Something to Lose

It was odd, making up this page. I did it on Sunday, my 47th birthday and I felt pretty good about it all. In a month of moving (23/30 days) I've lost quite a few inches. So many, I wondered if I was measuring incorrectly!



Here are the stats:

bust: 1" gone

waist: 2" gone.

hips: no change (poot)

upper arm: 1" (a whole inch!)

and my upper thigh: 3 1/2" (I'd think there's some error there, but I've been doing a low impact aerobics--lots of toning of those upper thighs involved!)

The scale didn't budge. (+0.6lbs is a glass of water!)

But, as I didn't get a chance to work out on Monday, I thought and fretted about it all day long--now I've made some progress, now I have something to lose. I am scared to death of these pronouncements that individuals who "maintain" a significant weight loss do so with 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day. I haven't got that sort of time--and I panic when I think that may be what it takes. So, I can't let my mind go there.

So, I focus on today. I am ansty for my workout. In fact, I'm anxious for it now, everyday. (yes, everyday.) While I'm sitting here freezing at the keyboard, I know that it will warm me up. I know I'll feel fantastic once I start the cool down stretching and that feeling will last for a few hours. My irritation level will decrease too, making me more pleasant to be around! It will also rev me up and give me more energy.

What it isn't doing is suppressing my appetite--though it isn't increasing it either! (Thank goodness.)

So, this month I want to focus on my emotions, food intake, hunger and fullness. I made a little form to keep track of it all. (Of course I did!) Should I decide to begin restricting my calories (which is not what I'm doing now. What I'm doing now is eating as well as possible.) I hope to have some useful data about how I eat, what fills me up (and what doesn't) and so on. Actually, I'm not entirely sure why I'm keeping track! It just seemed like a good idea. It is making me more conscious about what I'm eating--and that could be a good enough reason all on its own!

Two pages fit on one 8 1/2 x 11 page. Here's today' s (with breakfast filled in):

My resolution to eat more vegetables is going well. Last night at supper, in addition to the prodigious amount of onion in the beef stroganoff, we had boiled carrots, steamed spinach with garlic and roasted sweet potato chips on the side. Dessert was homemade cheesecake with lots of fresh berries, too.

(It was my husband's birthday!)