It's Gotten Harder to Lose Weight- And Not for the Reasons You Think

[emmadoggy]

108. Yep. I'm with ya.

Over the past 14 months, I have lost a little over 100 pounds. I did it by going very low carb, very low sugar, and tracking everything I eat. I lost 9 pounds in the first week. I had lost 60 pounds by the 5 month mark. It's been much slower in the second half of the year, but it's because I have gotten a little more lenient and complacent, and cheat a little too much.

But this way of eating has changed my life. Is it easy? Fuck no. It's still a challenge for me EVERY SINGLE DAY. I STILL have a terrible time resisting sweets and carby, starchy foods. I truly feel it's an addiction. But I KNOW what those foods do to me.

I haven't felt this good in years. My weight is now at a point I haven't seen in roughly 17-18 years. I KNOW I look a million times better and I definitely FEEL younger, healthier, and more energetic. I no longer have indigestion, heartburn, bloating, or gas like I did before. I don't feel like I'm tired all the time like before. I don't feel depressed like before.

Food is about 85% of weight loss. I have exercised some during this journey, but most people are surprised by how little. I'm sporadic about it. Sometimes I might go for a 30 minute walk a few times in a week. Other times, I do NOTHING. I've been using a kettlebell lately, but am sometimes lazy and skip that too. Exercise is important for health and fitness, but plays a much smaller role in weight loss than food. The biggest benefit, I believe, is that it boosts metabolism.

But our society and the way we live definitely do NOT make it easy to eat this way. I am confronted EVERY day with what I call "contraband". Eating out is often difficult or boring because it usually means another salad - sometimes I want HOT food! People at work bring in treats and snacks all the time - constant temptation. On the road and want to stop and get a quick snack on-the-go? Not much choice but some string cheese or plain/natural almonds (if you can find them). Maybe some meat sticks if you can find some without added sugar or other weird stuff.

We have to stop blaming people and find ways to change our food supply and make the natural, healthy stuff more affordable and available than the cheap, processed crap.