How I lost Weight Without Trying

New Year’s resolutions are great, aren’t they?

For anyone who attends the gym on a regular basis, your answer is probably no. There is nothing more frustrating than attempting to go to Planet Fitness to find that every single treadmill is taken, most of them by temporary fitness enthusiasts whose excitement and drive will expire at the end of the month (please excuse my cynicism).

I myself used to be one of those flaky workout enthusiasts, especially in college. Whenever I felt guilty about what I’d eaten recently or how much I'd drank, I would go on a workout binge for about a month before it all fell apart again. Most of it stemmed from my fear of gaining the “Freshman 15.” Between my Freshman and Junior years of college I worked out just enough to make sure I didn’t gain any weight, weighing in anywhere between 130-135lbs.

The summer after my Junior year, I had an internship in GA where I also had a roommate I despised. Considering we lived together and worked together, I was willing to do whatever it took to get some time away from her. Commence post-work runs. That summer I worked out about 5 days a week for an hour each day, and ate healthier than I did at school. At the end of the two months in GA, I felt good.

I went back home and back to school and everyone kept commenting about how much weight I had lost. Considering I hadn’t stepped on the scale, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t think I had lost that much. Low and behold, I weighed in at 128lbs. I was ecstatic that I had lost 7lbs. over 8 weeks without even trying.

Senior year I was more than just a flaky workout enthusiast. Running had become an addiction. If I didn’t work out every few days I was moody and anxious. I’m not saying I was a marathoner or anything, I just made sure to participate in some type of physical activity at least 3 times a week.  There were even a few mornings I woke up before 5am to make sure I got a run in.

Then post-graduation came. I got a job as a traveling consultant and was on the road 90% of the time. I got $15.00 a day for lunch and $23.00 every night for dinner while on the road. Sounds lethal, right? Well, last time I stepped on the scale at the doctors office I weighed in at 115 lbs. Not quite as celebratory about this because I was semi convinced the doctor was going to admit me to some type of clinic because she thought I was anorexic or something. I even had to ask myself how this happened...

Ditch the Drinks

One of the quickest ways to lose weight is to refuse the booze. While I didn't necessarily "refuse" it, I moved to a completely new city where I  knew no one and didn't feel comfortable enough in my surroundings to drink. Then I began traveling by myself to even more unfamiliar cities. I a) didn't want to be that girl at the bar who looked like an alcoholic and b) didn't want that to seem as though I was inviting creepy men to hit on me. So my alcohol tollerance (and desire) grew less and less. I'm actually semi repulsed by it and start gagging if I attempt to drink more than two. Fact: the less you eat/drink something, the less you crave it!

Would you Like Fries with That?

NO! Just say NO! That was the second thing to go when I started my new job. If I stood a chance of maintaining weight while eating out two times a day, I had to find a substitute for fries. I usually go with the seasonal veggies but might substitute soup or fruit instead. And just like the booze, fries honestly don't even sound good anymore. The only time I eat them is when I snag one or two off my boyfriend's plate.

H20

I carry a 20 oz. water bottle around and fill it at least 3 times a day. While drinking water is good for me, it also fills me up. That water takes up space that could otherwise be filled with food.

Meatless Monday

This is my latest and greatest attempt at eating healthy. I was recently looking at a cookbook my roommate left on the kitchen table and read the introduction. The book talked about how the average American ate twice as much meat as they should and gave some kind of mind-blowing statistic about the number of pounds of meat we eat. It was then and there that I decided to eat a vegetarian style diet three days a week. I've started eating fruits and veggies with every meal and usually snack on them as well instead of eating pretzels, chips, goldfish. It's been pretty amazing too; my boyfriend can vouche for me when I say I eat ALL day.

So, moral of the story? Setting goals to lose weight is great. I appreciate the effort to become healthier. BUT until you start making life changes instead of year-long resolutions, that desire and drive will eventually burn out. I'm not trying give a lecture and this story wasn't intended for me to brag, I just wanted to share my experience - a girl on the path to a healthier life, who also shed a few pounds a long the way!