Diet Procrastination

Boy, how time flies when you are ignoring the fact that your waistline needs thinning and your diet needs changing. Oh, the excuses you can come up with for not changing your lifestyle when you are the only one who has the power to change it. Oh, wait... that's me I'm talking about.

Only 40 weeks till my wedding. I haven't lost an ounce.

Halloween was the excuse I used for not starting my diet before today. Ok, Halloween, my birthday, Columbus Day, United Nations Day... I heard on the radio today that people who are smart can't get away with using lame excuses to explain their behavior, so I know I can't get away with claiming United Nations Day kept me off track.

Today is the first day of my diet. I've had many first days of many diets, but I have to lose on this diet. Everyone says that you should lose weight for yourself and not for anyone else, but I really love Alex. The only thing he doesn't like about me that he wished I'd change was my weight. I believe he deserves the best, and because I love him, I want him to have the best. That includes the best of myself that I can give him, and right now, I'm not giving him my best. So, since I can't seem to get the gumption to lose weight for myself, I'll lose it as a gift to him. I know that along the way, I'll find the encouragement I need to keep it off for myself. It's a win/win situation in the making!

I can feel the grumpy coming out in me already. I'm surrounded by snack food at work, Halloween candy every where I go, I (along with most Americans) have an issue with portion control at meals, it's only 9:22 am and I'm exhausted from lack of sleep and lack of my 20 ounce 4 shot latte. I figure that if I keep my hands typing, I won't be able to put anything into my hands that I could possibly shove into my mouth.

Since this is my place to put my thoughts, I know some of them will be disconnected. I'm going to blame it on a lack of refined carbs, trans fat, and red meat. It's only 9:25 am now... boy, I should be such a joy for the rest of the week while I get used to not just eating anything I want to.

Game plan, Game plan, have to come up with a game plan. One day at a time? Too broad. One meal at a time? Leaves out the remaining 22 "non-meal" hours of the day. One hour at a time? Too overwhelming to think about the 24 hours in each day, the 168 hours in each week, and the 6,720 hours until my wedding. Maybe I can fill that time with OTHER things to think about, other than how much I have to lose. I've always done better in life when I have a list to follow. Ok, snack foods... dates are good, and only 20 calories each (a serving size is 7 pieces, no fat, and 3 carbs of fiber), they are yummy, yes, dates are a good choice. Water... drink lots of water. Alex says it fools the body into thinking it's full. I don't know about that, but it does curb that "oral fixation" of having to put something into my mouth, and it has no calories, and it's good for me. Fruit... bring lots of fruit to work and always have some at home. Oatmeal, the non-quick cook kind, I can't forget to eat oatmeal every day. I always feel so full when I eat oatmeal. Bring lunch to work. That way, I'm not using not having lunch as an excuse to go downstairs to the restaurants on 5th Avenue and ordering things I wouldn't feed my own children! The Weight Watchers meals are good, and they've been on sale, and they don't require much preparation. Stay away from the snack corner. There's nothing good there for me. Yogurt, eat yogurt. Not being a fan of milk, yogurt is a good choice, and it's sweet, so it's like a treat (especially frozen). Meat, try to limit red meat. No "diet wisdom" for limiting red meat, it just makes me feel blah every time I eat it. Try new things each week, whether a recipe, a cooking technique or a new food. Make dieting an adventure, not a punishment. Make every choice consciously and ask myself, "is this helping or hindering my progress?" Oh, and get my lazy ass out of bed on Saturday mornings and make it to the Weight Watcher's meetings that I pay every month for. I still like the stickers, and I have friends that go, so I don't have to attend alone. Find a support network... people at work, friends, family (Alex is awesome), and the people at Weight Watchers. Focus on small weight goals. Right now, I just want to drop 5 pounds. I'd feel like I was on a journey if I did that. I know that when I take road trips, I don't feel like I'm going anywhere till I'm at least 5 miles out of Anchorage. The same goes for weight loss. I'll feel like I'm really losing when I see the scale drop 5 pounds below what I am now. Weigh daily at the same time, and keep a journal of weight, food eaten, thoughts, exercise, and encouraging self talk. "Think like a thin person," someone once told me. She said they stop eating when they are full, they don't eat everything on their plate, they aren't afraid of physical activity, and they aren't sedentary. Their hobbies include physical activity. Look for role models, whether those who have been heavy and have lost weight and kept it off, or those who are on the same journey who have "been there" and are still working on getting out, and take their stories and words to heart. Cruising the net looking for inspiring stories, reading magazines, reading cook books... keep me occupied and away from the food.

I'm rambling, I know... but it's my blog, and it's my first day, and ..... and.... and..... Lord, that coffee smells good. Water, here I come.