Day 36 of Phase 5: Calm, Lovely Weather, Calm Appetite, And Slept Heavenly....And the Decision That Made It Possible to Lose Over The Past 9 Months...And Will Keep Me Losing This Year...And How to Stop Vegetating and start exercising...And Not Letting Your Own FALSE Beliefs About Yourself Defeat You!

Tanita-san: 217.0

That's officially 82 pounds down now. Need to update the ticker.

Sleep is good again. Nose is a bit stuffy (allergies), but other than that, I feel fine. Appetite, which had gone a bit wayward recently, is nice and calm again.

I wish I lost faster, but this is how the Mir Body rolls. As long as I stick with it, I will get there. I will get there. That's the key. I just gotta do what must be done. As the Challenge leader emphasizes: If the plan is sound and you follow the plan, you get results.

I have a sound eating plan written for me by an R.D. that is very similar to any healthy eating plan (lots of veggies, lean protein, healthful oils in minimal amounts, various nutritional components accounted for, fresh fruit, occasional treats), tweaked for my insulin resistance and allergies. When I follow it to a tee, I get very good weigh-ins. When I fudge a bit here and there or sub poorly, I lose less. Although, some weeks, I eat perfectly and my body just holds on for reasons of its own or cause sleep is affected or whatever.

But the fact remains: A good eating and exercise program, followed pretty religiously, yields results.

And the proper mindset helps. I stopped thinking "diet" and started thinking "forever". Can I eat like this if I have to eat like this for life?

I decided that yes.  Despite the sense of deprivation about some fave foods (and especially trigger foods), despite the many "no's" that must be said, I can eat like this from now on in order to be a healthier older me.

That decision was key for me. A yes to no more self-indulgence. IT was the turning point.

Certainly, information helped--certain blogs, certain books. And having hubby and family be supportive (especially as another family member went on her own weight loss journey and has dropped 50+). Certainly challenges helped (one in summer 2010 on my old blog, and the DDDY challenges that began in October.)

All those were part of learning and pushing, establishing new habits, and consistency, and accountability...

But it came down to realizing this was it. If I wanted to stop being obese, I had to radically change and accept that change as a permanent lifestyle. Not a "fix". A renovation. A resurrection or rebirth. A whole mental adjustment (though that also evolves).

You learn about how you CAN do it. And whenever you say you CANNOT do it, then you make that the prophecy that fulfills.

Stop saying you cannot do it.

Say you can. Believe you can. Cast aside what stands in your way, even if that means you have to cast aside some of your own beliefs about yourself.

I'm still in the process of learning and casting off burdens and false beliefs.

It's hard work.

But every week is a new week to challenge and change and make those new habits more deeply entrenched.

Today, stop saying you cannot. Stop saying, "I gotta do..." Just do it, already. :)

If you want to eat less: Eat less. Make a plan. Post it on the fridge. Follow it. Buy only foods that help. Stop going to restaurants that don't add to your health. Focus on what you can have, not what you can't.

If you want to exercise: Move already. Right now. Get up from that chair, set your kitchen timer for 3 or 5 minutes, and just march in place. Dance. Move your arms around. Do jumping jacks. Or go for a 5 or 10 minute walk...right now!  Plan exercise into your day. What's the best time to walk: walk it . Set your alarm for exercise the way you do for work. Stop saying you will...and do it now. Today. Before bed. Don't let yourself eat until you do.

I'm a Master Procrastinator. I know if you/I don't do it now, it's easy to put it off and, before you know it, it's bedtime.

Look over your blog. What do you keep saying "I'm gonna.." and you  never get around to. Prioritize it right now. Not "gonna" or "hafta" but "doing it" and "did it". :)

That includes me. Just do it...already! Get on with it.

It doesn't matter if you have burdens and isssues, emotional or medical or spiritual, start getting over it. You can.


And if it's a pound a week--which makes some of us nuts--then that's what it is. A pound a week, 52 lbs a year, 104 pounds every 2 years. You'll get there. I'll get there.

Here is a recap of my slow journey:

I lose slowly, and even more slowly now that I'm a lot lighter than, not just my highest, but my start of this REAL lifestyle change journey. I began to work on my issues with vigor in 2007 at 289 (highest weight 299 recorded at home, probably went over 300 a scosh, who knows?). Working and learning.

In 2008, I began to tackle exercise in earnest, cause I was having little/very slow/snail-like changes in weight. I figured if while eating organic/some raw meals/mostly fruits and veggies and lean/but still in too many calories to drop loads of weight--I needed to try another angle. I had  avoided exercise like crazy. So heavy. So tired (medical issues are part). Such bad knees and ankles. I had all the reasons not to.

Excuses...right?

So, I researched what would be good for me, given my asthma (cardio terrified me, as I got attacks), bad joints, morbidly obese.

I chose Pilates for it's health benefits and ease on joints. And it's not cardio.

Even my trainer couldn't get me to do cardio. I had a mental block.

Only the recent challenge got me walking. I find I like it. I still can't run. I tried. Too much pain. But I can walk FASTER than I have in decades. And it feels good. I take my meds with me on my walk, just in case, and I do fine. Started with 10 mins and am up to 25 to 30 now.

I still have to force myself to get going on exercise. Part of that couch potato soul of mine still wants me inert. But I've been doing consistent, regular workouts, beginning with 3x a week, sometimes 2x a week, and since Phase 5, more often, of course. The ideal is 6x a week. One day of rest. (God says so. heh.)

June 30 will mark 3 years of consistent Pilates workouts with a trainer. Very expensive. My retirement funds have taken a loss (not that I took money out, I just put less in). I figured if I was going to have a retirement and not die from some early chronic disease, I better get fit.

Ideally, once I'm at goal weight and in the habit of exercise, I can continue with just classes, videos, walking, and no longer have to shell out 7K+ a year for a trainer. It's killing my budget, but I see this as a physical/health emergency. It's gotta get done.

So, start, if you have to with 10 minutes of walking or marching in place or an exercise DVD or energetic dancing 3x a week. Do that for two weeks or a month. Go up some. Make it 15 minutes 4x a week. Or 20 minutes 3x. Do that for a few weeks. Then add strength exercises. With weights or using body weight (push-ups, leg lifts, etc).

If you have Comcast or some cable with "on demand" type services, use their exercise videos.

The thing is to be consistent to make it a habit. To make your body and brain expect movement at such times of the day to do X type of workout. Make it a habit. It has to become a habit. An appointment you don't let yourself miss (too often, anyway).

Don't believe the lie your brain or heart tells you that you can't, just cause you never have made it a habit before. It's a lie. You can make a habit of anything (good or bad). If you overeat and undermove, you made habits of those. Make new habits. It may take YEARS to ingrain the habit, so it's a good thing start now. Don't waste more time. Start small, but consistently. Increase...vary...challenge yourself just bit by bit. It works. It will make you feel GOOD! I promise. You'll feel like you accomplished a major thing. I swear!

Trust me. Muscles feel good. :)

And how will you feel if you let another day pass and do NOTHING to move toward your goal? Yeah...think about that....

Cheerleading done for the day...later! Be well!