Baby Steps. I stepped on the scale yesterday and it registered the number I've been waiting for. I tried it 3 times and each time it came back the same. YES! Progress. However, since I weigh myself everyday, and weight just naturally fluctuates, I never accept the verdict until I see it 3 days in a row. Today it was a half pound up. I can live with that.
The reality is, that until the holiday season is past, my kids have come and gone, and I've resumed what could be considered a reasonable diet, exercise, and weight loss regime, I'm not pushing for progress.
For that reason, I won't be posting anything here for the next 2 weeks. I'm allowing myself time off. I'll still watch what I eat most days, and walk as much as the weather permits, but I'd rather enjoy my family than exercise. If I can hold steady for 2 weeks, I'll be happy. Soooo.....
See you in January!
Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Running in Place
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.
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.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Self Sabotage
I love the holidays. I love the decorating, the parties, the lights. But the holidays are time bombs lying in wait for the dieter. For the average person, parties are the pathway to adding a couple of extra pounds. If you aren't dieting, it may be no big deal. Put on 5 pounds in December. Cut back in January and take them off again.
But for someone trying to lose weight, it seems like a no-win situation. Who wants to eat celery sticks, when there is baklava on the buffet? I mean, when else are you going to eat baklava? It's not like you get it every day, so what's the big deal about eating one piece? The rationalization continues...it's better to eat just one piece when you are out than making a red velvet cake at home.
But even for the committed dieter it is so easy to lose focus. Last night I went out with friends to a local restaurant. It was our Bunco group's Christmas Party. I started out pretty well, I thought. I skipped the appetizer, and my entree was a chicken breast on a bed of spinach with a creamy garlic dressing. Since I'm on a low carb, high protein diet, I wasn't worried about the salt, fat, calories. When my meal came, there were 3 nice sized chicken breast filets. I ate one, and brought two home. So far so good. And then it happened. I sabotaged my own good efforts and I didn't even realize it until this morning!
I ordered a gin and tonic to start with. 1 drink wouldn't have hurt too much. I'm used to having one at home. Except I forgot, I always use diet tonic! The restaurant uses the real thing...sugar and all. We were having a lot of fun, the evening was going on, gifts were being opened....I ordered a second one. Never gave the diet a thought. But the worst offense came at the end of dinner. I had noticed the Tiramasu on the menu at the beginning of the evening. When it was time for dessert, I went right ahead and boldly ordered one. (I want to state here, the problem wasn't the alcohol. It was the party mood. We were all relaxed and having a really nice time. I stopped thinking about what my choices were doing to my intentions. I just relaxed and had fun.)
What really irritates me is that I never even THOUGHT about what I was doing until I got up this morning. I recounted what I ate and started to pat myself on the back for skipping the appetizer, and ordering a low-carb entree. Then I remembered the dessert. Was it worth it? Sure, it tasted great. And the drinks...I never remember the bartender uses regular tonic. I'm so used to thinking of it as my 'free drink' because I use diet tonic.
This was the week I wanted to lose 2 pounds. I was doing really well, but I blew it last night. I usually have a trick up my sleeve that helps me walk away from 'forbidden foods'. I remind myself that it isn't the last time I will ever have a chance to eat (strawberry shortcake, brownies, mashed potatoes....) I don't 'forbid' myself the food. I just put it off until a better time. It works well for me.
But parties are different. You relax, have fun. There is nothing intentional about it. The mood silently sabotages your intent. You go to a party with goals in mind, and then the time bomb goes off somewhere around that second lemon tart or brownie bite. You lose your focus. You chat with friends, laugh at a funny story and reach for another one.
I have a month to go and I want to be down 5 more pounds by Christmas. I hope by recognizing today, how parties can easily sabotage good intentions I will be better prepared for the next few weeks. I now realize dieting takes full time concentration. There are no down moments. I can laugh and have fun at the next party, but I can't lose my focus. I'm pleased with my progress, but I'm not there yet. I want to be proud of myself in 3 weeks, not looking back and second guessing all my missteps.
But for someone trying to lose weight, it seems like a no-win situation. Who wants to eat celery sticks, when there is baklava on the buffet? I mean, when else are you going to eat baklava? It's not like you get it every day, so what's the big deal about eating one piece? The rationalization continues...it's better to eat just one piece when you are out than making a red velvet cake at home.
But even for the committed dieter it is so easy to lose focus. Last night I went out with friends to a local restaurant. It was our Bunco group's Christmas Party. I started out pretty well, I thought. I skipped the appetizer, and my entree was a chicken breast on a bed of spinach with a creamy garlic dressing. Since I'm on a low carb, high protein diet, I wasn't worried about the salt, fat, calories. When my meal came, there were 3 nice sized chicken breast filets. I ate one, and brought two home. So far so good. And then it happened. I sabotaged my own good efforts and I didn't even realize it until this morning!
I ordered a gin and tonic to start with. 1 drink wouldn't have hurt too much. I'm used to having one at home. Except I forgot, I always use diet tonic! The restaurant uses the real thing...sugar and all. We were having a lot of fun, the evening was going on, gifts were being opened....I ordered a second one. Never gave the diet a thought. But the worst offense came at the end of dinner. I had noticed the Tiramasu on the menu at the beginning of the evening. When it was time for dessert, I went right ahead and boldly ordered one. (I want to state here, the problem wasn't the alcohol. It was the party mood. We were all relaxed and having a really nice time. I stopped thinking about what my choices were doing to my intentions. I just relaxed and had fun.)
What really irritates me is that I never even THOUGHT about what I was doing until I got up this morning. I recounted what I ate and started to pat myself on the back for skipping the appetizer, and ordering a low-carb entree. Then I remembered the dessert. Was it worth it? Sure, it tasted great. And the drinks...I never remember the bartender uses regular tonic. I'm so used to thinking of it as my 'free drink' because I use diet tonic.
This was the week I wanted to lose 2 pounds. I was doing really well, but I blew it last night. I usually have a trick up my sleeve that helps me walk away from 'forbidden foods'. I remind myself that it isn't the last time I will ever have a chance to eat (strawberry shortcake, brownies, mashed potatoes....) I don't 'forbid' myself the food. I just put it off until a better time. It works well for me.
But parties are different. You relax, have fun. There is nothing intentional about it. The mood silently sabotages your intent. You go to a party with goals in mind, and then the time bomb goes off somewhere around that second lemon tart or brownie bite. You lose your focus. You chat with friends, laugh at a funny story and reach for another one.
I have a month to go and I want to be down 5 more pounds by Christmas. I hope by recognizing today, how parties can easily sabotage good intentions I will be better prepared for the next few weeks. I now realize dieting takes full time concentration. There are no down moments. I can laugh and have fun at the next party, but I can't lose my focus. I'm pleased with my progress, but I'm not there yet. I want to be proud of myself in 3 weeks, not looking back and second guessing all my missteps.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Turkey Day Vs. The Diet
Farewell Turkey Day. My favorite gluttonous meal is over until next year. The Great Turkey was sacrificed so that I could pig out and indulge myself without guilt and I survived without putting on any weight. That is an accomplishment so I'll choose to see that as a positive thing. However, this last month has been a hard one. In the last month I have only lost 1 1/2 pounds. Most of my recent entries have illustrated the struggle. That's because I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I can make lots of excuses for this but it doesn't make me any happier.
I know workouts are important, and I always start out with good intentions. Unfortunately, anything will work as a detterent for me. I can start each day with a pre-planned schedule, but within half an hour of waking up in the morning I will re-prioritize the day, and somehow the workout gets pushed down the list. Today is a perfect example. It is the day I do Feederwatch. (On Feederwatch days, I stay close to the window and track the numbers and species of birds that flock to my feeder. I record the numbers and send it in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.) My plan was to do my weights workout by the window so I could kill two birds with one stone. (OOPS. Poor analogy there. Sorry birds!) Instead after I got up, I did my weekly weight and inches stats update... and the results led me to blogging. One workout pushed down the list! So if I am looking at why the weight loss has slowed so much I would have to admit that workouts have been my biggest failure.
I was sick for a few weeks and that dictated what I did and what I ate. I can accept that. It is not in my control. However, I was only losing 1 pound a week before all of this. I am willing to accept slow weight loss as a good thing because it allows me to develop new eating habits that will hopefully become my new norm. But it has become way too slow! It's time to figure out what to change. Today, when I recorded my stats, I noticed an interesting trend, found a few positive points and set a new goal.
1) When I measure myself I record the bust, mid-torso, waist, belly, and butt. My mid-torso and belly are the two areas that bug me. They fluctuate every week. They are also the 2 areas that I don't like when I look at myself in clothes. While I was 'sick' with hyper acid reflux the bloating was uncomfortable and it was trackable as I recorded my inches gained or lost. The inches over all my body went up a total of 3 1/2 inches. Today they were all down. I know I've been feeling much better, and haven't noticed the symptoms I was experiencing, but I think this kind of proved it, too! (Good news.) In fact, my body lost a total of 4 1/4 inches overall this week!
2) I checked the stats for the past few months. When I look back over the weeks and months of this diet, my bust, waist, butt, leg, and arm have all recorded a steady, if slow, loss in inches. Because they don't change for weeks, I often don't see the difference, but when I look back over my record keeping, it is obvious. The change has been positive. Of course, the one place I have seen it is in my clothes. Tops and pants that were tight are now comfortable, and in some cases, loose. YEA!!!
3) My new goal is to lose 2 pounds this week. It will be hard. I have to work out to increase my metabolism. I've got to stick to my diet plan, but after seeing the inches drop down when I measured myself, I feel sure the scale is ready to help me out. I really want to lose another 5 pounds before Christmas and losing 2 pounds this week is the key to reaching that goal.
Time to get going. I will log off of this blog, pick up those weights and do that workout I planned t do first thing this morning. Wish me luck.
I know workouts are important, and I always start out with good intentions. Unfortunately, anything will work as a detterent for me. I can start each day with a pre-planned schedule, but within half an hour of waking up in the morning I will re-prioritize the day, and somehow the workout gets pushed down the list. Today is a perfect example. It is the day I do Feederwatch. (On Feederwatch days, I stay close to the window and track the numbers and species of birds that flock to my feeder. I record the numbers and send it in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.) My plan was to do my weights workout by the window so I could kill two birds with one stone. (OOPS. Poor analogy there. Sorry birds!) Instead after I got up, I did my weekly weight and inches stats update... and the results led me to blogging. One workout pushed down the list! So if I am looking at why the weight loss has slowed so much I would have to admit that workouts have been my biggest failure.
I was sick for a few weeks and that dictated what I did and what I ate. I can accept that. It is not in my control. However, I was only losing 1 pound a week before all of this. I am willing to accept slow weight loss as a good thing because it allows me to develop new eating habits that will hopefully become my new norm. But it has become way too slow! It's time to figure out what to change. Today, when I recorded my stats, I noticed an interesting trend, found a few positive points and set a new goal.
1) When I measure myself I record the bust, mid-torso, waist, belly, and butt. My mid-torso and belly are the two areas that bug me. They fluctuate every week. They are also the 2 areas that I don't like when I look at myself in clothes. While I was 'sick' with hyper acid reflux the bloating was uncomfortable and it was trackable as I recorded my inches gained or lost. The inches over all my body went up a total of 3 1/2 inches. Today they were all down. I know I've been feeling much better, and haven't noticed the symptoms I was experiencing, but I think this kind of proved it, too! (Good news.) In fact, my body lost a total of 4 1/4 inches overall this week!
2) I checked the stats for the past few months. When I look back over the weeks and months of this diet, my bust, waist, butt, leg, and arm have all recorded a steady, if slow, loss in inches. Because they don't change for weeks, I often don't see the difference, but when I look back over my record keeping, it is obvious. The change has been positive. Of course, the one place I have seen it is in my clothes. Tops and pants that were tight are now comfortable, and in some cases, loose. YEA!!!
3) My new goal is to lose 2 pounds this week. It will be hard. I have to work out to increase my metabolism. I've got to stick to my diet plan, but after seeing the inches drop down when I measured myself, I feel sure the scale is ready to help me out. I really want to lose another 5 pounds before Christmas and losing 2 pounds this week is the key to reaching that goal.
Time to get going. I will log off of this blog, pick up those weights and do that workout I planned t do first thing this morning. Wish me luck.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Best Reward
One of the problems I have always had with sticking to a weight loss program is finding a reward that works. I guess I am too accustomed to the 'immediate gratification' syndrome of the day because if I want something I tend to get it.
For instance, I could say I would reward myself with a massage when I lost 5 pounds, but the truth is, if I really want a massage, I'll get one. If I want to go to a movie, I go. A really nice reward would be to treat myself to a nice dessert at a restaurant, but that really defeats the purpose doesn't it?
As a result, the reward part of dieting has never worked for me. Instead I had to find a way to simply motivate myself to keep at it. That was why I started this blog. Talking about my goals, my efforts, and my failures, as well as measuring those results turned out to be the best Diet Partner I could find. I have no idea why it works, but it does.
However, today I got the BEST reward. Last spring when my weight was obviously not coming down and my jeans were not expanding along with me, I gave in and bought a few new pairs. I came to realize the muffin top look spilling out over my waistband was not a flattering look, nor was it comfortable!
Today, I put on one of those jeans and I couldn't find my belt. It became quickly apparent I really needed the belt. They were falling off!!!!!!! They don't quite make it over my hips, but a few more pounds and they will.
Can you say HAPPY!!!!! The 'bad' news is that I'm not ready to buy new jeans yet. I need to lose another 5-10 pounds so that I can buy the size and fit I really want. I guess I'll have to scour my closet for a few pants to wear this winter until I'm ready to shop. It's been awhile since I've been this weight. I wonder what I'll find?
For instance, I could say I would reward myself with a massage when I lost 5 pounds, but the truth is, if I really want a massage, I'll get one. If I want to go to a movie, I go. A really nice reward would be to treat myself to a nice dessert at a restaurant, but that really defeats the purpose doesn't it?
As a result, the reward part of dieting has never worked for me. Instead I had to find a way to simply motivate myself to keep at it. That was why I started this blog. Talking about my goals, my efforts, and my failures, as well as measuring those results turned out to be the best Diet Partner I could find. I have no idea why it works, but it does.
However, today I got the BEST reward. Last spring when my weight was obviously not coming down and my jeans were not expanding along with me, I gave in and bought a few new pairs. I came to realize the muffin top look spilling out over my waistband was not a flattering look, nor was it comfortable!
Today, I put on one of those jeans and I couldn't find my belt. It became quickly apparent I really needed the belt. They were falling off!!!!!!! They don't quite make it over my hips, but a few more pounds and they will.
Can you say HAPPY!!!!! The 'bad' news is that I'm not ready to buy new jeans yet. I need to lose another 5-10 pounds so that I can buy the size and fit I really want. I guess I'll have to scour my closet for a few pants to wear this winter until I'm ready to shop. It's been awhile since I've been this weight. I wonder what I'll find?
Friday, November 19, 2010
2 weeks later...
I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I last posted here. What's been happening? Am I still on the diet? Am I losing weight? The basic answer is yes. The detailed answer is that last week I wasn't feeling well, and neither was my computer.
I started experiencing stomach problems on Oct. 23rd after my birthday dinner. It was a delicious dinner, but I felt so miserably full, and the feeling stayed for hours, until the food exited my stomach (in the wrong direction). Problems continued for a couple of weeks so I decided it was important to check it out. After seeing a doctor I am on the way to feeling better...but not there yet.
As a result, my exercise was limited and I haven't followed the same eating rules as before. When your stomach is easily upset, diet rules go out the window. The only thing that matters is what works. I ate foods that felt right, and I ate the amount that worked. Tracking carbs or calories was pointless, but my food diary included the amount I ate, what time, and how I felt afterwards. Since I couldn't eat a lot, I wasn't in danger of regaining weight. In fact my weight loss stayed about the same.
Exercise was a different matter. After one workout in which I did a different abs exercise my stomach hurt for a few days. It was hard to tell if my stomach pain was a result of my abs work or the stomach itself, so I stopped working out. And on some days I just didn't feel well enough to go for a long walk or attempt a good workout.
Things are looking up. A prescription for Prilosec has settled my stomach. So far, all tests have been negative. The hope is that the Prilosec will get my digestive process back on the right track. My current situation is that I feel fine as long as I eat small amounts, slowly. It is hoped that eventually I will be able to eat normally.
I really can't complain. Eating small amounts is the perfect prescription for weight loss. This experience confirms that it isn't What you eat, but how much that counts. It's true that I prefer the Atkins/low carbohydrate-high protein diet. It is easy for me to monitor my carb intake, and my body responds better to proteins than to carbs. I also find it hard to know what my calorie intake should be for good weight loss.
Now that I'm feeling better, I am back on track with my walking and my workouts, much to the happiness of my dog. I can get back to eating what I usually eat, just in small amounts. The downside is that I have gotten back to nibbling, which I was really trying to avoid. As for the weight? I am under 140 for the first time in years. I've bounced between 137 and 139 for two weeks now, but I haven't seen 140 in a while. That is the best news, to me!
And my computer? After we fixed the router it was happy once again. My computer is happiest when it can reach out and touch the world. Just like me.
I started experiencing stomach problems on Oct. 23rd after my birthday dinner. It was a delicious dinner, but I felt so miserably full, and the feeling stayed for hours, until the food exited my stomach (in the wrong direction). Problems continued for a couple of weeks so I decided it was important to check it out. After seeing a doctor I am on the way to feeling better...but not there yet.
As a result, my exercise was limited and I haven't followed the same eating rules as before. When your stomach is easily upset, diet rules go out the window. The only thing that matters is what works. I ate foods that felt right, and I ate the amount that worked. Tracking carbs or calories was pointless, but my food diary included the amount I ate, what time, and how I felt afterwards. Since I couldn't eat a lot, I wasn't in danger of regaining weight. In fact my weight loss stayed about the same.
Exercise was a different matter. After one workout in which I did a different abs exercise my stomach hurt for a few days. It was hard to tell if my stomach pain was a result of my abs work or the stomach itself, so I stopped working out. And on some days I just didn't feel well enough to go for a long walk or attempt a good workout.
Things are looking up. A prescription for Prilosec has settled my stomach. So far, all tests have been negative. The hope is that the Prilosec will get my digestive process back on the right track. My current situation is that I feel fine as long as I eat small amounts, slowly. It is hoped that eventually I will be able to eat normally.
I really can't complain. Eating small amounts is the perfect prescription for weight loss. This experience confirms that it isn't What you eat, but how much that counts. It's true that I prefer the Atkins/low carbohydrate-high protein diet. It is easy for me to monitor my carb intake, and my body responds better to proteins than to carbs. I also find it hard to know what my calorie intake should be for good weight loss.
Now that I'm feeling better, I am back on track with my walking and my workouts, much to the happiness of my dog. I can get back to eating what I usually eat, just in small amounts. The downside is that I have gotten back to nibbling, which I was really trying to avoid. As for the weight? I am under 140 for the first time in years. I've bounced between 137 and 139 for two weeks now, but I haven't seen 140 in a while. That is the best news, to me!
And my computer? After we fixed the router it was happy once again. My computer is happiest when it can reach out and touch the world. Just like me.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Inspiration--Christina's Story
The Racheal Ray Show is following the story of a teen girl who is trying to lose 70 pounds by prom night. She is very overweight, and ultimately needs to lose more than that, but I think her goal is realistic. It is also very hard.
Each Friday the show profiles how her week has gone. I've seen a few of those stories. I am inspired by her determination, but I feel for the battles she has to win to get there. Not everyone in her family is overweight, and she is clearly the heaviest of them all. The story this week really touched me. The family was preparing for her sister's birthday party. Pizza, chips, birthday cake, Italian meats and cheeses were everywhere. I didn't see one veggie platter or fruit tray. I really felt as if she was fighting this battle alone.
She did eat a piece of pizza and a piece of birthday cake and afterwards hated herself. That fed her low self-esteem so she skipped a couple of days at the gym. In the end she put back on 5 pounds of the 13 she had lost.
How would I ever lose a pound if my family only had high fat foods around? I am the captain of my own ship here! I am the grocery shopper and the cook. I am in total control of the food I consume, good or bad. I have no excuses. But I don't know if I could persevere the way Christina is if I were 17 years old. Having a good support system is so important! Christina continues to fight back, but I hope future updates show others rallying around her and providing her with the opportunities to make the right choices.
To put a brighter ending to this tale I can tell you that at the end of the week she had gotten back to the gym and was once again watching what she ate and lost 3 of those pounds. She has a long way to go, but she is inspiring to me. I wish I could be her phone and work out buddy and we could challenge each other. And I hope the next time they show her family, I see a veggie platter on the table somewhere!
Each Friday the show profiles how her week has gone. I've seen a few of those stories. I am inspired by her determination, but I feel for the battles she has to win to get there. Not everyone in her family is overweight, and she is clearly the heaviest of them all. The story this week really touched me. The family was preparing for her sister's birthday party. Pizza, chips, birthday cake, Italian meats and cheeses were everywhere. I didn't see one veggie platter or fruit tray. I really felt as if she was fighting this battle alone.
She did eat a piece of pizza and a piece of birthday cake and afterwards hated herself. That fed her low self-esteem so she skipped a couple of days at the gym. In the end she put back on 5 pounds of the 13 she had lost.
How would I ever lose a pound if my family only had high fat foods around? I am the captain of my own ship here! I am the grocery shopper and the cook. I am in total control of the food I consume, good or bad. I have no excuses. But I don't know if I could persevere the way Christina is if I were 17 years old. Having a good support system is so important! Christina continues to fight back, but I hope future updates show others rallying around her and providing her with the opportunities to make the right choices.
To put a brighter ending to this tale I can tell you that at the end of the week she had gotten back to the gym and was once again watching what she ate and lost 3 of those pounds. She has a long way to go, but she is inspiring to me. I wish I could be her phone and work out buddy and we could challenge each other. And I hope the next time they show her family, I see a veggie platter on the table somewhere!
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