About a year ago, I began a plan to deal with a serious health issue. My blood sugar was high, and the doctor and I were working to get it under control. While medicine would help, the biggest thing I needed to do was lose weight. I don't know about you, but the thoughts of starvation and deprivation sounded awful. While I have some exercise I enjoy, I wasn't thrilled at the idea of spending hours on seemingly endless cardio. However, I realized that things were starting to trend away from where I wanted to be, so I bucked down and lost weight. As of this writing, I am down 20 lbs. I still have quite a bit to go, but I am making progress. It made a world of difference in my numbers and overall wellbeing. I am excited to be on this journey.
Now, I am no stranger to dieting. I have never been skinny and always sought to drop a few pounds here or there. This marks the third time I have lost more than 10 lbs. at a time. The first time, I was in college and Atkins was all the rage. My grandmother was a huge fan of it, and got me hooked. I lost about 15 lbs and looked and felt great. Unfortunately, as with all low-carb diets, it was hard to maintain. So it all came back. With a vengeance. The second time was about 4 years ago when I did a modification of Paleo and Keto. It worked really well. I lost 45 lbs. However, once I plateaued and started actually gaining weight back while trying to cut further, it just was too hard. Once again, it piled back on.
So, what makes this time any different? I am not severely restricting carbs or other enjoyable foods. I am controlling portions and making healthy choices on a day to day basis, so I can enjoy a piece of pie or a biscuit on the weekend. I track my calories and carbs most days and try to get my steps in. I want to do more exercise, but I am starting with what I can do.
I share this to encourage you. You may not be struggling with weight or health issues, but you may be working to better yourself in another way. Keep it up. You've got this friend!