How I did it part I - The Diet

I was asked by a coworker to describe what I did to lose the weight I did. For those of you who don’t know I’ve lost about 115 pounds over two years time and have been in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life. I think I’m just missing abdominal muscles (ha!).
The first thing I did was change my diet. I knew what was bad for me and what my digestive system had a hard time dealing with; breads, cheese, and red meat. I ate flatbreads and got rid of cheese and red meat altogether. I had to go out on a limb and tried the meatless burgers and patties. I started to snack more frequently. Every two hours I would have something, whether it was a 100 calorie pack, fruit, fruit snacks, or something else I always made sure to eat something. I also changed my drinks from sodas and other drinks with calories to diet drinks and stuff without calories while also adhering to the serving size. All of my portions adhered to the portion size. This way I could keep track of my calorie intake for the day. I tried to hit about 1200-1500 calories a day.
My breakfasts would include either – egg whites and an English muffin; fiber one cereal with fat free milk or silk (I’m lactose intolerant); an English muffin with peanut butter; whole grain pancakes with sugar-free syrup; or an assortment of fruits.
My lunches would include – a sandwich with one piece of bread, mustard, and turkey or chicken; salads with fat free dressing or light dressing; or leftovers from dinner.
Dinners – Poultry was my main staple. A half a chicken breast with brown rice or some other vegetable; spaghetti with marinara sauce and turkey balls; turkey burgers on flatbread with sweet potato fries; salads with chicken or turkey; chicken or taco tacos(baked corn tortillas) with black beans;
Never did I fry anything, put any additive or condiment on my food that included fat or calories, or put anything in my food that changed the caloric value. Take away butter from rice, don’t put cheese in your beans, and remember that vegetables are God’s way of adding flavor. You like spice? Add peppercinis or banana peppers. Different flavor? Add Tapatio, honey mustard, or vinegar. There are low or no calorie alternatives to adding taste to your food. Find ways to marinate your chicken or ground beef.
Last thing I did was cut out alcohol. It was a personal choice, but alcohol is generally empty calories.
Next time I’ll talk about my workout, exercise, and weigh-in routine. Also I want to point out that when I decided to do this I had also made a huge commitment to God. I knew that my body was a temple. Yeah, being healthy is probably the way to spend more time on earth, but it also gives me more opportunities to share. As I’ve gotten healthier my relationship with my dad and God has grown immensely. It’s just now time to adapt to this new role I have.