It's Not Always Easy, but It's So Worth It

Hey y'all, I hope everyone out in blogland is staying safe.  We've had lots of rain and thunderstorms in our area the past few days.  I know we need the rain so I'm not complaining! :-) The rain brought cooler temperatures along with it, so it's all good!


After my last post one of my readers commented that I made weight loss look easy.  LOL...I'm glad it appears that way.  I think the hardest part for me was making my mind up to just do it.  I've always believed at least 80% of this journey is mental.  Truly convincing yourself it's possible to lose weight and then staying focused while keeping that belief firmly entrenched in your mind is one of the hardest parts of the journey for me.  I tend to let my old demons of self-doubt and feelings of unworthiness creep back up on occasion, but I refuse to let them overtake me. 


Issues of self-doubt have long been a problem of mine.  Many, MANY moons ago, when I was in high school I always felt like a failure.  I'm not sure why, but I felt I was never good enough, pretty enough or smart enough.  Now that I look back on those days it kind of makes me laugh. (Although when you think about it it's really sad to think about all of my lost time and opportunities I've let slip through my fingers.) No, I wasn't popular or especially pretty and I weighed over 200 pounds since the 9th grade, but I was just as smart as most of my friends and graduated in the top 10% of my class.  I would have graduated in the top 5%, but I dropped a class during my senior year which brought my grade point average down.  However, due to all of the advanced classes I took I still graduated with a 4.11 GPA.  In spite of this, I still struggled with feelings of self-doubt. 


This is an ongoing issue with me.  To this day, I never feel good enough, pretty enough or smart enough.  My husband and son constantly tell me I'm pretty or that I look really nice, and I thank them.  However, somewhere deep down in my psyche, I've convinced myself they're just saying that to make me feel better.  They're obligated to say that since they're my family.  When others outside of my immediate family compliment me, I'm taken completely off guard and really don't believe their compliments could possibly be sincere. I feel they are just saying these things to be nice to me.


Another reason my weight loss journey is not easy is due to the fact, like most people who struggle with their weight, I have a love/hate relationship with food.  I never learned how to deal with my emotions in a healthy way.  I have used food to bring me comfort in times of stress and/or sadness, in times of joy to celebrate, as a reward for my accomplishments and I have even used food as a cure for boredom.  (Why do you think we call it comfort food?) So, my love of food and emotional eating brings even more problems, causing them to multiply.  Instead of dealing with the emotional issues I'm stuffing down with food, I have created additional problems, weight gain, guilt about eating, my health, etc.  So, the eating starts all over again.  It's a vicious cycle.


Although, I have recently had a firmer grip on my love affair with food, I know I could easily let go and slip right back into my old patterns.  Just the other day, after a particularly stressful day, I found myself standing, staring into the pantry, gazing about, mindlessly thinking about my day, searching for something decadent to cheer me up. Thankfully, I stopped myself before I gave in to my momentary weakness.  I asked myself what was causing my stress and would food actually cure the problem for me.  I have to admit, there was an inner struggle within my mind and heart.  I shut the door to the pantry and burst out in tears.  After telling my hubby about my terrible day, I felt better and the urge for decadence was gone.


The same commenter asked about my typical day, including what I eat and what type and how much exercise I get each week. You will get to read more about this beginning next week.  However, I will share with you a typical day in my work week.  Here's what I ate yesterday:


Breakfast
1 South Beach Living Peanut Butter Protein Fit Bar  - 140 calories
1 Yoplait Light Yogurt, Black Forest Cake flavor     - 110 calories


Total Breakfast                                                         - 250 calories


Lunch
1 Lean Cuisine Simple Favorites Cheese Ravioli        - 220 calories
1 Jell-o Sugar Free Pudding Snack, Dulce de Leche  -  60 calories


Total Lunch                                                               -280 calories


Dinner
Faux Fried Chicken and Waffles                                 -289 calories
1 cup Green Giant Green Beans w/seasonings              - 50 calories
1 medium baked potato with extra salsa                      -181 calories


Total Dinner                                                             -520 calories


Dessert/Snack
1 Snack Wells Devil's Food Cookie                               -50 calories
1 Mr. Salty Milk Chocolate Pretzels                             -100 calories


Total Dessert/Snack                                                  -150 calories


Daily Total                                                               -1,200 calories


As for exercise, it varies from day to day and week to week.  There are some days I don't have time to exercise, like the days earlier in April when I worked 13 hour days. I try to do some form of exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 times a week.  The type of exercise I do also varies.  I have tons of exercise videos, everything from Richard Simmons to The Biggest Loser.  I do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it.  I also utilize Exercise TV.  They offer some fairly decent workouts and I like variety!

So, to answer the question....is it easy to lose weight?  No, but with the right mental attitude and determination it can happen to you.



This Fat Chick promises you it IS possible for your dream to become a reality!


Until tomorrow...have a wonderful today!