30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #4 - How Kate Dropped from 77 to 59 Kilos!

This is letter #4 in Her Weight loss Diary's new series - 30 Days Letters to My Diet Buddy project. The road to weight loss can be tough. If you want to feel like you aren't alone in your diet endeavors, buddying up can hold you accountable for every bite you take. Subscribe here, because you don't want to miss any letter.

P.s. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts, the best thoughtful comments will be featured every Friday.

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Dear Diet Buddy,

Sorry for the slow update, in case you're waiting for this. I am so encouraged by your visits and comments and I do hope that this letter will encourage our weight loss effort in return.

If you think that celebrity like Beyonce can lose weight fast because they have wider resources, you might want to think again after reading Kate's success story.  Kate shares to Her Weight Loss Diary's readers her tips and advice on how she beat the bulge once and for all. Kate has lost 18 kg from her starting weight of 77 kg weight -- you can, too! We can do it!

Her Turning Point
"I was desperately unhappy with myself and the way I looked. I would frequently wake up in the mornings and spend 40 minutes just getting dressed because I felt everything made me look fat. How I looked in the mirror began to determine my mood for the entire day and I would constantly be thinking of how this part of me looked fat or if I sat/stood at a certain angle it made my stomach/legs/arms look huge. I was utterly miserable."

Her challenges in Losing Weight 
"Dealing with weeks where you maintain or temporarily gain, it's always so disheartening and makes you feel like you need to take drastic measures to lose - normally your body is just adjusting but it's much easier said than done to believe."

"I also found it hard eating out with friends or socialising on weeks where I was trying to be strict with myself (whilst counting calories) because I just wanted the option to be care free as I was when I was bigger."

KATE'S WORKOUT PLAN 

Most recently I had been running 5-6 days per week on average 8-10km a time. However, 2 days ago I joined the gym and started lifting weights so my new plan is to do 2 days running per week and 3 days lifting per week. Before I started becoming a running enthusiast (April 2012) I would do home workouts like Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism and had an amazing amount of success with her workouts and also The Biggest Loser workouts. Another great one I use on random days if I don't feel like running is www.blogilates.com - her workouts are incredible!

Her Slim Down Plan
"I started exercising 5-6 days per week in October 2012 and by January 2013 I was also counting calories to ensure my progress could continue. In June 2013 I started eating clean and stopped counting calories as I found it too restrictive and I followed it to the letter which can tire after 6 very strict months! I also knew that although I'd lost weight, I didn't look how I wanted to look to be happy with myself so I decided to improve my diet."

KATE'S DIET PLAN

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with 1.5% fat milk & banana OR protein pancakes with banana. 
• After workout snack - Protein shake Lunch - Tuna/Chicken Salad with cucumber, pepper, chillies, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, etc. Usually I make a dressing out of greek yoghurt with garlic/chives 
• Afternoon Snack - Dark chocolate (4 squares), fruit, greek yoghurt with fruit, etc. 
• Dinner - Whole wheat pasta with chicken/tuna OR chicken with vegetables and quinoa.

Her Milestone
"I noticed results after 2 months as I started using progress pictures in November 2012, however they were very small. The biggest results I noticed were 5 months in when I realised I was considered "small" and most recently in June 2013 when I had several women tell me that I had a great body and ask what I did. It made me take a long, hard look at myself and realise how far I had come as for a long time I just kept thinking of myself as a fat girl trying to slim down. Now I am slim girl trying to get fit!"

Her Life Now
"I am so much happier, I have a positive outlook on life and I have a new lease of determination. If I want something, I go out and get it because I know I can. This journey has taught me that I can achieve what I want to as long as I put my mind to it and that has been so empowering."

"I am more confident in myself and don't feel nervous at all entering social situations with new people - before I always felt like they were judging me for being fat (again, my own issues not anyone elses, I hardly ever had a bad word said about my weight!)."

"I also have a new found interest and love for health and fitness, it has become a passion and a hobby of mine along with my blog which has been a great outlet to discover."

Her Weight Loss Maintenance
"I eat clean (e.g. unprocessed foods), drink 1.5-2L of water per day and have 1-2 cheat meals per week if necessary (dinner with friends/boyfriend, drinks, etc.) and I exercise 4-5 days per week."

5 Best Weight Loss Tips from Kate

1. Drink water, all the time.

2. Think about the food on your plate, not just how many calories are in it.

3. Do not give up. If it gets hard, you need to overcome it to keep going.

4. If you feel tired, take a rest. You will still look the same tomorrow for no exercise as you do today for exercising. Rest days are so important.

5. Remember this is all trial & error and you have to do what works for you.

If you're inspired by Kate's story don't forget to share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or G+. Go visit Kate's blog on  Diaries of an Essex Girl and say hi! See Kate on Her Diary's Hall of Success. Until then, never give up, never surrender.


Yours truly,

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