70 Candles

First, I should mention that my doctor has been telling me I'm pre-diabetic for a very looonng time. My cardiologist even told me that I was diabetic, it just hadn't manifest yet. As a result, I bought a blood glucose meter and have used it regularly ever since. On 9th July 2022, when I tested my blood sugar, it was 150, and I nearly had a heart attack. That very day, I bid farewell to all my sweet indulgences. About a year has passed since I last indulged in sweets like ice cream, cake, pie, or cookies; except, I did munch on a few Christmas cookies last year, but that's beside the point. I do treat myself to sugar-free candy now and then, but gone are the days of my frequent trips to Dairy Queen - it's been almost a year since my last visit. Well, at least my blood sugar is happy!

So, I got serious about shedding some pounds and took the plunge. I signed up for Noom's 6-month program, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. The plan helped me understand my overeating habits and gave me simple ways to cut down on my food intake. I kept tabs on everything that went into my mouth, and boy, did that make a difference! Just knowing how much food I was putting in my belly made it easier to cut back. I was on a 1600-calorie-a-day diet, but more often than not, I ended up sticking to just 1200 calories. You could say that keeping track of my food was the real MVP in my weight loss journey!

In my quest to shed some pounds, I decided to start exercising by taking a walk. I began with a leisurely stroll around my block, nothing too crazy. Gradually, I increased my route to cover three blocks. Of course, I didn't push myself too hard; if the weather wasn't cooperating, I'd simply skip it. But I made sure to get out there a few times a week, and that's when the magic happened - I noticed the biggest drop in my weight. Who knew a simple walk could be so effective!

After my Noom membership expired, I decided to give MyFitnessPal a shot. I kept on logging all the grub that went into my belly and tracked my workout routine. That's when I stumbled upon intermittent fasting through the app. I took the easy route and started with a 12-12 fasting schedule. I halted my food intake at six in the evening and resumed it at six in the morning. This way, I could still munch on my morning meal and avoid late-night snacking while I was lazily glued to my TV. It's a win-win situation, folks!

Around two weeks ago, I decided to increase my food intake and now my weight is sitting pretty at 188, give or take a pound. I'm not too bothered by the plateau because I made a conscious effort to slow down my weight loss rate. My plan is to keep this weight steady for a little while longer before I go hard again and lose another ten pounds. My ultimate goal is to creep down to a final weight of about 175 pounds.