Tuesday 25 November 2008

Um....wow.

Note: sorry Belinda for pushing your post down - I can't get the 'post scheduling' option to work! I tried to schedule this to post two days from now but....failed. So, SEE BELOW FOR BELINDA'S LAST POST.
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Okay, so you know how I had put on like ten pounds in one month, not riding my bike? Well, on that day (Thanksgiving) I got my motivation. I said "Enough is enough". Since then, since October 13, I have lost the following:

15 pounds (I'm at 178 now)
3.5 inches off my waist
2 inches off my bust
2 inches off my hips

!!!!

How did I do it, you ask? This is how I did it.

I plan to carry on with Cinch indefinitely. I am doing the two-a-day loss plan right now, and will switch to one-a-day maintenance when I have reduced my waist and weight to the high end of my recommended body mass (as defined by the Index). I am supposed to be 160 pounds, but I will be happy if I can hover around 170. We'll see.

When I started out on this Stopping the Slide journey, I had no real intention to do any sort of concerted plan. I normally don't approve of them because I feel they don't change your habits in any long-term way. After gaining all that weight and feeling, frankly, physically uncomfortable, I just had to put my foot down and try something drastic. I'm so glad I did, not just because I am shrinking as we speak, but because normally my weight loss is so slow that the lack of visible progress tempts me to give up. This plan gave me a huge kick start and a solid reason not to cheat...and I could see the benefits after a mere couple of days.

Plus, there is a whack of nutritional advice given with the plan, and it has changed my eating habits noticeably...I am way, way down on my starches and I don't think I can ever go back. When I eat those now, after six weeks on Cinch, I feel so stodgy. I certainly don't have the capacity I once had.

So we'll see how this works out in the long term. For now, it feels great and I am loving it. The first week was hard, naturally, with the lower amount of starch and with trying to get creative with my protein choices (I have to have 8 servings per day), but everything is going so beautifully now...I'm really wondering if this could be the leg up I needed.

Sunday 23 November 2008

Checking In

It's been a couple of weeks since last officially checking in. I was having trouble staying on track, and honestly, it's hard to check in when you feel like you are spiralling down.

In spite of not visibly connecting though, I was helped by thinking about the fact that on January 1st I started a journey on this blog in a desperate need for accountability and support, without condemnation or guilt.

I looked at a photo I took of myself at that point. Although I was only about 8 pounds heavier then, they were "tipping point" pounds, with which I began to feel frumpy and fat. And I was slowly but surely, on the way up. With losing those few pounds I am not noticably fat, but I still have clothes I can't wear because they are too small. I need to lose another 10lb.

The last two Tuesday's, when I didn't record my weight here, it was 154 and 154.6. If this blog didn't exist, I know that I would have continued with the abandoned eating patterns that were taking hold again. I'd been to a work training where there the meals were delicious and plentiful and I was falling prey to binging on chocolate and cookies at home.

Looking at the photo of myself, reminded me that I would hate to regain those pounds, and furthermore I want to carry on with the journey of losing more of them. So I have got back on the horse this week and eaten more moderately, while still enjoying good food.

I have not done any exercise friends. The snow has landed in Ontario and it is so much easier to stay snugly inside and to focus on all that I have to do. I am very busy right now with the extra load of Christmas preparations but I need to do something to get moving. I will try to get moving this week.

Today my weight is down but it isn't my official day to report until Tuesday so it doesn't count. I might go up by then, although I hope not. Hey, it might even go down! How is the rest of the gang doing? Please let me know.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Me Updating

Dear Fellow Slide Stoppers,
I'm sorry for vanishing from the scene, although not really.

I just got back on Saturday from two weeks in England, where I was visiting my family, and also enjoying the fat of the land, literally! I did enjoy fish and chips as often as I could, but I split each order (they are giant sized) with my mum. Admittedly "splitting" meant me having 2/3 at least, but we were both happy with our portions. I also relished fresh cream cakes whenever I could lay my hands on one.

On the other hand I did lots more walking than I usually do and I did not cast off all restraint. I feel as though it was a good balance of enjoying life and being moderate and sensible (even though it doens't sound like it from what I just wrote.)

Today I am 151.2 on the new scales, which read 1 pound less than my old ones. I'm going to forget about that pound, which I feel compelled to tell you about. If you care about it (which I doubt), you now know to add it to any further weight reports from me! :) Truly I only report my weight for my own benefit and accountability. I don't think that anyone else takes note.

I've decided to walk at lunchtime at work whenever I can. Yesterday I walked 2.5 km in half an hour and found it cleared the cobwebs that were gathering after a morning at my desk. I came in from the cool fresh air feeling envigorated.

How is everyone else doing?