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!







Friday, January 17, 2014

Yay carbs!

Survived the low-carb day.  I did pretty well remembering that it wasn't a day to just pig out and eat thousands of calories of cheese.  I gave myself a silver star for eating too many peanuts though.  This was partly a packaging problem.  A package of Sabritas (my favorite lime flavored peanuts that are not available in Utah) is 280 cal.  I had 1/2 a bag and a whole bag.  I knew I'd probably want more than the 1/2 but some muddy reasoning made me eat the "old" 1/2 bag first. Then I opened the new bag and ate more than I really wanted from it--about 3/4.  I also indulged in a a little chocolate--a very little--1/2 of a small square of dark at lunch and 1 hershey's kiss at night.  Not terrible, but out of keeping with a low carb day.  So, a silver star.

One very good thing I finally looked up was what exactly IS a low carb day?  100-150 grams is a good day, anything under 50 grams is considered very low carb.  Next time I'll aim for under 50, but consider anything under 100 a gold star day.  That makes me feel a little better.  I'll also type in here so I don't forget---we're counting "net carbs"  that means total carbs minus the fiber.  Makes life a little easier.

Today is a free day. YAY!!  But I'm excited about my attitude.  We're trying the all you can eat Pizza Pie Cafe tonight and I want to really enjoy it. Here's the exciting part---I'm actually realizing and remembering that to really enjoy it, I need to be hungry for it.  To be hungry for it, I can't go crazy eating heavily all day long. Therefore, I'm really not wanting to eat heavily---I want to enjoy my pizza! Totally natural, normal and wonderful response.

In honor of Free day, I made sure that I'm excited about all of today's food. I had some orange juice for breakfast (a treat),  I made a healthy wrap for lunch, but I'm also having the chips and dip I've been craving, and some chocolate chip cookies. A psychologically satisfying day.  I'm excited to pick out next week's seven slips.

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