Simple answer for this one:
WW online.
Before I say any more, this disclaimer: I am not sponsored by Weight Watchers. I’m not a dietician or personal trainer or
anything like that. I’m just a
middle-aged chick who wanted to lose weight to improve my health. Hope that makes things clear.
How this process got started: I’ve been into healthy eating and regular exercise
for years now. There is a gym in the
basement of my office building and I’d gotten into the habit of hitting it
every morning before getting to my desk.
I’ve always been a bigger woman so my focus was not usually on weight
loss as I’ve gained and lost the same 20 pounds over the years. I firmly believe that exercise and a
reasonably good diet are important to everyone.
Things were going just fine until March 2020. The transition to working from home
indefinitely did nothing for my physical health. Being jarred out of my routine and barred
from the gym at the job (coupled with anxiety about Covid) left me basically
immobile for two months. It was only
after realizing that I wasn’t doing myself any favors with all the additional
butt time, I slowly adapted to a new routine.
The diet remained the same, but I started to move more. I felt like I was getting back on track.
Cut to two years later and quarantine had not been
kind. It’s not like I was pigging out on
the regular but by the beginning of 2022 I had reached the age of 50 and was
post-menopausal. I had no idea the
damage to my body until I went for a routine doctor’s visit in
May. My blood sugar was at 106 and my
weight had ballooned to 257 pounds.
What. The. Hell.
The WW program had been suggested to me multiple times in
the past, but I always insisted that I could do this on my own. Joining the online program, though, pointed
out various tweaks I could make to my routine put me in a calorie deficit. Cutting down on butter, cutting out my
once-a-week fast food habit, and getting rid of all added sugar were a good
start. Additionally, I set up my own
weight-lifting station in my living room and scoured YouTube for work at home
routines. Through these videos, I also
learned how hormones can affect the body with age and how they need to be
regulated to maintain a healthy body weight.
I added a probiotic to my supplement regimen along with apple cider
vinegar and turmeric. I was already a
big fan of a multi-vitamin, fish oil and green tea so what’s a few more pills?
It is now routine for me to have two weight-lifting sessions
a week and 2-3 cardio sessions where I power walk around the neighborhood. I prepare bento boxes for lunch every week,
using a food scale to maintain proper portions.
Water all day every day and logging my food online saw me losing around
two pounds a week. No cheat meals but I
do allow myself cheat drinks. I took up
mixology right before starting WW -- two things that don’t really go together
but at least WW assigns points for my 3 beverages a week. I’m still shocked that this has gone so well.
What I’ve learned:
1.
Consistency is key.
2.
Plateaus will happen but don’t be
discouraged.
3.
Don’t be afraid to indulge every once in a
while.
4.
Rest when you need it.
5.
Weight loss is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
6.
The best meal in the world is nothing compared
to putting on a pair of pants that fit last year and watching them fall off
while I laugh maniacally. Good times.
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