Today I've hit a milestone. 20 lbs lost. It's taken FOREVER. Not because my body doesn't want to lose weight but because I'm still having binge episodes.
When I'm "on" I feel amazing and strong, but then the feast beast whispers in my ear and I'm off and eating six Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I think the 'good' food is winning out though because for the first time in a long time I've been making steady (if erratic progress down). The top weight, before I turn in around and start losing again, is getting lower. The trend is going down. I feel a sliver a hope.
So, where does this leave me? Well, at 274 lbs I'm feeling better - my feet hurt less. I can put in over 9,000 steps in a day and not be crippled by foot pain the next day. I actually 'ran' the other day. Wogged at 4mph for a minute and then walked at 2.5 mph for 1.5 miles... and it didn't kill me (and my feet didn't kill me the next day).
Since I don't buy clothes off the rack it's hard for me to say what size I wear. So, I'm going to use this chart as a guide
Going by that I am currently a 3x size 24
In 2006 I was starting to fit into RTW size 10! I will get there and go below that!! I will
So, what's the plan? Well...I'm taking some stuff from "
Never Binge Again" like making a list and sticking to it, caging the pig (what they call the feast beast) and working to stop listening to his nasty little voice. And I've pulled some stuff from Brooke Castillo; including her "
Self Coaching 101" teachings for managing my emotions and her overeating workshop that's part of her
Self Coaching Scholars program.
The thing is, I've found with all these mental excercses at the moment I need to refresh them daily. I need to be reading and/or listening to something that puts me in the right mindset daily! So I'm trying to put a plan for that in place.
For the actual EATING part I've made the following food rules to cage my pig.
My Rules
I will never eat anything with flour; all types including any grain, gluten free, nut flours, bean flours, corn starch, coconut flour, wheat germ, guar gum etc.
I will never eat anything with sugar; including added natural sugars, nectar, fruit flavorings, syrups if they appear in the first five ingredients on the label.
I will never eat anything with trans fats; Margarine, partially hydrogenated oil, deep fried foods including chips and fries, non-dairy creams, popcorn, etc.
I will never eat processed, concentrated and refined foods including all juices, smoothies, alcohol
I will always sit down to eat my meals (at a table if possible)
I will never eat in a moving car
I will always plan my meal before sitting down to eat it
I will never eat between meals
I will never eat before noon or after 10PM
Except…
When I have decided to do so - 24 hours in advance
These may change over time- I keep them in a google doc and will refine as I move forward. I'm thinking of changining the not eating before noon thing because on days I'm not at home it's easier to eat breakfast and dinner instead of lunch and dinner. But I'm going to play in by ear and just invoke my "Exception" clause for a while.
Overall I'm trying to eat primal/low carb ketogenic. I need to lose weight and I also need to balance my blood sugar (My A1C was 6.5 last time I was at the Dr's) and lower my blood pressure (It's been high the last few times I've had it checked). So healthy eating and some exercise is important... The food has been coming along slowly but surely. I need the exercise to step it up. that's my focus this week.
Which sounds all well and good except I'm leaving to go on a business trip tonight and will be eating two (or three) meals a day at restaurants all this week! And I'm not sure my hotel has a gym....
But I'm ready to take this on. I just need to follow my rules and do the best I can. The goal is to stay at 274 this week.
I've put a few structures in place for myself. This first of these is a new website I've found called Healthy Wage. You pledge an amount of money and if you hit your goal, they pay it back to you PLUS SOME. I've set up a Healthy Wager that I will win 140 lbs in 16 months. I know, it sounds crazy to me too. I've never really been below 170!! since high school. I'm backing this pledge with a payment of $250/month. That's a pledge of $4000! BUT I will win $8,200 if I make it! I also made a 'walk more' exercise pledge. I need to average 8,500 steps a day for the next three months. This one only cost me $60 and I'll just share the pot on this one - so I may only get my money back, but it's a fun incentive.
You can check it out here: https://hwage.co/31460/.
I'm also beeminding my progress
https://www.beeminder.com/samboddy69/130by50#
And I'm using Habitica to track my "to-do" list and to help me track the habits I want to build up - it's fun and geeky and you should check it out.
https://habitica.com/
Ok - now that all of that is out of the way Here's the plan for the next few days.
Today: Had a good breakfast, snacked on nuts at lunch and I'm grabbing food at the airport (eating before noon was planned) I need to look up what's available at the airport so I can grab something that's on plan.
Tomorrow: Big breakfast at the nearby diner, skip lunch, dinner at a nearby restaurant - chicken and veg and/or beef and veg or something similar should be easy to find. I would like to go to the pub one night while I'm there... We'll see since I'm eating with family one night and eating lunch with a friend one day. I'm going to give myself one free meal to have some carbs and alcohol on this trip... it's just a matter of when I'll use it.
I brought workout clothes and I want to hit my steps goal each day I'm away (8,500) and if the hotel has a gym I'm going to lift weights each of the days too. Since my hotel is in the same building as my office and I don't have to be in the office until 10AM there's plenty of time to get a workout in first thing. Maybe if I get the exercise habit started while I'm away it'll be easier to keep it once I'm back home... One can hope.
And.. that's that! More to come in the days that follow.
