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, March 21, 2014

Seeds being planted

Was reading Nerd Fitness--and he was talking about how efficient our bodies become when we exercise. Super active people don't actually burn all that much more than sedentary people. I always wondered how come the sedentary Mary was just as slim as the active Laura in the Little House Books!  Of course there's all kinds of benefits to being active. Nerd Fit was talking about how to set new records in your exercise every single day. That's quite something!!! Going small is the key. More reps on a lower weight, less on a slightly higher, a slightly longer stretch, adding a few steps of a sprint in your run.

I can feel that I'm not quite ready to embrace all this. I'll be doing very well just to increase my activity at all, but the seed is there now, and goodness knows I'm all about weird plans!  My new plan is almost ready to go--the Hungry Girl Diet comes out on Monday and be heading straight over to get my copy and see how I can incorporate lots of her big portion foods in my new plan. I think the big day for me is going to be a week from Saturday. I'll be making the shopping list for this week tonight, but by this time next week I'll be ready to shop for success. Or, Misery with a purpose!!  That's ok too. However you slice it, this road is uphill and boring. But so worth the climb.

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