Well I did it... 1 full week of this "diet" journey is complete. What do I have to show for my hard work and determination this week? Well if you guessed less weight you would be right! I lost 3.8 pounds in my first week. Not a bad showing for my first week. Now I would be lying if I didn't say that I would have liked a bigger number, but then I realize 2 things. One, the weight didn't all appear on my one magical day and therefore it isn't going to leave me overnight. And two, if I do this the right way (slow and steady weight loss) it is more likely that I will learn the correct habits (eating and exercise) that I need to know in order to be able to sustain the weight loss permanently.
So let me review my week... not just for your reading purposes, but also for my ability to remind myself of the important lessons along the way. I learned that I can get my butt out of bed and workout each morning, even if that workout is only 30 minutes of cardio. This 30 (or more) minutes that I give to myself each day is so rewarding to my body and also provides me with a great deal of energy throughout the day (who would have thought that!). Working out isn't something that I have to do, it is really something that I need to do, both for myself and the long term health of my body.
I learned that in the world of dieting, giving something up doesn't mean that you can't have what it is you truly want. You see, when I have dieted in the past, it has been in my mind that I can't have somethings that I love to eat. This week, I was able to still have a burger, even if it was only a Junior Cheeseburger from Wendy's. The point is, I was still able to eat it and be happy about the choice that I made.
I learned that I can in fact eat a banana without peanut butter (thanks Elvis!). I have always loved peanut butter and banana together and was skeptical that I would want to eat one without the other. Peanut butter is something that definitely doesn't currently fit into my nutritional scheme of things, so I know that I needed to give it up completely (or at least for now). But no peanut butter meant no bananas for me (and they are a fantastic source of potassium). I ventured out to see if I could eat one without the other and who knew... I COULD! I am now a one a day banana day and very happy that I took the risk that I did.
I learned that my hubby and I can still have our date night out together and enjoy myself. We went out to dinner and a movie and I at not time thought that I was losing out on something... no wait, I take that back, I would have loved to have had dessert at PF Chang's but I recognize that it wasn't an option this time. It is great that I can still enjoy our date night together and not be self conscious about the food that I am eating.
I learned that children's birthday parties aren't always a bad thing. Yesterday my family enjoyed a birthday party for 2 of our close friends kids. There was lots of food (fried chicken, rigatoni, broccoli salad, cheesy potatoes, macaroni salad and plenty of chips) and many of the options were not healthy choices that I would have picked if given the opportunity. However, I wasn't able to pick and therefore I had to make the best of the situation. Broccoli salad is yummy and broccoli is great for me. That was what I focused my dinner around. I had a small piece of fried chicken and a small scoop of rigatoni. That's it! Also, the birthday cake and ice cream were not an option, but it didn't bother me. I kept drinking my water and having a great time without overeating or gorging on things that I know aren't good for me. It was a great lesson to learn, considering that I started a diet 1 week before a major holiday!
Another lesson for the week was that of encouragement and support. It was great to have so many friends and family continually encourage and support me through this journey. The kinds works, the telling me of a song that was a big up lifter for me, and the many messages that I have received are wonderful. It is great to know that I have surrounded myself with excellent people who understand that I can't do this by myself.
Finally, I have learned this week that this journey is not just about me. This journey, and this blog, are about everyone that understands the pain that I experience daily with being overweight... and it isn't just a physical pain. The emotional toll that this takes on a person is something that I never want to endure again. People have reached out to me to tell me that this blog touched them, that the blog was about their own personal struggles. I guess I never thought that this would reach people that way... just thought that this was something that I understood and felt.
I am grateful for the lessons that I have learned this week. I am grateful for another week of losing those pounds that I keep me from looking in the mirror. I am grateful that I have been able to touch people's lives. I am grateful that I have a loving and supportive family. I am grateful that each day I learn something new about this journey and that I have the opportunity to share.
No comments:
Post a Comment