Thoughts of Maintenance

I’ve been thinking a lot about maintenance lately, maybe it is because I’ve been at a weight loss stand still for months, or because I’m just anxious to get to another part of this journey?  I guess in a way, this weight loss stall is a form of maintenance.  I’ve been bouncing around with the same 5lbs for months, which I’m told is normal for someone who is maintaining their “normal” weight.  However, I haven’t reached my “normal” weight, at least I don’t think so.

I have been reading online about what constitutes maintenance and successful weight loss.  On different sites, the theme is the same.  People who maintain their weight:

• Keep a food diary or awareness of caloric intake
• Have a support group or system
• Are active and make fitness fun
• Focus on health and not weight loss
• They do it for themselves
• Have found healthy food substitutions
• Monitor their portion sizes
• Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks
• Know the changes are for life and not temporary
• Don’t quit and give up when they “backslide”
• Food is all about moderation and no food is “band”
• Separate self-worth from the number on the scale

The steps above are something that I try my darnedest with, although the last on “separating self-worth from the scale” has been really, really hard, but I’m working on it.

This weeks weigh-in --- a 2 lb gain; however, I didn’t let it get me down.  I am doing this for myself and I have a great support group with my Weight Watchers friends.  These changes are for life and I know I’ll eventually be where I want weight and health wise.

What I'm Missing

It was exercise.  OMG!  It makes me feel so much better after a long, tiring day.  I just did a 30 minute walk at 4.0 mph on the treadmill and 15 minutes of plyos (jumping jacks, push ups (girlie style), squats with 5lb dumbell....15 reps, 4 x).  I feel really, really good. I have to remember that exercise should be my drug of choice. ;-)

Okay, now off to read my Nov/Dec issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers.  They have really great training exercises for at home workouts this month.  Love, love this magazine.  

Another day…

Not much going on in the weight loss department.  I feel like it is the same story, every weekend.  No change or it is, its slight, with gains and losses and no nets.  I keeping track everyday and the graph is just a straight line with slight bumps up and down.  Its sad and pitiful and I’m trying not to let it get me or keep me down.

I’ve been feeling blah about my job lately too.  I guess that is an up and down too.  There are days when it is great and then other times when it really isn’t and I want to walk away.  It sucks, but all I can do is try and hang on until the job market gets better. 

I have been totally in the mood for soups, chili and stews.  I also have been wanting bread, banana, pumpkin and zucchini.  I think it is the cold and rainy weather that puts me in a baking and crock-pot mood.

Okay, off to do some taco soup making….

Quick post...making priorties

• I suck @ blogging right now...I need to add it to my list of priorities.
• Weight is holding steady...lost the pound I gained last week.  It was a wash.
• Busting out the soup recipes.  I went back to the WW basics this week and made Garden Vegetable 0 point soup.
• Work is stressful as ever, but I'm surviving.
• Will have a better post later, because I feel lame not updating.

Just one of those days

Have you ever had one of those days at work, where you just want to pack up all your stuff and go home, never to go back again?  Yeah, me too and today was one of those days.  I’m really not looking forward to tomorrow, but I do hope it is better today.  I don’t think I can take another day like today.

Getting My Mojo Back

 

My kitty named Mojo

I have been trying to get my “mojo” back for awhile now, but I am happy to report that I saw glimpses of it as I was sweating away on the elliptical and lifting weights at the gym this morning.  Recently, I just stopped going to the gym, not really making excuses, but just not doing it when there was an opportunity.  The husband’s work schedule is supposed to be more flexible this week, so I have no “excuses” to not work out after work this week.

I know my complacency and lack of activity has stunted my weight loss.  This is what happens when you get comfortable, and I am comfortable.  To me, being comfortable isn’t a bad thing.  I can do things with my body that I couldn’t do a 150lbs ago. I can jog.  Do a back bend.  Lift heavy weights. Run several flights of stairs. Shop in “regular” stores for clothes. And many, many other things; however, I know I don’t want to be where I am anymore.  Bopping around the 210’s is not fun ~ sucks actually. 

My Weight Watchers leader (who I love, love dearly), stated that this is time for me to solidify my habits and just be me at this moment.  Maybe I have reached a set point and I’m comfortable, but eventually the scale will move.  I have to remember that I cannot compare my journey to others (which I am finding that I’m doing more and more and it makes me depressed).  This is my journey and I have to own it.  I will take these periods of “plateau” as learning experience – a healthy and important learning experience.

I haven’t gained, lost control and gone on binges, and even if I did, I know that I can turn it around.  Maybe that is the lesson I was meant to learn?  With the “old me.” I would have thrown in the towel months ago and instead of maintaining, I would have gained big time (and I can pack it on). I have changed both mentally and physically, and that makes this journey worth it.

Same old thing...

No loss for the week.  I was up a pound.  After happy hour Thursday night, I expected it.  Today the effects have gone away, according to the scale. :-)  I really want a good loss this week, but with you know who making a visit in the next few days, I don't know if that will happen.

Not much else is going on.  My life is pretty boring, with work and everything household, no one wants to hear about the laundry, dishes, etc.  I did make a good meal tonight.  I had spaghetti squash with meat sauce (99% FF Turkey Breast).  It was really, really good.  I added lots of veggies to the meat sauce too (carrots, onions, celery) to help bulk it up.

Now, I'm waiting for the hubster.  The treadmill and I have a hot date.