Today is December 1st. The last month of this "Year that Wasn't" as my husband likes to say. It has been and continues to be a strange one, that's for sure...complicated even more by the fact that we live hundreds of miles away from all of our family. But, I am proud of the progress I've made this year. I am proud that I am still here fighting for my health and freedom a year later and that I am significantly smaller than I was last year. I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned how to forgive myself, how to persevere, how to be kind to myself without being permissive. Turns out, this isolation has been good for me in many ways. I have been able to finally take care of myself instead of always taking care of everyone else. I am learning to see this as not selfish, but a necessary and important part of my own growth and also the only way I will be able to stick around for those I love.
One problem I seem to have, though, is I feel like I am continually starting and stopping...this is my biggest problem. I feel like I need to get to a new level of commitment and no compromise. So, that starts TODAY! I am committing to being 100% MWL compliant for the next 6 months! No excuses, no exceptions. I have the perfect opportunity since we're not traveling for the holidays and most likely not until well into summer 2021. So, I have around 45 pounds left to lose to get to my goal weight, and I feel like it is very feasible to accomplish that in the next 6 months. Regardless of whether I do or not, however, I will be completely compliant for the next 182 days and see where it takes me! I'm actually really excited about it. And I am confident that I can do it if I put my mind to it and adopt an attitude of no compromise.
So, here goes:
A 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Fruit for breakfast, soup for lunch, salad for dinner2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for desert.
Heat and eat any variety of frozen vegetable or veggie blend I have readily available in my fridge -keep it simple!3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
This one gives me trouble. I can follow the guidelines for sugar, no problem, but salt is another issue. Working on it, but not stressing about it. 4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
I've gotten MUCH better about this one. It's way easier to just cut these foods out completely rather than mess around with them in sauces, etc.6) Eliminate any added oil.
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
Also an area I used to compromise on, but easier to eliminate completely.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
As long as I stay away from Starbucks, I'm good...just have to see that as not an option for me!
9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Getting WAY better at this. I used to think my satiety signals were broken, but I was wrong. As long as I'm eating whole foods, I'm able to stop when I'm full. 10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
I have habituated my morning walks. Adding some strength/toning exercises in beginning today.
Planning is another tool that really helps me, so I'm going to be more consistent with that as well.
Food Plan Today:Breakfast: Pumpkin Oatmeal with Blueberries
Lunch: Vegetable Soup with Brown rice
Dinner: Salad, Lentil Loaf, Smashed Red Potatoes, Green Beans
I don't usually need snacks as long as I eat enough at mealtime. Often, I will have Chocolate Nice Cream for dessert in the evenings, but I can't make that an everyday thing. Going to take a break from it for a while, and save it for special occasions.
Exercise Today45 Min elliptical
20 Min Strength Video