In response to Sally’s question about how my clothes are fitting: Not well.
I have a (painful, excruciating, ridiculous) family trip to go on at the end of this week and was feeling confidant that I would fit into some shorts from last year. After all, I am back into my (sadly) normal weight range. Normal because I’ve been a minimum of 20 pounds overweight for the last…mmm…five years at least. Hence I’m back to *normal*. Well, perhaps not so much. I can’t button up one pair of shorts. Not one. I know they fit when I went to Mexico last October but I was at least eight pounds less then. Being short means 8 pounds = no shorts for me. I don’t have the money to buy news ones so I’m debating fashioning some stylish culottes out of bedsheets and calling it a day.
I still have 10 pounds to lose by June 27 and that is my adjusted hope, back when this all started I wanted to lose a total of 25 pounds by then which would have meant 15 more pounds, but short of quitting my job (which will quit me June 30th, ironically) and working out nine hours a day and hiring a brilliant team of scientists and chefs to prepare exact nutritionally balanced meals that come in at 1300 calories a day I don’t know how in Pete’s name this would even happen.
Big picture? My weight loss has been slow, but it has been mostly loss, not gain. I’m not seeing any toning of any muscles anywhere but my stamina is better. 8 weeks ago just walking down the street at work during lunch caused my shins and calf muscles to tighten so bad I had to stretch every few hundred yards. Now I can walk at a brisk pace for over 45 minutes, only stopping to stretch a few times, and am getting close to touching my toes again. These are great accomplishments. If I wasn’t considering attending this 10 year High School Reunion (of dooooooooom) then I’d be thrilled. I’d be on track, albeit a slow track, to getting in decent shape, being able to have fun outside again, and I wouldn’t have this deadline looming ahead of me. I’m 25 pounds heavier now than I ever was in high school and it’s not like I have kids or something to show for it. All I have to show for it is years of depression smothered in nacho cheese.
This morning I was really down and googled Nutrasystem. It is basically crash dieting, I know, and not a long term solution, I know, but I looked at it anyway. And got annoyed. It is about $350.00 for one month and that doesn’t include the fruits, veggies, and dairy I would have to buy to supplement their plan. I don’t have that kind of money. I don’t even spend that much money in a month for food. If I am spending that kind of money I expect them to send me lobster on their damn plan because hell, it is low cal if I skip the butter.
The only advantage to Nutrasystem is that it requires virtually no thought. And no thought, I have learned, is the key to my weight loss success. After a few weeks of measuring calories and making myself healthy mini meals I begin to break down. I can’t let my brain being any part of the process; it gets lazy or it sabotages me and I’m back to square one. It may take me a month to take off five pounds but I can put on those five pounds in one weekend: My brain cannot be trusted.
I need a good calorie restricted diet at this point where thought is virtually removed. I did good for 8 weeks on my own but I’m breaking down and not losing weight anymore. I wouldn’t want to put this push in because it is counterproductive to attaining a livable, healthy lifestyle but my ego won’t let me waddle into the reunion looking like Eris the Hut.
So what do I do?
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3 comments:
The only thing I can think of is to drink more water than you are drinking now. It will make it harder to eat food, in fact you may eat less because the water will take more room. You may spend more time in the bathroom though.
Just keep on keepin' on, honey. That's all you can do. When you mess up one day, pick up and start again the next.
The Adkins diet worked really well for me, and I cheated every weekend. Still, I lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks. And I got to have cheese. Cheeeeeezzzzzzeeeee. Mmmmm... cheese...
But you do know that you're fantastic just the way you are, right?
Studies have shown that a healthy, balanced diet is the main ingredient to weight loss and maintaining a low weight. Exercise, while still extremely important, takes a surprisingly distant second (unless you'd like to join me for a 50-mile run). You're doing great! Besides, I can't think of one time I've seen you were you haven't looked fantastic. Honestly.
Best bet: avoid crazy diets. Atkins has had huge results for people, Sally, my friend Greg lost 90 pounds (before gaining it back as a lazy CHP officer). You know what else has great results? Richard Simmons. Did you know that he's helped people lose a combined weight of over 2 million pounds?! 2 million! So go dance your cares away with the dead Dr. Atkins and a Richard Simmons tape. Go on! I won't laugh!
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