How I lost 10 pounds ::squee!::

I've discussed my dedication to eating healthier and getting my body fit again before, most recently in this post. However, several people have asked me for more details as to how exactly I achieved this miraculous feat...

I was never Heavy-status before the car accident, but months of being bedridden and barely able to move did make me pack on the pounds. Since I couldn't wear pants with a waistband because of the pain in my hip, I was basically living in sweats and yoga pants, both of which have elastic waistbands. That and the generally baggy fit of those types of pants made it difficult to gauge how much weight I was actually gaining.

Luckily, from the outside, those same features also made it difficult to tell I'd gained much weight at all--unless you were me, of course. When I couldn't fit into my favorite skinny jeans anymore without looking like a sausage, muffin top, or some other stuffed food, I knew it was time to take action.

What a difference a few months of hard work & determination make

With my doctor's permission, I put myself on a strict diet and exercise regimen starting in January. I got a very helpful calorie-counting app for my iPhone, which helped me maintain my limit of 1200 calories a day. I also started working out with Wii Fit (so fun!) 5x a week, doing a combination of yoga, strength training exercises, and aerobics.

Mii !i$@

Instead of regularly eating out or getting seconds thirds of foods I like, I'd prepare more meals at home, which allowed for greater ingredient and portion control. I also started toting a water bottle around (purple, of course) and began drinking more H2O instead of always going for my usual: fruit juice. I love, love, love juice to this day and it is a semi-healthier alternative to soda. But truthfully, juices are often packed with sugar and all kinds of dyes. Some sports drinks even have hydrogenated oil in them... nast.

Anywhoevers, I kept this new behavior up 'til I started seeing results. Since it wasn't THAT much weight I was trying to lose, I was patient with myself and would try not to freak out over missing a day of exercise here and there, or devouring the occasional cupcake in .5 seconds. Once I was near my goal weight--as I am now--I increased my calorie intake to 1500 a day and started working out 3x a week to avoid the risk of sending my body into starvation mode. Once your body does that, it's difficult to continue losing weight. In fact, you might just plateau or start gaining more weight since your body will seek nourishment from whatever sources it can (those sources being lean tissue and muscle), since it doesn't know when it will next receive food or drink.

I'm glad to say my weight-loss journey has been a success thus far! In fact, just the other day on Facebook I updated my status to reflect a new, rather unfortunate (but not really) state of affairs: my favorite leggings are now too baggy for me to wear. Nothing's sadder than baggy leggings

But nothing's better than a tighter, righter body to display this summer, and for the foreseeable future!