Weight-loss basics

Your weight is a balancing act, and calories are part of that equation. Fad diets may promise you that counting carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit will make the pounds drop off. But when it comes to weight loss, it's calories that count. Weight loss comes down to burning more calories that you take in. You can do that by reducing extra calories from food and beverages and increasing calories burned through physical activity.

Once you understand that equation, you're ready to set your weight-loss goals and make a plan for reaching them. Remember, you don't have to do it alone. Talk to your doctor, family and friends for support. Also, plan smart: Anticipate how you'll handle situations that challenge your resolve and the inevitable minor setbacks.

If you have serious health problems because of your weight, your doctor may suggest weight-loss surgery or medications for you. In this case, you and your doctor will need to thoroughly discuss the potential benefits and the possible risks.

But don't forget the bottom line: The key to successful weight loss is a commitment to making permanent changes in your diet and exercise habits.

21-Day Tummy Diet Success Stories

Our testers collectively lost 90 pounds and 29 belly inches in just three weeks on the 21-Day Tummy plan, and improved their digestion too! Read their diet success stories here.

Because I did it myself and I lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks. More important: I feel 100 percent healthy. My symptoms disappeared almost immediately and I haven’t seen them since! Now that I know what my particular problem foods are, I can avoid them. That way, I remain lean, healthy, and happy: My digestion problems are a thing of the past, and so is that extra pooch.

To round out the experience, I recruited 11 colleagues, friends, and readers to try the diet with me. The grand tally of our weight loss in 3 weeks: 90 pounds! Our testers shed 29 inches collectively from their waists (that’s a lot of belly fat), and every one of them reported improved digestion.

I’m amazed at how great eating this way makes me feel. I’m sleeping like a baby, I’m bounding with energy, my skin has taken on a glow, and I swear my hair is growing faster (is that possible?). But the best part? My digestion is regular, and I don’t feel crampy and bloated anymore. I’ve always eaten healthfully, but this specific combination of high magnesium, low-sugar, high-fiber, and carb-light foods works for my system in a way I’ve never felt before. God willing, I’ve found my solution.

The #1 Fat Loss Tip

Since this is the first Burn the Fat Blog post of the year, I sat down today with the intention of writing a list of the top 10 fat loss tips for the year, based on everything that we’ve learned from experience and new research from the past few years. But as I started writing about tip number one, it dawned on me that this one point was so important that it deserved to be highlighted in a post of its own. (I’ll come back to the rest of the tips later). This is the one absolute requirement for weight loss, and it’s something you’ve heard of before. However, there’s one critical distinction about this familiar advice that you might not have considered – and this 1 thing makes all the difference in the world…

Let me quote Melvin Williams, PhD, professor emeritus of exercise science at Old Dominion University and author of the textbook Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport (McGraw Hill)

“Human energy systems are governed by the same laws of physics that rule all energy transformations. No substantial evidence is available to disprove the caloric theory. It is still the physical basis for bodyweight control.”

There are a variety of diet programs and weight loss “gurus” who claim that calories don’t count. They insist that if you eat certain foods or avoid certain foods, that’s all you have to do to lose weight. Dozens, maybe hundreds of such diets exist, with certain “magic foods” put up on a pedestal or certain “evil fat storing” foods banished into the forbidden zone.

Other weight loss “experts” invoke the insulin/carbohydrate hypothesis which claims that carbs drive insulin which drives body fat. That’s akin to saying “Carbs are the reason for the obesity crisis today, not excess calories.”

They are all mistaken.

Of course, there IS more to nutrition than calories. Food quality and nutrition content matters for good health. In addition, your food choices can affect how many calories you eat (some foods are more energy-dense, more palatable and less filling).

We could even point the finger at an excess of refined starches and grains, sugar and soft drinks (carbs!) as major contributing factors to the surplus calories that lead to obesity.

However, that brings us back to excess calories as the pivotal point in the chain of causation, not carbs. A caloric deficit is a required condition for weight loss – even if you opt for the low carb approach – and that’s where your focus should go – on the deficit.

Now, here’s that critical distinction…

You’ve heard it said, “exercise more and eat less” a million times. However, saying “focus on the deficit” is NOT the same thing. If you don’t understand the difference, you could end up spinning your wheels for years.

You could exercise more, but if you compensate by eating more, you cancel your deficit.

You could eat less, but if you compensate by moving less, again you cancel your deficit.

This type of compensation can happen unconsciously, which leads to confusion about why you’re not losing weight or why you’re gaining. That often leads you to make excuses or blame the wrong thing… insulin, sugar, carbs…. anything but the calories.

Therefore, “focus on the deficit” more accurately states the most important key to weight loss than “exercise more and eat less.” Make sure you understand this distinction and then follow this advice.

last but not least, keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to establish a deficit and many of those ways are really dumb. Eating nothing but grapefruits, cabbage, twinkies… but in a deficit?… Dumb!

A calorie deficit is required for fat loss, but once your deficit is established, the composition of your hypo-caloric diet DOES matter. That’s why any good fat loss programstarts with calories but doesn’t stop there – you also need to look at protein, essential fats, macronutrients, micronutrients, food quality and how the plan you choose fits into your lifestyle.

Don’t let the simplicity of this idea fool you. This is the #1 key to your successful weight loss this year, and every year: Focus on the deficit

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight -- take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. Here are more than 50 easy ways for you to finally lose the weight.

1. Indulge in fat releasing foods. They should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

• Honey. Just 64 fat releasing calories in one tablespoon. Drizzle on fresh fruit.
• Eggs. Just 70 calories in one hard-boiled egg, loaded with fat releasing protein. Sprinkle with chives for an even more elegant treat.
• Part-skim ricotta cheese. Just 39 calories in one ounce of this food, packed with fat releasing calcium. Dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Dark chocolate. About 168 calories in a one-ounce square, but it’s packed with fat releasing fiber.
• Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
• MORE: 13 fat releasing foods »

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.

3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That’s nearly 90,000 calories a year — or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don’t trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips—even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.

Plus: Lose weight, ease digestion on our 21-Day Tummy diet »

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you’re eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you’re consuming 1,700 calories a day and don’t understand why you’re not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we’re suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There’s a good reason you won’t see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

15 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat

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Improve your flab-burning metabolic rate and start losing weight fast

Don't Diet

The Women's Health Diet isn't about eating less; it's about eating more—more nutrient-dense food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. That's important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that says, "I'm starving here!" And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate to hold on to existing energy stores.

What's worse, if the food shortage (meaning, your crash diet) continues, you'll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism slows further, and fat goes on to claim even more territory.

But with all this effort, shouldn't you lose fat? Shouldn't the flab be dissolving faster? If you're of a certain age, you know the flab we're talking about.

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight -- take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. Here are more than 50 easy ways for you to finally lose the weight.

If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, don’t start off by trying to overhaul all your eating and exercise habits. You’re better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis—along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: down.

1. Indulge in fat releasing foods. They should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

• Honey. Just 64 fat releasing calories in one tablespoon. Drizzle on fresh fruit.
• Eggs. Just 70 calories in one hard-boiled egg, loaded with fat releasing protein. Sprinkle with chives for an even more elegant treat.
• Part-skim ricotta cheese. Just 39 calories in one ounce of this food, packed with fat releasing calcium. Dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Dark chocolate. About 168 calories in a one-ounce square, but it’s packed with fat releasing fiber.
• Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
• MORE: 13 fat releasing foods »

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.

3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That’s nearly 90,000 calories a year — or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don’t trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips—even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.

Plus: Lose weight, ease digestion on our 21-Day Tummy diet »

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you’re eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you’re consuming 1,700 calories a day and don’t understand why you’re not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we’re suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There’s a good reason you won’t see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

Eating to Lose

Before my trainer brutally murdered my quads last night, we sat down and discussed my nutrition.

I get SO MANY questions on what I eat. What's the best way to lose weight? How many calories do I eat, etc.

Honestly, this is always changing, and I'm not a nutritionist, so it's difficult to answer these.

I've told you here a million times, DO NOT TAKE WHAT I DO HERE TO HEART.
This is a bit extreme, even for me. My nutrition is tricky. I am training for a bikini competition. Not everyone is, or WANTS to do that.

Totally fine. But to do so, I have to go to extremes here.

Okay, disclaimers out of the way.

A few weeks ago my trainer put me on a carb detox. Basically I told him that I ate ALL THE FOODS over the holidays.

 

 


 All the fudge, cookies, pastas, and junk I wanted to.

Until my little heart was content and my big belly was full.

I felt bad. I felt lethargic. I had no energy. And I felt bloated.

So he carb detoxed me. Meaning I cut out ALL CARBS out of my diet for nearly 2 weeks.

It sucked and I wanted to stab forks in my eyes. 

But when it was all over, I felt amazing. I didn't keep track of my weight during that time, because that isn't really my focus.

But I didn't feel bloated. I didn't feel tired. And I had energy. LOTS OF IT. And my pants fit again.

So I introduced carbs back in, slowly. 

I've been sticking to a pretty low-carb diet since then. I'll have my cheat meals (I had CiCi's pizza last weekend) and then get right back to it. 

RIGHT NOW, a cheat meal isn't going to make or break me. 12 weeks out of a competition? It will.

But I'm not there yet. 

So I continue to eat a pretty clean diet with a cheat here and there.
Because.. YOLO right?? (ew)

Travis and I talked about upping my calories.

Currently, (up until yesterday) I was struggling to hit 1800 calories a day. He wanted me to eat that many a day, and I was finding it hard to do so. Because 1800 calories of CLEAN, WHOLE foods feels A LOT different than 1800 calories of fast food or junk.

You are fuller longer, you are satisfied. 1800 calories of clean food is WAYYY more food than 1800 calories of Taco Bell.

Buhlee dat. I know.

Ultimately, Travis wants me to get up to 2,000 calories a day. To speed up my metabolism where I can eat that much food a day and STILL drop weight.

Sounds crazy, right??

When I started losing weight in 2009 I ate 1200 calories a day. 

I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER! And yes, I lost weight by doing that, but I also hit very long, frustrating plateaus. Because my body was holding on to that fat for dear life! I

wasn't feeding it properly. Every time I got down to around 175 lbs., and then again to around 150 lbs., my body stalled out. I stopped losing weight and had to re-think things.

EVERY TIME I upped my calories, the weight started to come off again.

It was such a simple concept, yet it still felt so wrong. 

WHAT AM I EATING??

Well, this is a tough one.

Yesterday this is exactly what I had:

BREAKFAST:

2 hard boiled eggs. 2 Jennie-O turkey sausage links

Spark/Rehydrate mixture

SNACK:

3 pieces of Proscuitto (don't judge me)

LUNCH:

grilled chicken breast 

steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots

Sriracha

SNACK:

Quest Bar Double Chocolate Chunk

Spark

DINNER:

steak (8 oz)

green beans

I also get asked about what supplements I use daily. ( Before the meals )

Here is what I use:

 

100-lb Difference

I wrote this after losing almost 100 pounds. I couldn't believe the physical changes in my body and health!  Aside from the scale, I observed the following: ( Thank you to Weight Loss Green Store Tea It helped to me too much for reach my target

1.            Sex is TOTALLY different... in a good way!

2.            I never used to be able to curl my legs up underneath me, or sit Indian-style or cross-legged. Now, I can do all of that with ease. I even sat Indian-style on my chair at the movie theater!

3.            It took me a while to figure out why I had bruises just inside of each of my knees... I discovered it was because my knees can actually TOUCH each other now! When I sleep on my side, the bones press together and that's how I got the bruises.

4.            I used to have to take breaks while blow-drying my hair, because my arms got sore from holding them up for more than a minute or two at a time. Now, I can blow-dry my whole head and never feel achy.

5.            I can paint my toenails now! I used to not be able to bend over long enough to paint them.

6.            I can take off my wedding rings now! They were stuck on my finger for more than 5 years.

7.            When I go shopping, I don't automatically look for the largest size clothes and see if there is something I like. I look for clothes I LIKE first, then I look to see if it's in my size.

8.            I don't feel horrified when I see pictures of myself. In the past, I HATED getting my picture taken, and now I kind of like it.

9.            I used to snore and have sleep apnea, and now I sleep quietly and soundly :)

10.          When I went to the doctor, they used to have to get out a larger-size blood pressure cuff to fit around my arm. Now, I can use the regular cuff just fine.

11.          I used to be hot all the time... even when everyone else was freezing. Now, I'm always cold.

12.          In group photos, I always used to stand in the back, trying to hide behind everyone. Now, I enjoy being in front.

13.          I received a gift certificate for a massage two Christmases ago. I waited almost until it expired t use it, because I was embarrassed. Finally, I went to use it, and the spa robe wouldn't fit around me. I was horrified. Now, I KNOW I could fit into the robe.

14.          When I go for walks, I love to see my shadow now--I can actually see nice curves in the right places.

15.          I used to avoid hugging people because I didn't want them to feel my fat. Now, I enjoy hugging people.

16.          I used to get winded just walking around my house. Now, I run three times a week, anywhere from 2-5 miles.

17.          I once drank corn syrup right out of the bottle because I had such a strong sweet craving and we didn't have anything sweet in the house. Now, I can eat just about anything without added sugar (or sweetener).  My sweet tooth is very sensitive now :)

18.          I used to sweat just SITTING, and it was horribly embarrassing. Now, I love that I get super sweaty on my runs (and that I don't sweat unless I'm exercising).

19.          When I hold up a pair of jeans, I think, "There is NO WAY I can fit into those! They're so small!" But then I try them on, and they FIT.

20.          When my older son Noah was learning to ride a two-wheeler, I sat in a lawn chair and my sister ran along side the bike, because I couldn't do that. When it was my younger son Eli's turn to learn, I ran up and down the street with his bike over and over again. It was ME that taught him!

21.          I asked the man working at a liquor store if he sold any other beer that was under 70 calories per bottle. He looked at me and said, "You don't need to worry about calories!"  This meant a lot to me because he didn't KNOW about my weight loss. He only talked to me for a moment and assumed I was a thin person.

22.          I used to worry about sharing a hotel room with other people, because I snored so loudly. Now, I don't snore at all and I'm more than happy to share a room.

23.          I never thought that FEET could be fat, but they, too, went down a whole size.

24.          Some girls have told me to stop losing, because I'll be TOO skinny... you know that means they only view me as competition! ;)

25.          I've developed a whole new set of taste buds... I used to hate fish, and now it's part of my regular menu. I think certain foods are "too sweet" now. I love garbanzo beans! And OATMEAL. My goodness, I could eat oats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

26.          I used to head straight for the Women's section of department stores. Now, I can shop Misses or even Juniors.

27.          I used to wake up feeling sore and achy. Now, I feel refreshed when I wake up.

28.          I used to plan my day around binges--thinking about what I would binge on later. Now, I plan my days around my runs--I make sure to get in 3 runs a week, whenever I can.

29.          I used to get embarrassed and try to hide when I would see an old friend while out and about. Now, I stop to chat with them.

30.          I never used to eat breakfast. Now, breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day (oatmeal!)

31.          When walking the half-marathon at my heaviest, I thought that everyone would look at me and say to him/herself, "Well, if SHE can do it, I certainly can!"  At the 2010 half-marathon, I was passing up people that were MUCH thinner than me.

32.          I used to worry that I was an embarrassment to my family, because they are all thin. Now, I fit right in for the family pictures and I look like I belong.

33.          I used to avoid social situations because of how fat I was and how embarrassing it was for people to see me like that. Now, I love to wear a cute outfit and spend time with friends.

I used to think my husband was a liar when he told me I was pretty. Now, I believe him

1.            I'm not embarrassed to talk about how much I love certain foods anymore, even if it's a junk food. As a fat person, I thought it would be humiliating to say "I love cookies!"  Now, I feel like it's okay to say that I love chocolate so much I would marry it if I could.

2.            When I was fat, Iused to wonder if every ache or pain in my chest was a heart attack. Now, I know that the odds are very unlikely that I'd be having a heart attack.

3.            My husband and I can lie next to each other on the couch now.

4.            When my husband and I take a shower together now, we can trade places without bumping up against the walls of the shower.

5.            My underwear doesn't look like a slipcover for an over-sized arm chair anymore. I can buy cute undies!

6.            I used to shower 2 or more times a day in the summer because I was worried that the sweating would make me smell bad. Just one shower is definitely enough now :)

7.            I used to feel invisible when at a store--nobody would really pay any attention to me. Now, as shallow as it is to say it's because of my weight, people look and smile and offer to help me.

8.            If I'm cold at a friend's house, I can ask to borrow a sweatshirt. In the past, I used to pretend I was comfortable just because I knew her shirt would never fit me.

9.            I don't have to take pictures at certain angles to get rid of my double chin... I simply don't have a double chin now!

10.          I feel worthy of saying, "I'm hungry" or "I'm starved!"  When I was fat, it would have been almost like a joke to admit to being hungry at 253 pounds.

11.          My husband can wrap his arms around me far enough to touch his elbows.

12.          I never used to drink water. Now, I drink an entire quart first thing in the morning, and I get an additional quart or two throughout the day.

13.          I've set goals that I never would have thought possible when I was 253 pounds... like run a 5k, 10k, 15k, even a half-marathon. I truly believe that I can do those now.

14.          I've come to terms with the fact that I CAN'T "be like everyone else" when it comes to eating and drinking what I want, when I want. I'll have to do my own thing for the rest of my life, but I'm actually okay with that.

15.          I've really started to recognize signs of physical hunger (the not-so-obvious-as-my-tummy-growling kind of signs)--headache, empty feeling, crabbiness, weakness.  I've learned that my stomach doesn't growl until long after I first get hungry.

16.          I truly ENJOY eating the foods I eat. I don't eat anything I don't like. In fact, I haven't eaten a single salad throughout my entire 99+ pound weight loss!

17.           I can fit my whole self into ONE LEG of jeans I wore just 10 months ago.

18.          The closer you get to your goal weight, the faster the clothes sizes drop.

19.          I've actually been hit on by men since losing the weight. That never happened when I was fat.

20.          Knitting is one of my passions, but I never wanted to make garments that I would wear--it takes a heck of a lot of yarn and a lot more time. Now that I can knit a size small or medium, knitting sweaters is definitely an option for me! And I did--I've made two sweaters so far.

21.          Numerous people have told me that I inspire them. That just blows my mind! I've never been "the success story" before.

22.          I used to have horrible insomnia, and I would toss and turn all night long. Now, I sleep soundly (provided my kids actually let me!)

23.          I've saved a LOT of money from eating at home. We used to eat out and order in very often, but now we never do. I truly enjoy home cooked food much more than restaurant food, and it's so much healthier.

24.          When I went to see the gynecologist for my annual pap smear, I asked her about a lump I felt just under my breast. She informed that it was my rib! lol

25.          I can see my knee bones now. Before, it was just a big round joint, and now it's angular.

26.          I can see the bones in my hands and feet, too.

27.          I actually FEEL feminine now. When I was 253 pounds, I felt like a sexless blob.

28.          Feeling feminine gives me the desire to style my hair, wear make-up, and wear cute clothes.

29.          Hell, I even wear cute pajamas now! No more of my husband's t-shirts.

30.          I make everything accommodate MY lifestyle now--if I'm going to a party and I don't think the food fits in with my plan, I simply don't eat it (I eat in advance). I don't let anyone make me feel guilty for doing what's best for ME.

31.          My blood pressure is now 90/60!  I've never had HIGH blood pressure, but it was about 120/80.

32.          My resting heart rate is 50... it used to be 75.

33.          I can wear cheap jewelry now--the cute necklaces, rings, and bracelets actually fit.

34.          My hands used to go completely numb sometimes, especially when I was sleeping. That hasn't happened at all since I've lost the weight.

35.          I don't feel self-conscious about what is in my grocery cart anymore... because 95% of what I buy is healthy food!

36.          I feel really good about cooking dinner for my kids, because I know they are eating healthy. I make one meal for the whole family, I don't do a "diet" meal for myself and a "regular" meal for my family.

37.          I enjoy food even MORE now--sweet foods taste sweeter, spicy foods taste spicier, creamy foods taste creamier, etc. It's like I have brand new taste buds that are super sensitive (in a good way!)

38.          I used to get excited to go to events like weddings and parties because of the food. Now, I rarely even eat at the events, and instead I enjoy spending time with people.

39.          I rarely get cravings for any particular food anymore. And if I do, it's for something completely random (like an english muffin, or a really crisp apple, or oatmeal).

40.          I used to worry about getting sweat spots under my arms, and I would have to choose a shirt that wouldn't show the spots. Now, I only sweat while exercising.

41.          I used to not be able to fit into certain chairs, or it was a very tight squeeze (chairs with arms). Now, I usually have room on either side of me to spare.

42.          I used to love wearing oversized clothes in order to hide my body. Now, I only wear fitted clothes and I get rid of all clothes that are even a little bit big.

43.          I choose what to eat based on whether it's really worth the calories. At the beginning of my journey, eating a 100 calorie pack of cookies was no big deal, because I could eat a lot more calories. Now that I can eat a much smaller amount of calories, the 100 cal pack of cookies is a HORRIBLE deal. I would never waste 100 calories on something so small and not-tasty!

44.          I successfully gave up white flour for Lent. If you had told me just a year ago that I would do that, I would have laughed in your face. I enjoy whole grains a lot now!

45.          Once in a while, I have a dream that I binge like I used to, and it makes me feel horrible. When I wake up, I'm SO RELIEVED that it was just a dream!

46.          When I buy clothes, I can only plan on wearing it a couple of times before it's too big... so I shop at thrift stores and look for clearance items.

47.          My bowels are very "regular" now... and that's all I'm going to say about that ;)

48.          I've lost 4 inches in my neck... my NECK!

49.          My BMI category went from "morbidly obese" to "obese" to "overweight"... and now less than 10 pounds from being "normal".

50.          My thighs used to get chaffed from rubbing together. Now, they barely brush together when I walk.

51.          I used to be too self-conscious to wear shorts. I would suffer all summer long in jeans. As soon as the temp went up this year, I bought about 10 pairs of shorts.

52.          I went from a 24W down to a size 8 in just 10 months.

53.          I used to look at old pictures of me when I was thinner, and wish to look like that again. Or anywhere even close to that! However, now I am THINNER than I was in those pictures! It's a very strange feeling.

54.          I walked a half marathon at 253 pounds, and one year later, at 165 pounds. It was a MILLION times easier and SO MUCH MORE FUN the latter time.

55.          My alcohol tolerance is much lower, now. I used to be able to drink a 6-pack of beer and not feel a thing. Now, my limit is 1-2 drinks before I start to feel like it's too much.

56.          You know how when you get to a certain age, and someone asks how old you are, you have to stop and think for a minute? Well, I do the same thing with my weight. A lot of times, I still start off by saying, "Two--I mean, ONE hundred fifty-three pounds". It's going to take a while to get used to it.

57.          I actually enjoy drinking my coffee black and unsweetened now.  I used to put about 1/4 cup of creamer in ONE cup of coffee! And not to even mention the amount of sugar...

58.          My treadmill is no longer a dust collector. I actually use it when I can't get outside to run.

59.          I used to "hoard" my WW points/calories for late in the day. I was always worried that if I use them now, I'll be STARVING later. Now, however, I use them when I'm hungry and in turn, I'm rarely hungry later in the day after using my calories. Also, I always used to think I had to save my "dessert" for a bedtime snack. Now, I eat my daily dessert whenever I feel like having something sweet!

60.          I've gotten more adventurous since losing the weight. Trying new things, going out more, meeting new people.

61.          When I sit down, my stomach doesn't rest on top of my thighs anymor