12/31/2012: 19.25lb over my lowest
12/31/2011: 5.25lb over my lowest
12/31/2008: 6.75lb over my lowest
This year, that statistic is different:
12/31/2011: .25lb over my lowest
More statistics:
Day one of 2012 compared to the last day of 2012: 9.25 gain (over the whole year I gained 19.25 over my lowest). At the end of 2011, I was down 16.5 from my highest, but 2012 I gained it all back.
This year:
1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013: 9.75lb LOSS (over the whole year, I lost 17lb over my highest)
What did I learn this year that made the difference? I stopped fooling myself, and also listened to my body:
1. "Cheating"
is just a bad idea. Not only does it add weight, but every time I feel a little
worse, or it takes multiple days to recover. It now has to be REALLY worth it. Having something during the holidays is not enough. It has to be a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Plus, being wheat/gluten-free on a trip can be done, I did it in Bruges. Will I want to in Paris in February? I'm still trying to figure that out. I may limit my indulgences to one or two days instead of 6 straight days;
2. I
don't have to deviate from my diet to enjoy the holidays. People will
understand;
3. I
had to cut down portion sizes to lose. My metabolism is slower as a 52yo female, I just can't eat the amount of food I used to. I eat a protein-only breakfast (eggs & 1-2 pork links) and lunch is now also high protein, and really small (8-12oz of plain
yogurt);
4. I
drink fewer beverages. I found my kidneys can't handle the extra volume of liquids and I get extremely bloated, so "drink more water" does not work for me (my doctor agrees!);
5. I
can't drink red wine without waking up at night. I also just drinking too much of it! Stick to ale and stout;
6. I
need to drink a dark ale/stout 2x a week for optimal kidney/bladder function;
7. I
can't use stevia anymore. Yes, I am allergic to it (it's in the ragweed family);
8. I
can lose weight even if I eat some fruit and carrots. Primal worked better for
me than Dukan. I felt too deprived on Dukan. I will still follow the structure of Dukan,
so I will have some sort of Consolidation phase, but carrots, apples &
prunes are OK for me. Continuing to eat Primally for the rest of my life is like a
Stabilization phase, so that works too;
9. Excessive
carbs (even gluten-free or non-starchy) do not work for me. I haven't been
counting carbs, but when I do have more carbs than usual, I get bloated, so I
have to be aware of that now; and;
10. Last year I learned that I can get down to my optimum weight at 50yrs old. This year I learned how I can get to that weight again AND MAINTAIN IT. The new year will be my opportunity to prove that I can maintain my lower weight.
