Finished Being Fat by Betsy Schow

I know what it's like to be fat. I've spent most of my adult life (and a good portion of my teenage life, too) fat. It's only been in the last year and a half that I've started seeing success on my own journey. So when I met author Betsy Schow and learned that she'd recently lost 75 pounds, I knew I could relate to her. I endorsed her book gladly, and today, I'm delighted to share some words of wisdom from her. I now turn the time over to Betsy. 

About Betsy and Finished Being Fat

After many years of being fat and miserable, with a few years of being average and less miserable mixed in, I finally had a lightbulb moment. The reason I was unhappy, was not just the extra 75 pounds of pudge I was carrying. It was the weight of all the things unfinished that hung around my neck. I was always having grand ideas. I'd get excited about this diet, or that workout routine. Or starting a new hobby or project. Problem was, within a few weeks the excitement would fade and that little voice would kick in. You know the one I'm talking about.

"You're no good at this. You'll never keep the weight off. Why are you even bothering?"

And every time I quit, my wall of failures would get a little higher -- making success that much harder to see.

What started out as yet another attempt to get rid of the weight around my middle, snowballed into a year of changing my life, my marriage and the way I raise my kids. Not to mention accomplishing seemingly impossible dreams.

Whether your goal is losing weight, running a marathon, cleaning out the basement, or all of the above, this book will teach you how to achieve more than you ever thought possible without sacrificing your sanity or sense of humor. 

For this guest post, Tristi asked me to write a little bit about what I eat now and what I do when I’m tempted. Short answer, I eat whatever I want. Long answer, I can eat whatever I want as long as it fits in the budget. That’s how I lost the weight and kept it off for almost two years now, by eating less and moving more. So just like I need a household budget to keep me from spending this month’s mortgage payment on clothes, I have a calorie budget that keeps me from blowing up bigger than the national debt.

It’s funny how a budget makes you evaluate your choices. When I was a kid, my dad gave me 2 bucks. I spent it all in five minutes on something stupid. Then I cried when my sisters got to go on the carousel and I didn’t because I had spent all my money. Calorie budgets work on the same principle. I can blow my entire day’s worth on a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, but I might be awfully hungry later.

I, personally, have to be really strict with myself. I have decided that there is no overspending on the budget, ever. If I give even an inch, I know the inches will come - to my waistline. But on those days when only a gourmet cupcake and all its 500 calorie goodness will do, (and you know there are still plenty of those days) then I make myself fit it into the budget either by giving up other foods for the day, or by earning more. As a kid, I would have to clean up dog poop to earn extra allowance. Earning extra calories isn’t that much better. For me it usually involves a whole lot of running. But it can really be any sort of exercise where your body burns calories, thus earning you more for your budget.

By hardlining myself, I come in under my budget, everyday, no excuses. It’s taught me a discipline that has come in handy in many a writer’s deadline. But it’s taught me to make smarter choice. 5 starbursts = 1 mile. I don’t know about you, but I will never eat starbursts again now, just not worth it. A cinnamon roll however....

If you want your own personal calorie budget visit me at www.betsyschow.com

And come on my adventure in Finished Being Fat, available at Deseret Book, Seagull, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. You’ll like it -- Tristi says so, she’s quoted in the front cover :)