(end of week 14/beginning week 15)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 1.6
Total loss: 42.4
Not the kind of loss I wanted to see. Last week I lost 4 lbs without working out and this week I worked my tail off and lost only 1.6. I'm sure there is some muscle gain contributing to the smaller loss and I am also sure there is some water retention going on because my rings are tighter than normal. So that means there are a few things I can do differently. We ate out more than normal and even the healthiest of restaurant meals has too must sodium. I also have been struggling to drink my water. I don't know why. I've been eating the same foods but I haven't been as attentive to getting the right balance of fruits and veggies, etc. So I can tighten up this week in those areas. I've been alternating high number/low number this whole time pretty much. So this is my low week - next week should be a high. I think I've just exposed myself as a control freak...
In the Closet
I'm happy in this area. Did some shopping this week and found out I'm a smaller size than I even thought I'd be. My pants were all 24 and a couple of old 22's that I recently fit into. The new pants I bought are 20s and they are loose :) That makes me really happy. I haven't worn this size since before I had kids. Going back to the dress up challenge - I feel like a different person when I'm wearing clothes that fit. I got alot of compliments at church yesterday and It was actually fun getting dressed today. All along my husband has been getting comments about his loss and I've hardly heard any feedback. Part of that is because I still have a long way to go and he's almost at his goal, but a big part of it was that I was wearing baggy ill-fitting clothes. It makes a world of difference to wear clothes that fit...
At the Gym
This was a great week at the gym. We got three solid workouts in plus one outside on the trails. I increased my treadmill incline to 3.5 on Saturday. That felt great. DH bought me some kickboxing stuff - I'm really looking forward to trying it out. It's good to be back in a routine after being sick.
In the Kitchen
I have not found my missing kitchen inspiration. I'll let you know if it comes back. For now it's just "same old, same old". We're eating what works but we are not very creative these days.
Goals and Challenges
I've been thinking alot about goals. My first goal was 10% of my body weight. My second goal is 50 lbs. - Half way to 100. After that it will be getting under 200. Then it will be the big 100 lb loss. I'll decide on my ultimate goal weight at that point. I'm still determined and focused. It's not "easy" but it's really fun. I enjoyed getting comments yesterday but I know that will get embarrassing at some point.
I feel like I'm entering dangerous territory. I feel really good and healthy and strong. I also carry my weight in a way that I can look in the mirror and not really see how overweight I am. If I am wearing clothes that fit and only look at myself straight on I think I look pretty good. My husband loves me and tells me how beautiful I am all the time. One of the reasons I allowed myself to gain weight over the years is that I didn't "feel" as fat as I was. I have these special rose colored glasses that trick me into thinking I'm ok the way I am. This time is different in so many ways but I think I've reached a point where I will have to work at reminding myself of how far I have to go. I will also have days where I feel like I haven't made any progress at all but the good days will be plentiful and that worries me a little. BUT the good days are good. And it's nice to have made enough progress to really make a difference in my day to day life. The challenge is to enjoy the fruit of my labor without being lulled into complacency.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Weekly Update Week 14
(end of week 13/beginning week 14)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 4
Total loss: 40.8
Let's see...this was a challenging week. Monday and Tuesday I was having some really bad shoulder and hip pain. At first I attributed it to working out last Saturday for the first time since I got sick. But I barely ever get sore so it seemed strange. I ended up back at the Doctor's office and it turns out it was a side effect of the antibiotic I was taking. AND one of the potential side effects was ruptured tendons... NO THANK YOU! So they switched me to something else and the pain was gone in a couple of days. But that meant more rest for me. So tonight is back to the gym and I'm just hoping I'll bounce back quickly.
I did lose 4 lbs this week without working out and that actually just upsets me because I know it's probably lean tissue that I lost :(
I know I sound whiny. I won't lie - I am whiny. I had so much momentum and I was so excited but this little setback has made me grumpy. In the end it will be a good test because life doesn't stop just because I have a goal. I need to find ways to work with setbacks and stay focused.
I don't even want to talk about clothes. This has been a big discouragement for me this whole 13 weeks. I'm STILL "in between" sizes. My original size can still be worn - though some things look rediculously baggy. But the next size down isn't quite comfortable yet. How can this be after 40 lbs. lost??? I guess everything was was too tight to begin with - I didn't realize I was probably a size bigger than what I was wearing :( Blah!
On a fun note - we went Kayaking on Saturday. That has been on my goal list for some time. We have friends from church who love paddling and love sharing it with others. We used to canoe and we really loved it. I've wanted to do this for years but I always felt hindered by my weight. I know overweight people can Kayak but the whole thing just intimidated me. Saturday was beautiful all around. We paddled for hours and kept up physically. It felt great to do something active with other people and not be embarassed. I still have far to go but this was a little victory and I'm grateful for it.
After Kayaking the people who took us out suggested going to their favorite pizza restaurant. This is actually a good thing because I want my kids to feel "normal" and have a healthy relationship with all kinds of food. DH and I each had one (big) piece and a salad with light dressing. The pizza was really horribly cheesy but it was really good so I didn't feel like it was a waste of calories. I know that for long term "living like a normal person" we want to be able to do this kind of thing without freaking out. Another score.
This was a busy week and we ate out last night at The Outback. I don't know when they started this because it's been a long time since we've been there but they have a "light style" option on some of their entrees. Our server was really great to point out what made it "light". I had:
6 oz. steak, steamed veggies, salad with no crutons or cheese and light tangy tomato dressing plus two very small bites of the mashed potatoes they put on DH's plate by accident and one bite of bread with a tiny bit of butter.
Lessons Learned:
I still feel that eating out is not worth it but I know I can if I need to. I know that I really get grumpy when my workout schedule is messed up. I also get grumpy when I try on the clothes in my closet. Oh yeah, and I love Kayaking.
That's all - have a good week!
On the Scale
Lost this week: 4
Total loss: 40.8
Let's see...this was a challenging week. Monday and Tuesday I was having some really bad shoulder and hip pain. At first I attributed it to working out last Saturday for the first time since I got sick. But I barely ever get sore so it seemed strange. I ended up back at the Doctor's office and it turns out it was a side effect of the antibiotic I was taking. AND one of the potential side effects was ruptured tendons... NO THANK YOU! So they switched me to something else and the pain was gone in a couple of days. But that meant more rest for me. So tonight is back to the gym and I'm just hoping I'll bounce back quickly.
I did lose 4 lbs this week without working out and that actually just upsets me because I know it's probably lean tissue that I lost :(
I know I sound whiny. I won't lie - I am whiny. I had so much momentum and I was so excited but this little setback has made me grumpy. In the end it will be a good test because life doesn't stop just because I have a goal. I need to find ways to work with setbacks and stay focused.
I don't even want to talk about clothes. This has been a big discouragement for me this whole 13 weeks. I'm STILL "in between" sizes. My original size can still be worn - though some things look rediculously baggy. But the next size down isn't quite comfortable yet. How can this be after 40 lbs. lost??? I guess everything was was too tight to begin with - I didn't realize I was probably a size bigger than what I was wearing :( Blah!
On a fun note - we went Kayaking on Saturday. That has been on my goal list for some time. We have friends from church who love paddling and love sharing it with others. We used to canoe and we really loved it. I've wanted to do this for years but I always felt hindered by my weight. I know overweight people can Kayak but the whole thing just intimidated me. Saturday was beautiful all around. We paddled for hours and kept up physically. It felt great to do something active with other people and not be embarassed. I still have far to go but this was a little victory and I'm grateful for it.
After Kayaking the people who took us out suggested going to their favorite pizza restaurant. This is actually a good thing because I want my kids to feel "normal" and have a healthy relationship with all kinds of food. DH and I each had one (big) piece and a salad with light dressing. The pizza was really horribly cheesy but it was really good so I didn't feel like it was a waste of calories. I know that for long term "living like a normal person" we want to be able to do this kind of thing without freaking out. Another score.
This was a busy week and we ate out last night at The Outback. I don't know when they started this because it's been a long time since we've been there but they have a "light style" option on some of their entrees. Our server was really great to point out what made it "light". I had:
6 oz. steak, steamed veggies, salad with no crutons or cheese and light tangy tomato dressing plus two very small bites of the mashed potatoes they put on DH's plate by accident and one bite of bread with a tiny bit of butter.
Lessons Learned:
I still feel that eating out is not worth it but I know I can if I need to. I know that I really get grumpy when my workout schedule is messed up. I also get grumpy when I try on the clothes in my closet. Oh yeah, and I love Kayaking.
That's all - have a good week!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Weekly Update - Week 13
(end of week 12/beginning week 13)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 1.4
Total loss: 36.8
At the Gym
Blah. Kidney infection = no workout Sun - Friday. But I got back to the gym on Saturday and RAN! Well, jogged. At 3.5 which is my walking speed. I don't know if that counts but it was for 10 whole minutes! I'm counting this as a huge success because I was really worried about what a week on the couch would do to me. I had tried to start C25K a few weeks ago but I think I messed up my head by trying to go too fast too soon. I have an irrational fear of injury and as soon as my knees or ankle hurt I worry so when I attempted to run before I just stopped after a few minutes and decided to wait until my fitness level increases. Well, anyway, after a few minutes of waking I just felt like jogging. So I did. And I really liked it. AND I plan to do it again :) This week our childcare (aka my mother who lives with us) availability changes so we will be on a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday gym schedule - more if possible. I have visions of my future as a runner and I'm very happy.
Challenges and Goals
I need this week to be an improvement. The number on the scale is not a surprise based on the fact that I spent much of the week on my tush and on medication. I ate right and drank plenty of water. Hopefully this will set me up for a big week next week. AND did I mention I ran? Jogged. But still!
On the Scale
Lost this week: 1.4
Total loss: 36.8
At the Gym
Blah. Kidney infection = no workout Sun - Friday. But I got back to the gym on Saturday and RAN! Well, jogged. At 3.5 which is my walking speed. I don't know if that counts but it was for 10 whole minutes! I'm counting this as a huge success because I was really worried about what a week on the couch would do to me. I had tried to start C25K a few weeks ago but I think I messed up my head by trying to go too fast too soon. I have an irrational fear of injury and as soon as my knees or ankle hurt I worry so when I attempted to run before I just stopped after a few minutes and decided to wait until my fitness level increases. Well, anyway, after a few minutes of waking I just felt like jogging. So I did. And I really liked it. AND I plan to do it again :) This week our childcare (aka my mother who lives with us) availability changes so we will be on a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday gym schedule - more if possible. I have visions of my future as a runner and I'm very happy.
Challenges and Goals
I need this week to be an improvement. The number on the scale is not a surprise based on the fact that I spent much of the week on my tush and on medication. I ate right and drank plenty of water. Hopefully this will set me up for a big week next week. AND did I mention I ran? Jogged. But still!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Weekly Update - Week 12
***9/9/10 I'm revising this to reflect my weigh in on Tuesday because that is much more realistic than the "day after being in the ER craziness" ***
(end of week 11/beginning week 12)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 3
Total loss: 35.4
At the Gym
Meodicre week at the gym because I didn't get up to 60 minutes with each cardio workout like I had planned. I guess I'm just lazy :)
But really, I just feel good at 45 - 50 minutes and I start to feel horrible after that. I am going to be at this thing for a while and slow and steady progress has worked for me so far.
Monday I grabbed the kids and the dog and walked 2.12 miles to a local trail system. On Friday we went for a family "walk"(The boys rode their bikes and my husband limped a little with his pulled calf muscle). The trail we were on was really hilly and bumpy so at one point my husband and the kids took a detour to the pavement and I continued on. I loved this walk. It was not easy - alot of up and down but it was the kind of trail I can imagine myself running some day.
In the Kitchen
I found the key to breaking a food rut... get sick so someone else has to do all the cooking!
Yesterday I ended up in the ER with what turned out to be a pretty bad kidney infection. That landed me on the couch for the rest of the day. My husband did all the cooking - and it was wonderful. He made me perfectly cooked eggs, a beautiful little spinach salad with goat cheese, sliced almonds, and strawberries. He made flat bread pizza for dinner - another winner. I hadn't eaten all day and I think I ate a whole day's worth of food from 4 - 9 PM! But it was all good nourishing food and it helped to balance out all the medication. I feel alot better today as I sit here waiting for my egg white omelette to be delivered by my handsome chef :)
The Closet
Nothing dramatic but when I throw on a t-shirt that I've worn a million times it looks and feels like a different shirt. That is a great feeling! I remember way back in my WW days when a leader once said "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". I'm by no means thin, and I'm longing for the day when I need to buy all new clothes but in the meantime it's fun to relish the feeling of my pants falling down as evidence of all my hard work.
Challenges and Goals
This week will be interesting. I can probably attribute part of my big loss this week to being sick and some level of dehydration - although I drank a ton of water after getting home from the ER. It will also be hard to workout with a kidney infection. So I do expect to eek up a little bit as the week goes on. But If I still manange a weight loss this week in the 2 lb. ball park I'll be happy. And I don't mind resting a little. Me being limited with encourage my husband to rest his calf as well.
So I'm just going to keep pressing on. Happy Monday everyone!
(end of week 11/beginning week 12)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 3
Total loss: 35.4
At the Gym
Meodicre week at the gym because I didn't get up to 60 minutes with each cardio workout like I had planned. I guess I'm just lazy :)
But really, I just feel good at 45 - 50 minutes and I start to feel horrible after that. I am going to be at this thing for a while and slow and steady progress has worked for me so far.
Monday I grabbed the kids and the dog and walked 2.12 miles to a local trail system. On Friday we went for a family "walk"(The boys rode their bikes and my husband limped a little with his pulled calf muscle). The trail we were on was really hilly and bumpy so at one point my husband and the kids took a detour to the pavement and I continued on. I loved this walk. It was not easy - alot of up and down but it was the kind of trail I can imagine myself running some day.
In the Kitchen
I found the key to breaking a food rut... get sick so someone else has to do all the cooking!
Yesterday I ended up in the ER with what turned out to be a pretty bad kidney infection. That landed me on the couch for the rest of the day. My husband did all the cooking - and it was wonderful. He made me perfectly cooked eggs, a beautiful little spinach salad with goat cheese, sliced almonds, and strawberries. He made flat bread pizza for dinner - another winner. I hadn't eaten all day and I think I ate a whole day's worth of food from 4 - 9 PM! But it was all good nourishing food and it helped to balance out all the medication. I feel alot better today as I sit here waiting for my egg white omelette to be delivered by my handsome chef :)
The Closet
Nothing dramatic but when I throw on a t-shirt that I've worn a million times it looks and feels like a different shirt. That is a great feeling! I remember way back in my WW days when a leader once said "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". I'm by no means thin, and I'm longing for the day when I need to buy all new clothes but in the meantime it's fun to relish the feeling of my pants falling down as evidence of all my hard work.
Challenges and Goals
This week will be interesting. I can probably attribute part of my big loss this week to being sick and some level of dehydration - although I drank a ton of water after getting home from the ER. It will also be hard to workout with a kidney infection. So I do expect to eek up a little bit as the week goes on. But If I still manange a weight loss this week in the 2 lb. ball park I'll be happy. And I don't mind resting a little. Me being limited with encourage my husband to rest his calf as well.
So I'm just going to keep pressing on. Happy Monday everyone!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Weekly Update - Week 11
(end of week 10/beginning week 11)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 2.8
Total loss: 32.4
At the Gym
Pretty good week. My husband hurt his calf running this week so we had a slightly modified schedule. We still made it to the gym 3x but one of our cardio workouts was cut short. I made up for it at home. With life getting busy getting ready for the new school year the days off from the gym have been mostly rest days. It won't always be that way but the next few weeks it will have to be enough.
1/2 of a yoga workout :( No extra activity because of the hurt husband and the busy schedule.
In the Kitchen
Food rut continues... I'm enjoying the food we are eating but there is not much variety. Basically I rotate between the same 3 breakfasts, salad with some kind of protein for lunch and a rotation of the same 5 or so things for dinner. I think we are all getting sick of chicken. My creativity is limited until payday and then I can have some fun in the kitchen. For now we will wallow in our rut.
The Closet
I found two bras! LOL, they were in my drawer but were way too tight to be comfortable. Now they fit just fine. I also had to discard one in a bigger size that is just to big. My wedding ring fits again. I haven't worn it in years. My ring is a diamond band - which is costly to resize because the whole thing would have to be reset (or so they tell me) so we had bought me a simple gold band - probably after my youngest was born. Now I'm wearing both but the little gold band is getting really loose so I may have to retire it. My engagement ring is another story. About 10 years ago I had lost about 60 lbs (pre-children). At that time we had my engagement ring sized and I wore it above my wedding band so it would keep that one from slipping off. Well it's still way too small but it's one of the things I am most looking forward to when I get closer to my goal weight - not because of the ring itself, although a diamond ring is a nice reward, but because it will be a big milestone for me.
Challenges and Goals
I really want to drink my water this week. I've slacked off a little and yesterday I just felt so dry and thirsty all day.
I want all of my cardio workouts this week to be 60 minutes.
On the Scale
Lost this week: 2.8
Total loss: 32.4
At the Gym
Pretty good week. My husband hurt his calf running this week so we had a slightly modified schedule. We still made it to the gym 3x but one of our cardio workouts was cut short. I made up for it at home. With life getting busy getting ready for the new school year the days off from the gym have been mostly rest days. It won't always be that way but the next few weeks it will have to be enough.
1/2 of a yoga workout :( No extra activity because of the hurt husband and the busy schedule.
In the Kitchen
Food rut continues... I'm enjoying the food we are eating but there is not much variety. Basically I rotate between the same 3 breakfasts, salad with some kind of protein for lunch and a rotation of the same 5 or so things for dinner. I think we are all getting sick of chicken. My creativity is limited until payday and then I can have some fun in the kitchen. For now we will wallow in our rut.
The Closet
I found two bras! LOL, they were in my drawer but were way too tight to be comfortable. Now they fit just fine. I also had to discard one in a bigger size that is just to big. My wedding ring fits again. I haven't worn it in years. My ring is a diamond band - which is costly to resize because the whole thing would have to be reset (or so they tell me) so we had bought me a simple gold band - probably after my youngest was born. Now I'm wearing both but the little gold band is getting really loose so I may have to retire it. My engagement ring is another story. About 10 years ago I had lost about 60 lbs (pre-children). At that time we had my engagement ring sized and I wore it above my wedding band so it would keep that one from slipping off. Well it's still way too small but it's one of the things I am most looking forward to when I get closer to my goal weight - not because of the ring itself, although a diamond ring is a nice reward, but because it will be a big milestone for me.
Challenges and Goals
I really want to drink my water this week. I've slacked off a little and yesterday I just felt so dry and thirsty all day.
I want all of my cardio workouts this week to be 60 minutes.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Weekly Update - Week 10
(end of week 9/beginning week 10)
On the Scale
Lost this week: 4.4 POUNDS!
Total loss: 29.6
At the Gym
We made it to the gym 3x this week. I actually think it helped to rest on our normal "light" days. 40-45 minutes of cardio plus weights. We've stuck to upper body mainly because my legs are exhausted by the end of my cardio workout. Every week I say, "ok, let's go back to lower body this week" but I always wimp out. It doesn't help that we workout at night and it's usually well after 10 when I have to make the decision. I know my legs are getting a workout anyway so I'm not too worried about it. I see and feel the results even without the weights so that is a battle for another day.
We did get a nice family walk in this week and I did just a little bit of yoga.
In the Kitchen
Food rut maybe? I made hummus this week.It was too garlic-y but otherwise good. I also made whole wheat pita chips. They came out pretty good but still, not something to make a meal out of. I'm enjoying all the fresh produce and salad every day but I didn't make anything new for dinner this week.
I am totally in love with a few of my new "staples"
Bagel Thins
Ezekiel Bread
Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Granola
I'm also happy to say that my husband has been eating baby spinach in his salad and LIKING IT! Me too, but I always have.
With my weight going down my calorie allowance is too. But this is actually a good thing for me because I was often under my calories and that stressed me out.
The Closet
I got to wear my smaller sized jeans yesterday and they fit great - a little loose even. I can't wait for the day when everything is just too big but my budget is happy with everything just fitting much much better for a little while.
Challenges and Goals
This week was a nice boost. Coming off vacation with no gym and getting a 4.4 on the scale is sweet. It also puts me well within range of my next goal which is to be under 200 by New Years. My husband and I are doing a 5K in October. I'm toying with the idea of trying to run part of it. C25K is looking pretty doable.
Main goals for this week:
3+ gym workouts
2+ yoga workouts
Find a few new recipes and break my food rut
Drink my water
I also hope burn hundreds of calories cleaning my house and getting ready for the first day of school - we homeschool and this is like spring cleaning for me because we are so stinkin lazy over the summer. The school room is mostly done but in the process I basically demolished the family room and the toy room. There are toys and books simply everywhere - I have my work cut out for me.
On the Scale
Lost this week: 4.4 POUNDS!
Total loss: 29.6
At the Gym
We made it to the gym 3x this week. I actually think it helped to rest on our normal "light" days. 40-45 minutes of cardio plus weights. We've stuck to upper body mainly because my legs are exhausted by the end of my cardio workout. Every week I say, "ok, let's go back to lower body this week" but I always wimp out. It doesn't help that we workout at night and it's usually well after 10 when I have to make the decision. I know my legs are getting a workout anyway so I'm not too worried about it. I see and feel the results even without the weights so that is a battle for another day.
We did get a nice family walk in this week and I did just a little bit of yoga.
In the Kitchen
Food rut maybe? I made hummus this week.It was too garlic-y but otherwise good. I also made whole wheat pita chips. They came out pretty good but still, not something to make a meal out of. I'm enjoying all the fresh produce and salad every day but I didn't make anything new for dinner this week.
I am totally in love with a few of my new "staples"
Bagel Thins
Ezekiel Bread
Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Granola
I'm also happy to say that my husband has been eating baby spinach in his salad and LIKING IT! Me too, but I always have.
With my weight going down my calorie allowance is too. But this is actually a good thing for me because I was often under my calories and that stressed me out.
The Closet
I got to wear my smaller sized jeans yesterday and they fit great - a little loose even. I can't wait for the day when everything is just too big but my budget is happy with everything just fitting much much better for a little while.
Challenges and Goals
This week was a nice boost. Coming off vacation with no gym and getting a 4.4 on the scale is sweet. It also puts me well within range of my next goal which is to be under 200 by New Years. My husband and I are doing a 5K in October. I'm toying with the idea of trying to run part of it. C25K is looking pretty doable.
Main goals for this week:
3+ gym workouts
2+ yoga workouts
Find a few new recipes and break my food rut
Drink my water
I also hope burn hundreds of calories cleaning my house and getting ready for the first day of school - we homeschool and this is like spring cleaning for me because we are so stinkin lazy over the summer. The school room is mostly done but in the process I basically demolished the family room and the toy room. There are toys and books simply everywhere - I have my work cut out for me.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Why did I wait?
I blew past my first real goal this morning - to lose 10% of my body weight. I'm part of the way into week 9 and things have been difficult but smooth for the most part.
So I've lost 27+ lbs and it's been pretty "easy". I know it hasn't actually been easy - it's been alot of hard work. Meal planning, keeping the kitchen stocked, preparing 99% of meals at home, going to the gym after 9 p.m. 3-5 times a week... none of that is easy. There have been a few moments of temptation but for the most part I've just been doing "what is needful" and I have done it without kicking and screaming. So the question I'm asking myself is "why did I wait?" Why did I wait until I was seriously concerned about my health and my quality of life? Why did I wait until my kids were old enough to notice that I am fat? Why did I wait until I had 100+ lbs to lose?? If it was this easy why didn't I do this sooner?
My husband and I discussed this last night after a really, really large woman was behind us in line buying Depends at the grocery store at 10:30 p.m. I'm making a few assumptions here but stick with me for the sake of my point. She was probably in her late 50s. Judging by her appearance she probably has high blood pressure and diabetes. She waddled, kind of hunched over, instead of walking with strength with her head held high. She was buying incontinence products - so she likely has bladder control problems. She looked very sad. Of course you can't judge a book by it's cover but even if I'm dead wrong about all of these things there are many many people out there who have let preventable health problems ruin their quality of life - I was on track to be that lady. My husband's co-worker's dad is about to lose his foot and his eyesight to diabetes, I know a few single 20 something young ladies who would love to be married but in reality have hindered their potential to meet prince charming because of their weight. Why does it ever get to that point? Why don't more of us have the wake-up call when our jeans are a little too tight - long before we ever have to go over to the plus size section.
I'm not going to try to analyze the reasons for getting fat but the clearest reason I can see for staying fat is that it really takes 100% focus and commitment to lose weight in a healthy way. Of all the times I tried to lose weight in the past that is what I lacked - not the tools or the know-how, just the focus and the commitment. Life gets in the way of weight loss. Stress or celebration or change - any of those things could potentially cause me to lose focus. I think deep down I knew that just one healthy choice or one healthy day/week/month wouldn't solve my weight problem - it would take a total life change. Total commitment. I wasn't ready to give my whole life to solve this problem. I am now.
So I've lost 27+ lbs and it's been pretty "easy". I know it hasn't actually been easy - it's been alot of hard work. Meal planning, keeping the kitchen stocked, preparing 99% of meals at home, going to the gym after 9 p.m. 3-5 times a week... none of that is easy. There have been a few moments of temptation but for the most part I've just been doing "what is needful" and I have done it without kicking and screaming. So the question I'm asking myself is "why did I wait?" Why did I wait until I was seriously concerned about my health and my quality of life? Why did I wait until my kids were old enough to notice that I am fat? Why did I wait until I had 100+ lbs to lose?? If it was this easy why didn't I do this sooner?
My husband and I discussed this last night after a really, really large woman was behind us in line buying Depends at the grocery store at 10:30 p.m. I'm making a few assumptions here but stick with me for the sake of my point. She was probably in her late 50s. Judging by her appearance she probably has high blood pressure and diabetes. She waddled, kind of hunched over, instead of walking with strength with her head held high. She was buying incontinence products - so she likely has bladder control problems. She looked very sad. Of course you can't judge a book by it's cover but even if I'm dead wrong about all of these things there are many many people out there who have let preventable health problems ruin their quality of life - I was on track to be that lady. My husband's co-worker's dad is about to lose his foot and his eyesight to diabetes, I know a few single 20 something young ladies who would love to be married but in reality have hindered their potential to meet prince charming because of their weight. Why does it ever get to that point? Why don't more of us have the wake-up call when our jeans are a little too tight - long before we ever have to go over to the plus size section.
I'm not going to try to analyze the reasons for getting fat but the clearest reason I can see for staying fat is that it really takes 100% focus and commitment to lose weight in a healthy way. Of all the times I tried to lose weight in the past that is what I lacked - not the tools or the know-how, just the focus and the commitment. Life gets in the way of weight loss. Stress or celebration or change - any of those things could potentially cause me to lose focus. I think deep down I knew that just one healthy choice or one healthy day/week/month wouldn't solve my weight problem - it would take a total life change. Total commitment. I wasn't ready to give my whole life to solve this problem. I am now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)