The first thing I had to do was identify what healthy eating was for me. I had spent many years addicted to fast food, caffeine, sugar, and starches. So for me, Adkins was a great diet plan. So I began that process. First I cut out all regular sodas and only drank diet soda. Then, I increased my water intake to 8-10 8 oz glasses of water every day. Changing our lifestyle is a gradual process I don't suggest anyone who's had a food addiction to just very abruptly change everything about their current eating habits. The next thing I did was cut out fast food. That was a hard one. I remember, many times having severe cravings for fast food, for something juicy, and greasy. Every time I would drive by McDonald's or Taco Bell, I would almost pass out thinking I was starving and that I had to have fast food. But in reality, any fast food place you go to has healthy choices. For instance, McDonalds and Wendy's both have salads which are definitely healthier than a Big Mac and Fries. I remember calling a friend and I couldn't hardly stand the cravings. She talked to me and helped me over the hump.

The next thing that I did was I cut down on all sugar. I looked at labels very closely anything that was high in sugar, I didn't even buy it and bring it into my home. There are many items that are sugar free that are just as good as something high in sugar. I used to really struggled with liquids because I liked Dr. Pepper. But I have found that Crystal Light is just as good as Dr. Pepper and it has no calories. There's also some really good ice cream bars out there that are sugar free. I used those as a treat once a week when I stayed on my plan all week, I got an ice cream bar.

The next thing I did was cut out the carbohydrates. That was the hardest thing I did. The cravings usually

Losing weight isn't just about eating healthy. It's also about exercise. I started exercising at about the same time that I cut out all the unhealthy things out of my diet. As you can imagine at 400 lbs, I had a really difficult time with exercise. But the more weight I lost, the easier it became. Today I go to the gym 6 days a week for about an hour a day. You don't have to work out 4 hours a day. In fact, it's more healthy if you just do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of sculpting. This will prevent you from getting lose skin especially when losing large amounts of weight like I have. I didn't hire a personal trainer, however I highly suggest anyone who is wanting to lose a large amount of weight to hire a trainer to help you monitor your progress. It's important to not lose to fast. Weight loss isn't a quick overnight process. It is a one day at a time journey into health and well being.

I also believe that weight loss is a spiritual journey. I found that when I really started believing in a Higher Power and really started my spiritual journey, it was so much easier for me to lose weight. I would pray to my Higher Power each morning and ask Him to help me to stay on track that day. When I didn't, I would inevitably fall off the wagon. I found that during this time, I grew spiritually by leaps and bounds. I developed a true sense of who I am as a person. You see, with each and every pound that I gained, I lost a little bit more of myself. I was hiding behind all the extra pounds. Today, I can say that I still have about 110 lbs left to lose, however, I am healthier and more fit than I have been since I was in high school.
About the Author

If you desire to lose weight and become healthy, I can certainly help you on this journey. For more information on my weight loss coaching, please contact me at www.visionarycoaching.net or coach_lynne@hotmail.com