Over the course of the last eight months, I have lost 25 pounds. It’s been gradual and since I wasn’t really large to begin with, not many people have noticed. I’ve barely noticed even, and haven’t even thought to write about it until now.
I saw an old friend the other day who has been in Florida all winter. “I can’t believe how much weight you’ve lost; you look great!” she said, which reminded me of my accomplishment.
Long time blog readers know I’ve been working on this for awhile. Here’s how I finally did it:
I made some gym buddies and we have a standing date. When I was still working full time at the paper, I would pick up my friends on my way home (one of them would go let out my dog) and we would go directly to the gym. It was much easier to go when I knew people were counting on me for a ride. Now that I am no longer commuting, we usually go in the morning first thing.
I cut out sugar for a few weeks to see if I missed it. I plateaued for a bit this spring and realized I had to further fine tune my routine. No more sugar in my coffee. No cookies from the breakroom. I realize now I actually like the taste of coffee more then I liked it with sugar, and I got good at saying ‘no’ politely to someone offering me sweets.
I have no freezer. That means no ice cream or preprepared foods unless I make a special trip to the grocery store.
I eat what I have. My strict grocery budget means I don’t run off to the store whenever I have a craving. I also make sure to buy healthy food, with several protien and fiber options to make myself meals that keep me feeling full.
I love seltzer water. And instead of noshing on something while I am at my desk, I’ve switched to flavored selzer water. And at less than $1 a liter, it’s not a very expensive treat.
There’s always more you can do. At the grocery store last night, the check out girl (who didn’t speak much English actually) asked me “Boy or girl?” Since I don’t look transgendered (which I briefly considered), I had to break it to her that I wasn’t pregnant. She looked like she wanted to die right there but I laughed it off and assured her it was ok. Maybe it was my freeflowing sundress or the fact that Eastern Eurpoean skinny is different then American skinny. Ideally I’ve got another ten pounds to go but I don’t think in most universes I look pregnant!
So it feels really difficult to get healthy but in the end, it’s been well worth it for me. I am in better shape, I spend less money on food, and I now don’t mind when someone takes a picture of me…or occasionally thinks I’m pregnant.
If you are interested in bloggers writing about weight loss, Baker (a fellow personal finance blogger at Man vs. Debt) recently held a weight loss challenge among personal finance bloggers. Check it out here.
Also Get Fit Slowly is a blog about fitness and health maintained by JD, the author of Get Rich Slowly.