Previously Asked Questions
Question: Do you exercise or walk??? I read your Blog, and unless I missed it I did not see any exercise.
Alicia: At this point I do not have any kind of exercise regime or gym membership. That being said, I am up and moving around more than say, someone with an office job. I spend a lot of time cleaning/organizing my household, as well as taking on all yard duties. It keeps me up and moving most days, as there is always something that needs to be done. I do take my dogs for walks most days and regularly stretch, as well.
I am definitely aiming to become more fitness oriented moving forward, but my weight loss had very little to do with my activity level.
Alicia: At this point I do not have any kind of exercise regime or gym membership. That being said, I am up and moving around more than say, someone with an office job. I spend a lot of time cleaning/organizing my household, as well as taking on all yard duties. It keeps me up and moving most days, as there is always something that needs to be done. I do take my dogs for walks most days and regularly stretch, as well.
I am definitely aiming to become more fitness oriented moving forward, but my weight loss had very little to do with my activity level.
Question: Do you still have stretch marks and extra skin after losing all the weight? How does it affect your body image?
Alicia: Absolutely. Once the skin has been stretched out, especially in my case where it had been stretched for decades, it never goes back to the way it was. My excessive weight was primarily held in my breasts and stomach, so those areas are the least "normal"-looking. It was hard to accept for a long time, as I had envisioned losing the weight and wearing bikinis. However, I've since come to realize that the most important factor is not how I look, but how I feel. I can rest easy knowing I am no longer a candidate for Type 2 Diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, fatty liver, several forms of cancer and many other life-threatening diseases. Also, to be fair, I was always allowed to wear a bikini regardless of the approval of others, so it's still going to happen. :-)
Question: The recipes you've posted look amazing! How much do you normally have in a sitting? Do you pay pretty strict attention to portion sizes?
Alicia: Thanks so much! In a sitting I'll usually have what I estimate as "1 serving", so for example if I made a pan of cooked veggies and some brown rice in the rice cooker, then I'll take out about 1/2 cup of rice and 1 cup of the veggie mix. I used to measure my food when I was calorie counting so I still use that as a guide. However, I have been notorious for going back for seconds. I'm a BIG fan of taking baby steps toward any goal. If you've never gone all-in with clean eating, then I'd say that in the beginning it's more important to focus on eating healthier food rather than worrying about portion sizes. Once that becomes habitual, then you can give all of your attention to potential overeating problems. I still battle with overeating and using food as comfort or out of boredom all the time!
Alicia: Absolutely. Once the skin has been stretched out, especially in my case where it had been stretched for decades, it never goes back to the way it was. My excessive weight was primarily held in my breasts and stomach, so those areas are the least "normal"-looking. It was hard to accept for a long time, as I had envisioned losing the weight and wearing bikinis. However, I've since come to realize that the most important factor is not how I look, but how I feel. I can rest easy knowing I am no longer a candidate for Type 2 Diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, fatty liver, several forms of cancer and many other life-threatening diseases. Also, to be fair, I was always allowed to wear a bikini regardless of the approval of others, so it's still going to happen. :-)
Question: The recipes you've posted look amazing! How much do you normally have in a sitting? Do you pay pretty strict attention to portion sizes?
Alicia: Thanks so much! In a sitting I'll usually have what I estimate as "1 serving", so for example if I made a pan of cooked veggies and some brown rice in the rice cooker, then I'll take out about 1/2 cup of rice and 1 cup of the veggie mix. I used to measure my food when I was calorie counting so I still use that as a guide. However, I have been notorious for going back for seconds. I'm a BIG fan of taking baby steps toward any goal. If you've never gone all-in with clean eating, then I'd say that in the beginning it's more important to focus on eating healthier food rather than worrying about portion sizes. Once that becomes habitual, then you can give all of your attention to potential overeating problems. I still battle with overeating and using food as comfort or out of boredom all the time!