Week Two - Status Quo

Week two did not show a loss, but there was no gain either! Woohoo!! I am allowed to take one day off a week. I stayed off the sugar, but over the three-day weekend, my cardio suffered a little. Boohoo, poor little cardio!!!! I have certainly made up for that these last three days. Also, Tootsie knows I'm supposed to be walking more, so she spazzes out on me about 10 minutes after I get home from work! (I just know that she is the spirit of one of my deceased family members... probably my mom... who are making it their heavenly goal to keep me on my toes!)

There are only two or three of us "Big and Beautiful" ladies competing in this health/weightloss/get fit as a fiddle chain gang. Just about everyone else is within 20 pounds of a healthy weight; they already have a structured exercise regimen; and they are at least 10-15 years younger than me! They should all reach their goal by June. The rest of us flubber butts have agreed to cheer each other on and keep tabs on one another. If we Thunder Thighs can lose about 40-50 pounds by June, I, personally, will be so ecstatic I just might have to shout it from the top of the St. Louis Arch!

I want to thank those of you who have left such supportive comments for me. I think of you all when someone passes me crunching on one of those Sam's giant cookies (250 calories) or slurping a Starbuck's Mocha. I tell myself, "they love me, they really love me. I can't let them down!" Your kind words have meant so much to me - Thanks!

My Body, Your Body, Any Body!

So, I was thinking the other day, how can I get myself motivated so that I can motivate others? I subscribe to several weight management (I don't like to call it "weight loss" because I don't always lose weight) newsletters which, for some reason, (probably the Big Guy up there trying to drop a few hints to me) seem to be quite interesting and helpful. I found the following quote from a newsletter I receive from Bob Greene.

"I know that I became overweight because I was out of touch with my body and because I had developed a food addiction. Now, I'm constantly checking in with my body to determine whether I want to eat because of hunger or because I have some emotion that I want to avoid. To me, health means having a healthy relationship with my body and that means nurturing it and not abusing it, and enjoying what I eat. To nurture my body is to feed it foods that will give me energy and nutrients."

Emotional eating....hit the nail two feet into the wood for me! I very rarely eat because I am hungry...I am hardly ever hungry. I love food! I really love sweet things, and eating sweet things can sometimes be a full-time job for me! I try not to think about anything while I'm eating. That's my problem! While I chew and savor, my mind is on the food and nothing else. Food is my "happy place" that I go to when I need a break from reality. The problem with that is, I spend most of my time on break and very little time dealing with real things. And, boys and girls, can you tell me where this kind of thinking takes one? Duh......

So, let's get that healthy relationship with food that was mentioned above. Telling myself that I ONLY WANT food that is going to nuture me and give me energy, will be one of the hardest things to do. Sugar gives me energy, and I feel nutured whenever I eat chocolate. So what's the big deal? Maybe, just maybe, I could think about making substitutions here and there. Ya think? Grapes are sweet, sort of like sugar, and they don't signal the brain to eat mass quantities like some cookies or candy will. Brushing hair is a form of nurturing, so are manis and pedis, no? Do ya think I could come up with a solid or a liquid that actually made me feel loved? It's possible that picturing water going through my body and picking up the gunk so I can "eliminate" it, could be a form of loving myself.

But, let's not get carried away here, Missy! We don't want to get a big head, now! I've spent almost my whole life abusing myself with food! It ain't gonna change overnight! "BUT I WANT IT NOW!!!" cried Verushka. "Patience, my dear!" If I can manage to substitute "healthy" and "nurturing" foods for the processed, sugary junk to which I have become accustomed, maybe...just maybe I could learn a little patience instead of stomping my feet and demanding immediate results. Wow! What a concept!

They say it takes 21 to 30 days to change a habit. Well here goes.....