Weight-loss

The idea behind weight loss is simple--burn more calories than you eat.

Exercise more and eat less.

Then why is it so dang hard?

I have been in huge battle with my weight ever since my late teens. I was able to lose weight several different times, the most being 65 pounds when I was twenty, but I always ended up gaining the weight back-- sometimes gaining more weight than before.

The frustration of gaining weight after trying so hard to lose it sometimes feels unbearable. But I have learned to not beat myself up about it. Right now I am in the state of mind to “never give up, never surrender.” I’m on my own personal weight-loss quest, and it sure is not easy sometimes. Losing weight can be a struggle for me-- a constant battle.

I decided to conquer my weight earlier this year in March. I came up with a brilliant plan that included a regular exercise routine, no soda, lots of water, and healthy foods. The first month I lost 6 pounds. HOORAY!!! But the second month I hit a plateau and neither gained nor lost weight. Frustrated, but still determined, I continued to keep away from soda and bad foods, and I exercised daily (except on weekends). Sadly, despite my efforts, I did not lose a single pound during the month of May.

Once again, I was frustrated and downhearted, but I still remained determined to conquer my excess weight. I began keeping a daily journal to record my fitness progress. I wrote down everything I ate, how much I weighed each morning, what I did for exercise that day, and how much water I drank. I discovered through my record keeping that I did MUCH better when I had to report what I ate every day. I was very careful not to add that extra little snack when I thought I was hungry, because I felt guilty writing it down, so I ate better. I decided to add more fruit to my diet. I replaced my breakfast meals with only fruit and stopped eating starchy foods. From the end of June until the end of July I lost another 7 pounds. HOORAY!!!

But when August came around, I fell off the band wagon once more, hitting a four week plateau, and only losing one pound during the entire month. I began to get the old feelings back of frustration, sadness, eagerness, and downheartedness.

Things began to get better in September. I was finally able see my OBGYN doctor on September 3rd, after waiting two months to see him. After he examined me and asked me questions about myself, we began to discuss health issues. When it was time for him to counsel me about what I needed to do to improve my health, the first thing he said was “You need to lose some weight.” I felt like saying, ‘DUH! Obvious! I’ve been trying to lose weight forever.’ He then proceeded to tell me that I had a condition called PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), which is basically a reproductive disorder of my ovaries and hormones. My condition has been affecting my hormonal levels, causing me to be infertile, pre-diabetic, and unable to lose weight easily. ‘WOW,’ I thought. ‘That actually makes sense.’ So he put me on several medications, including fertility pills, and told me to start going on the South Beach Diet.


THE SOUTH BEACH DIET
I had heard the name mentioned before, but I had no idea what the South Beach Diet was. My mother-in-law became interested in the diet as well, so she checked out a couple of books from the library. We learned from reading the books that the South Beach diet is a high vegetable and protein diet. The first two weeks are very strict and difficult, but definitely worth it in the end, because you lose the most weight during the first two weeks than you do at any other time. The first two weeks are designed to help you stop craving, so you don’t eat any starchy, sugary, or foods high in carbohydrates (no bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, corn). Basically, the only foods you are allowed to consume during the first two weeks are green vegetables, meat, and a few dairy products.

I started the South Beach Diet last week on September 5. Within seven days I lost a total of 6.6 pounds. My mother-in-law, who is an avid white bread, bacon, and popcorn eater, lost about 8 pounds in one week. And even my husband, who isn’t really on the diet, lost 5 pounds because our dinner menu had changed. INCREDIBLE!

So, my quest to lose weight continues to move forward. I am confident that I will succeed in reaching my ultimate goal-- to get pregnant-- within the next several months. But even if I don’t get pregnant right away, I won’t mind losing the weight in the mean time. I’m looking forward to wearing some of my old clothes again.

17 pounds down, 67 more to go!