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, March 24, 2014

Hungry Girl!!!

YAY!!!! The Hungry Girl book is out today!!!!!  I'm super excited--I've been waiting three months for this!  It's probably just recipes for different calorie goals, but even still. I'll be glad to either use it or not, and to solidify my own plan.

The thing I'm most excited about is the freedom that exercise will bring me on the new plan---especially at lunch time on flavor point days. 1/2 hour bike riding means I can have a slice of bread with lunch and that will make all the difference. I'm going to have to be careful with the exercise concept though. What do I really mean? For example---today during wellness time--I strolled slowly over to the bank and met with an advisor there. Is that exercise?  I think I just answered my own question---use fitness pal----I would have to honestly plug that in as very slow walking--and whatever I earn--I earn. Just to clarify to myself--walking to work doesn't count, I do that anyway and while it's very beneficial, it only serves to maintain my current weight. I need at least 30 min beyond this for weight loss. AFTER that 30 minutes--extra exercise can be earned for more food. This might mean getting up early in the morning (YUCK!!!) but I get to go to work 1/2 hour later in the summer and that will be a help. Plus, there's wellness time 3 days a week, weekends are easier to find time---so it's really only Tues and Thurs that are difficult. I really think that I'm just going to "do the best I can" with exercise.  Dealing with food is the hardest thing for me. I don't want to demand all changes at once with myself. If the food is in control I get a star. If the exercise is on board so much the better, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

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