From June 2011 to November 2012 I lost 30 pounds. In between that were a lot of ups and downs but I was happy with that loss. Maybe a little too happy.
After I hit that nice, low number on the scale just after Thanksgiving I kind of let go. At the time, I was working out 2-3 times a week and eating very well. I let that go by the wayside over the past few months and gained over half of that back. Bleck.
So, it's time to get back on the horse! I know I'm not the only one who let go of that healthy lifestyle for a bit, so I don't feel like a failure. It's just high time I get back to business. I will say this is not to fit in a bikini or weed my garden in a tube top. I feel beautiful no matter what that number on the scale says, and I have a husband who sees me the same way. However, I know what being overweight does to your body. The benefits of a healthy weight are astounding. It starts with my knees. Did you know that losing one pound is the equivelant of taking four pounds of pressure off your knees!? For someone with Patella Femoral syndrome I say, SIGN ME UP!
ANYWAY, back to that wagon I fell off. Here are some things I'm doing for the next month to get me back on the right track. For 30 days I'm going to follow these rules. NO exceptions! I'm trying to figure out a way to motivate me as I work well with a visual that I see every day. Perhaps a sticker for each day that I follow all of these? Maybe a checkmark for each rule I follow each day? What do you think I should do?
Here they are:
1. No candy. Goodbye Sour Patch Kids.
2. No cupcakes. I'll miss them, but I don't think Scratch will go out of business from this move.
3. No beer! Yes, that's right. I drink heavy, delicious, 9% alcohol beers. They have to go. I'm going to drink gin and tonics or something light as an alternative.
4. No (non-diet) pop. I'm doing to try to make this no pop in general, but a Coke Zero every now and then might occur. Pop is so, so, so bad for you. I once heard you can lose 10 pounds just from cutting pop out of your diet. Whether or not that's true, I just don't need it in my body in the first place.
5. No White Chocolate Mochas. Yea, so this blog post telling you my obsessions with Scratch and Starbucks. Yep, they go. Everything goes!
6. Work out at least 3 times a week. Whether that be running, biking, dancing, or whatever, I'll get moving somehow.
7. Count all of my calories. No matter how ugly they may be, every bite is going on MyfitnessPal.
I've heard of some similar lists like this that people live by to lose weight, or just stay healthy. I have one family member who has a note on her fridge that says, "No chips or fries. Drink lots of water before each meal. No eating after 8 p.m." There's one more but I don't remember it. You get the idea.
Today is actually day 3 of this endeavor and I'm doing great. I haven't had pop of any kind, I've taken my super healthy lunch and snacks to work each day, no candy, no cupcakes, no nothing. I've counted every calorie and on Monday night Ryan and I went for a run together. We also have a 72-mile bike ride planned for this weekend, weather pending.
What I need from you: Do you have anything to add to my magical list? Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep myself accountable?
I would suggest having a goal for drinking water. (Ex. a gallon a day) Instead of focusing on 'restricting' yourself from the junk, you should focus on giving/rewarding your body something like water. I have a 32 oz bottle. You only have to drink 4 bottles full. Plus, I think this would help with the pop drinking and the caffine crash that may occur if you are no longer doing the pop and mochas. :-) You also can count black coffee in your water count. Good luck! Allissa J
ReplyDeleteGood idea. I failed today and had a mocha. Ughghgh. BUT, I've kept true to both the cupcake, candy, and pop rules every day so far! AND, I've definitely done my share of working out each week. Focus on the wins, I guess.
ReplyDeleteYea, I have a 20 oz. cup that I drink at work and fill up at least 4 times. Also, our house looks like a scene from the movie Signs because there's always a glass of ice water in the living room, bedroom, and office.
I especially like your suggestion of focusing on rewards instead... perhaps a future post is in the works. :-)
Girlfriend, I second the "gallon of water a day" idea. It works wonders.
ReplyDeleteSo as I get close to maintenance, I need to ask you: Do you think you didn't work out enough to not gain the weight back, or did you just go back to your old eating habits? I'm really scared I won't be able to keep the weight off.
Hey you. Honestly, it's always been my belief that exercising is the most important factor. I stopped exercising and I know that's what did it. Doing it regularly made the pounds shed the fastest. I do think that I maintained my eating habits at least to an extent. That's mainly because I learned how awful some things were and found myself second guessing before I ate an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids. :-) I feel I eat healthy and that keeps my body healthy, I am just overweight due to not exercising to burn the fat. Make sense?
ReplyDeleteSo, lesson learned: just keep moving! If you get injured just find something else to do like swimming or biking.
I hope that helps!