Sunday, January 25, 2009

Fun Monday - Excuses?

Another week has come and gone, and Grace at Mama Rehema volunteered to host this week with this challenge:

Many people make resolutions during the month of January and they usually include diets/eating healthy/losing weight and all that good stuff. I myself decided to try the Weight Watchers this time round. My assignment is to tell us about a diet or two (Atkins, Sonoma, Weight Watchers, South Beach, the You on a Diet, Best Life, The Abs Diet, The Zone, Cabbage Soup, E-Diets, Dr Phil, Jenny Craig, The Meditteranean Diet, Nutrisystem, Slim-Fast, Suzzane Sommers or No Name diet etc etc) that you have tried and what you liked or did not like about it. You can tell us about one diet that you had so much success with, or another that was a torture to follow or both.
AND/OR
Photo assignment: post a photo of something/someone that makes you feel good about yourself. It could be your loved one, your pet, your part of the world, anything goes.

Let's see... Weight Watchers. Check. South Beach. Check. You on a Diet. Check. Slim Fast. Check. I am proof positive that DIETS DON'T WORK. Wait - isn't that someone's slogan right now? Weight Watchers, I think. Granted, it's been over 20 years since I tried Weight Watchers. I lost about 7 pounds on it.

My doctor wants me to do Atkins. VERY HARD. South Beach isn't quite as hard, but it's still difficult. My main problem seems to be that I don't like actually thinking about food much. When I'm hungry, I want to eat until I'm not hungry. But I don't like thinking about it. Consequently, no diet seems to work for me. I'm not good at following rules.

In fact, the only diet that ever has seemed to work for me is the one I had to adopt when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I lost 30 lbs almost immediately. Sugar and carbs - big no no for me. But after 30 lbs, I was still overweight by about 70 lbs. Still am. And try as I might, working a diet doesn't seem to work for me. It's hard to do when you have a kid and a husband.

I know, excuses, excuses. I have been thinking though.

I have spent probably 35 of my nearly 47 years on this planet worrying about my weight and dieting in one way or another. And I am NO BETTER OFF today than I was the first day I started worrying about it. In fact, I'm a lot worse off. So I'm not going to diet anymore.

I am going to pay attention to what I eat. I will restrict the sugar and carbs because I have to. I will drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables. Leaner meat. And I will eat smaller portions more often.

But the main thing I will do is start thinking about my fitness goals and stop thinking about my weight loss goals. If I pursue my fitness goals, weightloss will be a natural side effect. Right now, I'm learning how to run without hurting myself. I take a dog and we go walk/jog around the neighborhood. So far, I can jog for a grand total of one and a half minutes. Impressive, no? But next week, I want to be able to jog for three minutes. I'm upping it a few seconds at a time. It probably WILL take two years to get ready for this marathon in Vermont, but by the time it arrives, I will definitely be ready and able to do it! This is my goal for now. And this may be the only way I can actually lose the weight I've been putting on for so long.

I don't like having pictures taken of me. I am always shocked at how I look - much bigger than I feel. I hope that by this time next year, I will feel much more comfortable when a camera gets aimed at me - less embarrassed, more confident. I have all the tools I need and the support to accomplish this.

IMG_2768

Now all I have to do is JUST DO IT.


21 comments:

Jan said...

Just Do It, is a great plan, for loosing weight and for life. You can do it!!

Liane Michel said...

OK, you know how I feel about Weight Watchers.

Do WW for a month or two and you will learn how to eat. You don't need to count points or follow stupid diets. Once you learn how to eat (and you do have to go thru the motions) you will have power.

You don't have to obsess over food once you learn how to look at it.

Weight Watchers will teach you that, but it will be up to you to learn it! :D


Seriously.

Anonymous said...

WW is a Life Style... not a diet !
OK. SO Maybe the cheese grits I had today with you weren't exactly on the WW points counter list, but they were awesome...as was meeting you. Since your post about US is below this one, chances are no one else will realize that I didn't actually throw a bag over your head in the restaurant and kidnap you. But, it really doesn't matter than no one else knows that we did meet and that my usual faith in people still stands...most of us are good and honest and sincere. It was a pleasure meeting you and as soon as I have the time, my post about our few minutes together will go up. We are snug as a bug in a rug in Pensacola after having a hearty bowl of gumbo...Until next time...no weirded out here.

BS said...

Lifestyle change is the key ! I firmly believe that - now I need to faithfully live it ! You say it's hard with a husband and a child - trust me, it's just as hard when it's just you. You have a great attitude for the future and the rewards will come. I didn't post a picture because I don't have any of myself - I'm always the one taking them !

Faye said...

Sayre, we are of the same mind for sure. I'm calling a truce with weight and just concentrating on staying healthy and fit enough to do what I want in my 60s. Good luck in your training for the VT marathon. that is such a concrete thing to work toward.

Pamela said...

ME2
it's a battle (mom always called it her Battle of The Bulge)

I've determined that exercise should be my priority.

Pamela said...

ps.
I vowed never to PAY for a diet.
I can tell myself I'm fat for free.

Hootin Anni said...

I know you can...
I know you can...
I KNOW YOU CAN!!!

My Fun Monday isn't much, but I posted it...come on over and say howdy if you can. Have a great day.

Molly said...

Sayre, you are right fitness is a key part if not THE key part to being and staying healthy. You are off to a great start with the jogging.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about it. If you had a leg amputated...how many pounds would that be good for?

Anonymous said...

You said the right words, now let your actions match your words. That is the hard part. Just take baby steps and have determination and patience. I Know you can do it, I have faith in you. Good luck my friend.

GirlGriot said...

"I have spent probably 35 of my nearly 47 years on this planet worrying about my weight and dieting in one way or another."

Are you my cyberspace twin? I started dieting at 12 (forced into Weight Watchers by my mom) and spent the next 26 years starting and failing at diets. [sigh]

But then I made the decision to stop dieting, and I haven't looked back. I'm still overweight (though much smaller than I was when I quit dieting 8 years ago), but I'm so much more comfortable wtih myself; I don't shy away from pictures (well, not nearly as much as I used to!), and I'm so much more relaxed with food.

So cheers on your decision to give up dieting! And good luck going cold turkey. I did it with the help of Overcoming Overating. Not sure I could have done it on my own.

PinkPiddyPaws said...

Sayre,

5 years ago, I weighed 225 pounds. Yeah, on a 5'5" frame. A friend sent me a pic and I burst out crying. Something had to be done. I actually did a medically supervised diet (same as Oprah but better) and lost almost 100 pounds. I've kept it off ever since.

One of the big motivators? The HUGE amount of money that diet cost me! ha.ha.. The other one? I look and FEEL so much better.

Now, I just make sure that my size 8 Lucky Brand jeans always fit and I'm a happy kitty.

You can do this. I know you can. You have untold inner strength and it shines through.

**hugs**

karisma said...

Firstly I don't believe in diets because I don't think they work! I believe in eating healthy and exercise. For me that means eating more believe it or not and walking! Im lazy and when you don't eat enough of the right foods your body craves the ones it does not need, hence the reason you put on weight.

Secondly: I LOVE this picture of you guys! It reminds me of the one I took of the kids not long after we started homeschooling, where they are doing yoga! (Except, their butts are not touching the ground! LOL) Priceless!

http://karismaskids.blogspot.com/2007/08/yoga-master.html

Living Life said...

I am with you...it seems that I have always worried about my weight as well. I do NOT like diets, but it sure does take commitment to make that healthy lifestyle change and after this Fun Monday, I am going to try myself.

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

When you stop letting the worrying over it consume you, you will move forward. That is what happened with me! You will achieve your goals...I can feel it! Go Sayre, Go Sayre, Go Sayre!

Unknown said...

I'm doig WW to, and I feel like I have to start over every freaking week. You and I are in the same place. ARGH!

Gattina said...

It's not easy to loose weight once you have put it on. I always hear good results from women who followed the weight watcher program.

Anonymous said...

Great post, Sayre! As I've remarked to other FM participants this week, I feel that women are under way too much pressure to be "thin" and thus measure up to some sort of airbrushed, artificially enhanced, unrealistic standard of beauty.

What is really important is to be HEALTHY...and that has a different meaning for each person. Happy FM to you, and bravo for your great attitude!

That girl said...

I think no matter who we are, we all need to just learn to be comfortable in our own skin.

It may not always be one's weight, but it can be being too tall/short, having bad skin, etc...

Our perception of ourselves, is way worse than others see us.

I wonder why that is...

Anonymous said...

That's better--now all we need is the "link to" feature or "Show Post" in the comments.
Mom