I just got brave and stepped on the scales. I was afraid that it would be bad news since Christmas and holidays etc. But I am happy to report that it was down 2.1kg from the 7th december. I am thrilled. that means that I have averaged around 400g each week over the holidays. YEAY.
No stopping now. Since getting home this week, I have been continuing with my regime.
I need to find some better support though as I am doing this on my own at the moment... with the encouragement of some good friends. one of my friends has been telling me that isn't enough and I know she is right, but getting genuine support / help is a seriously loaded issue. There are many folks who will give advice and change plenty for the priveledge. That isn't really what I need. Knowledge isn't the issue here - I know enough about nutrition and good eating to join the many on that particular bandwagon already.
I need:
encouragment (got some good friends and family for that),
accountability (tricky - too many confuse guilt trips with accountability)
and most importantly someone to help me declutter my head around food related stuffs.
sigh. that last one is the hardest to sort. I know what to do and how to go about it but it is not really suitable to go it alone in this stuff. I aslo don't want some formulaeic approach, which brings me right back to one-on-one which = $$$.
what has worked for you?
4 comments:
Hi Dee,
CONGRATULATIONS. Loosing 2.1kg is great. Even maintaining your weight over the holidays is a win in my book!
We spend our whole lives having love / hate relationships with food. Some people can eat rubbish and stay healthy, some can consume mountains of food and still stay thin.
Personally I don't think its worth spending the $$$ to have someone tell you what you already know and I'll tell you why;
I have a dear friend who I have known since kindy who has battled with anorexia and bulimia all her teen and adult life - she is now in her fortys and still painfully thin. During her working life, amongst other things, she has been a weight loss consultant with a high profile weight loss chain and has recently completed a phsycology degree and is now qualified to advise people on food issues!! So my experience is - even those who you might pay for their wisdom about food may not have it "together" any better than us.
My theory about food is this: Our bodies are like a finely tuned piece of machinery. Each piece of machinery (or person) is different. There is a formula for the fuel mix and levels (missing from the machine when it is delivered) which gives the machine its optimum performance with minimal waste. If we add more fuel than is neccessary the machine is programed to store it in its reserve tanks. If we use less, it will top up what it needs from those reserves. If there is no fuel for the machine it will seize and stop altogether. If we use rubbish fuel we risk causing damage to the machine - which may result in it "running rough" or even needing to go in for a service or repair. If we use cheaper or lower grade fuel over a prolonged period we may cause wear and tear unnecessarily or prematurely. Its a balancing act to find the right fuel formula and amount. And, (here's where it gets even more tricky) depending on what we are using this machine for at that time, what it requires as its optimum fuel mix and balance will vary.
In it's simplest terms - too much input for too little output equals weight gain or a higher weight maintained.
What has worked for me?
Visual Cues - Use a graph or chart of some description to display your progress. Make it pretty, colourful, whatever you desire, but make it visible to you as a constant reminder of what you have achieved so far. Realise that there will be times where things will slow and you wont loose each time you weigh yourself - but your chart will show you how far you have come and that maintaining that progress is still very good news
Exercise - yeah we all know about this secret trick but it really does work. Last year (when I had more "me" time) I went to a local pool (not too local!!) and started swimming laps. Well, on my first visit I couldn't even do one lap, so I set a time of 40 minutes and kept myself active in the water with "mini" laps and exercising in the water. I was exhausted and walked to the change rooms on shaky legs. And this continued for a few weeks. I tried to go once or twice a week and eventually I was able to do a lap, then two (having a big break in between), then three. I will never be an olympic swimmer but this form of exercise was the best for me - less stress on my joints, anonymous and I didnt feel hot and sweaty while I did it. It took a little while but I started to feel healthy. Really healthy. The external changes were still slow but I just felt so much better. Unfortunately, when life got busy this was the first thing to go and I am staggered by how much older and unfit I feel without it. It is NOT selfish to put time into yourself by making time to be active. Its actually necessary. (Incidently, I didnt really change my eating habits and did start losing weight. More output with the same input = weight loss).
CONTINUED.....
Buddy Up - So we know we need to exercise but (as in my case) its easy to fall off the wagon when there are so many competing priorities in our lives. Find someone you can rope into it - not a family member - must be someone you know who you would not want to disappoint or let down. Make a timetable / regular appointment with them and stick to it. If you like walking for exercise, find a walking buddy... Its a lot harder to justify that excuse when you know someone else is relying on you and waiting for you.
Make it fun - Cook healthy food that you like, find a way of being active that you enjoy. This is not a thing you are going to do for a while and then it will be "fixed" or "done". This is something that will be going on for the rest of your life so you will need to integrate those healthy recipes into your weekly menu plan and make that active activity part of your routine. One upside is this becomes a life lesson you will pass on to your kids.
Learn from the past - Look at your elders. What was their lifestyle like? What was the outcome? As a generation they did get a few things right. They ate more simply, were more active and generally they will enjoy better health as seniors because of this. Our generations are being killed by convenience - conveniece foods, remote control lifestyle...
Be realistic in your goals - No one is perfect. Ever. Not even for a minute. Not even those we admire or look up to. Set yourself a target that is attainable or you are setting yourself up to fail. Celebrate along the way and allow yourself to fall off the wagon occasionally but use your motivation from what you have accomplished so far to help you get back on.
Do it for you - Share your journey with those you love and trust but be aware that if they feel you moving on and leaving them behind during the journey they may find this hard. They may not like change and may struggle with this or not understand the emotions they are feeling. Beware that they may unknowingly sabotage your efforts.
Visit your GP - Ultimately the person who you will be accountable to is yourself. Get a check up from your GP and go back every three months or so for a follow up. As your overall health feels like it is improving they will be able to give you tangible proof that it is. You will probably find them to be very happy for you and supportive. They may also offer you some free advice or info to help.
Good luck Dee.
she likes the way i cook capsicum
garlic and soy or woshtashere saurce pan grilled works with any colour.
when dad taught me how to cook at the age of 7.5 he encouraged experimentation hence the capsicum. mum loves it and i have never had a complaint about my cooking ask anyone
Well done Dee for losing weight over your break. It's really hard and support is the thing that helps the most to keep you going. I found doing it with a friend made us keep each other honest.
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