jeudi 5 juin 2014

It is totally possible to lose the extra weight after 50

Yes, it is.  I did it.

Weight has slowly crept up on me - through no fault of my own, of course - during the past 15-20 years and I found myself saying, Oh, I weigh 10 pounds more than I did 15 years ago.  Then recently I realized it was now more like 15 pounds more, not 10 and if I let it go, then in another 15 years, I would be, 30 pounds more than 15 years ago.   Scary.  And I don't have a budget to throw all my clothes away to buy a new wardrobe a size larger.  No way.

So, I actually made the decision that I would lose 8 pounds, maybe 10.  I did not really know how since I am a pretty healthy eater.  Lots of veggies, no processed food, except ice cream.  My attempts in the past had not worked.  Not at all. I read all I could on weight loss, from the "eat all the proteins you can and avoid carbs" to "eat as soon as you get up" to "just eat when  you are hungry" (that's a funny one).

I finally decided that yes, I do eat healthy, but maybe just maybe, what I have always said was my "healthy appetite" was in fact my big appetite.  I needed to cut portions.

I found a site that told me the exact number of calories I needed to keep eating if I wanted to remain at my present weight.  From there it was simple math to deduct 500 calories a day for a 1 pound a week weight loss or deduct 1000, yes one thousand calories a day for a 2 pounds a week weight loss.

Knowing myself, I decided to cut about 1000 calories a day for a couple of weeks, to kick start the process and to feel encouraged by seeing the difference on the scale.  It worked.  I lost 2 pounds a week for the first 2 weeks and then I went to 1.5 a week and now one pound a week.

Was it difficult?  A bit.  If you normally give your stomach 2000 calories and then only give it half, you will be a little bit hungry, some of the time, even if you eat a lot of fiber rich vegetables.  And it did happen that I was hungry, even feeling hunger pangs when I woke up at night.  After a few weeks, I sense my stomach has shrunk because I could not, without discomfort, eat the same portions I used to.

What do I eat?  Lots of vegetables.  At least 7-8 portions a day. The equivalent of 2 fruits, mostly berries and fresh pineapple.  I eat proteins - fish, chicken and a bit of beef, about 3 or 4 ounces max at each meal.  I eat one square of dark chocolate in the evening.  Breakfast is often greek yogourt with fresh berries, or some peanut butter.  I treat myself to a little bit of ice cream every few days and I try to drink one to two liters of water a day.

My clothes feel better.  I do feel lighter.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely.

Marguerite Tennier, M.A.,
Wellness Coach for Women over 40

I help you make the changes that are important for you

http://www.eftottawa.com
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