patricia

Well today is our wedding anniversary. Years of wedded bliss can be not so easy on the waistline!! ha ha ha

He asked me “What can I get you for our anniversary???” I usually ask for peace, because I don’t want things, stuff……never does much for me. My answer was “a walk-a-thon. I want us to bring our kids and do a local walk a thon.”

So as fate had it, there just happened to be one today (our anniversary) —a walk for hunger. 2 miles is perfect, especially to include a just-turned 6 year old. They showed a video of starving kids—it sure makes you NOT want to eat!! It was a GREAT gift–everyone moving and everyone together. What more could anyone ask for. The 2 miles was fun, we chatted with people we knew and didn’t know. Saw a subdivision we never walked through before and got some fresh air.

Less really is MORE. Today is a great day. STAY POSITIVE, EAT LIGHT AND KEEP MOVING= EVERY DAY IS A GREAT DAY.

Well today is our wedding anniversary.  Years of wedded bliss can be not so easy on the waistline!! ha ha ha

He asked me “What can I get you for our anniversary???”  I usually ask for peace, because I don’t want things, stuff……never does much for me.  My answer was “a walk-a-thon.   I want us to bring our kids and do a local walk a thon.”

So as fate had it, there just happened to be one today (our anniversary) —a walk for hunger.  2 miles is perfect, especially to include a just-turned 6 year old.  They showed a video of starving kids—it sure makes you NOT want to eat!! It was a GREAT gift–everyone moving and everyone together.  What more could anyone ask for.  The 2 miles was fun, we chatted with people we knew and didn’t know.  Saw a subdivision we never walked through before and got some fresh air.

Less really is MORE.  Today is a great day.   STAY POSITIVE, EAT LIGHT AND KEEP MOVING= EVERY DAY IS A GREAT DAY.

You know, it is pretty funny.  When you start the process of actually writing things down that you eat, it is amazing as to how much you can eat and STILL lose weight!  The minute I started counting calories it was interesting how creative I got with the choices I made.  It used to be any old yogurt I would buy, now it is the fat free 90 calorie one I choose.

Also, I have come (back) to realize how much you can eat if you buy canned green beans or canned carrots.  Both are 35 cal’s a serving and about 100 calories for the entire CAN.  No kidding, you just eat one can/maybe 2 if you are really hungry and by golly….. I am STUFFED when I am done!  (I never have gone as far as needing a third…)  Buy them at TARGET, the market pantry (their brand) only runs around 60 cents a can.  Versus the $1.20 per can at Jewel/Dominicks.   Keep it up!  I feel better!  And you DESERVE more from life!!!  Do it for you!   -Patricia

I look at the number, I step on the scale and I honestly cannot believe my eyes.  -11 lbs.!  I am amazed to see the scale go lower.  (I am even more shocked at how how high the number was before.)  Could it be true?  Could this “counting calories” stuff really work?   Dr. Grant was right… after ALL?  (I can hear him now…  “yes Patricia, people count calories, eat less and they lose weight…I’ve seen it over and over…”

On top of it all, my “cycle of BLOAT” is starting.   And the scale is “cooperating?????” I sit here in amazement and awe and complete gratitude.  I am grateful to have hit my “mini goal” of -10 lbs. and I am grateful to have you to share it with.  All I can say is “BE CONSISTENT“:   the math (counting calories) does not lie.  If I can do it (and I come from a family of Amazons!) I AM POSITIVE YOU CAN TOO!        

I have been reading about how to end the diet war and achieve thinner peace.  I must like it, because it has kept me on the treadmill both yesterday and today for 60 min. each day. She talks about being nice to OURSELVES.   We all know that being lighter has more to do with our internal self talk than with will power.  Learning how to respond effectively to stress (life) without having to eat anything is the goal.  I do find that eating consistently, veggies in EVERYTHING (gotta have that volume) and fruit that has not been enhanced in any way–seems to work well.

In the food journal, I am eating less than I burn off.  So if this math equation works….it is just a matter of time before the scale agrees.  I decided to not step on it every day, so as not to make myself crazy.  I feel better, and certainly feel more energized.  More because I am moving consistently and eating more veggies, I would guess.  I am committed to continue writing every single thing down.  And to being NICE,  he he he.

I am on my way!!

Food Log

Exercise Log

I am amazed how it will be 2 weeks into my calorie counting.  And I am shocked it is going so well.  One of my biggest obstacles in the past was that I get dizzy dieting.  I have found that with counting calories, I have never been dizzy once.

I read an article that really has opened my eyes and I will share with you:

“There is a BIG importance of combining both diet AND exercise.  Restrictive diets without exercise can reduce your resting metabolic rate by 30%, which tremendously slows your rate of weight loss.  Ideal =  reduce calories by 250 per day AND exercise to burn an add’l 250 calories, totaling 500 which results in 1 pound per week.  Doing both together (studies show) improves your resting metabolic rate and make a more permanent change.  Losing more than 2 lbs. per week (too quickly) water and muscle mass are typically lost instead of fat- SLOWING down your metabolism and making weight gain MORE LIKELY.  If you put the weight back on , that slower, LESS efficient metabolism causes your body to regain FAT stores, not muscle.”

Now I know why, when I spoke to a friend in my office (asking her to join me) she said “I dieted with this diet group, lost the weight and came back from my vacation (which was the goal for the weight loss) and eventually gained all of the weight back AND MORE.”  She only dieted and never moved.

I am COMMITTED to being the tortoise!  I started off as the hare, however I daily add back calories so that it is the slow and steady way.  And as a result, I have lost weight and have never lost energy or been dizzy!!

I am thrilled to say that above all, I am beginning to feel more and more energy every single day!!!  I see those slim-fast commercials on the TV and they always include the person saying how their energy has “shot through the roof!!”  And that, in and of itself is worth writing down everything.

KEEP moving, eating less gives you more time for YOU.  It is amazing…

Fine, the honeymoon of this “calorie counting” stuff is over.  It has been over a week now.  I am still doing the counting.  And I am eating less than what I am burning off.  So weight loss should be inevitable.  I went out and bought some cans of “French cut green beans,” I am still a volume girl and I like the bigger portion of eating a whole can.  It amazes me how few calories are in the whole can.  I also have noticed that I am eating a lot more soup probably because it is easy, I can throw in a can of veggies and have the volume I need.  The  vision board is nice, it consists of a bunch of REALLY HAPPY thin women working out and some pictures of healthy foods.  The ladies look like they are having A LOT of fun, especially the one jumping in the air and smiling while showing her biceps.  :)  That will be me soon…

I was told (or read somewhere) that you should chew gum to lose weight.  So NOW that the honeymoon of dieting is over, I CHEW.

And I chew, and I chew.  It kind of works, because my jaw is pretty tired and I AM less inspired to eat.  Mostly because my jaw had a good work out.  I tried the gum “extra” nice flavor, no calories–but it lost the taste quickly.  I really have enjoyed “orbitz” they have a bubblegum/mint that I thought would be pretty disgusting.  However it is really yummy and the flavor lasts, and lasts and lasts.

I am glad you “buddies” are here along with me.  I actually asked about 8 friends, 5 said “yes” and NONE of them have come on board after all.  I guess that I get to be the skinny one while they all sit in denial.  I would love to help them.  I am disappointed, though.  I want them to “win” like I will/am.  But in life, if there is one thing I KNOW, it is that you cannot want something MORE for someone else than they want for THEM SELF.

I will just have to be inspiring to them AFTER the weight is noticeable.

FOR TODAY:  Stay FOCUSED with the END RESULT in mind!  Now GO CHEW!!!!!!!

I busily have been cutting out pictures to build my “vision board.”  Lots of fit looking (smiling!) women and cut out of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I plan on placing one on the bathroom mirror, by the computer and in the car.  I know that it is all about keeping it at the “forefront of my mind.”  I hear that these vision boards really work, because they keep you focused.

I survived the weekend staying with friends and celebrating 2 birthday parties.  I had the sherbet.  I am not much of a cake fan- unless it was JUST made, so that was not much of a temptation for me.  The friends are not much into exercising, so even though we shuffled from here to there once in a while, I did not exercise over the weekend.

I have not stepped on the scale, my cycle has me a little bloated- so I want it to be a true reading.  I’ll wait another day or so.

It is snowy outside, but I feel good because I exercised for a good long time today.  For some of it, I was riding the bike while I was cutting out pictures for my vision board.

STAY FOCUSED…………KEEP THE VISION IN MIND

Food Log

Exercise Log

“I’ll check it out over the weekend..” “Maybe if I have time…”

Time and time again, I speak to friends about joining me in my weight loss effort.  “Just 20 pounds” I say…

All this started with my check-up trip to the DR., who had the GALL to tell me to “eat less.” “Time and time again I see it” he said, “people just eat less and they lose weight.”

So it all comes down to a simple MATH EQUATION????????????????????   Heck!!  I do math ALL DAY LONG.  And it never really occurred to me that this is just simple math?  Calories in versus calories burned.

I wish my friends would come to realize that it is not until you “help others” that you are truly “helping YOURSELF.”  I ask them, I beg them and I shrink.  I wish they would just jump on my bandwagon (let me PULL them along— I will) and say “sure, we’ll join in just to HELP YOU Patricia…”   It all comes back tenfold.  I wish I could hand them these crystal clear glasses…

We “think” we are focusing on ourself, we THINK we have been making ourselves a priority when in fact we have consistently put our work and family first.  That which you focus on “EXPANDS.”  I personally am so focused that I can NOW—- see the single needle in the haystack!  It now sticks out like a sore thumb!  Simple Math.

Yes, seeing Dr. Grant has turned out to be my “a-ha” moment.  (Pretty surprising since I never really liked the guy.)

Don’t waste another precious minute of your life waiting to be slim!  It is an every day process.  Life is short…  BUY THE SHOES!

Make this be your “a - ha” moment.  Help me out, and see how your own weight loss will EXPLODE.  Be an inspiration to ME (if you need one.)

I dropped another pound today.  The on-line “Dr.” says I am losing too fast.  Don’t let me be the one to contradict professionals, and clearly I have been no professional at keeping the weight off.  Too bad, guess I get to go eat some more today! ha ha ha ha!

Food Log

Exercise Log

I did my first real “weigh in” today.  Where I really stepped on the scale in the very first moments of waking.  I had to blink twice to see what the dial really said.  In fact, I got off, shook the scale to settle it and even stepped on it again.

I went down 6 lbs. and much to my surprise, when I entered it into the weight tracker it told me that I was losing too fast!!  And to slow down!  Never in my life had I thought THAT was a problem.  When in fact, it is always the tortoise that wins the race.  I thought that was good advice.  So, even though I am not hungry I plan on making sure that I don’t skip lunch and keep a steady pace.  I am very good at “not eating” but keeping the “steady pace” is what wins the race. 

I am still writing down every single thing.  I will not get to workout today, so that will slow today down a bit.  But that is the ebb and flow of life…