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, April 21, 2014

Bit of a bender

Oh dear. It's so incredibly easy to go off the rails. I tried on Saturday--made the best choice I could at the Mexican restaurant, but we had leftover pizza for dinner. I love pizza in any form. I had two pieces plus a big cabbage salad and a reeses egg. One good thing about trying to control things is that I was actually really full with just these two pieces. Normally, it takes at least five pieces before I begin to feel full.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. Again, began with good intentions. We had those tube cinnamon rolls for breakfast (shaped like Easter Bunnies--thanks pinterest!). I ate two--which meant 4 rolls. Usually, when I'm really counting 2 means 2 total, not two bunnies. Had a side of a dark chocolate with breakfast--then a small chocolate at church. Then lunch at Lisa's.  It was the funeral potatoes that were my undoing. Loaded with cheese and sourcream--I'll take funeral potatoes over candy any day. Then there was the birthday cake. This was my fault. I requested this. A layer of chocolate chip cookie mix. Topped with reeses eggs, topped with a fudge caramel brownie mix.

Ended the day with popcorn.  Yes, well. No stars for yesterday or the day before.  The rest of this week is iffy as well, but I really think it's a divinely helped iffy. I didn't pull any Free Days for the week, but I DID honestly pull out 2 vegetarian days and a high fiber day. GREAT! Again, my intentions will stay good. But as my last attempt with this program shows, I don't do very well with too much freedom. However, I'll do the best I can and these days will enable to me to get through all of the "exceptions" that are coming up this week and at least technically, still stay on plan. I think that's important.

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