There is no miracle cure for losing weight. Sorry if you opened this post thinking, ” Oh good someone is finally going to tell me the shortcut to losing weight.” Today is definitely an I wish there were a miracle kind of day. Wishing for it doesn’t help, and maybe it makes it a little bit worse. Wishing implies weight loss out of my control like it’s something like winning the lottery. Someone wins, but chances are good that’s not going to be me. That would be a real bummer if it were true. Ready for the truth? What is true, is that I (and anyone reading this post) can lose weight. Here is what it takes:
Dedication – having the personal resolve to see it through
Skill – knowing what to do to help yourself achieve weight loss
Belief – believing in yourself completely, you can do it
I went for a walk today with my husband and our pup Sadie. It was cold and sunny, a welcome change from the soggy (unseasonably warm) grey weather of late. Along the way, we passed the telltale signs of post-holiday remains: condensed boxes tied neatly at the curb, a perfectly shaped Christmas tree rolled on its side, and houses stripped bare of their colorful lights. Then all of a sudden a splash of whimsy
Hello Mr. Narwhal
I just love a holdout. It sparked a little joy and optimism inside me like if you just look around you’ll find something special in the ordinary. Something that captures the imagination… I think it is very important to flex the imagination while trying to achieve any big goal. Especially when progress can be slow; as it sometimes is when it comes to weight loss. Think of it this way, imagination is the intellectual gift we give to ourselves. It is not something that is only reserved for artists, poets, and musicians. To imagine is to be human – it is innate to who we are and sustains us when the going gets tough.
Today has been a good day on plan. I hit my water goal, I am within my points, cooking dinner I planned out my meals for the week, and I had a very rigorous workout this morning followed by this leisurely walk that inspired this post. All of these tiny little goals knit together to form a strong foundation for my future success. No, I’m not perfect, as you can see by looking at my habit tracker… but the transformation to daily healthy habits is underway. I got this and if you believe it – so do you.
Let’s go 2023! I am using everything I have to jump-start my healthy habits. Dinner was not the greatest choice, and I was very hungry by the time I ate. Instead of one portion, I had two. I thought about weighing and measuring my portion but I didn’t do it. That was what kept me from coloring in that goal on the habit tracker. While this is kind of a downer, I won’t let it steal my joy in everything that did go well. Overall, this day was a total win. I didn’t snack. I ate all the foods I prepared, I worked out, and I drank my water. I am here blogging to share my story with anyone who cares to come along with me – I would say I am being downright earnest. I do feel a small shift and I KNOW I am due for a comeback.
The most important promises we make are the ones we make to ourselves. Yesterday, I promised that I would track breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I did it. I’m over my points, thanks to what I can only call landmine cookies. I came home to holiday cookies at my doorstep. Two cookies later, I am over where I would’ve been – but I tracked it. So really, I am victorous at least insofar as my goal is concerned. That’s it readers progress is slow, but it’s progress just the same.
Weight loss is not easy, and this is especially challenging during the holidays. Stress abounds all around us. For some, the holiday season is a magical time of year a backdrop for happy memories to unfold. For others, this time of year is a terrible struggle. As for the rest of us, the holidays are a mixed bag of highs and lows. Try to remember this, no matter where you are on that spectrum, kindness to each other helps to even our varied perspectives on this season of hope, peace, and joy.
I am not really tethered to my goals and I am reaching for what is convenient rather than what is a better choice on plan. I really want to get it together. Yesterday I wrote some goals that were not specific enough. So here is my redo:
I will track breakfast, lunch, and dinner
I will use the Peloton 3 days a week for a minimum of 20 minutes each time
I will continue to write daily posts and I promise to tell the truth
I’m doing this, not to stress myself out. Instead, I am doing it to help myself to recover. I love myself, and I want to be healthy. I want to feel good. I want to look good too. I have to believe that I can do it because I have a lot of people who depend on me and I want to be the best version of myself.
Half of the battle of weight loss is believing that that you can do it. It all seems so impossible at first. Sometimes it takes a while to catch on to the habits of healthy eating and regular exercise, but when it clicks, it becomes second nature. It’s really so strange the way it works, but the take-away here is that it does work.
I can’t say that it has clicked for me yet. I just really want to get through the holidays without gaining (more) weight. I am going to focus on tracking and I’m going to start a regular routine for spinning. I can do that and it is going to feel amazing when I make it happen. What are you ready to try?
If weight loss were a destination its route would not be a straight shot from one place to the next. I would involve lots of stops along the way for directions, with plenty of wrong turns. This is a journey, and even when things don’t go as planned, it’s worth remembering that engagement means something. This was not a perfect weekend for me on plan. I went to lunch with one of my kids, and I didn’t track it. We had pizza for dinner, and now I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach. Tomorrow is another day and (with some effort and care on my part) be a better day.
How many hours have I spent wrapping gifts? I can’t even begin to guess. I carefully select the paper (making sure to keep it varied). Then I find the right-sized box, tuck the gift in, folding over tissue paper to suspend the delight of the recipient for just a moment more. During the good times, we always want to hold a moment just a little bit longer, knowing that this space in time is one of many fleeting moments that make up our lives.
I think the reason why the holidays present such a challenge for so many of us trying to lose weight is that nostalgia is all wrapped up in the traditional foods we eat. My sister makes my grandmother’s eggplant parmesan and it is out of-this-world delicious. I make my mom’s spaghetti aglio which is quite good too. All of it comes hot from the kitchen with a message attached, “I love you, I’m here to care for you. Family, this is who we are, let’s have a great time.” So it goes, another glass of wine, one more cookie… anything, just let’s let this moment linger before it’s gone forever.
This is life, and if I can’t indulge in these moments then there is something seriously wrong. At WW today we talked about strategies for how to be in the moment so we don’t go overboard. One member spoke very eloquently about how she is selective and chooses that one cookie that looks really good. Another spoke so wisely about how she savors the food to fully experience it. These are good tips, and I for one plan of keeping them in my back pocket to use when the time comes.
So, in the meantime, my friends, “Eat, drink, and be merry” and remember that real love stems from that our most precious gift; the time we have with each other.
Today is the last day for my WW goal. I blogged every day for a week to reflect on my “why.” On one hand, I feel really good about keeping my promise – I set a goal and I achieved it. I tracked every day, I thought about my food choices, and I did not deprive myself. All of these things are a total win. On the other hand, I know I have a long way to go (again) and that can be extremely daunting. It is extremely daunting. This blog has always been a safe place for me to tell the truth and this success this week is a celebration, and it’s also a little bit sad.
I am doing this to improve my health, to have more energy, and to feel better about myself. I am worth this effort, and (if you want to lose weight) so are you. Come on, let’s do it together. This can be the best gift we give to ourselves.
Watching Love Actually tonight looking at the tree and thinking about all the gifts I have to wrap.
At the end of each WW meeting, we are asked to share one goal with the group. So, I didn’t really think about it when I volunteered to share my goal of writing daily posts and posting them in the private FB group. After I did it and was on the ride home, I thought about it a little more, sharing this goal would be very public, and anyone would be able to see if I was keeping it or not. It felt accountable – and I think maybe I needed some accountability. I am so glad I shared it with the group. Having a community of others who care about you and your goals makes a big difference.
One more day before this week comes to a close and I accomplish this one small goal. The thing about goals is that they need to be attained if any momentum is going to happen. So I stayed in my “blue dot zone” every day except Tuesday. I recovered from that slip-up, and I feel a little better about this whole process. If you’re like me and on a weight loss journey I hope you are in a good place. If you’re not and reading this blog, know that you’re not alone. This is really hard for so many of us. My advice, for what it’s worth, set one small goal and do your best to stick to it.
Getting to Goal 