My goal is to lose 50 lbs by July 30. This week on Tuesday I had lost 1 lb. Normally I would say "Big deal, one pound is nothing. I can shit one pound" but this time was different. I thought "Hmm, that's great. I'm half way to my weekly goal of losing 2 lbs" I have no idea where that idea came from, but it was kind of a light bulb moment for me. Instead of thinking of the total I need to lose, I'm going to view it as 2 lbs a week. It really doesn't sound like a lot, but after one month thats 8 lbs! After 2 months, that's 16 lbs. That IS a lot. It all adds up and slowly but surely I will reach my goal. Actually 2 lbs a week will take me over my goal, so I have some wiggle room for plateaus and "bad" weeks.
This week I have lost 1.5 lbs. Only a half a pound to go and I will have met that part of my goals for the week.
The other goal I have set is to work out 3 times a week. This one has not been so easy to meet. It's so unpredictable with a baby. Some days go smoothly and some don't. Some nights are easy, and some nights I'm up half the night. I haven't been able to figure out how I'm going to achieve this goal before joining the gym again. It's not that I don't *want to* work out. It's finding the time with a new baby. I'm going to cut myself some slack on this one. I could very easily just give it all up until the baby is older, so if I can manage to stick to the diet I'll be satisfied with that. Not happy, just satisfied. Mid January I will be able to start going to the gym again (with daycare) so if I can't manage to work out at home, that is what I'll do. I'm just nervous to take the baby to daycare in the middle of cold and flu season, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
I feel really good about my attitude right now. I wish I could stop the evening sweet binges though. I could be losing more if I could just stop eating after a sensible dessert. I have too much junk in my house. I'm clearing it out a little at a time. I wanted to throw some fudge out last night but my husband wouldn't let me. He said it was a "sin" to throw away food but I know it's really him just wanting to eat the fudge. I told him if he really wanted to keep it, he had to hide it because I couldn't resist it. I couldn't. It's one of those things that I only get at this time of year and just couldn't stop myself from eating it. I have to get foods like that out of the house. My husband will just have to understand that this is what I need to do right now. Once I get some momentum going I will be able to say "no" easier, but for not it's tough.
Great job! I love the attitude, and it's one I need to adopt.
ReplyDeleteI also have the sweet problem. Like you, I can't have it in the house or I'll eat. I've asked my husband to hide food from me too. He thinks it weird, but he does it. Or it ALL disappears -- either I eat it or it goes down the garbage disposal. Uusually I'll eat it unless I'm feeling super strong. Not so strong lately.
I'm excited about the new WW program too. I have the eTools and the meetings. I sort of glanced at it but haven't really got into it yet. Hopefully, it'll help me stay on track. :)
I had the same struggle with sweets until recently and thought I'd share what worked for me. Your words are telling:
ReplyDelete"I wish I could stop the evening sweet binges though. I could be losing more if I could just stop eating after a sensible dessert."
I’ve spent the better part of the last decade copiously reading about nutrition; I knew from what I’d read, as well as from empirical data, that too many simple carbohydrates can start a chain reaction of “dependency” or binging. I challenged myself to examine how I eat as an adult relative to how I ate as a child. I realized that as a child, desserts and pop were a special treat, reserved for Sunday at grandma’s house, holidays, or maybe for a special outing with mom. We did not eat desserts after every meal, we did not eat sweets every day, and most (40 and up) people I’ve asked had similar experiences. Through a somewhat complex set of circumstances, foods and drinks that were once reserved for special occasions became a part of our everyday lives.
Nonetheless, I was fat because I made excuses. My parents struggled financially when I was a child and could only afford the necessities, but I am financially secure so I can buy and enjoy whatever treats I want, whenever I want them. I don’t – and shouldn’t have to – wait for a special occasion. I worked hard to achieve this level of security. I deserve it. Besides, I was eating “good” simple carbs – I read labels carefully and would only buy sweets made with real butter and sugar instead of partially hydrogenated shortening and high-fructose corn syrup that is used in nearly all commercial baked goods.
When I joined Weight Watchers I knew I had to get my sweet-tooth under control, so for the first few days – even though I could easily see a way to fit sweets into the plan – I didn’t eat any sweets and I didn’t drink any pop – NONE. And much to my delight, every passing moment I thought less and less about getting my next infusion of sweets.
Now, months later, I have CONTROL. I am able to buy sweets and not devour them quickly like Cookie Monster. I was able to buy a half dozen cider donuts in the fall and eat half a donut one day and the other half the next day; DH finished them over the next several days. I understand now that I was enslaved by simple carbohydrates. I was in bondage, but now I am blissfully FREE! I honestly no longer struggle, but I know full well that if I over-indulge I will have intense cravings and have to tame the beast again, so I am careful to eat sensible portions of sweets only occasionally – just like when I was a kid!
I hope that my story is helpful to you in your journey, and that your beautiful daughters grow up with knowing the joy of keeping seasonal and special occasion foods and treats in their proper place.