I've had a couple of weeks now since the holiday and I am pleased to say that I lost 7lbs during the holiday! This is purely from the walking we did, some of it on quite steep inclines, because we certainly didn't eat very healthily! It just goes to show what I can do if I try!
For the last week or so, I have been using the myfitnesspal app on my phone to count calories, as recommended by lovely friend L. It has been working well from the point of view that I have logged everything every day since I started. I've only been within my limit (given by the app) on one day though. Despite that, I am sure I have been eating less and thinking about what I eat more than previously, so for me, it has worked.
However, today I realised that it is not a sustainable method of weight loss for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I love food. Eating has its comforting qualities, but I actually also enjoy the tastes and textures of different foods. Counting calories pushes me towards eating quantifiable amounts of certain foods so that they are easy to log. So, instead of having one or two sweets, I might decide to have a cereal bar because it is easier to log, but this might lead to me eating more calories than I really needed to.
The other problem is, I just feel miserable when I can't eat what I want! Me being miserable is not going to have global consequences, granted, but it is going to affect my life and in turn those around me's lives. So it is best if I can avoid it as much as possible.
The other thing that makes me miserable is the bathroom scales! Ok, so lately they have been kind, but I know perfectly well that if I don't actually do some exercise, the needle is not going to keep moving down! A good friend today hit the nail on the head when he said,
" I suspect in your case, you weigh yourself, think "shit, don't like that, feel stressed, eat more" #viciouscircle"
So, with some much needed support from my lovely Twitter pals and a bit of thinking time, I have come to the conclusion that I do not need to use my bathroom scales. I am going to put them away (throwing them out seems wasteful, but my hoarding is a whole other issue!!) and go back to the measuring tape. I have to put the emphasis on doing this for health reasons - it doesn't much matter how I look because my husband loves me as I am now - so I am going back to something I came across some time ago. The below video explains it well, courtesy of safefood.eu :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqAsD7SqmbQ&feature=player_embedded
I need to lose about 13 inches from my waist to be classed as a healthy weight, so that is what I intend to do! What's more, I am going to do it through a common sense approach to food - don't eat unless hungry, eat fruit & veg every day, drink lots of water - and a gradual introduction of exercise into my life.
Most importantly, I am going to enjoy life - give to it what I need to get from it what I desire! I do not want to just be a statistic. I want to wake up every morning excited by what life has to offer!
Anyway, enough rambling. Thanks for reading and thanks to those who support me when I need it most. I'd be nothing without those people.
Michelle x
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