I was thinking about how I'm going to make my January effort work. And I was thinking I need to do something (but what!??) to counteract January and February. I live in Utah and those two months are bleak.
All the Christmas lights go out. All the Christmas music goes out. All the Christmas bills come in. There are no more parties and potlucks and yummy treats at work. I begin to eat right--which means "eat a whole lot less than I want." No fun Christmas spending. The weather is cold and dark, the driving is scary. I have to start coming in to work at 8 rather than 8:30 which I don't like. Church goes to the one o'clock schedule--blech. No wonder I don't like dieting! It's not just the food that goes away, but all kinds of things I enjoy go away, and emotionally I blame the diet for everything.
One thing for sure, I'll be traveling somewhere virtual in Jan. That's fun. And although I hate to see the Christmas decorations come down, I do like the spacious feeling of the house. There is lots to look forward to in 2015--it's just those 8 weeks that are tough. March is also bleak and dreary looking, but at least there's usually less snow, so the driving is better and there's the promise of spring.
Cheer up stuff---
Virtual travel
No frantic Christmas running around.
A new class to take
Make serious inroads on learning to draw better, finish book, finish math article--these might not be "fun" but I'll sure feel good getting them done.
Exercise will feel good
Success in my eating right efforts will feel good.
I think I'll plan a little "winter get-away" I even have a free hotel stay I can use.
It'll be ok. At least I know it's not only the diet that's making me feel bereft. I'd better keep up the gratitude project during those months. Here's a little for today
New author discovery! Stephanie Barron--there are 11 books I haven't read yet!
Fun family Christmas party last night
That Lisa drove everyone--probably saved Dad's life.
1/2 hour to Christmas vacation!
The little nap I took at work.
That Camille is cleaning up the kitchen.
That Catherine intercepted Dave's package
That I was able to walk to work today
That I only have 1 more week of some of the kids in nursery!!
That I'm not alone in nursery!
My funny co-workers
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!
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!
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