Real Food Weight Loss – Month 1 Results

+J.M.J.+

When I posted about needing accountability last month, I meant it. That late night sugary snacking lead me to gain 20 pounds and has affected my health. I’m more tired. I feel sluggish. My knees hurt. I get out of breath way too easily. Despite a good, real food diet all day, those huge bowls of chocolate cereal or trail mix loaded with chocolate chips every night were enough to cause me trouble.

But I have made some really positive steps in the right direction this month.

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Start Stepping

I got the basic Fitbit Flex 2 here on Amazon and started stepping. I have used these in the past and they’re incredibly motivating to me. It takes time for your body to change; for you to feel more energized and less exhausted. But seeing ten, eleven, or twelve thousand steps racked up at the end of the day is a real result every twenty-four hours that I can be excited about. (Twelve thousand steps a day is my goal).

(I usually pop my Fitbit in a generic ankle strap found here on Amazon; the one I bought is not made anymore but this is the same company. I think its far more accurate to wear it on your ankle. I’m often lugging a baby, grocery bags, laundry baskets, or pushing a shopping cart, and not all of my steps were being counted with my wristband.)

If you want to connect on Fitbit, add me using thenaturalcatholicmom@gmail.com and we can work together!

Let’s Have A Treat

A clean diet is important to me, so I have been faithful about continuing to eat good, real food meals, but cutting back what was killing me – the nightly treats. On Sundays I am enjoying a treat or two without any guilt.

One week it was a sweet coffee and a caramel brownie from my favorite little local coffee shop.

Last Sunday I had some homemade chocolate chip cookie dough balls I keep in the freezer.

This past weekend I made an orange cream cake from the second 100 Days of Real Food cookbook (it’s sweetened with maple syrup), and topped it with my real food 1 minute blender whipped cream.

Eating desserts on Sunday helps make the Lord’s day special and I get to look forward to some really nice treats all week, but I’m not noshing on sugar every night. I also still enjoy my daily coffee sweetened with maple syrup and topped off with half and half or cream, like I talked about here.

I’m Moving Down

I am very excited that I moved over 7 pounds closer to the weight range I like to be in this month!

I fully realize that weight is not always the best indicator of health. I have known skinny people who eat absolutely terrible diets that may look good and even feel okay now, but I’m sure are not in good health (or eventually won’t be) because of the awful food they eat. I don’t have some arbitrary “perfect number” I shoot for. I do, however, know what general weight range I feel great in.

Everyone is different, but for me, somewhere in the mid 130’s to mid 140’s is where I like to be. I do not look like a skinny supermodel at this weight. BUT, it is where I don’t have sore knees. It is where I feel comfortable in my own skin and full of energy. It is where I am at my pre-pregnancy weight and I can know if I’m blessed with another baby that I am not compounding previous baby weight on to another. It also just seems to be the weight that my body is naturally happy with. In order to stay in the 120’s and be super trim I need to work out a ton which just isn’t my priority with a family right now.

Onward I Go

This next month I am going to keep up with my steps, and try to bring my workouts up to 25 minutes each time. I also want to be more faithful with water and sleep. I haven’t been drinking enough some days, and combining that with staying up too late at night I feel more tired than I should be.

I’ll check in with you again next month to continue holding myself accountable. Thanks for caring and encouraging me! I’d love to hear if you’re working on any health goals this year.