18 Weeks
I was really good during Christmas.
I didn't gain any weight.
And considering the amount of treats I had around the house, that is pretty amazing.
After Christmas, Emily and I decided we needed to have a girls' day out, and after eating lunch and dinner out, I started a chain-reaction in my system that I haven't recovered from.
At one point I decided I needed to do a juice fast.
I then decided it was a bad idea two days into prepping for the juice fast.
Then we went on a road trip.
Vacations are notorious for binge eating and "treating" yourself, since calories don't exist in other places.
So, I came home feeling a little more tubby than I'd like, and decided to do a 30-day raw food diet.
My food journal looked like this:
Day 1: All I want to do is eat that lasagna in the fridge. I hate. Nothing in particular. I just hate.
Day 2: I think I'm getting the hang of this! Yay celery and peanut butter!
Day 3: Well that was awful. Look, cookies!
And thus ended my 30-day raw food diet.
The problem with both of my efforts to lose weight was that I wanted to lose all the weight in a week, two max.
And then I could go back to eating butter cubes.
Part of me really wants to not care about what I eat or weigh, but I don't want to end my life as a chair-ridden diabetic.
So, I've decided to start again.
I'm confessing this to you because I'm hoping I'll feel accountable if I tell people what I am attempting to do.
I have 18 lbs I want to lose.
It will put me smack in the middle of what is considered a healthy weight for my frame and height.
I'm supposed to be between 129 (way too thin) and 165 (gee, I wish I WAS 165). 150 seems just about right.
Instead of getting their next week by eating mung bean sprouts and lemon-flavored water, I am going to take it slow.
18 weeks to be exact.
I only have a few rules, and I would love it if you joined me and told me about how you are progressing.
Rule #1: Don't eat after 7 PM.
While this may seem simple, it's actually really hard for me. After the kids are in bed I like to reward myself for keeping them alive that day, and end up eating all sorts of things before bedtime that I probably shouldn't eat. The one caveat is that if I am super hungry after seven, I am allowed to eat a piece of fruit. When I am super hungry, fruit tastes like some super sugary dessert and is immensely satisfying.
Rule #2: Exercise every day.
A few weeks ago, I was doing crunches like a maniac.
I hated it.
Every. Single. Second.
I usually don't hate them, but the fact that I was forcing myself to do them wore on my soul.
I then asked myself something.
"Do I really want to be doing jump squats when I am 65?"
The answer was no.
Then I asked myself another question.
"What WILL I want to be doing as a 65-year-old person?"
And my answer was simple: Yoga and walking.
I was suddenly filled with peace. No more stupid burpees.
Unless I felt like it.
The problem with doing intense workouts is that it isn't maintainable for the long haul.
Even triathletes have an "off" season, where they don't train as intensely.
So, I thought to myself, I want to do something that I enjoy doing, and do it every day. Walking is something I have always loved, and I love the calm and flexibility yoga brings. I can do those things every day without burning out.
And I can imagine doing it as a 65-year-old. Maybe even into my 80s, if I last that long. Maybe I'll be a super bendy 90-year-old.
So, pick something you love, and do that six days a week.
Rule #3: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
I love fruit. I love vegetables.
Easy peasy.
Now, I'm not going to forbid anything (except for those shortening binges I have every so often. Kidding!). When I start telling myself I can't have a piece of bread or a slice of cheese, I tend to freak out and eat more than I normally would to make up for not having the desired object.
I'll just fill up on fruits and veggies, preferably raw, and eat bread and butter if I feel like it, and relish my fried egg in the morning. Eggs are magical.
I don't like eating a lot of meat, so we try to eat more beans around here, and that gives me the protein I need.
Rule #4: Go to bed at a reasonable time.
This one is super hard for me. After being in mom-mode, I want to just veg or read a book into the late hours of the night, but this is bad for two reasons: 1) it makes me super cranky and 2) not getting enough sleep makes you gain weight.
I think that is stupid.
But I can't change it.
Rule #4: Drink lots of water.
'Nough said.
So, there you go. I will update every Thursday.
Four rules, 18 weeks.
I didn't gain any weight.
And considering the amount of treats I had around the house, that is pretty amazing.
After Christmas, Emily and I decided we needed to have a girls' day out, and after eating lunch and dinner out, I started a chain-reaction in my system that I haven't recovered from.
At one point I decided I needed to do a juice fast.
I then decided it was a bad idea two days into prepping for the juice fast.
Then we went on a road trip.
Vacations are notorious for binge eating and "treating" yourself, since calories don't exist in other places.
So, I came home feeling a little more tubby than I'd like, and decided to do a 30-day raw food diet.
My food journal looked like this:
Day 1: All I want to do is eat that lasagna in the fridge. I hate. Nothing in particular. I just hate.
Day 2: I think I'm getting the hang of this! Yay celery and peanut butter!
Day 3: Well that was awful. Look, cookies!
And thus ended my 30-day raw food diet.
The problem with both of my efforts to lose weight was that I wanted to lose all the weight in a week, two max.
And then I could go back to eating butter cubes.
Part of me really wants to not care about what I eat or weigh, but I don't want to end my life as a chair-ridden diabetic.
So, I've decided to start again.
I'm confessing this to you because I'm hoping I'll feel accountable if I tell people what I am attempting to do.
I have 18 lbs I want to lose.
It will put me smack in the middle of what is considered a healthy weight for my frame and height.
I'm supposed to be between 129 (way too thin) and 165 (gee, I wish I WAS 165). 150 seems just about right.
Instead of getting their next week by eating mung bean sprouts and lemon-flavored water, I am going to take it slow.
18 weeks to be exact.
I only have a few rules, and I would love it if you joined me and told me about how you are progressing.
Rule #1: Don't eat after 7 PM.
While this may seem simple, it's actually really hard for me. After the kids are in bed I like to reward myself for keeping them alive that day, and end up eating all sorts of things before bedtime that I probably shouldn't eat. The one caveat is that if I am super hungry after seven, I am allowed to eat a piece of fruit. When I am super hungry, fruit tastes like some super sugary dessert and is immensely satisfying.
Rule #2: Exercise every day.
A few weeks ago, I was doing crunches like a maniac.
I hated it.
Every. Single. Second.
I usually don't hate them, but the fact that I was forcing myself to do them wore on my soul.
I then asked myself something.
"Do I really want to be doing jump squats when I am 65?"
The answer was no.
Then I asked myself another question.
"What WILL I want to be doing as a 65-year-old person?"
And my answer was simple: Yoga and walking.
I was suddenly filled with peace. No more stupid burpees.
Unless I felt like it.
The problem with doing intense workouts is that it isn't maintainable for the long haul.
Even triathletes have an "off" season, where they don't train as intensely.
So, I thought to myself, I want to do something that I enjoy doing, and do it every day. Walking is something I have always loved, and I love the calm and flexibility yoga brings. I can do those things every day without burning out.
And I can imagine doing it as a 65-year-old. Maybe even into my 80s, if I last that long. Maybe I'll be a super bendy 90-year-old.
So, pick something you love, and do that six days a week.
Rule #3: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
I love fruit. I love vegetables.
Easy peasy.
Now, I'm not going to forbid anything (except for those shortening binges I have every so often. Kidding!). When I start telling myself I can't have a piece of bread or a slice of cheese, I tend to freak out and eat more than I normally would to make up for not having the desired object.
I'll just fill up on fruits and veggies, preferably raw, and eat bread and butter if I feel like it, and relish my fried egg in the morning. Eggs are magical.
I don't like eating a lot of meat, so we try to eat more beans around here, and that gives me the protein I need.
Rule #4: Go to bed at a reasonable time.
This one is super hard for me. After being in mom-mode, I want to just veg or read a book into the late hours of the night, but this is bad for two reasons: 1) it makes me super cranky and 2) not getting enough sleep makes you gain weight.
I think that is stupid.
But I can't change it.
Rule #4: Drink lots of water.
'Nough said.
So, there you go. I will update every Thursday.
Four rules, 18 weeks.
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