So, I'm down 9 pounds. Yay! I can feel that I'm smaller too. My clothes fit better, and yesterday I tried on some clothes that I haven't been able to wear since before Baby Blubba, and while they aren't quite ready for prime time, I could button them and even could wear them out without looking foolish (I would just be a little uncomfortable). It's very satisfying- I can feel that my attitude about myself has changed.
When I entered my weight into the Weight Watchers program on Tuesday, it showed a 4 pound drop. I think this was skewed a little; I think I weighed high last Tuesday and slightly low this Tuesday. But it still prompted Weight Watchers to give me a little lecture about not losing weight too quickly. I realize who their target is, but I'm not being unhealthy. I'm not skipping meals, I'm eating a variety of good food (super extra yummy food; more on that later), I'm exercising but only as much as I can manage, which ends up being a lot on the weekend and not so much during the week. As I said, I understand where they are coming from, but it was a tiny bit discouraging to be told by my weight loss software that I needed to eat more to slow my weight loss.
That said, this is the week for it. For whatever reason, I am so struggling this week. I am craving Ben & Jerry's, cookies, cakes, every super sweet rich fattening thing on this earth. My sweet tooth has always been a trouble spot for me- if you recall, it was candy that was more or less my undoing after I had Baby Blubba. Sweet, sweet, chocolaty candy, with peanut butter and caramel and nougat...sorry, what was I saying? Oh, right, sweet things are sorely tempting me this week. I am struggling worse than I have since the very beginning.
I've tried eating more fruit and being satisfied with that. I've tried eating just more of everything else, so I'm full. I've tried snacking on a couple of 1-point-each chocolates from Weight Watchers (which, I have to say, are kind of nasty and not at all satisfying). I've tried loading up on "approved" sweets like sugar free, fat free pudding. None of it is deterring my awful cravings.
My biggest savior has come because I actually just don't have anything like what I want in my house. I was very close to going to the store last night and getting something, anything, to satisfy this craving, but Blubba had to work late and I opted to work in the garden instead.
I try to hold onto the idea of 9 pounds down, and the thought that my weight is in the 140's now for the first time in a long time, that being strong is the only way to get even smaller, but that is only momentarily helpful. Arrgh!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
An Ode to Weight Watchers
Holy moly, I did not mean to go almost two whole months without posting! As Blubba mentioned, the Family Blubba went on vacation at the beginning of April, and it's been a crazy roller coaster since then.
So, having taken the advice of Happy Blog Chick and others, I have joined Weight Watchers. With Blubba on his low calorie diet, it was going to be up to me to feed myself, and I decided this was a perfect time for me to really commit to cooking for myself and eating healthily. I had long abdicated dinner decisions to my husband, mostly out of laziness, and because he takes care of me so well, I haven't had to cook much of anything until now. It was time to take control of my diet.
I started with an advantage- I actually like healthy foods. I like veggies and fruits, and lean meats and fish and chicken. I like food that is highly seasoned, rather than relying on butter or oil to make it tasty. It was just time to put those tastes into action.
I joined the Core program on Weight Watchers, and for those who aren't familiar with it (I certainly wasn't), it's basically perfect for someone like me with my goals. The deal is that there is a list of foods that I can eat as much of as I want, things like fresh and frozen vegetables (without cheese or butter, of course), fresh fruit, chicken, brown rice, Canadian bacon. There are a few rules that seemed overwhelming at first, but have ended up okay, like, brown rice or potatoes only once per day (a little tough when you're eating leftovers, but I'm making it work). They give me 35 points per week for those non-Core foods I can't live without, and I can earn more points through exercise.
I am such a convert. I talk about Weight Watchers to anyone who will listen. It's teaching me to eat better, to recognize healthy choices, and so-so choices, and the best of bad options. The combination of the Core list and keeping track of the points is also well-suited to my temperament, since I do not have the patience to keep track of every point I eat. I've joined the online version- I don't have time for the meetings and I'm pretty sure I don't need a support group anyway- and I find the tools to be easy and fun to use. And since I am in front of a computer 7 days a week, keeping track of what I am eating that way is so much easier than writing it down.
I have to say that the most eye-opening thing has been what a healthy diet really is. I knew I didn't have the greatest diet before this, but I thought I made decent choices. How wrong I was! My eating has taken a dramatic turn, as I have gone to an extremely low fat diet over the last three weeks, a diet that is heavy in vegetables and fresh fruit. It continues to surprise me how hard it is to eat healthy when eating out. Even salads come slathered in cheese. And fast food is not even worth it if you care about diet or taste. Even the healthy options often have hidden calories, and the ones that are truly okay aren't very tasty ( a salad consists of a pan of iceberg lettuce, two onion circles, a tomato wedge and some wilted cucumber. Yuck).
I have also started learning how to indulge myself sometimes, and as a result, I have started to realize what it takes to be able to enjoy one rich meal. I went with my sister to have fondue on Monday night, and because it was a special the restaurant was running, we had the cheese fondue, the salad and then the chocolate fondue for a discounted price. Now, this restaurant does 4 courses typically: cheese, salad, main course and chocolate. The main course is definitely the healthiest, as it is cooking lean meats, fish and veggies in broth-based fondue. Note that the healthy course is the one we skipped! But I knew the event was coming up, and not only did I religiously save my weekly points up, I also exercised as much as I had time for- I earned an extra 20 points through my exercise! When the night came, I had no idea how many points I was going to consume, but I was pretty sure that the 45 points I had would cover the meal.
It was a great lesson in that old adage: you can eat whatever you want, you just have to be sure you exercise as well. Also this adage: everything in moderation. I was so sick to my stomach the next morning- it was like I had a food hangover! I enjoyed it so much, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, but definitely not regularly.
Anyway, I have also been cooking for myself, and sharing some of that food with Baby Blubba. I'm determined to get her on and used to a healthy diet now, when she's small. I hope to instill in her healthy habits that I'm having a hard time developing now at 31, so that they will be automatic to her when she is an adult. I've been cooking entirely from the Core list, and there are some fabulous and tasty recipes on the Weight Watchers site! I have only had a spontaneous meal out once in the last three weeks, and that was a lunch where I forgot to bring the one I had packed, so was forced to pick something up at a restaurant. Otherwise, any time I've gone out, it's been planned and I can account for the points.
I love it. I love that I am learning to cook more, since I am not and have never been all that great in the kitchen. I love that I am using all the great pots and pans we got when we were married nearly 4 years ago. I love that I am feeding myself healthy, tasty food, and that I'm making changes that feel like true lifestyle changes. I feel better. My tummy and intestines like my diet choices much better now than they used to, and I don't walk around with a vague feeling of abdominal distress any more. I also have more energy, which I'm sure is a result of all the walking I'm doing, as well as the food that isn't weighing me down any more.
And last, but certainly not least, I'm seeing results!!! I'm down 7 pounds in three weeks, and I can see that I have lost weight. My clothes are fitting better, and my belly pooch (thank you, Baby Blubba) is noticeably smaller. My next big milestone is to get under 150 pounds (I'm at 151 now), which I haven't been since before Baby Blubba was born. I'm so excited and encouraged to see the results, and to know that I'm not exactly "on a diet." I can eat this way for the rest of my life.
I have to get up and get ready for work now, but I have so much more to write about. Things like how our walks together have become great family time for the Blubbas, how we've become one of the greenest families I know, since we've started walking to the grocery store, and how my love for veggies has blossomed into a full-blown obsession with freshness. Things like our garden project and how I plan to modify the program once I reach my goal weight.
I hope you all are doing well and have had a great week! Happy Friday!
So, having taken the advice of Happy Blog Chick and others, I have joined Weight Watchers. With Blubba on his low calorie diet, it was going to be up to me to feed myself, and I decided this was a perfect time for me to really commit to cooking for myself and eating healthily. I had long abdicated dinner decisions to my husband, mostly out of laziness, and because he takes care of me so well, I haven't had to cook much of anything until now. It was time to take control of my diet.
I started with an advantage- I actually like healthy foods. I like veggies and fruits, and lean meats and fish and chicken. I like food that is highly seasoned, rather than relying on butter or oil to make it tasty. It was just time to put those tastes into action.
I joined the Core program on Weight Watchers, and for those who aren't familiar with it (I certainly wasn't), it's basically perfect for someone like me with my goals. The deal is that there is a list of foods that I can eat as much of as I want, things like fresh and frozen vegetables (without cheese or butter, of course), fresh fruit, chicken, brown rice, Canadian bacon. There are a few rules that seemed overwhelming at first, but have ended up okay, like, brown rice or potatoes only once per day (a little tough when you're eating leftovers, but I'm making it work). They give me 35 points per week for those non-Core foods I can't live without, and I can earn more points through exercise.
I am such a convert. I talk about Weight Watchers to anyone who will listen. It's teaching me to eat better, to recognize healthy choices, and so-so choices, and the best of bad options. The combination of the Core list and keeping track of the points is also well-suited to my temperament, since I do not have the patience to keep track of every point I eat. I've joined the online version- I don't have time for the meetings and I'm pretty sure I don't need a support group anyway- and I find the tools to be easy and fun to use. And since I am in front of a computer 7 days a week, keeping track of what I am eating that way is so much easier than writing it down.
I have to say that the most eye-opening thing has been what a healthy diet really is. I knew I didn't have the greatest diet before this, but I thought I made decent choices. How wrong I was! My eating has taken a dramatic turn, as I have gone to an extremely low fat diet over the last three weeks, a diet that is heavy in vegetables and fresh fruit. It continues to surprise me how hard it is to eat healthy when eating out. Even salads come slathered in cheese. And fast food is not even worth it if you care about diet or taste. Even the healthy options often have hidden calories, and the ones that are truly okay aren't very tasty ( a salad consists of a pan of iceberg lettuce, two onion circles, a tomato wedge and some wilted cucumber. Yuck).
I have also started learning how to indulge myself sometimes, and as a result, I have started to realize what it takes to be able to enjoy one rich meal. I went with my sister to have fondue on Monday night, and because it was a special the restaurant was running, we had the cheese fondue, the salad and then the chocolate fondue for a discounted price. Now, this restaurant does 4 courses typically: cheese, salad, main course and chocolate. The main course is definitely the healthiest, as it is cooking lean meats, fish and veggies in broth-based fondue. Note that the healthy course is the one we skipped! But I knew the event was coming up, and not only did I religiously save my weekly points up, I also exercised as much as I had time for- I earned an extra 20 points through my exercise! When the night came, I had no idea how many points I was going to consume, but I was pretty sure that the 45 points I had would cover the meal.
It was a great lesson in that old adage: you can eat whatever you want, you just have to be sure you exercise as well. Also this adage: everything in moderation. I was so sick to my stomach the next morning- it was like I had a food hangover! I enjoyed it so much, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, but definitely not regularly.
Anyway, I have also been cooking for myself, and sharing some of that food with Baby Blubba. I'm determined to get her on and used to a healthy diet now, when she's small. I hope to instill in her healthy habits that I'm having a hard time developing now at 31, so that they will be automatic to her when she is an adult. I've been cooking entirely from the Core list, and there are some fabulous and tasty recipes on the Weight Watchers site! I have only had a spontaneous meal out once in the last three weeks, and that was a lunch where I forgot to bring the one I had packed, so was forced to pick something up at a restaurant. Otherwise, any time I've gone out, it's been planned and I can account for the points.
I love it. I love that I am learning to cook more, since I am not and have never been all that great in the kitchen. I love that I am using all the great pots and pans we got when we were married nearly 4 years ago. I love that I am feeding myself healthy, tasty food, and that I'm making changes that feel like true lifestyle changes. I feel better. My tummy and intestines like my diet choices much better now than they used to, and I don't walk around with a vague feeling of abdominal distress any more. I also have more energy, which I'm sure is a result of all the walking I'm doing, as well as the food that isn't weighing me down any more.
And last, but certainly not least, I'm seeing results!!! I'm down 7 pounds in three weeks, and I can see that I have lost weight. My clothes are fitting better, and my belly pooch (thank you, Baby Blubba) is noticeably smaller. My next big milestone is to get under 150 pounds (I'm at 151 now), which I haven't been since before Baby Blubba was born. I'm so excited and encouraged to see the results, and to know that I'm not exactly "on a diet." I can eat this way for the rest of my life.
I have to get up and get ready for work now, but I have so much more to write about. Things like how our walks together have become great family time for the Blubbas, how we've become one of the greenest families I know, since we've started walking to the grocery store, and how my love for veggies has blossomed into a full-blown obsession with freshness. Things like our garden project and how I plan to modify the program once I reach my goal weight.
I hope you all are doing well and have had a great week! Happy Friday!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Non Scale Victory!
And I do mean victory, with a capital V! In the category of a scale victory, the three pounds I mentioned here have actually stayed off, even as I rehydrated- apparently, my illness more or less coincided with the time when my hard work started to pay off. So, woo-hoo! But even better, and more importantly for short-term motivation, I look thinner. I can feel a difference in how my clothes are fitting, and I most definitely see a difference in how I look. I'm not thin enough yet to wear most of my "non-fat" clothes, but my "fat" clothes are starting to look much better. I feel so svelte! And it is completely motivating me to continue working out, and trying to make better food choices.
In that regard, I've given the recommendation I've had from happyblogchick, among many others, to do Weight Watchers some serious thought. I've discussed it with Blubba, and despite my protestations that I am not disciplined enough to do Weight Watchers (which I truly believe I haven't been until now), I am going to try to give it a shot, at the same time as Blubba begins seeing the weight loss doctor. He has his first appointment in two weeks, so I'm all primed to begin Weight Watchers at the same time. Blubba and I can support each other with our food choices in the same way we support each other with our exercise, and if I'm only focusing on myself and my own food (with Blubba on a liquid diet and Baby Blubba more or less separate- and more healthy- than both of us), I am hopeful I can actually work with it.
So, I am completely excited about looking thinner, and seeing the difference in the way my clothes are fitting, and I am looking forward to trying to stick with Weight Watchers. It can only help me develop healthy habits, which is the ultimate goal of all this, and help the weight come off faster. Yay, for healthy habits! And yay for non-scale victories!
In that regard, I've given the recommendation I've had from happyblogchick, among many others, to do Weight Watchers some serious thought. I've discussed it with Blubba, and despite my protestations that I am not disciplined enough to do Weight Watchers (which I truly believe I haven't been until now), I am going to try to give it a shot, at the same time as Blubba begins seeing the weight loss doctor. He has his first appointment in two weeks, so I'm all primed to begin Weight Watchers at the same time. Blubba and I can support each other with our food choices in the same way we support each other with our exercise, and if I'm only focusing on myself and my own food (with Blubba on a liquid diet and Baby Blubba more or less separate- and more healthy- than both of us), I am hopeful I can actually work with it.
So, I am completely excited about looking thinner, and seeing the difference in the way my clothes are fitting, and I am looking forward to trying to stick with Weight Watchers. It can only help me develop healthy habits, which is the ultimate goal of all this, and help the weight come off faster. Yay, for healthy habits! And yay for non-scale victories!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Making Progress
I should start by saying that I am feeling much better from yesterday. It took about 24 hours or so, and the bug worked its way out, leaving me feeling weak and shaky. I'll take weak and shaky over barfing my toenails up any day.
I am off my exercising train, though. Bad back Tuesday, work and food poisoning Wednesday, and work tonight have combined to keep me off the treadmill. I'm itching to get going again, though. The more I do, the quicker I will see results.
On a separate note, Blubba is planning on looking into medical help for his weight loss. He has tried this before a couple of times, and while he has lost a lot of weight on these kinds of liquid diets before, they are terrifically hard to stay on. I think the difference here is that I am feeling like I can be more supportive of him this time, since I'm on my own health journey. I don't mean to say that I undercut him before, or wasn't supportive, but food is one of the ways we are bonded together, and it was hard for me to not ask him to share a particularly tasty meal with me.
I think I can do that for him this time. What I hope to be is as much a booster for him and his slurm, as he calls it, as he is for me and my exercise. He humbles me with how well and often he is able to get me off the couch. Let us hope that this time, I can be strong for him the way I haven't been able to be in the past. The way he is for me.
UPDATE: Happyblogchick makes a great case for Weight Watchers in the comments. Maybe if I am focusing only on my own eating, instead of Blubba's as well, I can actually have the necessary discipline. I have heard so many good things about it, maybe it's time for me to make a radical change as well as Blubba. Hmmm. This is a very intriguing idea to me. Thanks for the food for thought, HBC!
I am off my exercising train, though. Bad back Tuesday, work and food poisoning Wednesday, and work tonight have combined to keep me off the treadmill. I'm itching to get going again, though. The more I do, the quicker I will see results.
On a separate note, Blubba is planning on looking into medical help for his weight loss. He has tried this before a couple of times, and while he has lost a lot of weight on these kinds of liquid diets before, they are terrifically hard to stay on. I think the difference here is that I am feeling like I can be more supportive of him this time, since I'm on my own health journey. I don't mean to say that I undercut him before, or wasn't supportive, but food is one of the ways we are bonded together, and it was hard for me to not ask him to share a particularly tasty meal with me.
I think I can do that for him this time. What I hope to be is as much a booster for him and his slurm, as he calls it, as he is for me and my exercise. He humbles me with how well and often he is able to get me off the couch. Let us hope that this time, I can be strong for him the way I haven't been able to be in the past. The way he is for me.
UPDATE: Happyblogchick makes a great case for Weight Watchers in the comments. Maybe if I am focusing only on my own eating, instead of Blubba's as well, I can actually have the necessary discipline. I have heard so many good things about it, maybe it's time for me to make a radical change as well as Blubba. Hmmm. This is a very intriguing idea to me. Thanks for the food for thought, HBC!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Blurgh
Good news: I'm down three pounds!
Bad news: I think it is a result of the food poisoning I've been suffering with for the last 12 hours or so. Yuck. I do NOT recommend food poisoning as weight loss method.
I realize that people with eating disorders are very ill, and I've done a lot of the reading regarding the psychological underpinnings of that kind of disease. And I still genuinely cannot comprehend how people manage to make themselves purge. Throwing up is so physically catastrophic to me, so unpleasant, so against the natural way my body works.
Also, I like food too much (20 pounds too much, apparently).
Anyway, I don't mean to make light of eating disorders. Bulimia particularly is just so completely outside my comprehension, and I am newly reminded of that given the last 12 hours of enforced purging.
Bad news: I think it is a result of the food poisoning I've been suffering with for the last 12 hours or so. Yuck. I do NOT recommend food poisoning as weight loss method.
I realize that people with eating disorders are very ill, and I've done a lot of the reading regarding the psychological underpinnings of that kind of disease. And I still genuinely cannot comprehend how people manage to make themselves purge. Throwing up is so physically catastrophic to me, so unpleasant, so against the natural way my body works.
Also, I like food too much (20 pounds too much, apparently).
Anyway, I don't mean to make light of eating disorders. Bulimia particularly is just so completely outside my comprehension, and I am newly reminded of that given the last 12 hours of enforced purging.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Reasons Why
Blubba already posted his reasons why he wants to lose weight and get healthy. Mine look somewhat similar, though I think I have more reasons than just our gorgeous Baby Blubba.
Of course I want to feel better about my appearance. I haven't invested in larger size clothing, because I keep thinking I will lose the weight (it's "only" 20 pounds!) and then I can wear my whole wardrobe that I like so much. So consequently, I end up wearing the same four "fat" outfits, none of which fit very well, and thus are not very flattering. My choices are to lose the weight and get back into my wardrobe, or go buy more clothes. Did I mention I don't want to shop for clothes because I feel bad about my weight? So lose the weight it is.
(Also, I'm too cheap to go buy a whole new wardrobe.)
Less shallowly, I want to be healthy because we want to have another Baby Blubba. I had high blood pressure at the end of my pregnancy with Baby Blubba, and my doctor advises that, while it can't be prevented necessarily, the best defense against it happening again is to lose some weight and get in good cardiovascular shape. There is no guarantee that it will come back again; it may not even if I never exercised another minute. But given all the other benefits, why wouldn't I? Plus, being fit helps with delivery and recovery, no small thing. I also have made it a goal to exercise throughout my next pregnancy, so I can keep it as a habit and lose that baby weight as soon as possible!
I also want to fix my back. I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I have a bad back. I've also (I suspect) managed to throw my body mechanics all out of whack by consistently carrying Baby Blubba on the same side of my body. I'm visiting a chiropractor this week to help address some of that, but core strengthening can only aid that process. Plus- stronger core means flatter tummy! Assuming I burn off the fat on top of that flat tummy, of course.
The biggest reason why, though, is my long-term health. Heart disease runs in my family- badly. My grandmother, grandfather and father have all had heart attacks. I was diagnosed with low levels of "good" cholesterol several years ago, and high levels of "bad" cholesterol. The total itself was not high, but the ratio was bad. This is a genetic thing, that exercise may or may not help, but couldn't hurt. Once my childbearing is over, I'm sure I will have to be on drugs, but in the meantime, getting in better shape can only help me.
And of course, the biggest, the best, the cutest, reason why:
She and her future siblings are really the ONLY reason why, in some sense. So, while my daily motivation might be getting into those pants that I can't fit into right now, and losing the tummy roll, let's say my greater motivation is pictured above. Really, she's my motivation for everything. For everything worth having, anyway.
About Mrs. Blubba's Blog
So, when Scale Junkie put the idea into my head to blog about my weight loss, I thought it might be a good opportunity to write from a different perspective other than Blubba's. He has said that he has never had self esteem issues from his weight, and certainly I don't think it has caused him any anxiety over his physical appearance. We women are, by and large, not like that. We have so many issues wrapped into food and weight and appearance and eating. I want to use this blog to explore some of those issues.
I also want to discuss specifics of the lifestyle changes we are trying to make, and hopefully refine it with your help.
So, to start, here is what we have been doing. We are trying to do slow incremental changes that we can stick with. We genuinely are trying to make a lifestyle change, not just be "on a diet."
On the food front: mostly just trying to eat less and make better choices all around. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables. Cook at home more. I know a number of people recommended a food diary, which I have tried before. While it is always surprising how much I end up eating, it turns out that I suck at actually keeping the diary. I forget things, or put off writing them down and then I can't remember them later.
For the same reason, I am always worried about Weight Watchers. I have never tried it, though I am familiar with the concept. I struggle with the idea of trying to gauge the points of a scraping of butter across the English muffin I might choose for breakfast. Or of the handful of pretzels that comes with my sandwich at lunch. And, the bottom line is, I want more flexibility than Weight Watchers affords. "But you can eat anything you want!" Yes, within the allotted points for the day. If I want to blow it out one day, then what- I starve the next day? Anyway, I'm not bashing Weight Watchers- a number of people I know have had great success with it. But it is not for me. I'm not disciplined enough, in the specific way that one needs to be disciplined to be successful with Weight Watchers.
What I would like to do is to build a roster of healthy recipes that I can make easily and quickly. I have a few; they tend to be one-pot meals, since I'm not much of a cook (yet). I have a chorizo-collard greens soup that is really tasty and full of good things (there's not much chorizo in it- just enough for flavor). I have a chipotle corn chili that is also pretty good. I just need to keep developing those skills. I firmly believe that cooking at home is the way for us to make good choices when it comes to food.
That extends to lunches too. We have been bringing our lunch a lot lately to work, and one thing that we have both found that we really enjoy is dried fruit as the sweet thing. We have been disciplined about it, only eating the recommended 1/4 cup, but we both really enjoy the different tastes and textures. Plus, it doesn't go bad like fresh! We struggle with that sometimes, though much less so since Baby Blubba eats so much fresh fruit.
On the exercise front, we've been working out 3-4 times a week. One of us will be on the treadmill, and the other one will jump rope and do body weight exercises. Blubba does 20 minutes on the treadmill, while I do 25 (working up to more time in the coming weeks). The body weight exercises (sometimes there are small, 5 lb. weights as well) are squats, lunges, and pushups, as well as that rowing exercise where you have one knee and hand on a bench, and the other leg on the floor and you pull the weight toward your hip. I also do a chest fly with light weights. I don't bother with curls; a 25 pound toddler will work my biceps as much as I need to. I also do tricep dips. Basically, I do jump rope for a couple minutes, to get warmed up. Then I do a circuit, alternating upper and lower body exercises, with not much rest in between. After one circuit, I jump rope again, then do another circuit. After that, I do crunches. I do a variety of different crunches that my trainer taught me. He actually taught me most of these exercises, though the choice and order of them is my own.
I can already feel benefits, in that I have more energy. It's a subtle boost, but there nonetheless. I rarely find myself falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon anymore, for instance. I also think my clothes have started to fit better, though the scale only reflects a 2 pound difference.
This blog will discuss the ways I make these things work for me, and whether the progress I am hoping for will ensue. I hope that by being accountable to you, I will have the discipline to make the good choices and continue to get into our "gym" (really a room in the basement with the treadmill and weights and mat).
Here we go!
I also want to discuss specifics of the lifestyle changes we are trying to make, and hopefully refine it with your help.
So, to start, here is what we have been doing. We are trying to do slow incremental changes that we can stick with. We genuinely are trying to make a lifestyle change, not just be "on a diet."
On the food front: mostly just trying to eat less and make better choices all around. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables. Cook at home more. I know a number of people recommended a food diary, which I have tried before. While it is always surprising how much I end up eating, it turns out that I suck at actually keeping the diary. I forget things, or put off writing them down and then I can't remember them later.
For the same reason, I am always worried about Weight Watchers. I have never tried it, though I am familiar with the concept. I struggle with the idea of trying to gauge the points of a scraping of butter across the English muffin I might choose for breakfast. Or of the handful of pretzels that comes with my sandwich at lunch. And, the bottom line is, I want more flexibility than Weight Watchers affords. "But you can eat anything you want!" Yes, within the allotted points for the day. If I want to blow it out one day, then what- I starve the next day? Anyway, I'm not bashing Weight Watchers- a number of people I know have had great success with it. But it is not for me. I'm not disciplined enough, in the specific way that one needs to be disciplined to be successful with Weight Watchers.
What I would like to do is to build a roster of healthy recipes that I can make easily and quickly. I have a few; they tend to be one-pot meals, since I'm not much of a cook (yet). I have a chorizo-collard greens soup that is really tasty and full of good things (there's not much chorizo in it- just enough for flavor). I have a chipotle corn chili that is also pretty good. I just need to keep developing those skills. I firmly believe that cooking at home is the way for us to make good choices when it comes to food.
That extends to lunches too. We have been bringing our lunch a lot lately to work, and one thing that we have both found that we really enjoy is dried fruit as the sweet thing. We have been disciplined about it, only eating the recommended 1/4 cup, but we both really enjoy the different tastes and textures. Plus, it doesn't go bad like fresh! We struggle with that sometimes, though much less so since Baby Blubba eats so much fresh fruit.
On the exercise front, we've been working out 3-4 times a week. One of us will be on the treadmill, and the other one will jump rope and do body weight exercises. Blubba does 20 minutes on the treadmill, while I do 25 (working up to more time in the coming weeks). The body weight exercises (sometimes there are small, 5 lb. weights as well) are squats, lunges, and pushups, as well as that rowing exercise where you have one knee and hand on a bench, and the other leg on the floor and you pull the weight toward your hip. I also do a chest fly with light weights. I don't bother with curls; a 25 pound toddler will work my biceps as much as I need to. I also do tricep dips. Basically, I do jump rope for a couple minutes, to get warmed up. Then I do a circuit, alternating upper and lower body exercises, with not much rest in between. After one circuit, I jump rope again, then do another circuit. After that, I do crunches. I do a variety of different crunches that my trainer taught me. He actually taught me most of these exercises, though the choice and order of them is my own.
I can already feel benefits, in that I have more energy. It's a subtle boost, but there nonetheless. I rarely find myself falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon anymore, for instance. I also think my clothes have started to fit better, though the scale only reflects a 2 pound difference.
This blog will discuss the ways I make these things work for me, and whether the progress I am hoping for will ensue. I hope that by being accountable to you, I will have the discipline to make the good choices and continue to get into our "gym" (really a room in the basement with the treadmill and weights and mat).
Here we go!
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