What I Learned About Dieting

Let me start off by saying I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist but I am a former fat girl and I'd like to share my story with you. I grew up in a loving military family. I got to live in exciting places just like many of you. My mother was a stay at home mom and baked goodies almost every single day. We had large meals and always ate dinner at the table after saying grace.

As long as I ate my breakfast, lunch, and dinner I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted...and I did. You might think that I was a heavy child but I wasn't. I was tiny, skinny if you want. I played sports and was a cheerleader (and yes cheer-leading is a sport). I went to dance class and was all around pretty active. And then I got married. And shortly after that I got pregnant and that's when the number on the scale decided to be the bane of my existence. I went from 116 lbs to 186 lbs. is two short years. I lost a little weight by not eating (which is the dumbest thing I have ever done and do not recommend it) and found myself spending my twenties (which I used to refer to as the pretty years) at approximately 176 lbs.

Then on June 8, 2006, while standing on the scale at the doctor's office I realized that I'm 176lbs. At only 5"4' this was a lot of weight on my small frame. (I never thought of myself as fat until now when I look back at old photos of myself. It's shocking to say the least). To make matters worse I ran into someone that I hadn't seen in years on that day. We exchanged pleasantries but soon I found myself talking about my weight. Making excuses for being heavy. Has that every happened to you? You find yourself making a joke at your own expense because you know all too well that the person you are talking to thinks you're grotesquely over weight? Of course this is probably not what they're thinking about at all and if it is you shouldn't be talking to them.

I went home, humiliated, and started on my weight loss plans. I didn't wait till the next morning. I started right then and there on June 8^th, 2006. I took a piece of paper and wrote down all that I had eaten that day. I was amazed when it totaled up to almost 5000 calories. So I decided to cut my calories back to a medically approved amount (1400) and I walked and walked and walked. I started at 1 mile a day and was soon walking 5 ( although I did break it up into morning and evening sessions). The first month I lost an even 20 lbs. Things started to slow down after that, as they tend to do, but I did hit my goal weight of 125 lbs by November 2^nd, 2006.

What I learned in those four short months is that it's not the diet itself that works, it's what the diet teaches you (at least a good diet should) and that is healthy eating habits. And for all those out there who are looking for the secret to weight loss, I'm here to tell you that there is one. You won't like it but here it goes: the secret to weight loss is eat less and exercise more. Oh yeah, and drink a lot of water! That's it. That's the secret. I know it is a cliche but it true...tried and tested.