House of Lloyd

So the secret is out, because I let it out a few weeks ago. I am loosing weight. Thank you to all of my friends and family who noticed that there is less of me without reading it here on my blog or Facebook. I have now lost 55 pounds. When I started this journey to better health I weighed in at 257 lbs.  Today as I stepped on the scale I weighed 202. I hate being honest about those numbers, but I think full upfront honesty is important in this journey. Being vague about the “real” numbers is really a means of enabling failure.

People have had a lot of questions when they find out I have essentially lost an amount of weight that is equal to a 1st or 2nd grade child. So today I am going to address some of those questions.

1. Don’t you think you are loosing weight too fast? No… I have been working at this for 9 and a half months, so the weight loss averages out to 5.7 pounds per month. I have spoke with a medical doctor, chiropractor, and dietitian concerning the rate of my loss and they all feel that based on the drastic changes I have made in my lifestyle that the rate of my weight loss is reasonable.
2. What changes have you made to your diet? I have cut out most sweets, ALL soda, and salt. I also eat 5 small meals a day, and make sure that all food groups are represented. In the past I have done diets that have totally eliminated certain food groups. Those types of eating plans are not maintainable. I also increased my calorie intake. According to my dietitian my body needed a jump start because I was not getting enough of the right calories each day.
3. Are you still able to go out to eat? Yes.  I just carefully consider the options on the menu before I order. I don’t always order salad either. I am able to enjoy a variety of restaurant meals and still loose weight.
4. How has this affected your family? In short they are all eating healthier. Pasta is no longer the other white meat in our home. We used to have pasta two or three times a week. Now we eat more fish and only have pasta 2 or 3 times each month.
5. Do you exercise? I go to the gym 3 times each week. I recently added an electronic trainer to my gym package to force me to work out harder. I have been a member at Curves for several years. However, I have not really been a dedicated member, nor had I been one that was consistent with my workouts. Now I am and I am noticing a difference. Additionally, I used to NOT take my breaks at work. Now I walk for 15 minutes at work twice a day. These short walks not only help me health wise but while walking I clear my mind and am more productive when I return to my desk.
6. How much water do you drink per day? I drink an average of 80 ounces per day. No I will not get intoxicated by having too much water. According to my doctor I am still not drinking the proper amount of water per day for my body mass. 64 oz a day is the minimum you should have. To determine the amount of water you should be drinking take your weight and divide by 2 the answer is the amount of water you should intake in order to be healthy. I only count PURE water in my intake count.
7. Are the changes you made maintainable? I believe they are. The decision not to exclude an entire food group helps to make this maintainable. Also, now that I have been working at it for 9 months it is no longer new or hard. It just is.
8. You have lost weight in the past and gained it all back, what makes it different this time? In the past I have only wanted to loose weight so that I would look better. Now I want to do it so I feel better. I want to be healthy. I have a 3 year old child and I want to be able to keep up with her as she grows up.  I am also emotionally ready to take on this journey. In the past I would try without being emotionally ready for the task, I would have one set back and give up. I have also decided that I can’t do this on my own and I pray each and everyday that God will help me with this journey to a healthier me.

With the holiday season just around the corner I know I will have to be more diligent in staying the course. I have decided that this week I will focus on better health and fitness. Each day I will focus on a new topic that will help me to stay focused on my goals and hopefully encourage some of my readers who are on their own road to better health and fitness.

Photo by JamieLeighPhotos... one of my favorite photos from our photo shoot.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 at 9:32 am and is filed under Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”