It has been one week since I began my weight loss journey, so the moment of truth came this morning. It was time to step on the scale. I began by doing everything that a good weight watcher does. I went to the bathroom, took a shower to ensure every bit of the dirt that weighs me down was off my body then I stepped on the scale . . . then I stepped on it again, and again, and again. The reason that I did it a total of about 7 times is because I wasn’t getting a consistent reading. It did read one number 3 times, so I decided to take that one – 301.5 – that’s a loss of 5.5 lbs in one week!
It’s funny how this works. You eat good and healthy food, more frequently in the day, drink more water instead of pop all day long, get some exercise and voila, it’s magic! Maybe not. I have been very mindful and deliberate in my eating this week and am very aware of everything that I consume.
I have eaten some “non-diet” type of foods such as pizza and a dessert at a formal function, but my mind and approach have been completely different. One night this week, I worked late and it was getting late to cook dinner, so I decided to stop at Whole Foods to pick up something prepared. Lucky for me it was pizza special night so I decided to pick up a multi-grain crust margherita pizza for my family for dinner. I was very careful in my portions and I was surprised to discover that I was satisfied with about 1 ½ slices versus the 2-3 that I would have eaten in the past. The great thing was that under old circumstances, my family would have easily finished a 16” pizza but this time, we had over a third left over.
Last night, I had the honor of attending a formal function for the association management profession at Navy Pier. I had a plan – to have a good time, and not concentrate on food consumption. It worked. I ate moderately and then dessert was served. It was sort of a creamy luscious chocolate dessert. I opted to allow myself to try a few bites with a cup of decaf coffee. There is something about coffee and chocolate that I just love! So, I got my coffee and had about 3-4 spoons of dessert and promptly gave it to a member of the wait staff to take it away. It’s not that I didn’t trust myself, but . . . I didn’t trust myself! I was very satisfied with the coffee and taste and had a wonderful time networking with colleagues.
My exact exercise plan has not worked, but I have substituted other days and will still be living up to my 3 x per week commitment. I guess I’m learning that the key to this for me is going to be flexibility. There really isn’t any magic. During one of my previous weight loss attempts, I was working out at Lifetime Fitness, and I must have looked like I was having a hard time. I looked up and there was an older African-American man on a machine across from mine. At that moment, he made eye contact with me and then said these words that I haven’t forgotten in over two years, “if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to get where you want to go.” He’s right. There’s no magic formula that’s going to take the weight off . . . the magic comes afterward as you put the old clothes on and you discover the need for new ones so that you don’t look like you’re dressed in a paper bag! I must confess that I violated my drive thru rule. . . but don't worry it was the drive-thru teller at the bank this morning! I think you will agree that the bank drive-thru is a good exception.
It’s funny how this works. You eat good and healthy food, more frequently in the day, drink more water instead of pop all day long, get some exercise and voila, it’s magic! Maybe not. I have been very mindful and deliberate in my eating this week and am very aware of everything that I consume.
I have eaten some “non-diet” type of foods such as pizza and a dessert at a formal function, but my mind and approach have been completely different. One night this week, I worked late and it was getting late to cook dinner, so I decided to stop at Whole Foods to pick up something prepared. Lucky for me it was pizza special night so I decided to pick up a multi-grain crust margherita pizza for my family for dinner. I was very careful in my portions and I was surprised to discover that I was satisfied with about 1 ½ slices versus the 2-3 that I would have eaten in the past. The great thing was that under old circumstances, my family would have easily finished a 16” pizza but this time, we had over a third left over.
Last night, I had the honor of attending a formal function for the association management profession at Navy Pier. I had a plan – to have a good time, and not concentrate on food consumption. It worked. I ate moderately and then dessert was served. It was sort of a creamy luscious chocolate dessert. I opted to allow myself to try a few bites with a cup of decaf coffee. There is something about coffee and chocolate that I just love! So, I got my coffee and had about 3-4 spoons of dessert and promptly gave it to a member of the wait staff to take it away. It’s not that I didn’t trust myself, but . . . I didn’t trust myself! I was very satisfied with the coffee and taste and had a wonderful time networking with colleagues.
My exact exercise plan has not worked, but I have substituted other days and will still be living up to my 3 x per week commitment. I guess I’m learning that the key to this for me is going to be flexibility. There really isn’t any magic. During one of my previous weight loss attempts, I was working out at Lifetime Fitness, and I must have looked like I was having a hard time. I looked up and there was an older African-American man on a machine across from mine. At that moment, he made eye contact with me and then said these words that I haven’t forgotten in over two years, “if you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to get where you want to go.” He’s right. There’s no magic formula that’s going to take the weight off . . . the magic comes afterward as you put the old clothes on and you discover the need for new ones so that you don’t look like you’re dressed in a paper bag! I must confess that I violated my drive thru rule. . . but don't worry it was the drive-thru teller at the bank this morning! I think you will agree that the bank drive-thru is a good exception.
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