Safety In Numbers

Woo hoo!  I have a couple people jumping on my program with me.  They all see the incentive as good as I see it!  I suppose that is the secret, finding the incentive.  As a life long dieter I know that incentives change as life changes and as our health and fitness changes.  So this might be a bit strange at first glimpse but everyone is liking it!  But of course the most important thing is that it is working!

Thank You Everyone!

You have all supported me when I was flailing, trying to get back on track, and now you are all here with me as I start showing some success.  Of course I am REALLY just talking to the walls.  I haven't told anyone about this blog.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe I get tired of my own voice so I assume others do too.  Anyway, it is just me and this empty virtual room enjoying the fact I have lost 3.6 pounds so far this week.  Yup, just a bit short of a week so there's always the possibility I could start off with a bang - a 4 pound week!  Woo Hoo!  High 5 anyone . . . any one??

Daring New Approach

OK, I have a few successful days under my belt and my weight is even a bit lower.  Surprise!   I started a new thing on Sunday and this is Wednesday and it is STILL going well.  Whoa!  Stop the presses!  Yes, things have gone well for several days now!

What I am doing might be offensive to some people.  If anyone who reads this (and so far there are none of you) is offended then you'll just have to approach it with a "The Lord works in mysterious ways" sort of attitude.  I am doing what I call the Jehovah Witness Diet.

It's really rather simple.  To participate all you have to do is select a goal, a date to achieve the goal, and agree that if you do NOT reach the goal by the target date you will send a $20 donation (via check with your address on it) to the Jehovah Witnesses.  Ta-da!  Incentive!  Of course you have to share the information with someone else who will force you to follow through.  In my case it is my daughter-in-law.  So there you have it.  The new thing that has gotten me focused.  Join me if you dare!

100 MPH

I feel like I'm running 100 mph into a brick wall.  Not getting anywhere real fast . . . or even real slow for that matter.  No movement in either direction might just be an improvement since that means the gain is not continuing to happen.  But I do know this "walnut" habit I seem to have started a few days ago can easily catch up to me.  I need something to change.

Success

What defines success?  Is it all the number on the scale?  I know in my mind that there are many "non scale successes".  But really, they just don't carry the same weight (pun intended) as a smaller number on the scale.

Technically, I suppose I am having quite a few successes.  I'm still eating at times when I'm not hungry but it is a huge improvement over my "norm".  My body feels less stuffed even though I am only down a bit over a pound.

The other thing that is on the horizon is that I am really getting tired of eating meat.  This has been simmering for decades but I feel like I am coming up to a tipping point.  I can't say it is an ethical issue or anything so grand as that.  It's just that the mere idea of eating meat is grossing me out.  I stopped eating beef quite a few years ago so primarily have been eating chicken and pork.  I've always loved pork.  But the smell and taste of it is getting to me these days.  We'll see where this goes since hubby does not want to stop eating meat.  In the meantime, just keeping on . . .

Ut Oh . . .

Seems to be a definite lack of progress going on here.  Helllllooooo . . . can anyone hear me?

Tomorrow Is Today

Gee, it sure is lonely here . . . all by myself.  I think I can hear an echo in the room!  I watched the new season of "The Biggest Loser" last night.  It is interesting to see that so many athletes can fall prey to obesity.  It just sort of sneaks up on you and you always think you can address the issue "tomorrow".  Well guess what, Tomorrow Is Today!

I think that is the key to maintenance.  Well, to lose weight too. Just never put off doing the right thing until tomorrow.  If there's a slip up, don't let the whole day go to hell, step back up and ride that bronco this minute!  Yup, tomorrow is this very second!

Look Hard & Find Success

Weekends are always hard on weight loss.  Yesterday we went to an event and I knew I would have some challenges.  I packed a lunch.  I knew after a 2 hour drive that we would arrive at lunchtime.  I didn't want to be tempted to eat any of the high calorie foods that were available.  I got really hungry by late afternoon when we were headed home but held off with a granola bar.  Then we were almost home when we decided to stop and get something for supper.

The place we stopped at didn't have the best menu and I was totally wiped out from being in the warm sun all day.  I didn't have the best choice (halibut sandwich and fries) but I would normally have had the large shake and this time I got the small one.  I actually considered this a success.  It was proof that I modified something even if it was really small.  Anyway, I'm gonna register that as a success and move on.  I didn't have anything else for the rest of the day.  Focusing on the good thing I did, albeit very small, helped me avoid the "throw in the towel" syndrome.

I'm OK

One of the things I struggle with is body image.  I have this personal theory that everyone within their lifetime (and the earlier the better) needs to define for themselves "what is enough"? I've done a good job with this in everything except for things related to my body.  Now understand that I'm not knocking my head against any walls because I think I'm lacking, but I'm not very accepting of myself either.  All I see are the problems.  I fail to love and appreciate the things that are "enough".  As I get older, it has become more and more glaring that there are certain things I am going to have to accept.

Something that happened was a bit of an eye opener for me.  I started watching "Dr. 90210" on Netflix.  When I started out, my opinion was that I would never have plastic surgery.  The risks are too great.  After a few shows, I decided that maybe if money wasn't an issue, I'd consider taking care of the saggy skin under my chin. Soon a brow lift seemed reasonable.  About a week later I realized that I was in desperate need of a boob lift.  And what good is that without a tummy tuck?  I always wished I didn't have a flat butt and now they were fixing that too.  My list of things that needed fixed went from a blank page to a huge list.  And the only thing that happened was I watched this show that kept telling me I was defective.

No, I'm not defective.  I'm OK . . . and you are too.

Improvements

I've made it through my first 3 days of "officially trying".  I can see improvements in my actions and my thinking.  I decided to wear my "See Beautiful" bracelet so that when I look at it I am reminded to treat myself well.  And by that I mean not over stuffing my body!  It helps with my mindfulness anyway.  I also went down on the scale this morning.  Might be a fluke, you just never know.  Anyway, I feel like I'm off to a REAL start!

Mindfulness

I'm trying to exist (eat) in a state of mindfulness.  One of my problems, as I said yesterday, is that I put food in my mouth so quickly that I don't even have time to process a thought.  So I am trying to THINK about what I'm doing.  I've caught myself in the past thinking that I'd better eat a certain thing very quickly before the guilt can set in.  What the hell is up with that?  I need to pay attention to what I'm thinking.  Being quick might help when pulling off a band-aid but no good can come of it when eating!

The other thing I'm doing is I'm reducing the amount of food I eat, the "off chart" stuff (I measure everything else on a scale in grams).  For example, I was at Costco yesterday and I usually would hit nearly all of the samples.  Yes, I know every bite counts but often I don't count these bites and anyone who has ever been to Costco KNOWS that it can quickly and easily add up to hundreds of extra calories!  Anyway, I was more selective in what I sampled and only ate a bite instead of the whole sample.  Still "unauthorized" calories but an improvement nonetheless.  I'm working on improving and "tightening up" my bad habits.

Anyway, it's a start.  I was having trouble getting started.  I have now officially started trying.

Mind Over Matter

Weight loss is a mind game.  Really, if it was a physical thing then it would be a snap.  But it's my mind that MAKES me eat when I'm not really hungry and it's my mind that MAKES me choose things that aren't nutritionally good choices!  It's mind over matter . . . if you don't mind then it doesn't matter!

So I really need to pay attention to what I am thinking about when I eat.  Usually I just eat something so fast I don't have a second to even ponder the idea of what might be going through my head.  But I am going to give it every effort to be in control of my mind instead of letting my mind be in control of me.  And another thing I need to remember . . . it's only food.  Maybe I should have bolded that one . . . it's only food!

UGH!

Here I go again . . . I am tired of the sound of my own voice saying I NEED to lose weight, I NEED to REALLY start trying.  Blah, blah, blah . . .  I feel like the wicked witch melting when water was poured on her . . .  Helllllllloooo!  Yup, just what I thought.  There's an echo . . .

So here's the deal.  I'll continue tracking what I'm eating and REALLY be accurate.  And I will TRY to not eat unless I am actually hungry.  That's gonna be a tough one.  Am I desperate enough to take a photo of everything I eat?  Well hell-to-the-yes I am  but I don't think I'll take that step just yet.  Sigh . . .