I seem to need a plan. I need a meal plan. I need lists of foods to eat and to avoid. I need strategies for coping. I need some method of tracking, some method of accountability. Basically, I need some direction.
I have tried a few different things. A few years back I actually had some success with the old Weight Watchers plan - where you counted servings of different food groups. I was quite motivated at the time. I remember sitting on my end of the couch, resolutely ignoring the popcorn that my darling husband (then boyfriend) was munching on his end of the couch. I can picture myself now, almost physically leaning away from the smell of the popcorn.
I used fitday for a long time. Then had brief flings with sparkpeople and calorie-count. They are all useful tools.
For a while I was really tracking, paying attention to calories on exercise days vs. non-exercise days, using a formula that I found on Hussman Fitness (an excellent no-nonsense resource by the way).
All of those things worked for a while. But eventually I reached a breaking point. I would get frustrated and discouraged, tired of the whole thing. I felt like I didn't even know what to eat any more or how much. More calories, less calories. High-intensity exercise, low intensity, intervals. More strength training, less strength training. Argh.
It seems like it shouldn't be so difficult. It should be common sense. I find that in the media it is often made to sound easy - eat less, exercise more and the pounds will come off. Yet I would feel like I was working my butt off, and getting nowhere.
I still don't have an answer.
I know the theory of eat less, move more should work. But it seems like I must be missing something, because my efforts have not translated into results.
Now, obviously I haven't been making much of an effort over the past month or so. Particularly in the past 2 weeks, the weight loss attempts fell by the way-side. But I am back, picking it up to try again. What will make it different this time? What will be the winning strategy?
I am going to give Weight Watchers another go. If nothing else, the support on the message boards is wonderful. I will try to get really serious with it. I really want to put emphasis on eating healthfully, eating real foods, nutritious foods, and cutting out the junk. Really I should be able to do this without Weight Watchers. There is a little voice somewhere in a corner of my brain saying maybe I would even be better off doing it without Weight Watchers. But I am going to give it a try and see how it goes.
Now, at the moment there are still quite a few "treats" left in the house. Not the best environment for a serious weight loss effort. But I will hide them away, try to ignore them as best I can. Try to fill myself up on good foods so I feel full and don't need treats. Once I get grocery shopping this weekend and restock on healthy foods, it should be easier.
Today is my official Weigh-In/Points Reset day in WW Online. So, here I go. For the gazillionth time: starting all over again.
Current weight: 144.5
Goal weight: 120
Short term goal: 129 lb by April 29th
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