I think I’m addicted to my scales!
Spending three weeks hovering around the same weight can be pretty depressing when all you want it to do is move!
I have been able to say for that time that I have lost 15 kilos – but that number really is getting boring.
In fact – all numbers are starting to get a little old. So, despite the fact I have had another victory and shed another kilo – so I can now say I have lost 16 (woo hoo!) – I think a new goal, or two, is in order.
I’m figuring out that being so weight-focused is not really healthy. I weigh myself almost every morning, and sometimes at night (so silly – and distressing!!) - and, for the last three weeks, this has presented varying degrees of disappointment – until yesterday. I was throughly thrilled to get away from the numbers 96 and 97 and firmly hit 95.4. I was starting to think my scales were broken!
So, now that the plateau is past – I was thinking to myself – why not change the focus to exercise and eating, rather than just setting expectations around weight? I also want to get away from thinking that the scales are my only indicator of success. I mean, that makes better sense, right? You should aim to improve the behaviours around weight, not just the weight itself. I mean obviously I do think about my eating and have committed to exercise – but I want to improve further. I want to congratulate myself for being a better person – for not giving in and for caring about myself.
So – two new goals:
Goal 1. Exercise every day until May 5.
May 5 is the day I get measured for my wedding dress – so, I figured a short-term exercise goal would be awesome – and I’m allowed to reward myself for achieving it as the end. I mean, I might not always feel like doing an hour at the gym – but even a 30 minute walk – or a swim. In fact – I tried my hand at swimming yesterday – and it was awesome! I’m a little afraid of the deep pool (being very short, it’s all deep to me!), but I got used to it and swam for 30 minutes. I did stop at the ends to rest my arms quite frequently, and to get my breath back. I also went and enjoyed the sauna, and the spa. I think this is going to be great for my recovery – especially my fatiitus. But, I think the biggest benefit will be for my general soreness (sometimes I think every muscle in my body is crying). I just have to commit to doing something exercise related each day. On average I have been exercising three to four times a week at the gym - so this is an awesome goal. After May 5 – I hope this will continue on.
I think my exercise calendar will look something like this:
Monday: Gym – lunch time work out
Tuesday: Walk, probably after work along the waterfront
Wednesday: Gym – lunch time work out
Thursday: Swim, spa and sauna – after work. Thursday is Matt’s pizza night. So, I’m going to make it vego night where I will cook myself something entirely vegetarian. I have wanted to do this for ages! This week – vegie curry. YUM!
Friday: Gym – 7am personal training
Saturday: Swim, spa and sauna – in the morning and will be really good recovery from my hard Friday session
Sunday: Walk – any time of day will do!
Goal 2: Eat clean, reduce sugar, and keep a food diary
When I say “eat clean” – I mean trying to cut back as much as possible on processed foods. Now I have never been a “processed” foods kind of girl. If you can cook, there’s no need to rely on pre-made rubbish. But, Weight Watchers does call for a bit of that stuff – they want you to use their special spread stuff that is full of chemicals, they have these frozen meal things which I wouldn’t touch with a 40-foot pole and they like to promote “low-fat” stuff.
Well, I have done quite a bit of research and I think I am going to steer away from “low-fat”, as this quite often means “high sugar”. Many products may have less fat – but quite often more sugar is added to compensate for the loss of flavour. So, proper butter, full-fat cheese and yogurt it is – but, of course, portion control becomes even more important. I don’t want to eat or drink chemicals, and this post-diabetic body of mine doesn’t need added sugar – which will quickly turn to unwanted fat. You do need good fats to lose weight – and so I am going to get them through avocado, olive oil and the like.
I used to be firmly addicted to Coke – but I never replaced it with the diet variety. I do often have Equal in my coffee when I go to a cafe – but I am going to cut that out too. I’m not going to put any more chemicals in my body. I know some people will read this and say that “diet” food has worked for them. That’s fine and I respect that everyone has a theory about this (trust me, I’ve had that much advice, criticism, encouragement etc), but I like the idea of eating clean and I’m going to do it. So, rather than have two sugars – I’m cutting is back to one.
I’ve also stopped tracking my food through Weight Watchers. It was so useful to learn portion control, and I still enjoy their recipes, tips and advice. I really do believe in their method. While I am still going to use their tools to determine what points food is – I want to go it alone a bit more. So, from tomorrow, I am going to post on here what I am eating for the week, each day. I think I will do this from time to time (maybe once a month) - because it’ll keep me honest and on track.
So, these are my goals set. YAY! Now, I’m off to the gym! See you tomorrow for the first day of my food diary 
P.S I now have a page on the blog dedicated to my weight loss journey – which I am calling The Great Foodie Weight Loss Experiement. I hope you’ll click here and check it out. It has all the posts I have done so far, some before and after photos etc. Enjoy~