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!







Sunday, October 9, 2011

189 Fast

Fasting is a good thing today in every way.  I can think of nothing my whole digestive tract would enjoy more than a few hours off. I'm glad the church has an official fast Sunday. Of course, nothing prevents me from fasting at any time, but being the food-lover that I am, the time to skip food never really comes around. I've learned though this past stomach illness that my addiction is more powerful than simply feeling sick to my stomach. Unless things are pretty terrible, I will ALWAYS want to eat.  I truly feel for those who have even worse addictions than I do. I am 32 pounds overweight--at my all time worst I was 72 pounds overweight.  That's plenty hard enough. I hope someday I really will get my book out and help others travel the road between wherever they are and where they need to be to see success.

Anyway! We had fun in Logan yesterday.  My knee is MUCH better and by mid-afternoon I could almost walk without limping. I did some gentle walking around a few small stores, and in the evening we took a slow walk of about four blocks.  Today I'll increase that a little as well as walk to church. I'll have to be careful. I've stopped taking the prescription anti-inflammatory because it caused unbearable itching all over--these last two days have been AWFUL. I took quite a bit of ibu yesterday, but I don't want to take a bunch on an empty stomach today.

Also, starting today I'll be back tracking on WW. It was kind of pointless to do while I was sick and in Denver, but I've never given up at least a mental tally.

And one more point for the slow road. In French Women Don't get Fat the author talks about the doctor who helped her and others that followed her program. Three pounds in 4 weeks! Nine pounds in 12! The more I see and hear real weight loss stories, the more I'm convinced that this is the about the speed of success.  A little less than a pound a week average. That's a FAR cry from what I've always been taught to believe equals weight loss success. 

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