30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #9 - Finally Notice It! Jess' Weight Loss Story

This is letter #9 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.

Email:

Dear Diet Buddy,

This is Jess, 25. After a couple of years, she's finally notice a difference. She submit this picture of her looking great and fit perfectly in this one piece bathing suit - a NOT plus size which according to her, she have not had in years. Non Scale Victory! Let's give her an applause.

Everyone's journey on weight loss is totally different. What works for others sometimes may not works for you. But it's worth reading someone success story which can keep us motivating and let us know that we're not struggling alone. This is Jess' story.

1. What makes you decided to lose weight? 

My husband (then boyfriend when I started my weight loss journey) is a very active gym-member. He is an avid weight lifter. I wanted to look "good" with him, be in nicer clothes, etc.

2. Did you drop the weight through diet or exercise or both? 

I originally started with just diet, but added exercise. I count all my calories (I make a lot of my own food- I use myfitnesspal) and keep track of all my work out routines. I do some cardio (swimming/jogging) and weight training.

3. What challenges you face while losing weight? 

It is hard to get out of the "fat girl" state of mind. When I shop, I still grab larger sizes. When I look in the mirror, I only see my old self. It is hard to actually see the difference. Once I saw pictures side by side, it really hit me.

4. What changes you made to lose weight? 

I started making my own food, keeping track of everything I ate and started to work out.

5. What is your starting weight? 

My starting weight in 2010 was 210.

6. Have you reached your goal weight? 
No, I would like to be 150. I have about 20 pounds to go.

7. How long does it take to see your weight loss result? 

It took about a year to notice a change. Of course I saw the numbers on the scale change, but it still took awhile to actually notice.

8. Can you share your 5 best weight loss tips? 

1. keep track of what you eat and always try to make your own food 
2. drink A LOT of water 
3. do weight training, burns a lot of fat/calories 
4. knock out negativity. it only holds you back 
5. work out at least three times a day, even if it is 20 minutes.

9. Please share your diet plan and workout routine. 

I eat 1400 calories or under per day. Of course, I do have my cheat days. Sometimes it is important. I usually have a glass of wine or go out to eat. I work out four times a week. Two days of cardio- walking/jogging or swimming, two days of weight training- circuit with machines or free weights 

I hope you will not only enjoyed this story but motivate you to create your own weight loss story. Do you know any incredible success story? Send it to Her Weight Loss Diary. Read more weight loss story here.

Small talk: Do you learn more from success OR learn more from failure?  

Yours truly,

Read more

30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #8 - How to Break Bad Habits (Including Mindless Eating) Without Trying

This is letter #8 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.

Email:

Dear Diet Buddy,

What are some of your bad habits? Being a bad listener, being critical, speaking when angry, clinging to the past, keep making excuses? Or, do you find that you have bad habits towards certain kinds of food and drink?

Bad habits are made to be broken. But they can be sometimes hard to be break. If snacking mindlessly in front of the TV is your bad, old habit you can delete your bad behaviors by learning to turn off the autopilot. According to Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., the author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, many bad habits are triggered by the context (e.g., watching TV, socializing, feeling stressed), rather than by any particular desire to engage in the behavior. So the effective key to stop a bad habit isn't making a resolution – it’s figuring out how to disrupt the behavior, preferably before it starts.

1. Disrupt the habit by changing the context

If you have a habit you’d like to break, spend some time thinking about the situations in which it most often occurs. If you snack in front of the TV at night, consider doing something else in the evenings for a while – reading a good book, spending time with friends or family, even surfing the web. Any alternative activity is less likely to trigger mindless eating. If you just can’t give up your favorite shows, you might try rearranging the room, or sitting in a different chair – anything that alters the context can help.

2. Disrupt a habit by changing the method of performance

If you can’t change the situation, you can change the way the habit gets executed. If you mindlessly eat or smoke with your right hand, try only using your left. If you mindlessly drink from the glass that the bartender keeps refilling, try sitting at a table instead of the bar so you’ll have to consciously get up and ask for a refill. Making the behavior a little more difficult or awkward to perform can be a great way to throw a wrench in the works. 

For more proven strategies for reaching your goals (that actually work), check Dr. Heidi's book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals and visit her blog Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson.

Do you have any successful habits-breaking bad habits? Share your personal experience in the comments.

Yours truly,

Read more

30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #7 - How to Stay Motivated and Reach Your Goal

This is letter #7 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.

Email:

Dear Diet Buddy,

There are 9 days remaining until the end of the month of July. How are you doing so far with the goals you set? If you find yourself off track and you can't stick to your goal for the long term, I have a good news for you. I mean, for us.

"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."  ― Samuel Johnson

We all sometimes have trouble staying focused on our goals. And that has nothing to do with self-discipline or your level of willpower. We humans are creatures of habit or repetitive behaviors. Habits help us through our daily lives. We do things that are simply routine and automatic. For example, you drive to work using the same route, have a cup of coffee or tea, check your e-mails, update your schedule, etc. Some mornings you have a meeting at a different time, or have to drive a different way to work, but you tend to go back to your habits. But sometimes habit can also be a very bad thing. Snack every night in front of the television is unhealthy. Emotional eating, junk-food binges can leads to unnecessary weight gain. Sitting too long can be deadly. To break a routine or habit is difficult. Like making yourself go to the gym, when you do not want to. Like not be eating cheese doodles while watching television, even though you have a nearly uncontrollable urge to reach one.

You resolve to change your bad habits. Sometimes you succeed but often you fail. That is because we’re just too used to and comfortable with our routines. It takes small decisions that turn into small action.

So, how do you stay motivated and reach your goal? Allow yourself to reward yourself!

READ ALSO: 10 Powerful Ways to Keep You Motivated to Lose Weight

If you make a plan to reward yourself as you get closer to reaching your goal, you'll get motivated and continue to follow the course of your goals. This creates momentum and soon enough those choices become second nature. And before you know it, you have reached your goal.

So what is your next mini goal and action going to be? Will it bring you closer to your goal or push it further away? 

Yours truly,

Read more

30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #6 - My Favorite Workouts, among Other Favorite Things

This is letter #6 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.

Email:

Dear Diet Buddy,

Today I link up with Crystal from Mommi Fried to share my All Favorite Things. Glad to join this #LOBS party. It's a fantastic opportunity to mingle and get to know each other.

My top 4 All Favorite Things are:

1. Favorite Books

Jack Canfield's "How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" and "Unlocking the Secrets to Living Your Dreams." These are the books I am currently reading. I love all the books from the Chicken Soup of the Soul series because they are encouraging with it's real life stories, and challenges one to never give up in life.

2. Favorite Drink

I love milk and my current obsession is DESA Dairy Milk. They are pasteurized fresh milk. The taste? It's pretty damn good. Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. According to the study by researchers at McMaster University, drinking milk after exercise encourages muscle gain and fat loss.

3. Favorite Workouts

Compare to workout printable poster, I am much prefer to workout with workout videos. Workout videos feels more like personal training session. It's convenience because you can do them at any time of the day or night. Frankly speaking, I don't like gym because I hate to do these moves in public. But workout videos let you workout in your own space, in the privacy of your own home. You can pause the videos any time when you feels tired or you whenever can't catch the moves and needs to repeat. I wanted to share with you 3 of my favorite You Tube Workout Video.

4. Favorite Quotes
"Never give up."

I'd love to know your all favorite things - your favorite workouts, your favorite foods, your favorite weight loss story, your favorite day, etc. Add yours in the comments, or if you blogs join this #LOBS party and share your All Favorite Things post.

Yours truly,

Read more

30 Days 30 Letters: An Open Letter To My Diet Buddy #5 - Farrah Go Back to Basics and Lost 26 kg

This is letter #5 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.

Email:

Dear Diet Buddy,

I want you to meet my friend, Farrah.

Farrah topped the scales at 81 kg when she began her weight loss journey last year and lost over 20 kg after a year. Why does it took 1 year long you ask. Well, slow and steady weight loss really does win the race and Farrah proves it right. Before this, Farrah has tried every weight loss product under the sun to lose weight. They do help her lose weight — but she keeps gaining it back!

Her Weight Loss Plan

How Farrah lose weight for good this time? Counting calorie. She eats 1200 calorie a day. She tried to eat healthy, avoid bad fat especially deep fried foods during the day. She will usually have salad, shake or bread for dinner. Farrah's weight loss plan also include jogging and hill-hiking.

Weight Loss from Her Point of View

She have tried every weight loss supplement and diet pills in the market and after achieving weight loss success the old-fashioned ways, Farrah deems weight loss pills, weight loss supplement and things like so as just a big fat waste of money. Exercises has not only hep her to lose weight in healthy way but exercise also affect her level of happiness, improve her mood in a positive way.

You may be a bit disappointed to discover there's no special weapon she uses to lose weight. It's just a back to basic formula. Smart choice of foods and finding a healthier balance by fitting more activity into your day.

Have you tried any weight loss supplement or diet pills before? Share your personal experience with weight loss pills and weight loss drinks in the comments. 


Yours truly,

Read more