get me off my bottom and do something about my weight.
Apparently looking terrible didn't motivate me. My health and life didn't motivate me much more than that. But, apparently competition and the potential of winning money is what motivates me.....who knew?
A couple of friends of mine put together a competition last January. Everyone (between 20=25 participating) puts in $15 and we have 8 weeks to do the best we can to lose weight. It is supposed to be done in a healthy way using regular foods, no diet plan like South Beach or using meal replacement shakes or bars. Exercise is supposed to be a part of the effort if possible. I haven't won any of the actual contests but I have been a winner because I have lost about 40 pounds. I still have 20-30 to lose but I look a lot better.
No one seemed to notice that I was losing any weight until I lost 30 pounds. At 40 pounds EVERYONE has noticed. Several people have asked if I am losing on purpose or if I am sick. Right now I have had a couple of bad weeks because of spending a lot of time with my grandchildren and they don't get too excited about brown rice and broccoli with baked chicken.
Once competition entered the picture it is amazing how easy losing weight has become. I look foward to seeing where I am on the list each week when the weight loss % is posted on Facebook. I am focused......for the most part. I hope that I can have the rest of my weight off by the end of
the year. Yea for new clothes!!!!....unless the whole economy burns down by then......just sayin'....have you seen what the stock market is doing lately??
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Sunday, October 10, 2010
I've been learning....
about how to lower cholesterol. A good place for information is
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/chd1/how.htm I have learned a lot there. It gave me some numbers to use when planning my meals. I have to have specifics. I need to keep my daily intake of cholesterol to less than 200 mg, saturated fat to less than 8 grams and my intake of soluble fiber in the 10-25 gram range. Apparently with fiber the more the better.
In a nutshell it tells me to eat a lot less, exercise daily, lose weight and cut down my intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in my diet. It also tells me to add fiber, especially soluble fiber. I never even knew there was a difference between dietary fibers. It also said to add 2 grams of plant stanols or sterols to my diet. The things I read also said to cut down on sodium but I'm ignoring that right now. I need to have something to look forward to and a dill pickle seems to be it. I have to have one vice.
Over the last few days I have been doing all, okay, most of the above. I bought orange juice with the plant stanol, or is it sterols. I don't remember which and I am too lazy to go into the kitchen to check. The jug promised me that it would lower my cholesterol and I am holding the OJ company to that. I have been adding fiber to my diet. I'm thinking about starting to exercise. I have been following the Weight Watcher plan for the last few days. I think that I have lost some weight because my shoes feel looser. I will take weightloss where ever I can get it. I just hope that I start losing weight in my top half soon so I don't tip over.
I like Weight Watchers because it is much easier for me to think about points than calories. WW tells me points and I can get an idea of the number of calories I eat but I need more than that. I find that http://www.fitday.com/ is good for calculating the fiber, fat, etc that I eat.
Wednesday is my day to weigh in. I hope it goes well and that my feet aren't lying to me.
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/chd1/how.htm I have learned a lot there. It gave me some numbers to use when planning my meals. I have to have specifics. I need to keep my daily intake of cholesterol to less than 200 mg, saturated fat to less than 8 grams and my intake of soluble fiber in the 10-25 gram range. Apparently with fiber the more the better.
In a nutshell it tells me to eat a lot less, exercise daily, lose weight and cut down my intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in my diet. It also tells me to add fiber, especially soluble fiber. I never even knew there was a difference between dietary fibers. It also said to add 2 grams of plant stanols or sterols to my diet. The things I read also said to cut down on sodium but I'm ignoring that right now. I need to have something to look forward to and a dill pickle seems to be it. I have to have one vice.
Over the last few days I have been doing all, okay, most of the above. I bought orange juice with the plant stanol, or is it sterols. I don't remember which and I am too lazy to go into the kitchen to check. The jug promised me that it would lower my cholesterol and I am holding the OJ company to that. I have been adding fiber to my diet. I'm thinking about starting to exercise. I have been following the Weight Watcher plan for the last few days. I think that I have lost some weight because my shoes feel looser. I will take weightloss where ever I can get it. I just hope that I start losing weight in my top half soon so I don't tip over.
I like Weight Watchers because it is much easier for me to think about points than calories. WW tells me points and I can get an idea of the number of calories I eat but I need more than that. I find that http://www.fitday.com/ is good for calculating the fiber, fat, etc that I eat.
Wednesday is my day to weigh in. I hope it goes well and that my feet aren't lying to me.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Everything is going fine and then you.......
find out that it really isn't.
I have had such a hard time getting motivated to lose weight and to get healthier. When I was in my 40s and before I had motivation, but in my 50s it is hard to find. Weight seem to go on so easily and goes off so slowly.
Vanity, outgrowing my clothes, etc haven't been motivations. Several months ago I found out that my cholesterol is 300. Now I am facing more than external things to motivate me, I am looking at my mortality. I have joked for years that I doubt if I ever have to worry about cancer. With my family history I will be dead from a heart attack a long time before I will be diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly it doesn't seem like a joke. I am taking medication for high blood pressure and now for high cholesterol. I seem to be on the road to heart problems. Actually, death doesn't seem that bad, but the possibility of surgeries, being a burden on others, etc. does.
So, now, I realize that playtime is over. I have to get busy. I have been researching and planning my attack on the fats that are trying to shorten my life.
I am starting my journey. I don't plan to give up. I will use this blog to record my successes and failures. This is where I can report on what I am doing and how it is working.
I have had such a hard time getting motivated to lose weight and to get healthier. When I was in my 40s and before I had motivation, but in my 50s it is hard to find. Weight seem to go on so easily and goes off so slowly.
Vanity, outgrowing my clothes, etc haven't been motivations. Several months ago I found out that my cholesterol is 300. Now I am facing more than external things to motivate me, I am looking at my mortality. I have joked for years that I doubt if I ever have to worry about cancer. With my family history I will be dead from a heart attack a long time before I will be diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly it doesn't seem like a joke. I am taking medication for high blood pressure and now for high cholesterol. I seem to be on the road to heart problems. Actually, death doesn't seem that bad, but the possibility of surgeries, being a burden on others, etc. does.
So, now, I realize that playtime is over. I have to get busy. I have been researching and planning my attack on the fats that are trying to shorten my life.
I am starting my journey. I don't plan to give up. I will use this blog to record my successes and failures. This is where I can report on what I am doing and how it is working.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Where has the time gone?? Unfortunately I know where the calories have gone........
I had such wonderful plans to report to my blog daily about my efforts to lose weight. That was 20 pounds ago. I don't know what happened. I ate a pan of brownies and the rest is a blur.
I now can only fit into one pair of pants and they are starting to wear out. I have to get focused and get my life under control.....starting with my weight.
I have been successful in losing weight various times through my life. The steps that I have found to be essential are:
1. surround myself with good nutritious food
2. make a plan
3. keep a record of everything that I eat
4. exercise
5. increase my daily movement. Sitting at the computer or watching tv won't use many calories but sweeping and doing other chores will. It will also get my house clean. Filling my day with extra movement won't add up to huge calorie usage but it is amazing how quickly they add up.
I know from experience that those steps bring success. I just need to focus and make it a daily priority. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully it won't be another 8 months before I report back because that will probably mean another 20 pound weight gain.
I now can only fit into one pair of pants and they are starting to wear out. I have to get focused and get my life under control.....starting with my weight.
I have been successful in losing weight various times through my life. The steps that I have found to be essential are:
1. surround myself with good nutritious food
2. make a plan
3. keep a record of everything that I eat
4. exercise
5. increase my daily movement. Sitting at the computer or watching tv won't use many calories but sweeping and doing other chores will. It will also get my house clean. Filling my day with extra movement won't add up to huge calorie usage but it is amazing how quickly they add up.
I know from experience that those steps bring success. I just need to focus and make it a daily priority. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully it won't be another 8 months before I report back because that will probably mean another 20 pound weight gain.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tomorrow my diet starts....
I really need to lose weight. I keep putting it off, you know, until tomorrow. Procrastination is very easy to do because there is no one to be accountable to. I can eat a pan of brownies and no one is around to tell me that isn't "diet food". My lack of weight loss could be caused by a tyroid condition as far as anyone knows. So starting tomorrow I will start my diet AGAIN and I will be accountable to my blog. I plan to record my successes and my failures as well as the thoughts I have about my (hopefully) weightloss journey. So, now I must close. I think I have an important appointment with a pan of brownies.
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