Weight Loss

Lately I've been trimming down a bit. I have never been concerned about my weight, and have always been comfortable with my size. After the birth of our third baby, though, I found that even though I wasn't gaining pounds, they were redistributing in odd ways. I had one pair of jeans that fit well, and I wore them ALL THE TIME. But when they finally wore out, I knew I had to do something to get into the clothes I had because I sure couldn't afford to buy new ones!

I'm going to share with you a few simple steps I took that have helped me trim up - not that I've lost significant weight (not that I want to) just that I'm definitely a bit slimmer than I was. Actually, I've only lost 10 pounds in about a year! But my clothes fit much better, thankfully.

1. Sweets: I have never had a sweet tooth, so it hasn't been difficult to cut those down to a minimum. I still eat a few cookies when I bake them, but otherwise, I avoid baked goods.

2. Exercise: I love these diets that suggest an hour of exercise a day! When you're a homeschooling mom that is just absolutely impossible! So, I exercise about 20 minutes. Add in the time it takes to get ready (clothes, water, kids settled) and shower after ... that's long enough.

3. Protein: I happen to like protein best out of the food groups, so that's what I eat the most of. I could take or leave bread, so that hasn't been difficult to cut back on. I eat low-fat cheese, peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham, nuts, chicken, bacon, etc.

4. Apples and Bananas: I have eaten lots of apples lately! Both fruits really feel like a full snack when they're cut into slices. I especially like eating them with crunchy peanut butter or Nutella.

5. Eating Less: I have made a concerted effort to eat less often, and less at each meal. Mostly this is because we haven't had a very large grocery budget and I don't have much to snack on! But I eat breakfast (high protein), lunch, snack (about 2-3 in the afternoon) and dinner. I do my best not to eat after dinner, but if I do, it's light and just enough to take the hunger pangs away so I can sleep. I also drink unsweetened hot tea which helps fill my tummy and feels like a treat.

6. One Meal A Day: I have at least one meal a day that I love. I'm not cutting out pasta - I love it too much! And potatoes are not going anywhere - I couldn't live without them! But I do practice moderation. I have found that a completely spartan diet does not work for me. I love food and there's nothing wrong with enjoying it - in moderation.

I haven't been drinking lots of water, no more than usual, I'm not counting calories, and I know I could lose more weight if I would just ________________. But again, my goal isn't truly weight loss, just a slimmer build and not having to buy new clothes!

So, I hope this encourages you to make small changes if you'd like to see a bit of difference in yourself. Obviously, these steps won't help if you're looking for significant weight loss, but they've helped me reach my goal!