Many of you have been asking about my weight loss and my experience with DAMY Health. I just realized I don’t have a real full post about my weight loss story. However I do have it divided between the Weight Loss, DAMY Health and FAQ pages.
If you don’t know already, I have lost about 96 lbs! My highest ever recorded weight was 240 lbs and I’m currently 144 lbs (give or take). It took me about a year and a half to lose the weight. It wasn’t something that happened overnight. How could it? I had been overweight ever since I was five years old. I couldn’t change 15 years of bad habits in one shot you know? You ask, I answer. Here is a full post of my weight loss journey as well as my success with DAMY Health. Enjoy!
Before DAMY, I was doing calorie counting using Calorie Count. When I started my weight loss journey, I didn’t have anyone guiding me. For starters, the main thing I focused on was portion control. I realized I was over doing it with cereals, pasta, rice etc. I actually just found an awesome portion cheat sheet at Vegetarian Times, which you can check out here!
I did all the research on my own and I found calorie counting be very beneficial because I needed to start somewhere. Every 10-15 lbs that came off, it was recommended that you re-evaluated your daily calorie needs for optimal weight loss. Not only because you are getting smaller but your workout routine may be more intense as you progress through your weight loss. This helped a lot too because I didn’t want to go from eating 2500 calories to 1200 overnight. It was slow… I started at 1800, than 1700, 1600 and so forth.
The next thing I did was incorporate exercise. I was working out about an hour at 4 days a week for my cardio. I did the elliptical and incline on the treadmill. I was also doing about 2 days of weight training for 20 mins each time. I still ate bread and sweets but all in moderation. Portion control was key for me. I would buy 100 calorie pack of sweets that I liked to keep portions in check. Once your body changes and you get some activity in, you will notice your body will crave healthier foods. I went from eating 100 calorie pack cookies, to granola bars, to eating fruit and cheese for a snack. Your body will want to feel good because you’re doing good!
Once I lost 90 lbs, I was stuck with the last 5 lbs. They didn’t want to budge and that’s when I found DAMY Health. I found the Fat Blaster program which is a 3 week cleanse or jumpstart perfect for those who needed to break a plateau. After the detox was over, I had lost several inches and those 5 lbs! That was a huge accomplishment since I hadn’t seen any weight loss for 4 months. Once you complete the Fat Blaster, you have the option of going on the DAMY Method or Bikini Body Program to continue your success.
I was on DAMY Method for sometime just trying to maintain my weight loss but then when I moved to Massachusetts from Florida, I had gained 11 lbs. Even after Fat Blaster, I knew I wanted to do Bikini Body, so I guess this made it the perfect moment. I couldn’t let myself ever gain that much. I wanted to learn how to maintain my weight loss for good.
The thing I like about DAMY Health is that there isn’t a focus on counting the calories but more of portion control. I found that this helped me focus more on my hunger than getting in a specific amount of calories. Some days vary depending on what foods your eating and your hunger that day of course. When I started the Bikini Body, I knew I had to stop calorie counting. It was just taking over my life. I think that obsessiveness with the calorie counting caused me to gain those 11 lbs.
During the second week of Bikini Body, my life took a slight twist. I found out that I was allergic to wheat, peanuts, corn, sesame seeds and walnuts, which explained a lot of symptoms I have had for the past three years. I did not even know where to begin in terms of what I could eat anymore. Amy was there for me and helped me figure out what new foods I could incorporate into my diet instead of focusing on what I couldn’t eat. If it wasn’t for her support, I would have not found the strength to deal with this new life change.
I finished with the Bikini Body Program on of November 17th, 2011. I finally lost those pesky 11 lbs. My goal was to have a flatter stomach, get back to 144 lbs and feel great! I wanted to eat to live and not live to eat or obsess over food and calories. I succeeded! I started listening to my body and hunger instead of focusing on calories. It’s the most free I have ever felt in my life. I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. I have the confidence now to handle what ever life throws my way. And not to mention I lost 12.5 inches and got down to 143.8lbs. Click here to see my full Bikini Body results!
I hope this helps everyone understand my weight loss journey better. The journey is never over, as I am now focusing on maintaining my weight loss. On September 1st, 2012, it will be three years that I will have maintained my weight loss! Remember that anything is possible. It’s all about small changes and determination that will keep you going strong…
Check Out These Other Posts Related To Weight Loss, Maintainance and DAMY Health!
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Or Check Out The Healthy Living Tidbits Page!
Iago Cerqueira
February 5, 2012 at 10:23 am
Like your post. Keep it going !!!
Eating 4 Balance
April 18, 2013 at 7:01 pm
Wow. What a great reflection post. Thanks for sharing. Great to hear about you making it past your food allergies too!
Sabrina @ Nutritiously Sweet
April 18, 2013 at 9:22 pm
Thanks Madison! It really is hard though, always learning