Losing Weight the Old-Fashioned Way

I was never skinny. I got "curves" before any of my friends did in the ninth grade. I wasn't blessed with a supersonic metabolism or an uber-fetish for exercise. I wasn't by any means obese in high school. But I was a chunky girl.

I participated in sports, like cheerleading and volleyball. I liked to swim and body-surf in the ocean. I wasn't a total couch potato. But my eating habits were awful. Like many teenagers, I lived off fast food -- McDonald's for breakfast (usually while skipping first period), slices of pizza and Little Debbie snack cakes for lunch in the cafeteria, and the occasional "healthy" meal cooked at home (by mom) for dinner.

And, oh, the snacks. I snacked after school on potato chips, microwaved French fries, chocolate chip cookies. After cheerleading practice, my best friend and I would frequently go to Krystal's for chili cheese fries or Dairy Queen for a Blizzard.

So regardless of any exercise I got, I started to pack on the pounds.

I had knee surgery my junior year of high school to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Rehab wasn't fun, and the injury/surgery gave me yet another excuse not to exercise. And that knee injury ended the exercise I got as a cheerleader.

Even though I gained a good 20 to 30 pounds over my four years of high school and into community college, I still wasn't obese. My weight hovered around a relatively healthy, but definitely not "in shape" 165.

And then I moved away to attend the University of Florida. Even though I'd always dreamt of going to school at UF, I wasn't prepared for the rigor of my academics or the severe homesickness I experienced my first semester. I rarely left my apartment, I ate fast food at least twice a day, and the actual food I kept in my apartment was full of sugar and carbs. In less than six months, I hit my heaviest weight ever: I was 5'7'' and 250 lbs.

I had watched my clothing sizes creep from a respectable size 10/12 all the way to a whopping size 24. I joked with my mother to cover my embarrassment: "I have to shop at the 'big ladies' stores' now."

I had no energy. My knees (even my good one) hurt all the time. I had shortness of breath from simple walks to the mailbox. I never accepted invitations to anything, especially any event requiring a swimsuit. My doctor gently suggested that losing some weight would definitely be a good idea, not only for my surgically repaired knee, but for my health overall.

I don't remember exactly what struck a chord with me, but like a flash of lightning, I realized I could not keep living this way. My father had a quadruple bypass close to this time, and I was concerned about my own health.

I remember seeing a photograph of myself that appalled me. I didn't have a double chin -- I had eight chins! I was uncomfortable wearing anything without an elastic waist band.

So , in fall 2002, one afternoon after classes, I decided to take my dog for a walk. I grabbed an MP3 player and hit the sidewalk. My typical walk then was probably no more than a mile, but my knees and back ached when I got back. It took me almost half an hour. I sweat profusely. But that night I slept better.

I continued my walking, taking my dog Bailey almost every day of the week. It started to get easier, and even though I got shin splints that were excruciatingly painful, they started to improve. I would apply ice packs to my shins when I got home from walking.

Once I started walking, I thought I should start improving my diet as well. The first thing I did was cut soda completely from my diet. No more carbonated drinks, not even diet. I began buying bottled water, Propel fitness water and Arizona iced tea.

For breakfast, I would have a bowl of raisin bran or a Nutrigrain bar with a glass of OJ. The key here was to have only one cup of juice. I used to make the mistake of pouring a huge glass of juice, which could contain several hundred calories!

For lunch, I made myself a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato and some Dijon mustard. I would pack a handful of pretzels or a microwaveable cup of a low-fat soup. I would also allow myself two low-calorie cookies.

For dinner, I would cook chicken breasts or fish fillets and eat them with salad. I bought low-calorie/low-fat dressing and loaded the salad with tons of veggies like carrots, tomatoes, celery and cucumber. I also learned about low-fat/low-calorie ice cream sandwiches.

My original goal became to feel healthier. I wanted to be able to jog a mile without stopping and under 14 minutes, which I had never been able to do, even when I was younger. I also wanted to keep my cholesterol low, as my family has a history of high cholesterol.

The wonderful side effect of my new healthier lifestyle was that the pounds began to melt away. I lost 50 pounds, down to 200, in less than six months. My primary doctor was amazed. I had dropped from a size 24 to a size 18. I felt better, and my self confidence improved dramatically. I started to get more involved in school activities, which in turn led to me being even more active.

By the time I graduated college in December 2003, I was down to 190 pounds and a size 16/18. When I moved back to my hometown, I decided to join a gym. While I easily maintained my weight loss, I found it was more difficult to lose any more weight. Eventually I signed up with a personal trainer, who showed me tons of weight-training exercise.

The key, he told me, was to build more lean muscle so that my metabolism would increase. With more muscle mass, you will burn more calories even while sitting still on the couch.

In July 2005, I began my weight training routines. Sometimes I found the weight training to be more strenuous than aerobic activity like jogging or biking. But it paid off. I noticed my clothes started fitting looser, and my body looked leaner and more toned. By the end of the year, I was down another 15 pounds to 175 and a very respectable size 14.

Today, I am hovering around 165 pounds, which is not my target weight, but it's considered "healthy" by medical professionals for my height. I still work out, and I still attempt to eat healthy foods. But I don't punish myself if I choose to have a fattening meal or sweet treat once in awhile.

Using the methods I used, it is still possible to have a cheeseburger once in awhile or have ice cream on a hot day. The key is to only do it in moderation, and to always keep up an exercise regimen. (Obviously, you should work with your doctor or other trained professional before starting any exercise or diet program.)

I am happy to report, however, that I have lost nearly 100 pounds, and kept it off for several years, without the use of diet drugs, fad diets or life-threatening surgery. It is possible. I just requires discipline and a desire to be a healthier person.