GETTING HEALTHY FOR FIFTY
3/3/2024 0 Comments it's a journey not a raceI know this.
I live this. But that doesn't mean that some days aren't hard. Right now, it's hard. I am down 20lbs from starting NOOM. I'm keeping it off, but it's not enough. (That is not me being hard on myself, that is me being realistic.) My goal is big. And I didn't get where I'm at in a month, or even three months. Where I'm at now took years (including a pregnancy were I gained 50lbs because I thought being pregnant gave you license to eat whatever you wanted whenever you wanted because you were eating for two.) I haven't been trying that hard lately, but I haven't been going wildly off plan either. You're thinking, what the heck are you trying to say? Right. Well, what I mean is, I'm trying to log my meals, and trying to get in celery whenever I'm snacky. I'm trying to get in my water, and drink water instead of an extra cup of coffee (and creamer). I am making homemade fries with the NOOM recipe instead of buying frozen french fries. But I'm not walking like I should be. I'm not technically going over my calories most days, but I'm not choosing the right foods either. I'm a walking contradiction right now. But I see it. So that's half the battle, right? My short term goal is June. I want to lose another 20lbs before June. then by next June I want to have lost 100lbs total. Yeah, just writing that makes it feel daunting. But my goal (and the name of this page) is to be healthy by 50. And that's next summer. So it's time to get at it. Meanwhile, today I'm sitting on the couch watching tv. My Lymphedema makes me feel tired all the time. And the only way to start getting the toxins in my body that are making me feel crummy is to move. See? Catch 22. But it is what it is. And sadly, I am self employed, and my job is sitting and typing. Once I get up and move around, whatever I was thinking about creating leaves my brain. It's annoying. But I am literally at that stage in life where in one room of the house I get a great idea for something, and when I get to my laptop to start working, I have no idea what it was I was thinking about. (oy vey) The only way I'm going to get moving is if I choose to move (or if I have to go grocery shopping. Those are the days I always get my steps in without thinking about it.) I'm currently forming a plan to get movement into my week. I will say I haven't been buying frozen processed foods for the fam (you can imagine how happy they are about that), and our kitchen is mostly filled with ingredients versus grab and eat food (again, not a happy fam there.) My snacks consist of little snack packs of veggie chips (70 calories) or Belvita breakfast biscuit bites (130 calories.) And I enjoy both of these things. Planning healthy balanced dinners is where I fail. I always make a menu, and tend to stick to it, but that menu is only the main course (and it is usually chicken, again, I can hear the fam groaning now) i always forget we should have a veggie and another side so it's filling and nutritious. I did serve some asparagus and mushrooms last week though. (win!) So I am in a moment of refocusing and recommitting. I know what my goal is, it is just really foggy between now and getting there. I am a planner, so I need to plan how I am going to get there and then implement said plan. And stick to said plan. The weather is getting nicer, will that entice me to do a little walking? Not sure, we'll see. But maybe. (I hate when articles say "if you're stressed, go take a little walk." I'm a big girl, and I sweat. That little 5 minute walk means when I get home I need to hit the shower before I do anything else, then it's just a big production. And that keeps me from wanting to go take a "little walk.") Today is Sunday, so Monday morning sounds like a good day to try to start a little moving each day. Today I will try to keep the calories in check and pick the best foods (and get my water in.) I need to note that once I am up and moving, I'm fine. The thought of getting up and moving is what is exhausting. But little by little I will try. It's a journey to getting healthy. I didn't gain it quickly, so it's not going to come off quickly. But it will come off. I'm learning to eat right and still enjoy what I like. I will keep learning, and hopefully keep getting healthy!
0 Comments
1/21/2024 0 Comments why I chose NOOMI was hesitant at seeing the NOOM commercials. Everything they said NOOM did for you I already knew how to do and figured I could do on my own, afterall, I did it before while I was part of Burton Nutrition. I used to tune into weekly ZOOMs with motivational talks and tips and tricks. Then I did it on my own when the program stopped.
But I did NOT want to do the weight loss shots, or gastric bypass. Here's why: I LIKE FOOD. I LIKE TO EAT. FOOD IS DELICIOUS. I don't want to create a world where I can't ever eat what I like again. Why would that happen? 1) on the shots some get nauseous, some can't eat at all, some now reject the foods they used to love (I read one person now coffee made her ill - that's just terrifying!) And the higher you go on the shots the worse this might get. So I am now miserable not being able to eat what I like. Sure I might get skinny, but I can't see me being happy. 2) surgery. You are on a strict eating pattern after. Honestly, I don't know for how long. Again, cutting out all the fun foods that are delicious and bring me joy. One time, my Grandmother, who was a diabetic, but didn't restrict her diet, stubbornly said "If I can't eat what I enjoy, life isn't worth living" (I might be paraphrasing, it's been years since I heard her voice) But I FEEL that sentiment now! And NOOM kind of follows that line of thinking. They aren't telling you to cut out all the yummy food, the pizza or pasta, or whatever it is you love to eat. They aren't telling you that you can't have a piece of cake at a birthday party (I mean, that's the best part! Especially if my mom makes it!) NOOM helps you figure out how to enjoy that piece of cake, or a night out for pizza and fries, or even the occasional coffee from Starbucks. You learn how to work the foods you love into your life, while learning how not to overindulge while still enjoying food. And how to decide what cravings to indulge and what ones to overcome. I'm no master at this, but I have finally overcome the desire for fast food. It no longer makes my mouth water. I can pass on it even if someone is eating it in front of me (I was to that point while on Burton Nutrition, but I fell back into old habits). I have overcome the need to eat EVERY cookie on a table platter. At Christmas I only ate a few of the ones I really really enjoy. The sweets just didn't entice me as much as they used to. I'm learning! (If you read my last post, you already know that chips are my vice and once I open the bag I am in trouble, BIG trouble. So I have a ways to go with my relationship with chips, lol.) I want to learn how to live out the rest of my life eating what I like, being able to go to Applebees or Olive Garden and enjoy my favorites (not be forced to eat tiny portions of cottage cheese for the rest of my life.) Of course dietary swaps are part of the learning process. (ie can I eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread? Absolutely. I found one I really like too.) If you are a flavored creamer in your coffee person (like me) then you use the creamer! Just make sure you log it. Is dessert nightly a must-have for you? Go for it! Maybe shake it up with some fresh fruits, but regardless, make sure you log it. It's hard to explain what NOOM does for me, but I like it. It holds me accountable and I learn so much with each lesson. Everything they teach makes so much sense to me! Sure, the shots or surgery might show results quick, but I don't need quick. I need results that will last long term. For some reason I am stalled. Not gaining, but flip flopping up and down 3lbs every few days. but not dropping any more yet.
I haven't been doing the NOOM lessons, so I am getting back to that. But other than that, I can't recall what I am doing differently. I just have to get back at picking and choosing what I am eating more carefully. Make sure I'm getting the water, and doing the steps. Maybe add some exercise. NOOM has an exercise where you are to put something you really enjoy out in a room where you will see it often. The challenge is to learn to walk by it and NOT eat it. Soon, after walking by it enough (without eating it) you will become desensitized from desiring it. Sounds simple? Right? No. Last week, Mr. G wanted french onion dip to eat with his pretzels. I saw a bag of chips at the store (and I was hungry). It was a good price! (too bad the bags are now much smaller than they used to be.) I grabbed it thinking when he opened the dip, I'd have a few chips and dip (my favorite junk food snack). Well, turns out the pretzels that he had were hard and he didn't like them. I let the dip sit in the fridge for a few days, then I opened the bag of chips and grabbed the dip. Afterall, he wasn't going to eat it, right? This little bag of rippled chips was only about half full (the rest was air). I snacked one night. Then I snacked the next day. Two days later I ate the remaining crumbs. (at least I didn't eat it all in one, sitting. Right? No?) Then one day I was super stressed and grabbed the pretzels he didn't like and ate THEM with the dip! Wednesday Mr. G stopped at the store and brought home a bag of pretzels. I didn't think much about it. Yesterday, he goes into the fridge and grabs the dip "I can have pretzels and--" (opens the dip) I ate almost ALL the dip! I fessed up to it, of course. I also promised to go buy dip for him. My son also asked me where the chips were. I said I ate them. He said "all of them?" Yep. "But you just bought them?" Hey, it was a small bag! And THIS is why I don't buy chips...I cannot resist them. And walking by them every day didn't work for me. lol I understand the point, but I failed. I will try again. and again if necessary. I want to succeed. And I want to look and feel better and more confident by this summer. My ultimate goal is next summer. But I at least want results starting to show. I feel a bit lost at the moment, not sure why the scale isn't moving. But I need to push on! 1/5/2024 0 Comments The scale doesn't lieI am not sure if it is my legs or my body, but each day I am dropping 1lb. Granted, there are days when I jump up 2lbs, but it goes back down. I know that happens. It depends on what you are eating and how much water you are getting. And of course, the time of the month.
And let me tell you, I have been snacking on the cookies and the ham since Christmas! (not as many cookies as normal though) If I didn't know better, I'd think someone is messing with the scale, lol... (joking) But I am drinking so much water. I wonder if it isn't our couch. It has zero gravity recline, and I am keeping my legs up almost all the time. My therapist told me lots of LE patients use the zero gravity chairs. But I am dropping 1lb a day. It's crazy! But I am hopeful that this is my reality. And I am not only going to keep it up, but I'm going to do better each day. I may not be doing all the NOOM things, but my lifestyle is changing slowly. I swear this is the best program I ever joined. |
ABOUT GETTING HEALTHY
Just an author who loves to eat trying to get healthy in a fast food world. There's no quick fix to losing the weight, just like it took time to put it on, it will take time to lose it. Join me on the journey to getting healthy for fifty, and beyond. Learning how to eat what you love, without binging, is the key to happy and healthy. Archives
March 2024
Categories |