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, January 2, 2012

272 In control

Back on the wagon. Over the break we saw the new Muppet Movie. My favorite line--one that will no doubt become my theme for this year is from Animal. In the movie he's in an anger management group--whenever he starts going crazy, usually at the mention of drums, he is reminded to be "In Control," and Animal repeats, "In Control" in a joyless tone of voice, and stops the behavior.  Love it.  His voice and attitude are EXACTLY how I respond to weight watchers.  It helps me be "in control" and it helps me stop destructive behavior, but boy, I do NOT like it.  WW has rolled out their new 2012 plan which as far as I can see just means taking points away--the new target is 27 as opposed to 29. It's only two points, but this level of restriction that's a lot!!  Anyway, WW said themselves if the old plan is working to stick with the old plan if you want. I want. But still, I had to go in and manually adjust my points upward, so now I feel as if I'm cheating.  Thanks a lot weight watchers.

Today isn't hard though--I'm still overstuffed, and I can't wait to both get into the 170's and to get out of them!!  I have a cold, but I walked to work anyway.  Next week I can start strength training on work time, and as soon as I'm feeling better, I'm going to start walking with the idea of mixing jogging in as much as possible.

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