How I Lost 29 Pounds after Moving to Mexico and Left the USA
Lost Weight in Mexico - Lost 29 Pounds
Well, I arrived in Mexico as a fat American. Yes, I said it, who doesn’t like a good controversy?
This was one of the many reasons I elected to downsize my life, hop on a plane and leave the great ‘ol USA.
Food in the USA, was only just the beginning of issues, I had personally – there were more, but for the sake of this article, we are going to talk about what changes occurred once I left the USA, and moved to Mexico and how I managed to lose 29 wonderful pounds in the span of 8 months and have never felt better.
Mindset
You may recall that before I took the big leap to head south to Mexico, I took an exploratory trip to Mazatlan to experience the culture, test out my language skills, and see how adaptable I was. Catch the video here or read the article here.
On this exploratory trip, I walked a ton, something I used to do in the past as I was a former 5K and 10K runner, have participated in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises, as I used to be a member of Camp Glaiator, and been a member of a gym for as long as I can remember but over the past 4 years went through some stuff and I ballooned up partially due to stress and some other stuff, I believe, but that is beside the point.
How did I manage to lose it? Great question!
Related: How to Stay Safe Traveling as a Solo Female Traveler outside the USA: Backpacking Edition
Related: How to Stay Safe While Pet Sitting
Preparation
So, when I made the move to Mexico, I was prepared to naturally walk more and be more active. I was looking forward to it, but knew that I had and still do know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.
Actual
When I arrived in Mexico, I accepted a pet sitting assignment in the Lomas (hills), high hills of Ajijic.
If you have ever been to Ajijic, you know these hills, or mountains, really. The climb can be steep, and the surface on the ground, is uneven which is typical in Mexico.
Ajijic is a beautiful community about 45 minutes south of Guadalajara, Mexico, and is a city many expats and retirees live.
So, just a casual walk is really a hike.
The amazing family I was sitting for offered me their car, but I declined, because of the following:
(1) driving in Mexico is different than driving in the USA and I didn’t want to take on the risk when I was fairly new to the country, (2) I had some hiking to do. :). (3) I was going to use this climb to my advantage. (4) It was good for my body in every way, (5) I was not going to take the lazy way out. (6) I also knew that if I was going to stay in and live in Mexico for the long haul, I needed to take this seriously, which I did. (7) I had unobstructed time to dedicate to this, so my time was and is NOW.
I lost a lot climbing up this hill over the course of 2 months.
The Hill
Let’s talk a little more about this hill.
This hill was on a steep incline. It’s in an area where a 4×4 would be needed, in my opinion.
So, if I wanted food, from a fresh market, this meant I had a few options on how I wanted to get food up the hill:
Order Delivery Service
Now, I could order food online and have it delivered. Yes, I did this for some items, but I didn’t want this to be my crutch for how I got food up the mountain.
What is great about Ajijic, is that not only will many restaurants deliver to your door, but there are also services that will deliver it to you. Check out our resources page for more info.
Visit a Local Restaurant and Get Bulk Food and Walk it Up the Hill
I did order bulk food (2-3 days) worth of food and put it in my backpack and carried it up the hill. This worked well for a time, but soon I became sick of eating at the same Chinese restaurant.
Walk it Up Myself
I also elected to carry my own fruits and vegetable up the hill. I am sure you know that most fruit and vegetables are water, so they are not the lightest things to carry.
Try and carry a large watermelon up a hill. If you haven’t done that, maybe that will be a game at the next birthday party you attend, call it hiking with watermelons, and think of me when you do it, of course. Send me a picture, better yet. I will cheer you on!
When you walk food up a mountain, you have to be more strategic. You have to think days ahead, and make a plan that will work, according to your needs.
Now, I could also walk down the hill and taxi up it. Yes, I did this too, but remember I was on a mission and was going to seize this opportunity- but great to have backup plans in case something goes awry.
Note: Now if you have been to Mexico, you know that most of the streets are cobblestone and uneven rock surfaces. So walking is not “normal” like in the USA.
So on top of carrying an overloaded backpack, you have to navigate the ground. You may walk in the road for a bit, then switch to the sidewalk but this is Mexico, my friends, and it can be easy to fall, trip or twist an ankle as many do. So you have to watch your steps and be careful.
Less More Often
After some time I managed to get into a routine and be able to better plan out the days I would do the fruit and vegetable haul up the mountain, and what happened? I started to get stronger, I gained muscle, I was getting better, faster and I knew I was moving in the right direction.
My Diet Changed
In Mexico, or in Ajijic, where I was at the time, there are no fast food joints. There is no McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A, there is not even a Chipotle. I ate whole foods, non-processed, without all those added chemicals, and these two key elements together started this journey for me.
While I still ate out in local restaurants, and purchased local fruits and vegetables, and added supplements, I was on my journey to lose it and continue to do so. If you wish to check out the supplements I used during this time, please visit our amazon affiliate link here.
Backpacking Mexico
Then I reached a point, where I wanted to backpack and explore Mexico further. All the walking I did around town was preparing my body to adapt-deliberately. I was training it. I knew and understood where I was physically and knew that by making small changes daily, I would see change.
One thing is important to note, is that the weather and environment in Mexico made walking easy for me. The weather in Ajijic is highly-rated and many move to the area because it’s bright and sunny almost every day. It’s a big lure to the area, so you can literally walk every day.
I have a naturally inquisitive mind and love to explore new areas. So many days I would walk 5 miles easily and it would be effortless.
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where you will see me walk through non-touristy areas of Mexico and of course the touristy parts too. Subscribe here!
I walked from Ajijic, all the way down to the Chapala boardwalk (malecon) and back several times.
Walking More - Pedometer
Here’s a snapshot of my pedometer for one week in the end of January 2023. This week, I managed to hit a record high of almost 10 miles in one day, and for the week totaled over 30 miles (70,968 steps) all from just walking.
As I continued to live in Mexico after this particular house sit was completed, I deliberately choose not to own a car. I wanted to walk everywhere as many do. Some weeks, I walk over 30 miles, just around town. So, to this day, I walk everywhere as a car is not for me, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle.
Where was this 10 Mile Hike?
On this day, I managed to walk from the Benito Juarez neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta all the way up to the Gallerias Mall, near the marina. It was a great day and the weather was perfect. Check out the video below!
Differences in Food USA vs. Mexico
I don’t need to tell you about the food in the USA. I am sure you have done some research on it, and have enough information on it to know…
I am going to summarize some key elements of the difference between the food in the USA vs. Mexico briefly which aided in my weight loss.
Fresh Juices Everywhere (Jugo)
In Mexico, there are more fresh fruits and vegetables.
There is one place in Ajijic, where I will walk about 1 mile to get a fresh juice of the day. It will be fresh beet juice mixed with pineapple or carrot, a different juice on every visit. They are about 45 pesos ($2.45 USD) and a grande is 75 pesos (approx. $4 USD). These juices are vida (life) for me.
I have made friends with the owner, so whenever I visit I am greeted warmly. It’s not like the USA where things are transactional and no one remembers who you are. Mexico is relationship-oriented, people matter, not things.
Whenever I travel, I seek out the fresh juice stands and always order one. I feel it’s like life to my body.
Food Has Less Sugar in Mexico
If you have lived in the USA, you probably have noticed that sugar, sugar substitutes, and high fructose corn syrup are in most food items. It may be what causes food addiction. It’s in ketchup, it’s everywhere. You may be so accustomed to the sugar high that you don’t even notice it anymore until it’s taken away.
When you eat an ice cream cone in Mexico, for example, there is not this huge sugar rush. The sugar is moderate.
Anyway in Mexico, there is less sugar in food, you actually taste the food and are able to enjoy it.
Portion Sizes are Smaller
Generally speaking, portion sizes in Mexico are smaller than in the USA. They serve just the right amount, and the food is tasty, with tons of vegetables.
Local Markets are the Fast Food Of Mexico
When I first moved to Mexico, I had to adjust to how broccoli was the centerpiece and everybody flocked to it at the local market. I knew at this point I needed to detox from my USA diet.
Now, I used to be a vegetarian for 5 years, and then went vegan for about 1-2 years, so I understand vegetables and the lure to them and their importance. But I even had to adjust to the desire to eat a wide and colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are life in Mexico.
I have met people in the USA who claim they don’t eat vegetables.
This is another reason why eating more healthfully in Mexico is easier which contributes to managing your weight.
Have you seen the celery in Mexico? It’s HUGE!
In Conclusion
Now, am I a swimsuit model? Ha! Thanks for asking, you are so kind! But, no.
I am grateful for the progress made and thankful for the country of Mexico for being so dang beautiful that makes my walking exploration trips easy.
I’m thankful for the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, friendly people, beautiful countrysides, colorful streets and non-transactional encounters. It’s like the people are real, here?
Do I say some controversial things, you bet I do. But sometimes we need a little shake up to: 1) Question our life 2) Question our Decisions 3) But overall, I believe we are here to learn from one another, share our experiences, good and bad, ups and downs, and strive to be better humans. I quit being a perfectionist a few years ago and decided to live and embrace who I am instead of what others told me I should be or do. Losing weight is just part of the journey.
Are you thinking of moving to Mexico? Are you wanting to take a similar route and lose weight in Mexico? Perhaps you have lost weight and want to share while living abroad? Drop a comment below and let us know about your journey!
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