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!







Thursday, February 16, 2012

314 Again

This little tidbit from Calorie Count today:

Stop eating when hunger is gone but before you feel full, even if there’s food left. Remember, eating the right amount of food isn’t about being good, it’s about feeling good. 

I have trouble with the first part of that statement--as in, I know it's a good idea, but I can't imagine myself really ever doing it as a habit. But I love the second part of the statement that I put in bold--maybe someday I'll realize that I DO feel better if I eat less. It's hard for me to believe--but I have known people who actually dislike a feeling of fullness. Weirdos--but I'd love to join their ranks.

To that end I'm again rather proud of myself!  Granted, I had no business gobbling parmesan bites on Valentines day, but the day after, yesterday, I was at work with planned points for lunch and a snack. Come lunchtime I realized that I wasn't very hungry and that my snack sounded much more appealing than my lunch (and lunch was good! porkchop, mashed potatoes and green beans).  So I ate my 6 point snack INSTEAD of my lunch rather than eating my lunch AND the snack. Dinner was very good too--a stew with one roll and even a piece of Hungry Girl cheesecake for dessert.  Today will be just a little tougher because I'm not pre-filled with parmesan bread, but nevertheless it should be a very good on track on point day.

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