Monday, July 28, 2014

N is for No More Excuses


I have struggled in writing this post.  As a matter of fact, my Monday posts are usually written pretty far in advance, but this one - last minute.  It has been swirling in my head for a few weeks, but getting it down on paper has been a challenge.

I need to lose 15 pounds.

Yep, there, I said it.  Out loud.  In front of the world.  Or just my readers. ;)

I lost weight few years ago right after my hysterectomy and in my struggle to get healthy again.  But here I am a few years later and almost right back where I started.

Why?

Well, let's see.

Stress has gotten the best of me. (excuse)  There has been a lot going on in my life and in my head, too, many irons in the fire, and when that happens I seem to mindlessly eat.  Pain has also gotten the best of me. (excuse)  For the past 5 months I have been struggling with hip and leg pain that has had me on medicine, on a heating pad daily, in physical therapy, attached to a TENS unit, and now waiting for a shot.  A lot of time sitting has equaled a lot of time to eat.  Because of that pain I have not exercised since March. (another excuse)  Oh, I have exercises from my PT gals, but they are strength things, not really get-in-shape stuff.  My daughter also has a "new to us" wheat allergy and we have been buying different foods she can eat.  (bad excuse)  Yep, potato chips and tortilla chips are two of the few snack foods she is eating and if they are in the house, I am eating them too.  No will power. (is that another excuse?)  Plus, I have five other people to feed, three meals a day and I hate fixing different foods for everyone. (excuse)  And at this point I am extremely frustrated and ready to hide under the covers. (excuse, but seeing a trend here?)

Wanna hear something even worse?  Right now I am a part of an online group to lose weight.  Instead of being encouraged, I sink further into frustration with every picture they post of smoothies.  Who eats like that?  I do not like smoothies no matter how hard I try.  (excuse)  Milkshakes, yes, smoothies, no. The gals in the group are doing great.  Me, not so much.

Oh my, I could go on and on but the bottom line is, I can excuse myself all the way to the 15 pounds and probably more if I keep up this trend.

Time for a change.  And no more excuses.

The plan?  Well, that may be where the hard part comes in.  I do not have one. Yet.  But starting tomorrow, things have got to change.  They will!

I am thinking mostly salads for lunch, and only meat and two veggies at dinner.  Breakfast is my hardest...remember I don't like smoothies.  Carbs are out the door as are the chips with lunch.  In the past, counting calories is really the only thing that helped me.  "Eat healthy" - for the most part we do, except the chips.  "Don't eat out" - we hardly do.  "No sweets" - not usually an issue for me.  "Limit processed food" - got rid of that stuff several years ago.

So my problem?  Eating too much of even the "good stuff."

The answer - stop eating so much.

No excuses.

Wish me luck.

And if you want to join me, let me know what your plan is.  Misery loves company! ;)

Blessings,



Ben and Me

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I Choose Joy!

20 comments:

  1. You can do it :) I am a carb and sugar addict, so I found for ME I had to go very low carb - like 20-30 net carbs a day. Veggies, meat, eggs, cheese and lots of water. I have lost 47 pounds since March 3rd. Now my struggle is making exercise a daily habit.

    I hope you will blog about your progress and all that you discover on your journey.

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    1. Mary, other than no between meal eating unless if it is a piece of fruit, your carb thing is what I have been doing. It has helped tremendously, thank you! 5.5 pounds down! Yep, carb addict here!!

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  2. Right there with you! Too much running (make a sandwich, skip the drive through), too much sitting (I even developed a blood clot last winter because I was sitting in a car 4 hours/day plus 3 hours at a HOSPITAL for my kid to do therapy). I try a few day - not "bound to fail crazy" just "really giving it effort" and then life gets hectic and I just want to sleep and I give up. Something has to give -- ok, that something is me. I don't have a plan -- but maybe that should be my first step....ok, step 1, make a plan.

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    1. Make a plan, then share! ;) Yep, sitting in a chair all day teaching does NOT help!

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  3. Thanks for the honest post Michele. I'm right with you too. I think I have lost and gained back the same 15 pounds over and over again. Recently a friend told me about a free online Bible study course that is geared toward focusing on God, feasting on His Word instead of overeating. I am about two weeks into it. The website is called settingcaptivesfree.com and they have several different online Bible studies. The one on weight loss is called The Lord's Table. I have learned a lot. The goal is to grow closer to the Lord through this. Also, there is no special food to buy or smoothies to drink. :)

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    1. Thanks Robyn! I will look into this this weekend! yep, same 15-20, over and over. ugh!

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  4. MIchele, you don't need to lose the carbs.. you just have to watch the calories... as someone "in the same space as you" I know this too be true. Perhaps we should walk it together? :) Counting calories is the only way. For me that means 10 of my favourite rice crackers as a snack instead of the whole box. It'll kill me I"m sure! :) But persevere shall we? :)

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  5. You can do it! And those smoothies aren't as healthy as you think they are, so rest easy. :) My husband is trying to lose weight, and I'm needing to get strong and healthy. We are right there with you! Excuses fall into the take every thought captive category which I'm working on myself. :)

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    1. Plus they are yuck! haha Eating a lot of hard boiled eggs and greek yogurt with granola for breakfast. Seems to be helping.

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  6. I'm right there with you. My husband and I cut out sugar and eat low carb (with one day a week being a time that we eat carbs in the evening). I've lost 16 pounds and am still working to lose a few more. We're also going to make exercise a priority. It's not fun but the results are worth it! Good luck!!!

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    1. Way to go Lexi!! That is awesome. I have limited carbs to just one meal and it is helping. Small steps. Thanks for the encouragement!

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  7. I hear ya on the excuses - and time to stop making them and just get on with the job of losing weight. My big excuse is that I've never been a huge fan of salads or veggies. I wish I could "crave" salads like some people claim to do, but maybe I'm not that mature. LOL Exercising is a challenge too - I have problems with my knees, so there are some things I can't do, but honestly there are more things that I CAN do, so that's not a very good excuse. I need to stop making it.

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    1. Kym, I got on a recumbent bike this weekend and liked it, after I stopped feeling silly for being on it at the wellness center. Also walked the track with my son. Luckily, I love salads, so I am eating them almost every lunch. We can do this!

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  8. I'm with you. I love the chips and hate smoothies. My big hang up is lunch. I don't care for salads and sandwiches don't turn my crank either, but the chips look and taste great! (sigh)

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    1. Yum Chips! haha My downfall for sure. And add french onion dip and I am a happy camper. Staying far far away for now!

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  9. Great inspiration here....Admitting all the excuses is the first step. good for you for taking that first step. Wishing you all the best in your journey! I'm working on the same journey....

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  10. I completely relate to your story. I can't eat wheat so no one in our family eats wheat (because if it's in the house, I will eat it). But I think the hardest part for me is my negative attitude. I think that I can't have something and that makes me bitter or depressed. If I could change my attitude to that of I am choosing not to eat something to live healthier, that would help a lot! Good luck!

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    1. We are all moving away from wheat as well since our oldest can't have it. It is indeed challenging, but I pray it will make us all feel better. Yes, attitude is HUGE for me too! Hang in there!

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