Small Slice

I've been friends with Carmen for years.  With her infectious laugh and sparkling smile, Carmen is always a joy to talk to.  She's also the reason that I ended up blogging in the first place.  Her blog, Mom To The Screaming Masses is one of my favorites.

With six kids and a schedule that would stress even the most organized person on the planet, Carmen is constantly on the go, leaving very little time for taking care of herself.  Nonetheless, she makes the time, and has successfully lost over 60 pounds since January 2006. 

With countless readers wanting to know how she did it, Carmen has launched a new site to share what she has learned:  The Elff Diet is a straight-up, no-holds-barred look at how Carmen changed her habits.  You all need to go check it out, and tell her I sent you. 

I asked Carmen to share some of her secrets with us.  Here's what she had to say:

How would you describe your personality?  I am a seriously anal, organized type A.  I am motivated; when I see something that need to be done, I do it.

How about your usual activity level?   Before or after I started my exercise routinue?  A bit over a year ago, I couldn't walk up the stairs without pausing for breath. I did no exercise, and yet, I thought I was in pretty good condition. After all, I was chasing kids around all day - that had to count for something, right? 

Tell us how much weight you've lost.  I've lost 62 pounds, one pound at a time, starting on January 1, 2006.

Do you follow a diet plan?  Tell us how you eat. When I first started, I just decided to eat less. I thought that would be all I had to do. I made a few more changes as the year went on.  I removed all High Fructose Corn Syrup and Trans fats/Hydrogenated oils from my diet.  I also tried, as much as I could, to change over from white wheat products to whole wheat - pastas and flour, especially.  I made a rule that I don't eat candy any more.  I stopped eating dessert nightly, and I dropped from a full fat white chocolate mocha to a non fat sugar free vanilla latte on my daily coffee run.  I eat only fruit between meals, and try to make the balance of my plate at each meal more weighted towards fruits and vegetables.  If I have a sandwich, I usually just have the bottom of the roll, and not the top.  It's too hard to not eat ANY bread, so I feel like that's a pretty good compromise.  I don't drink regular soda, only diet or unsweetened tea. I didn't make these changes all at once, but one at a time, every month or so.  As one became a part of my life I'd add in another change. 

What about exercise?  I try to exercise 6 days a week.  I've recently been ill, and have had to take some time off, but my goal is to do something every day.

What motivated you to make these changes?   Oh, ugh.  There were so many little things that kind of all came together.  I saw pictures of myself at my son's birthday party, and almost didn't recognzie myself.  I planned an amazing anniversary trip for my husband, and hated all of the pictures that I saw of myself.  One of the girls in my daughter's fifth grade class told my daughter that she had a fat mother.  I hated myself, the way I looked, and the toll that my weight was taking on my self esteem.  I was taking medication for depression, and had to bump up my dose.  I had a sneaking suspicion that if I lost weight, I'd feel better and maybe not need the medicine. 

What other changes have you made?  I began a sculpting program, in order to look better in my clothes.  I think that free weight work is key for women, especially as we get older.  I love the fact that I actually have arm muscles!

If you could offer one piece of advice to others who are seeking to lose weight, what would it be? Don't set your sights too high - you might want to lose 50 or 100 pounds, but the only way to lose it is one pound at a time.  If you have a large goal, break it up into smaller, more manageable goals. When you reach one of those goals, have a huge celebration. 

 

Pound by pound, the weight went on, and it needs to come off the same way.  There are no magic fixes, no quick and easy solutions.  But you can do it.  I know you can, because I did.  In the beginning, it was so hard - the hardest thing I've ever done.  I was discouraged and frustrated, but found support from others to be key.  Tell people that you are trying to lose weight, and ask them to help you.  If you are held accountable to another person, it's harder to trip up.  If you get discouraged, don't give up.  Talk it out with a friend or weight loss buddy.  Above all, don't try to be so hard core that you make it virtually impossible to succeed.  I give myself permission to cheat once in a while - sometimes, a woman really needs a good drink and some pizza. You can always start again tomorrow!