My struggles with keeping the weight off..

I'm kind of hesitant to talk about this because I don't want to be the poster girl for weight loss or make anyone that struggles with their weight to feel bad. I just read an article in our local paper today that said only 10% of people that loose weight keep it off...

10%! Yikes!!

These pictures were taken in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at a cabin we were staying in, the photo says 4/4/04, strange.... found it the other day while looking through pictures saved in Picasa. I think I look like a refrigerator...hated having my picture made..hated it. Dick and I were stuffed and not very healthy...walking was getting harder and harder for me. Dick was in 40 pants and going up....now he wears 36 inch waist pants,

Glory hallelujah!

Everything has changed now. I'm more at peace since the weight issue is gone...this is the real me. Sis had me open my eyes wide in the photo above...that's the way I want them to stay...wide opened. I want to be part of the 10% that keep the weight off!!

Read where Kirstie Alley has gained all her weight back plus 10...in one and a half years. Think of that guy Michael Hebranko that lost 700lbs to gain back 800lbs and now has lost 300lbs....breaks my heart!

Kirstie used Jennie Craig...Michael had help from Richard Simmons. I've given a lot of thought to successful weight loss... my opinion is, I believe every ones body, chemical make-up, life issues are so very different and the reason people fall off and gain back is because you have to find your own path to health. Nobody knows what you know about yourself.....

If you faithfully log in everything you eat on a free website like www.thedailyplate.com it will not take you long to realize what the problem is. For me I had no idea what a portion was..restaurants pile it on and I ate it up. It takes time to figure things out...I had the extra weight for 25 years! Lost most of the weight in 8 months....the first three months were a real struggle, but necessary.

Baby steps...plus, it helps to set small 5 pound goals....if you eat within your calories The Daily Plate sets up for you...you will lose weight. Exercise is very important but the main thing is the food. Enjoy life! Don't take all your favorites away...find a way to include them. I LOVE sandwiches, so I use the panini press almost everyday. Sargento makes low-fat sliced cheese, 50 calories...ham and turkey are just 60 calories for a 2oz serving. Buy really good bread...hopefully with some fiber in it. Hellman's low-fat 35 calories! Mustard just 5 calories! Add some baby carrots and cucumbers with some cucumber garlic or red pepper Tzatziki. I buy it at Walmart next to the cream cheese section...yummy! Greek Yogurt.

Don't give up good taste or good food...skip the diet stuff...that will make you sad..choose low fat if it takes good, like Edy's ice cream 1/2 fat. If you like chocolate, have it! I've heard it said if you can eat good healthy foods 80% of the time you are doing good. Try www.myrecipes.com if you need great cooking ideas...make sure you use the ones from Cooking Light with the calories and nutrients included.

The thing is..if I can do this, anyone can. We have this one life, God wants good things for us...health through exercise and eating right are good things we can achieve.