Weigh-ins are important!

Saw Kirstie Alley on Oprah today. She has gained back the weight she lost in her very public attempt to be thin. I think that the key thing was that she stopped getting weighed. Someone used to come to her house to weigh her, and when she quit the Jenny program, the weigh-ins stopped...and that was the beginning of the weight coming back on.

   With that in mind, my weigh in is tomorrow. And, once a week from there on in. Promise. Make me stick to that promise. 

All talk, no action!

It seems that I can examine all of the thoughts that I would like, but really, I can't manage to do anything about my concerns. Had company tonight, and dinner was the problem. Still eating too much, too fast...and eating beyond being hungry...and that is not good!

  It really is time to become more accountable. (Have you noticed no weight posted? Since the beginning of these posts?) 

  Breakfast, no problem, lunch, no problem, even the snacks in between, no problem. Where the problem seems to lie is overeating at DINNER, and occasionally, eating after dinner during the evening, when I am not really hungry. So, if I KNOW that is the problem (along with the lack of exercise), then why am I not acting on it? AAHHGGG! 

  (calmer now) Tomorrow is a new day. Start again. Write down what is consumed during the day, even if it includes food that I would not normally think of as "program" food. 

Diet, shmiet....

On Monday, I receive notifications from Weight Watchers. I watch the Jenny Craig commercials, and look at the ads for various weight loss clinics in our local papers. By now, I know that I don't want to stand in line at a W.W. meeting, and the other types of diets just stress me out and make me think of food even more! Although I know that these are all good programs, probably the best one I know is "eat less and walk more", which is about all I am capable of handling right now. Went out to dinner tonight, and although I made some choices that were worse than others, basically, things are improving in that area. Trying not to eat in the evening, unless it is veggies, so that is a plus. Not walking as much as I would like. Again, stating the obvious....I need to get back into that routine of walking in the morning....on the treadmill, by myself, and changing the speed, etc. 

  ...and tomorrow is yet another Monday, start the program day!

Facing the truth

One knows by the number of birthdays that one has had that aging is inevitable. However, do you really expect your body to change so much? Aside from carrying the extra weight around, it is what this weight is doing that is concerning me....it is dropping to places lower in my body than where it was intended to land! At this rate, I will have feet that will be the biggest part of me because everything is slipping there! 

  Probably an indication that more exercise is needed, particularly the toning kind. However, weight is, and remains the biggest issue. I am glad that some people can accept themselves, and accept their body shapes, etc. and be happy. I am not one of those. Guess the rest is up to me!

Another lesson

I have managed to stay away from evening eating....for about three days. Broke that "stretch" last night, and ate something just before bedtime. Not a good idea. Why?

   #1. Doing that broke my good intentions.

    #2. I wasn't hungry.

    #3. Now, I feel crappy.

Perhaps if I go with that thinking, that I just don't feel as good if I eat late at night, then it will sink in and I will give up that dreadful habit. Boredom, emotional eating, whatever, it has to stop!

Weigh-in Wednesday?

That didn't happen! Did the week get away on me, or did I lose track of the days? Or, was I just avoiding that contraption altogether? It is an eye-opener to finally face the numbers. Not doing it enough. Can be five extra pounds before you know it.

  Better get that weigh-in done before the weekend. Goal is ten pounds by July. Not impossible....if you stick with something long enough. We'll see.

Why Did I eat?

Because it was there. Had a pretty good day until food was delivered by another family member. Ate it. Shouldn't have. 

  Walked a bit. Not enough.

   Enough said.

Look to the Positive

The main stumbling block in any type of program for me, and likely for others, is the fact that we reach for quick things to eat when we are hungry. There are almonds in my freezer, which are a great food but not in the quantity that I can eat....especially when making dinner, or making reservations for dinner. The fruit thing and the veggie thing...not so easy if they are not prepared. One is going to reach for something easier and quicker to eat if things are not prepared. 

   I turned over a new (lettuce!) leaf today and prepared a huge amount of salad and raw veggies. There won't be an excuse for the next few days. Bought fruit, and grilled some chicken. Walked for 20 minutes with some "sprints" on the treadmill. "Baby steps" to changing a lifestyle.

   The main success was not eating out today. Too often, we do that, because it is just "us" at home now, and it is easier, social, and time gets away on us. Big mistake. No matter how much I know about ordering in restaurants, it all escapes me once I am there. Portions, bread, preparation.....chicken wings! Would be wise to avoid restaurant eating for a while, but already I know that isn't going to happen. Tomorrow there are plans to eat out again. One day at a time, though, and providing I don't feel the urge to go into the kitchen tonight, it was a day in which I recorded some successes. 

My Relationship with Oprah

I wish that I had more in common with Oprah. I don't have her money, her influence, her friends, etc., but we sure share this common problem with food and weight. She has suggested that she is angry with herself for letting this happen again, and I can surely sympathize. The only difference is that she has to go through this while being in the public eye.

   What little resolutions can I make at this point in the year. First of all, tomorrow is Monday. Don't all diets begin on Monday? Perhaps just trying to eat only when hungry would be a good place to start. What else can I add to the "mix"? Some exercise would be good. There was a time that I had a great relationship with my treadmill. I had read that it takes about thirty days to develop an exercise habit...and I did that. Got up at 6 a.m., and did my 30 minutes on the treadmill, and eventually that made a difference. Why argue with success? It is time to get back in the habit of doing that. I know that no matter how much time I have in my day, if I think that I am going to get the exercise in later, I am usually wrong. A walk with friends isn't really exercise, either. A great way to visit, but not a great way to get your heart rate up. Can be an extra few steps added to the day's effort, though.

    The other thing that made me more successful was not having too much in the way of bread throughout the day. That might be my first new rule to try to establish. 

   Weigh in Wednesday.....not that I am going to divulge any numbers to anybody. However, working in five-pound increments for getting the weight off might be a good incentive. Better than trying for 40 pounds (or so!) all at once. 

   Wish me luck about any emotional eating tonight....would be from pure boredom, not because I am hungry. Good luck to anybody out there who ever reads this, too! Likely if you are looking up anything about weight, it is because we share some of the same concerns.  It is still April....still a few months to try to make a difference before the dreaded summer clothes season!

And in the beginning...

there was a young girl at the perfect weight for her height and age. This girl decided that it was time to go "on a diet". And, so it began....years of dealing with diet books, diet clubs, infomercial material related to this quest....and so much for the perfect weight!
Why do we do this to ourselves? The one program that was followed once upon a time suggested that one not eat until hungry! What a novel idea! After eating all of the carbs one wanted and avoiding fat, and then avoiding carbs and eating only protein, and then...well, by the end of several more "proven" programs, all that has happened is that I have become an expert on what to do on many different "diets", and given up on all of them!
In this blog/diary/journal, I am going to share my experiences as I start AGAIN! My bookshelves are groaning from the weight of the books that I have collected through the years, and it is time to clear my head from all of those different regimes. Time to clear the bookshelves, too, and while I am at it, time to clear the closets, too! Going back to that "eat when you are hungry" might be the only diet "rule" that I am going to hang on to. Let's see if common sense will prevail. "One day at a time" might be a good motto to add as well. Hmmm....let's just see what happens!