I wanted to share one of the things I’m doing to help with my weight-loss journey. In the time before I had kids or hurt my back, I was a body builder. I worked out seven days a week and loved every minute of it.

Fast forward through a major back injury and three kids with very demanding special needs, and I’m no longer in the best shape of my life. 😁 

My goal is to lose roughly sixty pounds over the next year and I think that’s perfectly reasonable. I want to lose two pounds per week and that’s a very reasonable approach. Losing weight too fast isn’t always the best thing and I want to give my body time to adjust as the weight falls off. 

Trying to lose weight will living the life of an Autism parent can be exceptionally difficult. The stress alone isn’t conducive to weight-loss. Exhaustion, sleep deprivation and limited time are other factors that can be obstacles. 

I thought I would share a few things I’m doing to lose weight, because maybe it will help someone else out there struggling with their weight. 

1. I use myfitnesspal to track my daily intake, set and track my weight-loss goals. A food journal is so important because it shows you exactly where you can make better choices. It also helps you to see how much you’re actually eating. You can find and friend me on the free myfitnesspal app by clicking here. 
2. I also use my Samsung Gear S3 from T-Mobile to track all my physical activity or workouts. These numbers are automatically imported into myfitnesspal. 
3. Set reasonable goals. There’s nothing worse than setting yourself up to fail. Losing weight takes time. You didn’t gain it overnight and you won’t lose it overnight either. My personal goal is to lose two pounds a week. That’s both realistic and obtainable. 
4. I forgive myself for the days I don’t do so well. Life is a journey and my life is full of unpredictables. Sometimes I make choices I later regret but I’m human and I pick myself up and make better choices from there. 
5. I try to partner with other people who want to lose weight because we can encourage each other. For example, my wife and I are a team. I also speak openly about my weight-loss journey here because it helps to hold me accountable. 
6. As far as physical activity or exercise is concerned, I love walking and do so whenever I can. I also make small changes to my routine like parking farther away from the store and walking. Little changes can lead to big differences over time. 
7. I also replace one meal with a SlimFast shake I make at home. I have Amazon ship the powder at the beginning of each month and it really does help. If I am so stressed out that the urge to stress eat overwhelms me, I can make a shake and not feel guilty. 
8. Drink lots and lots of water. I’m not very good at doing this but I’m working in it. My daily intake goal is roughly 128 ounces of water. That’s quite a bit but it makes a huge difference in how well my body functions and helps a great deal with weight-loss. 
9. Getting enough sleep. I never get enough sleep but if an opportunity arises for me to power nap, I’m all over it. Raising three kids with Autism makes a good night’s sleep almost impossible. 
10. Celebrate your victories. When I step on the scale, and see I’ve lost weight, I’m really proud of myself and share it with my family. Speaking of scales, I weigh myself in the morning, before I eat. I try to a old the scale for the most part but check in twice a week to see my progress. 

These things seem to work for me but may or may not work for you. Talk to your doctor before beginning any workout or diet regime. Once you begin, keep at it and don’t give up. It takes time and you’ll falter on occasion. Pick yourself back up and keep doing your best. 

It helps to also have a reason why you’re doing this, especially on the tough days. I focus on wanting to be the best father and husband I can be. My kids will need me for the rest of my life and I want to make my life and long as humanly possible. 

Good luck and remember to friend me on myfitnesspal.. ☺ 

Here’s a ticker that shows my weight-loss progress. It auto updates every time I weigh myself.