How I lost 35 pounds

Before I became a dietitian, I read plenty of wrong information. I worked as a personal trainer and took advice from fellow employees. I ended up being a calorie counting junkie. At the time I also worked at an office job and remember spending half of my time sitting in my cubicle keeping track of every calorie I put into my mouth. It even got so bad I was including each tic-tac I would eat to the calorie daily total. I’d even take my Atkins bar and split it into 4 pieces to savor throughout the day and obsess about the next piece I’d be eating.

My normal weight was always 140 pounds through high school and college. After getting hungry by not going over my calorie intake number (which I can’t remember, I think it was around 1150) I’d go crazy craving sweets. I thought if I bought a cake and just tasted it, but spit it out, that would be OK. I guess eating half a cake without swallowing is probably like eating one piece.

I’d feel guilty for going over a caloric intake that I would not now how to document, so then I would eat whatever I want for the rest of the day. I remember not weighing myself for a while and then when I finally checked it, it was 155 pounds. Uggh! Here I was training people and giving them advice on food. When I finally relaxed and didn’t count food or eat exactly every 4 hours, the weight flew off. I used to crave sweets and now just want them once in a while. It’s helped that I’ve mentally convinced myself I know I could have sweets if I wanted too. Now I eat whatever I want, but just stop when I feel like it. I never stuff myself. I just eat enough to satisfy and nourish myself. It’s been 5 years and I have stayed at 121 pounds.

Here are some helpful tips to avoid yo-yo dieting and make lifestyle changes.

1. Don’t count calories: This will start to cause obsessive behavior and could lead to an eating disorder.


2. Don’t be a clock watcher: Don’t insist on eating every 3 hours or 6 times a day.Eat when you want, until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Your body is the best monitor and will tell you. Cavemen with the leanest bodies probably ever seen, didn’t have watches, they must have gone by feeling. So don’t stop eating if you are still hungry, just until you are content until the next meal.


3. Make the time for cardio: If you have 10 minutes of free time 3 times a day, you have time for cardio. Brisk walking in 10 minute blocks throughout the day is the same as a brisk 30 minute walk one time a day. It still requires the same amount of calories to burn.


4. Eat after 6pm: My fiancé gets home form work at 7:30 so by the time we eat it is around 8:30-9:00.So we need to eat late as a lifestyle.Even though I eat later than I ever have before, I’m also at the lightest weight I ever have been. I eat late but then I don’t eat breakfast until 10 or 11.So if you eat late, just eat a later breakfast. Remember; Weight is based on calories in vs. calories out.You will gain weight if you eat to many total calories repeatedly day by day. Your body doesn’t care about eating at 6 or 9. It just knows if it can’t process too many calories, it will store it and lead to weight gain.


5. Listen to your body: Instead of counting calories or worrying about overeating, see how your body feels. You know when you are eating too much if you are stuffing yourself. Even my dog can monitor his weight by not overeating. He has a bowl of food available to him all day and he just eats when he’s hungry. I don’t count how many cups he takes and I’m sure if he could talk he would say, “Ruf ruf… I have no idea how many calories I eat, I just eat when I need too.” He looks great and is at a perfect weight.