So I've lost 96 lbs. in 8 months! I'm really proud of myself, and I always have people asking me, "How did you do it?" and "What's your secret?" Well let me tell you... there is no secret or magic pill. I eat healthy and I workout. That's it. Sorry to disappoint you. I used to think there was some magic thing that made other people thin, but I now have learned over the years that there really isn't. Just good old fashioned diet and exercise.
My advice for losing weight... (I understand if you don't agree with some of the advice, the second being the main one, that's fine. This is what works for me and my family and we love it. If you have another way that works, more power to ya!)
First... have twins. That will knock out about thirty lbs. right there. When I went to deliver our second set of twins I weighed 235... that's right 235! I am 5'7" and I weighed 235! It might have been because I ate chick fil-a every other day... and the PF Chang freezer food every night. So I weighed a lot the day I had the little babies, and 5 days later I weighed 200. Now I've never been really thin but that is the most I have ever weighed, excluding pregnancy. I freaked out. I started cutting my food intake in half, then more and more. I was starving! I was losing weight... but slowly. It just felt like it was taking FOREVER! And I missed eating! I love to eat! Thank goodness Troy started reading a booked called "Eat to Live." Now, this book is pro vegan and we'd been toying with the idea so when we read this book it helped us decide... plus you can eat as much of the "good food" as you want. I was sold!
Second... become vegan. I know what you're thinking... tree hugging, bark eating, peace sign holding, hippie. Well I'm not, we're not. We love being vegan though! I'm not going to lie, it was so hard the first month! I just wanted chicken so bad, oh and cheese! But I made it through and something wonderful happened... I stopped craving all the crap. I didn't want fried chicken, or French fries, or cheese, or burgers. I felt awesome! After I got over the hardest part (cravings), I hit another wall... what in the world should/can I cook?! If you look at recipes for vegan meals they have 1,000 ingredients and a ton of stuff that I have no idea what it is. So after searching for good things to fix that the kids and Troy would like I decided to just start making what we would normally eat, just take out the meat and add more veggies. Like spaghetti... no meat, add broccoli, onion, garlic, mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots, black beans, and sometimes green beans. It may sound a little weird but it is so good! Or chicken salad (I loved chicken salad)... no meat, add chickpeas, dill, onions, garlic, vegan mayo, then blend. It's so good! Basically, we eat TONS of fruit and vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds.
Third... "I work out." I mix it up... I do spin, yoga, weights, running, and Pinterest workouts. I have to or I get bored. When the kids are playing I do push ups. When I watch TV I do weights and spin. When I brush my teeth I do squats. I have to make time for working out and sometimes that means doing it at weird times. It's important to me so I make time for it. That is key! Things that are important to you get done. Whatever it may be. I've made tons of excuses in the past to not workout but I really wanted to get fit so I made time. Also... I do all of this at home. I don't go to the gym and I don't have a trainer. So if you can't afford a gym or don't have time to go to a gym... you can do it all in your living room!
So there it is! The magic secret... have babies, eat healthy, workout! :)
