Have you lost weight?

There is nothing more satisfying, especially when you are on a stringent diet, to have people coming up to you asking if you have lost weight!
I absolutely felt great and thin. It was not an easy task to finally have people asking me that as approximately six months before I started this diet, I get asked 'Are you pregnant again?' questions a lot! That was not good. It made me feel absolutely crappy and horrid. It made me feel bloated and when I looked in the mirror, my thighs looked bigger than an elephant's leg and let's not even talk about my butt!
Well, that is now all in the past. I just wish I could keep this weight off for good and then I am home free!
Before I embark on this dieting and exercising journey towards a slimmer me, I had a 'before' picture taken and had held off taking the 'after' picture for quite a while. Perhaps it is now time for me to do so.
I can just imagine the difference of both pictures. The before with me slouching, thighs thick, hips wide, arms flabby and tummy protruding. The 'after' of me would be a slender stranger with a flat tummy, slim thighs and small waist with just curvy hips. Yep, I am gonna look like a regular model, I am!
Well...ok...maybe my tummy is not so flat and my thighs not so slim but I am certain it must have shrunk since I started this diet! Darn it, all those weeks of less chocolates must account for something!
Oh well, at least, my collarbones are showing and my wedding ring is really loose. That is a good sign, no? Sigh...the loose skin on my tummy will probably be there to stay unless I have a tummy tuck but at least it is not bulging anymore.
Hmm...my weight? It's been stuck at my threshold weight for awhile and I have decided to be satisfied with it for now. I mean, I don't want to end up too skinny. All the chocolate companies will close down if they lost one of their loyal customers, ME! Heh heh.
Gotta go. I have to find a great pose for my 'after' picture. And NO, I will not post it here. Not unless if I absolutely look like a swimsuit model or something.

TT # 5

Having successfully lost about 20lbs in the past year, I have gathered a few things I do to lose the unwanted weight. I still have another 6 to 10lbs to lose to reach my ideal weight but I am certain I could do it! Thirteen things I do to keep on my diet:

1) Walks - I go for a 30 minute brisk walk in the mornings to be followed by 5 to 10 minutes of floor exercise.

2) Meal replacement shakes- I could not do if I had to stick to a diet plan by only cooking healthy meals as I hardly have time to cook and since I work outside the home, it is not possible to have home cooked meals all the time. So, I rely on meal replacement shakes by Shapeworks (Herbalife) for breakfast and dinner. For lunch, I prepare simple sandwiches.

3) Water - I load up on plenty of liquids, mainly plain water, to keep hydrated and the hunger away.

4) healthy, protein rich or high fibre snacks - To satisfy my munching habits, I stick to healthy choices of carrots, celery, soya bean nuts (from Shapeworks), a handful of almonds or peanuts.

5) Fruits and vegetables - On days when I am home and sick of taking a shake for dinner, I will load up on fruits and vegetables for dinner instead.

6) Chocolates - unbelievable as it may seem, I do indulge in some chocolates once every few days but in moderation. It is so that I do not build up a strong craving for the sinful heavenly dessert and go on a binge.

7) Family support - no diet will be successful if your family members do not offer the appropriate support. It is thanks to my husband's support that I managed to lose all the weight.

8) Weight loss coach - family support aside, having an expert in weight loss on hand to give advise and the appropriate prodding on exercise and food intake does wonders to keep me on the beaten path.

9) Research - I did not follow any of the popular fad diets so I did a lot of research on all the diets, healthy foods, exercises and such so that I could formulate a diet and exercise regime that suits my lifestyle.

10) Blogging - instead of turning to food whenever I am down or stressed, I blog and pour out my feelings and frustrations.

11) My toddler - Little Ray is now almost two and caring for him after work could be counted as part of my exercise regime! I never knew little toddlers could run so fast!

12) Entertainment - I keep myself occupied, when Little Ray has gone to sleep, by reading and watching movies on the TV so that I do not think about food. The hardest is of course, keeping away from the snacks when watching movies.

13) Work - My workday could sometimes be very hectic. At times, I hardly have time to breath much less stop for a lunch break so my work has somehow helped me stay off munching on junkfood all day! But I do not skip meals as it would slow down my metabolic rate so I would often munch on a wholemeal healthy sandwich for lunch.

There it is! It is not exactly a sure-fire way to lose all those unwanted weight fast but at least it worked for me!


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Disappearing act and dieting

Between work and family obligations, I have been so caught up and busy for the past weeks that I did not even realise I have not posted anything for a full month!
I remember starting to write a post or two but somehow got interrupted and the post ended up empty and abandoned.
One of the post was to gleefully announce my successful weight loss! I've lost almost 20lbs in the past five months and am darn proud of it! The most amazing part are the inches lost! I lost about 6in off my waistline and dozens more on my upper body, hips and thighs.
I am so happy that I can now fit into a size 10 that I went out to celebrate with chocolates and ice creams!
Though not exactly deprived of my favourite desserts during my Shapeworks/Herbalife diet, as I sometimes do give in and indulge in a chocolate bar or two, I still missed stuffing myself silly with chocolate peanut butter ice cream, chocolate fudge ice cream, dark chocolate, sneakers, Oreos, anything with the word chocolate in it!
Now I weigh 132lbs for my 5'5" medium frame. Though still not my ideal weight and I am still considered a tad on the heavy side for my frame and height, I am happy as it is. My hubby has no complains. I can fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes and even clothes I bought more than ten years ago. Life is good! I feel healthier and more lively!
I still exercise daily with morning walks and Denise Austin's floor exercise routines. I continue to take the protein shakes once a day instead of twice a day. I made sure to eat healthy meals and allow myself desserts and snacks. Moderation is the key to everything!
Perhaps I may even try to lose another 10lbs to reach my ideal weight but this time, it is not because someone said something nasty to me, it is because I want to show that I can do it if I set my sight to it.
Let's just hope I do not become pregnant again.....