The Truth about Weight Loss - My Weight Loss Journey
In a Bridget Jones Diary style I write about my weight loss journey to share with the world the truth about losing weight. It's definitely not easy, we all know that, but now someone is bold enough to present the real side of the story. I hope that you will enjoy the read and that many of you can relate to stories I share.
One thing that I do have to mention, only because it made a difference, I worry about what I look like in a gym. I know, I shouldn't, but I do. I want my flubber to stay put, I don't want wobbly bits entertaining others!
When I was in Singapore last year I invested in some good quality Nike sports gear. Great leggings that have the right support pockets to control the cellulite from their own little disco and a great bra/singlet top to control any extra bounce above. I completed the look with a t-shirt that was long enough to cover the tummy, but not too big that I couldn't move..and VOILA! Great exercise outfit that feels great, looks decent and is efficient.
Bottom line, if you are serious about weight loss, then spend some time commiting to good quality gear that takes away one more excuse for exercising.
Ok, so usually if I get as far as packing my gym gear, it doesn't get to see anymore than my suitcase.
This time, I actually used it! I know, incredible right? It's ok, I'm just as shocked. All these baby steps I have made has actually led me down a path I never actually thought I would visit. I actually CHOSE to exercise this afternoon.
We managed to finish on time today and I had the afternoon to myself. After a take away lunch and sitting in an office all day, I felt disgusting. I was heavy in my stomach, I had a headache, a back ache and I just felt lousy!
So I just made the decision that I would go to the gym. I didn't give one thought to "oh my gosh, people are going to look at me" and just made the decision to go. It felt great! I went on one of those cross-trainers and it just felt good.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not enrolling in the next tri-athalon or anything, but it just felt like my body was processing the food that I ate at lunch. It got to 10 mins and I was ready to say "yep, surely this counts as exercise!"...but I remembered something my husband told me. As soon as you're ready to give up, keep going! I know, craaaaazy! Apparently it's this "going the extra" that really makes a difference. So I did!
I kept going. I focused on a point on the wall and just kept pumping. Then, get this, an older man got onto the machine next to me and was going faster than me. I don't know about you, but this made me focus on how fast he was going, and made me keep going! I think it's because I had a different focus. I didn't concentrate on the minutes going by, or how hard I was finding it...or that I just didn't want to break out as the 'fat woman who has gone all red in the face'. I was distracted by this old guy going faster than me and I just had to prove a point!
I kept going.
I got to the 18 min mark and from there, it was the longest 2 mins of my life!!! However, I had gotten this far, so I pushed some more...and not to expand on these two minutes anymore...I made it to the 20mins!
Wow! The service is impeccable! The room is amazing! I spent the first few minutes in the room taking pictures (I'll share some as soon as I can work out how to download my photos without a cord...)
I took this photo of Trip Advisor. The gorgeous detail is in Pink and Gold. The upright books are the books of services and In-Room dining. The pretty box is the compendium with your writing elements. My room has a beautiful diary on a stand.
The details in this place just definitely earns them their 5 star rating.
For example, room service breakfast comes with a toaster! I know! How clever! This way I don't have cold toast this morning I have freshly toasted warm delicious toast!!!
I will have to share my photos over the next few days.
What I can say is that I'm packed this time with my gym gear...the intent is there...Now to find the time...
I've had a stressful couple of days at work...little sleep...lots of silly people that don't know how to think properly...and in the midst of it all? I was scrounging around for chocolate...like looking for a quick hit...
Then someone had a birthday...so I ate a piece of cake...
The desire for sweetness consumed me...
Do you honestly think that at a time like this I would be reaching for a carrot stick to calm me down?????
Then, I got a hold of myself. Yes, I had the piece of cake...but I stopped my salivating, got up off my paws and realised that I was looking for something sweet, yes, but it was probably because I was stressed and restless. So I improvised on the sweetness and had some grapes...woohoo! Yeah me!
Today even though I was stressed again, I made sure the healthier option was at my reach.
All I could think about was getting home and having a drink. Come on, who could blame me?!?!?! If you could drink at work I would have started at 9am!
However, I didn't consume a bottle...I came home, spent some quality time with my husband and daughter with some great laugh time to release those happy cells, and then relaxed with one glass of wine over dinner.
Oh my goodness...I think I'm changing my behaviour!
For those of you who know, it was Chinese New Year on Sunday. The celebrations continue for 15 days and usually involves lots of eating!
Extra controls need to be in place is all I can say...
Tonight we went out to a restaurant and I didn't over eat, in fact I just had a little bit of everything, almost like my own tasting plate, I only drank chinese tea. I even shared a dessert instead of having a whole deep fried ice-cream...AND...when asked whether I wanted the bigger half or the smaller half...I said SMALLER!
When offered food, especially food that I love (i.e. chocolate) I find it almost impossible to refuse.
Even if I'm not hungry, it's like a mindless automatic answer that comes out of my mouth..."oh yes please"
I don't know why? Does this make me obsessed with food???
My thoughts would be...no...I think that I've trained myself into a habit of not truly thinking about what I'm eating. I believe that I need to learn to listen more to my body and not my cravings.
For example: Just because buffet breakfast is part of my room charge, I don't have to have three courses. I don't have to have the bacon and eggs option. I can think before I select and choose the healthier option.
Another example: It's lunchtime and lunch is served in a conga line and you have to take a plate and serve yourself. I don't need to put abit of everything on my plate. I can be selective, enjoy some things but not others.
It's afternoon tea, there are biscuits and cakes out. I don't have to take one just because a waiter is offering me one...I CAN SAY NO...for goodness sake...not brain surgery...but just soooooooo hard to implement!
I was away at a work conference this week and as always it's full of fun, learning and excitement for the coming year.
One of the speakers gave an example which I straight away noted because it is so relevant to a weightloss journey (any journey in fact!).
A famous person (sorry, not good with names) was asked how he managed to climb such a massive mountain. He simply said, "I never looked at the summit because I knew that I would turn away and be overcome by my fear of not being able to go any further or that I would convince myself that I couldn't do it. Instead I looked down at my feet and watched as I put one foot in front of another, something I KNEW I could do".
This was inspiring!
I get so nervous about achieving the 30kgs that I have to lose because it's just so mammoth and I doubt my own capabilities to stick it out to the end. However, what I can do is take a step every day. I can look at each day, each gram as it's own achievement.
Especially on a weekend, there is no way that you can avoid those indulgent calories.
As they teach you in programmes like Weight Watchers, it's essential to balance out your meals to allow for those special treats that you know you're going to want.
The key to watch out for will be quantities.
So tonight, I had the concept right. Healthy seafood dinner with salad, which then allowed me to have wine.
The only problem...well...I'm pretty sure I had too much seafood...and hmmm...how many wines did I have tonight???
I went downstairs for my soy cappuccino and my salad sandwich this morning and the coffee guy said "$2 for any food item"...oh dear...so I added yoghurt to my purchase. I'm still feeling good because it has fresh fruit and raw nuts so I'm happy.
He then hands me an apple danish as I'm walking away. I mumble "thank you" as I carry the additional calories I know I don't need and I feel paralysed to hand it back.
It stares at me all day on my desk, until the minute that I'm having a stress moment and I rip open the wrapping and I eat it all in a few bites...
Why did I feel compelled to eat it? Well, it was free! Now don't tell me that you haven't used that rationalisation before!
It's like the lolly jar in the office...it's just there...and you are drawn to it...
Tomorrow is yet ANOTHER day, another chance to have more willpower to set my calories and stick to them!
P.S. I stuck to my exercise again this morning...WOOHOO! I'm fabulous!
I got up, did my exercise...went to the toilet (every little bit counts you know!)...stripped down as far as I could go...
and...
I put on TWO KILOS!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!
In the old days I could play around with the little gauge and blame it on the scales not being balanced. Nowadays with the digital scales, there's no fooling anyone.
I know, I'm acting all surprised, like I didn't know that all that alcohol and eating out last week in New Zealand was going to miraculous disappear over the Tasman Sea on the way home...
Ok...the positive is that it's been three days and I've kept to the daily exercise routine...and I ate relatively healthy today. Breakfast: cereal and yogurt (good!)...lunch: salad sandwich (good)...piece of my own birthday cake that someone made for me especially (hmmm...only semi-bad because it was a small piece...i know...clutching at straws)...and Dinner: chicken, rice and vegies (well, portion was a little big)...Ok so I'm ALMOST there.
Ok, now that I've got that out of my system...here is today's blog.
Every single person should have exercise into their daily routine. When it comes to weight loss there is a simple formula that applies to everyone.
Energy in = Energy Out
Calories/Kilojoules in = Body functions, energy burning activities (including dedicated exercise time!)
If we have more calories going into our body than what we are using every day, the body will store these in our fat cells, and wah-lah! We put on weight.
If you're anything like me, and have a job where you are predominantly in the office behind a computer, then I have news for you...we have to actually dedicate some serious exercise time during the time to burn off what we eat (and more if we want to lose weight!)
It's an ugly truth, but none-the-less essential.
I know the theory but I am the biggest procrastinator when it comes to exercising. I will think of all the excuses first before actually exercising.
So my first of many exercise tips is this...
When you decide you need to add exercise to your weight loss journey, DO IT TODAY! Don't wait for tomorrow because you will find that tomorrow will become the next day, and the next and so on...
I have followed my own tip. Today I made the decision that I need to get on my exercise machine at least 20mins a day. I would normally say "ok, I'll start tomorrow!"...this time I decided to do it straight away!
So now I have at least 20 mins of exercise logged in for today and I feel like I've accomplished something!
Of course I know that you should be doing more than 20 mins a day, but what is more important is to make it part of you. Make it something that you fit into every day...now there is a challenge!
Some have one roll, others have two and there are some who are graced with three or more rolls. No matter how many you have, I've come to the realisation that you have to love your rolls.
Now, before you say "what the?" listen to my epiphany that I had this morning.
When I look in the mirror sideways and see my rolls, my first thoughts were to always hate what I was seeing and be disgusted. Or when I'm trying on a top, I always make sure that I can't see any "roll-age" on display. Now, this is VERY difficult when the rolls are a part of me and my current body structure.
So, what I find is that I get depressed, frustrated and upset with my rolls...and yes, you know where I'm going with this now...all these emotions lead to potential giving up on a diet, feeling hopeless and angry at oneself for not sticking to a diet and ultimately may lead to eating your weakness. For me this would be chocolate, or whatever was easiest to shove in my mouth.
Or perhaps even saying "oh well, who cares, just for tonight I shall indulge". Why? All because I have myself stirred up negative emotions towards myself.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you adopt a "Fat bastard" - a.k.a the scottish dude from Austin Powers - attitude and start rubbing your hands over your body and saying "look at me, I'm damn sexy! Look at my tit-ies!"
What I am saying is that you should always love yourself and know that your body doesn't define you as a person. I believe the key is to look at yourself and say that you are a work in progress, and that the rolls are currently being "ironed out" and they are around for a limited time only!
Use them as motivating force to keep you on track to the better you!
I'm home from my business trip and it's time to get back on the diet wagon.
To be honest, I'm nervous about the energy that's required to be on a diet. It's always on my mind, with everything I eat, whether it be calorie counting or noting how much water I'm drinking. It's exhausting!
The only thing I am confident about is the fact that I need to go back to healthy eating! Eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as drinking every night...I'm dreading the "weigh-in" tomorrow morning!
Ok, so it's 1am in NZ and I've just got back from work.
Haven't had dinner, so I order room service. I KNOW I should have thought "well it's this late, just go to bed"...but there were a number of factors here:
1. The bill will be on my work. Answer: Order room service
2. I'm sure there would be something light, and therefore healthy. Answer: Order room service
3. I still have to work for an hour or two, so I WILL be awake (burning energy using my brain...don't laugh, apparently this is true!). Answer: Order room service
4. I'm hungry. Answer: JUST ORDER ROOM SERVICE ALREADY!
So, I pick a toasted sandwich and a chicken soup...pretty healthy right? I mean come on, this would be on weight watchers!
It arrives...
The chicken soup is CREAMY chicken soup...delicious...and I mean REALLY delicious which can only mean one thing...it is FATTY!
The toasted sandwich...well...it was covered with chips, and I mean covered! It was so covered I couldn't see my sandwich!!!
This is what I should have continued drinking...
This is what I did drink...
It's been a long tough day...resistance is futile.
If you don't want to overeat and you don't want to pig out on totally unncessary calories, than control your alcohol consumption!
So I'm away on business in New Zealand and every night we're having great dinners and there is alcohol (of course). One glass, we're cruising, in control...two glasses and suddenly I feel like dessert...three glasses and I'm raiding the mini bar when I get back for some nuts...and then some chocolate.
HELLO!!!!
Now I'm bloated and feeling extremely guilty.
Thank goodness there aren't any scales in the room...or is this a bad thing?????
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