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!







Saturday, March 29, 2014

New Start and New hero!

Okay! March 29th, 2014!!  Let's hear it for a new beginning!!!!  And appropriately, I have a new hero to start me off on my journey--Ernestine Shepherd.



This is Ernestine at age 77!!!  WOW!!!  She didn't even start bodybuilding until she was 56 years old. I'm so proud of her!!!! I'll be visiting her site and finding inspiration. WOW!!  It is NEVER too late for ANYTHING!!!

Yesterday was an appropriate end to my three week bender. After eating a truly astounding amount at work, Catherine's plans fell through and so we were able to celebrate Dave's tenure with the steak dinner he wanted.  Good grief!!!  I felt like I was on the cruise again---overstuffed, but perfectly willing and able to stuff a few more thousand calories in. I ate bread, salad, steak, potato, and the cookie pie dessert (about my 7th dessert of the day). I feel like the stay puff marshmellow man and no wonder. I'm really glad to be back again trying and trying.  And this morning I'm grateful for my body--204 after yesterday's meal.  Okay. That's a whole lot better than I deserve after these three weeks!! Thank you body!!! And here's an important thought for me to remember----

As much as my body resists GAINING weight---it also resists LOSING weight---but it DOES change with consistant effort in either direction. What if, after falling off the weight watchers wagon my plan was to gain back the weight? How frustrated would I be?  Pretty frustrated!!!  It's been about a year and a half and I'm not quite there even yet! (close though).   And I've eaten a whole lot!! AND I have a sedentary job too!!!  What more do I have to do????!!!!!  Well, just stay on my present course and the pounds will pack back on don't worry. Sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, but don't worry, they'll come back.

Okay. DON'T worry about how much effort I put out and how slowly the scale moves. I will keep the idea of not weighing very often it does no good. Eventually these clothes will get looser, the scale will move--I just need to let the time pass. Today will be a good day---I'm so full that 1500 cal won't be a problem. Plus we're all going to hike up to the bridge--that will jump start me with my first exercise calories.
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