Small Victories

My life is crazy right now!  There are so many times I have to grab something to eat on the run.  It would be SO EASY to drive through someplace and get a triple cheeseburger with extra fat and a family size order of fries to eat on the way to my next stop.

But, instead, I drive through someplace and get the grilled chicken on whole wheat with no fries.  I look up the points in my handy point-looker-upper, and record them in my handy record-your-points-here place. 

I try not to think about things like:  I should be more organized.  I should pack a lunch.  I should never have gained this weight in the first place.

There are a lot of things I could do better.  But sometimes all I can do is keep track of those points, and stay within my allowance.  And doing that feels good.  It's a small victory.  One more day under my ever-loosening belt.  And all that running from this thing to the next?  I count that in my activity points.  One day at a time.  One point at a time.  One victory at a time.

Whatever!

Thought control.  That's my biggest challenge. 

It's so easy to get bogged down in negativity, to look for what is going wrong instead of what is going right, to find fault with people, or plans...or even the weather.  And considering the fact that I tend to want to eat when I'm upset, what I think about is very important!

So for today, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philipians 4:8 NIV)

I'll start by thinking about you, my friends and family, who are walking with me through this experience.  :-)

Weigh Day! - Total Loss - 18.6 pounds

Slow but sure.  A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.  A weight loss of over a hundred pounds starts with a single pound.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Inch by inch it's a cinch, yard by yard it's hard.  A little goes a long way.  Losing just 10% of your body weight creates major health benefits (I'm not there yet...but close!)  Rome wasn't built in a day.  A little dab'll do ya.  Eensy-weensy spider....uh, I think I'm losing my train of thought here.

Yes, I wish I was losing 2 pounds a week, but I'm happy for any downward trend that comes my way!  Yesterday was another hungry day, but I managed to stay within normally accepted parameters.  This week I'm trying to add more exercise to my routine by getting up earlier and going for a walk every morning.  I keep reminding myself what I'm working on here is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and not a DIET.  Weight loss is simply a bi-product of the changes I'm making.  Oddly enough, I'm also getting more things done!

I guess a little dab really can do ya, one little dab at time.

Hungry Day

I don't get it.  Some days I practically have to force myself to eat, because I'm just not hungry.  Today, after I ate my usual breakfast, I felt like I hadn't even eaten at all!

And to top that off, my weight has been see-sawing up and down a couple of pounds for the past three days.  It started by see-sawing UP (of course) on my WW meeting day, which means my OFFICIAL weigh in didn't show any progress whatsoever.

So here's the up side.  I went to the meeting.  I stayed on program.  I exercised.  These are my steps to success, and it's my job to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other.  As my wise sister has been known to say, "God promises to guide our footsteps, but we still have to move our feet!"  So okay.  This is me moving my feet.  The rest is up to You, Lord.  Amen.

New Normal?

This is strange.  The other day I woke up feeling good and full of energy...so much so that I WANTED to clean the house.  And it happened again today!

For the past seven weeks I've gone through some peaks and valleys physically.  My energy level has on many occasions been lower than my normal state of lethargy.  I assumed that my body was "adjusting" to my new way of eating.  It was screaming, "What are you doing to me?  Where are my little powdered sugar donuts?!?  How do expect me to survive on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins?!?!  For heaven's sake stop moving around so much and sit down!!"

I like this waking up, eyes wide open (and not one thought of needing toothpicks to keep them that way) and feeling ready to do whatever needs to be done.  I'm hoping this is a glimpse of what's to come and what I've heard other people talk about who have lost weight...lots of energy!  Feeling good, WANTING to do things I need to do, is SO MUCH BETTER than how I used to feel--dragging myself around between naps and feedings. 

Gotta run!



Weigh Day - Total Loss: 17.8 pounds!

My cat, Dusty, weighs somewhere between 17 and 18 pounds, and since I've lost somewhere between 17 and 18 pounds, today this little kitty represents my weight loss so far.  I'm averaging just about 2 pounds a week.  This week I also lost another 2.5 inches off my hips and an inch off my waist!  It is, quite simply, amazing. 

If I was measuring my hope, the change would be off the charts!

Food Dreams

Uh oh.  In my past efforts to lose weight, dreaming about food was always a sign of the beginning of the end of my efforts. 

Of course, that particular dream has always been about little white powdered sugar donuts (my particular nemesis.)  Last night I dreamed about cooking MEAT.  Particularly, me trying to cook a big feast.  What a mess I made!  There was food everywhere, except on plates or platters.  It was on the wall, in the bottom of the oven, splattered  across the front of the fridge.  A kind of creepy, food-fight nightmare!

I guess it is possible that this dream was a subconcious attempt to return to my former way of eating.  But when I think about it, that seems doubtful since I'm not known for my cooking...messy or not!  Maybe it was my subconcious working through the idea that I WANT to become good at cooking, and my confidence level about doing that is quite low.  When I look at it that way, I feel kind of encouraged about creating a new future instead of worried about returning to past bad habits.  So that's the way I'll choose to look at it.  Maybe one day I'll have a feast dream that presents a truly beautiful and healthy picture.  I'm certain that in that dream my husband will also be there, cleaning up behind me!

And, I also must remember that what I'm doing now is not all about my efforts, but about trusting God to give me that new future.  " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for a hope and a future.' "  Jeremiah 29:11