The “I LOST 30 LBS HOLY SMOKES AM I EVER HAPPY AND HERE’S HOW I DID IT!!!” Post

Sick of hearing about me and my 30 lbs. yet?

I thought so.

But I’ve been promising this one for a week now, and I really liked Nicole’s suggestion for me to put together a post telling you all exactly how I did it. 

So… here it is.

**The Disclaimer**:  (Because what’s a good Weight Loss Post without a disclaimer?)  I am by no means a health & fitness guru, and I also by no means think the way I’ve achieved my weight loss is the “best” way to do it – I fully believe everyone needs to do their own research, and find the method that is right for them.   If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my ventures into losing weight, it’s that everyone has a tip for you.  If you tried to follow them all, you’d be drowning in ‘em.  The key, I believe, is to find the ones that best suit you & how you wish to achieve your goals.

All that being said…  here are the programs, tips & philosophies that have worked for me:

The Program: The first thing that got me going on my way to losing weight was choosing a program to follow.  For some people, that might be something like Weight Watchers or Herbal Magic.  For me, it was TurboFire.  It was on sale at the time, and my Beachbody Coach Jared suggested it to me.  To be honest, I didn’t even really research it before buying it.  Then it sat and collected dust on a shelf for a month before I got into the right frame of mind and and even opened the box.  It was a 6-day work-out timetable accompanied by a meal plan, with all the DVDs, schedules, guide books, and accessories a kid could ever want.  I fully credit TurboFire for getting me going – and keeping me going.  I really like the instructor Chalene Johnson, I love the music, and they are work-outs that I still enjoy doing now, 12 weeks later.  Finding a work-out you love is huge if you want to be successful.

Shakeology:  I was the girl who always said, “I will never do a diet or weight loss strategy that has me taking pills or shakes.  I love food too much to replace it with a supplement.”  However, I was only a few days in to my TurboFire program when I caught one of the little “commercials” on the DVDs advertising Shakeology.  They did a break-down of the amount of fruits & vegetables included in one serving of Shakeology, and I was sold.  I’m not a veggie fan, so knowing that I was covered in that department with just one shake?  It was a no-brainer for me.  Not to mention all of the vitamins, proteins, probiotics, prebiotics, and other words that I don’t even understand that are in there… I decided to try out a 30 day supply, even though the cost seemed steep to me.  And it’s been working.  I love the convenience of having one meal a day “taken care of”, I love that I can change it up with different recipes, they’ve helped eliminate my cravings for junk food, they keep me feeling full, and it helps me keep my calorie intake in check each day.  And the best part?  After 60+ days of having a shake every single day, I still look forward to my shake.  Bonus!

Drinking water like it’s my job: I really feel this one is important.  I drink a shit-ton of water every day.  In my TurboFire support group, our Coach told us about how drinking 3 cups of water first thing in the morning flushes toxins from the body and boosts metabolism for the whole day, so I started doing that.  I also drink a glass of water every hour that I’m at work, so I know I’m getting a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day.  I pee like a million times a day.  But it’s worth it.

Following a sched:  When I first looked at that 12-week TurboFire schedule, I thought it was impossible.  For a couch potato like me, the thought of working out six days a week seemed unrealistic.  Before I even began, I was already thinking, “Well, on days when I don’t have time, I’ll just substitute a shorter workout. Or some days I’ll just take a walk.  There’s no way in hell I can keep to a six-day workout schedule.  Sunday mornings?  Ain’t gonna happen, dude…”  Surprise, surprise…  Nearing the end of 12 weeks, I can honestly say not only have I stuck to the TurboFire sched, I also have been active on my “rest” days most of the time, too.  Funny how once it becomes part of your routine, exercise no longer feels like a chore!   I also get immense satisfaction when I sit down after my workout and check it off.  That sched has totally kept me accountable and on track.  And next week, I’ll be starting an additional 8 weeks of Advanced TurboFire classes!!

Tracking calories/Keeping a food diary:  I’m a little obsessed about this.  I keep record of everything I eat and drink in a day, both in hard copy with my TurboFire Tracker, and on-line at MyFitnessPal.  I know calorie-counting isn’t for everyone – but for someone like me, it keeps me conscious & aware of what I’m putting in my mouth & serving sizes.  Otherwise, I just eat with wild abandon.  I love the challenge of trying to stick to a certain number of calories a day (which for me, currently, is 1300.)

Find healthy foods you love:  Eating healthy doesn’t have to be yucky.  Coming from a junk food addict… that’s big. LOL!  Some of my favourites are plain fat-free Greek yogurt with a little honey and Asian Pear slices for breakfast, homemade sweet potato fries with a spicy seasoning, a veggie pizza on whole-wheat pita, I even tried out a spaghetti sauce made with tofu instead of meat and liked it!

Banish the junk…:  I’m not the kind of person who can keep a bag of chips in the cupboard and have a little bowlful for a snack in the evening.  I had to clear all that crap out.  I’m like the poster girl for that old Lays slogan, “Bet you can’t eat just one.”  No, I can’t, Lays.  I really can’t.  You win.

…But treats are necessary!:  I eat cake at birthdays.  I eat chocolate on Easter.  When I have my niece and nephew over for a sleepover, I buy chips.  On Friday nights, I like to have pizza.  I cannot live in a world without treats.  And thus, there will be Big Macs and poutines and ice cream cones in my future.  Just maybe spread out a little more than I used to.  I’m learning to balance out when I “treat” myself.  (And that is why I have yet to have french fries, even though Lent has been over for a week!!!)  I’m also learning to reward myself with healthier stuff – like new work-out clothes, or new shoes, or a new water bottle – instead of always with junk food.  All a frame of mind, baby.

No eating after 7 PM:  I’ve tried to stick to this rule as much as possible, although there have been a few occasions when I’ve bent it a bit.  Usually, though, I don’t eat after supper.  If I get the urge to have something while watching TV at night, I make a cup of tea.

Getting a good night’s sleep:  I honestly don’t know if I’ve been up past midnight since I started this program.  Not even on weekends.  For a while, it kind of depressed me that I wasn’t going out and having fun on Friday & Saturday nights anymore, but I’ve decided to look at this way:  I’m just doing something different right now.  I’m doing something for me that is going to benefit in the long run.  Getting my sleep so that I’m full of energy and ready to go the next morning has become almost essential now.  Besides, none of my friends go out anymore anyways!

Act as though your time to work out is an appointment you CANNOT cancel:  I know.  Sometimes life happens, and you can’t always squeeze a work-out into your day.  But I’ve been following this tip for 12 weeks now, and I have yet to miss my “appointment” with TurboFire.  I schedule it into my day, and I haven’t yet had to “cancel”.

No booze.  Seriously.:  That’s right, folks.  Sadie hasn’t been out in… a really long time.  What it comes down to for me is that I love food more than the booze, and those calories are too valuable to waste on a drink.  I can honestly tell you that since early January, I have only had four drinks: two at dinner the night we went to Rock of Ages, and two on St. Patrick’s Day at Gavan’s.  And that’s it.  I’m not saying I’ll never have a drink again, but it just feels detrimental to everything I’m doing right now – trying to be healthy, trying to eat clean, trying to flush toxins from my body – to ruin it all with booze.  I totally get that this isn’t something that everyone would be willing to give up, but for me, it’s actually been one of the easier things for me to do.  I like to think that I can still have fun without it.  Just maybe no dancing on tables or puking in corners anymore… (and the rest of the world breathes a sigh of relief… )

The Support System:  This part has been huge – HUGE – for me.  I made my weight loss goals very public, telling my family, my friends, and sharing here on my blog and on Facebook.  And at the risk of being totally annoying to everyone around me, I’ve occasionally posted about how I’m doing and my progress.  Each time, I’ve been amazed at the number of supportive comments, emails, Facebook messages and “likes” that I’ve received.  I’m still totally convinced that everyone is sitting at home rolling their eyes and muttering “get over yourself, girl”, but to my face, they have been amazing.  I realize that for some people, losing weight is a personal and private thing, and sharing with the whole wide world isn’t their gig, but for me, the pats on the head and the “you can do its” really have boosted me on many days, and I am so very grateful for the number of people in my life who have taken the time out of their day to offer me words of encouragement, or share their own stories. 

I’ve said several times that I have the BEST cheerleaders in the world, and to each and every one of you, I send a big heartfelt THANK YOU!!  Your support on this journey has kept me going, and I’m ready to tackle the next challenge… I hope you’re all still with me!!

Can I lose another 20 lbs. before I turn 30?  Is a total weight loss goal of 50 lbs. by July 28th even possible?  I’m really not sure, but I’m putting the “50 Before 30 Project” into full effect right now.  And I know Jared’s already looking forward to bringing that 50 lb. weight over for me to hold in that celebration photo!

Let’s do this, people.