Wednesday, August 22, 2012

It happened!


I knew it was just a waiting game.  You cannot possibly eat less, exercise more, and stay the same weight.  Not possible.  Except, for anyone who has dieted and is reading this blog, you know that your body can panic and hold onto weight like it’s never going to be fed again. ARGH!

My body – which has been abused by yo-yo dieting for so very long – is a professional when it comes to hanging onto weight.  “OH NO!  You’re not doing that again!” it screams.  But I just ignored the scale and went along my merry way drinking water, banking my calories in and exercise out.  10 days, 11 days…12 days, not a single ounce down.  Then I woke up a couple of days ago and BOOM! 2.5 pounds gone!  That’s a total of 15.5 in 8 weeks.  Roughly 2 pounds per week, exactly as I planned.  No suffering, no misery, just responsibility and determination.

I can’t explain why suddenly this has all come together for me.  I like fast results which is why I have tried Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Cambridge, the Mayo Clinic Diet (grapefruit and eggs…yum),cabbage soup diet, and the Stewardess Diet (yes, a diet so old it is politically incorrect to name it).  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE DIETS WORKED FOR ME. Fast results, smaller size, increased energy.  But once I got the results I stopped.  I have nothing against all of the plans listed about – they work.  But you must be responsible for the aftercare of your body.

I’m no idiot.  I have a good education and a sharp mind.  But you know the saying, “You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results?” I was doing the same thing over and over and over and over.  Ridiculous.  This time something clicked.  I realized that whether I do a prescribed diet or my own thing, I still lose about 2 pounds per week.  The big difference is that when I am on a prescribed diet I crave all the things that I am denied. The way I am doing this now – with loseit.com, healthstatus.com, etc. – I eat whatever I want as long as I pay for it with exercise FIRST.  There is no more thinking that vigorous exercise on Monday pays for food overload on Tuesday.  Every day is a new day.  Every day I start from zero.  Every day I write it all down and calculate what I eat and what I owe for it. 

I am sticking to this plan.  It’s working, it’s simple, it’s the way I can live the rest of my life.  This time next year I will – almost literally – be half the woman I am today.  Whee!

2 comments:

  1. Slow, conscious and doable sounds like a plan. The benefit of Weight Watchers that I like is topic discussions at weekly meetings where stories of success and realizations are shared. The value of the meeting is influenced by the facilitator's personality and attendees which can change almost weekly. Might I assume you are trying to create some of your own consistent leadership and Community through your blog?

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  2. I am! There are those of us who recognize the value of community, but eschew meetings. This way individuals can engage or not engage when it fits into an available timeframe. I can respond or refer as necessary.

    Clearly, I am not a medical or dietary expert, but this is an area where I do have much experience and connectedness with others in a similar situation. High time I help out.

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