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!







Sunday, November 23, 2014

Little snow

So much to be thankful for today! I'm still not in a very good place with food, but I feel a little better overall. I seem to work by opposites. I saw some people today that are a little heavier than I am and  have put on a little more weight besides. No thanks. I just don't want to do that. I'm also wondering about the wisdom of almost anything from the medical/diet community.  I read a good post about dieting myths, and another about what the real culprits of weight gain are. Are they milk and butter and meat that people have been eating for centuries with no problem? Or are they all the new processed foods and sugar and less exercise? Hmmmmmm.   This makes me wonder about two diet "facts" water and breakfast. I have no problem drinking a lot of water, but do I really need to stress about it? I don't think so. People didn't used to carry water bottles with them everywhere. The first thing people lose is always water weight---would that be because we're carrying around too much water?  Just a thought. I'm not planning on cutting back on water. I don't worry about it too much, and I think I'll keep not worrying. The other "fact" is breakfast. Yes, I know I need it to boost my metabolism and it's been proven that people who eat breakfast weigh less. But not everybody is the same. Often, I'm not really hungry for breakfast (Unless I'm dieting), I eat it because I'm "supposed" to and everyone tells me that I should. But I'm like Hollie in that way. Once I start eating, it's game on and I don't want to stop. Might it not be better to delay the start? I think I'm going to experiement with less or no breakfast (assuming that I really don't want anything just then). Does that really make me voraciously hungry later? If not, and I don't miss it, then that's at least 300-500 calories less everyday without effort.

I missed posting yesterday, but it should be easy to think of things I'm grateful for.

1. That the car is running so beautifully!!!
2. That it isn't leaking oil!
3. That I could go to Provo yesterday and get Catherine
4. That Catherine might be making a little medical headway
5. That she really wanted to see me.
6. That I got to do some Christmas shopping in the bookstore and art museum.
7. That we got to go Thanksgiving grocery shopping and buy so many wonderful things.
8. That I have Wednesday off to cook
9. That the weather on the way to Provo was clear
10. That although it rained on the way home, it wasn't torrential and I have good tires and felt safe.
11. That the weather was perfect for the drive to SLC today.
12. That Riley did fine in the Primary Program.
13. That Lisa fixed us a delicious lunch
14. For the funny kids in the program
15. For Lisa's good lesson that inspired me to set some real harp goals.
16. That my psych paper is at 88% so the rewrite should definintely put me in the A range.
17. That we're going to POLAND this summer!!
18. That Dave is back safe
19. That the radio didn't work yesterday so I could practice my talk
20. That I got to cuddle Catherine while watching Sherlock yesterday

1. That Catherine is becoming my best friend ever
2. Our new Christmas Shaun the sheep video
3. The cute wooden trees we bought at the expo.
4. The AMEX card that allows us disasters like the car
5. For a break from nursery today
6. For the video that Lisa showed her class
7. For the loveable people in our ward
8. That I can sing
9. That none of us have to go anywhere far this week
10. For sunday naps
11. That personal peace is possible
12. Lysine for cold sores
13. That our time on this earth is limited
14. Nutella
15. dips and spreads
16. My book of victorian mysteries
17. Dorothy Gilman
18. calulators
19. Morgan, and her love of the Lord
20. Our new SSC shirts.

No comments:

Post a Comment