50 pounds down. Turns out, size does matter.

“We’re” willing to endure self-inflicted discomfort for tattoos, piercings, uncomfortable shoes, a night out and beauty procedures.

Why is it so difficult to feel a bit hungry from time to time? It seems most creatures in nature experience hunger. Most humans do, too, if we’re being honest about “our” circumstance.

Americans waste up to 30% of their food stuffs. Remember when buffets were a thing?

My experiences with weight gain might resonate with one or two of you.

We would go for a hike from time to time. They were getting much harder as the weight kept increasing. I didn’t weigh myself very often. I noticed when everything in life had become uncomfortable. Weight, as a number on a scale, has never meant anything to me. I’ve gauged my health based on how I felt. I was honestly not feeling very good anymore.

We live extremely rural so convenience eating hasn’t been a thing. The most convenient “fast” food is almost 30 minutes away, each way. We cook with whole ingredients and have semi-successfully made all kinds of global cuisines.

Here I am pushing 40. At the end of summer 2020, I was still in my mid-30s, I weighed right around 250 pounds.

Many of my peers are making their own life changes. None of them appear to be pursuing their version of a healthy lifestyle for vanity. It turns out, a lot of us are actually pretty in tune with our bodies and know exactly what we need to do. Some experience success with Keto or going plant-based. None of us are getting out of here alive, right? Let’s just not feel like doodoo while we’re here, if we can help it.

Up until last summer, my weight -- whether lower or higher, never prevented me from doing anything I wanted.

Something triggered inspiration during the wildfires on the west coast when friends were enduring their first natural disasters. Homes and livelihoods burned without so much as an emergency alert. I still haven’t processed the words of admiration I feel for the many ways I have witnessed friends, former coworkers and classmates keep going.

My newest goal is to earn a pilot’s license and find a way to fit into disaster relief efforts. Turns out, that’s not realistic when you’re more than 100 pounds overweight.

The fact of the matter is that I have known all along what I need to do. Some things have been done right while I was kidding myself about others. I’m nearing the 50 pounds down milestone and here are 4 changes that are assisting me on my journey, so far.

Fasting

I guess the buzzword for this is “intermittent” fasting. Or is this the one they call “intuitive” eating? Does it matter? I’m sharing what is actively working for me.

To get things kick-started just fast (drink your fluids!) for 48-72 hours.

I eat my first meal of the day after a morning walk. If there’s something preventing the morning walk, I do not eat until AFTER the hunger discomfort passes. It does pass!

Increase activity

DAMNIT! There it is again.

This is probably the one that I was kidding myself most about. I was super sedentary. Installing a step counter or fitness app on my phone made my laziness undeniable.

My spouse had knee surgery and experienced an increase in mobility. Together, we started walking 3000 steps, then 6000, and now we just walk. We created a habit that feels weird when we don’t do it. Have you ever been unable to brush your teeth? It’s kind of like that.

Side benefit!

Sometimes we’ll start our walk off cross, or otherwise in an unpleasant mood. By the end of the walk we are both in better places. We hash out quite a few conflicts together on our daily walks. As a result, we bicker less often and are on the same page more often with the kids.

Yep! Even in the rain. Buy an umbrella and waterproof footwear and stop with those silly excuses.

Devolving plate size

We, as a family, had already switched from the big dinner plates to using the smaller size. This one change may be the only reason my weight didn’t get even higher.

“We” westerners are well trained to eat at certain times of the day and to clear our plates. That’s actually kind of hard to unlearn and undo! It seems like everything in society is organized around these mealtimes.

Now, I am using the saucer size plate. I feel satisfied with actual portion sized amounts of food because I went through the discomfort of getting used to that. We had been doing very well all along with WHAT we eat (whole foods, prepared at home).

Side benefit!

Using real plates is way less wasteful, more eco friendly and ultimately less expensive. If meditation has been on your list, “they” say hand washing dishes has the same meditative qualities as a yoga session! To each their own.

We share to indulge

In order to lose weight, you must experience a calorie deficit. Don’t count them, unless you want. I don’t. Be self aware and be willing to be uncomfortable sometimes and temporarily.

I eat hot wings and other garbage. PMS week? Oh ya! Chocolate, wine, frozen pizzas. I listen to my uterus.

I made it through the holidays at a plateau and my weight has gone up a couple times. It has been an overall downward trend as I make adjustments to choices that aren’t getting me to my goal.

We went to an ice cream shop as a family and they had two sizes of shakes; 16oz and 24oz. Both of those are actually way too much. Lucky to have married well, we were thinking the same thing and shared a small chai shake.

Portion sizes going out to eat are outrageous. “We” would be mad if they weren’t. At this moment in my journey, eating a full senior sized meal causes over-full discomfort. We can often agree on a meal and depending on the meal (it might be a finger food appetizer), will simply request an extra plate and split it, including burgers. That frees up a couple more bucks for more tip and a couple more for the savings account.

I still drink too much alcohol.

That has been decreasing as well. At one point we had a mini-fridge converted to a kegerator. It was glorious!

Now, we appreciate the fact that if we have alcohol in the house, it’s getting drunk.

Same with sodas. So, we buy in moderation. An occasional fountain soda to share. We share a plate of poutine at our favorite brewery and indulge in ONE beverage each. Be mindful of mixers if you’re making cocktails.

I partake in recreational cannabis.

The munchies have been a small challenge. I solved that with hard candy. It’s terrible for your teeth so don’t skip brushing. Avoid buying that favorite junk. If it is not on hand, you’ll have to do something else, now won’t ya?

If you enjoyed this content, be sure to check out my other stuff! Thanks for reading!