Let's start with some honesty and history... I used to be skinny.  Some would argue too skinny.  I weighed all of 103 lbs when I moved to college.  Like most, I did gain some after I left for college, but, it was my early 20's when things really started to spiral. That's when my battle with my weight really started.  I wanted magically be skinny again.  And I didn't know I could lose weight without giving up things I love.

At 21, I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid.  After a couple years of misery I decided to have it killed with radioactive iodine at age 23.  Then things REALLY spiraled down.  I felt like crap and the weight just kept coming.  And worse, I convinced myself that I couldn't help it.  I convinced myself that once my medication was right, I would lose the weight.  Once I had more energy I could exercise more and I would lose the weight.  There was always a "once this happens, then I will lose weight".  

Here we are 12ish years later and the weight has slowly been creeping back up. Then Covid hit and all hell broke loose.  I was home cooking like crazy because, well, I love to cook!  There was finally time to try all the Pinterest recipes I had saved for years! We were having dessert and some homemade bread variety every single night because we were housebound and I had the time!  That's when my weight really got bad.  

Then in the fall and early winter of 2020, my world got rocked.  My husband went for a physical and at just 41 needed more blood pressure medication and was pre-diabetic.  I was moved to tears and begged him to make changes so I wouldn't be a widow. 

But the hits kept coming, I was diagnosed with Advanced Malignant Melanoma in December 2020 (blog post about this coming soon!). That was a hard slap in the face that if something didn't change, both my husband and I were setting ourselves up to shorten our lives.

In January 2021, once I had recovered more, we decided enough was enough. We were going to dive in and do what we had to in order to BOTH get into better health.  It was a struggle, I can't lie about that.  I wanted to lose weight without giving up things I love but I also wanted it to be fast.  It was easy to remember back to 2009 when it was just a couple months, drop down to 1500 calories, do some exercise, done.  Except I was 12 years older this time and it wasn't going to be that easy this time!  

From January to the end of March, I cut down to 1500 calories per day. I went swimming every morning before work for at least 30 minutes but often closer to an hour.  But the scale wasn't moving. Every time I got on it, I got more defeated and closer to throwing in the towel.  

One part of the program is coaching.  I had Coach Nicole and shout to her because she was AMAZING!!  Admittedly, I didn't want to do the coaching.  I felt like I didn't need it.  After all, I thought I knew what I needed to do - eat less and work out more.  Turns out, there is a lot more to it then that, DEFINITELY for women after a certain age!  I was also scared, because here is another truth...I don't eat ANY fruits or vegetables!  Most coaches don't like that much at all and tell me how I need to "just do it".  Trust me, if it was that easy, I would because my life would be a hell of a lot easier if I ate them!  

She and I hit it off right from the start. She told me she wanted me to do a low carb focus for my first month and I kindly and respectfully responded that I didn't want to do that for two reasons.  First, I wanted to learn to lose weight without giving up things I love. Second, because I knew I would quickly lose weight that way but as soon as I started eating carbs again (and I would) I would gain it all back.  I needed sustainability.  She understood and totally shifted gears with me and thus began a beautiful coaching relationship!   

So is this you?  Are you struggling?  Do you also want to find a way to lose weight without giving up the things you love?  Well, I linked most things above but I want to run them down again so it can help you.  

I HIGHLY recommend Found for Medical Weightloss.  And ask for Coach Nicole!  Trust me, I did A LOT of research before landing on them, I know they are a good one!  They helped me figure out I was insulin resistant and the meds they put me on immediately started losing the scale.  I never felt jittery and I didn't have any negative side effects.  If you decide you want to take the plunge and give it a try like I did, using the link I shared above will get you $50 off your first month!

Eat more protein!!  If you need help with this, Michael with MFS Wellness is your guy!  He will even plan out meals for you and load them right into your MyFitnessPal!  Best way to reach him is Mike@MFSWellness.com.  I am going to do a future post on all my favorite ways to get in protein, but in the meantime, if you need help, start with this protein bar, you won't be disappointed!

Get on a weight lifting routine. Of course I highly recommend Beachbody and my coach Cheryl Floyd, and then we can also cheer each other on in the group! But it really is the best for the money!  A year membership works out to be like $10 a month, you do it right from home, there are no excuses.  And if you need weights, this is a great set to start with - https://amzn.to/3S4AI2X . 

And if you need workout clothes that can double as amazing outfits no matter where you are going, check out my blog about falling in love with Zyia Active Wear HERE!

There you have it.  That is how I learned to lose weight without giving up things I love.  Except Coca-Cola, I did give that up for the most part at the encouragement of Michael, however, that was more because it just isn't good for me.  I do still have it from time to time, like on a hot day when I need a 7-11 Slurpee! But I don't have one every day any more.  Most of the time I only have 1-2 per week!  And honestly, that has been SO liberating because I never thought I could kick my caffeine habit!  But I still eat things I love like potatoes and bread and pizza and cupcakes.  But I definitely eat them in moderation!

I hope this has inspired you!  I want to hear about any changes you make!  I am most active on Facebook so feel free to connect with me there!  I would LOVE to hear about any insight you got from this!  Make sure you also grab my Free Ultimate Guide to Gut Health while you are here as well!  I hope you will pop by again soon!

 Kalii Sue