I got a question this week on Facebook from an amazing young lady. I've received similar questions frequently since I started posting about my weight loss journey. But for some reason, her question sparked a fire in me and she got a pretty lengthy reply.
I found that I am pretty passionate about seeing others reach their health and weight loss goals, especially when I know what they are going through and struggling with. I am still in the thick of it all, but I have made huge leaps ahead and I want to see others do the same.
*Here is a portion of the question:
Hey Amanda! So I have a question for you regarding your workout/dieting.
Have you ever found it difficult to get started working out? Like what motivates you to do it and keep doing it? I have such a hard time staying motivated and all. Also, any suggestions on how to eat healthier with a college student bank account and busy busy schedule?
*An excerpt of my response:
Okay, first things first.....starting is the HARDEST step to take. You have to do it with a perspective of I'm not dieting, I'm changing my lifestyle. Dieting always fails.....especially if you are so strict and deny yourself everything then, BAM!, you eat everything in sight after so long. Also, I don't know about you, but food for me has been a way to cope. A way to numb the pain of what I was dealing with. An addiction. A drug. If that in any way is the case with you, I think you have to deal with those things. For me, I was really hurting and dealing with a lot that I would've rather forgotten about. I was the person hurting by holding on and not forgiving. By letting those things go once and for all, giving them to the Lord, I was able to heal and thus, set free to move forward.
A big part of moving forward was taking responsibility for what I had let my health and body become, get mad at it, and do something about it. I had to stop talking and start doing.
I am twelve and a half weeks in. I am still learning, but I will say that the first month was the hardest. I was mad that i couldn't eat McDonald's fries when my family did. Angry that I couldn't eat sweets like my husband does and never gain weight. I was completely overwhelmed by the fact that I will always have to be vigilant about what I put in my mouth.
But now, I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!!!!! Not just physically but spiritually and emotionally. It is so worth it to not eat a Pop-Tart for Breakfast, but to actually get up and make myself a healthy omelet. It is so worth it after I make myself exercise and eat healthy and the scale moves down each week.
The key is planning ahead. You are a super busy college student and that, for you, will be key. Maybe on Sunday night, you get some snack sized baggies and make snack bags ahead of time that you can grab and go. Make up bags with grapes, strawberries, carrots, etc., that you can have ready and on hand in your fridge and grab on your way out the door. Have healthy snacks available and ready so when you are hungry, you aren't tempted to grab something not healthy for you. When you are eating nutrient dense foods throughout the day, they keep you more full than eating processed junk, and it is easier to stay on track.
I never in a million years thought I would be able to lose weight again, to not be controlled by food. But I am doing it. Small step by small step. Take it one day at a time, one meal at a time. Make healthy decisions. Instead of eating a sandwich on white bread, choose whole grain. Instead of eating chips with that sandwich, eat an apple. Instead of choosing a soda with that meal, drink water. Take it one meal at a time, one day at a time, making healthy choices along the way. It eventually gets easier to make those healthy choices.....the body starts craving good foods instead of the junk.
As far as exercise goes, start by just walking and then gradually add more challenging things. When I first started trying to get healthy again, the first month, I mainly focused on nutrition because that is where I struggle. I walked some, but not a lot. I had to get my eating under control first. It was hard, but as I started getting a handle on that, I started adding fitness. Now, I am walking/running, doing Zumba and Boot Camp classes and plan on continuing to increase as I can.
Another thing that is important is accountability. Get someone to hold you accountable, who will pray with you and for you! Someone who will tell you like it is!
And as far as my motivation goes.......Every week, when I get on the scale and I see progress, that motivates me to keep going. Being able to fit into smaller clothes and feel better about myself, that motivates me. Feeling like I am becoming the person God wants me to be, that motivates me. IT IS HARD BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT!
She got an earful, didn't she? But I just wanted her to know what I've learned. I wanted her to know that she can do it, too. I want YOU to know that you can do it!
This week, I weighed in and didn't lose even one pound. You have those weeks where you plateau. I want to get mad and frustrated,but I'm just going to keep on keeping on. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm keeping my eyes toward the prize. I hope you are, too.
To view the post that started my weight loss journey, click here.
