crazy diet!

Week 12 Weigh In

Well it finally happened, the dreaded weight gain! I’d like to blame Easter but that had nothing to do it with it — stress was my killer this week. I have always had problems with being an emotional eater. My way of dealing with stress is by eating anything that contains carbohydrates! This last week I have been dealing with problems with my job. To be honest, I have never really been happy with any of the jobs that I’ve taken since I moved here. Why, you ask? Well, because in England (yes I have the accent still) I had a good chance of making a management position, I was in a team lead position getting as much on the job training as I could handle. Then I made the decision to move to America, a decision I have never regretted, but one that resulted in me stepping back down to a programmer. I haven’t been able to advance beyond that position since. So now I am considering my next career move, and filling up on fries and chips as a result! If you’re in need of a skilled software engineer with aspirations of moving back into team leadership and beyond, send me an email!

What’s for dessert?

Having lost 30 lbs. last year, I didn’t want them back. From what I read online, a certain amount of weight gain is inevitable when you quit smoking. Apparently, smoking is worth about 200 calories of metabolism. So when you quit, even though your brain strongly suggests replacing the cigarettes with lots of chocolate and junk food, your body is actually demanding healthier foods in smaller quantities.My weight loss started unintentionally. When I realized my husband might actually dump me, I lost my appetite. Not wanting to eat in a stressful situation was a first for me. Like many people, I’m a nervous eater who seeks out food for comfort. I guess since the trauma of my marriage ending was the worst I’d been through, my stomach reacted accordingly. The idea of eating just didn’t appeal to me. When I did eat, it wasn’t much. This lack of appetite lasted three or four months. By then I had lost maybe 20 lbs. For my mental health, I had upped my workouts so between reducing my caloric intake and burning more calories, another 10 lbs. came off. I started buying new clothes that fit and decided to stay where I was weight-wise, give or take five lbs. My weight has been stable for the past nine or so months.

Week 11 Weigh In

I’ve been trying to think of a way I could top Martha’s first post with mine, and I hate to admit it, I’m still thinking. Score 1 for Martha. So I decided to jump in with what will become a weekly feature, normally released on Mondays. Yes, it’s time for me to admit to the world how I’m doing on my weight loss!