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!







Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Better

Doing better again. Vegetarian day on Monday---I gave myself a red star because I'm sure I ate too much. I did discover a wonderful potato gnocchi receipe that will be terrific for vegetarian days to come. Yesterday was a Hungry girl day which was right on track plus I did an hour of exercise. I'm going to try to do another hour when I get home tonight--I need a buffer for Friday nights graduation dinner of ribs. I read something encouraging on Calorie Count the other day. A woman started out at about 210 and is now in the 150's. She did fine unless she went home where all the delicious goodies were. So what did she do? As she didn't go home all that often, she decided to just go ahead and enjoy the home food and not worry about it!  YAY!!! I love that!!!

It takes a lot of fierce honesty to truly judge whether an event is rare. I can certainly attest that every single day offers at least one "valid" reason to overeat. But truly---if you're eating right and exercising and you go home just a couple of times a year, you really can enjoy it.  Even Jillian Michaels says not to worry about food on Thanksgiving. Just get back on track the next day.  I just love that there are faint glimmerings of moderation and common sense out there in the world of weight loss.

Today is a "high fiber" day AND the work potluck, which is already looking fabulous. We're having BOTH a cheese ball AND chips and cheese dip. However, I am at least trying to get my fiber. I had a good fiber breakfast and I'm dutifully eating carrots now. Maybe my co-workers will help me out by eating all the food, but I hope not. :)

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