It's been a while since my last post. Primarily, I had nothing really to say. I've been so disappointed in myself. It felt so easy in the beginning to stay healthy and exercise, but as the weeks go by it gets harder and harder. There are days when I just want to chow down on every single unhealthy thing possible. It's been a real struggle, mostly in the evenings. I can do fantastic all day and then blow my whole day out of the water in an hour or two at night. I've been going out a fair bit recently, usually to a restaurant with a girl friend of mine. It's really sad that when I do go out, it's after the kids are in bed, so I've already eaten my three meals for the day, but I'll still order food (and often a meal, not just an appetizer). I know how many calories are remaining in my budget for the day, but I eat anyway. And not anything healthy either!
This past week I've made more of an effort to watch what I eat and be conscious of not going over my daily calorie limit. I did fairly well; I only went over one day. My exercise, however, did take a hit this last week, which is the primary reason for being more vigilant over what I ate. I'm not sure what I've done, but I've got some pretty nasty pains in my lower back. I chalked it up to my poor shoes and the amount of walking I've been doing daily (2.5 to 6 kilometres daily). I did finally pick up a great pair of running shoes. I purchased a pair of Nike Lunarglides, which are simply the best shoes I've ever worn! It's as if I'm walking on clouds when I wear them! I wore them on my walk yesterday for the first time, and my friend and I walked 6 kilometres. I probably should have waited until my back had fully healed before walking so far because I'm paying for it today. I'm starting to wonder if there is an entirely different problem causing the lower back pain.
On top of the back pain, almost everyone in my household has come down with some sort of stomach bug. I'm feeling mostly better now, but last night and this morning was certainly a different story. I felt so bad for my daughter, who is two, because she seemed to have it worse than everyone else. I was up most of the night with her. I'm just thankful that my son didn't get sick. I've never had to deal with a sick child before, aside from the sniffles, and I can only imagine how challenging it would be to look after a baby with tummy troubles.
On the plus side, I weighed in this morning and I have lost 3 pounds since last Monday when I weighed myself. That is a total loss of 19.6 pounds and also put me under 250 pounds! I'm so excited about that! I can't even remember the last time I was under 250 pounds! I'm getting so close to reaching my next goal of 25 pounds and getting my next reward: a manicure and pedicure. Having seen a loss this week (and a nice one at that!), it has certainly renewed my drive to keep on this path and to try harder once again. It'll only be a matter of time before I reach my end goal and I can't wait! I guess I should finish my rewards so that I have something to work towards (aside from good health).
My walking buddy, Ashlee, and I have set a goal to walk the "West Side Hill" at the end of August. It's about a 4.5-5 kilometre walk from my home, up the hill to the Tim Horton's on the other side. The distance won't be the challenge, but the steep hill certainly will be! It's a long bridge that connects the two halves of the city together over a river, but the road goes pretty steeply into the valley before leveling out and returning to a steep hill on the other side. I thought August would be a good time to try, as it will give me a chance to become a more seasoned walker and also lose a bit more weight before taking the challenge on.
Ashlee would also like to start jogging; she's been interested in the "Couch to 5K" regimen. I can't quite commit to jogging just yet, but maybe one day when I have less aches and pains and feel more confident in my body to do something like that. Still, it's something to think about and possibly another goal to work towards.
Something else to look forward to is a nice little weekend trip up to Edmonton, Alberta to the West Edmonton Mall, sometime in August. I'm hoping to be down another 40 or so pounds before the trip takes place, which will make shopping more enjoyable. Plus, the mall has a fantastic water park that we would like to go to and it would certainly be nice to look a little better in a swimsuit than I do currently. So I'd better get cracking to make that weight loss goal a reality before then!
Monday, 25 February 2013
Monday, 4 February 2013
Redemption, however slight...
After a disappointing week and a 0.2 pound gain when I weighed myself yesterday, I decided to weigh myself again today. I'm not big on the whole weigh-yourself-everyday ordeal - I feel that it can set yourself up for disappointment and failure - but I wanted to see if I did actually gain 0.2 pounds or if it was just water retention from all the salty popcorn I ate the night before. I am currently down to 255.1 pounds, with a total loss of 12 pounds. It's not a significant loss, but I'll take a slight loss over a gain any day! I just have to be more diligent in my exercise and eating efforts to ensure that I don't have any more gains, regardless of how slight they may be.
I took my body measurements today. I'm not sure why I didn't take my measurements right from the start. It would have been nice to have a log of my body measurements before I started to see if my body has changed at all since I began four weeks ago. My husband says that he can see a difference, but I think he may be a little crazy... It's only been 12 pounds! I could understand if I had lost 50 pounds, but not 12. Maybe he's just saying that he notices a difference because he wants to make me feel better, or maybe he actually can tell a difference, who knows. I know I can't see anything yet. Here are my body measurements currently:
Upper Arm: 14.5 inches (left) and 15 inches (right)
Forearm: 12.5 inches (left) and 11.5 inches (right)
Upper Thigh: 28.5 inches (left) and 29 inches (right)
Calf: 17.25 inches (left) and 17.75 inches (right)
Hips: 53 inches
Waist: 45 inches
Chest: 43 inches
It's interesting that the right side of my body is slightly larger than my left. I suppose it would make sense being that I am right handed, thus the right side of my body would be my "dominant" side. It'll be even more interesting to compare my measurements down to road to see if my right side always remains larger than my left side. I think I'd like to take my measurements once a month to see how I'm doing. I know that sometimes weight loss may not manifest itself in the numbers on the scale going down, but by the number of inches lost. I'll post my measurements again at the beginning of March.
I've been shopping around for a heart monitor. I thought it would be a good idea to purchase one because there are some activities I do, such as my workout DVDs, that I have no idea how to gauge how many calories I am burning. When I do my DVD (Beachbody's Slim in 6 - Start it Up), I've just been entering the data into Lose It! as "aerobics" because I don't know what else to classify it as. I tried looking online to see if there was any information about the number of calories burned for that particular DVD, but I didn't really find anything. At least with a heart monitor, it would give me an estimate of calories burned based on my heart rate during whatever activity I happen to be doing.
So far I haven't found a monitor that I both like and that is within my price range. There have been a couple that I thought about purchasing, but after reading the consumer reviews, I have decided that that particular brand/model wouldn't be worth it. I had a couple of people from my group on Lose It! recommend the brand Polar, but I'm still looking through the different models and reading the reviews before I finally make a decision. I want to make sure that I'm getting a good quality product. I should hopefully have one picked out and purchased by the end of the week.
Since starting my blog, I have started reading two other blogs that are primarily about weight loss. I have found them both very interesting and inspirational! If you're interested at all, you can check them out: http://lizzysweightlossquest.blogspot.com and http://abyerly.blogspot.com.
I took my body measurements today. I'm not sure why I didn't take my measurements right from the start. It would have been nice to have a log of my body measurements before I started to see if my body has changed at all since I began four weeks ago. My husband says that he can see a difference, but I think he may be a little crazy... It's only been 12 pounds! I could understand if I had lost 50 pounds, but not 12. Maybe he's just saying that he notices a difference because he wants to make me feel better, or maybe he actually can tell a difference, who knows. I know I can't see anything yet. Here are my body measurements currently:
Upper Arm: 14.5 inches (left) and 15 inches (right)
Forearm: 12.5 inches (left) and 11.5 inches (right)
Upper Thigh: 28.5 inches (left) and 29 inches (right)
Calf: 17.25 inches (left) and 17.75 inches (right)
Hips: 53 inches
Waist: 45 inches
Chest: 43 inches
It's interesting that the right side of my body is slightly larger than my left. I suppose it would make sense being that I am right handed, thus the right side of my body would be my "dominant" side. It'll be even more interesting to compare my measurements down to road to see if my right side always remains larger than my left side. I think I'd like to take my measurements once a month to see how I'm doing. I know that sometimes weight loss may not manifest itself in the numbers on the scale going down, but by the number of inches lost. I'll post my measurements again at the beginning of March.
I've been shopping around for a heart monitor. I thought it would be a good idea to purchase one because there are some activities I do, such as my workout DVDs, that I have no idea how to gauge how many calories I am burning. When I do my DVD (Beachbody's Slim in 6 - Start it Up), I've just been entering the data into Lose It! as "aerobics" because I don't know what else to classify it as. I tried looking online to see if there was any information about the number of calories burned for that particular DVD, but I didn't really find anything. At least with a heart monitor, it would give me an estimate of calories burned based on my heart rate during whatever activity I happen to be doing.
So far I haven't found a monitor that I both like and that is within my price range. There have been a couple that I thought about purchasing, but after reading the consumer reviews, I have decided that that particular brand/model wouldn't be worth it. I had a couple of people from my group on Lose It! recommend the brand Polar, but I'm still looking through the different models and reading the reviews before I finally make a decision. I want to make sure that I'm getting a good quality product. I should hopefully have one picked out and purchased by the end of the week.
Since starting my blog, I have started reading two other blogs that are primarily about weight loss. I have found them both very interesting and inspirational! If you're interested at all, you can check them out: http://lizzysweightlossquest.blogspot.com and http://abyerly.blogspot.com.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Slacking...
These last two weeks haven't been overly fantastic for me, especially this past week. I went over my calorie budget a couple days each week, most days it wasn't by too much, with the exception of yesterday and today. The days that I didn't go over my budget, I didn't make the best food choices. I'm disappointed in myself for not having more control over what I was eating.
When I weighed myself at the start of last week, I was down another 2.7 pounds, which brought me to a total loss of 11.4 pounds since I started. That's a pretty good loss considering I was only trying to lose 1.5 pounds a week. I did weigh myself today, though I didn't record it on Lose It! because I had gained 0.2 pounds, making me 255.9 pounds. Gaining, however slightly, was frustrating, but I should have expected it considering how the past two weeks have gone.
Last week I didn't exercise as much as I should have. I didn't complete my goal of doing my exercise DVD three days last week. I didn't even do it once. I only rode my stationary bike twice, which again didn't meet my goal of three times a week. I did, however, go for a walk three days last week, which has to count for something. This week wasn't much better. I did manage to do the workout DVD twice (it's a lot harder than I remember it being), but it takes a toll on my knees which is upsetting. Again, I only rode my bike twice, but I did go for three walks.
The food I've been eating, mostly this last week, has been awful, but sooooo delicious and hard to resist! I went out a few times this week and made some poor food choices. On Thursday I went to dinner with my sister at Denny's. My favourite foods there are the Moon's Over My Hammy and Smothered Cheese Fries. Between the two, they are 1,650 calories! They have ridiculously high calories on their own, but I ordered both of them together! What was I thinking?! Last night I went to a movie (I saw "Warm Bodies," which was fantastic by-the-way) and while at the theatre I ate a small, buttered popcorn, a large chocolate bar and a large frozen yogurt... Why on Earth did I find it necessary to eat all three?! I don't know why I couldn't have been satisfied with just one of those items.
Today was difficult for eating as well and I went hugely over my calorie budget for the day. As I'm sure you know, today was the Super Bowl and we all know that the Super Bowl is great time to get together with friends and family and munch out. This year was no exception. We spent the evening at my Auntie's house and I had resolved to eat healthy while there. Now, my Aunt and her hubby usually have a huge spread of various different foods, but today, much to my dismay, she did not. There was nary a healthy item in sight! Usually she would have veggies and dip, cheese and crackers... Not today. Today there was chili (which isn't totally unhealthy, if I actually liked to eat chili...), cheese biscuits, French fries and chocolate brownies. What is a girl to do when trying to eat right? Especially when everything looks and smells absolutely delicious (and my Aunt's hubby kept putting more food on my plate...). So, I ate far more than I intended and I'm regretting it now.
I suppose there isn't anything I can do about the mistakes I've made in the past, but I can move forward and try to make better choices in the future. I resolve to do better this week. To actually work out the way I've planned and to make better food choices and stay under my allotted daily calories. You can do anything you set your mind to and being healthy is no different. I knew that this was going to be a hard journey, and most days it feels like it's entirely an uphill battle, but I know I can do it. I just need to pick myself up and dust myself off and keep on going! In the past I would have come to a day like today and because I didn't eat perfectly, it would have been game over. I would have given up and gone right back to my bad habits. Not this time. I am determined to lose this weight, come hell or high water!
On a positive note, I have been getting outside for some walks. It's really nice to get outside and get some fresh air. I've never been much of an outdoorsy person, but being a stay-at-home mom doesn't give me the opportunity to get out often, mostly during the day because we only have one vehicle. The last two weeks haven't been overly cold, with the exception of a couple of days, so I figured I'd kill a couple birds with one stone - exercise, fresh air and getting out of the house for a bit. There is a small lake close by my home, so I've been bundling myself and my two kids up and going for a walk around it.
After a couple of walks, I got curious about how far I had been walking. I found an smart phone app and website called RunKeeper (runkeeper.com) which uses GPS tracking to keep tabs on how far you've gone. It also shows you how long you've been doing your activity (you can use it for walking, running, biking...) and the average time per kilometre/mile. I really enjoy it! I now know that it's about 2.65 kilometres (1.65 miles) from my house, around the lake and back. If you log onto the website, you have actually view a map with your path marked on it! I thought that was pretty neat! The RunKeeper app also syncs up with Lose It! if you have upgraded your Lose It! account, which I thought was pretty cool too (though I haven't upgraded my account). For now I'll just manually enter my exercise data into Lose It!.
I did also go for my massage yesterday, being that I have made it past the 10 pound mark. I had a 30 minute massage and it was delightful and relaxing! I wish that I could have a full body massage every day! Maybe I could somehow con my husband into doing that for me... Not likely! My next reward is at 25 pounds... Maybe I can reach that by the end of February, if I'm really diligent. Here goes!
When I weighed myself at the start of last week, I was down another 2.7 pounds, which brought me to a total loss of 11.4 pounds since I started. That's a pretty good loss considering I was only trying to lose 1.5 pounds a week. I did weigh myself today, though I didn't record it on Lose It! because I had gained 0.2 pounds, making me 255.9 pounds. Gaining, however slightly, was frustrating, but I should have expected it considering how the past two weeks have gone.
Last week I didn't exercise as much as I should have. I didn't complete my goal of doing my exercise DVD three days last week. I didn't even do it once. I only rode my stationary bike twice, which again didn't meet my goal of three times a week. I did, however, go for a walk three days last week, which has to count for something. This week wasn't much better. I did manage to do the workout DVD twice (it's a lot harder than I remember it being), but it takes a toll on my knees which is upsetting. Again, I only rode my bike twice, but I did go for three walks.
The food I've been eating, mostly this last week, has been awful, but sooooo delicious and hard to resist! I went out a few times this week and made some poor food choices. On Thursday I went to dinner with my sister at Denny's. My favourite foods there are the Moon's Over My Hammy and Smothered Cheese Fries. Between the two, they are 1,650 calories! They have ridiculously high calories on their own, but I ordered both of them together! What was I thinking?! Last night I went to a movie (I saw "Warm Bodies," which was fantastic by-the-way) and while at the theatre I ate a small, buttered popcorn, a large chocolate bar and a large frozen yogurt... Why on Earth did I find it necessary to eat all three?! I don't know why I couldn't have been satisfied with just one of those items.
Today was difficult for eating as well and I went hugely over my calorie budget for the day. As I'm sure you know, today was the Super Bowl and we all know that the Super Bowl is great time to get together with friends and family and munch out. This year was no exception. We spent the evening at my Auntie's house and I had resolved to eat healthy while there. Now, my Aunt and her hubby usually have a huge spread of various different foods, but today, much to my dismay, she did not. There was nary a healthy item in sight! Usually she would have veggies and dip, cheese and crackers... Not today. Today there was chili (which isn't totally unhealthy, if I actually liked to eat chili...), cheese biscuits, French fries and chocolate brownies. What is a girl to do when trying to eat right? Especially when everything looks and smells absolutely delicious (and my Aunt's hubby kept putting more food on my plate...). So, I ate far more than I intended and I'm regretting it now.
I suppose there isn't anything I can do about the mistakes I've made in the past, but I can move forward and try to make better choices in the future. I resolve to do better this week. To actually work out the way I've planned and to make better food choices and stay under my allotted daily calories. You can do anything you set your mind to and being healthy is no different. I knew that this was going to be a hard journey, and most days it feels like it's entirely an uphill battle, but I know I can do it. I just need to pick myself up and dust myself off and keep on going! In the past I would have come to a day like today and because I didn't eat perfectly, it would have been game over. I would have given up and gone right back to my bad habits. Not this time. I am determined to lose this weight, come hell or high water!
On a positive note, I have been getting outside for some walks. It's really nice to get outside and get some fresh air. I've never been much of an outdoorsy person, but being a stay-at-home mom doesn't give me the opportunity to get out often, mostly during the day because we only have one vehicle. The last two weeks haven't been overly cold, with the exception of a couple of days, so I figured I'd kill a couple birds with one stone - exercise, fresh air and getting out of the house for a bit. There is a small lake close by my home, so I've been bundling myself and my two kids up and going for a walk around it.
After a couple of walks, I got curious about how far I had been walking. I found an smart phone app and website called RunKeeper (runkeeper.com) which uses GPS tracking to keep tabs on how far you've gone. It also shows you how long you've been doing your activity (you can use it for walking, running, biking...) and the average time per kilometre/mile. I really enjoy it! I now know that it's about 2.65 kilometres (1.65 miles) from my house, around the lake and back. If you log onto the website, you have actually view a map with your path marked on it! I thought that was pretty neat! The RunKeeper app also syncs up with Lose It! if you have upgraded your Lose It! account, which I thought was pretty cool too (though I haven't upgraded my account). For now I'll just manually enter my exercise data into Lose It!.
I did also go for my massage yesterday, being that I have made it past the 10 pound mark. I had a 30 minute massage and it was delightful and relaxing! I wish that I could have a full body massage every day! Maybe I could somehow con my husband into doing that for me... Not likely! My next reward is at 25 pounds... Maybe I can reach that by the end of February, if I'm really diligent. Here goes!
Monday, 21 January 2013
Step Five: Reward Yourself
I'm starting week three of my lifestyle change and things are going well. I'm happy to report that when I weighed myself yesterday morning, I was down another 3.9 pounds! That makes a total of 8.7 pounds in two weeks! I'm putting a lot of effort into this change and it's nice to see that I'm being rewarded. I know it won't always be like this, that the more I lose the harder it will be, but it will all be worth it when I can cross the finish line of this weight loss journey!
I have a couple of goals that I would like to accomplish this week. Firstly, I'm going to continue on with how I'm eating. Some of the choices I've made aren't particularly healthy (i.e. Friday's pizza), but I was able to keep my calorie intake below my budget. As of my weigh in yesterday, my calorie budget is down to 2,025, but I've been keeping under that anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'd also like to continue using my stationary bike like I have been. Last week I rode six of the seven days for an average of 35 minutes each time. I'm impressed with myself that I was motivated enough to do it six days! My goal was to ride at least three days a week. Lastly, I'd like to add a workout video to my schedule. The bike offers cardio, but I should add something for muscle tone as well. I'll try using the DVDs at least three days a week. The DVDs offer different stages, with the first one starting at 20 minutes. Gotta start somewhere!
On a different note, I watched a rather surprising video the other night. It was a lecture or something of the like that was done at the University of California. On the Lose It! website, I joined a group, "100+ Pounds to go," and one of the ladies on there shared a link for the video, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." It's kinda scary! The video goes quite in depth on the cause and rise of obesity over the last 30-40 years. I would strongly recommend watching it. It's about an hour and a half in length and, at times, gets into some pretty in depth biochemical terminology and models, but the speaker does a wonderful job of trying to explain everything so that people without a degree in biochemistry will understand. There is also a similar series, "The Skinny of Obesity," also done by the University of California, available on YouTube. The series is done in a much more viewer-friendly manner. I watched them both. I was awed and sickened at the same time. Definitely worth the time.
Once again, I digress...
Without further ado, the next step...
Step Five: Reward Yourself for Your Accomplishments
I've been told that when you are trying to lose weight, it may be a good idea to set rewards for smaller goals achieved. Say, getting a massage done once you've lost 10 pounds or something along those lines. Obviously the biggest reward will be the weight loss, but sometimes the whole thing seems like an uphill battle... Which it is most of the time... It's nice to reward yourself for the little accomplishments. The reward should not be edible, as that would be counter-productive.
I've been racking my brain about when and with what I should reward my progress, but I can't seem to think of anything. I had made a list of rewards for myself a few years back when I'd attempted losing weight (it was done with medication and I wasn't able to maintain the loss once I stopped taking the pills), but the rewards that I had then don't really interest me now.
I think for now I'll just set up a "rough draft" of my rewards and I can change them as I see fit.
- 10 pound loss: Get a massage
- 25 pound loss: Manicure/Pedicure
- 50 pound loss:
- Weight below 200 pounds: A new purse (maybe Guess! or Coach)
- 80 pound loss:
- Goal reached: New wardrobe!
I'll have to think about it some more and update it later. I honestly can't think of anything I'd like to reward myself with (other than a big bowl of ice cream)...
I have a couple of goals that I would like to accomplish this week. Firstly, I'm going to continue on with how I'm eating. Some of the choices I've made aren't particularly healthy (i.e. Friday's pizza), but I was able to keep my calorie intake below my budget. As of my weigh in yesterday, my calorie budget is down to 2,025, but I've been keeping under that anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'd also like to continue using my stationary bike like I have been. Last week I rode six of the seven days for an average of 35 minutes each time. I'm impressed with myself that I was motivated enough to do it six days! My goal was to ride at least three days a week. Lastly, I'd like to add a workout video to my schedule. The bike offers cardio, but I should add something for muscle tone as well. I'll try using the DVDs at least three days a week. The DVDs offer different stages, with the first one starting at 20 minutes. Gotta start somewhere!
On a different note, I watched a rather surprising video the other night. It was a lecture or something of the like that was done at the University of California. On the Lose It! website, I joined a group, "100+ Pounds to go," and one of the ladies on there shared a link for the video, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." It's kinda scary! The video goes quite in depth on the cause and rise of obesity over the last 30-40 years. I would strongly recommend watching it. It's about an hour and a half in length and, at times, gets into some pretty in depth biochemical terminology and models, but the speaker does a wonderful job of trying to explain everything so that people without a degree in biochemistry will understand. There is also a similar series, "The Skinny of Obesity," also done by the University of California, available on YouTube. The series is done in a much more viewer-friendly manner. I watched them both. I was awed and sickened at the same time. Definitely worth the time.
Once again, I digress...
Without further ado, the next step...
Step Five: Reward Yourself for Your Accomplishments
I've been told that when you are trying to lose weight, it may be a good idea to set rewards for smaller goals achieved. Say, getting a massage done once you've lost 10 pounds or something along those lines. Obviously the biggest reward will be the weight loss, but sometimes the whole thing seems like an uphill battle... Which it is most of the time... It's nice to reward yourself for the little accomplishments. The reward should not be edible, as that would be counter-productive.
I've been racking my brain about when and with what I should reward my progress, but I can't seem to think of anything. I had made a list of rewards for myself a few years back when I'd attempted losing weight (it was done with medication and I wasn't able to maintain the loss once I stopped taking the pills), but the rewards that I had then don't really interest me now.
I think for now I'll just set up a "rough draft" of my rewards and I can change them as I see fit.
- 10 pound loss: Get a massage
- 25 pound loss: Manicure/Pedicure
- 50 pound loss:
- Weight below 200 pounds: A new purse (maybe Guess! or Coach)
- 80 pound loss:
- Goal reached: New wardrobe!
I'll have to think about it some more and update it later. I honestly can't think of anything I'd like to reward myself with (other than a big bowl of ice cream)...
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Step Four: Remove the Offenders
Today was my first weigh in day and I'm happy to report that since I've started I've lost 4.8 pounds! It may not sound like much, but to me that's a huge success! When I weighed myself last Sunday, I was starting at 267.1 and I'm down to 262.3. It was very pleasing, and encouraging, to see such a high number, considering I was only expecting a pound or pound and a half to be missing.
I owe my success to a website that a cousin of mine turned me onto called Lose It! (loseit.com), which also has a Smart Phone app of the same name. It's perfect for me because it puts everything into perspective. I've looked at the nutritional information on packaging before, but it never occurred to me how it all adds up over the course of a day. Sure, a three-pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups only contains 220 calories, but when you eat four packages at a time, that's 880 calories! Based on my current weight and the goal of losing 1.5 pounds a week, I should only be consuming 2,051 calories over the course of a day. If I were to eat four packages of Reese's, well I've just eaten half my days worth of calories and there's nothing nutritional about a chocolate bar.
Calorie counting may sound daunting to some, but it has allowed me to take a good, hard look at what I've been doing to myself. I don't want to kill myself over sugar any more, it's not worth it. Since I've been watching what I eat and exercising regularly (which I've done six of the last eight days, unheard of for myself), I can honestly say I feel that I am satisfied. I'm not hungry, I'm comfortable. I feel great!
I've also learned something about myself over the last week. I do actually have will power! I just had to want to lose weight bad enough before I realized that I do actually have control. I actually feel empowered to make proper food decisions. I spent the evening with a friend last night and she had veggies with dip and chips out on the table for snacks. I'm not going to lie, the chips were very tempting, but I stuck to the baby carrots and ranch dressing. Did you know that for every 30 chips you eat it's roughly 270 calories? I really had no idea. It makes me sad to think that I used to eat half a large bag at a time without a thought about it.
This all leads to the next step.
Step four: Remove all Offending Foods and Drinks from the Home
Why put yourself in temptations way with it laying around your house? If it's not in your home, it's more difficult to obtain. This way you're more likely to make a healthier food choice or realize that you're not really hungry in the first place. I feel fortunate that I've never been much for beverages other than water, however, I have a terrible habit of eating as something to do. I've stopped having things like ice cream in my house because if it's there, I'll eat it. I can eat a litre of ice cream in less than four sittings.
I feel good about removing the things that tempt me from my house. If I'm hungry in between meals, I'll slice up an apple or have some yogurt, rather than eating something full of empty calories and will only make me hungry again in the near future.
If you do decide to keep certain treats in the home, it's important to exercise restraint against either eating the item or eating more than the recommended serving. My husband picked up some butter toffee peanuts, one of my favourites, while picking up a few items from the grocery store. I have eaten some of them, but I've stuck to the serving size listed on the package. I know 1/3 of a cup doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I only eat that amount (I actually measure it out) and I'm actually satisfied with it. I just eat them slowly and one at a time to saver taste. At 250 calories per 1/3 of a cup, I can't afford to go over for risk of blowing my whole calorie budget for the day, especially on something like candy-coated peanuts.
It's also important to remember that just because you don't keep certain treats in your home, it doesn't mean you're never allowed to eat them again. It's okay to have a treat every once in a while, in moderation. Moderation is key. In past attempts at losing weight, I've cut things entirely out of my diet, such as my beloved Reese's, and it's only led to me having a craving and then binging. For myself, once I broke down and binged, that was the end of my attempt at weight loss because I felt like such a failure. This time, I'm allowing myself to have the treats I love, but I'm going to be careful about how much and how often I do. One package of Reese's is okay, four is not...
I owe my success to a website that a cousin of mine turned me onto called Lose It! (loseit.com), which also has a Smart Phone app of the same name. It's perfect for me because it puts everything into perspective. I've looked at the nutritional information on packaging before, but it never occurred to me how it all adds up over the course of a day. Sure, a three-pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups only contains 220 calories, but when you eat four packages at a time, that's 880 calories! Based on my current weight and the goal of losing 1.5 pounds a week, I should only be consuming 2,051 calories over the course of a day. If I were to eat four packages of Reese's, well I've just eaten half my days worth of calories and there's nothing nutritional about a chocolate bar.
Calorie counting may sound daunting to some, but it has allowed me to take a good, hard look at what I've been doing to myself. I don't want to kill myself over sugar any more, it's not worth it. Since I've been watching what I eat and exercising regularly (which I've done six of the last eight days, unheard of for myself), I can honestly say I feel that I am satisfied. I'm not hungry, I'm comfortable. I feel great!
I've also learned something about myself over the last week. I do actually have will power! I just had to want to lose weight bad enough before I realized that I do actually have control. I actually feel empowered to make proper food decisions. I spent the evening with a friend last night and she had veggies with dip and chips out on the table for snacks. I'm not going to lie, the chips were very tempting, but I stuck to the baby carrots and ranch dressing. Did you know that for every 30 chips you eat it's roughly 270 calories? I really had no idea. It makes me sad to think that I used to eat half a large bag at a time without a thought about it.
This all leads to the next step.
Step four: Remove all Offending Foods and Drinks from the Home
Why put yourself in temptations way with it laying around your house? If it's not in your home, it's more difficult to obtain. This way you're more likely to make a healthier food choice or realize that you're not really hungry in the first place. I feel fortunate that I've never been much for beverages other than water, however, I have a terrible habit of eating as something to do. I've stopped having things like ice cream in my house because if it's there, I'll eat it. I can eat a litre of ice cream in less than four sittings.
I feel good about removing the things that tempt me from my house. If I'm hungry in between meals, I'll slice up an apple or have some yogurt, rather than eating something full of empty calories and will only make me hungry again in the near future.
If you do decide to keep certain treats in the home, it's important to exercise restraint against either eating the item or eating more than the recommended serving. My husband picked up some butter toffee peanuts, one of my favourites, while picking up a few items from the grocery store. I have eaten some of them, but I've stuck to the serving size listed on the package. I know 1/3 of a cup doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I only eat that amount (I actually measure it out) and I'm actually satisfied with it. I just eat them slowly and one at a time to saver taste. At 250 calories per 1/3 of a cup, I can't afford to go over for risk of blowing my whole calorie budget for the day, especially on something like candy-coated peanuts.
It's also important to remember that just because you don't keep certain treats in your home, it doesn't mean you're never allowed to eat them again. It's okay to have a treat every once in a while, in moderation. Moderation is key. In past attempts at losing weight, I've cut things entirely out of my diet, such as my beloved Reese's, and it's only led to me having a craving and then binging. For myself, once I broke down and binged, that was the end of my attempt at weight loss because I felt like such a failure. This time, I'm allowing myself to have the treats I love, but I'm going to be careful about how much and how often I do. One package of Reese's is okay, four is not...
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Step Three: Setting Goals
As of January 6, 2013, I have started my new lifestyle. I'm not calling it a diet because a diet is a temporary change in food consumption. The changes I am making are to be permanent, mostly if I want to lose weight, keep it off and kick my addiction to sugar.
The third step of my quest: Setting Goals.
1. The first, and most important goal, is to become healthier. I am a severe asthmatic and I have a knee condition, both of which are strongly affected by my excessive weight. It would be nice to be able to breathe easier and not have achy knees all the time!
2. I need to eat more produce. I'm a very picky eater. I have a major issue with textures, which is why I don't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I like most of the flavours, just not how the fruit or vegetable feels in my mouth. I do eat some veggies from time to time, but I hardly have any fruit. I'm going to start making fruit smoothies and have them for breakfast (a meal that I tend to skip). I am also going to try to have a fruit or vegetable with every meal.
3. Eat smaller, more sensible portions and foods and stop eating once comfortable. I have a very bad habit of continuing to eat something because it tastes so good. If I really like something, I will eat until I can hardly move or I feel ill. This is especially true of sweets (going back to eating multiple chocolate bars in one sitting). I have heard multiple things to help with feeling fuller, faster, without over eating. There are a few that I'd like to try. First, drinking a glass of water before every meal. This will help to fill the stomach up a bit before eating. Another is eating slower overall. It is proven that people who eat slower are slimmer because it takes some time for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. This is why people who eat quickly, including myself, often eat until they're uncomfortable because the brain hasn't had a chance to catch up with the stomach. To help eat slower, I've heard that you should chew each bite 10-12 times before swallowing and to put your fork or spoon down between each bite. Lastly, while eating you should ask yourself how full you are feeling on a scale of one to 10, where one is very hungry and 10 is uncomfortably full. A healthy number to stop at is six or seven, which is a comfortable full and will sustain you until you have your next snack or meal.
4. Stop eating after 8 pm. This is currently a big problem for me. It could be because I don't eat breakfast or it could be out of boredom, but regardless of the reason, it needs to stop. If I'm eating after 8 pm and I'm not physically active, all those calories are going to be stored as fat because my body doesn't have any reason to burn them off. So, if I don't eat late in the evening the problem is solved!
5. Exercise!! Currently, the only exercise I get is cleaning my house or going to grocery shopping (which I only do once every two weeks). At this time, any form of exercise will be a vast improvement. My current goal is to go for a walk at least three times a week and to use my stationary bike three times a week. Once I become comfortable with each of those exercises, I can increase the length and intensity. I'd also like to eventually do some other activities, once my body gets used to being active on a regular basis. I'm interested in taking a Zumba class; they look like they'd be a lot of fun. I'd also like to get back into indoor rock climbing.
6. Weight loss. My goal is to get down to at least 160 pounds. I feel that for my size and stature, this would be a comfortable weight. It may sound cliché, but I am big boned and I don't think I'd ever be able to make it down to anything less that 150-160 pounds. I would like to lose around a pound and a half a week, with losing at least 75 pounds by the end of the year.
I feel that these are achievable goals and that I will succeed. I just need to keep my chin up and keep focused. I know there will be challenges along the way, but I cannot get discouraged. I cannot quit. I will do what I have set out to do!
The third step of my quest: Setting Goals.
1. The first, and most important goal, is to become healthier. I am a severe asthmatic and I have a knee condition, both of which are strongly affected by my excessive weight. It would be nice to be able to breathe easier and not have achy knees all the time!
2. I need to eat more produce. I'm a very picky eater. I have a major issue with textures, which is why I don't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I like most of the flavours, just not how the fruit or vegetable feels in my mouth. I do eat some veggies from time to time, but I hardly have any fruit. I'm going to start making fruit smoothies and have them for breakfast (a meal that I tend to skip). I am also going to try to have a fruit or vegetable with every meal.
3. Eat smaller, more sensible portions and foods and stop eating once comfortable. I have a very bad habit of continuing to eat something because it tastes so good. If I really like something, I will eat until I can hardly move or I feel ill. This is especially true of sweets (going back to eating multiple chocolate bars in one sitting). I have heard multiple things to help with feeling fuller, faster, without over eating. There are a few that I'd like to try. First, drinking a glass of water before every meal. This will help to fill the stomach up a bit before eating. Another is eating slower overall. It is proven that people who eat slower are slimmer because it takes some time for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. This is why people who eat quickly, including myself, often eat until they're uncomfortable because the brain hasn't had a chance to catch up with the stomach. To help eat slower, I've heard that you should chew each bite 10-12 times before swallowing and to put your fork or spoon down between each bite. Lastly, while eating you should ask yourself how full you are feeling on a scale of one to 10, where one is very hungry and 10 is uncomfortably full. A healthy number to stop at is six or seven, which is a comfortable full and will sustain you until you have your next snack or meal.
4. Stop eating after 8 pm. This is currently a big problem for me. It could be because I don't eat breakfast or it could be out of boredom, but regardless of the reason, it needs to stop. If I'm eating after 8 pm and I'm not physically active, all those calories are going to be stored as fat because my body doesn't have any reason to burn them off. So, if I don't eat late in the evening the problem is solved!
5. Exercise!! Currently, the only exercise I get is cleaning my house or going to grocery shopping (which I only do once every two weeks). At this time, any form of exercise will be a vast improvement. My current goal is to go for a walk at least three times a week and to use my stationary bike three times a week. Once I become comfortable with each of those exercises, I can increase the length and intensity. I'd also like to eventually do some other activities, once my body gets used to being active on a regular basis. I'm interested in taking a Zumba class; they look like they'd be a lot of fun. I'd also like to get back into indoor rock climbing.
6. Weight loss. My goal is to get down to at least 160 pounds. I feel that for my size and stature, this would be a comfortable weight. It may sound cliché, but I am big boned and I don't think I'd ever be able to make it down to anything less that 150-160 pounds. I would like to lose around a pound and a half a week, with losing at least 75 pounds by the end of the year.
I feel that these are achievable goals and that I will succeed. I just need to keep my chin up and keep focused. I know there will be challenges along the way, but I cannot get discouraged. I cannot quit. I will do what I have set out to do!
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Step Two: Creating a Support System
Happy New Year!
The time has come for me to embark on my weight loss journey. How cliché to wait until the new year to start, I know, but it seems like as good of a time as any. I allowed myself to enjoy my holidays with no holds barred. I know it wasn't the wisest idea, but hey! things are going to be way different from now on. For the better.
Step two of my weight loss journey: Creating a Support System.
This step is so important. In previous attempts at losing weight, I did not have anyone rooting for me, so to speak. Not having a group of people, or at least one person, helping you through the challenges that you face, can set yourself up for failure. It is important that the people close to you are on the same page or they could be setting you up to fall without even knowing it. I know I have a number of people who would be willing to help me along. Who doesn't want to see a friend or family member who struggles with obesity succeed in becoming healthier?
Having a support system may also help you succeed if you feel accountable to another person other than yourself. I know I don't care about myself and what I think when I scarf down a few chocolate bars in one sitting, but it certainly doesn't feel good to know that I'm letting someone else down when I do. With a support system in place, I will likely think twice before making unhealthy choices.
I started this blog in hopes that I could find at least one person that I could share this journey with. By putting myself out into cyberspace, I feel like I'm making myself accountable to an indeterminate number of people. And who knows? Maybe I'll inspire someone like myself to take this quest with me!
In addition to the online support, I have created one close to home. I have recruited my long-time friend in my endeavor. She, like me, has been struggling with her weight. She has agreed to be a walking buddy. It may not seem like much, but a brisk walk is a great form of exercise, especially for someone like myself who is very sedentary. It'll be nice to have someone at my side who knows my struggles first hand.
My husband will be my primary supporter, though that wouldn't come as any surprise. Of course he would want his wife to be healthier, and I daresay, thinner. I have asked him to take some extreme measures to help me stay on course. Not only have I asked him not to succumb running to the store if I ask him, but also to bluntly point out if I'm faltering. I know it will be hard to hear my husband making comments about what and how much I eat, but it's for the greater good. I need to hear it.
Lastly, my children. I know they can't verbalize their support for me, but I know they would if they could. It's more in my mind than anything, to know that what I'm doing will help them too. I know that by seeing me make healthy food choices and participate in regular exercise, it will be easier for them as well. Not to mention, if I'm healthier I'll be around longer for them. And what greater motivation is that?
The time has come for me to embark on my weight loss journey. How cliché to wait until the new year to start, I know, but it seems like as good of a time as any. I allowed myself to enjoy my holidays with no holds barred. I know it wasn't the wisest idea, but hey! things are going to be way different from now on. For the better.
Step two of my weight loss journey: Creating a Support System.
This step is so important. In previous attempts at losing weight, I did not have anyone rooting for me, so to speak. Not having a group of people, or at least one person, helping you through the challenges that you face, can set yourself up for failure. It is important that the people close to you are on the same page or they could be setting you up to fall without even knowing it. I know I have a number of people who would be willing to help me along. Who doesn't want to see a friend or family member who struggles with obesity succeed in becoming healthier?
Having a support system may also help you succeed if you feel accountable to another person other than yourself. I know I don't care about myself and what I think when I scarf down a few chocolate bars in one sitting, but it certainly doesn't feel good to know that I'm letting someone else down when I do. With a support system in place, I will likely think twice before making unhealthy choices.
I started this blog in hopes that I could find at least one person that I could share this journey with. By putting myself out into cyberspace, I feel like I'm making myself accountable to an indeterminate number of people. And who knows? Maybe I'll inspire someone like myself to take this quest with me!
In addition to the online support, I have created one close to home. I have recruited my long-time friend in my endeavor. She, like me, has been struggling with her weight. She has agreed to be a walking buddy. It may not seem like much, but a brisk walk is a great form of exercise, especially for someone like myself who is very sedentary. It'll be nice to have someone at my side who knows my struggles first hand.
My husband will be my primary supporter, though that wouldn't come as any surprise. Of course he would want his wife to be healthier, and I daresay, thinner. I have asked him to take some extreme measures to help me stay on course. Not only have I asked him not to succumb running to the store if I ask him, but also to bluntly point out if I'm faltering. I know it will be hard to hear my husband making comments about what and how much I eat, but it's for the greater good. I need to hear it.
Lastly, my children. I know they can't verbalize their support for me, but I know they would if they could. It's more in my mind than anything, to know that what I'm doing will help them too. I know that by seeing me make healthy food choices and participate in regular exercise, it will be easier for them as well. Not to mention, if I'm healthier I'll be around longer for them. And what greater motivation is that?
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