How I Lost Weight in 2010 and What I Recommend - Part I

I gained 40 pounds at the end of 2008 and into early 2009 around a shoulder injury and consequent surgery. I slowly lost about 10 pounds in 2009 and then lost a total of 32 pounds in 2010. The first ten pounds of 2010 I lost in the spring right before I went to a genealogical conference in which I knew I was going to meet a lot of people in real life that I had been online friends with for about three years. That ten came off the way most people's ten pounds come off...exercising hard and really watching what I ate for about six weeks. Then I was able to maintain that loss because I kept exercising throughout the summer, although I didn't lose anymore until I started getting serious about weight loss again in September. From September 1st to December 1st, I lost 22 more pounds.

How did I lose that 22 pounds in three months? I've had a lot of people ask me in the last month or so and thought I would share it here. I looked back and figured out the most important points, which I think will be helpful to anyone:
  
Know your body. Over the years, I have read a lot of books and web reports on nutrition, diets, and exercise. My blood type is O- and I am short and curvy, but have a small bone frame. I have learned that my body is most efficient when I keep my diet low-gluten and low-dairy and eat lots of fibrous, low-carb veggies and some fruits (but not a lot of the latter). I do well with high-protein meals (red meat, fish, and some dairy). I don't try to eliminate any foods at all, just keep the ones that don't work well with my body to a minimum, so I don't feel deprived. I also lose weight best when I do hard, aerobic exercise that makes me sweat, three to four times a week, for at least an hour to an hour-and-a-half. It has to be low-impact, too, because of my joint problems. To learn more about your own body and which foods and exercise work best, I recommend reading Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type, but I don't insist you follow it to a T. Feel free to experiment around until you find out what works best and what is easy for you to maintain. If you feel like it's hard all the time, you won't be successful.


(To be continued tomorrow)