Who Else Wants to Lose Weight?

I’ve lost weight! Yes— you read that correctly. The scale has gone down, and while I won’t disclose my weight, as I’d like to maintain privacy in that regard, I will say that I am a total of twelve pounds down! Woohoo! So exciting! I will admit that I was initially disappointed. I mean, we are halfway through the year, and I feel I should have been way further ahead in my journey. However, I must learn to celebrate every win, and this is definitely a huge win for me that is worth celebrating. Furthermore, I conquered my quarterly goal which was to lose 1-3 pounds per month!

So, I sat down and began thinking, “how did I lose 1-3 pounds a month”? What changed? I mean after all, I am on the nightmare drug, Prednisone (and if you are on this medicine, you know that weight gain is one of the most reported side effects of it). As I pondered, I came up with a few simple, yet effective changes that helped me drop these pounds.

#1. Drinking more water.

Now, we have all heard this, so I am sure you do not want to hear it once again, but hear me out here. Imagine if you have three, 12 oz Dr. Peppers a day– each one being 150 calories each (Calorie count - sodas and energy drinks: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). That is literally 450 calories from sodas alone. Cutting out one of those sodas and replacing it with water is reducing your calories by 150 calories per day! Not to mention all of the sugar and sodium you’d be ditching, as well!

#2. Park further away.

I know. I know. We all like to drive around the parking lot at Target twelve times to see if there is a spot just a little closer than the one we just passed, right? Trust me, I do it, too (especially in this southern Mississippi heat). However, parking further away will help ensure that you get in those extra steps to get that heart pumping! I’ve been doing this, and I do believe it has made a difference. So, I encourage you to incorporate this at Target, your job, or wherever else you frequent!

#3. Eat more during the day to avoid eating so much during the night.

If you’re like me, you are a habitual post-midnight snacker. I found out that perhaps I was eating so much at night because I was trying to eat so little during the day. So, what did I begin doing? Eating more during the day! I found myself sleeping a bit more at night (even though getting my sleep in is still an issue, but that is a different story for another day), and I found myself snacking a little less at night!

Well, folks. These are three of the simple, yet transformative actions I took to lose weight and to meet my quarterly weight loss goals. I did not think much about them while I was doing them, but I see that they have yielded the results I desired! I will definitely continue doing these to see how much more weight I can lose this quarter!

Let’s chat in the comment section below. What are some actions you all have taken that have helped on your weight loss journey? Maybe you aren’t on a weight loss journey, but you are working on your overall health! What have you incorporated that has helped you reach your health goals? Leave a comment below. Let’s help each other reach our health goals as we continue throughout the rest of 2022!