How I Lost 30 Pounds

[ 1 ] March 6, 2011 | Hazel Reidy

Ok, I am not here to preach to you about weight loss. I just thought this post would be useful to some people who might be reading my blog. I know that I spent years talking about how I was going to lose weight before I did anything about it. Maybe this will help motivate someone to take that first step!

First off, I was never heavily over-weight or anything. I went through a lot of changes back in 2007 and packed on a few pounds. I am about 5’1 and I got up to almost 150. That’s a lot for such a small person! I was really upset with myself because before that point, I never had a weight problem. I ate whatever I wanted and it never showed… but that wasn’t the case anymore! Obviously I love food, I always have, so this was a real issue for me. Honestly, I don’t know what gave me that big motivation to take the first step, change something, but I just did it. In August of 2010, I said I’m done with this.

The first thing I did: signed up at Spark People. If you have never checked out the site, I for sure suggest you do! It’s such a wonderful place. You can track your food, work outs (with maps to track how far you walk/run/skip/etc!)… there are message boards where you can meet awesome people to help keep you motivated and there are Spark Pages, where you can put in personal info and others can leave comments. There is also one HUGE part of the site that really worked for me: Spark Recipes. Not only are there tons of awesome and healthy recipes there, but you can enter your own recipes to track the calories of meals you make. That was such a key in my weight loss. I could put in recipes and then alter the ingredients to change the calories or whatever. I don’t think I will ever stop using that!

Eating healthier. Check. Now I had to actually do something active. I pretty much live at my computer, so that’s a big deal for me! Honestly, all I normally do is walk. I walk with my husband and we just chat and do laps around the neighborhood. I sometimes run, but I seriously hate it. I just sometimes get this crazy spark and run a bit… then die because my knees are terrible and absolutely hate me! Now, I do also suggest doing some type of strength training. It gives you a balanced work out. I normally use free weights and do arm exercises that I saw on Spark People. Oh, I didn’t mention that… they have exercises too! They have demos and workout plans and everything. Such a great place.

And here is my massive disclaimer. What works for one person, might not work for the next. I know that and now you know that! What I am trying to do is show you that all you have to do is try. Find what works for you and stick with it. Once you start, you won’t want to stop! And with that I will mention the thing that I think might have helped me the most in all of this: transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Now, I am not at all suggesting you do that (unless you want to or are interested… ask me questions if you are!), but by me doing this in a town that doesn’t even do vegetarian it meant that I really had to limit going out to eat. No more fast food, that’s for sure. And even when I do go out to eat, I normally get something super healthy because it is the only option for me. It actually sucks because I like going out, but it worked out great in the end. So what am I getting at? Cut back on eating out. Pack your lunch, make big meals and freeze them for fast dinners. Do everything you can to avoid those super fatty meals out. And when you do go out, keep your weight loss goals in mind. It’s for sure awesome to splurge now and then, but don’t make it a regular habit.

Just take that first step. Find something to motivate you, find someone who will make this transition with you and you are well on your way to awesome changes. I wish all of you the best of luck!!

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