Are you kidding me?
Come on, America ...
What are we thinking?
On the same news page, there was an inspirational story about a busy mom who dropped 103 pounds after topping 200 pounds. She used a simple formula: Diet and exercise.
Her story could be my story.
At my first doctor's appointment after learning I was pregnant for Master Em, aka Little Man, I weighed in at a whopping 200 pounds. I'm a short gal. Every pound showed. I knew what I was facing in the future, but it became painfully clear when gestational diabetes hit. Pricking my fingers four times a day, living off chicken and apples and recording numbers constantly was NOT how I wanted to live.
Change needed to happen fast.
My wake-up call was ringing, and I planned to answer.
Here's the deal. When you're overweight, pregnancy tends to be a blessing. You see, I've learned that when I was skinny and got pregnant, I gained a lot of weight. When I was fat and got pregnant, I lost weight. Figuring that in the equation, and I knew when Master Em was born, I'd have my diet jumpstart if I was willing to take it.
He arrived happy and healthy, and I was down a whopping 30 pounds almost immediately.
Could I keep it up?
Not without exercise. Three weeks after he was born, I headed to the track. I started walking and running, and I kept going. The weight was slowly coming off, but my diet needed a boost, so I cut calories. Big time. I went from over 2,000 calories a day down to 1,000 to 1,200.
It worked. The weight started falling off.
Who knew the secret to weight-loss would be diet and exercise? No miracle or secret to it. No belly band needed, or firming belt required. It's not easy, but 70 pounds later, I'm wearing sizes I would've never dreamed of wearing, and I'm maintaining.
But I can't eat triple burgers loaded with calories and fat. I don't even want to. I figure an ex-fatty looking at something like that is akin to an ex-smoker seeing a person smoke -- it disgusts you. I pass on Chinese buffets, and pick a salad most days when I eat out with my family. I choose my restaurants according to menu items, opting for a place with grilled chicken options over their calorie-loaded counterparts. Mexican was once a weekly, if not twice weekly treat. I can honestly say I haven't eaten Mexican in months. It's the same with alcohol. Loaded with calories, I skip beers and mixed drinks are a rare treat. I even know which restaurants have medium-sized drinks that are more like gallon jugs and which ones have "normal-sized" drinks.
It's a lifestyle change for sure, but I think it's time for Americans to step away from the plate. Portion control is a major factor, and I'm proof you don't have to live off of egg whites and wheat toast to lose weight.
I don't believe the government should be stepping in to control things like school lunches, yet I wonder when the food industry is going to get the hint. When will we give up buffets, super-sized calorie-laden soft drinks and quadruple burgers with cheese and bacon? When is enough going to be enough?
