Where do you find inspiration?
When I started my own weight loss journey, which I was determined would be the last, one of the things I did was investigate a lot of different blogs, looking for people who had achieved major longterm weight loss. One of these was Jennette Fulda's PastaQueen, which is no longer updated (but still available to supply you with humor and inspiration). She now blogs at JenFul, and I am still being inspired by her posts, especially this one.
Even as I ReBoot, I'm thinking about other areas of my life that could use the same kind of major overhaul I've given my health and fitness. And while it does take a lot of time and energy to maintain these overhauls, the hardest part of the whole project is simply defeating inertia. The hardest part is just getting off your butt and starting to do it, and continuing to do whatever it is you need to do until that is what has become habit.
Even after time off from eating as well as I should or regular exercise, even after gaining some weight back, I have never gone back to square one. I began my weight loss journey in Fall 2007. When the first Times article appeared in 2008, most of the commenters were supportive, but a few predicted that five years later I'd be back to my original weight ... or if I wasn't, it'd be because I'm some kind of overprivileged superwoman with access to resources the average person doesn't have (how I wish that were true!).Those comments from the naysayers have never completely left me. and have in fact been motivators. I just couldn't stand for them to be right. Because I am an average person, and I don't have access to any special privileges or resources other that what I have prioritized to go out and get for myself. I don't have oodles of free time or loads of disposable income. And I have screwed up plenty of times, and undoubtedly will continue to do so.
But it's almost Fall 2011, four years from the start of my journey, and most of the weight is still off. I have a year to go before I'm "in the clear", I suppose. Nevertheless, I'm healthier and fitter than ever before. I can get through P90X, billed as an "extreme fitness program"; I can run 10K (however slowly) or hike 15 miles a day through challenging country without dying ; and my eating habits, while far from perfect, remain so much healthier than they were at the start. I always, always want to do better. I've never been 100% happy with my accomplishment and never felt I was 100% where I wanted to be. But this is a good thing --- human beings need something to strive for.
So I keep revisiting those techniques that have worked for me in the past. I keep trying to freshen them up, find new takes on old ideas, or just get back to basics. One of the many basics that has stood me in good stead is deliberately lightening up on food intake on (or before and after) days when I plan to indulge. Tonight a friend is taking me to dinner, and there's already been a lot of eating out this week, so I need to be mindful while still enjoying myself. We're going to take a long walk before we go out. I deliberately chose a light breakfast and lunch --- a delicious smoothie and a salad with LOTS of filling but low-cal greens with some mock chicken salad --- so I can enjoy myself later. Not that I didn't enjoy these meals; they actually are two favorites and I hardly feel deprived! Also, I am laying down some laws before we go to dinner. I'd like a drink and dessert, so I'm skipping bread and try to choose an entree that's light on carbs, if not carb-free. No added fats, like butter or salad dressing. There's plenty of fat in the food already. This might not sound like much of an indulgence to some, but it's plenty indulgent without being a free-for-all. And even skinny people make choices about meals --- that's one reason they're skinny!
And I'll keep looking for inspiration in the accomplishments and ideas of others. It really works.
Last but not least, ReBoot Camp Day Three report:
-read my list on waking, before breakfast and lunch, and added to it.I'm taking it with me to dinner tonight, just as I used to do.
-ate planned breakfast and lunch
-did my P90X Shoulders & Arms routine, along with the hated but much needed Abs Ripper X
-writing my food plan for tomorrow before we go to dinner
-as soon as my friend arrives, we'll take another 1+ hour walk for my "extra" workout session.
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