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Secrets of the successful loser

With Round Two of Romance Biggest Winner about to start, I thought it’d be a good idea to outline a few of my favorite proven ways to lose weight.

There’s no better way to get ready for a weight-loss competition, right? And it’s a timely reminder for me, especially after logging no progress in February.

Like Jen over at Prior Fat Girl, I know what to do to lose weight. It’s not exactly rocket science. The problem lies in applying that knowledge day in and day out … making not-so-fun choices more often than not.

Take Tuesday, for example. When I hit Starbucks to write before work, I chose not to indulge my Faux Frappuccino habit. Instead, I ordered a venti chai tea — just hot water with two tea bags, to which I added a packet of Splenda.

Was it fun? Not so much. I discovered I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of chai tea. But as a result of my choice, I had carbs left for a healthy, veggie-filled snack after work: A cup of grilled zucchini slices … followed by the small indulgence of an Atkins nutty fudge brownie. That brownie weighed in at 2 Net Carbs; I estimate the Faux Frappuccino at 5 (and that may be on the low side).

Ahem. Forgive that tiny tangent and let’s move on to the tried-and-true secrets to weight loss as I know them.

1. Find the plan that works for you. That means one you can stick to. For me, that plan is low-carb. I can follow Atkins without cravings and without constantly thinking about my next meal. I stick to it without starving myself or feeling deprived. It doesn’t work for everyone — no single diet does. Find the diet you’re most comfortable with, whether it’s Weight Watchers, NutriSystem or Intuitive Eating, and follow it.
2. Track every bite. As much as I wish it weren’t true, tracking (or food journaling) is a key to weight loss. Sure, it can be a pain to write down everything you eat. But every time I ditch the habit, I have little success losing. Tracking A) helps you get a handle on exactly how much — or how little — you’re actually consuming and B) makes you think twice about what you put into your mouth. (Do you really want to have to note that you just scarfed a package of Twinkies?)
3. Move more. Yeah, my couch potato self is even less thrilled by this one than No. 2. Unfortunately, exercise is another nonnegotiable part of the weight-loss equation. Calories in > calories out = loss of pounds. That is why I will most likely sign up for Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp on payday. I need motivation to move, beyond the knowledge that exercise leads to weight loss.

That’s all I have: Just three keys to successful weight loss. Like I said, none of them are rocket science.

It’s as simple as finding the diet that works for you, tracking what you eat and working out. Yes, as simple — and as difficult — as that.

Change happens one choice — one step — at a time.

Bitten by the evil metal monster

The evil metal monster strikes again.

I weighed in this morning at 230.2, which means that I’ve made no weight-loss progress all month. (My Feb. 2 WI, still posted in my sidebar, was 230.0.)

Even though I felt pretty good about my choices on vacation, the weight certainly isn’t falling off like it did the first time on Atkins. (By that measure, I’d have lost at least 10 pounds in February.)

I must get back on track. I’m not saying I HAVE to lose 3 pounds a week … but 1 pound a week would be fantastic.

To make that happen, I need to make a few changes in the merry, merry month of March.

At the top of the list? More water, fewer diet pops and Faux Frappuccinos. (Ah well. At least I’ll save money when I’m writing at Starbucks.) More veggies, less bacon (sob).

Also, more exercise. I might even take the plunge and sign up for Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp. I’ve been kicking around the idea, but have so far been scared to commit. I know, I need to make up my mind soon. It’s probably just the kick in the butt I need.

My only problem is finding time to fit it all in. How can I make time for exercise, writing, the day job and something that passes for a social life?

One idea is to spend less time online. While keeping up with two blogs and two twitter streams (weight-loss & writing)? Dream on. I already do the bare minimum.

And I won’t give up Pinterest. It’s not like I spend hours a day pinning willy-nilly. Some days I don’t visit at all.

At least I’ll get some extra steps on the pedometer today. I walked home from work because I can’t park on the street when it snows. Since we were expecting up to 8 inches overnight, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Back to work

… Back to reality. Aside from fighting the nagging feeling that I need a vacation to recover from my vacation, heading back to the grind this afternoon wasn’t too painful.

With snow in the forecast overnight, I might be singing a different tune when I wake up. But I’ll cross that bridge later.

Now, it’s time for a brief recap of my time off. Vacation started with a few days of Boyfriend time — but when he dropped me off at the airport Wednesday, things really took off.

I checked in for my flight in advance. Delta offers the cool feature of having your boarding pass sent to your smartphone. So I gave it a try. (I also printed out my boarding document, just in case — but didn’t need the paper. The phone pass worked like a dream.)

After a quick trip through airport security, I stopped near my gate for lunch. My taco salad (chicken, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo on a bed of lettuce) was exactly what I asked for — low in carbs and delicious. While I ate and downed a big glass of water, I took advantage of the free wifi to catch up on some blog reading.

Still in writing mode, I made my way to the gate and fired up my laptop. I managed to sneak in a few paragraphs on the WIP before the area got too busy to concentrate. When that happened, I knew it was close to time to board, so I ran to Starbucks for a treat.

The hour and a half flight was basically uneventful, but the air was choppy enough to prevent the flight attendants from serving drinks. Made me extra glad for the Starbucks decision.

I packed everything I needed in a single backpack (something I plan a separate blog post on), so all I had to do when the plane landed was let my brother, Dan, know I was on the ground. He picked me up and we went to campus so he could teach his world history class.

Yep. I got to sit in on a lecture on the late years of the Roman empire (small “e”) and the start of the Roman Empire (Julius/Augustus Caesar and those who followed them). It was really pretty fascinating to hear how the leaders’ infighting and grabs for money/power and/or pursuit of pleasure led to their downfall. (Sound familiar to anyone?)

Then it was time to go to the house for the first glimpse I’ve had of my nephew since he was weeks old — and the first-ever sighting of my almost-1-year-old niece.

Nephew Alex was worth the trip all by himself. He’s already a character: picky about what’s on his plate and what he wears and smart enough to know his colors, letters and numbers. Once he stopped calling me Aunt Julie (Sharon’s sister, who probably visits a lot more often than I do), we got along just fine. He’s crazy about cars — it was funny to see him stop to stare at the TV, mesmerized, when car ads came on.

Little Josie was all smiles most of the time — quieter than Alex (probably because she’s not talking yet).

I had a lot of fun during my visit, which included a trip to the aquarium (post forthcoming). I don’t intend to wait so long between trips next time.

Sticking to Atkins while I was gone was easy, in part because Dan and Sharon have done Atkins themselves. I didn’t have to field any rude questions about “how can you eat that?” And with Alex being picky, I didn’t have to feel self-conscious about what I put on my plate.

Dan even picked me up a half-gallon of the unsweetened coconut/almond milk blend that I haven’t been able to find near me. (It was just as delicious as Tina said, so I managed to polish almost all of it off before I left.)

I made decent low-carb choices while I was gone — and I got a bit more exercise than normal. But now that I’m back home, I’m nervous about getting on the scale. Guess I’ll see what happens in the morning.

Round Two of Romance’s Biggest Winner starts this weekend, so I’ll have to get more serious about counting carbs again.