7 Things I Did to Lose 30 Pounds (and how I’ll keep it off)

I’ve been saying for a while I’d like to lose 25 to 30 pounds. Well, I finally did it. I lost 30 pounds, but it didn’t happen overnight. I made a lifestyle change. And because of that change, the chances of my rebounding are less than if I had crash dieted, or tried some fancy fad diet.

A small bit of background. When I graduated from high school, I weighed 111 pounds and measured almost 5’8” tall. Then, after having three kids, I had gained more than 20 pounds. That was okay, though. In high school, I was way too skinny.

Then, a diagnosis of asthma. Next, the diagnosis of migraines. Both maladies had existed since childhood, but I had never actually been treated for them. The treatment? Medications, including steroids, which packed on 30 pounds—with my help of course.

No, I wasn’t morbidly obese, but I was definitely overweight, even though I follow a mostly vegan diet. Vegans can be fat, too. My clothes were tight, and I had a gut. In September of 2014, I received a health scare. I had become borderline diabetic. My doctor told me to lose 10 pounds, cut down on carbs, and eliminate sugar, or I’d soon be on meds.

Here are seven ways I not only lost 10 pounds, but went on to lose another 20 pounds, bringing me back into a healthy zone. And, I was never miserable at all.

1. Consulted a registered dietician. Tessa, registered dietician from UPMC, calculated how many calories I should eat per day and helped me figure out how to incorporate more protein and fewer carbs into my vegan diet.

2. Monitored eating. Tessa recommended a handy free app for my phone, called “My Fitness Pal,” which I used to log my weight, track my calories, and record my exercise. I measured my portions and started reading labels to avoid high-fat, high-carb foods and steer myself toward healthy proteins.

3. Increased activity. Aerobic activity, such as walking, running, and cycling, allowed me to eat more calories in a day. I made sure to briskly walk the dogs at least 30 minutes per day. When the weather was bad, I walked in my basement.

4. Added strength exercises. Although these exercises wouldn’t allow me to eat more each day, they added muscle, which burned more calories. The added muscle reduced the amount of flabbiness as I lost weight. I did pushups, leg lifts, etc.

5. Monitored weight. Although Tessa suggested weighing myself only once per week, I realized that I could go off the rails pretty far in that amount of time, so I weighed myself every morning, without clothing, before breakfast. This way, I could tell what kind of damage I had done the day before and course correct, or pat myself on the back if the number was good.

6. Evaluated progress. I visited Tessa every three weeks for almost a year. At each visit, I reported my progress and set a new goal. We discussed my challenges and transgressions, and celebrated my victories. And the weight came off.

7. Medical Follow-ups. To make sure I know where I stand with my numbers, I continue my routine medical checkups, including periodic A1C blood tests to make sure I stay in a healthy range.

So, there you have it. Seven things I did to lose 30 pounds. I could have done it in fewer than eight months, but we had Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, vacation, etc., to recover from along the way. Plus, there were days when the diet completely went out the window, but I’d pull myself back in, especially when I knew an appointment with Tessa was coming up.

Now, I’m used to the portion sizes I should be having. I know how many carbs I can have at each meal. I feel so much better not lugging that extra weight around that I refuse to accept an insidious weight gain back to my pre-diabetic condition. By the way, I am no longer borderline diabetic, and I also was able to discontinue my blood-pressure medication. My feet no longer hurt. My love handles are gone. My arms are toned. My legs are firm. My life is good, and I need to buy some new clothes.

Ann Silverthorn writes about a wide variety of topics in numerous genres. She’s currently working on a biography of William E. Dimorier (1871-1951), a nearly forgotten poet and educator, who dedicated his life to the betterment of young people.

Twitter: @annsilverthorn   Instagram: ann_silverthorn