I know this sounds weird for someone who is overweight, but since I've begun this healthy lifestyle, it has been a struggle to make sure I eat often enough. Before I was kind of a mindless eater, so I didn't think about calories, carbs, fat, etc. Now that I am trying to really watch what I eat and record it all (on www.sparkpeople.com) I hate putting stuff in my mouth! I find myself waiting until I am extremely hungry before I finally eat lunch or my snack, which is dangerous because once I reach a certain level of hunger I am prone to overeating or eating something really bad for me. The best cure for this, I have found, is to plan everything out really well. If I am eating what is on the plan, then the feelings of guilt are diminished.
They are still there, though. After meals I have to keep reminding myself that what I ate was healthy and I needed the fuel for my body. The feeling of fullness actually brings a certain amount of shame right now, and I know I need to work through this. It comes from years of binging or just plain overeating and then regretting it immediately afterwards. Hopefully as I continue on this path, I can override those emotions and feelings. They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, to create new pathways in your brain that make something like working out and not eating out of boredom a natural activity, not a challenge. I've been doing this for a little over 2 weeks now, and each day I make good choices it gets a little easier.
As always, this is
All To Bring You Glory
Friday, August 10, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
First weigh in!
I weighed in at the gym today and discovered I lost four pounds last week! Woohoo! I don't really want to post numbers yet, but I am so happy for the progress. I feel like it should have been more, but I didn't make it to the gym on Saturday and I went to a potluck dinner, banquet, and out with my husband this weekend, so I know that I didn't eat the best on those days. But, I didn't do terribly either. I didn't get any bread or dessert at the potluck and had small portions of everything else. I also got a lighter portion size when Grant and I went out. Regardless, I am going to try and do even better this week!
My little munchkins have NOT been happy at the gym lately, though. They have had to come and get me the past two times due to uncontrollable crying from first Ben, then Annalee. Today I only got 25 minutes in before they called me! I am going to do some abdominal work at home to make up for the lost time and maybe, if I am feeling really masochistic, I will take the kids on a walk this afternoon. I am SO ready to be able to enjoy the outdoors again! Not only does it keep them occupied and happy, but it provides so many free ways for me to get some extra exercise.
One final thing- I always feel like a bit of a dork at the gym because I am constantly lip-synching (silently mouthing the words) to my music as I work out. NO ONE else does this (I look every time!). It helps me forget about being hot or exhausted and keeps me moving, so I am ignoring the fact that I must look like I am secretly filming a music video. One featuring a sweaty, pony-tailed chubby girl. They make those, right?
As always, this is All to Bring You Glory!
My little munchkins have NOT been happy at the gym lately, though. They have had to come and get me the past two times due to uncontrollable crying from first Ben, then Annalee. Today I only got 25 minutes in before they called me! I am going to do some abdominal work at home to make up for the lost time and maybe, if I am feeling really masochistic, I will take the kids on a walk this afternoon. I am SO ready to be able to enjoy the outdoors again! Not only does it keep them occupied and happy, but it provides so many free ways for me to get some extra exercise.
One final thing- I always feel like a bit of a dork at the gym because I am constantly lip-synching (silently mouthing the words) to my music as I work out. NO ONE else does this (I look every time!). It helps me forget about being hot or exhausted and keeps me moving, so I am ignoring the fact that I must look like I am secretly filming a music video. One featuring a sweaty, pony-tailed chubby girl. They make those, right?
As always, this is All to Bring You Glory!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
What I'm Doing
This is my general plan, at least for now:
-Exercise 6 days a week.
My workouts consist of 30-40 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, and about 15 minutes of strength training (alternating between arms and legs). So far I am REALLY enjoying working out. My kids go to the childcare room and then I have an hour and a half all alone! Never mind the fact that I am drenched in sweat and breathing heavy- I'm alone!
-Low Carb-ish
I say "ish" because I am eating about 60-80 carbs a day, which is not as low as most plans suggest. I have done the extreme low carb, with good success as far as weight loss goes, but it didn't feel like a realistic lifestyle for me. I try to limit my carbs by not eating a bun with my burger, using lettuce as a wrap, buying low carb tortillas and noodles, etc. Also, I try to eat a lot of protein- eggs and bacon in the morning, tuna or chicken for lunch, nuts and cheese for snacks. I am a carb addict, so this is still pretty drastic for me. But the less sugar I eat, the less I crave it!
-Water, water, water
I read that you are supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Which is awesome if you weigh 130 pounds, but it is pretty hard for me to do! I feel like I am constantly chugging it down. However, I am one of those odd people that loves water and never had a soft drink, juice, or sweet tea habit. So this is a pretty easy step for me to take.
That's pretty much it! Very basic, very simple to follow. Of course, having the motivation to stick to it every day may be a different story! For now, I am really enjoying it all and haven't had an incredible amount of temptation. I did have one afternoon where I could not stop thinking about a Braum's hot fudge sundae, but I just powered through the craving and it went away.
As far as exercise goes, I am really pushing myself with this. I read something the other day that may sound trite, but it has made a difference to me: Your brain will give out long before your body will. In other words, your brain will tell you it's too hard, too long, too difficult, but your body is capable of going much further than you think. So I am trying to ignore my wimpy brain and let my body decide what it can handle! I have been impressed thus far!
As always, this is All To Bring You Glory!
-Exercise 6 days a week.
My workouts consist of 30-40 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, and about 15 minutes of strength training (alternating between arms and legs). So far I am REALLY enjoying working out. My kids go to the childcare room and then I have an hour and a half all alone! Never mind the fact that I am drenched in sweat and breathing heavy- I'm alone!
-Low Carb-ish
I say "ish" because I am eating about 60-80 carbs a day, which is not as low as most plans suggest. I have done the extreme low carb, with good success as far as weight loss goes, but it didn't feel like a realistic lifestyle for me. I try to limit my carbs by not eating a bun with my burger, using lettuce as a wrap, buying low carb tortillas and noodles, etc. Also, I try to eat a lot of protein- eggs and bacon in the morning, tuna or chicken for lunch, nuts and cheese for snacks. I am a carb addict, so this is still pretty drastic for me. But the less sugar I eat, the less I crave it!
-Water, water, water
I read that you are supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Which is awesome if you weigh 130 pounds, but it is pretty hard for me to do! I feel like I am constantly chugging it down. However, I am one of those odd people that loves water and never had a soft drink, juice, or sweet tea habit. So this is a pretty easy step for me to take.
That's pretty much it! Very basic, very simple to follow. Of course, having the motivation to stick to it every day may be a different story! For now, I am really enjoying it all and haven't had an incredible amount of temptation. I did have one afternoon where I could not stop thinking about a Braum's hot fudge sundae, but I just powered through the craving and it went away.
As far as exercise goes, I am really pushing myself with this. I read something the other day that may sound trite, but it has made a difference to me: Your brain will give out long before your body will. In other words, your brain will tell you it's too hard, too long, too difficult, but your body is capable of going much further than you think. So I am trying to ignore my wimpy brain and let my body decide what it can handle! I have been impressed thus far!
As always, this is All To Bring You Glory!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
In the beginning...
This blog is (hopefully) going to be a place for me to record my journey through weight loss. This has been a lifelong struggle for me, and though I am optimistic about this latest endeavor, I can't help but doubt whether or not this is really going to be "IT". That's why I gave this blog the title "All To Bring You Glory". I am not just doing this for vanity, though I would love to look better. I am not just doing this for health reasons, though I want to be here for a long time. I am not just doing this for the people in my life, though I want to be a role model for my children, an active partner for my husband, and a blessing to my friends and family. The final impetus behind this decision is a desire to glorify God in all that I do. I know He loves me. I am not in any way trying to be "good enough" or ensure my salvation. However, I also know that overeating, laziness, and disrespecting the fearfully and wonderfully made body He gave me does not please Him.
Therefore, I am committing today, both to myself and to Him, that I will see this journey to the end. I know every day will not be a success. There will be bumps along this path and I'm sure that I will feel like giving in more than once to the various temptations I will face. But I will keep going. I will not let it stop me or hinder me from this commitment. I know that when I reach my goal, I will truly be able to say that I did it in His strength and it is all to bring Him glory.
Therefore, I am committing today, both to myself and to Him, that I will see this journey to the end. I know every day will not be a success. There will be bumps along this path and I'm sure that I will feel like giving in more than once to the various temptations I will face. But I will keep going. I will not let it stop me or hinder me from this commitment. I know that when I reach my goal, I will truly be able to say that I did it in His strength and it is all to bring Him glory.
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