Last year, after I graduated beauty school I decided to try the Atkins diet. There's a few reasons why I decided to choose that particular diet.
#1- I had heard of many people losing a lot of weight by following that, and of course, I wanted to lose lots of weight too.
#2- I have never been a big sweets person, but I have always loved my bread and pasta! And obviously loving that got me to the weight I was, so I figured my first step was to cut carbs out of my diet.
#3- I liked the idea that I wouldn't have to count much of anything. I knew what I could and couldn't have.
#4- Cheese! I could still have cheese on the Atkins diet. And I love me some cheese.
#5- I felt I could still eat dinner with my husband. Whatever it was that he wanted, I could make and just eat the meat and veggies.
I was on the Atkins diet for about 3 months religiously and dropped 31 pounds. You definitely can't be mad at a number like that. I figured out a lot of ways to still eat my favorite foods. Tacos (in a bowl instead of a tortilla), Chicken Parmesan(breaded with a mix of crushed pork rinds and a packet of ranch dressing mix... And of course minus the pasta) Steak (without the potatoes, instead a big helping of sautéed mushrooms and a salad). But after 3 months, I found the diet incredibly hard to stay on because I missed certain foods. The foods I missed weren't carbs like bread and pasta but instead fruit, and yogurt. I wasn't even a big fan of either of those before that... But all of a sudden I had a craving for those foods. So I did what I've always done and quit the diet and went back to Olive Garden as my favorite restaurant. I gained back 5 lbs of what I lost in about 9 months.
On February 18th, I decided what I needed what a lifestyle change, not a diet. I wouldn't get my answers in a fad diet. Because of the success I had with Atkins, and because I knew carbs aren't good for your weight anyways, I am still doing it low-carb/low sugar. I still do not eat pasta, bread, or rice. But I do eat fruits, yogurt, nuts, and other things that you shouldn't eat if you were following the Atkins diet induction phase. I also eat a tortilla on my taco now if I REALLY have to have it. If I do eat a tortilla, I just make sure that its the only carb that I have for awhile.
The other thing I have started to do is....*drumroll please* WORKOUT. This is a huge accomplishment for me. Huge. I hate exercise.... The thought of me going to the gym and sweating my pounds away is always the last thing on my mind when I say I want to lose weight. Also, the gym is very intimidating to me. I feel awkward and out of place. Have you ever noticed that the majority of the people at the gym are in good shape? I always been like I'm being judged at the gym. But, I have tried to concur my fears because I don't want to lose the weight and have flabby skin. So to the gym I go! 4 times a week... And I do cardio and weights.
My first day there was rough, I was on the elliptical for .75 miles and had to stop. I couldn't even do a mile. I was disappointed and embarrassed. I went over to do the weight machines for my legs. Doing the weights come easy to me. I'd much rather do those than cardio. I push myself to the highest weight I can do so I can feel sore the next day. Sore is good for me. It means that I actually did something at the gym. After I did the weights I went back on the elliptical and did .25 so that I could leave knowing I did a mile. Since that first day, I've slowly worked my way up to 3 miles on the elliptical. I don't watch my time... I know I am slow. I simply make sure I hit those 3 miles without stopping.
Since I've started my life change on 2/18, I have lost 16 pounds according to my last weigh in on Sunday 4/7. I have a lot more to go, but I think I'm on the right track.
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