Diet, not exercise, made me shed 20 lbs
THE crushing defeat that I felt stepping on the scale after two weeks of walking and biking around my neighbourhood every single day, and seeing one single pound of weight loss lasted a whole week. I was seriously depressed; after all I’d been getting up at 4:00 am, sending my kids off to school on the bus at 5:30 am and then hitting the road right after that, consistently, so to see this result was draining. What was I doing wrong?
I’d imagined that if I got into shape I’d lose some of the weight and get toned. But what I never imagined was that apart from my legs looking more taut, all my work seemed to be in vain. It was then that my neighbour, a trainer, put me on to the secret — it was diet, and not so much exercise, that would make me shed the pounds.
And so I decided to share my story, of how adjusting my diet over the next three weeks, and continuing into today, has led to me shedding 20 pounds and counting!
How I started
I started at 157 pounds at 5ft 5, with a bloated tummy, double chin, cellulite on my flabby thighs, and jiggly upper arms. I looked 10 years older than my 35 years. My goal weight is 130 pounds. My current weight is 137.
Diet changes
I went the drastic route — eliminating breakfast and lunch totally, and replacing these meals with juices and shakes. Breakfast would be either coffee only, or coffee, then a banana, oatmeal and peanut butter shake. Lunch most days was a fruit and/or vegetable smoothie, made from fresh ingredients and no added sugar. Dinner would be a full meal — rice or mashed potatoes or ground provisions with a protein and vegetables, washed down with tap water or sparkling water, no soda. There would be absolutely no cheat days. The plan was to see drastic changes in two weeks.
Immediate changes
By day two I was experiencing dizziness and light-headedness, ironically following the evening meal. I didn’t feel ill or hungry at all during the daytime, only at night. I read that this was caused from low blood sugar from the missed meals, and so I snacked on raisins or other dried fruit. By the third day all these feelings had passed.
By day three, when I did my early morning weigh-in, I was already down two pounds. I figured this was water weight, though, and didn’t get too excited.
Long-term
By the end of the first week I no longer had any desire to snack or to eat sweet or fatty foods; my only problem was finding variety for my shakes. I was drinking a lot of cucumber/beetroot/carrot shakes, and longed for other fruits to try. I also found that in the initial days I would tend to overeat at dinnertime, but by the fifth day, there were no longer any cravings.
What next?
When I achieve my goal weight, I may start having a light lunch again, although right now I have no desire to. I think my lifestyle has been adjusted, and I no longer long for certain things like the heavy starches served for lunch in Jamaican meals.
Exercise?
I do plan to restart my exercises in a few weeks, so that I can work out the kinks in my bones, and become less lethargic. It’s also important for toning, and just general peace of mind.
Gabrielle Small, mom of two, is a senior lecturer and lifestyle blogger.
HOW’S YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY GOING?
Have you managed to transform your body through weight gain or weight loss? Want to share your story with us? E-mail allwoman @jamaicaobserver.com
