Yep, I lied. I promised I wouldn’t be like everybody else and put on all that “happy weight” (lazy weight cuz I got a boo) after I got married, but Rachel has been chillin’ hard and put on thirty pounds to be exact. Now, I could give you all my excuses for my weight gain such as conflicting work schedules with the hubby, the side effects of birth control, budget and time restrictions, but I won’t bother. While they are valid, I’m also woman enough to admit that I could have tried harder to stay active and eat better. Being as though I am naturally not a slim woman, and have worked hard over the last two years to get to a weight that I am comfortable with, I am extremely annoyed that I now will have to fight like hell just to get back to that place.  Nonetheless, I’ve done it before and I can do it again.

In my previous posting, I mentioned I decided to let go of wearing a wig that I was using to hide my natural hair under.  This has inspired me to get rid of other things that are preventing me from being as much of the best version of myself that I possibly can, which includes losing some of those unwanted pounds. Over the last two and half weeks I have lost eight pounds, couple that with wearing my hair natural, and I am the freest I have ever felt. I am truly a happier person at a healthier weight, especially with no potential threat of a hater snatching a wig off my head.

Spring is a good time to commit to losing  weight, because you don’t have time to procrastinate like you can in the winter, and if you haven’t done anything in the winter, you still have plenty of time in the mid to late summer months to wear some really cute clothes. If you are in the middle of wedding planning or have been married for quite some time, it always seems that we can best handle the challenges that life throws at us when we are feeling great about ourselves. Let me be clear that a choice to get healthier and slim down is not to meet society’s expectations of what your best self is, but to meet your own.

No matter what you decide to use to help you lose those unwanted pounds, weight loss typically has always been as simple as decreasing calories and increasing exercise. To jump start my weight loss challenge I use Slim Fast for the first month. This is my training wheel diet. I love that it gives me a calorie restriction of 1200 before I am able to do it on my own. Call me crazy, but I also love that I get tired of their products and have to think outside the box with what other things I can eat in place of their food, but within the calories for that meal. This is helping me build the discipline I need to eat the foods I should the next month when I won’t be using Slim Fast. And most importantly, I love that with it I can still eat dinner with my hubby, unlike most diets that are a lot more limiting.

I encourage you to find a plan that works best for your lifestyle and your preferences. But until then to get a head start on your weight loss for the summer, try implementing the following:

• First, start to exercise. If possible, begin to walk for an hour on your lunch break. It is often hard to get up early or feel like exercising in the evening. Walking ensures that even if you don’t do an additional work out that day, you still would have burned some calories.  Also, remember to use the exercise equipment and videos that you have. Most people wait until they can buy the latest fad to start moving, instead use what you have to begin your exercise routine.

 

•   Secondly, make a daily calorie budget and commit to it. Embrace the challenge by making weight loss fun. Take some time and google items that you would enjoy eating that still allow you to stay within your calories for the day.

 

•  Thirdly, weigh yourself only twice a week so you can keep track of your progress. It only makes sense to avoid the scale if you just want to lose a few inches, and don’t have a weight loss goal. Weighing yourself will tell you if you need to make changes to your work out or diet. It is best to weigh yourself in the morning after you have gone to the bathroom and with no clothes on.

 

•  Lastly, even though it’s easier to buy the kinds of food that everyone likes, you still have to buy those unpopular fruits and vegetables.  If you only have unhealthy food around, that is what you will eat because you have no choice.

I hope I have helped you in your challenge to meet your weight loss goals.

Remember…..Stay a Busy Bee and share with a Bride to Be.

 

Rachel Bryant Lundy