Doing it all wrong

I've lost about 10 pounds over the past 6 months, by doing it the wrong way. Ok, I've read all the stuff. They all say pretty much the same thing: eat 5-6 small meals a day, spread the food out so you don't get hungry. Sounds sensible, yes.

And totally doesn't work for me. It just doesn't. I don't like doing it, for one thing.

Here's what works:

Initially, I was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus, a kidney disease that makes you pee gallons and gallons, causes dehydration because even if you don't drink gallons you will continue to pee them. I was always thirsty, always drinking (even during the night, I kept a 1/2 gallon jug by the bed, and would have to refill it around 2 am), always peeing. Anyway, that diagnoses resulted in the orders to change my diet. I was supposed to eat only things that every single diet plan in the WORLD told me not to eat. No whole grains, only processed ones like white rice, white bread. No leafy green vegetable (WHAT?), no fresh fruit (only canned, WHAT??) and limit my meat to 2 oz a day. Thing is, I HATE processed grains, white bread, canned fruit. So, rather than eating those things, I just quit eating.

It's quite the diet plan. Don't eat. After about 4 months of poptarts for breakfast (BLEH), white rice for lunch (BLEH!) and cabbage (the one veg I could have all I wanted of) for supper, my stomach kind of shrank and I simply wasn't eating as much.

Now that I have permission to return to Normal Food (Yay!) I don't eat as much. In fact, I'm eating roughly twice a day, rather than the recommended 5-6 times. Breakfast around 10 (I don't like to eat when I get up, preferring copious cups of coffee...shhh), supper at 6, and that's all. Maybe an apple 2-ish, but not usually. If I can wait until I am screamingly hungry, and eat until I'm not hungry (rather that until I'm full), I'll eat about 1/2 as much as I used to.

Now, as far as weight is concerned, currently I have no idea. The best I can say is that the size 20 jeans slide off without unbuttoning them. Which is fine. The size 18 dresses kinda hang loose, and the recently purchased size 16 tops fit great!

oh Hi!

Sone Fox said I could come play here. Here's a short intro: I'm 45 (almost),married (almost)24 years to Terry, and have 4 boys ages 22,20,18 and 11. I once was fat but now I'm round. Due to medications for a psychiatric disorder (that makes it sound like it's someone elses fault, doncha know) I went from 135 pounds to 205, then about 6 months ago the med was changed and I dropped 15 pounds, which is TOTALLY enough to require a new wardrobe, do you agree? We live in the Deepest South (Southeast Georgia not far from Savannah. Think live oaks and spanish moss), where food is a necessary part of any gathering involving more than 1 person.

I doubt I'll ever be 135lbs again, and I'm ok with that, but I'd love to see 150 because that would put me a size 14, which J. Peterman carries and I've always wanted a frock coat from J. Peterman. Terry said if I get there he'll buy me one. Since I am a housewife, I depend on him for spending money and so if it's clothes and it costs more than $100 I kind of expect him to buy it, rather than just going out an getting it for myself.

Anyway my so-called 'weight loss journey' is more like an idle mosey, with an occasional side trip to Uncle Shug's Chicken Barn (Southern style fried chicken OMG!) followed by a week of guilt and lite yogurt. Thank, Stone Fox, for inviting me to play here, oh I know I asked first but you didn't have to.

170.0

Oy. Painful.

I seem to be creeping ever upwards. I have been running, off and on.  I bought a jump rope so I could do some cardio at home if hubby was working.  I am trying to get in some weights now and again. I am still struggling with motivation. (Obviously.)

168.0

PHONING IT IN: aka Not Really Trying At All. see Stone Fox.

Why can't I be one of the lucky few with the genetics to eat whatever the hell I want and never gain a pound? Why does food taste so good and exercise suck so bad?

This episode of Woe, Is Me is brought to you by the letter I (need to stop eating everything in sight) and the number 8(chocolate brownies were eaten by me today).

169.0

My poor neglected blog. How I haven't missed you. I have only felt guilty for not updating you, which was kind of the purpose of setting you up.

Anyways, I have been noticing that even my stretchy jeans are getting a bit tight in the thighs, so I figure it's time to heave a dramatic sigh, put on a dirty look, roll my eyes, and grumble... and then start keeping track again. Obviously, I have been far too busy shoveling in junk food; my latest addiction is - and I am not kidding here - cheddar flavored popcorn. It's like crack. God I love that shit. I'm sure you could bring down entire herds of elephants with the sodium and MSG alone.

I worked out today for the first time in probably two months. It sucked. I am totally out of shape.

169.0 lbs. Shit.

Week 11

Weight: 165.0 lbs

I have been writing this post since last Friday. Again, I have lost motivation. If I were following Body For Life, chances are that by now I would have lost 20 lbs or so.  All the work that I had put into the program before Christmas has been completely wasted. Nothing is inspiring me lately.  What is my problem? It's that I don't really care about taking care of my body right now. It's not important to me. It should be important, I want to want to lose weight, but I just. don't. care. I have a Really Crap Attitude these days, I know. I keep waiting for the thing that is going to turn the light bulb in my brain to On again.

See ya next week.

Do I Stay or Do I Go?

With my husband's school schedule, getting up has been rough. Seriously, after going to be at midnight and waking up a few times with kids, 5 am comes way too early.

However, once I get out of bed, I am usually motivated. So, I was glad that I actually made it out of bed this morning!

Right now, I am trying a new workout routine. Due to past injuries and having just had a baby, I am taking things slow. I jog/walk about 2 miles in 30 minutes. I break up the jogging and the walking to keep my heart from popping out of my chest. This also gives my legs adequate rest from the strenuous jogging. An added benefit? Burns lots of fat. That's right, ladies, if you keep your jog nice and slow, you burn more calores. Aerobic exercise, as it is referred to. Anaerobic, or without oxygen, does not burn fat. Thus, I am keeping the oxygen flowing.

Without further ado (or rambling) this is how I usually workout.
I walk two laps, to warm up, follow with a slow-paced jog for another three laps, walk two more laps, jog three laps, and end with a couple more laps around the track. I work up copious amounts of sweat and feel great afterwards.

I stretch before and after the workout. Since I do not have the time for an extended workout, I will usually end with push-ups and abdominal cruches. These help my core and give me the strength training I need.

Here's to tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Week 9

Weight: 165.5

I did work out every day except today. Eating was.. fair. Not great, not terrible. Some extra treats, more missed meals than I am happy with. I did not take a whole Free Day today; I had a restaurant hamburger for dinner and some Hershey's kisses earlier. We had a couple of really rough mornings yesterday and today. And by "rough morning" I mean that at least one kid was up at 5am or earlier and would not settle back to bed.  I'm kind of on the brink of sleep deprivation insanity. I needs my beauty sleep.

Why am I working out?

This morning, I did not get up. I wanted to work out, but 5 am came much too early.

It led me to ponder. Will I go back to my routine? Or, shall I mark this as another failure?

And, why am I working out?

Then, I remembered. I am working out because I need to. I need that time in the morning to think. Think about the upcoming day, my goals, and how I can be the best "me."

I find hope when I run/walk. I find joy. I find peace.

So, I may not have got up this morning, but I shall get up tomorrow. I will continue. I know I can fit into my pants again.

Week 8

Weight: 166.5

I am only surprised it is not higher.  Restraint? Nope.  Common sense? None.  Listening when I tell myself to slow the eff down? Fell on deaf ears.  I did work out most days, but I think this oldie but goodie applies here:

Weight loss is 80% nutrition.

It might be true but I don't have to like it.  I would rather work out hard for an hour than have to monitor my food all freaking day.  I have little conversations with myself about food.  About why I eat the way I eat.  Why don't I eat more fruits and veggies? (I'm not a fan of veggies, really.) When did people in general go from eating whole foods to eating crap?  There is a school of thought in the nutrition world that if it wasn't a food 100 years ago, you shouldn't eat it.  I think there is definitely some merit in that idea.  What did folks eat 100 years ago?  Meat, grains, fruits and veg.  Lots of veg.  A hundred years ago veggies were cheap and would feed a ton of people and you'd never really run out.  A hundred years ago everything was "organic" but nothing required a label as food was (as the commercial says) simply un-fooled-around with.  I am trying to re-teach my palate to like some of the veggies that I don't eat.  I know this can be done as I have retrained my brain to like V8 veggie cocktail, where before I hated it.  (The secret: chug that em-effer back and slam a diet pepsi right after.  (Don't do the pepsi all in one shot or you'll barf up both.  Just sayin'.))  I am trying to view things like cheezy poofs (God I love cheezy poofs. With a big part of my entire being.) as not a real food.  Something that artificial looking cannot possibly be healthy (but so tasty, dammit. So tasty. I love you, cheezy poofs).  Retraining the brain is as hard as it sounds.  I am not very good at it yet, as I still habitually  chose a sweet or a simple carb over a veggie.  I know I'm not the only one to get halfway through a handful of cookies and think to myself, Damn, why didn't I think to grab an apple instead?

When I was younger, I could lose weight by exercising.  I never had it easy or anything, it's not like fat just  melted off.  I had to sweat off the pounds and watch my diet.  If I stuck to the BFL plan, I would lose 2 - 4 lbs/week.  Consistently. What I am noticing now is that I must work harder, sweat more, and have fewer Free Days just to see the scale move a bit.  Also, I am finding it much harder to make good food choices, especially after the kids go to bed. The worst part, though, is as soon as I fall off the wagon, I lose all of my gains.  I am back to where? Week Three.  In the last three weeks, I have put on 4.5 lbs and set myself back 5 weeks.  Ugh.  That's hard to see in writing.  BUT! I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  I will get back up and shake it off and keep pushing forward.