So. I plan to lose at least 30 pounds by my 30th birthday. It's not hard to do, or wouldn't be, if I had more self control. But, then, if I had more self control I wouldn't have quite so much baby weight to lose.
I'm not daunted because I lost 30 after I had Nathan with a little common sense. And whenever I felt that I just couldn't do it, that it was too hard, that I loved ice cream too much, I would remind myself that I have (as always in the George home) SCIENCE on my side! A calorie deficit will mean pounds lost. Each bite does make a difference. As does each step (especially when I'm pushing an eighty pound stroller). To create that deficit, all you have to do is eat less or exercise. Simple.
Except that I like to give up. It's one of my lifelong struggles. I'm a quitter. I'm much less so now (whew!) that I'm an adult because I can talk myself out of being morose and I figured out how to motivate myself, which is where the second step of common sense weight loss comes in. Set a reasonable goal (I gave myself 8 months to lose 30 pounds because Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a trip back home all occur in that time and I know that I probably won't lose during those times, I hope only to maintain).
Then set a lot of mini-goals within your bigger goal. At each 10 pounds lost, I buy something for myself that I would not normally buy. For this coming 10 pounds lost I'm buying a J. Crew purple wool coat that I've been drooling over. I'm thinking of setting some little goals for each 5 pounds lost, but I haven't come up with any ideas. Setting up food as my reward has worked against me in the past for many reasons, so I don't recommend it. It's easier (because success breeds success) to look toward mini goals because the reward is in sight. In fact, it's almost in my grubby hands! Five weeks is a short time to wait for a gorgeous coat, while eight months seems like a long time. As you reach each mini goal, you'll begin to see the results of your weight loss and that alone can be exciting enough to push you to the end.
Other tips to help: Write down (or track on your smart phone) everything EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. Then you'll see patterns and will know your weaknesses. When I tried to diet without writing everything (yes, EVERYTHING, even those three goldfish you swiped from your toddler!) down I didn't see how much cheese I was eating. It seemed like a moderate amount to me, but it wasn't. Cheese, ice cream, and salty snacks are my downfall. I literally have to count out a serving of chips before I begin eating. I even count the broken ones as fractions. ; )
My other bit of sage advice is to try to eat veggies at every meal. (Did you know that a cup of salad greens is only about 7 calories? You can pig out on those and then have enough of your daily allotment left over for your ice cream!) Even breakfast, if you can swing it. Ratatouille with an egg on top sounds like a heavenly breakfast to me. Or a veggie omelet?
