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Can you lose weight without trying?

Last year around this time, I was going through something I never imagined I would have to deal with... my weight. For most of my life I have been very underweight. As a child I was so underweight that I was teased and ridiculed about it. It was very hard and I spent many nights crying myself to sleep feeling a lot of shame and pain.  Nobody knows how much I longed to gain weight. Fast forward to after having William... I weighed what would be called a healthy weight. I was the average for my height and weight for the first time in my life (without being pregnant). Then it came to a point that I was at the top of that average weight. It started to freak me out because my wedding rings no longer fit and all of my clothes were too small. I figured that maybe it was my time. I finally gained the weight I desired my entire life.

I think I came to a point when I started to break down after trying on swimwear and finding that I was no longer in Junior's sizes. Last year at this time, I became very interested in reading about health and nutrition. Although I have heard it before, I read an article about drinking diet sodas and my favorite Crystal Light. I found out how they trick your body and make you crave bad foods. I have always been a sweets freak and junk food addict since childhood.  Could this be true? I used to drink about 2-3 packets of Crystal Light everyday especially during the Summer months and exclusively purchased diet soft drinks. I figured zero calories made sense. I couldn't have been more WRONG! I stopped all of the diet beverages and replaced them with water and indulged in the occasional soda. As a matter of fact, I switched from using margarine and butter spreads to real butter. I noticed almost right away that I slowed down tremendously on eating sweets and junk food. I wasn't having as many cravings to eat bad stuff.  It's as if I was changing my naughty ways. I started to find that my pants were fitting less snug. I had to start wearing a belt with my jeans and even had to tighten it on occasion. So one year later I am finally able to put on my wedding rings and I can wear things that were too small very easily. As a matter of fact, I can't wear most of the clothing I have since they are too big. I need to buy all new stuff. I stepped on the scale at the gym last week and could not believe it. I don't weigh much more than my teenagers!  My advice to you if you are trying to lose weight is to kick the diet drinks!
Shelly, Mom Files
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6 comments

  1. Don't really know why but I've pretty much remained the same size, here and there, over the years. It could be the back and forth eating habits and it could be the routine full court basketball games that keep me overly physical.

    I can believe that diet drinks makes one crave items that aren't exactly the healthiest of choice. Hard to believe you experienced a weight problem, judging by pics.

    We underwent a few months in 2010 where we appeared hooked on emptying those Crystal Light packets into bottles of cold water, as well. Lol.

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  2. I have never been a soda drinker, even the crystal light thing. My thing has always been herbal teas, but without the sugar. I don't crave much sugar and about the only way I sweeten a drink is with coffee creamer, which still isn't the best habit. I also use real butter, but even with all of this said, my weight has never been the same as it was in high school.

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  3. You were my inspiration for quitting diet soda. It came from some comment you made. I then read the same thing you about how diet sodas trick your body. I have lost weight, too, and I am honestly not trying that hard. This is a good message to keep putting out there.

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  4. Oh man Shelly. I want to give up diet drinks, but Diet Coke has really become a stronghold of mine. It's not the aspartame, but just the taste. I don't like the taste of regular sodas. So, if I'm going to indulge, I'd like to indulge with something I like, you know?

    But.... water is ALWAYS the way to go. I've been forcing myself to drink more. I didn't grow up drinking water and my kids hate it, but hopefully a year from now I can write the same post you've just written. :)

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  5. OMG avoid diet anything! So many people load up on diet and "low-fat" garbage and don't lose ANY weight. Eating whole foods in smaller portions that are fulfilling is very important to maintaining a healthy weight. That said, I have a fast metabolism so I'm making sure I get all of my calories. I used to eat a lot of junk and I found that once I stopped eating that way, I started gaining weight. I was also teased, often covered up in baggy clothing, and was willing to do ANYTHING (even having sex with hubs) to gain weight and curves. Society is so sad.

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  6. Yes...sadly, we are a society of extremes...criticized if you weigh "too little" or "too much".

    Drinking calories (whether sodas, juices in excess, or anything else) is a surefire way to gain weight. (Written as I struggle to minimize my penchant for Starbucks caramel frapps!)

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