Over the past six months I've been struggling with losing any more weight. I've been stuck right around 230 pounds, but over the past 6 weeks, I've gained about 6 pounds and I just can't seem to lose any at all.
I know that being home everyday and being able to eat whenever I want has been a factor. I haven't been logging my food and maybe I should be, but I find it really difficult to log in food when it's all homemade. It's so difficult and time consuming, but I think I really need to try to do it, if not everyday, at least four days a week.
Another factor has been when we go out to eat, I don't bring home as much food as I used to, I just eat it all at the restaurant....bad choice. But with money tight, we only go out about once every 10 days or so.
I have also been very lax about exercise. I've been keeping up with basic strength training that provides short bursts of cardio, but I haven't been doing enough. Today we snowshoed for the first time this winter and I know that burns a lot of calories. If the calculator at sparkpeople is correct, I burned over 600 calories today. That's a good start, but I need to keep it up though.
One thing I've had a strong opinion about is weigh-ins. I believe you should weigh in once a week religiously, but I'm reading more and more articles that daily weigh-ins are more successful at keeping the weight off. If you do a search for "Weighing In Daily", you will be surprised at all the articles that come up. I'm beginning to think there may be something too this strategy. I worry that it might lead to compulsive behavior, but I guess if you are not already prone to impulsive behavior, than what can it hurt. I am going to start weighing in everyday, or at the very least, several times a week, and see how that goes.
I am also going to force myself to exercise more. Cardio is my weakness, but three times a week is a must. I am now going to school full-time, so eating is a little more under control. We get a total of an hour a day with breaks and lunch, so I plan on walking as much as possible of that time, providing the weather is good. I also plan on wearing a pedometer so that I can track my steps per day. I believe the daily goal is 10,000 steps a day, so I hope to work up to that within the next four weeks.
So, I guess the moral of this post is it's OK to fall off the wagon as long as you regroup and get back on again.
What strategies do you use to help you stay on track?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Dottie--I'm so glad I found you. I found you thru D&G Gardens first and then stumbled on your weight loss blog. It is awesome. Don't give up. i fell off the wagon 4 days ago and just got on today. I have lost 33lbs. since January and have 67lbs. left to go. I went to a nutritionist and spent 2 hrs talking to and getting guidelines from her. Here are the guidelines:
ReplyDelete1. Sodium 1500 mg., fiber 33grams, calories 1500 grams, fat good 24 grams, bad 9grams.
2. partial food diary. I keep track of how much of the above I eat each day and water intake.
3. 8-10 glasses of water a day. I use a 16oz. glass so I can reach my daily goal faster.
4. Exercise. Start with baby steps. Walk once around the block for a week or two. Then increase it. Park as far from a busines doorway as you can. Cold outside? Go to Wal-mart or grocery store and walk around the inside of the store.
5. Chew gum or brush teeth each time you are craving sweets.
6. Buy substitute food like fat free, sugar free frozen yogurt or vegan cheese.
7. Use the American Heart Association cookbook.
That's about it. I love your blog and don't give up no matter what. If you don't start today, start tomorrow. And if you only start replacing one item like increase your water that's good. Remember, baby steps. Let me know how you do. Cindy