From a 24 to a 14

For all the posts I've made regarding recipes, cook books, cooking, whatever, here is a post in the other direction.

I'm not going to post my weight, but I will say it is oodles higher than it should be. I've lost a lot, as I started about four years ago at a size 24 and now I'm in an 18, but I still have plenty more to lose. My goal is a 14, maybe a size or two smaller. Depends on my size and weight and how I feel when I get there. I've always felt healthiest around 155, a number I haven't seen in SEVEN years, and with the changes my body has taken during that time (pregnancy, etc) I may feel healthier at a different, perhaps lower, number. If there's one thing I have found to be true, it's what every mom tried to tell me while I was pregnant: The body you have after your baby is born is very different from the body you had before you got pregnant. They weren't talking about weight either. My metabolism, shape, complexion, everything has been different since my daughter was born, but I do have to say a whole lot of it has definitely been for the better!

But anyway, back to my point before I digress to the point of hopelessness. So I've been trying to lose weight, and so far I'm about halfway to my goal. The only problem is, it's been one diet after another, and I only lose about 15 pounds, then plateau for about four months before I can get another ounce to budge. Well, a lovely friend of mine has introduced me to her diet plan, which to me sounds more like common sense than anything. She's doing a program called "Slimming World". This is a program that is more or less in the UK, and I'm in the States, but I'm so glad she hooked me up with some good links so I could get some basic info on it! Basically, foods with high fat and calorie contents are called "syns" and you can have ever how many a day, each food as a certain number. Fruits, veggies, and most lean meats are freebies, I guess you can have as much as you want. Like I said, sounds like common sense to me. Most health teachers have been preaching these same rules for years, just not calling fatty foods syns. I guess it's kinda like counting points since the fatty and high calorie foods have syns, only this looks a lot easier to me.

So I'm giving it a shot, and so far I've lost three pounds in a week, and I have to say I feel a lot better than I did when I was trying to keep it under X number of calories, swear this drink completely out of my life, that chocolate is the kiss of death, etc. Doing that just makes you want those things more. Looking at it this way just kinda seems to keep amounts and portions in check, rather than banning them completely. Maybe this will be the plan that gets me a lot closer to that pair of 14's hanging in my closet, untouched for the past seven years. Who knows? It would be nice!

Well, so far I've lost 40, with at least 40 to go. It was 50, and I backslid 10 pounds, so there we go. That happens too I guess. Wish me luck!

Ari