Advice from a woman who's lost more than 150 pounds

This week, I’m honored to have a guest post by a woman (and fledgling blogger!) who has lost more than 150 pounds--and kept it off for years.  Here’s some candid advice from her about what she wished she’d known from the beginning of her weight loss journey. Healthierbites.com

Hi, I’m Leigh. I used to weigh 320 pounds. Now I don’t . Here’s proof:

I give no-holds-barred advice about what works—and, more importantly, what doesn’t—at beforeandduring.com.

Five Things I Wish I’d Known from the Beginning

1) The mental struggle is hard enough—avoid physical ones wherever you can.  Invest in the right tools for the job.

Getting sidelined by chafing, blisters, or heat exhaustion sucks. Not only do you feel gross, it interferes with your ability to move your body and sabotages your efforts. Synthetic, quick-dry fabric is not a marketing scam. It really does a much better job at keeping you comfortable and rash-free. Also, synthetic socks and shirts hold their shape much better than cotton ones. Even if you have to spend a little more at first, you will get more mileage out of them, and  thus in the long run save your money along with your skin.

Cheap shoes are cheap for a reason. Shoes that don’t fit properly and/or don’t provide enough support will tear up your feet and fail to protect your joints from shock and stress.  Not worth it. Go to a specialty running store if at all possible. The people who work at them are experts in finding the best pair of shoes for your gait, size, and bone structure. Many stores have treadmills, so you can try before you buy. Running stores are also great places to find information on your local fitness community—finding a group of like-minded people can be a huge help in keeping you on track. 

2) Drink lots of water.

Not iced tea, not diet Coke, not Crystal Light— plain water, and lots of it. Water is good for you on so many levels. It helps your body recover from workouts and day-to-day stress. It keeps your kidneys functioning properly. It dilutes your sweat and helps your breath stay fresh. It keeps your skin healthy, helps prevent breakouts, and slows the aging process. Also, drinking lots of water helps you to control your appetite—dehydration is often mistaken for hunger.

Aim for three liters a day, more if you exercise strenuously or live in a hot climate. Drink a liter of water with breakfast in the morning, and another liter after you exercise. Get a Nalgene bottle and keep it with you. Replenish during the day as needed. Your bladder will get used to it—and your body will thank you.

3) The most effective exercise is the one that you enjoy doing. 

Nothing is magic, nothing is mandatory. You don’t have to run if you hate it. You don’t have to work out with free weights if you hate it. If you don’t like one activity, try another one. Dance, martial arts, rowing, tennis, Crossfit, soccer, Olympic lifting, cycling, swimming, you name it—if it sounds fun, give it a try! We humans are meant to move our bodies—once you find what it is you actually like to do, you won’t have to force yourself to do it. 

4) Start by focusing on how you eat, rather than what you eat.  

If you give your food your full attention, you will be satisfied with less of it. Don’t do anything else while you eat. No TV, no internet, no phone, and please no driving. No matter how busy you are, you can take a few minutes to sit down with your food. Schedule your mealtimes if at all possible. Pay attention to how your food tastes, and how it makes you feel. Put your fork down between bites. Make each meal a moment.  You owe it to yourself. 

5) There is no “after.” There is only before, and during.

Fitness is a lifelong endeavor.  It is best to make small, steady, gradual changes rather than sweeping overhauls. Sometimes, you’ll have a come-to-Jesus moment. Something will just click, and you’ll never look back. However, this is the exception—and when it does happen, it’s spontaneous. You can’t force a paradigm shift. What you can grit your teeth and force yourself to do are things like parking your car at the far end of the lot, or leaving the sour cream off your burrito. Create new habits, one at a time. These will build on each other to form a solid foundation—one upon which you can be confident your rebuilt self will remain secure.

www.healthierbites.com

Quick and easy spiced shrimp

I tried out a curried shrimp today that was both easy to make (no need to chop onions!) and a real crowd (and 2-year old!) pleaser. Here's the recipe:

1 lb cooked shrimp (cleaned and at room temperature)

2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the mustard seeds. 

2.  When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, cardamom powder and stir for a few seconds. 

3. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Cook, covered, for 5 mins. 

4. Serve warm.

Basil Almond Pesto

Ok. So this isn't exactly a low-fat recipe. In fact, this recipe's pretty much all fat. The good news is that it's all in the form of the so-called "good fats" from nuts and olive oil. This pesto recipe uses almonds which are a lot easier to find than pine nuts (plus, I just happened to have them in bulk...)

2.5 cups firmly packed basil leaves

1/2 cups roasted unsalted almonds

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix. 

2. Serve immediately.

Savory Eggplant Dip

I love eggplant. Growing up, one of my favorite dishes was a tamarind eggplant curry that my mother would make. In her native country, one would use tamarind, but in the absence of tamarind in Africa, she would sometimes use tomatoes. The result would taste faintly like this eggplant dip.

1 large eggplant

2 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp tomato paste

1. Slice the eggplant in half. Coat all sides of the eggplant with olive oil. 

2. Starting with cut sides down, broil eggplant in the oven for 15-20 mins. Turn eggplant over and broil for 10 mins or until the flesh of the eggplant is fork-tender all the way through.

3. Remove skins and discard. Put eggplant flesh in a food processor along with garlic paste, black pepper, salt and tomato paste. Grind until thoroughly combined. 

Multigrain Dosas

My mother has been making multigrain Dosas for years. I recently tried a version of my own that gave up white rice entirely. Here it is:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup urad dhal

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 cup millet flour (ragi)

Salt to taste

1) soak urad dhal in water for at least four hours (ideally overnight)

2) drain and rinse urad dhal. 

3) place urad dhal and remaining ingredients in a blender or grinder. Add about 1/2 cup water. Grind till smooth. 

4) place batter in a bowl and let stand, covered, for 12 hours, until fermented. Resulting batter should smell slightly sour and may have a few bubbles. 

5) make dosas by pouring a small quantity on a hot, lightly oiled griddle and spreading batter to a thin consistency. Roast Dosas for a few minutes, then turn over and roast for a few more minutes to ensure thorough cooking. Resulting Dosas should be golden brown. 

Spiced Broccoli

I just tossed together some frozen broccoli and a few spices today, and liked the results enough to share. It's a great, quick recipe for a busy week-night.

2 cups frozen broccoli

2 tbsp clarified butter (or olive oil)

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

3-4 dried red chillies

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat oil on medium heat and add mustard seeds. 

2) When mustard seeds start to pop, add cumin and red chillies and fry for a few seconds. 

3) Add frozen brocolli, salt and pepper.  Toss with oil mixture and spices until broccoli is evenly coated. 

4) Cover and allow to cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until broccoli is heated through. 

5) Serve warm.

Kale smoothie

I hate smoothies. Really. I know it's presently un-p.c. for me to say so, but I do. Yes, I know they're great for me, they'll give me more energy and make me wonder-super-woman.........but I just. can't. stand (!) the idea of drinking my vegetables. Yeeck!

But then........ I actually tried a smoothie out today, and.....not too bad. It's not too sweet, and I had it as an end-of-the day drink. The feedback I had from my husband was that it could be sweeter. So, in place of the milk, you could try a slightly acidic juice like orange or apple juice that will add both sweetness as well as a sour note to balance the bitterness of the kale.....

2 cups baby kale

1 tsp ginger paste

1 apple, cored and chopped

1 cup milk (or orange or apple juice)

1) Throw all ingredients into the blender and whir away till smooth. Enjoy immediately.