A Few Thoughts

Day 3

1. Blogging about this every day is becoming obnoxious. I am going to hold off and just blog once a week (Sunday) when I weigh in.

2. Day 3 has been so much easier than Day 1 & 2. It's kind of weird. But I don't find myself very hungry at all, and although I have a small desire to eat carbs, it does not feel overpowering like it did the first couple of days. I sort of feel like I'm going through detox for carb addiction. :) Now that carbs have been out of my system for a few days, I don't feel as drawn to them.

3. I have more hope than I've ever had when beginning a weight loss program. Thanks to everyone who has commented with loving words and support. It means a lot!!!

Better

Day 2

Success!!! I've never eaten so many vegetables in my life. I still don't like them very much, but every time I look down at my plate I smile because I know it's what I should be eating. I also managed to dodge Family Home Evening treats tonight. Yay!

Carb Girl

Day 1

Tortillas, homemade rolls, cereal, toast, pancakes, crackers, fruit....I could go on and on. I LOVE carbs. I really wish they were good for me. :)

I spent the last week studying a new diet that I've heard good things about. I hesitate to mention the word "diet" since it usually has negative connotations. But this diet is not about dieting, as much as it is about changing what types of food you eat. After studying the book, I found that I agree with all of the principles of it. So instead of the old standby Weight Watchers, I decided this time around to try it out---The South Beach Diet.

The first two weeks of the diet are extremely restrictive. No carbs. None. Not even fruit. It's the most drastic thing I've ever tried, but I am a total carb addict, so I thought it would be good for me. The diet revolves around eating foods that have a low glycemic index (you can google it--it's all about regulating blood sugar). Basically I'll be eating LOTS of vegetables and lean proteins for the next two weeks. Then I will gradually be adding in "good" carbs, such as fruit and whole grains.

Day one has been interesting. The thing I have found the most strange, and liberating, is that I don't have to keep track of what I'm eating. Weight Watchers was really big on that. But this plan is more about eating the right foods. For example, with lunch and dinner you are to eat a MINIMUM of 2 cups of veggies. That is A LOT of veggies!!!! Here is a picture of what I had for dinner.

Looks yummy, doesn't it. It was. But you know what, I was STARVING by the time dinner came around. According to the South Beach Diet book, you should never be hungry. I kept wondering all day what the heck I was doing wrong and then I remembered that I never accounted for the fact that I am still nursing Baby C. Oops. So after doing some more research, I realized I shouldn't be restricting myself as much.

Overall my first day was a success. But I know from experience that the 1st day of a diet is always the easiest. :) And I think this will be the LONGEST two weeks of my life. I miss my carbs already....

The Battle

Okay, so today I'm going to get a little more personal than the norm. I usually steer clear of these kinds of subjects because it is...humiliating, to say the least. But I've decided to go public with this so that perhaps I can gain something from your experience and support. Selfish, I know. :)

Like most girls, I worry about my appearance. From birth our society has pounded into our little brains how we are supposed to look a certain way. I won't get into what the "perfect" body looks like, because honestly, the "perfect" body image has changed over the years. But I do want to be healthy, and facts is facts: obesity and healthy do not co-exist.

I was thin growing up (I thought I was fat, but I'd give anything to look like that now), and was an active basketball player. Those of you who have only known me as an adult will probably be surprised to learn that I was the All American basketball player at my school. Shocking, I know. :) But when I went off to college, the exercise stopped and the eating of yummy foods continued. I slowly gained weight, each year feeling crummier than the previous.

The year before I got married, I moved home to save money for a Masters Degree. My Mom (who is an awesome health nut) wanted to lose a few pounds, and so we decided to do Weight Watchers together. And just like that, in 6 months I lost 50 pounds. Now if I am being totally honest, I have to say that it really wasn't that hard for me. I had a built in diet partner, I was SUPER busy away from home (and therefore rarely tempted), and I started dating more than I ever had (a built-in reinforcer). I was ecstatic to see the pounds fall off. I actually liked what I saw in the mirror, and more importantly, I felt good. I felt healthy.

And then I got hitched.

Between birth control pills (an entirely different subject), stress, a tight budget, 4 pregnancies, & nursing---here I sit---70 pounds heavier. Yes, you read that right. SEVENTY pounds heavier! I can hardly believe it. It's not that I haven't tried to lose weight. In the 8 years that I've been married I have formally joined Weight Watchers twice. I've tried doing Weight Watchers on my own more times than I can count. I've purchased exercise videos and the Wii Fit. At one point I was even running 3 miles every morning. So what exactly happened? Why haven't I been able to lose the weight this time around? Well, there really is only one reason for me.

I'm at home.

Yep, my entire day revolves around cooking meals, getting snacks, and doing dishes. I'm in the dining room/kitchen area of my house for 80% of my day....and the pantry/fridge is right there. It's just too easy to eat.

And so, I've decided to try something new. I've set a goal to lose 70 pounds by August 1, 2011. Hopefully no unexpected pregnancies will interfere with this--haha! AND, in order to keep myself accountable, I'm going to publicly humiliate myself every day be reporting on this blog how I am doing. I'm sure you will all be bored to tears, but if I know other people are reading this, maybe it will help me only eat one cookie instead of a dozen. :)

So, tomorrow it begins.

Books!!!!

Okay, so this post is kind of selfish---I need a new book to read! Any suggestions? To give you an idea of what I like, here is a list of the books I have read in the last year or so:

Percy Jackson & the Olympians series

Maximum Ride series

The Hunger Games series

Hero (my brother wrote this book) :D

The Host

If you are familiar with any of the books above, you'll notice that I like fantasy/sci-fi young adult/teen novels (because they're clean). I don't like anything too heavy. And I definitely don't like biographies.

Anyway, let me know what you have read recently. I am wanting to delve into something new!

Riding the Daddy Train

Perspective

Sometimes, I just need to remind myself of this:

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God