Left Coast Contessa

Weight Loss

My Weight Loss Story

I suppose the weight loss story begins with the weight gain. I was always a pretty small kid growing up. I ate a good amount of junky food but my parents did a good job trying to get us to eat healthy. We were rarely allowed to have soda and my mom made balanced dinners for us most nights of the week. I wasn’t terribly athletic but I did have a stint on the swim team and I was naturally thin as a kid.

at my peak weight

When I was 13 I hit puberty. I went from 90 something lbs to 140 ish lbs in the time of one year. I went from Gap Kids to a size 8 pretty much within one year. What can I say about puberty that hasn’t been said? It sucks, I didn’t like my body very much but I wasn’t that much overweight. It was enough for me to be slightly self conscious but I wasn’t hugely overweight. All through high school my weight held between 140 and 145 lbs and I pretty much would eat whatever I wanted. I didn’t eat whole grains for the most part, I developed an insane diet coke habit, and splurged on things like frappicinos when ever I wanted to. Oh, and my friends and I ate Mc Donalds like once a week. I did work out in high school and generally wanted to slim down but I never had that much luck. I would work out and tone up a little bit and then gain it all back. I played water polo, walked a lot, danced and would go to Lifetime Fitness but I never could lose weight.

Flash forward to college. I moved to Boston and freshman year didn’t gain weight! I don’t remember what I did for the first year but I can tell you that I didn’t gain a freshman 15 (or as we would say at Simmons, first year). However in the three final years of college the weight did creep on. I ate large wraps daily, had late night meals, drank caloric adult beverages, had plenty of ice cream, and went to the bartol buffet for seconds more than once. I was also in a relationship that wasn’t very healthy for me and that, by senior year, I wasn’t very happy in.

After!

Senior year I gained 10 lbs as I went out more and ate through the stress of my unmanageable relationship, law school application process, and fear about graduation. I also started to practice Bikram Yoga which was good for flexibility but I didn’t lose real weight whil

e practicing. I lost water weight and I felt like I was losing weight but I hadn’t changed my eating habits and the summer after graduation I hit my biggest weight 158 lbs.

In early August 2009 I moved to LA and slowly everything changed for me. I ended my relationship, began to eat fresher food and spent more and more time outside walking since I didn’t have a car. I noticed that I was losing a little bit of weight and was really excited that small changes were making a difference. I decided to take more healthy steps including running outside (whichyou can actually do in LA in January!), and going to power yoga.  I also changed my diet to include lean meats, local produce and fruits, almonds, whole grains and generally smaller portions. I try to keep my eating out in check and try not to eat after drinking. Thus far I have lost several inches from my waist and hips, 20 lbs, and two sizes! I have gained health, a healthy glow and confidence.

Let me be clear: this isn’t a diet, this is a lifestyle. I am cultivating this lifestyle one day at a time. Some days are healthier than others but I love how my body feels and looks. You can follow me and my developing healthy lifestyle on Left Coast Contessa. Below are some various posts specifically about weight loss, including before and after pics. Enjoy!

Pictures

3.8.10 - Introduction and my infamous restaurant addiction

4.10.10 – Taking Measurements

4.19.10- Fighting Cravings

6.22.10- Me Against 140