It's time to face reality.
I'm overweight (and only a teeny tenth of a point from being obese). I still wonder at how it happened.
I was of normal weight for much of my life. Even after gaining 30 pounds while pregnant with my only child, I was back in some of my pre-maternity clothes 6 days after giving birth. (Don't hate me). Thanks to breastfeeding, I lost those 30 pounds and another 5 pounds on top of it. And kept it off, for a few months.
Then, the long march to where I am began.
The last four or so years have been the worst. The details are besides the point. Three years ago, already alarmed, I participated in a program called "Mission Meltaway" which taught portion control and other details. It had a weekly weigh in followed by guest speakers. It had a walking program, but I've been walking for exercise most of the last 40 years so that was nothing new for me. I lost a little but it came right back as soon as the program ended.
Know what? It doesn't help one bit to know how big your portion of meat should be when your food triggers come calling. Mine are stress and chocolate. The stress piece is bad at work; I just can't go take a walk or do something physical when I am under a deadline, which happens enough.
To add fat to the fire, the back problems I've had the last three years have restricted some of my mobility. I'm definitely less active. It's great for blogging (and, true confession, playing FarmVille) but not so great for my weight.
Then, my doctor told me I had better lose 20 pounds now "or it will be even harder once you turn 60".
So finally, I am going to enroll in an organized weight control program - Weight Watchers. I blanch at paying money but I think I need the support this program will give me.
I need the accountability, too. The weekly weigh-ins from Mission Meltaway definitely kept me on track.
I met the person who will be leading the meetings, assuming I do join. She's been on the program 21 years and, like me, is post-menopausal. At least, she told us, participants don't have to eat liver once a week anymore. She's very no nonsense. Seriously, if the leader had been 20 and stick thin, I may have walked out.
The first thing she told us is that it would NOT be easy. If she had told us it would, I may have walked, too.
Now I have to ask myself: how badly do I want good health, a right knee that doesn't hurt, a blood sugar level that doesn't make my doctor "tut-tut" and a dress size with large numbers in it?
She wasn't kidding about the liver, either. Thank heavens I didn't need this diet in 1972.
I promise not to blog about this too much, but now that our flood is almost a year in the past, I need to obsess about something else for a change.
Has anyone out there done Weight Watchers? If so, did you keep it off? Did it work for you?
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
3 comments:
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Wishing you success. I did Weight Watchers and found it quite effective after my third child. I just hit 40 and am seeing fat creep on, so I'm thinking about doing it again. I do it online and liked the "points system".
ReplyDeleteGlad you don't have to eat liver, although that would make me lose weight.
And glad you wouldn't be answering to a 20-year-old skinny. I get so discouraged going to the gym when it's a bunch of models in exercise clothes. ;-)
Ahh yes, the bad side of sitting on our backsides in front of our computers all day!
ReplyDeleteOne of my best friends joined Weight Watchers in January and has lost over forty pounds in seven months. She said it was very sensible and the accountability worked for her. She also made it a goal to reach her goal and get free membership. I've heard from other people that Weight Watchers really is the best way to go! Good Luck!
PS---I'm pretty sure blueberry coffee cake has no calories!
I'm always a little shocked when I hear about that liver thing with Weight Watchers—I don't mind liver as an occasional thing, along with other types of offal, but eating it once a week really seems like a bit much, lol.
ReplyDeleteYou're right in identifying emotional eating as a problem that has to be addressed, and one that people often leave off when they set up a plan solely on what they're eating and what exercise they're going to do. So much of permanent weight loss is mental, emotional and psychological. It's about understanding our different needs, and how we sometimes try to use food to fill these needs incorrectly.
I'd encourage you to take a look at this video of Beverly, who lost 230 lbs. without any surgery or weight loss "magic bullets" aside from diet and exercise: http://bit.ly/RVsSYU In it, our different human needs are explained along with ways to become healthier. It's not that long, and you might find it to be pretty interesting.