Eat Well and Lose Weight

I really love food. Really, really love food. Ever since I can remember I ate a little more than what was necessary, and I can still hear various family members and friends telling me so.

Growing up in Romania, we didn’t have many choices, or the luxury of being picky, whatever was in front of us, we had to eat. 

I remember my first day in USA over 10 years ago, opening our refrigerator was an astonishing experience, as I’ve never seen so many food varieties in a refrigerator at once. Later that day we went downtown San Diego, where my husband introduced me to the irresistible Cinnabon and an American classic, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Everything was new to me, tasted great and I wanted to try all the various cuisines that my new home had to offer.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and boy was I happy, or so I thought, indulging in all the amazing foods I was discovering every day. 

Needless to say, 6 months into my new life I wasn’t fitting into any of my clothes, and every time I went shopping I was buying a bigger size. I have been on the chubby side for the most of my life, but this weight gain happened at a very fast pace, from 150 to almost 200 pounds, all within a 6 month period after arriving here is the US in late 2006.

Me at 195 pounds

In the meantime, I donated most of my smaller sizes, convinced that I would never be able to wear them again.

That was my wake up call, I knew I wasn’t comfortable with my weight anymore and something had to change.

First step in this new life style approach, was to learn about these tiny creatures called calories, that just sneak up on us when least expected. I had no idea about protein, carbs, fiber, etc, but I started writing down what I was eating throughout a day and tallying up the astonishing amount of calories I was actually consuming daily. The best thing that came out of this project, is the fact that I had realized how much we tend to underestimate what we really eat in 24 hours. 

Not wanting to go on a specific diet, I decided that I would not change the amount of food I was eating, however I would adjust the calorie quality. 

Slowly, I started seeing a few pounds dropping here and there, which began my confidence building, and a desire to actually learn about food and nutrition. During this process, my only exercise was 30 minutes a day of stationary bike; I am convinced that when it comes to losing weight, 80% is what and how much we eat, 20% is exercising. 

There is no mathematical equation for losing weight though, and everyone responds differently, find what works for you. 

Reading labels when grocery shopping is a key factor, that’s how I became more mindful of stuff that doesn’t contribute to my body’s health. Slowly, replacing empty calories with food that is less processed came more natural. 

Finding simple swaps you can live with is key to feeling fuller and happier during this lifestyle adjustment. I don’t like feeling hungry, so for me being able to eat a decent amount of food but not calorie-dense was huge. That’s how I started introducing more fruits and vegetables into my every day meals, life changing! Never ever did I feel bad or guilty for enjoying fresh produce, and I still love it today, craving it when I don’t have it.

There are so many alternatives out there, for example, eating whole wheat pasta instead of white, the same with rice, bread, and so many other grains to try: kamut, amaranth, bulgur, farro, buckwheat, and of course the very main stream quinoa.

I definitely don’t want to sound like this whole thing of losing weight is not a big deal, easy breezy you just wake up one morning and you have it all figure out. And feeling deprived sucks, so have that buttery croissant or whatever it is that makes your taste buds sing, but once a week, not every day. 80-20 rule, as I call it, those 20% are to enjoy reasonable amounts of whatever you want.

It’s all about finding a healthy life style we can maintain and enjoy. That’s why I don’t care for diets and meal plans, it’s not realistic, what do you do on vacation, or when out at a nice restaurant, where there’s no Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig? 

There will be days when you think nothing is working, you have hit a wall, this is too hard, all these anxiety inducing thoughts, but never give up. Even if you miss a week or two of clean and healthy eating, just stick with the plan, get back into the routine and you won’t be disappointed!