What's the Secret?

It has gotten to the point now where most people are able to notice that I've lost some weight. Often the question that follows is "What's Your Secret?" They seem very disappointed when I tell them, There is no secret. I had to eat less and exercise more. It has been hard work.

But for those of you who really want to know (some of you have asked) here is what I've been doing:

1. Eat less - This was a real pain in the butt for the first few weeks. At the risk of sounding super weird, yes, I actually measured everything. That meant using the measuring cup, or counting out the pretzels, etc. At this point, I don't have to do it any longer, because I've gotten used to what the portion sizes look like. But it was quite a lesson for me.

I also kept a food diary for the first month of everything I ate. Again, this was a total pain in the butt, but it was also extremely useful. Having to look up the calorie content of everything I ate made me think twice before putting it in my mouth.

I also try, if I know we're going out to eat, to look at the menu first and the nutritional info if they have it. That way I can have a pretty good idea before we go what I want to order.

I have also started planning out my meals, as much as possible, for the week. It not only helps with the grocery shopping, but I can adjust a little bit. If I know we're having a big dinner, I'll have soup for lunch. If I know I'm going to a luncheon one day, I'll plan something lighter for dinner.

And the main thing is this: there is absolutely nothing that is "off-limits" to me. I like food. I like good food. If I tried to eat nothing but salad and fruit I would go crazy. I have one night off per week that I can eat whatever I want without guilt (so I can have my royal red robin burger and love it). I also allow myself an occasional sweet treet. But that's the key - it's occasional.

2. Exercise more - Erik & I had to sit down and put it on the calender. It's hard to find time to go to the gym, but we've worked it in. Right now, I try to go three times a week. Twice a week I'll do 30 minutes of weights then 30 minutes of treadmill. The third time I'll do 45 minutes on the treadmill. If it works into the schedule, I'll trade that third trip to the gym for a pole dancing class instead.

When I do weights, I do a pretty standard weight circuit and aim for 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions. When I can do 2 set of 15 without any struggle, I move the weights up.

We also signed up for the mommy & me yoga class with the kids once a week. It's not a heavy duty work out but I do try to practice the stretches with the kids every few days. I am not very flexible so I need to work on that more than anything.

SO, that's my "secret". It's really no secret at all. The first month was very difficult and there were nights when I wanted to eat an entire pizza instead of going to the gym. I also felt like the weight was not coming off and that was frustrating. Especially when Erik was losing SO much faster.

But now we are well into the 2nd month and I've built some momentum. I haven't change my routine very much but I'm losing weight more consistently. My goal was 5 lbs a month, and I've been able to keep with that.

I guess it takes some time for the body to adjust and I'm glad I stuck with it. I know I've lost inches, judging from the problem I'm having with my pants falling down all the time.

For all of you who are joining me in the quest to be healthier - yay!! I love the company.