The Big Lifestyle Change!

I’ve been actively trying to lose weight since a few months after I had Lexi. I wanted to make a big lifestyle change instead of just being on a diet all the time. I started my food plan while I was still pregnant and have continued with it. My biggest problem with a diet is that I feel like I am deprived of certain foods, which in turns just makes me just pig out on them even more. I am just going to give a simple overview of what I have been doing that works for me.

After I lost the 25 pounds of weight I gained from my pregnancy I weighed in the ballpark of 180 (can’t remember the exact number anymore). I’ve lost 13 additional pounds as of September 20, 2013. I now weigh 172 pounds. So how did I do it?

Food:

Well the first thing I did was start tracking all the food I eat. I use MyFitnessPal after testing out other apps. I found this one to be the most comprehensive in terms of what they have in their food database. I’ve done this in the past when following other diets but just gave up a few months later. This time I resolved to track all the food I eat. For the most part I have followed my plan but occasionally I forget. If I do forget I just start back tracking the next day. I have also learned not to beat myself up about it but just to take the time to get back on track. Tracking my food alone helped me drop a few more pounds then I thought it would.

My food plan is really simple. I follow the 80/20 plan that I’m sure you’ve heard about before. Basically I eat really good 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time. Now I don’t always indulge 20% of the time every week or even month, but I do think it is better to eat everything in moderation then just eliminating a certain food. With this plan and tracking I can see how indulging too much can be bad, which helps just me back on track the next day.

The biggest thing we have done is to stop eating out. We still go out just not every week like we use to. I’ve noticed that if I am cooking at home the food we eat is healthier. I also make sure I am drinking enough water during the day because that can make you fell hungry even though you may be dehydrated. I found this really cool app called Waterlogged to track how much water I should be drinking in a day. 

Exercise:

The exercise part for me is really difficult. I really dislike working out so I have to really force myself to do it. For the last 6 months all I’ve done is walk. I’ve walked in the park with Lexi or around the neighborhood with my family and dog. 

I am to the point now where I need to start adding more strength training in while continuing the cardio part. I have no clue what I am going to do yet, but I have tons of ideas pinned on Pinterest. If you like what you see take the time to follow me! I know whatever other exercise I decide to partake in will be something I thoroughly enjoy so I continue with it.

How have you changed your eating and exercise habits? Share in the comments so everyone can be inspired!