Exactly How I Used Apps (+Other Tech Tools) To Change How I Eat Forever

by Maya Gaddie

This is a guest post from Maya Gaddie, the creator of This is How You Tech and a vegan foodie, who loves making busy lives easier. She helps you open your mind, own your value and take action. In this post, she gives you the low down on exactly how she maintains her weight with healthy eating apps and other tech tools.

My weight loss journey has been one of many ups, downs and in-betweens.

I’ve struggled, I mean really struggled to get my weight, back down, again, again, and again (…and ooops, yeap, one more time).

I’ve done it all. I really tried figure it out! It wasn’t just the weight. I wanted to get and stay healthy. I’ve had hard-core personal trainers, pilates instructors, regular classes, tried every major diet on the market and educated myself formally (classes and seminars) and informally (googling it up).

And, there’s been many a time that I thought I had it under control and then, womp, womp… to see that scale climb yet again. It was devastating.

In high school, I was thin, but I worked out, hard, too hard, because I was afraid I’d get “the family fat gene”. (Yes, I know now there’s no such thing. No way you could’ve told me that back then.)

Between running track, Taekwondo and my own brand of charted and reverse-engineered personal fitness, I never gained more than 5 pounds. (I was an intense teen.)

And, I’m fairly certain that 5 pounds was “that time of the month” water weight gain.

I’d get bummed at even the thought of more than 135 pounds on scale (I’m 5’8) or even a hint of fat on my tummy.

Suffice it to say, I was more than a little annoying.

And, a few years into college, I couldn’t keep up with that extreme fitness routine, so I ate less, unhealthily so. It wasn’t until say 24, that’s during grad school and post major breakup, that I really started to struggle.

The 5 pound weight gains, turned into 15 and 20. I’d whip out my toolbox of knowledge and drop the pounds, super fast and look and feel great… for a while.

Until I went back to my old habits of no portion control, a bit too much chocolate and a few too many glasses of red wine on evenings out.

I’d plateau again. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

I felt like a total failure. And it just led to me eating more and giving up… that is until it was time to try again.

I let it totally get away from me once. I bottomed out somewhere around +67 pounds.

In 2011, I decided it was time to kick my yo-yo habit for good. This time I decided to educate myself, in a different way. I made the move from mostly vegetarian to mostly vegan. I got schooled in whole, holistic living and how to make raw food taste awesome.

I was even strictly raw for a few months. And extremely excited about getting back to cooked foods and veganism. (Told ya I was intense.)

And, that super slim, circa-high school days silhouette lasted… for a while.

Yeap, I started to slip right back into my old habits.

I was still mostly vegan. (That means, no meat, but every once in a blue moon I’d have cheese or a cookie that I knew was made with, gasp, dairy. Now, I might do that, but only on special occasions and if I know it’s definitely organic and where and how it’s sourced. I really don’t crave it anymore. Yay. Victory.)

But somehow, I’d figured out how to max out my meals and add extra helpings of avocado, raw chocolate and potatoes, ummmmm. But, yeahhh.

I got to about 10 pounds above my ideal weight. Then, I stopped myself. I decided I was 100% committed to staying in my “happy place” with my weight and my health.

So, here’s exactly what I did…

Permission

I started with permission to be 100% honest with myself about my current state and my troubled weight loss history. And, I accepted that it doesn’t have to continue that way. My new mantra: I can and will rewrite my story and maintain my weight. Oh yeah, and I eased up on the intensity…I stay off the scale, with just a couple monthly check-ins, instead of daily or weekly. I go with how I feel and how the clothes fit. And, when I do “check-in”, I’ve made an agreement with myself that consistently being in the 150 range is perfect for me.

Start (Right Now) From The Beginning

Second, I started, at that moment (no waiting), at the beginning. Even with all my knowledge, it felt like I pressed the restart button. But, I had to start. Not a whole bunch of googling, relearning or retooling here. I used what I already knew to figure out how to create the right habits that work for me, not everybody else.

Consistency

90/10 baby. 90/10. I knew if I was gonna keep this going for the long run, I needed to be able to enjoy, savor and relax sometimes. For me, that means most Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons I let go a bit. Try something new. But, I’m consistent almost every other time. That means 90% of the time I’m “on.” 10% of the time, I get to play.

Convenience

I also knew that if this was going to work for me, ultimately, it had to be super convenient, easy to use. Drop in the slot and go. … Enter the tech tools.

A Breakdown Of the Tech Tools + System I Use

I don’t count calories anymore, but when I was losing weight (or when I’m trying new recipes) Lose It! is my best friend. It’s free. I can update it on my smartphone. And it’s easy to keep track of calories and keep a track a record of what worked and what doesn’t.

I have a regular, weekly personal training session with Kate, (who’s awesome) even though I’ve never met her in person. We both live in Los Angeles, but our sessions are 100% live and online. (Yeap, convenience. I meant it.) You can “meet” her and a host of other awesome trainers at Wello Fit.

When I don’t have a session, I use Daily Burn or a combo workout of a Shrink Session and The Scientific 7 to stay fit in under 30 minutes.

With the help of Lacy’s Your Organic Game Plan (get that here!), I plan my meals and stay on track. I don’t do every single thing, but I do stick to it, mostly. (There’s that 90/10 again.) And, it truly is a super helpful and ultimate resource guide.

Of course, I also sleep well (this helps), drink lots of water and mediate, pretty much everyday.

By the way, I didn’t totally stop reverse-engineering and visuals are easier, to well, visualize and actually use. (Come on, I couldn’t totally give up on being intense. It works for me.)

Ready for one horribly unpleasant before and one amazingly awesome after picture?

Also, for a limited time, if you want a visual snapshot of my actual week that shows you the exact weight maintenance system that works for me plus, a few more before and after shots, click here.

If you liked this article, you’ll love and want to subscribe to my “Exactly How I’m Doing It” Expert Series that starts next month. I’ll be talking to peeps, like Sasha Martin of Global Table Adventure, a full time mom, wife and food lover (and just look at all those yummy recipes!), about specific solutions that have been super successful for them.

Psst. I want to hear about your tips and tricks below.

Anything that helped you become and stay super successful on the weight loss train?

Please, share!

And don’t hesitate to say “Hello” via email. I love, love, love to hear success stories.

Here’s to easily maintained weight, health and happiness!

Maya Gaddie is here to change your mind about what’s possible and how you can achieve it. She helps you create a mind-blowing, “I need to get my mind blown like that everyday of my life” experience. Want more? Read more at www.mayagaddie.com.

Photo Credit: marcoderksen via Compfight cc