My Weight-Loss Journey: How I've been doing it!

Left: Fall of 2022. Right: Fall of 2023

So I was told I should lay out what I've done to lose weight in the last year, and I figured I'd go ahead and tell! I mean it may not work for everyone but if it helps ya'll go for it! These are just some of the things I've been doing, because without health insurance I can't see a nutritionist, get weight loss surgery, etc.

October 31, 2011

First thing that is very important is that I'm no longer on any kind of birth control hormones. I'd been on them since February of 2012. First it was the Mirena IUD, then birth control pills because well...my first pregnancy was very rough and I didn't think my body could handle a second. I'm now on the ParaGard IUD, and that alone has made me less depressed, more excited to try new things, less anxious and more. I have a sex drive again which I didn't for quite a few years, I feel sexy again, and I'm able to have energy which is fantastic whereas the hormones made me feel lost.

October of 2016

Second Thing: My husband told me something that 100% changed how I eat: "You will eat until you no longer feel hungry. Instead, eat the right portion of food, and wait until you stop feeling hungry." He's right, I'd overfill my plate because I'd be starving and I wouldn't stop eating until I felt stuffed. Now? I eat what I should eat, and even if I still feel hungry I'll just drink more drink. That has lowered my sodium, calories, fat, sugar, and my stomach has shrank since I'm not over-filling it. I do feel hungrier more often, but number three ties into that.

October 2017

Third: When I get hungry to snack, I make a salad! Yep, I do lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber (sometimes), and a low-fat raspberry vinaigrette. Just a small salad, like a side salad size. I stopped eating as much candy, ice cream, cookies, cake, fried food as I used to and just munch a small salad! I'll even sometimes change it up and do lettuce, chicken, low fat bacon pieces, low fat cheese, and a small amount of Hidden Valley Ranch (buttermilk).

July 2018

Fourth: We have pretty much cut all deep fried foods out of our diet. Only thing we deep fry are my husband's chicken tenders that he makes from scratch, and sometimes things that didn't come out crispy in the air fryer. Removing that excess oil has helped so much. I don't feel like I'm weighed down by the food I eat anymore. A HUGE thank you to Dreo for letting me review one of their air fryers because it has been life changing!

July 2023

Fourth: My husband and I are now working out at Planet Fitness together. Each time we go, we aim to walk 3 miles in an hour, and then sometimes we do strength training. I've been focusing on my thighs and hips to gain some elasticity in my ability to wide step, as well as in my arms. I can't do much with my stomach area unfortunately as it seems I either have a hernia, or my muscles have lost their strength from my pregnancy (and I didn't notice until I lost weight) but that's what the cardio is for!

September 2023

From 2011 to 2021, I had gained 70 pounds. But I had gained so much weight all over that I was in the size 20-22/22-24 woman's clothing size, and a size 20 pants. In one year, I've lost 38 pounds but the biggest thing for me is that I'm losing weight everywhere else. My thighs are thinner, my arms are thinner (the skin is hanging down now), my stomach is much smaller, and I'm loving how I feel. My weight loss journey will continue!!

Elizabeth is a wife to her wonderful husband, a work at home mother to her beautiful little girl and a blogger for some time now. When she isn't spending time with her "Livvybug", or laughing with her husband, she is looking for new review opportunities and writing or singing along to classic rock and pop music!