Well...have you guessed from the title what this is about? Yep, I'm about to get real personal here at AOC. And I might as well tell you that I have sat down to write this series of posts on weight many times - only to have it languish in a folder on my desktop. It's just not very easy for me, and without the push from my sister-in-law, I might not be doing it even now.
So why am I? Obviously, it's not just to spill my guts to you all. {smile} But like everything I do here at AOC, I'm hoping to inspire, encourage, and show that if I can do something (without any special skills), then you can, too.
This time it just happens to be about losing weight. I am now 15 lbs. lighter than I've ever been in my entire adult life (and than includes high school). Ever. And I didn't "diet" or eat weird foods. In fact, I've eaten all the regular, real, whole foods I write and picture here at AOC.
I plan to go into all the nitty-gritty details in a couple of future articles (update: you can find all the links to this series at the bottom), but first - a little background so you'll understand why that 15 lbs that I'd never seen lost before (though my total lost since last summer is 25 lbs.) is such a big deal for me.
My Weight History
Like many of you, weight has been a background issue my whole life (I'm assuming here, but having lived for a number of years, *a-hem* I'm fairly certain I'm not alone in this). While I've never been huge, I've always carried 20 to 40 pounds more than I should.
Well, I suppose not always- I couldn't have carried 20 extra pounds when I was two years old in the photo above, for example. But I have been told that I would get such terrible rashes where my thighs rubbed together that I needed to have Vaseline applied regularly in hot weather.
And when I look back at pictures like this one with my brother (I think I was in third grade), I think I look fairly normal. But that's not how I felt then. What I remember are things like:
- Walking down the halls of a new school toward the first grade classroom with my mom and hoping I would be able to fit in the desks. I have no idea where this came from, but it was a real fear I never forgot.
- Gazing at my beautiful third grade teacher and thinking if my thighs just stayed the same, they'd look like hers when I grew up (this seems particularly crazy to me now- but it's true).
- Shakily trying on a new pair of the latest, in-style jeans when I was twelve and being amazed that the size 13 fit me. Thirteen was the biggest junior sizes back then and my body image was so skewed that I didn't think I'd fit junior sizes- before I was even a teenager.
But during my senior year of high school and then into college, I really did pile on the pounds - at one point 30 pounds over my "set point" - which was not an ideal weight, but just the weight I could get to with dieting.
And how did I gain the weight? The old fashioned way- I ate too much. And I was a "secret eater" eating junk food when I was alone - most times mindlessly from a bag while I read a good book. I wouldn't realize how much until I started to feel sick...and the bag would be empty.
I got back to my "set point" for my wedding in 1988 - and kept my weight within a few pounds of it for four years, mainly by not eating mindlessly from bags or boxes anymore.
Until what I call my "childbearing years." Ah...the pregnancy weight. Ugh. It came with the first, hung around for 3 years and stayed for the second.
It was actually hard to find a picture (in our photo albums - I'm sure our extended family has some "good" ones) of me where I wasn't hiding behind people or children. Or that wasn't just my face. I'm sure they existed- I just edited them out of the photo albums. Who wants to be reminded about extra weight?
But, oh my goodness, isn't that little face just scrumptious? That little boy was the answer to my prayers - and his sister that followed. I don't begrudge the weight at all.
I simply needed to find a way back to my set point.
And I did. When our daughter was preschool-age, I got a stomach bug that hung around for about a week. I got used to eating smaller portions, and I realized how big my portions had become.
That was the beginning of my emphasis on the amount of food I ate rather than always the type of food (which were typical of "diets").
For the past 10 years, I've pretty much been within 5-10 pounds of my set point. When I'd get 10 pounds over, my clothes wouldn't fit well and I'd start to think about portions again to get my weight back down. But I never managed to go below my body's dumb set point. I assumed this was just the way I was made and I did feel OK when I was there.
Except last winter (a year ago). The pounds were creeping back up and I was having a hard time getting back to my set point. I had heard a lot about getting older and not being able to lose weight, and I started to get nervous - why wasn't the weight coming off?
The Trick that Made the Difference
Then last June I got a stomach bug again (see a pattern here?) and couldn't eat normally for a week. This time I determined that I was going to cut my normal amount of food in half.
Yes, almost everything. Half a sausage. Half a hamburger. Chicken leg instead of thigh. Smallest end piece of Easy Artisan Bread. A 1/4 cup of my favorite morning granola instead of 1/3. And here's the clincher - at least for me - even salad and vegetables.
I just didn't want my stomach to get used to large amounts of food again - any food.
But other than that, I ate whatever I wanted - butter, bacon, cheese, whole milk, roasted veggies, and even dark chocolate and our occasional desserts. Real food. Not much out of bags (and if there is a bag somewhere, I don't eat out of it. I take a few and put them in a bowl - I have learned my lesson there).
And something amazing happened over the next six months.
I went below my set point for the first time since high school! First five pounds, then ten, and finally fifteen. I couldn't believe it, and in fact, didn't buy any new clothes or tell anyone for awhile 'cause I thought it would come back.
But it didn't. And it hasn't. And my sister-in-law thinks I should share what my "secret" is - and I think so, too, because I finally DIDN'T do all the things the medical establishment tells us to lose weight- low fat, no fat, high carb, and lots of fat substitutes.
And this time the weight literally fell off. I've gotten some comments over the years of this blog about "the way you eat" - bread, fat, sweets and eggs - that made me realize that I should go out on a limb and share my experience with you. One commenter even said she couldn't "wrap my head around the way you eat - it goes against all we read and hear."
And she's right, sadly. I'm certainly not the only one, but I'm here to stand with the other "real food" advocates to tell you that if you feed your body real foods, amazing things can happen.
Stay tuned for more details, including what I eat in a typical day- And PLEASE chime in either in the comments or over on An Oregon Cottage's Facebook page- I'd love to know I'm not alone with my weighty issues!
Read more of my series on Losing Weight with Real Foods:
- How I Lost Weight Eating Real Food {More Than Ever!}
- Tips, Tricks, and Techniques For Weight Loss
- More Tips, Tricks, and Techniques For Weight Loss
- Portion Control: Real Life, Real Food
- Is Exercise Necessary For Weight Loss?
- A Simple, Easy Workout {+ Printable}
Rose Felton says
A few years ago I got up to 195lbs and I'm only 5' tall. I've always been on the heavy side. Like you, even when I was young and growing up. Everyone on my mom's side was heavy so figured it was just in the genes for me to be this size. When I hit 195, I knew I had to do something or keep getting larger. So, I tried different diets and lost some of the weight, but never got down below my weight when I was pregnant. Then we moved to the spot we are now and I started eating healthy. Not so much fast food or restaurant food even. Everything was cooked from scratch. I learned to make my own bread, butter, sauces, etc. and I grew a bigger garden so we could have more vegetables. The weight started coming off without me even trying. I couldn't believe it and thought maybe something was wrong with me. I'm almost down to the weight I'd like to be and I know with working outside this summer and eating more fresh vegetables I may even make it to my goal.
Jami says
Oh my gosh, what a wonderful read-food testimony, Rose!! I'm giddy with excitement for you - it's a great feeling, isn't it? 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing!
Karen says
I stumbled across this site today on my lunch break, and I can see from comments dating back to 2012 that I am a little late to the AOC game. I agree 100% with your strategy. I have lost 60 pounds over the past year by cutting portion size, but continuing to eat foods that I like. As a mother of 4, I have prided myself on serving home-cooked family dinners most nights (your recipes are what lead me here in the first place). I developed a mind set of thinking that restaurant food was unhealthy, but home cooked food was fine, so I could eat what I wanted. I had to become ok with "wasting" food, and I still sometimes say to myself out loud that it is ok for me to choose not to eat.
Another thought on your childhood experiences, why is it that we give away so much of our happiness assuming that others are judging us as harshly as we judge ourselves? Congratulations on your weight loss journey, and thank you for sharing.
Jami says
Wow, that's so awesome, Karen - good for you!!
I'm so glad you found the site - yes, yes, to your points: we do not have to be the one to "clean up" all the food. 🙂 And I did assume lots as a kid, but also I did get comments from both family and friends. 🙁 You really take those few to heart when you're little.
Thank you so much for commenting!
Stan says
In the world of paleo-carbo-vego-crazy diets that we spend millions on each year it's easy to lose sight of the simple things like just eating less. You are spot on and I have had very similar experience including being at my lightest weight in my entire adult life of almost 50 years (Yikes!). Thank you for your inspiring story. It really does work.
Jami says
Oh, thank you so much for your comment, Stan - and congratulations! Your story is inspiring, too. 🙂
Sue J. says
I am new to AOC podcast and am loving it. I got on the website to get some gardening tips and found this weight loss series and am so excited to try it. It sounds totally doable and sensible. I have tried pretty much every diet out there and while they do work, they are just not sustainable for me. I think this will be and I had half portions at dinner last night and at breakfast this am! Here I go...wish me luck.
Thanks for a great podcast and website.
Jami says
I’m so glad this is helpful for you, Sue, and I do wish you tons of luck! Also glad to know you are a podcast listener!
brittany says
Jami,
THANK YOU for sharing this with us! This makes so much sense. I have been so tired of shakes, and bars, and other "foods" I didn't want to eat, and missing out on all the things I did want to, and just sleeping because I was too hungry to be awake and it was hours before I could eat again. No more separate meals, and worrying about holidays or a treat, or wondering why everyone else eats the same food as me but is skinny. No measuring, or writing, or apps, etc. I, too, am one who cannot food journal or count calories without obsessing and hating food or binging or stressing out. I could go on and on....you are a lifesaver. This is sustainable for life (as you have shown us!!). This is such a weight (literally) off my shoulders, I could cry. Thank you so much for showing us how "easy" it can be.
Jami says
I am beyond happy to know this has resonated with you, Brittany! Please keep me updated as to how it works for you - as you well know, everyone is different - my fingers crossed this will be your lifestyle from now on.
Sara G. says
You have written the history of my weight/body image! I'm 5'4" and my set weight is 145. I am always 10 pounds overweight. A couple of years ago, I went on a medical treatment for a chronic condition that had a side-effect of making you sick if you over ate. Sounds great, doesn't it? All except the crippling nausea and depression. But I digress. During the 6 months of treatment, I lost 35 pounds ( I was at 169) when I started. The most valuable thing I learned was portion control.
I eat whatever I want, I just stop when I'm full. If you pay attention to your body and stop and think about whether are are actually hungry, you would be amazed how much you actually need to feel full and satisfied. Even when I'm in PMS mode and I give into my cravings, my body makes up for it by my losing my appetite after my period.
Pay attention to your body, your appetite and you will see a change.
Jami says
Great tips, Sara! We're more in tune with the clock (it's time to eat) or swayed by what looks good than we are with listening to our bodies. Even when my body is telling me it's hungry, though, and I know that I've eaten enough (I always get hungry about 9:30 pm!!), I've found drinking water or doing something to take my mind off of it helps get past that. 🙂
Oh, that sounds like a tough way to lose weight, btw! But there is something so eye-opening about seeing the portion sizes our bodies are actually needing, isn't it? Glad you are healthy now! 🙂
Claire says
Hi! I just wanted to thank you so much for this series. Growing up I had my weight issues; I am now 23 years old, 5'5", and I've been at 160 lbs for several years, which is frustrating because people always tell you that it will only get harder to lose weight as you get older, and I had already tried and failed numerous times to slim down in what is supposed to be the prime of my physical condition.
For the past couple of years I've been cooking with whole foods and following a mostly vegetarian diet, and I was somewhat perplexed about why my weight remained constant. Of course, now it's easy to see that although I was eating good, whole foods, I was just eating way too much of it!
Anyway, I decided to try your tips less than two weeks ago, and I've already lost six pounds. I think your methods are both healthy and sustainable for the long term, which is what I've struggled with in the past. I plan to stick with this, and I don't really foresee any problems; already this eating pattern feels normal to me. So thank you so, so much for giving me that nudge of common sense to help me get on track to being more healthy. You have really helped me!
Sincerely, Claire
Jami says
Woot! Claire, I'm doin' a little victory dance here for you. 🙂 It's a great feeling to realize we can get to a healthy weight and not have to jump through a lot of hoops, systems, or whatever, isn't it? I LOVE hearing your success story - thanks so much for sharing!!
Teresa says
What is set point? Not exactly sure what that is - can you explain alittle? Thanks! I love your blog and your recipes are delish. I am making your rolls for a family function today.
Jami says
I'm not sure it's an actual scientific term, Teresa, but I've read about it over the years - it's that idea that our bodies have a "natural" weight that we were born to be at depending on our shape (apple vs. pear), heredity, type of fat we have (brown vs. white), etc. This point is often hard to overcome on traditional weight loss diets and over a number of years you notice your body goes back to it - whether you were able to get below it or go above it for a period of time.
It's very important to realize it's not where we just happen to be - no one's set point should be 300 pounds - it's a point that seems, well, 'set.' I thought it was 150 for me since for 30+ years that's where my body would return eventually (most of the time, though, it was me trying to get BACK to that, lol!) and it wasn't until eating real, whole foods and cutting portions consistently that I smashed that - without even trying to - by 15 lbs.! I stay between 130-135 now without really thinking about much more than keeping my portions small and eating healthy, whole foods most of the time. Hope that clarifies it some, Teresa!
Joy says
Thanks so much for sharing! Looking forward to the "Winter Dinner Menus" booklet. Real food is the real way to go!