HOW I LOST WEIGHT DESPITE BEING AN ITALIAN WHO LOVES HER PASTA

Like any good Italian girl, I love my carbs. Pasta. Pizza. Panettone (why does everything delicious have to begin with a ‘P’?)

And I haven’t even started on the desserts: Cannoli. Budino. Sfogliatella. Tiramisu… You can put a bowl of spaghetti ai aglio e olio in front of me, and I’ll still have room to eat another plateful and dessert. Of course, that’s after I’ve made my way through the antipasti. I’m like a spicy Very Hungry Caterpillar when it comes to food. 

But as much as I love indulging in Italy’s finest, I knew I needed a better balance; one that let me enjoy all the flavours I adore. So, I came up with a plan. It took a lot of dedication, patience, and effort. But I did it. Here’s how.

I moved my body at every chance I got

Movement is medicine. While I physically do not need to drive to an office, my career still requires me to sit down at a computer for seven hours of the day. How on earth was I meant to get in the coveted 10,000 steps a day?

Easy: I didn’t. 

You can only do what you can do, so for me, that was 8,000 steps a day. And even then on some days it was a struggle. So, I started parking my car further away when I went on a grocery run. Or, instead of bringing the laundry basket to the clothesline, I would walk to the basket and grab each item one at a time to hang. Rinse and repeat (excuse the pun). These little movements might not have even added to 1000 steps in total, but they definitely got me closer to my end goal.

I also took my dog for walks. For a simple 30-40 minute walk, I managed to put in around 3000-4000 steps. And you know what? After a while, it became second nature to move my body.

I hired a personal trainer

This isn’t for everyone. They can be costly. But so is getting your nails done fortnightly, that extra cocktail (or three) on a night out, and that cute dress you had to buy. I’m not saying a PT is a necessity per se but I do think authentic self-care is. I began to see it as not an expense but as an investment in my own body and health (more on that later). If you’re new to fitness, you’ll most likely have a lot of questions about what exercises to do, how to do it, and how often to do it. A PT can help with all of that, making it easier to get started… and hold you accountable. And even if you’re not new to it all, a PT can help you refocus and get back on track.

I prioritised myself

I can’t believe I’m about to write these words but here we go: You can’t pour from an empty cup. Cringe. But as weepy as this adage is, it’s true. How can you be the best mum / partner / friend / sister / daughter if you’re putting everyone’s needs before your own?

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Hey, I’m a mother with a full-time job too.

So, to put yourself first, you need people in your corner. For me, that was my husband. There were days where I was too tired to go to the gym and I wanted to give up, but my husband would encourage me to put myself first. He told me he would look after our son, put a load of laundry on, and/or cook (he didn’t specify he would cook; he meant he would go to Grill’d and order food for him and our son). So, I’m grateful for him helping me make these lifestyle changes that little bit easier.

I changed my mind-set

“Sometimes, you need to eat for fuel and not just for taste.” This was shamelessly stolen from a Redditor and it’s stayed with me ever since. In their comment, they went on to explain that they went from never eating healthy to mostly eating healthy. 

And sometimes, that’s the only shift you need. 

Aim for progress, not perfection.

I learnt that instead of filling my stomach with all the foods that taste yummy yet provide no nutritional value, I should give it the foods that will give me more energy and less heart disease.

This is not to say I don’t enjoy a bit of chocolate every now and then - it’s just in moderation. Old me would eat the entire chocolate bar. New me looks at the same chocolate bar and thinks, “Sure it tastes good but is it actually good for me? Will it give me energy or will I have a sugar crash? Does this add any benefit to my life?” 

I monitored my food

I know intuitive eating is all the rage right now, and it’s a great concept - but that’s not something I could ever understand or implement. First of all, it doesn’t come with specific recipes or meal plans to follow. There weren’t even instructions on what I was meant to eat in order to be satisfied and healthy. How big is a ‘portion size?’ Am I including too much fat in my diet? What do you mean bananas have a lot of carbs? (Okay, that one I knew).

And with that, came an app that tracked my macros. No, I don’t use MyFitnessPal. This really helped me at the start because I didn’t know that I was overeating (I know: crazy, right?). Or that I was way, waaay low on protein. As a result of monitoring my food day in day out for four months, I don’t really need to track my macros or weigh my food by the gram so much anymore. By simply looking at a plate, I can (somewhat) accurately gauge how much of it I needed to eat in order to feel full without feeling sick. 

In fact, this was one of the lessons I needed to unlearn: I didn’t need to eat absolutely everything on my plate (sorry, mum!). In fact, if I put less on my plate in the first place, then I wouldn’t overeat and feel lethargic afterwards.

Long story short: By monitoring my food at the initial stages, I learnt how much my body needed in order to function well.

I drank a lot of water

Was I actually hungry, or was I parched? Eating six satisfying, sustainable meals a day had me so accustomed to constant grazing that it felt strange not to have food in my mouth 24/7.  So, when I was unsure whether it was food or water that I really needed, I would have a cup of herbal tea. Not surprisingly, it satisfied my inexplicable need for something in my hand and mouth.

Progress starts with you

So there you have it! At the time of finishing this blog post, I’m 8 kilograms down (that’s 17 pounds for those not using the metric system) and I feel much stronger, I have more energy, and sure, I’m looking better in my clothes.

Do it for you.

P.S. Trust me, I get it. I’m Italian. Our family gatherings happen almost weekly (often for no reason), and there’s always an abundance of food. And don’t even get me started on the feasts during religious holidays! But here’s the truth: if nothing changes, nothing changes. Start small, stay consistent, and the results will come.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional fitness coach, personal trainer or nutritionist in any capacity. If you want professional advice on how to move your body, eat better and get stronger/fitter/sexier, I’ve got a long list of contacts who can help you. They’re the ones with the degrees, the experience, and the knowledge. They have directly or indirectly assisted me in my fitness journey.