Michael and I have lost 4 pounds each since our weigh-in last week, which means that the plan we’ve been following has worked. That doesn’t mean we don’t complain about it, though. These are my thoughts upon finishing week one of our diet.
- As hungry as I was at the beginning of the week, I’m adjusting to when and how much I can eat. I feel pleasantly full after I eat a meal, and generally, I’m not hungry throughout the day until it’s time to have a snack or a meal. We don’t eat at the same time every day, but I can adjust my schedule so I’m not hungry if we eat later.
- Foods I would not have actively enjoyed before, I do now. Since the majority of what’s on my plate is veggies, I’m growing to like them a lot more. Maybe I’m just hungry, but when Michael packs me a salad for a snack or even just steams up some corn, I go at my veggies like they were a plate of brownies. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I am eating much slower now than I used to.
- I’m starting to think about choices. Last week, I ate an eeny mini cinnamon bun for my ~100 calorie morning snack. 5 minutes later, I’m still hungry. I don’t regret the tiny cinnamon bun, really – it was tasty, I didn’t over-eat, I was going to have lunch in another couple hours so I wasn’t going to starve, but that’s what I have to weigh now. I can only replace calories, but I can’t eat more calories, and those replaced calories have to be worth it. From both a hunger-reducing and a nutritional standpoint.
- My emotional needs have had to find another outlet. I haven’t had the best week from a mood standpoint, but I haven’t eaten. I’ve allowed myself my one evening snack and then tried to find something else to do. I’ll let myself watch more tv, I’ll do some writing or coloring, I’ll look up birds I saw that day in my bird-book and listen to their calls. This was among the most difficult things I did this week – finding a way to replace an unhealthy behavior with a healthier one.
- Working out when you’re fat isn’t easy. It’s the exact opposite of easy, namely, hard. For me, not only are there some physical constraints, but there’s the mental ones, too. To get beyond the mental ones, I’ve been walking a lot – about an hour, maybe more, a day. I know it’s not the best exercise in terms of weigh-loss, but for me the bigger problem is changing my attitude, then focusing on weight-loss. I have to get myself to a point where I remember how good it feels to work my body. I’ve been so inactive that my body has responded to the walks positively. With just a week of light physical exertion daily: climbing the stairs is easier, I have more energy, and I’m starting to view my body in a better light. I’m remembering the amazing things it can do, if I give it the right conditions. It’s that attitude that will drive me from my walks back to the gym where I can get in some more challenging work-outs.
- The chocolate slimfast snacks are lifesavers when it comes to craving sugar or chocolate. They’re not that great, but they’re more filling than 100 calories of a good, dark chocolate. Michael and I have been eating lots of the peanut-butter nougat snack bars which are modeled after snickers. You could have 3 mini snickers bars (the tiny square ones) for 130 calories, but they might not be as filling or as satisfying as being able to peel and eat the one slim-fast bar. The crunchy peanut snack-bar is like a butterfinger, also tasty. They’re a bit expensive, but look better nutritionally than most of the 100 calorie snack things I found at Costco yesterday.
We’ll see how much we lose next week. If it’s more than a couple pounds, we’ll have to up the daily calories a bit, but given that I don’t feel particularly hungry, I don’t think that’s going to be necessary on my behalf.
In conclusion, as depressed as I got yesterday walking around Costco and seeing just how many calories are in the tasty things I love to eat, it also motivated me. I can make better choices. I have the power!
Post a Comment