On Monday ChristieO assigned us a PROJECT!! I've been thinking of it as a homework assignment which is probably the wrong attitude to have about it, but it was challenging and thought provoking. That was the purpose of it and it was really good timing for me to have to do it. Before I answer all the questions posed on Monday I want to tell you that this could not have happened at a better time in my life. Yesterday was stressful for me and I made the WORST food choices I could have made. Then I sat down and did my "homework" project! Wow!! What an eye opening experience! So here goes....
What about 2009 DID NOT Work?
Playing it by ear -- winging it -- just eating whatever and whenever I wanted. I didn't eat a lot of junk, but I just wasn't conscience of "is this good for me?"
What were my goals for 2009?
My main goal for 2009 was to lose enough weight so that by Christmas I would weigh no more than 150 pounds!! I obviously didn't make it :((
Did I fall short of my goal for 2009? Why?
Definitely, but now I realize it was unrealistic to even set that high of a goal for 9 months. If I would have made that goal it would have been done in a UNHEALTHY way, and that's not what I want. I want to be healthy...inside and out!!
What are the biggest obstacles to me losing weight?
STRESS!! It is a killer for me; literally and figuratively! Inconsistent eating habits also created a major road block for my weight loss. I ate far too many meals going through the drive through and in the car! Even if I stayed away from cokes I still ate too many french fries!!
What were my patterns?
I would eat well for a few weeks and start losing more weight, then something would come along and stress me out again, then I would turn to the fast food lane again! Or the candy bag!! Eating more at meals than I should!! Basically, bad food choices!
What was my "rock bottom"?
Rock bottom for me was when I went to the Endocrinologist and weighed in at 229! He told me to lose weight and 2 months later I went in and I had only lost 2 pounds! At this point he told me to stop "trying" and "DO IT"!! If I didn't I would soon be diagnosed with diabetes. That scared the crap out of me!! That was the last straw so to speak! No cokes, eat right, lose weight by exercise and good eating habits!
What worked for 2009?
That part was easy...I successfully gave up COKES cold turkey for 6 weeks! After that 6 week period I only drink coke on special occasions or when I just "want" one. Not an everyday occurrence. It is a conscience decision to drink a coke now; not just what I drink when I want something to drink. NOW I drink WATER...almost exclusively!
I also started exercising NEARLY every day!! I have had a few periods when I have taken more than 1 day off in a row (like when we were moving and when I was VERY sick with a sinus infection). I even exercised on a trip to Kansas that I took in May! Before, I would never have exercised on vacation!
Potential obstacles as I continue losing weight?
Busy schedule, stress with current financial issues. I still don't handle stress well as is evidenced by the fact that I came home stressed out yesterday and ate a bag of candy!! On the up side, for the rest of the day all I ate was a big bowl of fruit with yogurt and a bunch of WATER!! It also made me realize I need to find alternate ways to deal with hunger when I am stressed out! I need to have simple healthy foods available AT ALL TIMES!!
Part Three -- Figure out how to deal with the potential obstacles!
Well it would be so easy if I could just sequester myself from the rest of the world (kind of like what the Biggest Loser people are doing) but I can't do that, so I have to find out what works for "my world"! I think the key for my success is to stay consistent with my eating habits of eating every 3 hours and making sure I ALWAYS have a GOOD HEALTHY snack available for those times when I am "just too busy" to sit down and have a good "meal". Walking away from stressful situations is a key for me, too. As one of my friends told me this morning....JUST SAY NO!! Even if I just go do a few push ups or sit ups, jumping jacks! Something to "chill out"!! Walk AWAY from the stress will keep me from "munching on junk"!! It doesn't really help -- it only makes me feel better for the few minutes that I am eating it. It sabotages everything I have been working on for the past 9 months!
So...my goal for 2010 is to WALK AWAY FROM THE STRESS in my life and have healthy snacks available for when I am too busy to eat a real meal! If I can successfully do these 2 things I will accomplish my goal!! Healthy, lean, and at a "healthy" BMI instead of my current obese BMI!
5 comments:
you're definitely gonna get there :) and good for you being able to realize that your goal was unrealistic and unhealthy to try.
You are well on your way! Knowing is half the battle. Keep it up!!
You are doing the right thing. You can do it. You started the 6 week challenge after me and you finished before me because you are in it to win. Good job.
This assignment was eye opening for me too. Lots of soul searching. Like you, I tend to turn to food when life stresses me out. So proud of you for how far you've come and choosing to start walking away from the stress instead of turning to bad habits.
i'm so glad this "homework" (snicker) came at a good time!! you have really taken a good look at everything and have found great plan B's for all of those obstacles. i got real pissed off last monday, stormed out of the house and took a body pump class and it was the best time i ever had. it was huge for me! finally walking away from stress and channeling it! (even if my body failed during the planks.) but still. i left feeling uplifted and i was way less mad than i was before i took it! so great job, i can't wait to continue shrinking with you! stick to it girl, i know you can do it!!! you're ROCKING ALREADY!
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