It's been a full week since I began my weight loss experiment.
I have to say - last Friday, when I declared this experiment, it could very well have been the worst day ever to attempt such a thing. I ate entirely too much at lunch, spent the rest of the day bloated and full. Having said that, a very light dinner was had so it kind of almost worked out.
The rest of the week, however, wasn't so bad. Most every day at work there is some form of fattening snack on the table for all to enjoy. Most every day I indulge. I'm proud to say, however, that I stuck to my guns and went to the kitchen only to make myself tea. Don't get me wrong, I was tempted. Once I even picked up the bag of chips and took a nice, long sniff of the inside of the bag. Made me sneeze. Thankfully not into the bag (if I did sneeze into the bag, I probably wouldn't be telling you this. Or would I??).
Anyway, I enjoyed coffee with my breakfast every morning, and avoided snacking all week long. I'm quite proud of myself for that. Not just at work, but at home too. Every evening, a few hours after dinner, is also prime snacking time. My standard snack is a bowl of sugar laden cereal. That or chips. Oh how I love chips. But once again, I followed through with my plan, and rather than fix myself a snack, I would make a cup of tea. I found every single night right before bed I was uncomfortably hungry, but a drink of water fixed that. The first night I was a bit concerned about how my tummy would feel in the morning, but aside from being completely famished, I was no worse for wear, surviving until breakfast.
So. After a week of that, have I lost weight. I'm happy to say I have. Albeit not much, two pounds. But from what I understand, two pounds in a week is 'healthy' weight loss. It's not much, but it's enough for me to continue on into week two. We'll see how long my willpower lasts. Wish me luck.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Experiment
Today, I'm going to try something new.
I have always been slightly overweight. When I was a teenager, like most teenage girls, I thought I was fat. Of course I look back on pictures of myself back then, and realize how skinny I really was. Then I moved into my 20's, and always believed I was the fattest of all my friends. But, as I said, pictures said otherwise. I sure wish that I could be as skinny now as I was then.
Not to be, though. Now, I truly am slightly overweight. I'd even go so far as taking away the 'slightly'. I never really had a 'workout plan' per se, but I was always active and moving, and was part of a dance group for ten years. Then came pregnancy and motherhood. Chasing a toddler is exercise too, right? I didn't start gaining significant weight until later. But when it started, it packed on good!
Since I never had a real workout routine, it's been tough to try and start one. Over the years, I've tried many, many different things. Watching the Biggest Loser, buying Biggest Loser workout dvd's. Bought a treadmill. Sold an unused treadmill. I think we had an exercise bike for a while, but I honestly couldn't tell you what happened to it. It might just be buried in the basement somewhere under a pile of stuff, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Tried walking - with the dog, without the dog. With my family, without my family. Websites. Books & dvd's. Got myself a gym membership, even went so far as splurging on a personal trainer. That particular attempt may have worked, but money got tight, couldn't afford to keep making the payments. I now owe them a hefty sum of money, and can't see a way to get it cleared up right now in order to be able to start going back.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet, is that I like to eat. I love to cook, and I love to eat even more. My husband is a fantastic cook too, so the two of us can whip up a gourmet meal together. Makes it tough to monitor your portions when the food tastes so good! We used to eat out a lot, but not so much anymore, thankfully. Can't really afford to eat out all the time, but even when we could it was never really as satisfying as a home cooked meal, regardless of where we went. But seriously, there's not a whole lot that I don't like to eat.
Top all that with the fact that when not paying attention, I scarf down my food so fast the plate barely has time to get dirty. We all know that eating fast leads to second helpings, which go down just as fast. It's during the third helping that I start to feel uncomfortably full, but by then it's entirely too late. They say that you should put down your fork between bites. Yeah right. Why put down your fork, when you're just going to pick it up again? Seems like an exercise in futility, if you ask me. Why make your bed in the morning, when you're just going to mess it up again at night? Why eat when you're just going to get hungry again?? That's right, because eating is good. Very good.
ANYWAY, back to my experiment. As you've read, many things have been tried in an effort to lose weight, all to no avail. Eating right and exercise. Apparently that's the key. Obviously any sort of workout plan won't work for me. So I'll need to try something else. That something else will be small changes. Taking the stairs at work to the third floor instead of always using the elevator. That's a start. Parking the car a bit further away from the mall instead of circling for an hour for the perfect spot. Walking to the corner store, instead of driving. Believe it or not, it will take a concerted effort on my part to make these small changes. But I have learned that when I want something, REALLY want something, eventually I will get it.
Reminds me of my numerous attempts at quitting smoking. I wasn't successful at quitting until I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I no longer wanted to be a smoker. Aside from childbirth, quitting smoking cold turkey was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I did it, because I really wanted to. Every single time I step on the scale, I'm just one or two pounds heavier than the last time. For a while it wasn't that big of a deal, but it's getting to be. A big deal. A BIG deal. (Get it? BIG?? That's me, getting big.... nevermind).
Okay, so, now that we have the staying relatively active part taken care of, now we have to deal with the eating part. That really is the more difficult one for me, because really, I seriously do like eating. I like food. Have I mentioned already that I like food??
Yesterday I read an article about the benefits of green tea. It can apparently clear up acne, even ward off cancer. And yes, it too can help you lose weight. Another thing I read recently was that often when a person is peckish or feels like snacking, it's only because they're thirsty. Drinking a glass of water might help that craving. I'm going to go one step further, and rather than drinking water, I'll drink green tea. I usually drink a cup or two a day, so why not make it ten or more? I will eat my meals as usual, maybe just a little bit slower. Probably won't put down my fork between bites, but I will certainly try and stay conscious of how fast and how much I'm eating. In between meals, when I start to get those cravings that usually do me in, I will attempt to drink a cup of green tea instead. It won't fill my belly, but chances are my belly will still be relatively full from the last meal. It will, hopefully, fill that gap that makes me eat things I shouldn't.
Today is day one. One cup of tea down, and it's almost lunchtime. Although today might be the worst possible day to start, as work is hosting a catered lunch, big enough for a Sunday meal at home with family. Think I'm going to go get myself another cup of tea. Wish me luck.
Oh an before I forget, check out my handsome husband's blog: http://walkingjon.blogspot.com
I have always been slightly overweight. When I was a teenager, like most teenage girls, I thought I was fat. Of course I look back on pictures of myself back then, and realize how skinny I really was. Then I moved into my 20's, and always believed I was the fattest of all my friends. But, as I said, pictures said otherwise. I sure wish that I could be as skinny now as I was then.
Not to be, though. Now, I truly am slightly overweight. I'd even go so far as taking away the 'slightly'. I never really had a 'workout plan' per se, but I was always active and moving, and was part of a dance group for ten years. Then came pregnancy and motherhood. Chasing a toddler is exercise too, right? I didn't start gaining significant weight until later. But when it started, it packed on good!
Since I never had a real workout routine, it's been tough to try and start one. Over the years, I've tried many, many different things. Watching the Biggest Loser, buying Biggest Loser workout dvd's. Bought a treadmill. Sold an unused treadmill. I think we had an exercise bike for a while, but I honestly couldn't tell you what happened to it. It might just be buried in the basement somewhere under a pile of stuff, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Tried walking - with the dog, without the dog. With my family, without my family. Websites. Books & dvd's. Got myself a gym membership, even went so far as splurging on a personal trainer. That particular attempt may have worked, but money got tight, couldn't afford to keep making the payments. I now owe them a hefty sum of money, and can't see a way to get it cleared up right now in order to be able to start going back.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet, is that I like to eat. I love to cook, and I love to eat even more. My husband is a fantastic cook too, so the two of us can whip up a gourmet meal together. Makes it tough to monitor your portions when the food tastes so good! We used to eat out a lot, but not so much anymore, thankfully. Can't really afford to eat out all the time, but even when we could it was never really as satisfying as a home cooked meal, regardless of where we went. But seriously, there's not a whole lot that I don't like to eat.
Top all that with the fact that when not paying attention, I scarf down my food so fast the plate barely has time to get dirty. We all know that eating fast leads to second helpings, which go down just as fast. It's during the third helping that I start to feel uncomfortably full, but by then it's entirely too late. They say that you should put down your fork between bites. Yeah right. Why put down your fork, when you're just going to pick it up again? Seems like an exercise in futility, if you ask me. Why make your bed in the morning, when you're just going to mess it up again at night? Why eat when you're just going to get hungry again?? That's right, because eating is good. Very good.
ANYWAY, back to my experiment. As you've read, many things have been tried in an effort to lose weight, all to no avail. Eating right and exercise. Apparently that's the key. Obviously any sort of workout plan won't work for me. So I'll need to try something else. That something else will be small changes. Taking the stairs at work to the third floor instead of always using the elevator. That's a start. Parking the car a bit further away from the mall instead of circling for an hour for the perfect spot. Walking to the corner store, instead of driving. Believe it or not, it will take a concerted effort on my part to make these small changes. But I have learned that when I want something, REALLY want something, eventually I will get it.
Reminds me of my numerous attempts at quitting smoking. I wasn't successful at quitting until I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I no longer wanted to be a smoker. Aside from childbirth, quitting smoking cold turkey was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I did it, because I really wanted to. Every single time I step on the scale, I'm just one or two pounds heavier than the last time. For a while it wasn't that big of a deal, but it's getting to be. A big deal. A BIG deal. (Get it? BIG?? That's me, getting big.... nevermind).
Okay, so, now that we have the staying relatively active part taken care of, now we have to deal with the eating part. That really is the more difficult one for me, because really, I seriously do like eating. I like food. Have I mentioned already that I like food??
Yesterday I read an article about the benefits of green tea. It can apparently clear up acne, even ward off cancer. And yes, it too can help you lose weight. Another thing I read recently was that often when a person is peckish or feels like snacking, it's only because they're thirsty. Drinking a glass of water might help that craving. I'm going to go one step further, and rather than drinking water, I'll drink green tea. I usually drink a cup or two a day, so why not make it ten or more? I will eat my meals as usual, maybe just a little bit slower. Probably won't put down my fork between bites, but I will certainly try and stay conscious of how fast and how much I'm eating. In between meals, when I start to get those cravings that usually do me in, I will attempt to drink a cup of green tea instead. It won't fill my belly, but chances are my belly will still be relatively full from the last meal. It will, hopefully, fill that gap that makes me eat things I shouldn't.
Today is day one. One cup of tea down, and it's almost lunchtime. Although today might be the worst possible day to start, as work is hosting a catered lunch, big enough for a Sunday meal at home with family. Think I'm going to go get myself another cup of tea. Wish me luck.
Oh an before I forget, check out my handsome husband's blog: http://walkingjon.blogspot.com
Monday, June 27, 2011
Family
Ah family. The word that strikes fear into the hearts of many.
I quote from my husband's blog, walkingjon.blogspot.com:
"I was pondering family and 'nut jobs'. I prefer the term 'nut job' to idiot, or dumb-ass. If you want to replace the term nut job or nut case with either of the other terms, or you want to insert your term feel free. Perhaps me doing this from the back of a moving vehicle while tethered to my smart phone puts me in the category of nut job.
With that out of the way, I was thinking every family has one, you know that person who's a nut job. Someone that perhaps thinks they know everything and is opinionated enough to think that other people need to know and share their point of view. Some families are blessed with more than one of these types of people. Some families are so full of these nut jobs, people who are allergic to peanuts might go anaphylactic just being in their presence. Of course there are a few (probably more than a few) who are self allergic."
I quote from my husband's blog, walkingjon.blogspot.com:
"I was pondering family and 'nut jobs'. I prefer the term 'nut job' to idiot, or dumb-ass. If you want to replace the term nut job or nut case with either of the other terms, or you want to insert your term feel free. Perhaps me doing this from the back of a moving vehicle while tethered to my smart phone puts me in the category of nut job.
With that out of the way, I was thinking every family has one, you know that person who's a nut job. Someone that perhaps thinks they know everything and is opinionated enough to think that other people need to know and share their point of view. Some families are blessed with more than one of these types of people. Some families are so full of these nut jobs, people who are allergic to peanuts might go anaphylactic just being in their presence. Of course there are a few (probably more than a few) who are self allergic."
Now some of you may say, "Now wait a minute. I love my family, and there's nothing wrong with any of them!!" If that's what you say, and truly believe it, then you can stop reading now as this blog entry will not interest you in the least. However, I suggest you read on if you're interested in what goes on in most families.
We all know who our familial 'nut job(s)' or 'nut case(s)' are. Whether you know it (or like it) or not, every family has at least one. I have just returned from a weekend with a LOT of family, nut jobs included. Having said that, I realized this weekend that all the 'normal' family members more than make up for the crazy or annoying ones.
On a side note, my son and I were discussing the definition of normal. It is as follows (copied from dictionary.com):
l] 
Show IPA
My son decided that he was definitely 3.b., but that was it. Because, I quote,
"Conforming to the standard of the common type would mean enjoying Justin Bieber and Nickelback so I'll pass"
Now that we've clarified that, it should be noted that I use the term 'normal' loosely.
Anyway, while with all my family I realized a few things. First of all, they're mine. I could have been born into a rich and famous family, but I wasn't. Then again, I could have been born a Manson as well so there's a plus for my family.
Although most of them are judgmental and seem to think they are better than me, there are the select few who truly love me just the way I am. They have always been there for me, they have been supportive of all the decisions I've made (even the stupid ones), and after said stupid decisions, they've been there to help me pick up the pieces. I also realized that I don't see them near as much as I would like to. That's mainly because it takes about three hours to get to where they live. Second, most of them are smokers, and after a weekend spent with all the smokers it usually takes me a good week to recover from the chest infection and migraine caused by all the second hand smoke. But, after all that, the time spent with my favorite cousin usually makes up for it.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. Although family can make a person feel like a useless idiot, make a person cry, or just generally drive a person crazy, they're all we have in this world. They truly are the only people that, although sometimes you'd like them to, will never leave your side. They will always be there for you, and, surprisingly, will be most supportive when you need them to be.
nor·mal
[nawr-muhl] Show IPA–adjective
1.
2.
serving to establish a standard.
3.
Psychology .
a.
approximately average in any psychological trait, asintelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment.
b.
free from any mental disorder; sane.
My son decided that he was definitely 3.b., but that was it. Because, I quote,
"Conforming to the standard of the common type would mean enjoying Justin Bieber and Nickelback so I'll pass"
Now that we've clarified that, it should be noted that I use the term 'normal' loosely.
Anyway, while with all my family I realized a few things. First of all, they're mine. I could have been born into a rich and famous family, but I wasn't. Then again, I could have been born a Manson as well so there's a plus for my family.
Although most of them are judgmental and seem to think they are better than me, there are the select few who truly love me just the way I am. They have always been there for me, they have been supportive of all the decisions I've made (even the stupid ones), and after said stupid decisions, they've been there to help me pick up the pieces. I also realized that I don't see them near as much as I would like to. That's mainly because it takes about three hours to get to where they live. Second, most of them are smokers, and after a weekend spent with all the smokers it usually takes me a good week to recover from the chest infection and migraine caused by all the second hand smoke. But, after all that, the time spent with my favorite cousin usually makes up for it.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. Although family can make a person feel like a useless idiot, make a person cry, or just generally drive a person crazy, they're all we have in this world. They truly are the only people that, although sometimes you'd like them to, will never leave your side. They will always be there for you, and, surprisingly, will be most supportive when you need them to be.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Postal Service
For any of you that are familiar with Canada Post, you probably know that they are, at best, unreliable. You're lucky if mail addressed to you reaches your mailbox, especially if it's something you've been waiting for. Any mail that does come is often ripped open, stepped on, spilled on. Another person's mail lands in my mailbox, and I know that my mail ends up elsewhere. When anything is put into a mailbox to be mailed, it really is a crapshoot. Sometimes it can take several weeks for mail to travel either across the country, across the world, or even to your friend down the street.
Which leads me to today's opinion, my opinion of unions in general, but today specifically the postal worker's union. How much do these people get paid? Much more than me, no doubt. I'm sure their working conditions are exceptional, as there is not a whole lot of places left where working conditions are dismal. Where there are less than stellar working conditions, there is no union in place to protect those workers so there is nothing they can do.
An organization that doesn't do what it's paid to do is on strike, wanting more money so they can continue doing nothing. Unions as a whole are completely obsolete, but I may not have as much of a problem with it if their service was reliable. But I cross my fingers and hold my breath whenever I drop anything into a mailbox. Why on earth do they deserve more money, or better working conditions, or whatever it is they're whining about, if they don't do their job in the first place??
Which leads me to today's opinion, my opinion of unions in general, but today specifically the postal worker's union. How much do these people get paid? Much more than me, no doubt. I'm sure their working conditions are exceptional, as there is not a whole lot of places left where working conditions are dismal. Where there are less than stellar working conditions, there is no union in place to protect those workers so there is nothing they can do.
An organization that doesn't do what it's paid to do is on strike, wanting more money so they can continue doing nothing. Unions as a whole are completely obsolete, but I may not have as much of a problem with it if their service was reliable. But I cross my fingers and hold my breath whenever I drop anything into a mailbox. Why on earth do they deserve more money, or better working conditions, or whatever it is they're whining about, if they don't do their job in the first place??
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