Twin Story — The Little Steps Get Us There

Hi everybody! It’s Chris — Annabel’s twin.  Like Annabel, I lost a bit of weight — 100 pounds to be exact — and have kept it off for five years now.  I had been chubby for most of my life, so finding simple ways to transition into a healthier lifestyle were key for me in finally losing the weight and keeping it off.  I’d like to share some beginner’s tips with those out there who care to take them.

First steps to take if you’re beginning your journey:

• Get rid of soda. Most people don’t realize a can of soda is close to 150 calories.  I found that switching to diet soda (Coke Zero, Diet Pepsi, Diet Cherry 7-Up are the best) to be the easiest transition, though later you may want to wean yourself off soda completely and drink water (I also drink Propel, and Crystal Light lemonade on occasion).

• Spice Up Your Foods! STOP THE MAYO.  No more mayo for you, period, end of sentence. Ketchup and mustard should suffice on burgers or sandwiches. You don’t even need cheese.  The more vegetables you use, the more you will realize you don’t need to add fat to have a great sandwich. My favorite sandwich toppings include: pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and banana peppers.  I am also a big fan of Tapatio and Red Rooster Sauce.  I add one of these to almost every meal.  It spices things up and makes food more appetizing without increasing the calories.

• Get in some cardio. If you want to burn calories you got to get some cardio in.  I found that running outside was a lot easier then running on a treadmill.  Treadmills offer no views and you can get bored quickly. Tips for running outside include finding a route that you like, making routes that go through new areas of town you’ve always wanted to explore and driving the route with your car or use mapmyrun.com to figure out the mileage.  You can start slow.  No one goes for one run and becomes a marathoner.  If you have to start by walking, that counts too,  but, if you can go on a little run without fearing for your health, do it.  And keep upping your distance. If running doesn’t work, try something else.  I injured my ACL in my knee a while ago and since then have only done strength training and swimming and I’ve still managed to keep the weight off.

• Stick to a Food Routine.  I pretty much ate turkey sandwiches, turkey burgers, and chicken noodle soup for 4 months straight while I transitioned into a healthier lifestyle.  For me, refraining completely from desserts and fast food helped me maintain my momentum and drop the pounds.  Too often with previous attempts did I give in to temptation, resulting in loss of momentum and eventually weight gain.  Most food-challenged kids, no matter how much they want to lose weight, will not stop at one cookie. I found the only solution was to have no desserts in the house. In the beginning I did count calories. Thankfully, I don’t have to do that anymore as I’ve become accustomed to instinctively knowing how much I’m eating.

• Tell your friends no.  Everyone has friends who like to go out and drink and eat, etc.  If they are your friends they will support your desire to get healthy and will not take it personally or get offended. Just be strong enough to say no…politely, of course.

• Wait half an hour after you finish a meal.  I have a never-ending appetite. I’m the guy who finishes his food and licks the plate, and then goes searching for more food.  I found that eating your portioned meal and waiting half an hour after your meal to digest will help curb your remaining appetite. Waiting a while after you eat, most of the time, you will realize you are full and don’t need those second helpings.

That is all I have for right now, as I am off to Boston for the weekend.  Stay tuned for future entries as we continue to get chatty with this ex fatty.