My journey on How I lost 70 pounds and kept it off with tips, tricks and advice on what worked for me in my journey to a healthier lifestyle.
This post is a long time coming.
Ever since I posted the recipe for Sheet Pan Meatloaves, I’ve gotten numerous requests asking me how I lost 70 pounds and kept it off.
So here I am in all my vulnerability to share with you my journey. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask me.
Here’s my disclaimer. *I am not a doctor or medical expert. I’m just a mom who was determined to show her kids, family and self that a healthier lifestyle was much better than the one she was leading. And that if I wanted my kids to lead a healthy lifestyle, I needed to be the example they followed.
Food is one of the easiest things to control when trying to live a healthier life. Choose better for you options, like Well Yes!® soups that come in a wide variety of flavors so you can enjoy a new one daily!
When I met my husband, I was in my twenties, physically fit and entering my last year of college. We moved in together a short time later and become “comfortable” with each other.
I started caring less what I looked like because I wasn’t looking for someone. I already had someone who loved me for me. We started a full time jobs and schedules became busy.
Growing up, I didn’t learn how to cook so it wasn’t something that was in my repertoire.
We started hitting the drive thrus daily and binge watching shows. Long gone were the days of walking to and from class and hitting the gym after chemistry.
Then came my wedding. I was almost the biggest I was in my entire life.
Looking back at those pictures I can’t believe what I looked like.
I remember when my son was old enough to talk he asked, “Who is that?” It was me in all my 165lb glory and he was stunned and didn’t believe me when I told him who it was.
I must also tell you I’m 5 feet tall (Don’t listen to my husband, he’ll tell you I’m 4’11!)
When you’re 5 feet tall and 165 lbs, you’re considered obese (according to BMI metrics).
When I was pregnant with my son, I went into the doctor.
They weigh you at each appointment. I noticed I wasn’t gaining that much weight, so I asked if that was ok. He responded, “Some people don’t need to gain as much as others.”
Woah, low blow especially to someone who is pregnant and can throat punch you at any given moment.
But he was right. In my small frame, I didn’t need to gain any more weight than I already had.
The day my son was born, in May 2010, I weighed 183 lbs.
After 8 weeks and the clearance to work out, I hit the treadmill running…literally.
I would strive to make it 1 mile without stopping and then 2, 3 and then 4 miles. I’d watch my favorite shows and zone out.
Before I knew it, I’d been on the treadmill for an hour and walked 4 miles. This was my moment of “YES!”
I had my daughter in May of 2012, at 135lbs, and since then I have lost 22 more lbs to be at my current weight today.
Not only do I feel better, I sleep better. I’m mentally and emotionally healthier and I’m able to run around with my kids when they ask to play tag for the 15th time.
Here are my tips, tricks and advice on How I lost 70 pounds and kept it off. This won’t work for everyone but it’s a great start.
I’m here to share with you what worked and works for me to this day.
- Enjoy meals at home– This is by far my biggest advice. Skip those drive thrus, the coffee shops and convenience stores. I taught myself how to cook watching Rachael Ray and she inspired me to get into the kitchen (and start this blog, Hey Rach!). When you make meals at home you control ALL of the ingredients that go into your food. Take out food is packed with sodium, fat and calories. And just because you’re ordering a salad, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Salad dressings are packed with ingredients I can’t even pronounce let alone the nutritional stats on those babies. Yikes! It might seem crazy but I check out a the menu and the nutritional facts every time we head out to a restaurant. If you’re serious about losing weight, this is a must.
You don’t have to cook every meal. We absolutely love Well Yes!® Soups. They come in a variety of flavors, so you’re never bored, they’re packed with protein to keep you fuller longer and are nutritious. Well Yes! Soups do not contain artificial flavors or colors and are made with non-gmo ingredients.
My husband takes them to work and heats them in the microwave and he’s got a hearty soup in less than 2 minutes.
Like salad dressings, many soups on the market today are full of junk. Well Yes! Soups are nutrient packed so you can stay on top of your goals all while eating a delicious soup.
*Disclaimer – Well Yes! Soups are not proven to promote weight loss.
I enjoy the Well Yes! Soups with a side dish too.
I eat one serving of the soup and then depending on the variety I’m eating, I pair it with something else.
A salad, cheese quesadilla with a low carb wrap and reduced fat cheese or a 7 seed whole grain slice of bread with some light butter.
It’s all about balance.
- Download a fitness app- I downloaded MyFitnessPal 7 years ago and have used it almost every day since. I track all of my food so I can keep my calories, fat, protein, sugar and sodium levels in check. You put in your weight, goals and it’ll tell you the amount of each you should have daily. You can scan the barcode on the back of an item and it’ll pop everything into the app for you. It even has some restaurant menus on there so you can take a peek while you’re dining out. I track my daily fitness and water intake. I can also update it with my weight so it’ll tell my how much I’ve lost since 2010.
- Hit the Trail- Losing and maintaining a weight loss isn’t all about what you’re putting into your bod. Strive to get at least 30 minutes of physical exercise a day. Hit the trail by walking, running or riding your bike. We take the kids on a walk on the trail and they discover bugs, leaves and explore all while getting exercise.
- Purchase a fitness tracker- I was given a FitBit One for Mother’s Day one year and there isn’t a day I don’t wear it. If I forget it, I feel naked. There are many trackers on the market today that can do a lot of things, but if you want something basic, I recommend the FitBit One. at the time, I didn’t want a watch on my arm as I had a nice watch I wore daily. Now I must admit I have an Apple Watch as I was looking for something that was waterproof and could receive calls and texts, but I still wear my FitBit one on my pants. My husband’s work gives out pedometers, so check around. There might be some available for free.
- Have fun!– Did you go out and have an extra slice of cake? Good for you! You deserve it. Losing and maintaining a weight loss is all about balance. Don’t starve yourself of something you really love because then when you really want and need it, you’ll fall off the wagon and fast. Save yourself some extra room in your day to enjoy the things you love. Don’t be so rigid that your new lifestyle change is a chore. And we don’t call it a diet. To us, it’s a new way of life, a healthier way of life. Have a friendly competition with your husband about who can do the most sit ups in one minute. And the challenge the kids to see who can do the most jumping jacks in one minute. Making it fun is what it’s all about.
Have I myself fallen off the wagon? Um yes, absolutely! Have you heard of the 4th quarter that’s full of Halloween goodies, a Thanksgiving feast and a delicious plate of December cookies?
It’s ok, because I know and believe in myself enough that I can start right where I left off.
It’s ok to have a fresh, new start. Set yourself some goals and achieve them at your own pace.
Fill your grocery cart with smarter options. I highly recommend Well Yes!® Soup(s) and these are my favorites:
- Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice
- Black Bean with Red Quinoa
- Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
It’s such a feeling of accomplishment when you hit that first 5lb weight loss. Reward yourself with something nice and then strive to hit the next 5 pound goal with a new reward.
Soon you’ll have to reward yourself with a new wardrobe and how awesome does that sound?! Now that’s a “YES!” moment!
So say yes to the good stuff so you have what you need to say yes in the rest of your healthy life!
Best of luck to you on our weight loss journey.
If you have ANY questions at all regarding meal planning tips, workouts and/or anything else, please let me know. I am more than willing to share!
Sound off in the comments and share your moment of “YES!”
Are you struggling? How can I help you? Comment or send me an email.
I promise to bring you more delicious and healthier recipes as I strive to be authentic and true to who I am and how we eat as a family.
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Carolyn West says
I love all your tips. Need to lose a few pounds myself and I think soup is one of the best foods to eat. #client
Yooying says
Thank you for sharing the story. The tips and advice are very helpful for me.
The soup looks great, I’ll try it 🙂