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Denise Bryan’s Weight Loss Journey
Reality…
I can remember the day vividly when once again,
I found myself sitting on my living room couch with the TV on, feeling very tired, disillusioned with life and disconnected
from my family and friends. I was pondering a discussion I had earlier that day with my spouse on “happiness.”
The sad thing was, I wasn’t sure what really made me happy anymore. Somewhere along the way, I got lost in my busy life of mother, wife, employee, teacher, student,
daughter etc. I so often put the needs of others ahead of my own.
The power to change…
I’ve struggled my whole life with obesity, starting millions of diets in order to lose weight for a family wedding
or an upcoming vacation, and I always failed miserably. On this day, it occurred to me that perhaps the way I had gone about
losing weight was a failure; but I was not a failure. I am a competent, knowledgeable, and kind-hearted
woman, who believed that I just needed to do things differently. I firmly believed I
have the power to make changes in my life. I striving for two
very simple goals: to be healthier and happier.
Prioritize!
This is the day
my priorities changed. I realized that it is my responsibility to be happy and healthy, so I got
off the couch and went for a fifteen-minute walk. I was out-of-shape and breathless. But,
instead of being critical and overwhelmed by it, I told myself, “Good job -tomorrow I’ll go sixteen minutes!”
My NEW #1 priority in life became MY health and happiness.
Lifestyle changes – reprogram one small step at a time…
After two weeks of walking, I felt more energized, and felt good about myself. It was now time to re-evaluate my relationship with food. I had developed poor eating habits over the years, and my weight was over 300 pounds. I had been on so many diets in my life, and it was clear to me that I lacked an understanding of when I ate, why I would eat certain foods, what I was eating, and also the volume of food/calories I would consume in a day. I started a food journal, so I could be very specific in developing a plan to eat healthier. I decide to keep it simple, and I identified four new food habits I would implement slowly. These are the four changes:
·
Drink water!
In the first week of developing my new eating habits, I concentrated on drinking more water. I was
getting good exercise, and I found myself thirsty. I eliminated soda pop and chose water. I
made a habit of grabbing my water bottle, and drinking water throughout the day.
· No eating after 8:00pm. The second week, I stopped late night eating. My food choices late in the evening were usually high in fat, calorie dense, and lacked nutritional value. They were comfort foods; not related to true hunger. Late night eating had to go.
· Portion control. About the third week, I needed to relearn what was a normal portion/serving size. I used a deck of cards to estimate a serving size. It was easy to do, and a visual tool for me to identify a normal serving.
· Eliminated fast foods. By week four, I looked at my food choices and realized I needed to plan my meals, and not to eat on the run. Fast foods, in general, are loaded with fat, salt, often sugar, and subsequently packed with calories. One of my most difficult changes came when I decided not to eat fast foods. They are so appealing and so easy to get. Instead, I just decided to look at food as energy or fuel for my body, and I knew that better choices were fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. I started a favorite food list that included foods that were nutritious and that I liked! I then felt that I had a variety of healthy food choices that were great for my new energized body.
What amazed me was that it did not take long for my taste buds to adjust to my new way
of eating, and that I was truly satisfied. These were dietary habits that I could live with,
and I was starting to realize that I felt better than I had in years.
My body is work in progress!
As I continue to move towards healthy eating choices, a final vice I have given up is desserts. Avoiding doughnuts, cake, pies, fudge, candy, ice cream, cookies, brownies etc. I just came to the realization it is easier for me to just not eat any desserts verses trying to eat sugary foods in moderation. I utilize Julia Havey’s vice-busting philosophy to kick a life-long sugar habit. I have been rewarded with far less food cravings and the ability to successfully manage my weight loss. I am reclaiming my life and taking back the power that I had once given away to food. Lasting weight loss is very important to me.
A new me…
I have lost 133+ pounds. From a 32 dress size to a size 14. That is 72 inches of fat gone from my body. (Starting weight: 321 pounds).
My health: In fifteen months time, in addition to the weight loss, other health benefits to my body from eating healthy and getting regular exercise include:
· Blood pressure:……..144/88…….Now: ……100/70
· Resting pulse:………… 80…….Now:…………40
· Cholesterol total:………180…….Now:………..155
· My risk for diabetes or
cardiovascular disease: High…….Now:……….Low
My fitness goals: I went from walking just 15-minutes/day to joining a running club. Fifteen
months later, I ran my first marathon (26.2 miles). I enjoy weight lifting, kickboxing classes, biking and so many other activities.
My happiness: Being the best me I can possibly be is important to me. For too many years, life had passed me by as I was side-lined
by obesity, but now I wake up excited by the discoveries I make every day of my incredible life journey. No long fatigue but
energized. No longer disconnected from dear family and friends, but connected by creating adventurous and endearing memories.
Also, I am no longer disillusioned with my life, rather I am captivated by all I
am now and all my future possibilities. I like roller coasters, painting my toe nails, being in pictures, going to the beach, jumping on the trampoline
with my children, rollerblading, meeting people, dancing with my husband, and so many other things that I just didn’t
realize before. My whole life is better. I no longer am a spectator, but a participant
in life! We are meant to move and to live life to its fullest! Celebrate life and who
you are!
Fiercely committed,
~ Denise Bryan
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