My Weight Loss Journey: How I Lost 30 Pounds (& Am Keeping It Off)

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Show Notes:

On this show, we've pretty much run the gamut with talking about all the things we wish we had learned in University, right? We’ve covered it all: from classroom management, to dealing with difficult parents, to understanding how to manage the stress and anxiety of teaching. So today, I decided that I finally wanted to talk about something that has been on my heart for a very long time. It’s something that is deeply personal and not very comfortable for me to talk about, and that's my weight loss journey. 

What I’m going to share with you still has a lot to do with teaching. As a teacher, if you aren't keeping yourself healthy and feeling good about yourself, you can't be the best version of yourself for your students or for your friends and family. 

If you aren't feeding your body nutritious food to give you sustainable energy, you’re going to get tired more easily, you’re going to get sick more easily, and let's face it - you’re going to get negative more easily. Being healthy and at your ideal weight is not just going to allow you to work more efficiently, but it's going to help you to live a more fulfilling life outside of school as well. 

I'm going to be the first to admit that it is seriously hard to be healthy in our profession. When you have 25 or more children in your classroom who are all celebrating birthdays throughout the school year, let's be honest, that already stacks the deck against us, right? 😩 All those birthday celebrations typically come with cupcakes and other treats. Then there’s all of the seasonal celebrations like Halloween, winter holidays, and Valentine’s Day. Let’s not forget about the endless temptations in the staff lounge. The list goes on and on and on.

You might feel like you're constantly needing to say no, or are trying to say no, to a steady stream of foods that you know aren’t good for you. When it’s been an extra long day, you just want to grab a few more of those Reese's that have been stashed away in your desk drawer. 

Let's face it. When you’re so exhausted after working 10 or 12 long hours, the last thing you want to do is go home and prepare a healthy meal. It’s so much easier to swing through that McDonalds or Chick Fil A on the way home. Maybe you tell yourself that a milkshake and a cheeseburger will make you feel better and bring a sense of comfort. I know because I've been there. I've done the same thing. Then little by little, you don’t feel good about the way your clothes fit, you feel more sluggish than usual, and it impacts your overall mood.

My excuse for my weight gain was that nothing I tried was working and I didn’t want to live in a constant state of deprivation. I believed that it’s like they always say, your metabolism just slows down as you get older. It’s just inevitable to gain weight, right? Those are the excuses I told myself. 

But then I stepped on the scale after a year of COVID. A year of a lot of comfort-food snacking and not a lot of movement. A year of overworking and high stress. When I got on that scale, I saw a number that made me really uncomfortable. I instantly felt that sinking, defeated feeling. After some consideration, I realized that it was time to be honest with myself. It was time for a change.

I'm going to share with you today exactly what I ended up doing to lose 30 pounds. I’ll also share why it was so hard not only to lose this weight, but to keep it off. Please know that everything that I'm sharing with you on this podcast today is just my experience. I am not I'm not advocating for anyone to jump into weight loss. I'm not an expert in this area. I'm just sharing my experience about what I did and what's worked for me. 

After listening, will you please help to spread the word by sharing this episode with another teacher who has been finding it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle? I'd be so grateful. Also, if you would like to share your weight loss experience with me, I would love to hear about it. You can always send me a message on Instagram @beginningteachertalk. 

Before you go, I want to let you know about something new and exciting that will be happening on the podcast! If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that each week I like to share classroom management hacks. These hacks have been so popular that I've decided to share classroom management hacks on the podcast as well. So, I’m going to begin to release two podcast episodes every single week. The first weekly episode will be on Wednesdays as usual and the second episode is going to be a super short classroom management hack on Saturdays. This way, you can start your weekend on a positive note and have a quick little hack to add to your classroom management file. Enjoy!

Inside this week's show, you'll learn:

• Why creating healthy habits is so difficult as a teacher, and why maintaining it is even harder.
• The very practical things that I had to teach myself, and remind myself of every day, in order for my weight loss to be possible.
• Why I opted for physician-assisted weight loss, and what that process looked like.
• What happens when you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and give your body the opportunity to adjust to new habits.
• Why you might want to do some of your own investigating about why food is a comfort for you.
• A couple of things that are working for me to sustain a healthier weight in a very practical way.

Here are some of my favorite quick, easy, teacher lunch & snack ideas:

• Veggies & hummus
• Carrots & guac
• Nuts
• Protein shakes
• Pretzels
• Greek yogurt with granola
• Granola bars
• Fresh fruit
• Trail mix
• Individual peanut butter packs & banana
• Bagel & cream cheese
• High protein salad. Something with chicken, nuts, seeds, cheese etc.
• Chex mix
• Bottled smoothies

Links & resources mentioned inside this episode:

• Grab your FREE Ultimate Classroom Management Checklist.
• Join our Beginning Teacher Talk Private Facebook Group.
• Follow Dr. Lori on Instagram.
• Learn more about R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy.

I hope this information is helpful as you prepare for your first, second, or third year of teaching. Until next time, remember, just because you're a beginning elementary teacher, there's no need for you to struggle like one.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast, Beginning Teacher Talk, and creator of the innovative literacy program for 1st and 2nd grade, Dogs Help Kids Read and Succeed, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com and at howdogshelpkids.com.

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Related episodes you might enjoy:

• Getting Sick Sucks: How to Plan for Self-Care at School (So You Don’t Have to Plan for a Sub)
• Why I Quit Teaching: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself about Your Career
• How to Manage Stress & Uncertainty: Social-Emotional Support for Teachers
• Why You’re So Tired: What the Research Says about Disaster Stress & How to Cope
• How to Deal with Stress & Anxiety as a New Teacher

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