I went out on Sunday night with some girlfriends. It was a wonderful time. One of my close friend's birthday is today. So I ordered a round of appetizers. Bar food is not known for being healthy. I couldn't have more then two beers since I was driving us home. I could however, eat as much as I wanted. So how did I do? I have been blogging about weight loss and will power, but when I was tested how did I do?!
I did okay. I ordered the hummus plate, which had pita, feta, cucumber and olives. I also ordered the "bowl of chips" with dip. This was HUGE! They were real thick cut potato chips too. I decided not to worry about eating bar food with my girlfriends. What I focused on was eating slowly. I had a portion of food, and then rested and chatted. Even though I really wanted to keep eating. I kept my composure. But having said that, I did eat slowly for a while, and they are high calorie foods. Today I had a healthy food day, and I plan on eating healthy for a few more days, as a way of making it up to myself.
This is a tip I always hated, trying to eat slower. Either put your fork down, or take a deep breath, or a drink of water, something to slow you down. I hated hearing that! I do eat fast. But you know what? I do feel better and I do eat less when I follow this tip. So I will keep trying it out.
Tanner and I are super busy getting the apartment ready for our big party. So I will post something more interesting tomorrow.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
5# is a good start
Lost five pounds in the last two weeks, that is a good enough start for me! Imagine how much I would lose if I really put my mind to it, and was more consistent!
Offbeat Weight Loss Tools
Art! I read a book once that really inspired me called Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal by Janice Taylor (check it out from the library or support a local book store if you buy it). One idea from the book that really stuck with me was the idea that one way to support yourself and your weight loss is by pursing your creative interests. Keeping your hands busy will help you eat less. Also being creative can help you work through issues that may be leading you to emotional eating. Right now I am helping myself eat less by working on getting the apartment put together. I also love sewing and quilting.
Cooking! Cooking is a great way to lose weight. If I spend the time to prepare a meal I feel a lot of pride when I serve it. This also helps remind me what healthy portions look like, since I am the person who put the portions together. My partner and I both love spicy food, cooking is a great way to make spicy food and still control the amount of oil and fats that were used.
Clothes! I don't think that this will work for everyone. When I wear cute clothes I feel better, I feel lighter and can recapture some of what it felt like to enjoy my body when it was skinny. I can't afford clothes shopping very often. But a new top that I like can change my day when I wear it, and help me eat better and move more. The actual process of clothes shopping when you are overweight can be really painful. Things fit oddly or don't fit at all. It's important not to let that lead to emotional eating in the temptation filled mall.
On another note, I have a doctors appointment today, to follow up on one that I had about two weeks ago. So I can weigh myself and see if I have lost any weight. I don't actually own a scale right now, and am only weighing myself at my mom's house or at the gym, and not very often at that.
Cooking! Cooking is a great way to lose weight. If I spend the time to prepare a meal I feel a lot of pride when I serve it. This also helps remind me what healthy portions look like, since I am the person who put the portions together. My partner and I both love spicy food, cooking is a great way to make spicy food and still control the amount of oil and fats that were used.
Clothes! I don't think that this will work for everyone. When I wear cute clothes I feel better, I feel lighter and can recapture some of what it felt like to enjoy my body when it was skinny. I can't afford clothes shopping very often. But a new top that I like can change my day when I wear it, and help me eat better and move more. The actual process of clothes shopping when you are overweight can be really painful. Things fit oddly or don't fit at all. It's important not to let that lead to emotional eating in the temptation filled mall.
On another note, I have a doctors appointment today, to follow up on one that I had about two weeks ago. So I can weigh myself and see if I have lost any weight. I don't actually own a scale right now, and am only weighing myself at my mom's house or at the gym, and not very often at that.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
willpower
One thing that has helped me lately is making food choices one item at a time. My day today did not go well, but I made healthy choices.
My alarm is on my cell phone, which was on silent this morning, so I woke up with ten minutes before I had to leave the house at 6:45. This meant I didn't have time for breakfast. My partner Tanner made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For lunch at work, which was at 10:30 in the morning, I bought a Smart Ones breakfast sandwich. It was a two pack, so I had the same thing for lunch when I got home at 1:00. After getting Tanner from work we had some shopping to do, which ended up being very stressful. So we got Subway for dinner, I got a Veggie Delight. Overall this was not an ideal food day. I didn't eat enough fruit or vegetables. I don't want to add up the calories, I am still in the high range I am sure. I also know that making time for food in my life will help prevent these kinds of days. I need time to cook food and eat it, so that I can eat things that are more nourishing, and more cost effective. Buying prepared meals from the store or restaurant isn't something I want to do every day.
But! Each time I had to make a choice, I took on its own. I didn't let how my day was going, or not going determine my choice. I didn't let how stressed out or emotional I was determine my choice. This is something that I have been working on. It took a few weeks of better choices, with a few slips mixed in. Willpower is not something you will wake up with one day. Practicing making good choices starts to build on itself, and you soon begin to feel like you have more willpower.
I do want to add exercise to my weight loss plan, and am planning on adding that to my choices soon.
I am going to work on my food journal now. Creating a few minutes to work on a food journal can be a calming activity, and a time for reflection. Today I can celebrate my better choices, and work on making more time for food in my life.
My alarm is on my cell phone, which was on silent this morning, so I woke up with ten minutes before I had to leave the house at 6:45. This meant I didn't have time for breakfast. My partner Tanner made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For lunch at work, which was at 10:30 in the morning, I bought a Smart Ones breakfast sandwich. It was a two pack, so I had the same thing for lunch when I got home at 1:00. After getting Tanner from work we had some shopping to do, which ended up being very stressful. So we got Subway for dinner, I got a Veggie Delight. Overall this was not an ideal food day. I didn't eat enough fruit or vegetables. I don't want to add up the calories, I am still in the high range I am sure. I also know that making time for food in my life will help prevent these kinds of days. I need time to cook food and eat it, so that I can eat things that are more nourishing, and more cost effective. Buying prepared meals from the store or restaurant isn't something I want to do every day.
But! Each time I had to make a choice, I took on its own. I didn't let how my day was going, or not going determine my choice. I didn't let how stressed out or emotional I was determine my choice. This is something that I have been working on. It took a few weeks of better choices, with a few slips mixed in. Willpower is not something you will wake up with one day. Practicing making good choices starts to build on itself, and you soon begin to feel like you have more willpower.
I do want to add exercise to my weight loss plan, and am planning on adding that to my choices soon.
I am going to work on my food journal now. Creating a few minutes to work on a food journal can be a calming activity, and a time for reflection. Today I can celebrate my better choices, and work on making more time for food in my life.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I got home late last night and wasn't able to post.
So how am I going to lose weight without a program? I am starting with focusing on what I eat. In general I ate pretty healthy. But I know that if I was really eating healthy I would be losing weight. Which means I eat enough calories to keep on the weight. One of my problem areas with food is coming home hungry from work. I often get off of work at 9:30 at night. I get home and eat twice as much dinner as I should. Or worse, I stop and get junk food from the grocery store which is right next to work! I know I am not alone in this kind of behavior either.
So, I do plan on counting calories and looking closer at portions. But for the first two weeks I am going to focus on eating a large breakfast, lunch and a smaller dinner, and including lots of snacks. I don't want to subject you to exactly what I eat every day. I am also going to WRITE IT DOWN.
I know a food journal won't work for everyone, but there are at least a few research studies that show they can increase weight loss success (the media often does a horrible job of covering scientific news and studies, so when possible I always read at least part of the study itself, also I LOVE research, so when I get a reason to browse a peer reviewed scientific journal I will). One study that got a lot of press http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(08)00374-7/abstract found that a behavioral approach that included increased physical activity and a food diary contributed to short term weight loss in a variety of groups. So for two weeks I am getting in the habit of using a food journal. Then I will put in the extra effort to count calories.
I know that for me eating better has been a challenge. It takes some effort to pick up the right kinds of foods, especially when I am tired or emotional and just want to eat something easy and comforting. All I can say is that I kept trying, every time it gets a little easier, and I get a little bit more motivated. There is no magic day. You just pick a day to start and start. And even if you fall off the wagon, you keep get back on and try again.
So how am I going to lose weight without a program? I am starting with focusing on what I eat. In general I ate pretty healthy. But I know that if I was really eating healthy I would be losing weight. Which means I eat enough calories to keep on the weight. One of my problem areas with food is coming home hungry from work. I often get off of work at 9:30 at night. I get home and eat twice as much dinner as I should. Or worse, I stop and get junk food from the grocery store which is right next to work! I know I am not alone in this kind of behavior either.
So, I do plan on counting calories and looking closer at portions. But for the first two weeks I am going to focus on eating a large breakfast, lunch and a smaller dinner, and including lots of snacks. I don't want to subject you to exactly what I eat every day. I am also going to WRITE IT DOWN.
I know a food journal won't work for everyone, but there are at least a few research studies that show they can increase weight loss success (the media often does a horrible job of covering scientific news and studies, so when possible I always read at least part of the study itself, also I LOVE research, so when I get a reason to browse a peer reviewed scientific journal I will). One study that got a lot of press http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(08)00374-7/abstract found that a behavioral approach that included increased physical activity and a food diary contributed to short term weight loss in a variety of groups. So for two weeks I am getting in the habit of using a food journal. Then I will put in the extra effort to count calories.
I know that for me eating better has been a challenge. It takes some effort to pick up the right kinds of foods, especially when I am tired or emotional and just want to eat something easy and comforting. All I can say is that I kept trying, every time it gets a little easier, and I get a little bit more motivated. There is no magic day. You just pick a day to start and start. And even if you fall off the wagon, you keep get back on and try again.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Blog Remodel
I have remodeled the blog a little bit, this is an effort to start fresh. I am going to try again. If you have looked at some old posts you know that I have tried the weight loss "thing" a few times. The idea was to work out and eat right, and blog about it. I began each journey well enough, and ended up doing the same things I had been, that keep my fat, and not blogging any more. I believe that this time it will stick. So I am going to start blogging again! I am very excited.
I know a lot of people empathize with this. It is hard to change your life habits. It is hard to deal with the issues, either emotional or behavioral that keep the weight on. So like quiting smoking, or drinking, a lot of people start a few times before it sticks.
This is the time for me when it sticks. I am going to lose weight, and make a better life for myself all around.
I know a lot of people empathize with this. It is hard to change your life habits. It is hard to deal with the issues, either emotional or behavioral that keep the weight on. So like quiting smoking, or drinking, a lot of people start a few times before it sticks.
This is the time for me when it sticks. I am going to lose weight, and make a better life for myself all around.
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