PUTTING THE TWENTIES TOGETHER (Part 2)

CALL ME STRAWBERRY

Strawberry is my name for this blog, anyway.  I'm using a fruit because is what I should be eating.  I'm using this fruit because it is my favorite.  I love strawberries.  If I ate them more frequently, I'd be a much fitter person.

I am sitting here in front of the computer in my home, eating an apple and starting over once again.  In January, I made a pledge to myself and to my blog that I would lose 20 lbs at a time and reach my goal by the summer.  It did not happen.  I also pledged to weigh myself once a week in a bathing suit.  I did it the first week, but after that, I did not.

I was at a party for my softball team this past Friday.  Plenty of food, drink and fun.  The highlight of the night is a photo collage that one of my teammates puts together every year for the team to watch.  Everyone gathers around the tv to watch a DVD of pictures of our team from year to year, including the season that has just finished.  I always hate watching it, because I never look good in the pictures.  Some of the pictures are those that I was not prepared to take (whether sweating on the field or whatever).  Usually at the end of the collage I feel as if I should go on a diet.  So here I am again.

Nobody said that losing weight is easy.  If it was easy, everyone would be at their goal weight.   Gaining weight is easy.  I'm good at that.  I love my beer and chips.  I'm not big on cakes and pies, but I do like them. I know that when I'm serious, I can cut all the bad foods out of my diet and 20 lbs would drop pretty easily, or that was what I thought.  This past year, I got as far as 10.  But even when I do get to the first 20, Its just hard to get past it.  I have lost 20 lbs numerous times, but not in a row.  That's my problem.

I know what I have to do to lose weight.  That is not the problem.  The problem is sticking to the program.  Eating the wrong food, or too much of the wrong food, is an addiction, just like smoking or drinking.  I often wonder about people who cannot quit smoking, and may shake my head at them because they are ruining their health.  But, those who are addicted to food are doing the same thing.  

I joined Weight Watchers and lost 20 last year doing the online thing.  I did not have the time or money for meetings, although I knew that it was extremely difficult to lose weight without the meetings.  After a year, my net weight gain was 5 lbs.  I had some good weeks and bad weeks.  I basically maintained the weight that I have been for the past 10 years.  For every week that I logged in my meals, there were 5 that I did not.  I spent 20 dollars a month to gain weight.   I don't blame them.  It's me.

Now I'm doing Spark People.  Once again, I will be blogging my progress good or bad to keep me on track.   I make no promises about how often I will blog, because I found that if I failed during the week, I did not blog.  Eventually, I avoided the blog like the plague.  This is the first time I've blogged since February 20.  Right after Valentine's day?  Could it be coincidence?

However, I will weigh myself once a week. Today was day one. 

STAYING OPTIMISTIC

Okay, the results of the bathing suit weigh in are in:  

I lost another pound.  That makes me -7 overall.   

I'm a little disappointed, because I was good all week, except for that one day that I went to the movies.  I have to say that right now, it is hard to go out and be good at the same time.  I was hoping for three, but any loss is better than a gain, so I am happy with it.  I'm still going in the right direction. Thirteen until the first twenty.

The popcorn was still worth it.

I'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED

"I will not eat peanut m&ms!"

I think that I have successfully brainwashed myself.  Case in point...I went grocery shopping yesterday and skipped over all the yummy things that usually tempt me.  I did make sure that I ate something before I went there, which is important.  You don't want to go grocery shopping if you are hungry.  By the time you reach the counter with the delicious candy selection in the aisle right behind you, you would be doomed.

I got chicken breasts, carrots, potatoes, fruit, and all good things.  I plan on making something in the crock pot for dinner, and have not figured it out yet.  I'm assuming that it will have chicken, carrots and potatoes...LOL

By the way, the movie (Les Miserables) was great.  Hugh was outstanding, which is what I expected.  As for the diet I bought a medium kettle corn (not exactly diet friendly, but I did skip the box of peanut m&ms).  I bought a bottle of water, which I half finished, dropped, and then heard it roll underneath the seats down the slope to who knows where.  Needless to say, I did not crawl on the floor during or after the movie retrieve it.  God knows what was on that floor.

Picture and quote courtesy of SparkPeople.com

SO FAR, SO GOOD

Okay, here are the results of the week one bathing suit weigh in...

I'm down 6 lbs.  Yay!  

Now, I know that the first week, if you are dedicated, is always good.  I've had plenty of first weeks in my lifetime.  To tell you the truth, it is the second week that is the hardest because you have the joy of the first week and you want to celebrate.  For me, getting past 20 lbs is even harder.  So, yes, I am happy and proud of myself, but I also know that this is only the beginning.  I'm still on the first twenty.

One thing that I have noticed, and it is no surprise, is that I'm always hungry.  When I was hungry before, I would just eat something, but not now.  I don't have enough good stuff in the house.  Gotta get some raw veggies.  Carrots, celery, etc.  I bought 2 baskets of strawberries last week and they lasted one hour.  The kids saw them and that was the end of that.  I did eat enough of them for that day, but there was nothing left for the next day.  One thing about my kids...they do love their fruit.  We still have apples, but they won't be here long.  Gotta get more supplies.

My goal for this week is to lose more than the usual 1 or 2 lbs in the second week.  Three would be good, as a matter of fact.  I'll put the goal at 3.  

I love me some Hugh

I'm probably going to the movies Wednesday to see Les Miserables.   I will plan out my day so that I can have popcorn, but no soda.  I will have to skip my usual peanut m&ms. :(

DAY THREE...STAYING ON TRACK

Hey everyone,

I do plan on blogging a great deal because it will keep me on track and I will have someone to answer to, even if no-one reads it.  I will not be blogging every day, however.

Day three and I'm still alive, and sticking to my pledge.  I haven't broken down and bought peanut m&m's (my favorite foil) because it is that time of the month.  I'm sure that my first week's weigh in will reflect a loss of water weight, so I have to take that into consideration.  

Peanut m&ms are my comfort food.  Even when the kids go down the street to the local store, they pick up some for me, just to make me happy.  I have told them that I have given them up, so they do not inadvertently send me into a relapse.

I'm sorry if this picture makes you feel uncomfortable.  It used to give me comfort.

Speaking of uncomfortable, Tiger (my oldest son) and I were looking at the ingredients of the lemonade mix that we use as a drink.  I spent the rest of the night looking for recipes for all natural lemonade.

As for the nicknames, I did ask my kids what animal they would like to be.  Big Mistake.  After much wrangling (I had to point out that they wouldn't be hunted, or eaten by a predator, etc.), took about a half hour to come up with these nicknames.  Still sticking with bear for the middle guy (I think that he wanted to be a shark, but sharks are not lovable).  My daughter does not like the nickname Bunny, and the oldest son finally came up with Tiger, after changing it several times from Elk to Cheetah.  I just wanted nicknames for this blog, and probably shouldn't have gotten them involved

much better
courtesy of Moderation Mama Holistic Health and Positive Med

I did forget to take my vitamins yesterday, but I drank all the water and logged in my food.  I weighed myself this morning, and there is some progress, but I still have the rest of the week and weekend to get through before my bathing suit weigh in on Monday.  It will be Monday next week, and then Tuesdays from then on.

As for inspiration, I have been logging into Spark People, and following Positivemed.com and Moderation Mama Holistic Health on facebook.  Both facebook sites give very informative updates and keep me thinking healthy.

DAY ONE...READY, SET...

READY, SET....

I have finally begun, weighed myself this morning, etc.  I did not gain weight over vacation, surprisingly.   I have gotten rid of (or used) all the bad stuff in my refrigerator and pantry.  There are snacks for the kids, but I will not...I repeat...will not be tempted by them.

My plan is to eat less carbs, less sugar, less dairy and more protein, fruit, and veggies.  Beer and wine are only allowed on special occasions (It's the weekend!  does not count as a special occasion).  I will take my vitamins every day, drink more water and exercise.

All in all it was a very good day.  Eggs for breakfast, soup for lunch, and dinner was one serving of pasta with tomato sauce.  I had popcorn for snack later on.  I drank water, took my vitamins and walked for about 20 minutes.  Also did some cleaning at work.

Time for bed.  I made it through day one :)

found this one on facebook