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!







Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Good news and bad

Hmph, the bad news is that turning 47 and losing those 4 lbs knocked me down to having only 29 points rather than 30.  Weird I think.  The good news is that 29 points is the lowest I will ever have to go.  But still, it seems strange to me--I  have about 50 pounds to lose while Catherine only has about 10 and we're both on 29 points? Oh well, I'm glad I'm at the bottom--I hated losing points on the old system and now I can relax because I won't lose anymore.  Besides, I'm doing alright-29 a day when most veggies and all fruits are free plus the extra 29 plus the activity if I need it are enough.  Also surprising to me is that this venture into ww has been more about intuition than before.  Last time there really wasn't enough food.  This time there is, but I find that I need to listen carefully to what I want and how I feel.  For example this morning I had a cup of cottage cheese and a whole grapefruit and a slice of great harvest bread with butter.  This is GONE.  It's 11:30 and I'm starving.  So--the moral is that I won't have that particular combo again.  I won't say I'm enjoying learning to listen, but I appreciate it's value.  I'm also trying to prepare my mind for when I think I've done really well and I don't lose weight.
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