Well, it is Saturday at 6:19am. I've been up since 4:30am and have completed some work assignments and washed and folded 1 1/2 loads laundry. Since being on the MC (this is my 6th day), I've been going to bed a little earlier-more like 9 something instead of 10 something in bed, and have had energy to do a few loads of laundry each day. I wake up every day at 4:30, which not coincidentally, I've been trying to do since earlier this year, My son started soccer this week, so I have committed to walk him to practice each day-it's only 10 minutes each way. I also will do a few laps around the park. I need to figure out how to make exercise part of my life, rather than make time to exercise. Doing more household chores is 1 way I have been doing this.
I have not had a problem with being hungry bored or wanting to chew while on MC. The only hard part has been behavior associations I have with food. For example: Friday at my friends home, she was getting ready to get some already cooked fried chicken from the store. That gave me a craving/taste for fried chicken. But, I did manage to cook popcorn with butter for my kids without eating it, so victory. As of yesterday, I weighed 160.2lbs and my fat was down to around 35 or 36%. (from over 42% fat and 181lbs June 5)
I have been having desires to cook vegetarian meals for my family. I know I can't eat them, but I want to blend herbs. When I get done with MC, I could see myself going salt free. I have no craving taste for salt, but I still sometimes crave breads-corn bread and white bread and biscuits. Stuff I don't even normally eat.
I really want to stay on MC until I reach my target weight of 130. As Eric Carle would write: "Can I do it? Yes I can!" My mini goal is at least 10 days and then do detox.
It will be nice to lose weight over weekend for once. It has been so difficult to keep up healthy habits over the weekends.
I've been giving a lot of thought to maintenance and lifestyle. I never want to backslide. Some people lose weight and become slender and then gain it back. I don't want that to happen, so I've been thinking about how do skinny people live? I've been thinking about what happens when life becomes hectic, because stresses do happen change happens and I really want to keep up this things I do when that happens. But how will I? Can I simply never allow myself to not make time for my own health? Is that too broad of a goal? Is it impossible to control the world like that or am I simply saying I will not allow myself to be controlled by the world. What will I do?
Maybe it's just about commitment to continue healthy living: Here's what I have been doing and what I will have to continue to do:
-measuring my food portions
-making sure that the bulk of my meals is vegetable based
-making lower calorie food choices
-not eating after 7pm
-Not eating with family when we are out to eat or visiting and they only have unhealthy foods. I have not been successful with this one. I've got to substitute an activity for the food, like taking a walk or drinking water or eating a different vegetarian dish, because seriously, even the vegetable dishes at restaurants and at families house have so much fat added that I have gained weight from them. Do I pack a snack/pack a meal? I don't want to appear rude. I will have to limit myself to only eating the unprocessed whole versions of foods. Ex: corn on the cob or salad or picking the skin or batter off my chicken. I hope my 130lb body will motivate me to do these kinds of things and I pray I won't be viewed as rude by my family.
-I can probably commit to light excercize 3 times per week for 15-30 minutes max excercize-but that doesn't allow you to eat much more food. I do love the way I feel-way more energetic and i feel like doing chores and things it is amazing. Maybe that will motivate me. If I can remember how I used to have no energy and now I have so much more.
I've determined I will exercise harder for 30mins - 1 hour on the holidays in order to deal with that. But it seems like in my extended family, we have a holiday whenever we get together. It's funny, I used to consider it great to eat all the time with family that can cook such great foods, but now it just scares me. It;s also funny that I have realized that I feel more comfortable around family who know and verbally support me in my weight loss. But some people have said nothing. Like they don't see it. I wonder if they are jealous or upset or really haven't noticed. I've lost 20-25lbs and have gone from a size14-16 to 10-12. Maybe they haven't noticed. Maybe I'm paranoid.
Or maybe this is all too much to do long term, and I need to keep it simple like:
- exercise 35 mins -1 hour 4+ days per week.
- skip 1 meal per day or replace it with a low calorie diet shake or yogurt or an apple or a bowl of cereal.
- Continue to drink water before each meal
- when with family or out to eat, drink 2 waters before each meal and 1 glass between each plate/serving
- Try to start eating 15-20 mins after them
- Get control of the weekends so I can eat somewhat normally during the week.
- or substitute meals on the weekends
- understand that weekend and family time do not mean eat crazy bad food. There are other ways to bond and have fun.
- Just say no to comfort foods for no reason. Only in strict moderation, and since many comfort foods are addictive to me, just say no.
- Stay busy doing other things. my life shouldn't revolve around eating.
- Tend my garden-this burns calories and is a distraction
- Clean my house
- Take a walk with my baby or son or the others in my home.
