A few years after my husband of 30 years left me I started dating a wonderful man who liked to go out to eat. Portion control and good food choices went out the window. During the year, my weight started to creep up because I was eating more at home, too. I put my 10s away and dragged out my 12s. He and I broke up, no more restaurant meals, but those eating habits remained. I’d graze through Harris Teeter or Costco, testing all the free samples.
During the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays my 12s started getting tight. Time for action! I decided to start the Ultra-Lite weight-loss program.
I chose to be totally committed to this diet and not quibble about the rules. After the first week’s dramatic results, I was sold.
Week #1: Down 7.5 lbs, 3″ off my waist, 5 ½ ” total. Blood pressure went down.
Week #2: Down 11 lbs, another 2″ off my waist, 10″ total. Blood pressure still down.
By Week #6 I’m down 18 lbs, 6 inches off my waist, 14 ¾ inches total!
I am on week #6 of this diet and here are some observations.
Surprise, surprise… I have NOT been hungry on the diet. I had been doing what I called nervous eating. Snacking when I felt restless. I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of well being and optimism enter my life. I immediately had more energy! I am enjoying food more. There is considerably less food on my plate so I find myself cutting it into tiny pieces, and chewing it well. I want to get the MOST out of every morsel I put into my mouth. I am really tasting foods now instead of gulping down my meals.
I feel great. The size 8 jeans I bought only two weeks ago are loose. I can’t believe I’m thinking about size 6 already!”
During the last couple of weeks I was forcing myself to come up with some interesting food combinations that I had never thought of to bring variety into my meals. I found an amazing sugar free horseradish Dijon mustard that perks up a lot of dishes. NO cheating — too close to goal.
Week 12: Goal Reached! 25 pounds gone. 22.5″ gone.
Finally, I am THERE and I reward myself with new clothes because those size 8 jeans were definitely loose. Mostly I bought size 6, but one pair of cropped pants were size 4!!! Losing 8.75″ off my waist made a HUGE difference.
When I started my blood pressure was around 140/82. That kind of borderline BP was making my doctors nervous. At my week 13 check-in I was still at target weight and my blood pressure was 106/64.
Diet and exercise…gosh…that was easy (sort of)!
I love the way I look in my new wardrobe. My friends are amazed and I feel better than I have in long time. I don’t crave snacks. I found out that when I give my body what it needs, then I don’t do “nervous eating”…AND…my body doesn’t need anywhere near as much food as I thought it did!!!
Donna Jernigan, Photographer
Charlotte, NC
