Losing weight in spite of myself.

I began this blog in February 2011 as a way to help me not quit trying to lose weight, and to learn a few things. It's been an interesting and powerful experience. It certainly confirms what I've long suspected--that although I am a genuinely happy cheery person in the main, I am NOT a happy cheery dieter. I DETEST losing weight. I resent being overweight in the first place and I am a virtuoso in the art of self-sabotage. And YET--I'm doing it! I'm fighting and kicking and EATING all the way down, but the weight is finally going down. The plan I was following in February was a half-baked one largely based on wishful thinking. I gained a little weight and decided to get real. I knew I couldn't just join weightwatchers or count calories or do any one plan and expect to be successful. I decided if I was going to bother to make the effort to lose weight I was going to throw everything I could think of at the problem. And so I do. My real "Day One" for this blog is April 1, 2011. I joined weight watchers, I joined caloriecount.com (awesome website), I read the blog losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com religiously, I keep this blog faithfully, I joined the health programs sponsored by my insurance, I use the principles from overeater's anonymous, I use my church's 12 step program as well, I subscribe--and use--Healthy Cooking Magazine.



The result of all this? Painfully slow progress (About 20 lbs in 10 months). But it IS progress and like the little engine that could I keep on trying in my rebellious way. I have no intention of quitting. This is by far the longest sustained weight loss effort I've ever made in my life. Successful I think, because for the first in my life I've done this MY way--which I've discovered, involves a lot of pizza and restaraunt food. I'm convinced this is the only way to lose weight. For me it must be MY way. For you it MUST be YOUR way. Not weight watcher's way, not your doctor's way, but YOUR way. Any plan or idea I use is only a tool.

The latest plan to lose weight my way began on Oct 29, 2013. It really is my own crazy plan. As you'll see if you read that post. I've implemented the best ideas of all sorts of eating plans and thrown out the scale. A couple of months in and I'm definitely healthier. I'm actually enjoying myself. I won't weigh until April 1, 2014, so I'll see then if this works the way I hope it will.

There is no magic weight loss bullet. But there IS a great deal of magic in the discovery of what I can happily live with (very different from what weight watchers tells me I can happily live with) and still have the body and health I want.

Good luck to all of us on this journey. It's quite a trip!







Friday, March 18, 2011

Ach Begorrah!

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.  I got a LOT of exercise, walked to and from work, went to a geo-caching class (super fun--it's also spring break so I can do things like this), walked ALL over campus--which is in the mountains and all uphill, and walked up and down a bunch of stairt--I was hanging up flyers around campus.  Also stood in line for about an hour waiting for dinner.

I'm still kind of feeling generally low-battery.  St. Patrick's day isn't that big of a deal for me so I hadnt' planned dinner. Dave was willing, but still had to go to the store--I'm not a huge corned beef and cabbage fan, and also that stuff really should cook a long time.  I was attracted to the idea of a "ploughman's lunch"--sausages, cheese, salad--but that's kind of a me sort of thing only. But, since today was pay day so we figured, what the heck let's go out to eat for once.  We used to eat out all the time, but our income took a drastic hit when we moved to Utah, so eating out has become relatively rare.  There is an Irish pub not far.  It was loads of fun--terrific atmosphere, but boy oh boy was it a testament that home cooking is better for you!
   I had a reuben sandwich--good, but I'm sure it was packed with grease.  We also had fried cheese---pure fat. The food was good overall, but not great--not up to the reputation that McCool's has.  Definitely not worth the damage to our bodies as far as the food goes, but we might make a tradition of it simply because the atmosphere was so much fun.  The moral here is that even if I had made the ploughman's lunch for us and had overindulged in high fat sausage and cheese at home, I'll bet it still would have had far fewer fat and calories than the sandwich and fries I had last night. 
   Today's major mission is to help Catherine get a scholarship essay into shape that is due today.  Tomorrow's mission is to truly get back on track.  I'm due to take a huge walk in the morning, so it's a good jump start.  

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