Eating Healthy this Summer!
July 12, 2012
I am trying to get back to the reason I have this blog and that is to keep myself on track as far as maintaining my goal weight and inspiring others on a similar journey.
You would think that Summer would be the perfect time to be on a diet with all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that abound this time of year. However, I have heard from so many people that they are going along great and then there are ball games, barbecues, picnics, weddings etc. that take them away from their goal.
So far it has been 7 months into my maintenance program and I have kept my weight within my goal of 131 – 135. That is not to say that it has always been easy or that I haven’t let myself splurge a bit. We all have to eat and a lot of us, myself included, love to eat. The one thing I have found during this journey is that I have become extremely picky. I plan out my splurges for the really good stuff and then I let myself thoroughly enjoy it without the guilt. Diets have room for extras just not all of the extras. Let’s say you are going to the ball game and you really want a hot dog. Okay. You can have that hot dog but just don’t have the nachos, cheese fries, cotton candy, cracker jack and all of that other stuff too. That can be your downfall. Also, if you are going to the game on Saturday you don’t have to throw caution to the wind on Tuesday and eat all week leading up to the game. Be careful all week and then enjoy yourself at the game.The one thing I have learned is to splurge for one meal or for one day and then get back on track. That way you really enjoy the special times but you are not paying the consequences for days afterward.
If you have gotten off track this summer don’t beat yourself up about it. This is a great time to get back on a diet. The sun sets later so you can stay more active and treat yourself to some delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. Stone fruits like peaches and nectarines are in season as well as berries and sweet corn. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the peaches or a dollop of cool whip or light whipped cream on the berries and you will think you are having a special treat which you are but without the guilt. The other thing to do is to challenge yourself with a new exercise goal or try a new class. We just bought a stand up paddle board and have had lots of fun paddling up and down the lake. Enjoy the rest of the summer and know that you can still have fun without making huge sacrifices. After all you are worth it!
Half-Marathon, Check!
May 31, 2012
Well I did it!!! Here is a picture of me holding my finisher’s medal after completing the Chicagoland Spring Half-Marathon on Sunday, May 20,2012. Wow, what a difference a year makes. If you told me a year ago that I would be here I wouldn’t have believed you. It is those small changes every day that add up to big changes in your life. I am going to take this time to revel in this accomplishment and I will be back. Just know that if I can accomplish this goal then you can accomplish any goals you set for yourself too and that is no lie. 🙂
Weight Loss Disaster
March 8, 2012
Well I knew this would not always be easy but the last three weeks have taught me a lot. I broke one of my top rules which is to only weigh myself once a week. The reason for this is that when you weigh yourself too much you get totally screwed up from day to day. If the number is good then you can enjoy the day but if the number on the scale is bad then, at least in my case, it not only ruins the day but I start sabotaging myself. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Let me start at the beginning of my ordeal. My husband and I were going on vacation and I was really monitoring what I was eating because I wanted to enjoy my vacation. Well, we decided to have a nice Valentine’s dinner with the family on Sunday, Feb. 12th and then of course we had to have another special meal on the 14th. When I weighed myself on that Wednesday I weighed 134.6. I freaked out because we were leaving the next week and that was getting on the high end of my accepted range for myself. So of course I weighed myself again on Thursday the 15th and I was at 132.4. All was well with the world until I weighed myself on Tuesday before we left for our trip and I weighed 135. This was crazy. How could I be all over the map like this. Something must be wrong with the scale. Right? Yikes  
This was not a fun way to start a trip.
Breaking my cardinal rule yet again I weighed myself on the hotel scale two days later and it read 131.2. Boy did I feel stupid and drained from all this worrying about weight. Now I could enjoy the trip. I didn’t go crazy but I did eat things that normally I wouldn’t like bread ( I am telling you though it was worth it because the bread was amazingly delicious 🙂 and sinful desserts but I also exercised about an hour every day so I figured things would even out. Well I hoped they would. No I didn’t obsess the whole time and I did stop weighing myself which was a good thing. And I did feel pretty good wearing some of the new clothes I got to buy because none of my summer clothes from last summer fit anymore. This is one of the best things about losing weight I must say. We had a great time and then came back home back to reality.
Against my better judgement I weighed myself the next day because it was Wednesday which is my weigh-in day and I needed to assess the damage and move on. The scale read 138 and this time I really flipped out. This could not be right and of course I blamed myself which I tend to do and it is not helpful. I also took my scale out of the bathroom and brought in another one I had recently bought and yes I weighed myself the next day and it read 135.4. Better but still not good. You can see how tormented I get but I do not want to go back to my old ways and I am petrified that that will happen. Anyway, I digress. I just didn’t like this scale and my old one had really seen me through good times and bad so I went out and bought new batteries, gave it a little pat and put it back in the bathroom. I also immediately went back on the Weight Watchers plan and diligently tracked for the next week. This is the beauty of having a plan because I didn’t have to think about it. I knew it backward and forwards and put it back on like an old favorite sweater. I also did not weigh myself again until yesterday which is my regular weigh in day and I am back down to 132.6. HALLELUJAH !
Whew that was tiring but a good lesson in many ways. Whether you are losing weight or maintaining weight you have to have a plan. This is what gets you through the rough patches. You should also always abide by your rules because they are your rules for a reason. Thirdly, and this one is hard for me to remember and follow. Be as proud or prouder of yourself over your victories as you are disappointed at yourself over your failures.
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1fatgirlthin 