To Be Successful

Through this process (mainly writing about my weight loss journey) I have come to recognize a lot of things I will have to do to be successful. Here's a few of them:

1. Don't let myself get too hungry. There are days, when for instance, I don't eat enough at breakfast because I'm in a hurry or something else and I feel really really hungry compared to normal by the time I eat lunch. So what do I do? I overeat.
2. Don't let myself cheat because I'm going to make up for it latter. I have a really bad habit of eating a big breakfast or a large dessert and thinking to myself "I'll eat really good the rest of the day" or "I'll exercise an extra 30 minutes tonight." I just don't have the control yet to keep these "promises" that I make to myself.
3. Don't let myself eat mindlessly. There are times when I grab a bag of chips and sit down to watch tv. Before I know it, I've eaten half the bag! (This is one reason I like those 100 calorie packs - if I want more I literally have to open another bag.)
4. Don't let myself eat just because I can't find anything else to do. There are many times when I'm sitting at home on Saturday afternoon, doing nothing, so I eat.
5. Make myself exercise. I've actually done better this week (so far exercising 3 out of 4 days) but I really really really need to get where exercise is something I consistently do. I don't neccessarily think that its the exercise that I avoid so much as when I exercise I get tired so quickly because I'm in such bad shape. I always have these thoughts like "If I could only run one mile straight through, it'd be easy to get up and start my day that way." But it takes time and effort to get to that point - no one starts out being able to run a mile! Even if you have been in great shape your whole life, you first had to crawl, then walk, then run! :)

Low Calorie Treats I Love

Just thought I'd share a few of the low cal treats I've found that I really enjoy.

1. Kool-Aid Jammers
These drinks come in three flavors (Tropical Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, and Cherry - although I've yet to see cherry at the store) and only have 10 calories per drink. They also have 100% Daily Vitamin C (according to the label). I like the Strawberry Kiwi better than the Tropical Punch, but that's just me.

2. Act II (and other brands) of mini or snack size popcorn
These bags of popcorn contain only 100 calories and come in a variety of flavors. I love them because they are low calorie, but also take a little longer to eat than most low calorie snacks.

3. Nabisco 100 Calorie packs
These snacks come in 100 calorie packs (which is good for me because it helps control my portion size). The varieties include everything from oreos to chips ahoy to wheat thins to cheez nips. I've found some varieties are more satifying than others. :)

4. Splenda
I know this isn't a "treat" so to say, but it is making a lot of foods we all know and love a little lower calorie for us without sacrificing a ton of flavor. One way I like to use Splenda is on my cereal - to me it tastes just like sugar.

A Bump Along the Way

So weekends are not good for me . . . especially when I'm out of town. When I'm out of town I usually eat out a lot which equates to not eating well - a habit I desperately need to break. What does that mean for my diet? Well, I'm back up to 167 - I'm not proud of this but I expected it after the week I had. I haven't gotten back into the habit of exercising since I was sick a week ago . . . I am constantly making excuses which I have to get past. I really need to focus and get a routine down - Schedule exercise so I know that I have the time. I have set a short-term goal to lose 10 lbs by the end of Febraury. I feel like this is doable and I need to set these little goals to reach my long-term goal.

One Week Down . . . Many More to Go

So I've made it one week . . . and guess what - I actually lost weight! Today I weighed in at a grand total of 165 lbs - down 3 from last week! I was so excited. I really didn't think it would be possible to lose any weight this week much less three pounds because I was sick almost all week long. I guess it goes to show that eating better really does have an effect on weight loss too.

Today I definitely pinpointed a weakness. I really didn't eat much for breakfast - I just couldn't find anything that sounded good. By the time that lunch came around I was really really hungry compared to how I normally feel. So what do I do? I overeat. I guess I just feel like I need more food because I'm really hungry - but I don't. It isn't like I've been on Survivor starved without food for a month. Although I was disappointed in myself, I was really glad to discover yet another bad habit I need to break.

I'm looking forward to this week when I can hopefully add exercise back into my routine.

An Unexpected Challenge

If you read my post yesterday, you know I'm not feeling well which has presented an unexpected, but inevitable challenge to my weight loss journey.

While I sit at home sick there is great temptation to snack. Although for the most part I did fairly well yesterday, doing just ok is not enough. On top of not eating well, I couldn't exercise - I'd go into a major coughing fit if I did. I must learn to control my portions and listen better to my body. Most of the time I think that I eat because I am bored and I am looking for something to do. I have to focus on the fact that I should only eat when I'm hungry, not just because I need something to do. I've gotten into this horrible habit of eating while I watch tv. What do I do when I'm sick? Watch tv all day long. What do I do when I'm watching tv? I eat. Thus the terrible cycle. Plus when I'm sick I don't want to take time to prepare proper foods so I end up eating snacky things that aren't very good for me.

Yesterday I decided to put up pictures of myself on the pantry and the refridgerator to remind myself that I'm on a mission. Hopefully the pictures will make me think twice before reaching in to grab something I don't need out.

I'm not feeling to well today so just a short thought.

Losing weight and getting in shape won't be easy. Gaining weight and getting out of shape didn't happen overnight and neither will losing weight and getting back into shape.

My Journey to an Unhealthy Life

So how did I let myself get to this point?

Let's start from the beginning. I hope that by sharing my story, some of you who are in the same position I was several years ago (good health) won't let yourself get to the point I've gotten to today.

Growing up I never had a problem with my weight. I was always skinny, and while my sister struggled with a little extra weight, I had never experienced that (although I wasn't particularly trying to not gain weight). I started playing tennis consistently when I was in the 7th grade, but never really thought about the fact that I was getting a lot of exercise each day. I continued to play all through my junior year of high school, then over the summer I hurt my ankle pretty badly (tearing some ligaments). Although I slowly healed and could have probably played my senior year, complications with the coach only added to my choice to quit. During my senior year of high school, I slowly, but steadily put on about 10 lbs. I never really thought much about it. I had always been so skinny that a few extra pounds didn't seem like that big of a deal. Besides, I was still smaller than my sister so I was fine.

Then college came . . . I had heard all the warnings - Be careful or you'll put on the Freshmen Fifteen! Don't eat all the junk food in your room! Etc, etc, etc. Did I listen? No, I thought I was in control when it came to what I ate. And worse, I really didn't exercise very much. I was falsely fooled into thinking I was doing ok because I lost some weight my first month at college (probably due to walking around campus and all the stress of getting used to college). I really wasn't eating that well, but because I had lost some weight, once again, I just really didn't think about it. By the end of my freshman year, I had put on the Freshman Fifteen. The rest of my college years were pretty much the same. Very little exercise and too much food. Most of the time during college I made so many excuses that I could never make any progress in the right direction. But now I am ready for the change.

Looking back to when I was skinny, I remember how small of portions I used to eat and how little TV I used to watch and how much physical activity I used to complete. As a freshman and sophomore in high school, I would eat the kids meal when I went to restaurants and I would work out at least a couple of hours a day, if not more. No wonder I was skinny!

Going into college I really didn't have any concept of what it meant to eat right and to exercise. I had never eaten right, in the sense of eating healthy. I didn't have any concept of what it meant to exercise. Growing up tennis was a fun activity, not a scheduled exercise time. I didn't realize that I needed to set aside time to do exercise.

With all that said, I now know better. I can no longer use my ignorance as an excuse. I now must use my knowledge to equip myself with the tools that I need to get on the right track. I know it will not be an easy process and that it will take many many many steps in the right direction to reach my goal, but I am committed this time. I am focused and willing to do whatever it takes.

Lisa

Blogging for my health

I decided that I needed a way to make myself accountable. Accountable to what? In general, my actions, but specifically every decision I make regarding my health. Accountable when I choose to eat fried chicken over a salad, accountable when I choose to watch tv instead of workout, and accountable when I choose to drink a diet coke over water. But also I want to be accountable when I do choose the salad over the fried chicken, the exercise over the workout, and the water over the diet coke. I want a place where I can keep a diary of my successes and failures and my progress good and bad. I want a place where I can share my journey with others to encourage them or so they can encourage me. I have let myself go and I don't want to any longer. I want to make the life-altering decisions to become healthy and stay healthy.

I NEED a change. Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” I've been 'trying' to gain control over my weight and other health issues for over 4 years now - have I had success? No, instead I have gained over 30 lbs and become incredibly unfit. I obviously need a change . . . but that is easier said than done.

So here are my ugly stats which I must share in order to gain the full benefit of this blog . . . .
Height: 5'3''
Weight: 168 lbs
BMI: 29.8 - meaning I am overweight (I am .2 away from being considered obese)

Each day I hope to log on and share how I am doing. The things I've found helpful and unhelpful. Things that hold me back or help me press on. And finally, hopefully, that I'm moving each day towards my goal of becoming healthy. This isn't just a weight loss journey for me . . . it is a life journey to become healthy.