A Huge Thank You!!

Thank you to all of you for the continued support and encouraging comments!  I really appreciate it!

I appreciate everyone who took the time to comment on my last post which was very difficult for me to write and also very emotional for me.  I posted it and I took a step back for a few days so that I could continue to fully digest everything.  As many of you pointed out, it is important to know when you need to make a change and to do some serious self-reflection.  That is exactly what I have done.

I am also proud to say that I got back into the gym this week which felt awesome.  My eating habits for the most part have been very good this week.  I am excited to get paid tomorrow to go grocery shopping and load my cart with healthy food and some new items to make some of the recipes I promised that I would post.

Look out for lots of posts this weekend and continued updates on my progress.  Thanks for being here through the ups and downs of my journey.

Things I have learned this weekend

1. When going out to lunch with friends one must ask the server about 10 questions about how a dish is prepared before ordering.  Case in point I ordered a bruschetta chicken salad this weekend and the ingredients were: romaine lettuce, spinach, rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes with a light balsamic glaze and bread.  I asked for the dressing on the side, no bread and wanted to make sure the tomatoes were not drizzled with butter or salt.  The dish came out and it was COVERED in parmesan cheese.  The bread was there, but I gave it to my friends immediately.  It took me about 10 minutes to get the majority of the parmesan cheese off of the dish before I could start eating it. It was very good, but I have learned my lesson that I need to ask more questions about the food that I am ordering.

2. I need to have a better plan in tact for weekends when I have a jam packed schedule.  I am trying to eat every 3 hours or so to keep my metabolism going.  This is generally breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and occasionally a snack after dinner if I have worked out.  Well this weekend I had a lot going on and I didn't enough snacks with me, so I found myself very hungry and slightly crabby.  I didn't make poor choices, but I need to work on being more prepared and having my snacks on hand at all times.

3. Having support is extremely helpful to lose weight.  I feel like I am standing on the rooftops telling everyone what I am doing and what my plan is so that the people around me understand how important this is to me and so that they can hold me accountable.  Ultimately, I am accountable to myself as this is my journey, but it is nice to let people know so that I don't find myself thinking it is okay to have a cheat day every weekend.

4. I need to re-train myself to cook.  I grew up eating comfort foods. We ate a diet of meat, potatoes and a vegetable, which wasn't totally un-healthy, but it could have been a lot more healthy.  I love to cook and I need to get some new recipes in my collection so that I feel like I have options and am not just eating the same thing over and over again.

5. I need to keep my purse closed at all times.  I lost my digital camera for about a half a day, but it has been found and I am beyond thankful.  I guess Ron was right when he told me about 50 times that I need to start closing my purse, so I don't lose things.

6. I attended an EXCELLENT weight loss seminar and I learned for every 6 grams of carbohydrates you consume it is the equal of 1 tsp of sugar as far as your body is concerned.  YIKES!  So at the beginning of this journey I bought some frozen meals that we all know about and think isn't too bad for us, and while it isn't worse than getting fast food it is still not the best option.  Two of the three that I chose had 71 grams of carbohydrates in them.  That is a lot of sugar!  I will be donating those to someone at work.  I also learned that eating whole foods is better than boxed, processed crap (okay, I already knew that, but I learned just how bad it is for us and I am trying to do everything I can to buy all natural, organic and whole foods when I can.

7.  I learned that I am not alone in this journey.  Almost everyone who I spoke this weekend about my weight loss journey told me something that they have been working on as well or things that are difficult for them.  This is everyone from my very thin friends to people who also attended the seminar.  It is nice to know that other people are struggling with their weight and body images as well and that I am not alone.

8.  I learned the importance of being more positive and less negative towards myself.  I consider myself a pretty positive person and I think that I come off that way to my family and friends.  I am not so kind to myself and need to work on my relationship with myself a little more during this journey.  As one of the speakers this weekend said, I am so sick of people saying, "I hate my body.  I hate everything about it.  Why is it that you HATE your body?  Does it not function for you?  Does it not let you live another day?  Does it not let you enjoy your senses and breath in and out?  Don't hate your body.  Just have certain things that you want to work on."  So, I am going to try and be my biggest cheerleader.  I am the only one who can control my weight loss journey and it won't help to beat myself up the entire way.

Permanent Weight Loss

WARNING: This is a long post, I apologize.  I promise they won't all be this long. :)

This afternoon I was browsing some sites online looking for some inspiration for meals,
workouts and just healthy living tips in general and I found an article that I really like on
  Eating Well website which is about tips for permanent weight loss.  This whole thing
that I am working on is not a diet.  A diet is often times  most of the time a temporary
thing.  This is a lifestyle change and is something that I want to be permanent.  A way of
 life, something that I do daily without even thinking about it because it is as habitual as
 brushing my teeth and taking a shower.  I know that this website often uses the word
diet, which is probably because for some people it is just that, but for me it is something
much different.

I read this article several times today to soak it all in and that is when I decided I wanted
 to blog about it and to discuss out loud where I think I fall for each of these steps.  My
 comments follow each step in the purple font.  Make sure you check out the full article
 on the website that is linked above.

Step 1. Make Sure You’re Ready for Change

Of course you want to lose weight—that’s why you are reading this—but in order to make a
 life plan you can stick with, you must be ready—truly ready—to make the commitment.
Losing weight will take some time and effort, and it will require you to make some sacrifices.
(If it were easy, everyone would be thin!) The first step is to make sure you’re ready to get
started. Read more.

The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was, "is anyone ever ready
 for this?"  I know that seems awfully pessimistic, but it is not supposed to sound that 
way.  What I mean is making changes in your life is hard, having willpower is hard, 
working out is hard, BUT being fat is really hard, so what it comes down to is 
choosing your "hard".  I have chosen the "hard" that is committing to change my 
eating habits and lifestyle (not being a lazy blob) to benefit my health. 

Step 2. Set Goals

The next step on your weight-loss journey is to decide what kind of weight loss makes
sense for you. Weigh in, assess your eating habits and make a game plan. That will
 include long-term goals and more immediate goals too. Read more.

When I read this step I was very encouraged because this is one of the first things
 that I did.  When I sat down and made a list of my goals I became even more
 committed to this and even more driven to lose this weight that weighs me down.  
I have made some personal goals that I have not shared and I have made some
 goals that are outlined on the pages of this blog so that others can see what I am
 working towards. I do need to make some smaller goals and also some NON FOOD
 rewards that I can look forward to along this journey.  

Step 3. Track Yourself

Self-awareness is self-motivation: by keeping track of your behavior, you motivate
yourself to change because you become more accountable. Track yourself with a food
diary and exercise log—some of the most powerful tools for managing your weight.
Read more.

I am tracking my every step and every morsel that goes into my mouth.  I have
an exercise/weight lifting log as well as the wonderful resources at The Daily Plate
to help me track my calories and keep my sodium, fat and carbohydrate levels 
consistent.   

Step 4. Eat Mindfully

Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation—not making any food
forbidden, but not going overboard on those rich foods that were once
special-occasion indulgences. Eat mindfully by knowing the foods that make weight
loss easier, and understanding key healthy-eating principles. Read more.

I remember when I started a weight loss journey 4 years ago that I reward 
weight loss with food that I missed.  I am not doing that.  I am allowing myself 
anything that I want in moderation.  If I say NO fries all I will want is fries, fries, 
fries, BUT on that same note it is important to watch my daily intakes and still 
stay on track with my calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates.  I can't justify 
french fries today, a little bit of chinese tomorrow, mexican food this weekend.  
It is moderation AND frequency that matter. 

Step 5. Commit to Move More

Exercise makes weight loss much easier—but more important, people who move
more are more likely to keep the pounds off. No matter where you’re at now, you
can become “an exercise person.” Read more.

I can honestly say that this is the hardest part for me.  I have all the willpower
in the world to avoid cakes, fried food, etc, but when it comes to working out
I just plain don't LOVE it.  I have come to the realization that I LIKE working out, 
which is actually a huge step for me. As my brother in law Mike said today you 
will eventually love it once you see some more results and get used to working
out often.  I am sure he is right, but for now I LIKE the thought of doing it, but
I must say I LOVE how I feel afterwards. 

Step 6. Get Support

Losing weight is challenging—we can’t expect to do it alone. As you make your way
through losing weight, you’ll need to cultivate a network of friends, family, co-workers,
professionals and like-minded dieters.Read more.

I have told pretty much everyone I know about my plans (except for my Mom, but 
that will come as soon as results start to show up).  I have sent my sisters
subscriptions to my blog, I have told my co-workers, my boyfriend, other family
members, etc.  I want people to know that I am working towards something and
I want them to see how committed I am.  I also have paid for six personal training
and six nutrition classes with a registered dietician.

Step 7. Have a Long-Term Plan

As you reach your weight-loss goals, you’re ready for the final step: creating a long-term
strategy that will help your successes stick for good. Read more.

This one is definitely still a work in progress.  I am attending a conference this
weekend and have plans to tap into all of the resources that I can to make this 
a PERMANENT lifestyle and not something that will find me back at this same
terrible spot in years to come. I'm heading to the gym in building to get some
cardio in and then calling it a night.

The EatingWell Diet. Copyright 2007 by Eating Well, Inc. Published by The
Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091.