I lost another two pounds this week. That's one pound more than what I had lost before we went on vacation, so I am officially in weight loss mode again. Almost doesn't make it worth it, does it? Went on vacation for one week, gained three pounds and it took two full weeks to lose it.
I get so aggravated when someone tells me...."Oh, just go ahead and eat that. It won't hurt you." Well maybe it won't but if I did that several times a day, every day of the week, I will be right back in the same boat as I was in before I began to lose this weight.
In many ways, it's like a drug addiction and those people are enablers. I can splurge when I want to, but it's usually a planned splurge and fits into my eating plan for the day. As I've stated before, we don't feel deprived of the things we like to eat, but we must be mindful of what we eat and when or else all the hard work we've done will be wasted.
Besides, there are better things in life than food. Can you imagine? I never thought I'd say that either, but there really are better ways to celebrate than with food. Better ways to rejoice in life than with food. So many cultures and families celebrate surrounded by food, and that's OK, if you make careful choices and stop eating when you are full. If you belong to one of those families that does celebrate every occasion by having a huge family dinner, try incorporating other activities into those dinners, so the main focus no longer is on the food. Try to cook healthier foods and don't make quite as much. Use smaller dishes to serve, as studies show we eat less when using a smaller plate. Every little bit helps, and you won't be so much of an enabler in the process.
Weight Loss Update - 6/14-6/20
I'm happy to report that we both lost two of the three pounds that we gained on vacation. Why does it have to take twice as long to lose the weight that you gained? It can be frustrating. That being said, I must admit that I did not get in any exercise last week. If I had, I probably would have easily lost another pound.
My sweet cravings have lessened dramatically since we returned, so that's a relief. It really makes all the difference in the world when you eat the right foods in the first place. I also feel so much better now that I am getting the right amount of water each day. It was so hard to drink enough water while we were on vacation. One big reason was that it was not always that easy to get to a bathroom that often, and when I drink what I am supposed to have in a day, I can easily go to the bathroom every hour or two....not always convenient to say the least.
One of my goals this week is to exercise more. I know I keep saying it, but it's so hard for me to fit it into my day. I can't even imagine what it would be like if I had children at home to worry about. I really need to do my workouts first thing in the morning, but I am not a morning person at all. They say once you get into a routine that it will be easier to get up in the morning, but I have not found that to be true for me. I have always had a difficult time getting to sleep at night, which is probably part of the problem. I lay there forever, my mind racing with ideas and things I need to do the next day. It's hard for me to shut off my brain so I can get some sleep.
I also know that exercising first thing in the morning will boost my metabolism for the entire day and should help me to sleep at night. I will try hard to make a conscious effort to go to bed earlier and get up in the morning to work out. I'll let you know how it goes.
Have a good week everyone!
My sweet cravings have lessened dramatically since we returned, so that's a relief. It really makes all the difference in the world when you eat the right foods in the first place. I also feel so much better now that I am getting the right amount of water each day. It was so hard to drink enough water while we were on vacation. One big reason was that it was not always that easy to get to a bathroom that often, and when I drink what I am supposed to have in a day, I can easily go to the bathroom every hour or two....not always convenient to say the least.
One of my goals this week is to exercise more. I know I keep saying it, but it's so hard for me to fit it into my day. I can't even imagine what it would be like if I had children at home to worry about. I really need to do my workouts first thing in the morning, but I am not a morning person at all. They say once you get into a routine that it will be easier to get up in the morning, but I have not found that to be true for me. I have always had a difficult time getting to sleep at night, which is probably part of the problem. I lay there forever, my mind racing with ideas and things I need to do the next day. It's hard for me to shut off my brain so I can get some sleep.
I also know that exercising first thing in the morning will boost my metabolism for the entire day and should help me to sleep at night. I will try hard to make a conscious effort to go to bed earlier and get up in the morning to work out. I'll let you know how it goes.
Have a good week everyone!
Weight Loss Update
I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post. We are now back from vacation and back to work (boohoo). We had a nice time in the Poconos for four days and then a relaxing time at home for the remainder of last week.
We got a few things done around the house, went to some flea markets and even played some games on Saturday night. That was fun and I'd like to make it a standing "date" to play cards or some other board game on Saturday nights. We played Rummy, Boggle and Yahtzee (I won Rummy and Yahtzee, but Gary destroyed me playing Boggle...LOL).
While we were on vacation we did not count points or calories. We pretty much ate what we wanted but still watched portion sizes and tried to stay away from fried foods. It's hard when the resort you are staying at feeds you. Though there were usually 4-5 dinner choices each night, there were still some not so healthy sides offered with each dish. Also, since we are accustomed to eating 5-6 meals a day, it's hard to adjust back to three meals a day. We brought yogurts and fresh veggies to snack on in between, but they didn't fill us up like our normal snacks would have. I wish we could have had a microwave in our suite...that would have made things easier, I think.
All in all, I am pleased to report that we only gained three pounds each. I honestly thought it would have been much more, though I didn't feel all that "heavy". We played golf, basketball, used a paddle boat and walked a lot, but even that couldn't combat the not so healthy food choices we were offered. If we had really hit the diet hard after we got back, I bet we wouldn't have gained so much, but since we were on vacation, I felt I was entitled. Not sure that is the attitude I should have. It's so hard to break those old habits, even after being on this diet since November 2008.
One thing I noticed over the past week, was that I felt sluggish often and tired, even though I had gotten enough sleep. I can only attribute that to the lack of water and overload on carbs and fatty foods. I wouldn't be surprised if a pound of this weight is actually water retention from not drinking enough liquids.
One good thing to report....no, it's actually a GREAT thing...is that when I had my yearly GYN visit last week, my blood pressure was normal. NORMAL!!! I can not remember the last time that happened. Must be the 60 pounds lost :) Everyone in the office was amazed and very encouraging to stay on track.
Today is a little bit of a struggle for me, as I am craving sweets like crazy and I feel like munching on everything in site, even though I am not technically hungry. Just another reason why it's so important to not eat bad things in the first place. Once you have one, you need to ween yourself off them so you don't want them anymore. It's true what they say....have sweets and you will want more. Don't have them in the first place, and you don't crave them. Luckily, I brought a healthy lunch and snacks and there is no junk food in the office (at the moment) so I should be OK. Hopefully, after a few days of detoxifying my body, I won't be craving them anymore.
We got a few things done around the house, went to some flea markets and even played some games on Saturday night. That was fun and I'd like to make it a standing "date" to play cards or some other board game on Saturday nights. We played Rummy, Boggle and Yahtzee (I won Rummy and Yahtzee, but Gary destroyed me playing Boggle...LOL).
While we were on vacation we did not count points or calories. We pretty much ate what we wanted but still watched portion sizes and tried to stay away from fried foods. It's hard when the resort you are staying at feeds you. Though there were usually 4-5 dinner choices each night, there were still some not so healthy sides offered with each dish. Also, since we are accustomed to eating 5-6 meals a day, it's hard to adjust back to three meals a day. We brought yogurts and fresh veggies to snack on in between, but they didn't fill us up like our normal snacks would have. I wish we could have had a microwave in our suite...that would have made things easier, I think.
All in all, I am pleased to report that we only gained three pounds each. I honestly thought it would have been much more, though I didn't feel all that "heavy". We played golf, basketball, used a paddle boat and walked a lot, but even that couldn't combat the not so healthy food choices we were offered. If we had really hit the diet hard after we got back, I bet we wouldn't have gained so much, but since we were on vacation, I felt I was entitled. Not sure that is the attitude I should have. It's so hard to break those old habits, even after being on this diet since November 2008.
One thing I noticed over the past week, was that I felt sluggish often and tired, even though I had gotten enough sleep. I can only attribute that to the lack of water and overload on carbs and fatty foods. I wouldn't be surprised if a pound of this weight is actually water retention from not drinking enough liquids.
One good thing to report....no, it's actually a GREAT thing...is that when I had my yearly GYN visit last week, my blood pressure was normal. NORMAL!!! I can not remember the last time that happened. Must be the 60 pounds lost :) Everyone in the office was amazed and very encouraging to stay on track.
Today is a little bit of a struggle for me, as I am craving sweets like crazy and I feel like munching on everything in site, even though I am not technically hungry. Just another reason why it's so important to not eat bad things in the first place. Once you have one, you need to ween yourself off them so you don't want them anymore. It's true what they say....have sweets and you will want more. Don't have them in the first place, and you don't crave them. Luckily, I brought a healthy lunch and snacks and there is no junk food in the office (at the moment) so I should be OK. Hopefully, after a few days of detoxifying my body, I won't be craving them anymore.
How to Lose 10 Pounds by Changing Your Clothes
I was feeling a little frustrated because very few people were making comments on my weight loss. Now before you go thinking I'm shallow, let me explain.
Usually when we see someone we haven't seen in a while, they would immediately start talking about how great Gary looks and how different he looks, etc. And then as an after thought, they would say, "And you look great too". I was starting to feel like chopped liver for crying out loud. But then it hit me. Gary has just about completely changed his wardrobe, but I had only really bought a few new shirts and some new jeans and shorts, which I haven't worn much yet. For the most part, I was trying to get away with my old clothes just a little while longer, but after losing 60+ pounds, its been hard to keep most of them. So this week, I got rid of the remainder of my big shirts and purchased some new smaller ones. And boy, what a difference that made.
The very next day, I wore one of my new smaller shirts and three people made a comment at work about how great I was looking. In fact, my boss mentioned that it seemed like I lose 10 pounds every time she sees me. Well, in a weird way, I had, by shedding my big baggy clothes which were hiding my true weight loss.
I know it may be difficult to completely replace your wardrobe, but you have to do it, for your self esteem if nothing else. And it doesn't have to cost a lot. We've been buying most of our clothes at the thrift store, many times going on a day when they are having a 50% off sale. Now is a great time to sell your own at a yard sale, or donate them, like we do, at the same time you go and buy new.
Now, you don't need to replace every single piece of clothing that you own. Chances are, you had more clothes than you actually wore anyway. Just replace the essentials, and if you are still in a losing pattern, note that these clothes will hopefully need to be replaced in a few months anyway, so no need to spend a lot or go overboard buying a lot of items.
I can't wait to take a new progress picture wearing my new smaller size. I think it will really show a more dramatic difference in what we look like today than what we looked like last year. That last progress picture I posted in April, just didn't show my true weight loss at all.
You are probably wondering what size I bought. Most everything was an 18/20, which is down from a 26/28. I am very happy about that. I would be happy to be a size 16, but if I actually reach my goal of losing another 60 pounds, I imagine I will be even smaller than that, so we shall see. I am also probably a smaller size then when we got married. I guess the only way to know for sure is to try on my wedding dress. We got married in June of 2001, so that wasn't really all that long ago, but I am sure I had gained a good 30-40 pounds during our marriage so far.
Some of the new clothes I bought two months ago are actually too big already. I think I was buying them bigger than I needed them to be out of habit. I was also even afraid to even try on a smaller size for fear that it would not fit. So when I went shopping this time, I tried on clothes that seemed too small, and you know what I found out. They weren't too small. They actually fit the curves of my body and looked good on me. Imagine that. One of the blouses I bought is even a 16/18. Hard for me to grasp...LOL. I even bought a pair of jeans that fit me like a glove. They are skin tight without being uncomfortable. I don't even think that has ever happened before in my life unless I was buying leggings.
I don't want you to think that I am now fixated on the size of clothes I am wearing. But it's an awesome feeling and is helping me to keep motivated to stay on my eating plan and to continue with our healthier lifestyle. Anything that can help me do that is OK in my book. If you feel you need a boost in self esteem or a boost in motivation, try buying yourself a new smaller outfit to wear. You'll be glad you did.
Usually when we see someone we haven't seen in a while, they would immediately start talking about how great Gary looks and how different he looks, etc. And then as an after thought, they would say, "And you look great too". I was starting to feel like chopped liver for crying out loud. But then it hit me. Gary has just about completely changed his wardrobe, but I had only really bought a few new shirts and some new jeans and shorts, which I haven't worn much yet. For the most part, I was trying to get away with my old clothes just a little while longer, but after losing 60+ pounds, its been hard to keep most of them. So this week, I got rid of the remainder of my big shirts and purchased some new smaller ones. And boy, what a difference that made.
The very next day, I wore one of my new smaller shirts and three people made a comment at work about how great I was looking. In fact, my boss mentioned that it seemed like I lose 10 pounds every time she sees me. Well, in a weird way, I had, by shedding my big baggy clothes which were hiding my true weight loss.
I know it may be difficult to completely replace your wardrobe, but you have to do it, for your self esteem if nothing else. And it doesn't have to cost a lot. We've been buying most of our clothes at the thrift store, many times going on a day when they are having a 50% off sale. Now is a great time to sell your own at a yard sale, or donate them, like we do, at the same time you go and buy new.
Now, you don't need to replace every single piece of clothing that you own. Chances are, you had more clothes than you actually wore anyway. Just replace the essentials, and if you are still in a losing pattern, note that these clothes will hopefully need to be replaced in a few months anyway, so no need to spend a lot or go overboard buying a lot of items.
I can't wait to take a new progress picture wearing my new smaller size. I think it will really show a more dramatic difference in what we look like today than what we looked like last year. That last progress picture I posted in April, just didn't show my true weight loss at all.
You are probably wondering what size I bought. Most everything was an 18/20, which is down from a 26/28. I am very happy about that. I would be happy to be a size 16, but if I actually reach my goal of losing another 60 pounds, I imagine I will be even smaller than that, so we shall see. I am also probably a smaller size then when we got married. I guess the only way to know for sure is to try on my wedding dress. We got married in June of 2001, so that wasn't really all that long ago, but I am sure I had gained a good 30-40 pounds during our marriage so far.
Some of the new clothes I bought two months ago are actually too big already. I think I was buying them bigger than I needed them to be out of habit. I was also even afraid to even try on a smaller size for fear that it would not fit. So when I went shopping this time, I tried on clothes that seemed too small, and you know what I found out. They weren't too small. They actually fit the curves of my body and looked good on me. Imagine that. One of the blouses I bought is even a 16/18. Hard for me to grasp...LOL. I even bought a pair of jeans that fit me like a glove. They are skin tight without being uncomfortable. I don't even think that has ever happened before in my life unless I was buying leggings.
I don't want you to think that I am now fixated on the size of clothes I am wearing. But it's an awesome feeling and is helping me to keep motivated to stay on my eating plan and to continue with our healthier lifestyle. Anything that can help me do that is OK in my book. If you feel you need a boost in self esteem or a boost in motivation, try buying yourself a new smaller outfit to wear. You'll be glad you did.
Progress for Week Ending 5/30/09
I lost another pound this past week. That is good considering I didn't get in any exercise to speak of because we were preparing for a craft sale. I also was not really on my eating plan for two days, although I did try and watch my portion sizes.
In a way, I think it was good that I cheated those two days. For one, I've read that having a cheat day, helps to boost your metabolism as long as you are eating healthy foods (no fried foods allowed). A temporary boost in calories, lets your body know that it is not in starvation mode, therefore it will still burn calories. Though I did not perform traditional exercise during the last few days, I was constantly moving, walking around and lifting stuff. Don't know how many calories that burned, but I'm sure it was something. Better than sitting in the office all day.
The next two weeks will still be hectic, so I still probably will not be able to post very often. I am considering using a new service for bloggers called BloggerLinkUp that will connect you with writers in case you want to have guest writers on your blog. I think that's a neat idea.
Rather than bore you with meaningless filler, I will end this post for now. I am suffering from a little bit of writer's block at the moment, but hope it will pass once things settle down here at home.
Until next time, keep moving and don't beat yourself up if you slip a little in your eating plan. It won't hurt your weight loss goals as long as you get back on track the next day. Remember, take it day by day and you will go far, I can promise you that.
In a way, I think it was good that I cheated those two days. For one, I've read that having a cheat day, helps to boost your metabolism as long as you are eating healthy foods (no fried foods allowed). A temporary boost in calories, lets your body know that it is not in starvation mode, therefore it will still burn calories. Though I did not perform traditional exercise during the last few days, I was constantly moving, walking around and lifting stuff. Don't know how many calories that burned, but I'm sure it was something. Better than sitting in the office all day.
The next two weeks will still be hectic, so I still probably will not be able to post very often. I am considering using a new service for bloggers called BloggerLinkUp that will connect you with writers in case you want to have guest writers on your blog. I think that's a neat idea.
Rather than bore you with meaningless filler, I will end this post for now. I am suffering from a little bit of writer's block at the moment, but hope it will pass once things settle down here at home.
Until next time, keep moving and don't beat yourself up if you slip a little in your eating plan. It won't hurt your weight loss goals as long as you get back on track the next day. Remember, take it day by day and you will go far, I can promise you that.
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