Posted: Jun 21, 08 3:15pm
I'm really excited to have lost 60 of the 77 pounds I set out to lose just under a year ago via Jenny Craig. I wasn't a perfect dieter but I had my little "tricks" and revelations that came along the way that might help you if you are also on a weight loss journey.
1) The day I began my weightloss journey I decided to walk away from soda/pop forever. I was afraid this would be an unattainable goal having failed miserably in the past. I did give the useless stuff up, and never looked back! I never consumed artificial sweetners because of the chemical composition and dangers with cancer, so I gave up the full strength Coca Cola, going from 4-6 cans a day to ZERO. I used to be a sweets freak, craving sugar several times a day. Now I no longer crave it. I sometimes find myself sharing a decadent dessert with my daughter just because I know it tastes good, when I really don't want it. I know that giving pop up is the reason my sugar cravings are no longer with me.
2) From the very beginning of my weightloss journey, I knew that I would be tempted to cheat and if so, I would likely fall off the diet wagon like I had so many times in the past. One way to prevent this was to allow myself a day off from dieting each week. I strategically scheduled my weigh ins and meetings with my Jenny Craig counselor on Saturday mornings so that I could have a blast on Saturday with my friends and family. I always get up on Sat. and avoid drinking or eating before my morning weigh in. Afterwards I enjoy anything for an early lunch that I want. Occasionally my daughter wants to see a movie and we go enjoy movie treats. Dinner is also my call; however, I'm usually too full to eat much! By allowing myself one cheat day I can easily stick to my diet the other 6 days. One day off the diet doesn't affect my losses; however, if I spread out many tiny cheats throughout the week, it ALWAYS affects my numbers for the worse!!!
3) In order to keep from gaining, I have learned the art of give and take. If I want to have lunch with my sister and we go someplace fattening, I rope it in for breakfast and dinner to accommodate for the higher calorie lunch. This is the single most greatest thing I have learned over the past year. It allows me the ability to get out and socialize without counting calories that much. I know that this is more of a privilege and that I can't do this on a daily basis. It just gives me a little wiggle room.
4) I learned to LOVE unsweetened iced tea. It is my #1 choice besides water. (For those who cannot yet drink unsweet tea, there is an amazing form of stevia liquid out of Canada that you can order online. I've tried it and loved it. It does not have a bitter taste the way the stevia does that you buy at the health stores.)
5) Join a network of other dieters who can support you in your journey. Even if you are not doing Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, you can still join their websites and chat with people who can inspire and cheer you on.
6) If you are just starting out, take a ribbon and cut it the exact diameter of your biggest part, such as your stomach. As you lose the weight, cut the ribbon and you will realize what you are doing is actually working. Be sure to save the snippets of ribbons too!
I know I have more but that's all I can think of at the moment. If you too have some great tips to share, go for it! You never know who you might be helping.
