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, January 6, 2014

SNACKS!!

YAY facebook and the internet!  And thanks to Nicole who posted this.  Snacks are a bit of a struggle--mostly because I never plan for them so I never have the ingredients.  I'll make a point of incorporating a few of these every week.  I'm especially excited to try the skinny nutella!

Today IS a better day. I really think I was down on blood sugar yesterday.  I'm pleased with myself today. It's a "not counting but in control" day.  This is the hardest type of day for me, but also, I think the most important, because it's where I need the practice.  Since today is the first day of school, I figured my boss would probably bring in bagels or something so I didn't really eat breakfast. I had a little milk and a sliver (literally) of banana bread.

Sure enough! She brought "energy foods". Granola chunks, mini health muffins and peanut butter stuffed pretzels and craisins.  So for breakfast I ate one of the fresh rolls I'd brought and a babybel cheese, and some granola and pretzels. Loved the pretzels and went back for more, but I looked at the calories this time--140 for 8 pretzel bites. Ouch.  I'd already eaten about 8, plus granola--say 200-300 cal, the roll--125, the apple--80, the milk from home 100 the sliver of banana bread about 50? Suddenly I realized that I'd had plenty of breakfast, plus I wasn't hungry.  I wrapped up those pretzel bites and they're sitting in my office now.  Perhaps I'll have them later for a snack. I'm proud of myself for catching that and not mindlessly eating a whole bunch of those pretzel bites!

This semester I have wellness time a little earlier. I think I'll like that a lot.  I did very well today.  The treadmills at the gym have a couple of video paths. So today I took the 1.4 mile Haleakala Hawaiian path, thinking to get a baseline time. I did.  Twenty-three minutes. No speed demon here, but in my defense, it was mostly uphill.  I found out that even at a very slow jog (4.2 miles) uphill is too much for me.  I mostly walked it at 3.5, but I did go up to 4.2 on the flats and downhill.  As always, boredom is a major factor when running. Even beautiful Hawaii was not exciting enough to make the time go quickly.

1 Apple Slices
2. Carrots with Avocado Dip
3. Sliced Veggies with Zucchini Hummus
4. A Medium Banana – Need 5 Reasons to Bite Into a Banana?
5. Dried Fruit Chips (with no added sugar)
6. A Hard-boiled Egg – Learn 3 important health benefits of eggs.
7. String Cheese and Grapes
8. Fruit with Skinny Nutella
9. Air-popped Corn
10. Rolled Turkey Breast (Boar’s Head Deli Meat has no nitrates nor preservatives)
11. Pineapple Spears – Give Yourself 5 Reasons to Pick Pineapple.
13. Sliced Bell Pepper with Skinny Ranch Dip
15. Celery with Skinny Peanut Butter
16. A Handful of Almonds
17. Sweet Potato Hummus with Whole Wheat Crackers
19. A Handful of Pumpkin Seeds
20. A Cup of Sliced Berries- Learn 3 reasons to jump on the berry bandwagon.
21. Steamed Edemame with Sea Salt
23. A Cup of Cottage Cheese
24. Steel-Cut Oatmeal – Try our Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
25. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with Fresh Fruit
26. A Clementine (Cutie) Orange
Fabletics Active Wear
30. Sliced Red Pepper with Hummus
31. Homemade Trail Mix
33. Quinoa – Try our Quinoa Pilaf
40. Curry Yogurt Dip with Whole Wheat Crackers
42. Chunked Watermelon
44. Raw Broccoli with Skinny Ranch Dip
46. Romaine Lettuce Wraps
47. A Small Box of Raisins
48. Sliced Tomato and Feta
49. Greek Yogurt with Blueberries

Read more at http://skinnyms.com/50-clean-eating-snacks/#gKQhRFFGGP89hCQh.99

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