Slow and Steady Weight Loss Update (Fatty Friday)
I’ve always heard that slow and steady weight loss was the best way to do it because people tend to keep it off better if they lose it slowly. I’ve never experienced a slow weight loss so I wouldn’t know. In the past I have worked with Weight Watchers and this current eating change (only protein and veggies) because I didn’t believe in “fad diets”. Even with the two lifestyle changes, I always had so much to lose that the weight just fell off quickly…and then returned even quicker. This time feels different and I’m really hoping that means that it is a “for good” type of change for me.
I had a conversation this week with a close friend about sodium. Ugh, I know, right? With all the changes I’m making in the way I eat and the way I think about food, it’s time for me to start thinking about even improving the foods that I am allowing myself. I know that with heart disease in my family and my weight issues that I should pay closer attention to all of this. I’m barely getting used to asking for no cheese on a salad and stressing over what dressing to pick and it’s so taxing to think that I can’t just grab a salad from the drive-thru and eat it. Some of you might think that salad from the drive-thru sounds strange, but I have become slightly addicted to the salads from Whataburger lately and it’s definitely my “go-to” meal when I haven’t prepared a lunch.
So, one day this week I posted on Facebook that I should have just stuck with my normal lunch of an Apple Cranberry Grilled Chicken Salad from Whataburger and my insane friend started talking to me about sodium. She pointed out to me that my salad has between 200 and 220 mg of sodium and that she doesn’t allow her family to have that much sodium in a day! I very quickly spouted off that the American Heart Association recommends up to 2000 mg of sodium in a day and she pointed out that was for healthy people. Oh…yeah…I’m not exactly healthy yet.
I’m not exactly saying that I’m going to go all rogue and cut all the sodium from my diet, but I definitely have been thinking more about it since she brought this up to me. I know that my Diet Coke and my sugar-free Monster energy drinks have more than enough sodium in them to fill up my daily allotment (she is going to DIE when she reads that, I just know it), but I’m assuring you that I am cognizant of it now. In fact, I think she may have ruined my Whataburger salad for me because yesterday when I was eating it, it tasted like someone had dropped a shaker of salt all over it. I seriously thought my face was going to pucker!
In any case, I’m thinking about it, friend, and I’m going to make the changes that you suggested (slowly, but surely) and I love you for bringing it up to me.
Now, let’s get down to the business of my slow and steady weight loss update…
I lost 1.4 lbs this week!
I finally made it over 40 lbs lost (41.0 to be exact)! I’m at 328.8 lbs now (and you know, actually, the scale was waffling between that and 329.0, just to be completely honest). Of course, Howard passed me up and he lost 2.4 this week, but I’m so proud of him for sticking with it and helping me along as well. Again, we are feeling great and noticing changes in our clothes and our seatbelts. Our boy is excited that when he and I do go out to dinner that we can now sit in a booth together. He is having a slow and steady gain as he grows taller every single day (seriously, we cannot find pants long enough for his tall, slender build)!
Along with the sodium watching that I will be doing, I have already started to increase my water intake and I’m considering moving my office into the bathroom because I’m in there so often now! So, what other changes would you suggest?
Hi Janet! My name is Valerie! I just stumbled upon your blog and want to say congratulations on embarking on your weight loss journey! You should be very proud of your accomplishments! I am a cardiac nurse and am myself on a weight loss journey. Before I get into my recent weight loss success I wanted to touch base on the topic of sodium. As an RN specializing in cardiology I wanted to let you know our patients who have suffered heart attacks or other cardiac issues are discharged on a sodium restricted diet whether over weight or not. Our recommendation is a 2 gram sodium diet. This means up to 2000mg per day, so you are right. Restricting sodium too much can lead to hyponatremia, (just a fancy word for not enough sodium in the blood). Hyponatremia can be life threatening. It can cause abnormal heart rhythms which can lead to cardiac arrest. For now I would recommend you follow a 2 gram sodium diet and follow up with your doctor for specific sodium recommendations.
Now for my journey. I have been struggling with weight loss for 18 years now…I’m embarrassed to say that. But as you know weight loss is hard. Recently I found products and a program that work! I started in late august early September, then quit again for November and December and started again in January. Between September and October I lost 16 pounds and 19.25 inches off my body, and even though I quit eating clean and using the supplements for 2 months I only gained back 3 pounds which I quickly lost the second week of January. I would love to share this program with you because it works, it’s all based on eating clean And healthy. You take supplements (vitamins, omegas, and probiotics, amino acids) and get free one on one coaching and meal plans/recipes. I read that you use a lot of diet coke and sugar free monster which are both really bad for your health. I would love to introduce you to spark…it is an energy drink that is healthy and will give you unbelievable energy. I have not had pop or coffee since I was introduced to it and it gets me thru 12 hour night shifts on an ICU step down unit. It is also used by pro athletes..Drew brees being one of them. I would love to share with you my before and after photos, I’ll even share a packet of my spark with you. Just shoot me an email at . I’ll email you my pictures. We can get healthy together!
Valerie, thank you for stopping by my blog and sharing your story with me as well. I would love to hear more about your drink. I have problems with sleep and very vivid dreams that keep me from really resting when I sleep (hence the Diet Coke and Monsters) so anything that can keep me awake, but is healthier for me is welcomed, of course! Feel free to email me at !
Well, I definitely believe in slow and steady weight loss, but I don’t oppose fast weight loss, either (even though I’ve never experienced it). However, I know ALL ABOUT the weight returning quicker than it left.
So, I started back today. I wasn’t sure if I would today or tomorrow, but my husband is working today (which he NEVER does on a Saturday), so it’s kind of like a regular week-day for me. So, why not start NOW?
I got my new scale on Wednesday and stepped on it 8 million times just because I love that I have it (not that I loved the number. Normally, I’m not ashamed at all of how much I weigh, but everytime Dave got off the couch if I was on my scale I’d scream “NO! DON’T LOOK!!!!!”)
So, I’m looking forward to see how far this takes me. (Just for the record, this is the 3rd time I’ve started over this week. I will never give up on myself but when I fall, I’m never surprised.) I think it’ll be a lot better since I have a decent scale at home. I love that is weighs in tenths of a pound rather than my just having to guess where that dial lands.
One of my favorite stories in the world is of a woman from my WW group (even though I no longer attend, I still claim it)….Norma. She lost, gosh, I want to say like 160 pounds. She sings in the church choir….EVERY Sunday. Someone approached her husband one week and said, “Where has Norma been? I haven’t seen her in the choir lately.” I laughed so hard when she told that story. It must have made her feel really great, though.
Congratulations on 1.4. That is AWESOME! AND 41 POUNDS?????????? I’m speechless. Just fabulous!!! Keep it up!
Mari, let’s lose it together…forever!