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!







Monday, August 8, 2011

128 A brighter day

I've always thought of myself as a very even-keeled cheery kind of a person, but this blog reveals that I do indeed have moods and they do certainly affect me.  Today I feel happier--yesterday's dinner wasn't too bad, and the weekend was happily military-free so I've been sleeping better.  Dinner wasn't too horrible point/calorie wise either---mom made turkey.

Today, happily, I'm feeling full and not even a little tempted by the brownies in the kitchen.  I"m sure this comfortable feeling will pass as soon as I really digest last weekend, but I"m enjoying it while it lasts. The week off on the core plan felt good too and it feels good to be off of it because now I can eat whatever I want. I had my favorite cream of wheat cereal with fresh blackberries for breakfast, and then I'll have a wrap and zero point soup and olives and fruit for lunch and a steak salad for dinner. I'll still have 6 points left after that too to just get to the 29! So I can have popcorn or dessert or seconds for dinner.  As much as I can bear to, I want to keep the daily total down to 29--this Saturday I'm taking Catherine out for a major "girl's day out" which will include plenty of rich food. It's going to be so fun!

After work I'll be doing the strength-training routine again and then walking home--so for the moment all is well in my world.

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