I spent the weekend with my cycling buddies at the beach. No, we did not bring our bikes. But we did bring our wine, thin mint Girl Scout cookies, Jan's homemade coconut cake, shrimp and kielbasa paella, chips of every description and denomination, various imported beers, fried chicken, barbecue, and two 12-packs of Diet Coke. Oh, yeah, we did have that token broccoli salad.
Needless to say, this group lives life with gusto!
"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."
-- Author Unknown
When I read this quote last week it made me really think about whether or not I am interested or committed............It was that moment that I decided that I need to work on being committed once again. So that is what I did this week. I worked on being committed instead of being interested.
I've been doing much better this week. Weekends are still tough for me. It's when I'm most tempted to splurge. I've tried to keep myself busy during the times when I get bored, which is usually when I'm tempted to eat. This past weekend, I spent a lot of time outdoors, on my bike, and at the park with the family. I am certainly looking forward to the weather getting nicer, which will make it much easier for me to find things to do. This year I plan on starting a garden in hopes of getting my picky eaters to eat more veggies. Perhaps if they help grow them, they'll be more likely to try them. It's also good exercise and it gets us out in the sunshine.
Talk to any serious dieter and you may walk away with the impression that the world is a minefield of bubbling macaroni and cheese casseroles, fresh homemade pound cakes and unlimited peanut butter cups ready to pounce at the slightest suggestion of weakness. I have heard many lament that their best friends, spouses, and co-workers have become part of a vast conspiracy to bring on the demise of the diet.
It's easy to look for someone else to blame when we abandon our efforts to make healthy lifestyle changes. After all, when it is my co-worker's birthday, it might hurt her feelings if I don't share the special birthday cake. And what would my mother-in-law think if I refuse her famous pasta Alf redo that she made especially for me? Surely I can't give up my Friday night pizza and beer ritual with my best buddies! Plus, letting all that good Valentine's candy go to waste would be a horrible shame.
"I love food. I always have. I love the smell, the taste and texture. Everything I do revolves around food. While eating dinner I think about what I'm going to have for breakfast the next day. I love food for all the wrong reasons. I love food for every emotion I have and every event that is taking place in my life."
-- Author Unknown
Does this sound like you? When I read this a year ago, I felt as if I had wrote it. I was like, “Wow that is CRAZY that I let food control my life!” I always get asked if I totally changed my diet. This is what I am writing about this week.
I started my lifestyle change the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2006. I took a look back at my "Nutrition tracker" on Sparkpeople to see what changes I have made. One major change I made is that I no longer use butter or margarine when cooking. For most meals you will not even notice the difference. I also no longer drink my calories. I know this could be a major challenge for most people. I did not drink soda to begin with so the only things I had to cut out were sugary juices. One thing I cannot eliminate from my diet would be chips. I love them with all of my heart. To fulfill this craving I began eating Baked Lays (the cheddar ones are so good). Not to say these chips are good for you, but they are much better then the ones I was eating before. My family eats pizza once a month and so instead of eliminating that from my diet I now order thin crust Chicken Supreme and limit myself to two slices. I didn't think I was going to like it but, I have to say I LOVE it and my children have switched their pizza from pepperoni to Chicken Supreme also. These are just a few small changes that I have made in my diet. I encourage all of you to pick a food that you know is not good for you and find an alternative that makes you just as happy!
Before I go I just wanted to let everyone know that I didn't lose weight again this week but, I am maintaining...........if you would like to follow my daily progress please go to http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp
Best Regard,
Kristi Smith
"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."
-- Arnold Bennett
I have had a GREAT week. After a long period of constant set backs, I have gotten back on track and made it through the weekend without splurging, like I was doing before. I think there are two reasons that I was going off course. One reason is because we canceled our home internet service in September and I have not been able to track my food and exercise over the weekend. I do fine during the week when I can enter in my food at work, but when the weekend rolls around I just lose track. I was getting frustrated and just saying, "What the heck, I'll have a burger and fries. I've already blown it for today." That's the worst way of thinking though. It's never too late to pick up where you left off. You don't have to wait until the next day to start over. You'll feel worse if you wait because you'll continue to blow it until then.
The second reason that I was going off course is that the winter weather is getting me down. During the warmer months, I was bicycling, walking everywhere, playing soccer outdoors. I loved it! Lately I'm just getting bored of the gym routine. I am not having as much fun working out.
Also, in the evenings I would sit and watch TV, which led to snacking. Realizing that evenings are a difficult time for me, I’ve decided to make this the time to become more active. I’ve started doing crossword puzzles, reading books, crocheting, and doing something with my kids. I’ve also started doing laundry and cleaning during this time. I still watch television, but not until later in the evening when I'm just about ready for bed. Then I can only stay awake for an hour or so and I'm off to bed, with no snack or with a snack that fits into my eating plan for the day. I have been riding my bike to work again, which is so much fun for me. It's such a great feeling. I have lost a few pounds and can already tell the difference in my clothes that were starting to feel pretty tight. I'm looking forward to reaching my goal by summer.
Hello All,
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing well. After a whole year I still struggle on a day-to-day basis; mostly with anxiety over things I can’t control. This week I have maintained my weight of 159 pounds. Although my goal this year is to lose one pound per week with a goal weight of 122 pounds by the end of the year. Thank you to everyone that wrote in with questions or comments. I hope you all will join my friends and I on SparkPeople.
THIS WEEKS CHALLENGE:
Short-term goals help you reach your long-term goals. I would like to challenge all of you to pick a long-term goal and several short-term goals for this year.
Example:
If your long-term goal is to lose weight, write down what you need to accomplish this. Drink more water, exercise 20 minutes per day, cut back or stop drinking soda ect... Those are just some ideas to help you reach your goal. When you are done hang this paper up where you will see it at least one time everyday.
Thank you to everyone for your support!
Kristi (aka Mrs.Honeycomb)
“I ain’t what I wanna be;
I ain’t what I’m gonna be;
But thank God almighty
I ain’t what I was!”
---an African quote
A response to last week’s blog from Twofaces who brought up one my greatest fears: gaining all my weight back. I read the statistics that 95% of the people who lose weight gain it all back and more. That is terrifying to me!
Losing 125 pounds was the hardest thing I’ve ever done--next to trying to maintain that loss. While I hear of people who have lost over 100 pounds more than once, I know in my heart that I just don’t have what it takes to do it again. So I’ve spent a lot of energy in the last five years trying to keep it off.
Twofaces’ response last week suggested making sure that I have eliminated the “fat girl inside.” I used to think that was the best way to go about it, but I discovered that the “fat girl inside” is way too strong to be eliminated. She is the same kid who devised a way to break into the big metal cabinet where my father locked up the food. I could stick my chubby hand right through a space in the back and pull out those Little Debbie cream-filled oatmeal cakes and consume the whole box one by one. And I did; many times, with many different foods.
This past week or two has been a bit rough for me. I hate to say it, because it's not easy to admit when you're not doing as well as you have been. I've gained a few pounds, and I'm just sick over it! I'm still exercising like crazy. I ride my bike to and from work every day which burns about 800 calories. I do really well during the week, but weekends have always been a challenge for me. I just gave into every temptation! I could go on and on about the burger and fries I ate, the fact that I did not go to the gym on Saturday or Sunday and the other things I indulged in, but what's done is done. That weekend is behind me. All is not lost because of one weekend and a few pounds, right? Right! So, I am starting fresh today. I am going to eat the way I should, continue to exercise and lose the pounds that my splurge caused me to gain. I am still proud of myself. Why you might ask? Because a few pounds is not the end of the world. I am still 100+ pounds less than I was a year and a half ago and I have not changed my lifestyle overall. Yes, I slipped up, but everybody does. It's important not to beat yourself up when you slip up, because it's not the end of the world. Also, you have to think of how you would react to someone else who had slipped up. Wouldn't you be supportive and tell them it's okay? Wouldn't you tell them that it's not the end of the world and that you can just pick up where you left off and continue to make the progress you've been making all along? Of course you would! So you owe that same type of support to yourself!
Hello All,
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am doing well. After a whole year I still struggle on a day-to-day basis; mostly with anxiety over things I can’t control. This week I have maintained my weight of 159 pounds. Although my goal this year is to lose one pound per week with a goal weight of 122 pounds by the end of the year. Thank you to everyone that wrote in with questions or comments. I hope you all will join my friends and I on SparkPeople.
CHALLENGE:
Short-term goals help you reach your long-term goals. I would like to challenge all of you to pick a long-term goal and several short-term goals for this year.
EXAMPLE:
If your long-term goal is to lose weight, write down what you need to accomplish this. Drink more water, exercise 20 minutes per day, cut back or stop drinking soda etc... Those are just some ideas to help you reach your goal. When you are done hang this paper up where you will see it at least one time everyday.
Thank you to everyone for your support!
Kristi (aka Mrs.Honeycomb)
In my opinion, the first step to losing weight is accepting that you have a problem in the first place. My turning point was just before Thanksgiving. I needed to get my wedding ring resized, because it was too small. I thought, “If I do this I am accepting being over weight for the rest of my life.” Lucky for me, it had the opposite affect on me. I found Sparkpeople.com soon after. In the first month I was able to lose 15 pounds. In the past, I would give up after the first month because I would get tired of the diet. But during this time my younger brother was sentenced to drug rehab and this had a huge impact on my weight loss. My family did an intervention with my brother and I realized that my brother was not the only one with an addiction problem. I too was addicted to something; the only difference is that food is not illegal. But both addictions can kill you.
1. What is the first step in losing weight?
The first step in losing weight is making the decision. For me, it took getting to the point emotionally where I was willing to do anything to change. Even as a first grader, at one hundred pounds, I longed to shed my dreadful nickname, "Fatso." Year after year, I sought and tried fad diets and funky exercise plans in hopes of finding the miracle that would change my life. You name it, I've tried it: the grapefruit diet, the Atkins diet, the cabbage soup diet, the liquid protein diet, the banana and boiled egg diet, the 600-calorie-a-day diet, etc.
But I could never stick with a "diet" long enough to make a significant difference. Time after time, the pleasure and comfort of food intercepted my plans and schemes to become thin. In the moment of temptation I always caved in. It was because some pressing emotional stress or special occasion would take precedence over my desire to wear normal sized clothes and to fit in with all the other girls in my class.
The first step for me was claiming a motivation that was stronger than the instant gratification of food.
The first step in losing weight is to finally decide that it's something you not only need to do, but want to do. People who are overweight know that they need to lose weight, but unless you are ready, there's nothing anybody else can do to motivate you. For me, it was the moment my daughter brought a picture home from school that was taken at the beginning of the school year. She was hugging me and could not get her arms around me. I looked bloated and red-faced, and it was embarrassing. I just didn't picture myself as that fat, and when I saw it in the picture, I was so ashamed. I was embarrassed for myself and my daughters. I was uncomfortable at nearly 300 lbs. I was always hot in the summer, running the air conditioner while the normal sized people were freezing. I didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything because I was either too lazy or too ashamed. Seeing this picture was the final straw and something inside me just clicked and I decided it was time to do something about it.
