Mini-Blog Post ~ 5 June 2017 (This one’s not “mini” but they will be the rest of the week)

In an effort to overcome my now 3 MONTH  plateau weight I’m going to be posting on FB daily and blogging more.  My posts may be annoying to some (you can hide them) but many have told me they are inspiring to them.  Most of all they must be inspiring to ME because as I posted a bit less, my plateau set in.

Of course I can rationalize it all: I’ve spent these 3 months cementing my new weight, which is still 25 lbs less than when I began. Muscle weighs more than fat. I have been exercising and adding new routines.  In addition to my walk/runs which still are usually between 2-3 miles a day, I’ve added Yoga a couple times a week and strength training my arms at the gym 3 times a week.Blah, blah, blah - I need to step it up!  My goal is to become a person who easily has 2-3 exercise “events” per day rather than my old philosophy of “one and done.” At this point 3 events leave me exhausted and useless; 2 events I still feel spent, but can recover and show a little productivity.

(Isn't that image below cute?  It's not me, but could be: the chubby chick with the weights! The other morning at the gym I was probably the only chubby one there which honestly doesn't bother me. But another chubby lady came in for the tour and sales pitch about the gym. I bet she was really happy to see me there! Maybe I should get a kickback if she joins.  Despite the motivation inherent seeing fit people exercising it's just so nice to see someone who is in your same struggle).

Also, after giving away 7 pair of pants that were too big (WOO! HOO!), the size I’m wearing now tend to be a little baggy in the butt and incredibly long. It sounds strange because I haven’t decreased in height or weight but as I’m toning; my pants aren’t all stretched around me so tightly they hike up. At home I’ll just roll up my jeans so I don’t trip over them. The problem is the waist fits nicely, but they’re just too long and I don’t have any more to downsize into. So I’m definitely adding a couple new pairs of pants on my “Mission Slim” weight loss/reward tracker.

So I’m determined that this week will set me in the right direction! I know how to maintain, but I MUST increase exercise and STICK to my diet goals so the scale begins to decrease again.

Stresses:

• Daughter home from college - she is totally a health nut, but I’ve indulged in lunches with her and other not-so-healthy choices. She’s young & fit, one diner lunch won’t affect her, but that one lunch derails my whole week.

• Summer Free for All – I’ve built a nice structure/schedule which helps me stay on track. I’m home with my youngest this summer while 2 other kids will be in and out working various jobs and basically making sure every day is an entirely  unpredictable. I have a hard time with this type of flux.

Challenge:

My challenge this month is to really get my diet in line with my goals. I know that eating between 1650-1850 calories works for me to lose weight at my activity level.  I recently saw that weight loss is 30% exercise and 70% diet....hmmmm....I need to meditate on THAT when the leftovers are calling to me.

Today I hit the gym this morning for arms/hips then grabbed a protein shake breakfast and went to yoga.  Maya’s Monday/Friday classes are always a good challenge for me. I’ve been working on getting into my lunges more quickly, but Pigeon is still too scary for my knees.

Came home at 11 and ate a big salad and a leftover veggie eggroll (only 100 calories according to my tracker)…but the leftover lo mein kept calling to me until I had some!  We had Chinese Take-Out for my son’s birthday on Saturday, so it’s not a usual dinner. I’m over it – moving on and eating better is all I can do.  Scallops and Broccoli Noodles are for dinner. I’ll go very light on the noodles for my plate.

(If I had the expertise or time, I'd put an arrow just slightly in front of the first girl, showing where I am in the journey).

My March Plateau

This is on the wall at my Cardiologist's office - so nice, to read and confirm I am following through on it all!

March has been a plateau month for me and I’m oddly OK with that. My stagnation has forced even more reflection as I assess my progress, or lack thereof, my past and the reasons behind my obesity.  Wow! Two scary words already: plateau and obesity. Technically my BMI puts me in the Obese range (there, I even typed it with a capital.) 

Eating my Colors everyday for Heart health

I lost 0.8 lb. in March. My total loss since Oct. 1 is 22.2 lbs. Here’s why I’m OK with this and motivated to continue with zest:

1.       I probably gave about 65% effort this month. Between a blizzard that blocked my walk/run path for days and 3 children’s consecutive spring breaks to stress my mind I just wasn’t giving my all.

2.       A plateau is NOT a gain.  I’ve been told by several people (some who went to med school) that by losing weight slowly I greatly increase my chances of keeping it off. 

3.       My “Procedure” which I probably stressed for subconsciously all month.  On Tuesday I had a Novasure Ablasion. (TMI coming!) This is a one day surgery that scrapes and cauterizes the lining of the uterus.  I had it for menorrhagia.  I hope that I will be like the 80% of women who have this and never have a visit from Aunt Flo again.  I also hope the bloating, sugar craving time before Aunt Flo doesn’t happen anymore either.

Revelation: When my older children are at college, I don’t worry much about them, but when they are home, my mental “mom” link revs up with constant worrying that causes stress which causes me to try to soothe myself with food. I can now recognize that raising four children with an intentional mind set caused that higher level of stress over the years and thus stuck me with a spare tire or two around the middle. The “intentional” parent is one who has a reason for every decision. I need alternatives that are not food related.  For now, everyone is back at school – my household only has 2 children and seems quiet and peaceful.  This quote from Riding in Cars with Boys sums up motherhood and I will devote another blog post to it in the future:

“Sometimes we love people so much that we have to be numb to it. Because if we actually felt how much we love them, it would kill us. That doesn't make you a bad person. It just means your heart's too big.” (She’s talking about her child)

Sometimes you need some chocolate