It's the holiday season. That's a fact I can't ignore. Tonight I'm going to my 3rd holiday party, and the scales haven't budged. Actually, they have. I bounce between 137 and 139. Mostly it sits at 138. It's been that way since early November. It's annoying. If I allowed myself to think about it I would be totally depressed!
When I was sharing my woes with a friend she said, "Losing weight during the holidays? Really? I think maintaining it is an accomplishment." I started thinking about that, and realized she is right. I really want to lose 5 more pounds before Christmas, but that's because my kids are coming. The truth is, they will be impressed with what I've already lost. If I can just get past New Years without regaining anything I will have conquered the holiday season.
New focus? Not really. Same plan, same hopes, but I will accept the reality. I will stick to the meals I've been eating during the day. I will continue to workout. I will walk even when it's cold and snowy...but probably not cold and windy. That wind really bites! I will go to parties and do my best to watch how much I eat and drink. I will try to pick only the diet friendly stuff.
But I will NOT drag myself down when I goof and over indulge. I will hug myself when I do well, and kick myself in the butt when I screw up. I will continue to weigh myself and measure myself. To do anything else would be to give up and that is the biggest NOT in my list. I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON MYSELF.
Showing posts with label weight loss obstacles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss obstacles. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Stalled
This week has not been a good one as far as my diet and exercise goals are concerned. I knew it would hit sooner or later, and it has. I seem to have a couple of main issues.
1) Summer is over, and the fall schedule has begun. I have less free time and more demands that interfere with walking or working out. This has always been an issue. In fact it is a reminder of what people who are seriously making changes in their lives while raising a family or holding a job go through all the time. It's tough keeping up with the schedule AND making sure that exercise has a priority. I haven't done well with that before. I will have to find a way this time.
2) With fall comes a number of challenges to the diet. Activities that serve snacks; cold temps making comfort food much more desirable and salads less desirable, holidays--my birthday, for starters.
3) I am easily discouraged from walking when the temps drop and the wind picks up, which really happened this week.
I did not gain anything this week, but neither did I lose. Worst of all, the inches around the middle, that
trouble spot on my body that I want to see improve the most, started creeping up again.
It's not going to get better until around May, so I'm really going to have to work at finding a solution. I have to find some way to push through each obstacle so that I can be an 'Overcomer'!
1) Summer is over, and the fall schedule has begun. I have less free time and more demands that interfere with walking or working out. This has always been an issue. In fact it is a reminder of what people who are seriously making changes in their lives while raising a family or holding a job go through all the time. It's tough keeping up with the schedule AND making sure that exercise has a priority. I haven't done well with that before. I will have to find a way this time.
2) With fall comes a number of challenges to the diet. Activities that serve snacks; cold temps making comfort food much more desirable and salads less desirable, holidays--my birthday, for starters.
3) I am easily discouraged from walking when the temps drop and the wind picks up, which really happened this week.
I did not gain anything this week, but neither did I lose. Worst of all, the inches around the middle, that
trouble spot on my body that I want to see improve the most, started creeping up again.
It's not going to get better until around May, so I'm really going to have to work at finding a solution. I have to find some way to push through each obstacle so that I can be an 'Overcomer'!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Success and Failure
Today is definitely going to be an OFF day. It started when my husband walked in with chocolate donuts. But while I may have gotten away without trying one, it was all over when Mike offered to do his Sunday Morning Special....pancakes. Add to the fact that the weather is cold, wet, and windy and there is a houseful of people, it was pretty easy to see that there would be no workout, no walk, and plenty of carbs.
In the beginning of this blog I promised to record the failures as much as the successes, but you've probably noticed that I avoid talking about failures. It isn't intentional, but it is indicative of how I face things.
Diets and weight-loss programs are inherently full of pitfalls. In our everyday life it is difficult to change every bad fault we've had and replace them only with good choices. We will have good days and we will have bad days. That is a truth I recognize and embrace.
I am a 'rosy-world' person. I tend to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, even if it is half-full of hot air. While nothing is all good, neither is anything all bad. The trick is to keep your eye on the thing that keeps you focused. People work better when they identify where they made their mistakes and then strive to avoid them. I recognize that truth. But beyond that, I don't work well if I focus on the goofs, the blunders, the mistakes. Instead of helping me re-focus my efforts, it tends to give me the excuse to quit, at least temporarily. My attitude becomes "Oh well, it's over now". Kind of like today. Just look at how I started this post. By the end of the paragraph I had convinced myself there was no use fighting it. I'd lost the battle.
Well I've lost the battle for today, but tomorrow the weather promises to be good and I have a couple of hours where I will be able to get out for a walk. So the war will continue. I will re-group and set reachable goals. I will continue to look at what worked. My posts will be mostly positive.
But today, I surrender.
In the beginning of this blog I promised to record the failures as much as the successes, but you've probably noticed that I avoid talking about failures. It isn't intentional, but it is indicative of how I face things.
Diets and weight-loss programs are inherently full of pitfalls. In our everyday life it is difficult to change every bad fault we've had and replace them only with good choices. We will have good days and we will have bad days. That is a truth I recognize and embrace.
I am a 'rosy-world' person. I tend to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, even if it is half-full of hot air. While nothing is all good, neither is anything all bad. The trick is to keep your eye on the thing that keeps you focused. People work better when they identify where they made their mistakes and then strive to avoid them. I recognize that truth. But beyond that, I don't work well if I focus on the goofs, the blunders, the mistakes. Instead of helping me re-focus my efforts, it tends to give me the excuse to quit, at least temporarily. My attitude becomes "Oh well, it's over now". Kind of like today. Just look at how I started this post. By the end of the paragraph I had convinced myself there was no use fighting it. I'd lost the battle.
Well I've lost the battle for today, but tomorrow the weather promises to be good and I have a couple of hours where I will be able to get out for a walk. So the war will continue. I will re-group and set reachable goals. I will continue to look at what worked. My posts will be mostly positive.
But today, I surrender.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The next Challenge
The next month is going to present quite a challenge. As of now, I am in Iowa for the birth of my 3rd grandchild. This is a very exciting time and yet, for a person on a quest it presents 3 big challenges to deal with.
Challenge 1: The drive
When I visit my kids I take the dog and I drive--900 miles! For those who know me that means 'munchy time'. Whenever I drive, I nibble. Finding suitable foods to nibble on are difficult. I like finger foods. My normal fall-backs are gummy worms, raisinets, french fries, you get the idea. Anything but healthy. When I started making these long distance trips to see my kids I drank McDonald's ice tea constantly while I snacked. By the time I arrived you could have lit up a Christmas Tree with the 'energy', if that's what you could call it. I was wired. I was buzzed. Of course, that kind of energy is really 'faux energy'--a trendy term, but rather appropriate. Nobody can harness it. It just sends you flying in all directions. Ask any 5 year old who has had a soda, some cookies, and a piece of cake. Since then I have learned how to temper the caffeine. I still guzzle TEA until early afternoon, but then I settle down. I drink more water and have only 2 sugar and caffeine free sodas total for the whole trip.
Now with another goal in mind--losing the inches--I was able to make some healthy changes to my constant munching. I added carrot and celery sticks, cherries, grapes and watermelon chunks since I was cleaning out the refrigerator. I did succomb to fries mid-afternoon, but I never touched the chips or raisinets. Chocolate covered raisins are particularly evil for me because of the sugar in the chocolate and the raisins.
All in all, I did better yesterday than I expected, but my carb, fat, calorie intake (whatever you would have been concerned with) was still over the top.
Challenge 2--The daily walk
Now that I am here I won't be able to keep up my 2 mile power walks as much. For one thing the road is flat. No hills!! Yea!! part of me says, but the motivated part knows I need those hills to keep my metabolism going. But the bigger problem may be the road itself. It is gravel, sometimes kind of soft, so I'm not sure how I'll do developing a fast gait. Another aspect of the road is the weather and the time of year. It may be gravel, but it is a main road, traveled by cars and trucks daily, all going about 40 miles an hour. 18 wheel semis barrel past on their way to the grain elevators. If the wind is up I actually don't hear them coming until they are almost upon me. I have to constantly look ahead and behind me to be sure I know when something is coming. When a combine is coming, I head for the weeds by the side of the road to make sure I don't get scooped into the chute and have my wheat separated from my chaff. I have plenty of chaff, but I'll hold onto it and lose it my own way, thanks!
Challenge 3--Routine
The third challenge is developing a routine that makes sure I work out each day. I'm here to help my daughter with the new baby, watch my 3 year old grandson, and do what's needed. My routine is second to hers. Getting out to walk each day may be difficult.
Challenge 4--I know I said there were 3, but I can tell this one will be a big a problem as walking.--The Diet.
Her meals are different from mine and will proably add a lot of carbs back in. When a new baby is in the house, ease is the new priority. Casseroles that can be put together when we have time and heated when we're ready to eat, and the baby is too, will be on the menu. They will be healthy and low-fat, but carbs are not my best friend. However, this time is too special to dwell on some things. I'm already in trouble. There were two pans on the counter when I arrived. I have avoided the Red Velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting, but the frosted brownies were to die for!!
So we'll see how it goes. We all know we can't grow without challenge. I only hope I 'grow' in the way I want to, not the way I have been.
Challenge 1: The drive
When I visit my kids I take the dog and I drive--900 miles! For those who know me that means 'munchy time'. Whenever I drive, I nibble. Finding suitable foods to nibble on are difficult. I like finger foods. My normal fall-backs are gummy worms, raisinets, french fries, you get the idea. Anything but healthy. When I started making these long distance trips to see my kids I drank McDonald's ice tea constantly while I snacked. By the time I arrived you could have lit up a Christmas Tree with the 'energy', if that's what you could call it. I was wired. I was buzzed. Of course, that kind of energy is really 'faux energy'--a trendy term, but rather appropriate. Nobody can harness it. It just sends you flying in all directions. Ask any 5 year old who has had a soda, some cookies, and a piece of cake. Since then I have learned how to temper the caffeine. I still guzzle TEA until early afternoon, but then I settle down. I drink more water and have only 2 sugar and caffeine free sodas total for the whole trip.
Now with another goal in mind--losing the inches--I was able to make some healthy changes to my constant munching. I added carrot and celery sticks, cherries, grapes and watermelon chunks since I was cleaning out the refrigerator. I did succomb to fries mid-afternoon, but I never touched the chips or raisinets. Chocolate covered raisins are particularly evil for me because of the sugar in the chocolate and the raisins.
All in all, I did better yesterday than I expected, but my carb, fat, calorie intake (whatever you would have been concerned with) was still over the top.
Challenge 2--The daily walk
Now that I am here I won't be able to keep up my 2 mile power walks as much. For one thing the road is flat. No hills!! Yea!! part of me says, but the motivated part knows I need those hills to keep my metabolism going. But the bigger problem may be the road itself. It is gravel, sometimes kind of soft, so I'm not sure how I'll do developing a fast gait. Another aspect of the road is the weather and the time of year. It may be gravel, but it is a main road, traveled by cars and trucks daily, all going about 40 miles an hour. 18 wheel semis barrel past on their way to the grain elevators. If the wind is up I actually don't hear them coming until they are almost upon me. I have to constantly look ahead and behind me to be sure I know when something is coming. When a combine is coming, I head for the weeds by the side of the road to make sure I don't get scooped into the chute and have my wheat separated from my chaff. I have plenty of chaff, but I'll hold onto it and lose it my own way, thanks!
Challenge 3--Routine
The third challenge is developing a routine that makes sure I work out each day. I'm here to help my daughter with the new baby, watch my 3 year old grandson, and do what's needed. My routine is second to hers. Getting out to walk each day may be difficult.
Challenge 4--I know I said there were 3, but I can tell this one will be a big a problem as walking.--The Diet.
Her meals are different from mine and will proably add a lot of carbs back in. When a new baby is in the house, ease is the new priority. Casseroles that can be put together when we have time and heated when we're ready to eat, and the baby is too, will be on the menu. They will be healthy and low-fat, but carbs are not my best friend. However, this time is too special to dwell on some things. I'm already in trouble. There were two pans on the counter when I arrived. I have avoided the Red Velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting, but the frosted brownies were to die for!!
So we'll see how it goes. We all know we can't grow without challenge. I only hope I 'grow' in the way I want to, not the way I have been.
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