Mood: Happy
Weight: 160 lbs
Pant Size: 12
Today is Wednesday, September 7, 2011. I'm right where I want to be at this point in my journey. On my calendar I've placed mile markers to make sure I'm moving toward my health goals. On my calendar last week was "160 lbs", and I'm happy to report that I met that goal right on schedule. Which means, I've now lost a total of 21 pounds! It gives me confidence to know that I can and will meet my future goals.
For the past several months, I've had a sticker on my computer monitor that says "150 lbs". I'm only 10 lbs away from that being a reality!
Of course, weight is only one aspect of this challenge, as I've said before. But the good news is that the other aspects (healthier habits being the most important) have also improved tremendously. As mentioned in a previous post, I've been getting rid of a lot of clothes that have become too big or baggy on me. It feels great to shed these items from my world because I know what they represent. The old me.
One pair of jeans was particularly hard to part with because they were so worn in & comfortable, but they dragged on the ground because they sat lower on my waist. (Yep, I'm getting a WAIST!) The butt area had become saggy & unappealing. Luckily, I downsized & was able to buy some skin-tight jeans that show off my legs & butt! My wardrobe is starting to look "younger". Less drapey & flowy, more fitted & fashionable. It's kinda like being a teenager again.
I also have a very different relationship with food today than I did a few months ago. It's no longer my "friend". It's now my fuel. It's no longer my escape from stress or worry, nor is it my only form of celebration when I'm excited or happy. It's not how I cheer myself up. It's not what I (always) do when I'm bored.
Instead, food is becoming a tool. I'm starting to understand its role as one thing among many others that I use to supply my energy & compliment my lifestyle. Being that I've always had an active lifestyle, it didn't make sense to slow myself down with a heavy diet. While very active people usually need more calories to fuel their energy, the calories I was taking in weren't necessarily the most effective. Instead, I'm learning to get the most "bang for my buck" so-to-speak.
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| Photo by Muffet |
I'm still wildly enthusiastic about eating, but I don't show that enthusiasm with big quantities of food anymore. I show it in having a better appreciation for the quality, taste, & variety of each ingredient, as well as my own knowledge of how all those factors combined make it special, useful, or just plain delicious!
Even though I'm still on a fairly low calorie nutrition plan, it's not as strict as it was in the beginning. I learned pretty quickly how to accurately eyeball portion sizes, calories-per-serving, & content quality of what I'm eating at every meal. I study before I grocery shop. I bring pictures of recommended brands with me to the store so that I know before I even buy it what it will do for me & avoid the chances of buying the less healthy brands. If their numbers don't measure up to the brands tested & proven to be more nutritionally valuable, it's not going in my kitchen. Period.
Snacking with purpose is my new favorite habit. I love to snack, and I won't ever stop. It fulfills a few objectives: keeps my blood sugar level stable (diabetes runs in my family), prevents me from overloading on calories at regular meal times, and satisfies my cravings. I'm eating nuts (instead of chips) when I'm craving something salty/crunchy. I reach for fruit or yogurt (instead of candy or patries) when I'm craving something sweet or creamy. And of course, cheese is and always will be the best snack of all. I still indulge, but I choose those indulgences more carefully and see them as rare treats for treating my body well 90% of the time. My once-a-week cheat day has become a once-a-week cheat meal (usually dinner).
Complete meals are becoming less of a crisis/struggle because I am learning to eat more protein, which was never a concern in my past. When trying to decide what to eat for any meal, I first ask myself which protein base I'm going to work with. Example: For breakfast, do I want an egg, a protein bar, or peanut butter toast? For lunch/dinner, am I going to have fish, poultry, or beef? Usually, I'll eat protein 2 out of 3 meals a day. Or at one meal and one snack. I've also been incorporating protein in things like salads (nuts, egg, beans). It's an easy way to add protein without making it the focus of the meal. I'm learning to appreciate the fact incorporating protein usually leaves me satisfied longer & increases my creativity when it comes to putting together healthier meals.
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| Photo by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden |
My next goal is to learn how to creatively add more fruits & vegetables into my diet. I do eat more whole fruits as snacks and have started to incorporate veggies (mostly fresh, some frozen, few canned) into my meals, but I'd like to increase my food-prep & cooking knowledge so that I'm more confident in portion sizes & nutritional content.
Even though I've slacked off on the exercising & have hardly worked out (except for Zumba & an occasional weekend hike), I'm feeling good enough about the changes to my eating habits that I know once I do get back on track, the positive results I'm seeing will only increase.
I think in the meantime, being able to take these small steps toward my larger goal is really boosting my confidence. The emotional reward of fitting better into my clothes & feeling better when I look in the mirror is the best part of it all. I'm happier with myself as a whole person, instead of just a body and mind separately.
The pieces of me are slowly starting to come together & take care of each other the way they were meant to, and it feels great.
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| Photo by Lars P. |
Thanks for continuing to care about my progress, and I appreciate all the encouragement I continue to receive along the way. Hope you had a great holiday weekend! <3
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