Day 394 Nearly 220 Pounds Lost Without Eating A Single Salad

Day 394

Nearly 220 Pounds Lost Without Eating A Single Salad

After getting back to the YMCA and realizing that, even though I’ve been “out of the groove,” I certainly haven’t lost my groove, I feel wonderful! Today was the second of three days off from the play, but it was also a special event day here at Team Radio. Every year we host a “Ladies Night Out” at the historic Marland Mansion. It’s an evening of free wine, food, and prizes from nearly forty businesses--with products and services geared toward women. I was in the beginning days of this journey last year at this event. From Day 37: All I had to do after a 1 ½ hour pre-event broadcast was greet listeners at the door, make sure they signed in, and give them tickets for free wine. Very easy-- and the bonus? I could sit down to do it. But still, after a really full day like today, I did not feel like working out. I felt like I already worked out. What a difference a year makes. I was so happy to be sitting down last year, but tonight I chose to stand mostly and occasionally roam the mansion. I didn’t have to, but I wanted to, so I did. I even briskly moved up the large staircase without any trouble, and I mean not even the slightest out-of-breath feeling. The “wow” reactions were numerous as expected. I experienced some really good ones. Some double takes, even one of my favorites “is that you?” I noticed that people smile at me more now. Isn’t that crazy that I noticed that so much? I did. Way more smiles came my way. I guess it really shows that you get what you give. In a social setting like this, I must look super happy, and if I’m smiling, then people are smiling back. It’s such a wonderful freedom to be where I am along this road. I just can’t get enough.

One very nice lady commented “I bet you just eat salads all day.” She seemed shocked when I revealed the truth: I haven’t consumed one single salad in the last 394 pounds. Nearly 220 pounds lost and not one salad, hmm…I guess that blows the whole “you must eat salads to lose weight” myth out of the water. I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I’m a cheese and sandwich kind of guy. I have a high “flavor set point!” I eat whatever I want. I’ve said it many times. Monumental weight loss success isn’t about what kind of food, it’s about eating the foods you enjoy in moderation. It’s more about portion control. If you love salads, great—knock yourself out. But you don’t have to eat salads or anything else specifically to lose weight. Eat what you like, what you normally would eat in your everyday life. It’s seriously important, a key element in my success.

I wrote about this on Day 50: Every now and then someone will ask me the big question. “So what are you doing?” And I tell them, I'm counting calories, 1500 a day, and I'm exercising. Then sometimes they go further... “So, what are you eating?” My answer? Anything and everything within reason. It can really confuse people. “Anything?” ...yes, anything. Let's re-visit the list shall we? I've lost 50 pounds and counting eating: pizza, hamburgers, grilled chicken, steak, fried chicken nuggets, baked potatoes with sour cream, lasagna, bratwurst, ice cream cones, mini banana splits, fudge bars, dream bars, Snickers, fresh fruit, oatmeal, non-dairy coffee creamer, sub sandwiches, barbecue ribs, fried catfish, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, french fries, Doritos, potato chips, wheat thins, cheese it's, breakfast sausage, fried egg sandwich, eggs over easy, two and three egg omelets, grilled cheese sandwiches, hotdogs, hot links, deep fried mushrooms, ham, sharp cheddar, chili cheese dogs, onion rings, cookies, rice, corn, green beans with cheese, tacos, tostadas, bean burritos, chicken burritos, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, hard candy, Funyuns, popcorn, popsicles, baked beans, chips and salsa, macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles with ground beef, barbecue chicken, beef stew, meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, chicken noodle soup, Whopper JR's with mustard instead of mayo, cheesy potato bites, scalloped potatoes, pork chops, grilled onions and peppers, sautéed mushrooms, beef roast with roasted carrots and potatoes, chili, pepper steak, pudding, jello, summer sausage, luncheon meats, cheese slices, bread, miracle whip, mustard, pickles, turkey, chicken enchiladas, granola bar, apple sauce, and, and...I'm sure I'm missing something, but this is a pretty diverse list. Having the freedom to choose is such a wonderful thing!

I’ve made it a mission of my journey to completely change the way people think about weight loss and what it takes to really be successful. We typically have way too many misconceptions about what we can and can’t do along the way. Keep it very simple and enjoy simply amazing results, of course there’s a whole chapter (or more) on the mental aspects of this kind of a journey. Keeping everything simple sets a stable foundation for the mental growth to occur naturally.

Wednesday is weigh day. I can’t wait to report where we stand along this road. Will I cross the 220 pounds lost barrier? We’ll see! I need a 4 pound loss to do that. I’ll be sending out the weigh day text, twitter, e-mail, and facebook status update Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the meeting with the scale.

Thank you for reading and following along this wonderful transformation. The past 394 days has completely changed my life and outlook for the future. And I smile and get smiles back more often than ever. Goodnight and…

Good Choices,
Sean