Today I want to introduce you to Amanda as the person I’d like to highlight in the series “Stronger Together“.
Amanda is someone I met very early on after starting my Facebook page and it has been so fun and amazing watching her throughout her weight loss journey so far.
She offers encouragement and tips from her own page as well as being a great cheerleader for others on their own journey to health.Â
Amanda has responded to a series of questions that more or less correspond to the steps I’ve taken in my own journey as outlined in the “How to Lose 100 Pounds” book series.
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1. YOUR Journey and Plan for Weight Loss Success: Please tell us a little bit about your own journey with weight loss and getting healthy?
My journey started after a lifetime of being overweight. I’ve seen some pictures of myself when I was a small child were I wasn’t overweight, but I don’t ever remember it.
One of the big turning points for me was the day before my birthday when my fiance and boyfriend of almost 9 years was taken to the hospital. He had breathing problems and severe dehydration. His blood sugar was through the roof. That was the day we found out he had diabetes, and severe diabetes at that. He went from not having diabetes to full-blown insulin dependent.
That was a huge wake-up call because I weigh more than he does. I’ve struggled with pre-diabetes but managed to get my blood sugar back to normal but how long could I fight it off if I didn’t make some changes?
While eating was an issue, I ate healthy but didn’t watch portions, exercise was the real problem. I started this journey weighting over 350 pounds. That is a lot of weight to carry around and it hurt.
I’m nowhere near done with my journey, but if you never start you’ll never get where you want to be. For a while I sat and I talked and I planned but I didn’t DO anything. Finally I realized that talking wasn’t enough. If I didn’t actually work towards getting healthy, I was going to spend whatever time I had left unhealthy, and that isn’t what I want for my family or for myself.
Luckily I found the “How to Lose 100 Pounds” books when I was on Twitter. I picked up the first one expecting it to be another starvation diet but was surprised that these books were built around solid nutrition and exercise mixed with motivation and goal setting. I eventually got all of the books and read them and they are what got me motivated to stop talking and start doing.
2. Finding the Motivation: What is your big WHY for losing weight and getting healthy? How do you stay motivated?
My biggest motivation is health. I WANT to be healthy. I WANT to be able to walk through the grocery store without feeling tired. Being thin isn’t what it is about, it is about being a healthier me and being able to live a longer, happier life with less pain. (Being able to shop at a regular store instead of online or at a size that sells “extra plus sized” clothes will also be nice.)
My Facebook page has been a big help in keeping me motivated. If I’m feeling down, I have hundreds of like-minded people there to help lift me up. If I slip up, they remind me it is okay. If I’m confused about something, I have people that can help me figure it out. More than once they have been the difference between me giving up and me continuing the fight.
I also LOVE the show “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.” If you ever feel like you can’t do it because it is too hard or life is getting in the way, watch even one episode of that show. (Episode 1 of season 2 is a good one if life getting in the way is your issue, but make sure you keep the tissues nearby.) The host, Chris Powell, is amazing and so full of positivity. He cares so deeply for the people on his show. The people on the show go through such amazing transformations both physically and mentally.
Everyone has their own things that motivate you. Find those things and surround yourself with them. Everywhere in my house I have something that reminds me of what I’m doing and why from charts about healthy eating to quotes that keep me feeling good.
3. Goals and Planning: Are you setting goals for yourself? Please share with us where you are at with your own goal setting and any tips that you might have for this planning process.
Goals and planning aren’t really my strong suite. My main goal is to lose 200 pounds. That will leave me at a healthy weight. It is a long journey but I would like to be there within two and a half years. Ya, that is a long time. I spent a lifetime gaining the weight, it is going to take time to change. I’m also all about slow weight loss. Losing slower cuts down on loose skin and gives you more time to develop lean muscle under the fat.
I do set weekly and monthly goals. These are things like doing my weights workout 3 times a week and going on a 1-2 mile walk 6 days a week or making sure I drink enough water each day. Start small and work your way up.
4. Eating for Weight Loss: Are you following a specific diet or food plan? Any tips for how you deal with challenges in this area?
I’ve read a few books about eating for weight loss but generally I don’t follow a plan. I focus on healthy eating and portion control.
I aim to eat between 1500 and 1800 calories a day. I split that up into three meals and two snacks. Breakfast is always within a half hour of waking up and I eat every three hours. This keeps your metabolism up. (You need to be sure not to eat too little as well. It can be just as bad as eating too much.)
I start every morning with a protein shake and some whole grain toast. The shake has high protein and fiber and a small amount of carbs. When it comes to breakfast you want high protein and fiber because it keeps you fuller longer. The side of whole wheat toast gives me some high quality carbs to keep my body full of energy.
The rest of the day I focus on healthy meals. I don’t go low-carb but I do watch my calories and try to only eat high quality carbs such as whole grains.
Of course I also get my treats! I’m known to have 3-4 weight watchers ice cream bars a week. At 100 calories a bar they make for a very tasty afternoon snack on a hot day!
The biggest thing is moderation. Too much of anything is bad! (Besides lettuce and other leafy greens of course.)
The biggest tip I can give you is to eat more vegetables! Try new vegetables as well. Make at least half of every meal vegetables. They fill you up and are generally low calorie on their own. They are also full of great nutrients!
5. Exercise for Weight Loss: Do you have an exercise plan currently? Please share your own exercise plan and any tips that you think could be useful for others.
Exercise has been a struggle. It is about finding what works for you. I’m going to tell you what works for me.
6 days a week I walk at least one mile. Sometimes I do this outside, but normally I do a Leslie Sansone
3 days a week I do weights. I have some simple dumbbells. I have one three pound set and one five pound set. I do a 10 minute arm workout by FitSugar TV. You can find it on YouTube by searching “10 minute tank top arms.” I also do a leg workout by FitSugar that takes 10 minutes.
I do Pilates two days a week and yoga two days a week as well. I do some basic videos but I’m not too great at them yet. That is something I’m still working on.
Now, this may seem like a lot, but you don’t have to take on this much working out at once! Eventually you do want to have some kind of cardio, some kind of resistance training, and some kind of flexibility workout going on throughout the week.
6. Getting Back on Track (after a gain or just starting out): What words of advice do you have for others who may be struggling to forgive past attempts at weight loss or for those who are just trying to get started? Is there anything else you would like to share?
The biggest thing is that you are stronger than you think! Your body is going to fight you and it is going to be hard. Your body doesn’t like change! You are going to have to learn the difference between “hungry” and “not full.” You are going to have to learn the difference between “good” workout pain and “bad” workout pain.
If you are still sitting on the edge, not sure if you are ready to get started, check out the “How to Lose 100 Pounds” books on Amazon. Even if you don’t have a 100 pounds to lose, or if you have a lot more, they will help you motivate yourself and plan how to start your own journey.
Your journey, diet, and workout plan will be very different than mine. It is a personal thing and those books do an amazing job of helping you figure out what will work for you.
Don’t be afraid to head over to my Facebook page or the How to Lose 100 Pounds Facebook page. There is a huge community of people making their way through their own journey and they are happy to help!
Here is another place where you can read some of my articles about weight loss and fitness.
Amanda
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A note from Paula…
A BIG thank you to Amanda for taking the time to share her journey with us all AND I hope that this will help to inspire you as you set off on your own journey to get healthy and fit.
My hope is that you would comment below with words of encouragement for Amanda and also share a bit of your own “story” with us all.
Much love,
~ Paula
P.S. Please join us at the Facebook page – I’d love to “meet” you! 🙂
