Feeling pretty good over here! Changed diet & lost weight

Hello fellow CCr's,

~ Just thought I would share my experience so far since calorie count on September 26th (weighed in at 191). I am thrilled to have lost 13 pounds between then & Dec 8th (weigh 178 now)! I'll be honest--I wish it was a bit more, but I'll take my 13lb loss & keep on going.

When I began the journey here I spent a lot of time logging every piece of food & I learned I wasn't eating enough. It helped give me a bit of a foundation & a better "eye" seeing the amount & sizes of food--not to mention the nitty gritty details on those labels. I no longer log my food anymore & have cut out most dairy, wheat, gluten, anything "white" (sugar, white flour, etc). What a HUGE difference that has made for me. I have not been tested on food allergies, etc, but I must have had some sensitivities to some things found in processed food. I also do not have coffee anymore--it just happened on it's own--but, I would if I really felt like it.

I am making more things from scratch & no longer buy frozen meals & processed items. My breakfast usually consists of some warm water & lemon & then a huge fresh fruit shake (no milk or sweeteners) & add in about a tablespoon of flax oil. I've incorporated nettle tea atleast once a day. I'm making sure to include as much *live* raw food in each meal as much as possible so I get those beneficial enzymes. I'm juicing veggies, too & that gives me an extra burst of energy. In addition, I'm doing food combining (no meat & starches together/ eat fruit alone, etc). Also buying organic as much as possible & skip the big chain grocery store altogether--I spend LESS money now (love the farmer's market!). I now include many varieties of beans & buy the dried ones & cook them myself along with tons of different grains (adzuki, lentils, quinoa, millet, brown rice, etc).

I was so nervous to up my fat intake & found it has helped! yay! I'm eating raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc everyday! I throw tahini into my recipes & not flinch. A good friend of mine in Canada cooks predominately with coconut oil & so I'm learning more about that. I made falafel in the oil.

One person that I have learned some new things from is Gillian McKeith (her show is on the BBC 'You are what you eat'). I bought 2 of her books & enjoy some of the recipes. You either love her or hate her, but I have implemented much of what she talks about & it makes sense & I feel a gazillion times better with a lot more energy.

A bit long of a post, but for anyone interested I just wanted to share what's working for me. :-) I still have a long road ahead of me. (I'm 5'4" & turning 39 in less than a week).

My long term goal is to get back into my size 28 jeans & be at 135.

Great job!!!!  Keep up the good work and keep learning! Those are all very positive changes.

Remember its the little changes that stick with you to produce the best long term benefits. I really like that you are focussing on staying with a more whole foods based diet.

The best advise i can provide to you is to not get discouraged when the weight loss slows down a little and stick with what works for you.

And...exercise, exercise, excersise!

That's so wonderful!! It's great that you're doing so well :)

Keep up the great work! Hang in there :D

Congratulations.  Ive lost about 28 lbs since January.  I had a 6 month stall where i could not budged out of 230lbs, but now Im at 224lbs.  Ive still got a lot to go but at least its going now.  I feel so excited I even got up the nerve to put my actual picture by my screen name instead of one of those virtual models Ive been using for a year.  Yay for us! 

And remember--I had a 6 month stall, but if you quit then you are guaranteed to fail.  Times is always going to be passing, so you should spend it trying to do good things even if you dont see immediate results.

Congratulations again!

Thanks for the tips. :-)  I forgot to mention I am exercising--I'm doing speed-walking for about 30-40 minutes 3 times a week, using a lateral stepper a couple times a week at home & dancing. I need to incorporate some weight training.

Everyone keeps talking about the plateau--and pray that I do not ever get that! aak. Do you or someone else here know about when that typically hits???

I dont know.  I weighed 252lbs at my heaviest and stalled out at 230lbs.  You wouldnt think a big person with 100lbs to lose would stall, but it happens sometimes.  I was doing everything right too.  I was eating healthier and counting calories.  I did find out that i am insulin resistant though and my endocrinologist told me to cut back on sugars and carbs.  thats what made me break my plateau.  i dont know if it happens to everyone.

Thanks Jessica~ congrats on your progress, too! Sounds like you are really doing well. :-)