I hate the term "diet" because, let's face it, anything less than a wholesale lifestyle change all but guarantees that the weight will come back (Exhibit A: Me). It is, however, sometimes necessary to buckle down and do some serious dieting when the goal is to lose a lot (30ish pounds or more) of weight. Before I finally commit to such willpower, I spend several weeks marveling at the insurmountable obstacle ahead of me, eating everything I want and more for that "last" pre-diet meal (oops! another 5 lbs, to lose), and feeling generally like the lowest form of human life on earth.
Then, one day, I wake up. I don't mindlessly head for the fridge or the pantry. I make a cup of tea, sit down, and actually think about what my plan of attack will be. That day feels different than every other day of good intentions marred by the presence of potato chips or a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. For me, that day was last Tuesday, and ever since then I've been 100% on the wagon.
Guess what? It's working. What felt like an insurmountable challenge is now 7.8% of the way to completion (I do love me some data...). It will be a different process this time around -- very little exercise to help me along my way -- but I've decided to stop focusing on how far I've fallen or all of the various things that have happened since mid-2008 that have "led" to my weight gain. It doesn't matter if it is harder for me than someone else. There's plenty in my life that has come considerably easier than I deserve. So, metabolism/thyroid/back problems/crises be damned. By the end of summer break (mid-August) I will be back to where I want to be. Case closed.
And then I'll have to figure out how to maintain that for the long run. Can I just cross that bridge when I come to it??
awesome!! 7.8% is a great start for a week!!
ReplyDeletekeep it up (and share your plan w/ me)!!
ps, we'll have to meet sometime soon, but thinking on the lines of a healthy meeting place :)
Thanks, Beth! If I make it to, say, week 6 without passing out or becoming mega-bitch I will share my "secrets" with you gladly.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get together - let me know what would work for you.
I don't think you need to lose anything but I know how you feel, we've been down this road, yada yada yada... You can totally do anything you put your mind to and I think that the harder, the better! Just an FYI - the Eat Clean Diet seems pretty easy to live by (not for me per se...).
ReplyDeleteDarn workout partners and they're moving (or not moving with me in my case...)!
Thanks Batman. Yeah it's totally your fault that I gained weight. Well, you and those darn Kettle Cooked Lays. Well, you, the Kettle Cooked Lays and pasta. Goldarn pasta. OK, maybe it was mostly the Lay's and the pasta... but it's really unsatisfying to yell at them so "Argh!!! You and your moving!!!"
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sorry I didn't move with you. I would miss my family. Sometimes.
I agree with you about the harder the better - my mind works in mysterious ways. I can't manage to lose 10 lbs but give me 30 and I'm all over it. I think I might need some professional help. In the mean time (at least until I meet my annual deductible) I'll read Eat Clean.
Miss you (and not just for your butt-kicking ways!)