Weight Loss, Eating Habits, and How I Finally Got Results ... Part One

Here's something that I never thought I'd blog about - weight loss. First off, let me admit that when I see influencers on Instagram posting themselves working out, eating healthy, and about how much weight they've lost, I don't feel inspired. At all. Call it jealousy. Call it whatever. It is what it is. I don't enjoy watching other people tell me that if I eat salads, give up pasta, and do these workout videos every day that I'll be thin.

You know why? Because I tried. It didn't work. And I felt even worse afterwards because of my own presumed failure. All this to say, this isn't a post where I'm going to tell you that if only you can give up your morning Dr. Pepper and get up at 5:00am to work out, then you can lose weight.

I'm fully aware that every body is created differently, so no two people will have the same results. So what's happening to me, might not work for you ... but it might WORK! After years of battling with body dysmorphia and failed attempts at diet and exercise, I can say that I'm FINALLY losing weight, so I wanted to share.

And the best part? I haven't given up ANY foods that I love. And, to be honest, I'm not really exercising as much as I should be.

My Weight Gain

First off, if you haven't seen me since college or high school, you'd probably be shocked to know that as of August 2022, I was exactly 97lbs heavier than I was at 18. That's a significant amount, but I was also a significantly skinny kid. I hated wearing jeans, because they weren't flattering to my body. And I remember buying a XS swimsuit at Old Navy when I was 19, and not being able wear it because the bottoms were too loose. My eating habits were awful in college, but I was very active, so I only had the typical weight gain and it was mostly muscle gain. (+20lbs)

After having my first baby at 25, my body bounced back fairly quickly even with the weight gain (though at the time, I believed it was flabby ... what I wouldn't give to get that body back). I look back at pictures of my son's first birthday and long for that "flabby" body. (+25lbs)

Fast forward five more years to 2018. Unbeknownst to me, I had contracted a severe bacterial infection that permeated it's way into my bloodstream. In the course of 4 months, I had gained a significant amount of weight without changing anything about my (terrible) eating habits, BUT I was exercising EVERY day. In addition, we bought our first house (ope, more stress!) AND I was pregnant. I chalked up the weight gain to the pregnancy and chaos, but my doctor was very concerned about my health and put me on an antibiotic immediately. (+28lbs)

Two weeks later, I lost our baby boy, Easton John, due to the severity of the infection. I carried that grief around daily, and it manifested itself into more weight gain and zero weight loss. (+4lbs)

Ten months later, I was back at the doctor with another infection - and another pregnancy.

Thankfully, it wasn't as severe as the first time around, but my pregnancy was terribly stressful (my anxiety was through the roof daily and I couldn't sleep or function because I was so sick all the time). (+5lbs)

Three months after her birth, we walked through covid shutdowns, homeschooling, layoffs, my baby not eating or sleeping at daycare, and me quitting my job to stay home with her and homeschool my son. (+15lbs)

So here I was. Unhappy. Overweight. Stressed out. And still believing in my mind that I was the same weight I was in college, but getting depressed when I'd see pictures of myself (or my pants wouldn't fit) and the reality of the weight I was carrying.

I tried exercise programs, going to the gym every morning, nutrition programs ... and failed it all. I HATED getting up early. I HATED giving up pasta, bread, and sweets. I HATED doing all this for months and not seeing more that a 2-5lbs change. My clothes still didn't fit. The scale wasn't moving.

So, I threw a Hail Mary.

PHASE ONE: GETTING AN ASSIST

In the spring of 2023, I was ready to just accept that this was the way I was going to look for the rest of my life. I wasn't going to give up Dr. Pepper or going out for ice cream. I wasn't going to give up an hour of sleep to work out. And I came to terms that I just literally had zero self control around food.

But, a girl I was following on Instagram posted this "miracle tea" and I was influenced based on all the results photos she was sharing. I bought it. I thought, why not? It couldn't make things worse, right?

As I walked into "busy" (I mean, baseball) season with my new morning drink in hand, I noticed two things:

1. I was drinking less soda during the day because I wasn't craving it as much.

2. I was actually losing weight even though I was living off of stress and concession stand & fast food.

I lost 5lbs (and kept it off) while eating like garbage and not exercising. It was a start.

You can use code: GRETA for up to 25% off your order.

(I want to mention here that it worked for me WITH consistency. Every morning - no exceptions. I have my order on subscription so I never miss a beat. But it tastes AMAZING so it was not a struggle for me at all to stay consistent!)

PHASE TWO: BRINGING IN REINFORCEMENTS

Knowing that overeating and not eating with portion control was actually working against me, I decided to join WW. (Gosh, it's honestly a little embarrassing still to admit it and I don't know why. I guess, I'm still living in the shame of my weight.) Because it was only $10/month, I figured it was worth a try.

I really like this app. It helps me to recognize when I'm overindulging WITHOUT restricting what I'm eating. I've noticed that I'm snacking less and making better choices (without being pressured to). I've been using this app for about 6 weeks now, but it did take me a few weeks to get used to it and use it consistently - like every new habit, it took a little time to establish. Plus, there's fun incentives for losing weight!

PHASE THREE: WHAT'S NEXT?

Alright, so here's what is next for me. I really do want to exercise. I just really don't have the time or motivation. I've been taking walks when the weather is decent. I can squeeze 30 minutes of my life for it. So, I plan to start back on an exercise regime next week. 30 minutes a day. 4 days a week. I've been using an app this year that I really enjoy. No videos. No peppy fitness models. No pressure. It just guides you through daily weight and strengthening exercises. I use this alongside walking (until Wisconsin winters take over and that's not an option anymore). The app is called "Movement with Julie" (not a paid advertisement ... I just really love it!)

The real question on everyone's mind is ... let's see the results.

So here they are:

5 MONTHS WITH TRIMFIT + 6 WEEKS WITH WW = DOWN 13LBS.

While the scale took a little time to catch up, I'm definitely moving in the right direction. It's why I'm recommending these programs and products to you. I hope to have some amazing before and after photos in my next update!

Shop TrimFit Purple Tea Supplement (Use Code: GRETA for 15-25% off your order)

Explore Weight Watchers Here

Follow Movement with Julie

Stay tuned for part two ....

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