How I lost 20lbs

My goal when I began this blog was to lose 10lbs for a photoshoot, I wanted to put that goal out there to the universe as a way of gaining the support that I needed. I didn’t lose the 10lbs for the photoshoot but I have lost it now….10lbs making my total weight loss 20lbs since March or April. This works out to about 2lbs a month…hmmmm isn’t that what “they” say is healthy.

I was reading something on yogic thinking and was reminded that setting deadlines for something to happen is not really the yogic way of thinking.

The theory is, that rather than deciding you want to lose weight by a specific time, you decide that you need to lose weight and need to make some changes in order to achieve the weight loss, the goal is to be healthier. So weight loss becomes a change in thinking rather than a forced event….I have forced myself to lose weight all my life, and it always came back, this time I just changed a few things and the weight came off.

Yoga is never about forcing always about moving forward in small increments, being gentle and honoring yourself along the way.

In fact, I have actually eaten more than I used to…yes more….I have always had this fearful relationship with food, I never really ate enough, nutritionists have told me that but I was afraid of eating more for the fear of gaining weight…..I messed up my metabolism…and paid the price.

Students keep asking me how I lost so much weight, they want the secret…and there is no secret, no gimmick….I just worked out consistently over a long period of time (almost 1 ½ years with Misty so far), I added more running to the mix and added more food, especially I concentrated on more protein, I did not eliminate carbs , I added more protein a huge difference…..for the first time in years my weight has steadily gone down with no jumps up, no 5lb weight gains over the weekend….no binging and I allowed myself the odd treat here and there…all in balance and moderation.

I am still planning on losing weight, I have no time frame or final weight goals, I just want to get into a better weight range….my prime weight that I seemed to be able to maintain in the old days is about 10lbs less and I know I will get there sometime in 2010. If the 2lbs a month continues I will be there in May….no goal...as it doesn’t really matter….my body will take me there if I listen closely to its needs.

In yoga we preach that the body is wiser than the mind, it will tell us when we are hungry, tired, thirsty…etc….really connecting to our body is so important.
I have really focused on that theory, if I was truly hungry I ate….real hunger not boredom pangs….I paid careful attention to my body…when I ate pizza before teaching (I am 2 minutes from a Pizza shop, so it is my lazy dinner), I felt crappy, the food seemed to sit undigested in my stomach…

I always eat before bed time, I come home at 10:00 at night having taught 2 to 3 classes I am hungry, my body needs something, so I eat a bowl of cereal.
I am not waiting for a diet to end this time I am living a great life and taking really good care of myself…this is something that I know I can maintain…this is the yogic way of life.

It has not been the easiest year of my life, in fact it has been a very hard year, but it has been a year of great personal learning and growth...I have changed so much this year, I am tougher but more compassionate...I take better care of myself, there are many changes I still need to make...but I have a feeling I will be led to those changes.