Progress

Down 31 pounds and feeling great.  I can't tell you how much better I feel.  I'm so excited about the progress I've made so far.  I have a ways to go, but I know I will get there. 

There have been so many times I wanted to throw in the towel.  And, I'm sure there are probably going to be days ahead of me that I will feel the same way, but I'm determined to keep going.  

I know I have said this before, but it's not about looking better, that's definitely a bonus, it's about getting healthy. 

The hardest part of this whole journey has been changing my mind.  Learning to eat right/less is only part of the battle.  The majority of the battle has taken place in my mind and it's still going on.  I'm pretty sure it will be a life long process.



Some of the things I'm eating right now:

• Mixed Vegetables, steamed with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and Season Salt - 0 points (Broccoli, Carrots & Cauliflower are my favorite at the moment.)
• 100 Calorie Whipped Greek Yoplait Yogurt - 2 points (The Tropical is my favorite flavor.)
• Skinny Cow Dark Chocolate Blissful Truffle Bars - 3 points 
• Skinny Cow Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream Bar - 4 points

It's Not a Race

It seems like any time I have embarked on a weight loss journey I feel like I'm starting a race.  It's like I'm standing at the starting line and someone yells, "On your mark, set, go!"  I imagine a gun shot and then I'm propelling myself forward, racing toward the finish line as fast as I can.

I have this sense of urgency that keeps me worried about how quickly I'm progressing and what people are thinking about said progress.  After a while, I start to feel overwhelmed.

If you read my blog, then you know that I hit a plateau not long ago.   It was very frustrating and I couldn't stop thinking about how far I "should have" come in that length of time, which felt like an eternity to me.

Thankfully, I broke past the plateau and am moving forward once again.  But, it was toward the end of this plateau that I learned a valuable lesson and it has changed the way I'm viewing this journey; it is a journey, not a race.

The lesson came when I had to see my doctor.  I was worried, expecting him to be disappointed in my lack of progress with my weight loss.  I've been seeing the doctor quite regularly since the beginning of the year and it had been a month since my last visit.

I went through the drill, you know what I'm talking about, weigh-in, temp and blood pressure check. Then it's off to a room to wait...and worry.  Isn't that the worst part of the doctor's visit, the waiting? I was contemplating how I was going to explain myself.

The doctor came in and was going over all my numbers and his notes from my last visit.  He was very pleased with my blood pressure, which was perfect for the first time in forever, praise you Jesus! I was waiting for him to say something about my weight, but guess what, he didn't!

Well, I couldn't let it go, I had to ask.  I was so frustrated about it and I thought maybe he could give me some advice.  What he said made me so happy, I wanted to hug him.  It also changed my perspective.

He looked at my chart and noted that I had lost four pounds since my previous visit and he thought that was great. He told me that was a lot of weight for someone to lose in a month and that I shouldn't be so worried about the number on the scale. He told me that the scale wasn't the most important number to worry about. My blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.. those numbers were what I needed to be concerned with, and they are improving.  He told me that the slower the weight loss, the better and more sustainable it would be.  I knew that, but we women can be so impatient.  He told me to stop worrying so much and just keep doing what I'm doing and that progress would come.

Like I said, I wanted to hug him.  I left his office with a completely different outlook on my progress and my future.  I felt calm for the first time in a long time.

At my last weigh-in I was half a pound away from hitting a total of 30 pounds lost.  I'm so happy with the progress I've made and I'm so proud that I didn't give up when the going went sideways! There were a few times I wasn't sure I could go on, but I did and I'm not giving up any time soon.

There are no quick fixes, not for me.  I've tried the quick fix, it doesn't last.  It has to become a lifestyle.  I don't have to be perfect.  I'm going to mess up and I'm going to have bad days, but that's alright.  I'm learning as I go and I'm slowing down to enjoy the ride.

Till next time, God bless!  :)

Plateau

Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks.  I have really been struggling with the plateau that I had been on for four weeks straight.

It went a little something like this:
Week One: no loss
Week Two: 1 1/2 pound gain
Week Three: 1 pound gain
Week Four: no loss

I was so frustrated because I really was doing everything right.  I was following the plan.  I was counting all my points.  I wasn't using all my flex points and I had even started exercising a little bit. I was completely frustrated and mystified by the whole situation.  Prior to those four weeks, I had been losing at a steady pace.

It was during the fourth week of my plateau that I broke down and cried for about 30 minutes after my weigh-in.  I was seriously at the point of throwing in the towel.  I mean, what was the point of being so good and eating all the vegetables and fruit and denying myself the things I really wanted if it wasn't going to change anything?

I really don't know how I found the gumption to keep going, but I did.  I have amazing support from my husband, my mother and my best friend.  They were all encouraging me to hang in there.

During a Skype session with my best friend, Karen, something she said clicked for me. She reminded me that I have been through a lot of medical/physical changes since the beginning of the year.  My medications have been changed several times and I have had new ones added.  She reminded me that my thyroid was all out of whack and that I needed to allow all these things to settle down and fall into place.

My next weigh-in was approaching and I was dreading it.  I was so afraid to step on those scales and see no progress.  I wasn't sure I could handle the disappointment.

Friday morning came and I said a little prayer before I stepped on the scale (which I always do).  I closed my eyes and stepped up.  I waited just a couple of seconds before I opened my eyes, and looked down.

I'm happy to report, I had a 1 1/2 pound loss.  I was so shocked, I had to get off and get back on just to be sure.

I wasn't seeing my progress until I put these pics side by side.

I'm so glad I didn't throw in the towel.  I'm so glad that I had my support team in place and that they kept me going even when I'm sure they were probably tired of hearing me whine; especially my husband.

I'm learning so much through this journey.  It's not easy, but then, I never thought it would be.

Frustrated

The past couple of weeks have been frustrating.  After losing weight very steadily every week for a month; all of a sudden I've hit a plateau.  I really didn't expect to hit one so soon!

Last week's weigh-in showed no loss, no gain.  I wasn't happy, but I didn't get worried.  But when this week's weigh-in showed a slight gain, I just wanted to cry.  

I have been counting my points religiously, I haven't been using all my flex points, and I have even been more active.  I'm mystified as to why I would gain.  

Normally, a disappointment like this would set off a binge, but I am so determined to get healthy this time.  There's so much more on the line now than just losing weight to look better.  I have decided that I'm worth it.  I deserve to be healthy, to feel better, to have more energy; so I'm not giving up!

So, I will keep on keeping on, putting one foot in front of the other.  I will keep researching new, healthy foods/recipes to try.  I will share the good stuff (I promise to do better).  Keep an eye out for a couple of new recipes coming soon to www.whatscookingwithmandigirl.blogspot.com.

Until next week...God bless!!

 

Weigh-In Update

This past Friday's weigh-in went well with a two pound loss. That brings my total weight loss to eight pounds since returning from vacation. Although I would love to step on the scale and see a five or six pound loss; I am just so grateful for any progress.

Over the past weekend I faced a little bit of a challenge.  We had a birthday party for a dear friend and there was not only birthday cake, but there was also pecan pie there.  Those are two of my favorite sweet treats.  But, I am thrilled to report that I only had the smallest piece of birthday cake.  Not only was it small, it wasn't a corner piece with a lot of icing, which is my favorite part of a birthday cake.  I was so proud of myself for resisting the temptation to throw my will power out the window for the evening.

I feel like I am starting to make healthier choices without having to really think about it or feeling deprived of something.

This was just a short sweet entry to update my weight loss.  Keep watching; I have some exciting things I've been researching.  And, I will be sharing soon!  God bless!