I'm learning that it is not so easy to post on my blog every day when I don't have a computer at home. I promise that I am trying to figure out a way to save some $$ so I can buy a little computer of my own, but it's going to take some time. I hope that all of you can be patient with me and my inconsistent postings and know that in my mind I'm writing all kinds of wonderful words of wisdom - they're just not always making it to the world wide web! I'm sorry :(
I am also learning that this weight loss experiment is going to have it's awesome weeks, it's abysmal weeks and it's so-so-kind-of average weeks. This last one fell somewhere between abysmal and so-so. If you are reading this and you are a boy, please forgive me for what I'm about to say... but it is REALLY difficult to deal with cravings and so on when it is that time of the month! On top of that I've got all this water retention and stuff that just makes me feel... Icky. Looking back over the weekend, especially Sunday, I seem to see a lot of cookies going in my mouth. As I remember it, I did not actually make the decision to eat the cookies, I'm not even sure the cookies were put in my mouth by my own hands! I even seem to remember all of those vanilla Oreos with vanilla cream and chocolate cream filling just sort of appearing in my mouth and I just spontaneously began chewing them. I am now dealing with "Day-After-Cookie-Guilt." Sigh
The reality is, weight-loss is an every-day, week after week, month after month ongoing process. The reason I said that last week fell somewhere between abysmal and so-so and wasn't a complete wash was because even though I ate all those cookies on Sunday, I am actually making some positive changes in my day-in-day-out food choices. SOME of you health nuts out there might look at what I've been eating and wonder where the good choices have been, but you have to consider what I was eating before I started this gig. More often than not I was habitually choosing to eat fast food hamburgers, pizza, Mexican Food, chips & dip, ice cream, and so forth. Other than the fact that I usually chose fruit over fries at the drive-through, there wasn't much redeeming value in what I was feeding my body. I was getting used to feeling sick to my stomach and for the first time in my life I was taking antacids on a fairly regular basis. So when I see myself choosing yogurt over a bacon, egg & cheese biscuit, or choosing a turkey sandwich and apple sauce over an Arby's Big Beef & Cheddar with curly fries and a Jamoca shake, I feel pretty proud of myself. I feel as if I'm making small but significant shifts in how I approach food and those shifts are going to lead to even more changes in my whole life style.
I'm curious to know how all of you feel about YOUR personal approaches to this body fuel we call food. Do you eat only when you're hungry, are you a gourmet cook, are you a fast food junkie, what? I'd love to know a little about your journey. Maybe we can all gain a little insight from each other.
Well folks, it's time to wrap this up so for now, I'm gonna make like a stocking and run!
Laura
Laura,
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of you. For me, I saw a nutritionist. I met with her twice and over 10 months lost almost 2 clothes sizes: 185 lbs to 165 lbs. It has been a year and I have maintained my weightloss, but I really have to watch it. Especially right now, this is a busy time of year and I find that it is so easy to hit a restaurant or a drive-thru. I use pocket-guides to help me find healthier choices: notice I say healthier - not "the healthiest". ;)
Keep going, girl! You're gonna make it!!!
Angie
Hi Laura! For me, I'm going about it by myself by reading nutrition labels and making sure I keep a rough estimate of how many calories I consume per day. I'm also plotting weight vs. time on an Excel spreadsheet. I started this on 01/31/11 at 210.2 lb. I bottomed out at 184.6 lb. but am plateauing so it averaged at 187 plus/minus a lb. For us, we try to research anything before eating it. It can be as simple as a salad (low calories UNTIL you add the dressing and croutons!) or McDonald's Chicken Nuggets (about 300 cal for 6 nuggets). Hint: You'll also find that when you workout, you don't want to "waste" your workout by eating so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura,
ReplyDeleteIf this is "George"-week, that would explain the numbers on the chart. Don't get discouraged. You're doing awesomely well!
-Simon
Hang in there Laura the numbers will go down. Do Not faulter I believe in you, believe in yourself also.
ReplyDeleteI follow the "eat smaller meals more often" plan. I keep nuts in my office and a very large glass of water or ice tea at my desk all day, every day. I eat breakfast every day (usually a 1/2 a peanut butter and honey sandwich on wheat bread with a glass of milk and some piece of fruit) followed by a handful of nuts or some string cheese with a yummy flavored yogurt usually around 10-11(Yoplait has some great 80 calorie flavors and theres almost always a coupon available for those. but I've also recently found the greek yougurts and have also fallen in love with those). Lunch is around 1ish and usually leftovers from dinner (there's a good use of cooking 4 servings for just one person - one meal, one left over and freeze the rest into two seperate serving dishes for another meal and lunch a week later). I try to remember a snack in the afternoon (Kashi granola cereal over cottage cheese with a Splenda is a favorite) but frequently this is the time that I turn on "mommy-mode" and all thoughts for myself go out the window. At that point in time it becomes time to run the kid where she needs to go along with still accomplishing my job. Dinner at home or frequently a "picnic" at my office (for those nights when the kid's activities begin later in the evening is the last meal of the day.
ReplyDeleteI like the new USDA Dinner Plate (replacing the food pyramid) where you divide a dinner plate and put frutis and vegs on one half and the other half is your other stuff, protein, carbs, etc... That makes it pretty easy. Also, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are to die for!!!
Keep up the good work! You're doing great! Remember, you're changing a life style. It won't happen overnight. You didn't put on the weight overnight so it's not going to come off that way. You're creating a new lifestyle filled with healthier decisions...not dieting.
TS