Weight Loss...finally!

Since last September I have been on a weight loss journey.  I had a sweet baby girl in April of 2011 and, after taking the summer off, I decided in the fall that it was time to get up and get moving again.  If I wasn't careful, I was worried that I would never lose that dreaded baby weight.  PLUS, to top things off, I was still carrying around some twenty pounds of extra weight from my first pregnancy!

As you may know I am also a type one diabetic.  So, losing weight for me has always been a struggle because, along with normal food cravings and stresses that go with trying to drop a few pounds, I also have to deal with high and low blood glucose levels.  In the past I had just ignored my problems, with the hopes that they would magically go away.  Guess how that turned out!?

By chance one day I was having a coffee date with my girlfriend Amy.  We got on the topic of weight loss and she told me about this app that she had started using a few days prior.  Well, I didn't know it at the time but this conversation was going to change my life, literally!  The app was called My Fitness Pal and it can be used on pretty much any phone (or they also have a website).  The idea behind my fitness pal is very simple, and I believe it's this simplicity that has made it so easy for me to stick with it.  You input all your information - including your weight loss goals (do you want to lose one pound a week, half a pound, etc.) - and you are given a calorie allowance for the day.  If you work out and burn up extra calories you can eat more.  One of My Fitness Pal's best features is that, when using the app on your phone, you can scan the barcodes of the foods you are eating and the nutritional information pops up in the food logging area, it's that easy!  If you are eating let's say an apple, there is a food search option for items that do not have a barcode.

I can tell you this now, but, when I first started with My Fitness Pal, my BMI was just inside the obese category (!!!!! WTF!) and, now, I am so happy to report I am in the healthy category!  I've added a button to my blog that shows how far I've come, to date, I'm down 34 pounds!
Another aspect of My Fitness Pal that has made it a lot easier to stick to is it's social media design.  You can friend people and cheer each other on.  Personally, I've connected with tons of other diabetics (who also use an insulin pump) where, in my real life, I only know one other person who actually wears one.  Finding people who are in a similar situation to yourself can really help with the encouragement factor.

So, if you are a user of My Fitness Pal or decide that you want to go join up today, make sure you look me up!  Let's cheer each other on! :)

Here's some other resources to help you with your own weight loss journey!


You dont' need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to get moving!  Take this 'Fitness at Home' challenge, posted on Pinterest by Laura Merrik, and you'll see results guaranteed!

 



If you're like me you will have your i-pod BLARING music to keep you motivated...check out the Top 100 workout songs from the 1990's!

  

photo source: http://purplefoodie.com/apple-chips/

Eat healthy snacks...I love to make apple chips!  There are a few reasons they are awesome - first so easy to make.  Also, very yummy!  AND..they make your house smell DEVINE when they're baking!  Here's how you can make some:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees
2. Slice your apples (I like to go very thin because that makes them crunchier when they're baked) - Cut them evenly for a consistent crunch!
3. Sprinkle them with cinnamon
4. Bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 2 hours (turn them over after an hour)
5.Enjoy!

 

Do this!

I sincerely do wish you the best in your own weight related efforts and encourage you to check out My Fitness Pal...I honestly don't know where I would be without all the support I draw from it! :)


Also - one last quick tip: start a healthy living pin board on pinterest!! You can draw SO MUCH inspiration there too!  Here's a link to my pin board for just such a thing: http://pinterest.com/mrslavaj/healthy-lifestyle/