I’ve had a weight problem since I was 6. I’ve weighed as much as 256 pounds, and I’m currently around 225. At that weight and standing 5′4″, my BMI is 38.6, which makes me “obese” or “extremely obese,” depending on which chart you read.
Just thought I’d get that out right at the start of my blog here at Health.com, because certainly someone will check out my contributor photo and realize that I am not a slim woman. I’ve never been smaller than a size 14 (though I’m still determined to get into a 12). And just as my diabetic colleague Sean Kelley knows more than most about his disease, I know quite a bit about mine.
There’s a funny thing about our perceptions of overweight people. We accept that people living with diabetes, cancer, celiac disorder, or any other condition know enough to teach the rest of us a thing or two. But we don’t expect people who are struggling with extra fat to know anything about how to fight it. And it really rankles some people that those who teach about healthy eating have obvious weight struggles.
Years ago, Cooking Light, Health’s sister magazine, published staff photos in a December issue. The staff had had a baby boom: A third were pregnant or had recently given birth when the photo was taken. Response? Readers sent in nasty letters about how fat they looked. Yet, Cooking Light’s staff includes registered dietitians and test-kitchen pros who understand the science of healthy, diet-friendly cooking better than most culinary school–trained chefs. (And, if you ask me, better also than the people who make fat-free salad dressing.)
The reality is, even with all the credentials, we are humans first. I’ve spent most of my life trying to shed my weight, and once I joined Health’s staff and started researching weight management as an editor, I gained a valuable perspective. Applying my journalist’s brain let me step back and do some troubleshooting from a different angle. Since then, I’ve been able to put what I’ve learned as a journalist on a weight-loss beat to successful use.
Next: What a 225-pound weight-loss editor can bring to the discussion of losing weight
Comments (81)
You are AMAZING, girl! I think it’s great that you’re giving the advice you are because you’re right, YOU KNOW! That’s like me, I’m a size 24 but I’m studying to become a certified personal trainer. I KNOW what it’s like to be big and uncomfortable exercising so I can empathize and accomodate those feelings! Keep working it, girl… you are an inspiration!
~*~ Beckie-Lynn ~*~
http://www.beckie-lynn.blogspot.com
I want to write this without sounding preachy, but this is how I lost 165 pounds. There are only 10 simple simple rules to follow, and you WILL LOSE WEIGHT.
1. Eat Breakfast – This is by far the most important. I eat a protein shake with a scoop of protein powder, peanut butter, a banana, blueberries, ice and 8oz milk plus water. Eat a big breakfast with some fat and lots of protein in it.
2. No pop – Ever. I used to drink 5-6 cans of pop a day, maybe more. This will save you a ton of calories. There is nothing beneficial. Don’t drink diet soda either. The artificial sugars are more harmful to you and trick your body into thinking you just consumed calorie-dense food. Just don’t do it. Oh, and avoid sports drinks and all the other fancy drinks, too. We get more than enough sugar in our diet.
3. No fast food – Nothing. Water or coffee only if you find yourself at a fast food place. For a good alternative go into a grocery store, walk in, and buy a banana or other fresh fruit. It will only take 5 minutes or so. Fast food is the devil. Believe me.
4. Workout 5 days a week – I strength train plus 3 miles of cardio a day. About 75 minutes in a gym is all it takes. If you can’t get to a gym, get some good shoes and start running.
5. Protein – 1-1.5s grams per pound of what you want to weigh. I ate 200 grams when I was 350 and I now weigh 195. If you want to weigh 150, eat 150 grams.
6. Don’t AT LEAST 3 hours before bed, and make it high protein – A cup of low fat cottage cheese and an apple is a great snack.
7. Cook – Make huge portions and portion them out in containers you can bring to work during the course of the whole week. I make stir fry+brown rice that fills 5 containers. Cook long dinners that take an hour to prepare. This is so rewarding and you are satisfied that you took the time to make something healthy and delicious. Yes, those two words can co-exist.
8. Water – I drink 2-3 Liters a day. Drink, drink, drink water. I pee a lot, yes, but your body thanks me for the water. The best diet drink currently on the market.
9. Cheat (and do it right around lunch) – By cheating, I mean a candy bar, regular size. Not half a birthday cake. Doing it early means your body has more prime time to burn the calories away, plus knowing you haven’t cheated yourself lets you relax and just enjoy what you eat.
10. Don’t stress out – This is the hardest, but I put it last because it’s the only one you can’t see to stop. It has taken me 3 years and 550 trips to the gym plus eating healthy every day to lose this weight. It takes time. We have a lifetime to live and lose the weight. Don’t rush it. You will get there.
Shaun, keep up the good work. As long as you try, you are a success in my book.