OK so its week 3 of my diet and I lost 1lb. Hmm. After my huge weight loss in the first week this has done nothing for my motivation. I think, "This week I will really make an effort and lose lots of weight!", but then five minutes later I think, "What's the point?" This may explain my yo-yoing.
So what do I need to do to keep up my motivation?
I have tried all the usual things in the past, like putting a fat photo of myself somewhere prominent and convincing myself I don't want to look like that any more. Trouble is, I never thought I looked that bad.
Pick a goal and stick to it. I have a goal. I want to fit in a pair of jeans I could wear 10 years ago. At the moment I can barely fit one leg in to them so it seems unattainable.
Pick a smaller goal. I have no imagination so I can't think of one. Maybe I could try to fit in a dress I bought last summer which has never fitted. If I aim for Christmas and don't make it, how is that going to make me feel?
What about focussing on losing 1 stone at a time? That might be easier. I have 5.5lbs more to go until that milestone. That seems manageable but I have so much to lose that it makes very little impact on fitting in to my clothes.
I need help.
Back to the hypnotherapist for another session? I felt that the first one was a waste of time - she said she could also stop me from nail biting. No joy so far. After almost 40 years of it, it is a hard habit to break. She also promised me a free half hour session if I didn't think I had my money's worth. I may have to take her up on that. I am waiting for her to call me to talk over how I felt it went. She recommended another 2 sessions which I will probably also do as I have nothing to lose (except weight!)
Next time I post I hope I have something more positive to say, but if anyone has a suggestion on keeping motivated, I would love to hear it.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Friday, 6 November 2009
The Alcohol Dilemma
OK. So, in the first week of my new diet I lost 7.5lbs. Brilliant. Trouble is, my other half was away on a business trip and I had flu. These things together meant I have had no alcohol for a couple of weeks.
Its now Friday and I have arranged to meet a friend I haven't seen in a while for a drink in a local pub. I've been good and tried to save my "points" for the day by having salad for lunch. I like salad, but I also like alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories, or at least the alcohol I enjoy is. Don't get me wrong, I'm Scottish, so most alcohol is acceptable. But red wine is my main love. I can happily sip a glass of red wine over an hour or so when I'm at home, but for some reason when I'm in the pub I feel the need to gulp it down like its the last glass of wine I will ever see. I had a bit of an incident a couple of years ago at a Christmas night out when I set my hair on fire after drinking too much red wine too quickly.
So here's my dilemma. Do I risk drinking red wine which I very much enjoy and using up all my calorie allowance for the day, or do I drink vodka lime and soda which is low in calories but which will get me very drunk, very quickly and not taste that good. Of course there is always the option of no alcohol, but as I mentioned, I am Scottish so its not a real option.
Seriously though, if I give up alcohol in order to reach my target weight, will I be able to continue losing weight when I go back to drinking again in the future? Should I not learn to build alcohol in moderation into my new healthier lifestyle? Its easy to say I won't drink, but in reality I know I will, especially with Christmas fast approaching. I am weak willed and all it takes is for someone to say "oh just have one..." and all my good intentions disappear.
I think I will try to alternate between soft and alcoholic drinks tonight and leave quite early. I'll see how that goes.
Wish me luck!
Its now Friday and I have arranged to meet a friend I haven't seen in a while for a drink in a local pub. I've been good and tried to save my "points" for the day by having salad for lunch. I like salad, but I also like alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories, or at least the alcohol I enjoy is. Don't get me wrong, I'm Scottish, so most alcohol is acceptable. But red wine is my main love. I can happily sip a glass of red wine over an hour or so when I'm at home, but for some reason when I'm in the pub I feel the need to gulp it down like its the last glass of wine I will ever see. I had a bit of an incident a couple of years ago at a Christmas night out when I set my hair on fire after drinking too much red wine too quickly.
So here's my dilemma. Do I risk drinking red wine which I very much enjoy and using up all my calorie allowance for the day, or do I drink vodka lime and soda which is low in calories but which will get me very drunk, very quickly and not taste that good. Of course there is always the option of no alcohol, but as I mentioned, I am Scottish so its not a real option.
Seriously though, if I give up alcohol in order to reach my target weight, will I be able to continue losing weight when I go back to drinking again in the future? Should I not learn to build alcohol in moderation into my new healthier lifestyle? Its easy to say I won't drink, but in reality I know I will, especially with Christmas fast approaching. I am weak willed and all it takes is for someone to say "oh just have one..." and all my good intentions disappear.
I think I will try to alternate between soft and alcoholic drinks tonight and leave quite early. I'll see how that goes.
Wish me luck!
Thursday, 5 November 2009
How fat is too fat?
There are lots of answers to this question, medically, scientifically etc. However, the real answer for me lies in the point where I decide I can no longer live with myself at the weight I am.
Over the last 20 years I have gained and lost somewhere in the region of 400lbs. Oh my God. The average healthy weight for my height is about 155lbs, so I have gained/lost myself 3 times over.
As a woman in my late thirties, I decided that now is the time to tackle this once and for all before serious health problems start to kick in. I currently weigh around 250lbs, which is probably the heaviest I have ever been. I am aiming to lose about 90-100lbs and crucially, KEEP IT OFF.
The trouble is, where do I start? I have done every diet known to man. They all work. I can lose weight easily, I just can't seem to stay at my desired weight for longer than about 3 years. In fact, I have never actually made it to the "target weight" set for me by any of these diet classes.
So, in order to boost my determination, this time I have decided to try hypnotherapy. I have spent so much money on weight loss over the years that I reckon another £100 or so is worth it if it is going to help me do it once and for all.
My second strategy is this blog. If I write it down for the whole world to see, will I confront the reality of my bad habits and stop making excuses for myself? I hope so.
Finally, I have (once again!) joined WeightWatchers. I lost 7.5lbs in my first week. If only I can keep that rate up I'll be at my target in 3 months. I suspect it will be nearer a year before I get there.
Hopefully this time I will actually reach my target and stick to it. Actually, let me change that. I am supposed to be more positive about being able to achieve. This time I WILL reach my target and I WILL maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.
Over the last 20 years I have gained and lost somewhere in the region of 400lbs. Oh my God. The average healthy weight for my height is about 155lbs, so I have gained/lost myself 3 times over.
As a woman in my late thirties, I decided that now is the time to tackle this once and for all before serious health problems start to kick in. I currently weigh around 250lbs, which is probably the heaviest I have ever been. I am aiming to lose about 90-100lbs and crucially, KEEP IT OFF.
The trouble is, where do I start? I have done every diet known to man. They all work. I can lose weight easily, I just can't seem to stay at my desired weight for longer than about 3 years. In fact, I have never actually made it to the "target weight" set for me by any of these diet classes.
So, in order to boost my determination, this time I have decided to try hypnotherapy. I have spent so much money on weight loss over the years that I reckon another £100 or so is worth it if it is going to help me do it once and for all.
My second strategy is this blog. If I write it down for the whole world to see, will I confront the reality of my bad habits and stop making excuses for myself? I hope so.
Finally, I have (once again!) joined WeightWatchers. I lost 7.5lbs in my first week. If only I can keep that rate up I'll be at my target in 3 months. I suspect it will be nearer a year before I get there.
Hopefully this time I will actually reach my target and stick to it. Actually, let me change that. I am supposed to be more positive about being able to achieve. This time I WILL reach my target and I WILL maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.
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