I am one of the most stubborn people I know. So stubborn, in fact, that some of you who know me will laugh. And it's okay. Because it's true. When I put my mind to something, there has never been a force of nature that has been able to stop me from making it happen. If at first I don't succeed... I dig at it until it works.
So why. Why on earth am I letting this beat me? It's been nearly a year since I started this mess, and while I've kept the weight off that I lost, I haven't made any progress. I'm back to terrible portion control and not caring what's on my plate. And it's not like I haven't educated myself. I know how to get started. I just need the kick in the ass to do it.
My mother once told me that you can never really achieve something until you own it. And now, at twenty-four, I agree. Unless I find a reason that overcomes all of my insecurities and doubts and wanting to take the easy way out - this just isn't going to happen.
So on that note, today I'm looking for a reason. A reason to stay in the fight and not give in. A reason to keep being stubborn. This is my life.
...wonderful. Now I have Bon Jovi stuck in my head.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Miss Indpendent: A Rehab Program
Continuing with my theme of musical titles, this one combines Kelly Clarkson with Amy Winehouse. I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with that, but here it goes anyway.
*****
I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to individuality and independence. I want to live on my own, function on my own, have my own accomplishments and my own failures. I don't ask for help on my term papers, no matter how badly I need it (my apologies to my advisor for my Master's thesis. I must have driven him crazy.) I even gave up on doubles tennis in high school for singles, just so I wouldn't have anyone else to blame if I lost.
I'm told that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
Of course, it's not that independence is an inherently bad thing. America's very culture dictates that we learn a measure of independence in order to fit into our societal norms (and isn't that a contradiction.) Our parents hate it, our employers love it, and our peers secretly judge us if we don't have as much of it as they think is proper. We are required to think and function on our own to some degree or another in order to be acceptable to the social standard. Furthermore, a healthy level of independence can empower you to step away from that very group in favor of doing what is best for you.
That said, there are cases when you can go too far. Independence then becomes stubborn obstinacy: a.k.a. "the pigheaded refusal to accept help when it is offered or needed." I hereby present myself as Exhibit A.
Weight loss is something I have been trying to do on my own, thus far. Unsurprisingly, this has been less than successful. Yes, the concept of a life remix is very much a personal journey. It is something no one else can do for you. But that doesn't mean that they can't do it with you. To refuse assistance from the people and resources around you is to live in denial: "they can't see my problem. And anyway, they wouldn't understand. I'm alone." Kids, I'm here to say that they can see the problem. It's written on our faces. And our thighs, and our hips, and our stomachs, and our waistlines. But contrary to what we might think, the people that really matter don't care that it's a problem. They just love us enough to want to be a positive part of the experience.
This is why I'm confessing this particular sin. I've been shutting people out in an effort to adhere to my normal "do-it-yourself" mode of operation. No more. I'm never going to do this if I'm not honest with not only myself, but with everyone in my life, as well.
Which of course, brings me to the "how-to" part of this entry. Goodness knows I don't have all the answers, but here are a few ideas that I intend on following.
Get an exercise buddy. It's harder than it sounds (because not everyone is going to be at the same level as you, particularly if you're as overweight as I am.) However, it's a great way to stave off boredom and to keep yourself accountable. If you don't do it, you're letting someone else down. A measured dose of well-placed guilt can be your friend.
Call your family. Or, if you don't like your family, phone a friend instead. Let them know how you're doing. They want to know, and it will help you to get it off your chest and help you keep momentum. If they're proud, you'll want to keep going. They'll support you, they'll cheer you on. And if they don't, hang up on them. Seriously. This part is important.
Subscribe to a Fitness/Nutrition Magazine. Yeah, I can't do this one either. I'm too poor. But if you pick one up off a rack at the grocery store every now and again, it can give you a boost. Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, and Fitness are good examples. I did this yesterday, and reading through the articles honestly helped fill my brain with fresh ideas. As an added bonus, you can use any latent insecurity to your advantage! Let's face it, some of us worry about people looking in our carts at the grocery store. Myself included. And if you have an issue of Cooking Light sharing cart space with a heap of junk food, you will be judged. (After all, everyone thinks they're a nutrition expert.) Okay, so this isn't the best means. But think of it this way: when you get home, your house will be filled with healthy food. I can't really argue with that.
Become well-read about health. Staying connected isn't just about people. It's about using the world around you to boost your ability to keep going. Those annoying health blogs (heh) and stupid self-help books can become your friend. Find one that doesn't irritate the living daylights out of you and stick with it. (This is me speaking from personal experience, since most health books make me feel somewhat like a Care Bear.)
Learn to love technology. If you live in the middle of nowhere (like me), supportive people don't exactly abound. That means no Weight Watchers meetings, no T'ai chi classes, and your neighbors only complain to the postmaster behind your back about the amount of garbage in your yard when they've never met you (it was left over from the bathroom remodel before we moved in and we cleaned it up as soon as we got there, thank you very much.) But the beauty of it is, even I have internet. And a cell phone (with questionable reception.) I can find my support group all over the world, if necessary.
Join a program! As I think I've mentioned several times, I am a health and nutrition moron. Not only does a fitness or nutrition program help you become educated, it helps you become connected, whether that's through physical meetings or through online forums (both of which, admittedly, can get a bit whiny.) I know, monetary commitments once again. But they're not all expensive, and it's really worth it to not try and go cold turkey. Trying to lose weight without any sort of help or education on the topic is rather like trying to land a 747 as a passenger. Unless you're really lucky, you'll probably crash. All that said, please do your research before getting involved with something. Not all paths to weight loss are healthy ones.
One thing I intend on keeping up is this blog. I still firmly believe that it's been good for me, and if people keep reading and having talks with me, it will continue to be good for me. Thank you so much for reading and helping me to not be my own personal island.
*****
I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to individuality and independence. I want to live on my own, function on my own, have my own accomplishments and my own failures. I don't ask for help on my term papers, no matter how badly I need it (my apologies to my advisor for my Master's thesis. I must have driven him crazy.) I even gave up on doubles tennis in high school for singles, just so I wouldn't have anyone else to blame if I lost.
I'm told that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
Of course, it's not that independence is an inherently bad thing. America's very culture dictates that we learn a measure of independence in order to fit into our societal norms (and isn't that a contradiction.) Our parents hate it, our employers love it, and our peers secretly judge us if we don't have as much of it as they think is proper. We are required to think and function on our own to some degree or another in order to be acceptable to the social standard. Furthermore, a healthy level of independence can empower you to step away from that very group in favor of doing what is best for you.
That said, there are cases when you can go too far. Independence then becomes stubborn obstinacy: a.k.a. "the pigheaded refusal to accept help when it is offered or needed." I hereby present myself as Exhibit A.
Weight loss is something I have been trying to do on my own, thus far. Unsurprisingly, this has been less than successful. Yes, the concept of a life remix is very much a personal journey. It is something no one else can do for you. But that doesn't mean that they can't do it with you. To refuse assistance from the people and resources around you is to live in denial: "they can't see my problem. And anyway, they wouldn't understand. I'm alone." Kids, I'm here to say that they can see the problem. It's written on our faces. And our thighs, and our hips, and our stomachs, and our waistlines. But contrary to what we might think, the people that really matter don't care that it's a problem. They just love us enough to want to be a positive part of the experience.
This is why I'm confessing this particular sin. I've been shutting people out in an effort to adhere to my normal "do-it-yourself" mode of operation. No more. I'm never going to do this if I'm not honest with not only myself, but with everyone in my life, as well.
Which of course, brings me to the "how-to" part of this entry. Goodness knows I don't have all the answers, but here are a few ideas that I intend on following.
Get an exercise buddy. It's harder than it sounds (because not everyone is going to be at the same level as you, particularly if you're as overweight as I am.) However, it's a great way to stave off boredom and to keep yourself accountable. If you don't do it, you're letting someone else down. A measured dose of well-placed guilt can be your friend.
Call your family. Or, if you don't like your family, phone a friend instead. Let them know how you're doing. They want to know, and it will help you to get it off your chest and help you keep momentum. If they're proud, you'll want to keep going. They'll support you, they'll cheer you on. And if they don't, hang up on them. Seriously. This part is important.
Subscribe to a Fitness/Nutrition Magazine. Yeah, I can't do this one either. I'm too poor. But if you pick one up off a rack at the grocery store every now and again, it can give you a boost. Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, and Fitness are good examples. I did this yesterday, and reading through the articles honestly helped fill my brain with fresh ideas. As an added bonus, you can use any latent insecurity to your advantage! Let's face it, some of us worry about people looking in our carts at the grocery store. Myself included. And if you have an issue of Cooking Light sharing cart space with a heap of junk food, you will be judged. (After all, everyone thinks they're a nutrition expert.) Okay, so this isn't the best means. But think of it this way: when you get home, your house will be filled with healthy food. I can't really argue with that.
Become well-read about health. Staying connected isn't just about people. It's about using the world around you to boost your ability to keep going. Those annoying health blogs (heh) and stupid self-help books can become your friend. Find one that doesn't irritate the living daylights out of you and stick with it. (This is me speaking from personal experience, since most health books make me feel somewhat like a Care Bear.)
Learn to love technology. If you live in the middle of nowhere (like me), supportive people don't exactly abound. That means no Weight Watchers meetings, no T'ai chi classes, and your neighbors only complain to the postmaster behind your back about the amount of garbage in your yard when they've never met you (it was left over from the bathroom remodel before we moved in and we cleaned it up as soon as we got there, thank you very much.) But the beauty of it is, even I have internet. And a cell phone (with questionable reception.) I can find my support group all over the world, if necessary.
Join a program! As I think I've mentioned several times, I am a health and nutrition moron. Not only does a fitness or nutrition program help you become educated, it helps you become connected, whether that's through physical meetings or through online forums (both of which, admittedly, can get a bit whiny.) I know, monetary commitments once again. But they're not all expensive, and it's really worth it to not try and go cold turkey. Trying to lose weight without any sort of help or education on the topic is rather like trying to land a 747 as a passenger. Unless you're really lucky, you'll probably crash. All that said, please do your research before getting involved with something. Not all paths to weight loss are healthy ones.
One thing I intend on keeping up is this blog. I still firmly believe that it's been good for me, and if people keep reading and having talks with me, it will continue to be good for me. Thank you so much for reading and helping me to not be my own personal island.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Cry Freedom: Rebelling Against Misery, Social Norms and Stupid Plush Toys
Ah, February. The month that doesn't feel like winter and doesn't feel like Spring. The bastard 28-day page on the calendar, the keeper of the dreaded Singles' Awareness Day and the month where you can't walk into Target without being nauseated by the sight of cheesy plush toys as far as the eye can see. Even the warmer weather -- and therefore the inevitable sleeveless shirt and short ensemble -- is right around the corner. It's a great month for getting in shape.
It's an even better month for getting fat.
Seriously, folks. The "new year smell" of January has worn off, leaving us with the same old stench of normality. Sweets and chocolate and those little candy hearts that everyone likes to eat but no one actually knows what they're made out of -- except maybe pure sugar. During Valentine's Day, many singles (such as myself) order pizza and ice cream with other girls and watch the Lethal Weapon movies out of sheer, stubborn rebellion.
Okay, so maybe I'm alone on the Lethal Weapon thing.
However, February is a month of social awareness. Whether you're hooking up, breaking up, or pointedly ignoring the whole romantic charade, it's there. And social awareness can often lead to a change in habits. For some, it's wanting to fit into that little sundress or the gown you're going to wear on your date. For others, it's saying "screw it, I'm done with you all. My only true friends are Ben and Jerry."
So in a month of potential extremes, why choose now to get myself back on track? Perhaps it's the weather. Maybe it's me wanting to look better in a bathing suit this year (see a previous post about the Swimsuit Blues.) Or maybe... maybe it's just a matter of sheer, stubborn rebellion. Now that I think on it, I'm nearly certain that it's this last. I've had enough. Enough of being certain every February that something is wrong with me because I haven't met someone. Enough of saying that the newness of January has passed me by, and so I've missed the proverbial bus of New Years' resolutions. And enough of being miserable because I don't meet my own astronomical standards. Who on earth needs something as arbitrary as a calendrical change to figure out that their lives could be different? I haven't missed the bus. I'm just walking to the beat of my own drum. I can't put it off anymore, it's only making me frustrated, miserable (and angsty) all over again. Screw it, I'm done waiting for someone or something else to pull me back up.
The future is no place to place your better days.
It's an even better month for getting fat.
Seriously, folks. The "new year smell" of January has worn off, leaving us with the same old stench of normality. Sweets and chocolate and those little candy hearts that everyone likes to eat but no one actually knows what they're made out of -- except maybe pure sugar. During Valentine's Day, many singles (such as myself) order pizza and ice cream with other girls and watch the Lethal Weapon movies out of sheer, stubborn rebellion.
Okay, so maybe I'm alone on the Lethal Weapon thing.
However, February is a month of social awareness. Whether you're hooking up, breaking up, or pointedly ignoring the whole romantic charade, it's there. And social awareness can often lead to a change in habits. For some, it's wanting to fit into that little sundress or the gown you're going to wear on your date. For others, it's saying "screw it, I'm done with you all. My only true friends are Ben and Jerry."
So in a month of potential extremes, why choose now to get myself back on track? Perhaps it's the weather. Maybe it's me wanting to look better in a bathing suit this year (see a previous post about the Swimsuit Blues.) Or maybe... maybe it's just a matter of sheer, stubborn rebellion. Now that I think on it, I'm nearly certain that it's this last. I've had enough. Enough of being certain every February that something is wrong with me because I haven't met someone. Enough of saying that the newness of January has passed me by, and so I've missed the proverbial bus of New Years' resolutions. And enough of being miserable because I don't meet my own astronomical standards. Who on earth needs something as arbitrary as a calendrical change to figure out that their lives could be different? I haven't missed the bus. I'm just walking to the beat of my own drum. I can't put it off anymore, it's only making me frustrated, miserable (and angsty) all over again. Screw it, I'm done waiting for someone or something else to pull me back up.
The future is no place to place your better days.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Importance of Being Earnest
It's strange. I don't feel much like Oscar Wilde as I sit here, contemplating what to say. It's dark, and I should probably be in bed, considering I have to be up early to drive home for work tomorrow. But I just don't want to go.
I know that this blog was supposed to be about my journey through weight loss. Remixing my life. Honestly, I thought that in this new life, in the little community I've been serving in... I would be able to focus on this journey of mine. Pop back onto the scene a year later and 50+ pounds down, ready to keep the momentum going and thoroughly addicted to the rush that a healthy lifestyle brings. Instead, I found isolation and depression.
Neither of which is terribly condusive to aforementioned healthy lifestyle.
No, I'm not writing excuses. I've somehow managed to keep off the first ten pounds, by the grace of God alone. But I'm having the hardest time getting myself out of this slump. It's not even my weight. It's the isolation of living in a town of 120 people who only plaster on superficial smiles and then act rude and entitled when you show signs of having your own life and schedule, when you try to accomodate other people than just them -- or even if you simply don't serve them on a silver platter, no effort or responsibility required on their part. Where there are no people my age aside from my roommate and a select few souls that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole (i.e. the people that run the "medicinal marijuana farms" in town) and everyone holds me at a distance because I'm just going to leave. And the sad part is, I like it that way. Because with some of what I've seen over the last few months, I've realized I don't actually want any part in it. And the worst part is that there's just no escape within a two-hour drive. All I can do at the end of my four-day work week is attempt to make myself busy so I'm not saturated in whatever it is that's threatening to bog me down.
Somehow, in all of that... the remix falls silent as I struggle to keep my head above water.
Don't worry, I'm not exactly writing my Heilegenstadt Testament. (For those of you who are looking at me like I'm nuts, that's the suicide note Beethoven wrote before deciding mid-letter that he would live on for his art.) I just felt I owed it to those of you who might still be checking back every now and again to know what's going on. And honestly... to ask for a little help in return. Some of you who have talked to me about this blog have said that I've inspired you. I thank you for those wonderful sentiments, and I apologize sincerely for having stepped back. But truthfully, I could use all the inspiration I can get right now.
If anyone is still listening, I'm all ears.
I know that this blog was supposed to be about my journey through weight loss. Remixing my life. Honestly, I thought that in this new life, in the little community I've been serving in... I would be able to focus on this journey of mine. Pop back onto the scene a year later and 50+ pounds down, ready to keep the momentum going and thoroughly addicted to the rush that a healthy lifestyle brings. Instead, I found isolation and depression.
Neither of which is terribly condusive to aforementioned healthy lifestyle.
No, I'm not writing excuses. I've somehow managed to keep off the first ten pounds, by the grace of God alone. But I'm having the hardest time getting myself out of this slump. It's not even my weight. It's the isolation of living in a town of 120 people who only plaster on superficial smiles and then act rude and entitled when you show signs of having your own life and schedule, when you try to accomodate other people than just them -- or even if you simply don't serve them on a silver platter, no effort or responsibility required on their part. Where there are no people my age aside from my roommate and a select few souls that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole (i.e. the people that run the "medicinal marijuana farms" in town) and everyone holds me at a distance because I'm just going to leave. And the sad part is, I like it that way. Because with some of what I've seen over the last few months, I've realized I don't actually want any part in it. And the worst part is that there's just no escape within a two-hour drive. All I can do at the end of my four-day work week is attempt to make myself busy so I'm not saturated in whatever it is that's threatening to bog me down.
Somehow, in all of that... the remix falls silent as I struggle to keep my head above water.
Don't worry, I'm not exactly writing my Heilegenstadt Testament. (For those of you who are looking at me like I'm nuts, that's the suicide note Beethoven wrote before deciding mid-letter that he would live on for his art.) I just felt I owed it to those of you who might still be checking back every now and again to know what's going on. And honestly... to ask for a little help in return. Some of you who have talked to me about this blog have said that I've inspired you. I thank you for those wonderful sentiments, and I apologize sincerely for having stepped back. But truthfully, I could use all the inspiration I can get right now.
If anyone is still listening, I'm all ears.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I Choose the Blue Pill
I hate to take another hiatus, but the internet I had in my new place has failed, choked, and died a miserable death.
I am writing this to you from my mother's connection in hopes of apologizing for being gone for so long. I cannot guarantee when I will have a connection again, but no longer than a few more weeks. I sincerely apologize for the hiatus, the lack of technological connection is killing me. But you can be assured that I will indeed be back.
You can't get rid of me that easily.
I am writing this to you from my mother's connection in hopes of apologizing for being gone for so long. I cannot guarantee when I will have a connection again, but no longer than a few more weeks. I sincerely apologize for the hiatus, the lack of technological connection is killing me. But you can be assured that I will indeed be back.
You can't get rid of me that easily.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friends Don't Let Friends Get Stuck in Ruts
Sometimes we as people just need a fresh start. We need change to help us live. That's why girls get new haircuts, new wardrobes, and why guys buy new cars, new technological "toys" etc. It's not necessarily that it's cool or that it makes us look good -- though that certainly is a factor.
It's the fact that though we're creatures of habit and routine, sometimes we end up stuck in a rut. And when this happens... man, do we feel it. We become sluggish, lethargic. We get fed up with our lives and start to view them as boring or humdrum. We can't find satisfaction in the things we used to. Sometimes, we even let all of this lead us to depression.
Little wonder that this is the leading cause of the mid-life crisis.
So I'm going to take a minute and shove a little personal philosophy at you. See, I happen to think that change is a healthy thing (with some notable exceptions.) In order to take proper care of ourselves, we must seek change as people.
This does not mean that you should shave your head and flash your twins to a random stranger at Mardi Gras.
My apologies to all of you who are fighting down disappointment.
It means that we must challenge ourselves. Learning a new skill, reading something enlightening (or even just a genre you haven't tried before), and -- you guessed it -- eating healthy and exercising -- are a few ways that we can challenge ourselves in healthy ways.
You knew I'd bring it back around.
I've been talking a lot to people lately -- people who want to shed some pounds, but say that they're stuck in a rut. They'll try something when things aren't so hard. Well, let me put this to you. Logically, how can you get out of a monotonous rut but to make a positive change? Aaaaand isn't losing weight a great positive change?
So logically, shedding pounds is not something you do after you get out of the rut, but something that will pull you out.
Deep, right?
Sometimes, like with my recent situation, change slaps you in the head and says "get off your ass and come with me." Then you're tossed head over heels into a new life, a new job, a new situation. If you're really lucky, you'll be tossed in without any sort of anchor to your old life. Maybe even in another state, another coast or another country. Like, y'know... Australia.
This happens to me a lot, can you tell?
But other times, change is being lazy. You have to get up all by yourself, slap change over the head and say "get off your ass and come with me." Which is an awesome role reversal, if you really stop to think about it. And it takes infinitely more courage than riding the wave like I've been doing.
Even better, when you start the party yourself and decide to lose weight, you can tack on all sorts of other things. Like learning a new skill (for me -- cooking and T'ai chi.) Read Shakespeare if the mood takes you (just bear in mind that Shakespeare was rather dirty at times and don't be shocked, because I warned you.) Go see a musical or a basketball game. Buy a CD of foreign music. Make dinner for friends. Take a weekend trip to a city you've never been to (even if it's that weird little ghost town thirty miles away that you have to look up on a map just so you'll remember the name. I live in one of those towns now.)
I know, I know. "But Jami, isn't that just superficial? Aren't we just running away from our real problems?" Well, no. Not if you choose not to. It's not that you're filling the world with meaningless little things to fill the real void that's there. You're learning to appreciate the smallest things that God's given. Because He gives us a lot, we just don't see it because we're too damned busy being stuck in that stupid rut.
It's the fact that though we're creatures of habit and routine, sometimes we end up stuck in a rut. And when this happens... man, do we feel it. We become sluggish, lethargic. We get fed up with our lives and start to view them as boring or humdrum. We can't find satisfaction in the things we used to. Sometimes, we even let all of this lead us to depression.
Little wonder that this is the leading cause of the mid-life crisis.
So I'm going to take a minute and shove a little personal philosophy at you. See, I happen to think that change is a healthy thing (with some notable exceptions.) In order to take proper care of ourselves, we must seek change as people.
This does not mean that you should shave your head and flash your twins to a random stranger at Mardi Gras.
My apologies to all of you who are fighting down disappointment.
It means that we must challenge ourselves. Learning a new skill, reading something enlightening (or even just a genre you haven't tried before), and -- you guessed it -- eating healthy and exercising -- are a few ways that we can challenge ourselves in healthy ways.
You knew I'd bring it back around.
I've been talking a lot to people lately -- people who want to shed some pounds, but say that they're stuck in a rut. They'll try something when things aren't so hard. Well, let me put this to you. Logically, how can you get out of a monotonous rut but to make a positive change? Aaaaand isn't losing weight a great positive change?
So logically, shedding pounds is not something you do after you get out of the rut, but something that will pull you out.
Deep, right?
Sometimes, like with my recent situation, change slaps you in the head and says "get off your ass and come with me." Then you're tossed head over heels into a new life, a new job, a new situation. If you're really lucky, you'll be tossed in without any sort of anchor to your old life. Maybe even in another state, another coast or another country. Like, y'know... Australia.
This happens to me a lot, can you tell?
But other times, change is being lazy. You have to get up all by yourself, slap change over the head and say "get off your ass and come with me." Which is an awesome role reversal, if you really stop to think about it. And it takes infinitely more courage than riding the wave like I've been doing.
Even better, when you start the party yourself and decide to lose weight, you can tack on all sorts of other things. Like learning a new skill (for me -- cooking and T'ai chi.) Read Shakespeare if the mood takes you (just bear in mind that Shakespeare was rather dirty at times and don't be shocked, because I warned you.) Go see a musical or a basketball game. Buy a CD of foreign music. Make dinner for friends. Take a weekend trip to a city you've never been to (even if it's that weird little ghost town thirty miles away that you have to look up on a map just so you'll remember the name. I live in one of those towns now.)
I know, I know. "But Jami, isn't that just superficial? Aren't we just running away from our real problems?" Well, no. Not if you choose not to. It's not that you're filling the world with meaningless little things to fill the real void that's there. You're learning to appreciate the smallest things that God's given. Because He gives us a lot, we just don't see it because we're too damned busy being stuck in that stupid rut.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Going Through "The Change": Not Just About Puberty
First of all, I have internet! Dodgy internet, it's true, but I should be able to get back on a schedule of some sort. Cross your fingers.
*****
Once you've lost pounds that can be measured with double digits, you begin to feel better. Your pants are fitting more loosely, you have more energy, modified eating habits. You may even see some physical slendering in your face, or count one less chin. It's a wonderful feeling.
Unfortunately, with this comes the fact that your body must modify to this lifestyle change. Now, I choose to see this as a good thing, but it's also a little frightening. You begin to feel sick after meals you would have been fine eating just a month or so back. You eat more often and feel sick -- again -- when you don't. Your chemical composition is beginning to change. Now, it may be more or less extreme depending on the person, but this is the point where we all realize one thing: the cord has been cut.
There's no going back now.
Suddenly you begin to long for the old days when you could eat half a tub of ice cream without breaking a sweat (though one seldom sweats when eating frozen goods) and you feel an odd sense of nostalgia that says "I guess this is it; I never will be that person again." Aaaand... if we're thinking logically, the natural response is "hell yeah!"
Unfortunately, even when the change is positive, it's natural to be terrified of going out of our comfort zone. And if food is a comfort... suddenly this positive life change feels more like putting your baby blanket through the shredder.
This, my friends, is not the easy part of losing weight. (Actually, I really can't think of an easy part, but if you come up with something, let me know.) "The Change" is the part where most of us go "holy crap! I've let go of the life-preserver!" So we cling back on to what's comfortable rather than swimming in the big, bad ocean where we could get swallowed up in the evils of experience and new adventures.
This is the time where we need extra motivation to let go and embrace the change with enthusiasm instead of shying away in fear.
So let go. And in the words of Dory in Finding Nemo: "just keep swimming, swimming, just keep swimming..."
...I couldn't help myself.
(12 lbs and counting.)
*****
Once you've lost pounds that can be measured with double digits, you begin to feel better. Your pants are fitting more loosely, you have more energy, modified eating habits. You may even see some physical slendering in your face, or count one less chin. It's a wonderful feeling.
Unfortunately, with this comes the fact that your body must modify to this lifestyle change. Now, I choose to see this as a good thing, but it's also a little frightening. You begin to feel sick after meals you would have been fine eating just a month or so back. You eat more often and feel sick -- again -- when you don't. Your chemical composition is beginning to change. Now, it may be more or less extreme depending on the person, but this is the point where we all realize one thing: the cord has been cut.
There's no going back now.
Suddenly you begin to long for the old days when you could eat half a tub of ice cream without breaking a sweat (though one seldom sweats when eating frozen goods) and you feel an odd sense of nostalgia that says "I guess this is it; I never will be that person again." Aaaand... if we're thinking logically, the natural response is "hell yeah!"
Unfortunately, even when the change is positive, it's natural to be terrified of going out of our comfort zone. And if food is a comfort... suddenly this positive life change feels more like putting your baby blanket through the shredder.
This, my friends, is not the easy part of losing weight. (Actually, I really can't think of an easy part, but if you come up with something, let me know.) "The Change" is the part where most of us go "holy crap! I've let go of the life-preserver!" So we cling back on to what's comfortable rather than swimming in the big, bad ocean where we could get swallowed up in the evils of experience and new adventures.
This is the time where we need extra motivation to let go and embrace the change with enthusiasm instead of shying away in fear.
So let go. And in the words of Dory in Finding Nemo: "just keep swimming, swimming, just keep swimming..."
...I couldn't help myself.
(12 lbs and counting.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
