One day at a time

If I knew how to cue up music here I'd add that song in. But I don't, so you'll have to imagine it. And if you're not old enough to know what the heck I'm talking about, :P

Anchors Aweigh:

I'm coming off a really blah kind of a week. It seems like I've been going through those a lot lately, and I couldn't figure out why. Then I read today that it is common to feel that way when you're losing weight as your body is getting rid of all the toxins stored up in the fat. It's an explanation I can go with.

I overdid the pizza and wings this week. Three times I made the trip to Dominos. The first two times weren't so bad, kept the calories under control, but the third time I had the extra cheese and the extra chicken side with the ranch dipping sauce. No more of that. Sad thing is, I can taste the pizza again right now and want to order it again.

Like an alcoholic, I have to take it one day at a time. Losing weight is easy to do, but hard to keep on doing.

I've been thinking a lot about why it's working this time. I think my weight loss strategy is that what works for me is what works for me. Sounds stupid, yes? I'll explain.

Dozens of magazines are full of tips for dieting. For some, that's their sole reason for existing. Many have common themes. But what works for one person, or even a lot of people, may not work for you. And that's okay. The trick is to be willing to figure out what does work and then to stick to it. In the process, you will do a lot of things that don't work, which either translates into no weight loss at all or even gaining weight. That's okay. Cross that one off your list, and move on to the next thing. When you find one that works, stick to it. If you can't stick to it for more than a day or a meal or even an hour, that's okay too. Start again the next day, the next meal, or the next hour.

One common theme is that you should eat breakfast. This one I agree with. But even within the simple statement "eat breakfast" there are many ways which this may be different for you.

For example, many magazines say to get up a half hour or an hour early to have breakfast. Does that work for you? Maybe. Does it work for me? Nope. I am not hungry when I first get up. In fact, the idea of food first thing in the morning makes me nauseous. I've told my grandmother this for years, and still the first thing she asks as I stumble by her in the morning? "Do you want cereal? Milk? A banana? We left it all out for you." My answer? "Give me a bit to drink this diet coke and then I'll have breakfast. I can get out my own stuff, thanks." Although at 37, she may finally be understanding my habits. Or else my mom has been telling her for the hour before I got up that I'm not going to want to eat anything right away.

What works for me is to have breakfast at my desk. By that time, I've been up for about an hour. Now I'm hungry. Now I'll eat.

They also say you should always have carbs with protein for breakfast. Pairing carbs with protein keeps you feeling fuller longer. I agree with that, but only to a certain extent. Weekdays, I have oatmeal, yogurt or cottage cheese, and a banana for breakfast. I have the oatmeal first thing. Two hours or so later, I have a banana. I save the yogurt to have with my lunch -- BUT if I feel the need to have the yogurt, I can. Weekends are a different matter. Then, I do need both or I'll be hungry way before lunch, particularly if I'm going to be hiking or working on the treadmill.

Well, the movie I somehow ended up watching is nearly over so I'll sign off for now and go through more of this later. Stay cilley!!

CG