by Karen Kelly
Well, I got through the first week of my new fitness and weight loss journey. I did not lose a pound (or even half a pound) but that is to be expected. Weight loss does not always happen right away, especially for women, which is one reason why sticking to a diet is so difficult in the early stages. But it does happen. Eventually. Last time, it took two months before any weight came off, despite the fact that I was exercising every day for 45 to 60 minutes, and eating between 1500-1800 calories a day. I stuck it out then, and I can stick it out now.
The New Years day party did not go as well as I had hoped for either. I did manage to resist the cream cheese, Nova, bagels, cashews, and raspberry rugula. I was not as good at passing by three handfuls of handmade potato chips, one slice of sour cream chocolate cake, and two glasses of champagne (well it was Veuve Clicquot!). On the other hand, that’s about all I ate that day so it was not a total disaster on the calorie front, yet it was a complete loss on the nutritional page. I did have my first session with Malcolm Milton earlier that morning, so I guess an hour of weight and cross training saved my soul, if not my thighs.
The rest of the week was all about getting used to the idea of going back to the way I had been eating back when I made a commitment to get back to my original (pre-age 40) weight and fitness level – that was almost 18 months ago.
All this thinking about dieting made me realize that it’s hard work – you have to feel like putting in the effort to do it, work at it and forget about it at the same time. Let me explain: Feel like it in that you have to really want to lose weight and stay fit because it’s another thing you have to do – just like going to work, changing the litter box, and feeding the baby. Are you ready for the commitment?
Second, you have to work at it in that you have to stay focused on your mission so you stay on your eating regime. Diets fail because people fail to stick with them, plain and simple. It’s not that Atkins doesn’t work, or South Beach is a bummer – it’s that you did not stick to them.
Third, you have to forget about where you are, and where you have to go. If you continually think about how far the trip is you may never pack your bags. Success comes from taking the right actions, and not dwelling on what you look like now, or how long it will take to look the way you want to.
My three-pronged approach helped me lose 60 pounds, and I know it is the only way it will lead me back to where I was, and beyond, to where I want to go, this time:
1. Keeping track of what you eat – Calorie Count has one of the best, and easiest to use calorie and activity counting online system – and it’s free. Every day I write down when I eat. If I am going out I write down what I plan to eat so it’s there in black and white. As long as I am honest (and I am the only one looking, so I might as well be) here is never any question of how much I ate. When I hit 1600 calories, I stop eating for the day.
2. Remind yourself daily that you are on a mission – I know here are those of you who are going to think this is a silly idea, but it works. I write out “I do not want to overeat” “I will not overeat today” and “Just for today” on a piece of cardstock and I read them every morning. I have others too – “I would rather be thin than eat that donut” and “I will fit into a size 6 skirt by July.” Call them affirmations if you like, they really work. I even keep one in my bag when I am on the go…so when I open my wallet to pay for a brownie, the card is staring up at me and I am able to walk away from the cookie counter.
3. Move everyday – I work out every day I possibly can for a minimum of 45 minutes on the stair climber, elliptical, treadmill, or, Malcolm’s favorite, the summit climber (it gives you a very challenging total body workout. If your gym has one, use it and build up your power – start on level 3 for 15 minutes and work your way up). I schedule exercise just like any other appointment. I do not give myself a chance to think about it and potentially, risk talking myself out of it.
Good luck – I’ll check in next week but I’d love to hear from you.
