So, hi. I'm back. After 7 months off the wagon, I'm back. You know it's bad when your brand spanking new husband admits that the regaining of the weights is not as invisible as you had hoped.*
New Year's Resolution: work out, eat well. Simple, right? Never mind the fudge on the table in the office kitchen. Never mind the decadent chocolate bars that my in-laws shoved in my stocking. I need boundaries or I will weigh 200 again in no time.
Here are my plans:
1) Purge my house of bad-for-me food. More difficult now since I am married. However, as I said to him last night, "We have GOT to get this crap out of our home!" I will allow a candy bin, however I will only eat from the candy bin once a week at most (maybe a Sunday treat) and then it will just be a square of dark chocolate or a Peppermint Patty. I have proven in the past that I'm capable of setting those limits when I'm focused.
2) Join the gym. I've lived across the street - ACROSS THE STREET - from the Y for 2 1/2 months now and apparently my legs are broken or something and can't seem to make that big walk of fifty feet to officially sign up.
3) (and this is key) GO to the gym. Should be simpler now that I'll most likely be working 3 days a week in Providence.** I plan 3 days of cardio, alternating with 2 days of weights, with a Saturday thrown in if I make it over there. I got a Nano for Christmas so I am all ready to take that elliptical machine down to the pounding of heavy bass. I will also swim in a few months, but in the middle of winter my swimming urge just isn't there. Hopefully by starting off thinking that I will go every day, it won't be so easy for me to say, "Yes, but even if I don't go this morning, I can still get in 3 workouts this week." Because that's really easy to say when my alarm goes off.
4) Plan my meals. This is also key. I get in trouble when dinner becomes, "I don't know, what do YOU want?" and lunch is whatever I can grab from some fast food place near work.
5) Eat at LEAST one fresh fruit and one fresh vegetable a day.
6) Water water water. My water intake has been way down lately in favor of Diet Coke with Lime or Diet Dr. Pepper (see #7).
7) Cut down my soda intake. Last time I did this, I was drinking one Diet Coke with Lime per week as a Saturday or Sunday treat. Because I don't want to wind up laying on the floor from an incapacitating migraine, I'm gradually weaning myself from the caffeine.*** Today instead of bringing 2 cans of DCL to work, I only brought one. I'm drinking it right now with my lunch. I won't have any more today. Monday I'll start the no soda thing and will only allow one soda per week.
All the details, like what to eat and how much, I already know. I just haven't been putting my knowledge to any use, but have been letting it sit on a shelf all shiny and pretty while I eat lots of cheese and bread and chocolate.
* Before you smack him or tell him he's a horrible, horrible person, this followed a conversation where he said his belly was getting too big and in the way and I said, "Yep." Then I pointedly asked him if he had noticed my regained weight. He hemmed and hawed, but yes, he has.
** Yes! More details on that once I know all the details myself.
***Besides, I'm going to India in a couple of weeks and I don't really know what my access to caffeine will be and I would rather go through withdrawal here with my down comforter and teddy bear.
5 comments:
Kelly, I won't even pretend to be any kind of healthy eater, but I just wanted to give my two cents on a couple things.
First, dark chocolate and peppermint patties are also my go-to when I need something sweet but don't want to indulge. And you probably know this, but dark chocolate (esp. one square!) really isn't very bad for you at all. If this is the only treat you're going to allow yourself, I think you can have more than one square a week! Depriving yourself too much is the worst -- but then you know yourself, so take that for what it's worth.
Second, about caffeine, are you a coffee drinker? Coffee (black) is actually how my mom lost some weight. It's a natural appetite suppressant -- if I nurse a cup or two in the morning, I definitely notice myself less hungry at lunch time. It's also a good alternative to soda, with no calories and no processed grossness (I should disclaim I drink a lot of soda, too), it won't kill your caffeine addiction (which I know all too well) and it also has lots of antioxidants to boot.
Plus, when you go to India, I hate to tell you there will be plenty of soda, but there's also TONS of coffee. Be careful because it (and tea) is almost always served with whole milk, but you can get it separate if you ask, though they'll probably look at you funny, or if you order an espresso.
Oh, and spicy food speeds up your metabolism, so enjoy that curry! ;)
Good luck!
Kelly...
Good for you! I'm back on the wagon with Weight Watchers myself this month. I also am a big fan of the dark chocolate and mint...I heart Junior Mints.
I say the household purge of sweets is a good thing. We don't keep anything in the house that might tempt, sure that makes us boring, but you can't eat what's not there.
Cheering for you out here in NM....have fun in India too!
I recently did the bad-food purge, by giving away a lot of higher-calorie foods. My kitchen is now almost empty, except for things like spinach, lettuce and other salad greens, and stuff to go with the greens, like plain yogurt and balsamic vinegar. As long as I eat at home, I do very well. It's when I eat out (or call for a food delivery) that things come apart. Hopefully, this is going to get a lot easier with time.
I think your plan is good, and I wish you good luck with it this year!
Congrats and good luck and all that good stuff!
My friends and I have begun to track all our food for each day-and then email it to each other. A way for us to become accountable and also support one another when we make good food choices. :)
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