Losing 45 pounds

(Written by Marissa)

At church on Sunday one of my friends asked me if I had lost weight since last time she saw me. I've actually been maintaining for the past long while, but I thought you all would enjoy a post on my journey getting there. :)

This post is about how I lost 45 pounds. It all starts a few years ago when I started running into a strange problem. Men had stopped asking me out! I remember wondering why a guy I was spending time with wasn’t more interested in me. I mean, I was super cute, smart, fun, kind, and everything a guy could possibly want, right?

Then I stepped on the scale and realized I may have discovered part of the problem… Maybe I was getting friend-zoned because of my weight. That summer I changed.

I gained most of my weight gradually, about 10 lbs per year throughout college until it was a problem.

For the first 30 pounds, I did what most people in my situation have to do: exercise and watching what I ate. Having just started a full-time job that summer, everyday after work I ran a 4-mile loop. Running was really tough. Anyone’s who’s tried running knows that getting into shape is tough, but it’s just something you have to do.

In addition to running everyday, I started eating meals instead of just snacking on whatever all day. For me, the key was thinking of a few healthy meals and then just cycling through those. Breakfast was normally a protein shake and lunch normally involved tuna fish with crackers. I can’t remember what I ate for dinner, but it was pretty simple. I knew that the only way I’d stay true to my changed lifestyle was if it were easy and felt manageable. I also made sure to drink plenty of water.

I stuck with exercise and healthier meals that entire summer and by mid-fall I had lost about 30 lbs. I can’t say exactly how much I lost though, because I didn’t even own my own scale.

One week, my roommates decided we should go take fun pictures of ourselves. It was a super cute trend on Facebook of which we just had to be a part of. Here’s one of the pictures. 

We’re super cute, right?

Anyway, while we were out, one of my roommates suggested we should participate in a half-marathon the following weekend. I’d always wanted to run a half marathon, but I thought, “No way could I be in shape for this!” My roommate told me that I ran that 4-mile loop every day and that running a half marathon wouldn’t be a big deal for me. The following day I decided to see just how in shape I was. I thought I would be lucky to run my little 4-mile loop twice, but I ran it three times and that night decided to sign up for the race.

The race went great, and over the next few months, having accomplished my goals, I decided to taper off running a bit (I knew I was going to get burnt out if I kept up running all the time), and by Christmas I was exercising at the gym every once in a while and just seeing how well I could maintain my weight.

Also, men started asking me out again, so I figured I must be at a decent weight.

A year later I met David and when we started dating we started cooking together. I dropped another 15 pounds over that fall semester through cooking dinner together and snacking less.

Ever since we’ve been engaged I’ve been at what I now consider my ideal weight. I of course gained a little back on the vacations David and I went on (traveling and eating out all the time is always a little tough) but when we got back home I just exercised a little and watch what I eat and am at where I want to be. David and I try to be healthy. We run a few times a week (when the weather’s good!) and when we get settled in Seattle over the next couple months we’ll probably sign up for a 5k. :)

My recommendations (I am not a doctor, but this is what worked for me):

1. If you're hungry you're doing it wrong. The trick is to be healthy and eat regularly, but not to be hungry. Sugar-based foods tend to make you hungry. Lean protein tends to fill you up and then you're not hungry later. I'm not saying to cut out sugar or to only eat lean protein, but I do think knowing these facts were helpful to me.

2. If you’re still in high school, join Cross-Country. When I first started exercising again, it was really tough, but I knew that it would get easier because I had ran Cross-Country. You can just start running or I’ve had a few friends be successful just going for long walks. The main point is to find a way of exercise that works for you.

3. Find healthier things to eat. For me, my current number 1 is a  Zone Perfect Nutrition Bars (Fudge Graham!). I’ve probably eaten at least 200 of these over the last year. I would always grab one for breakfast before heading off to class in the morning and I still love them. You can purchase them at Costco and sometimes Target and Walmart.

4. Buy a scale that shows your weight to the tenth of a pound and weigh in regularly. I bet I could have lost more that first summer if I knew this trick. There are several apps available for download that will allow you to track your weight over time (my personal favorite is Noom). When you weigh yourself regularly (like most mornings) then you feel more accountable for what you eat throughout the day.

5. It’s okay to eat a lot every once and a while. Let’s face it, sometimes it happens. About a month ago, David and I bought a package of Keebler® Coconut Dreams™ cookies. The following day, David decided he wanted one, and when he opened up the package there was just one left– the one I’d lovingly saved for him ;).

6. Get motivated! Here's a cute clip of The White Body Builder getting buff.

By the way that's totally my younger brother.

-Mr. D. and Mrs. M.