Starting A Weight Loss Program

So I am 46 years old, a mom of 8 kids and obese. I probably have the strangest motivation ever for wanting to lose weight. To be honest, I was not concerned about my weight before this. I still have enough energy to do what I need to do, etc. But now I am starting a weight loss program. 

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Why Am I Starting A Weight Loss Program?

My young adult son was (before coronavirus) going to Japan this summer for an exchange program with 4-H International Exchange and he was starting to learn Japanese and what the culture is like over there and he told me that obesity is not well-accepted in the culture. Japan is known for being one of the least obese countries in the world: 3.6 percent of Japanese people have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, while only 24.7 percent have a BMI of over 25. In fact, there is a 2008 “fat tax” that was designed to counteract the growing rates of diabetes and heart conditions by forcing companies to pay financial penalties for workers that have a waist size over 35.4″ for women and 33.5″ for men. These workers, then, are required to undergo counseling and are actively encouraged to diet and “become better citizens”.

To be completely honest, and this is embarrassing for me to talk about, this son of mine has been more disrespectful towards me ever since he started being interested in the Japanese culture, which happened about ten months ago. My son still intends to get there somehow. It was his senior year, so he has to find another way now. He is thin, so he will be treated well. I am starting to wonder if my obesity is part of the reason for his disrespect towards me?

Because America appears to be “okay” with accepting all types and body types of people, I have not felt ashamed or concerned about it until now. Everyone has publicly been accepting of me. But this new information has me wondering. What do people really think? And should I care? I am not one to worry about what other people think. I am more of an Influencer or Trend Setter. I AM worried about what God thinks of me though and I don't think gluttony is good and it could hurt my witness to others.

 

How Much Weight Do I Need To Lose?

At 5′ 5″, 240 lbs, my starting weight, was rotund. I remember being 140 lbs in my adult life and feeling fit and healthy, so I feel like I need to lose 100 pounds!

Will I Be Able To Afford A Weight Loss Program?

Affording the Healthy Food

My blog is just a side income. It helps to pay our basic needs, but we don't often have extra. In our house, food is a necessary thing… something we try to budget for and get the most value out of. Healthiness is secondary to cost. Fattening foods, fresh foods, salty foods, frozen foods. It is all the same… whatever is on sale is what we get. We eat french fries for dinner because that’s what we have 5 packages of in the freezer.  We eat cake for 5 days in a row because boxed mix was on sale 5 for $1 at the store! And the list goes on and on.

I am living in a “whatever’s on sale” nutrition trap. I want to see food as a way to treat myself kindly (and spend more if necessary) to avoid bigger medical costs down the road. I don’t want my kids to be making the same statements about their eating habits years from now. There is a direct correlation between poverty and obesity. The cheapest food is not always the most healthy for our bodies. But it doesn’t mean I have to live this way forever, at least not in my story.

Instead of getting a lot of inexpensive food at the store, I am going to have to learn to buy just enough of the lowest priced healthy food that I can, along with some very inexpensive unhealthy items so my large family of ten has enough to eat. This will be a whole new learning process for me.

 

Affording the Thinner Clothing

Because I have been the same size for a very long time. I spent less than $300 on my clothing the whole entire last year. Of that, $100 went to maternity clothes in my last trimester because I needed larger winter items as my previous two babies had been born in the Fall and she was born during a Wisconsin Winter! And $100 went to new nursing bras, they really don't last more than two years of nursing and were worn out from previous babies. I am still wearing the same shoes, coats, etc. The last $100 went to other clothing, I spent it on socks, underwear, a few shirts on Amazon and some rummage sale items I found.

But having to get a new jacket, winter coat, jeans, shorts, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, pajamas, and the smaller under-clothing items seems really over-whelming! I am going to have to buy from more rummage sales this year for sure! I hope to spend $100 on nursing bras in a smaller size (I can't get away from that cost!) and I get them at a great price on Amazon, $200 at rummage sales, and $200 for items I have to buy new, like a swimming suit. Where will the extra $200 come from if I blog less to spend time on exercise? It will be interesting. At least I can sew in case I need to alter something.

 

When Should I Start?

The next thing I was wondering was when should I start? I started about the time the coronavirus became big news in the United States. This is kind of good. Our state of Wisconsin is a “Safer At Home” state and it was just announced that it will not end until at least the end of May. With all that time, when people start seeing me out and about again, I will be thinner! So now is an excellent time. I am wondering if I should be taking a gut health supplement as well, like those sold by GundryMD for example. Maybe that would speed up the weight loss and I'd be even thinner come May?

What Weight Loss Program Should I Choose?

I had heard of a few weight loss programs out there. Should I go with one that focuses on nutrition, like Nucific, or go with one of the new macro diets out there. Well, I decided to go with a macro diet, why?

This one was easy for me because of my friend, Audra. Audra is a mom of 11 (soon to be 12). Before this pregnancy, she had lost 99 pounds! I thought, wow, if she has more kids than me (I know she also works from home) than I can do it too! Little did I know that Audra and her friend Amy now run a weight loss business together completely online called Sanctifying Wellness.

Amy and Audra developed Sanctifying Wellness after discovering what was missing in their health and wellness journey and seeking out the proper information through getting educated on macro tracking and continued to further their education on hormones, exercise and the woman's body. They fully realize everyone is different and has different needs. That is where their program is top notch because they tailor it to the individual.

They get to know you and how your body responds and what they need to do to help you! Amy and Audra give you the accountability and support from both of them as well as a community of women that are also on their health and wellness journey. They share mini guides on mindset, eating out, recipes, menu planning, workouts etc. They have one on one calls each week as well as a check in guide for each of their one on one clients to help them reach and meet their own personal goals. They know as busy women themselves that it is so vital to take care of ourselves, to feel and be healthy so we can have the energy we want. They truly believe their program helps women achieve the change they desire.

Sanctifying Wellness is currently opening up some spots in their 1 on 1 client coaching, which is why I am mentioning this to you, my dear reader. Mention NeededInTheHome when you contact them to get 10% off!

 

How Is It Going For Me?

My total weight loss is 8 pounds since I started this journey. It's amazing to me because the scale showed me 240 lbs for several YEARS. I didn't think it would show me anything else, higher or lower. I have even had my kids get on the scale to see if it worked!

This is a very new way of thinking. I didn't even know what a macro was before I began! (I will let them tell you and not explain it here.) The thing that amazes me is how important rest is for our body. Amy and Audra encourage me to REST. That doesn't make any sense, but yet it makes total sense once you learn more. I am still working on achieving this resting goal, actually, but someday I will get there. At 8 pounds, my jeans already feel loose around the middle and I am close to needing a belt to keep them on. I am considering getting something with an elastic waist band to wear to save money on clothes. I have added some new recipes and foods and I eat more protein than I care to (I would rather eat carbs! And I do eat some carbs, but my body doesn't want as much as my brain does!), however I can still eat the types of foods I used to eat – as long as they are “within my macros”. Yes, chocolate!

I love that they have two Facebook groups for me to get on and read, find recipes, watch videos, etc. ANY TIME I WANT, even 5 am! I am a 1 on 1 client coaching member, so I enjoy my weekly phone call with them and they are positive, not judging. They have been in my shoes. Every few weeks, they get the 1 on 1s together for a Zoom call. I don't have my sound on or talk in these as I have a very LOUD household with ten of us! They allow me to ask for help in an emergency. One day, it was suppertime and I was VERY low on protein and I was thinking I would have to eat three to four cans of tuna and needed HELP. Audra helped me to have a meal filled with variety and still get the protein in!

I also love that they have you use an app on your phone to keep track of everything and it is so easy to use. Then I transfer some of that info into a weekly tracking sheet that my coaches look at once a week and they may make adjustments to my macros if they see I need it.

I believe you can do this. It is 100% worth a try. I just hope you get in before all the spots fill up!

You can find them on social media here. (remember to mention NeededInTheHome to get a 10% discount)

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Starting A Weight Loss Program