coming out of my shell

coming out of my shell

Monday, August 29, 2016

Counting Calories: 7 weeks

I have been counting calories for 7 weeks and I have lost 10 pounds.  As I heard once in a Weight Watchers meeting, if you hold up two 5 pound bags of potatoes you get an idea of how much 10 pounds weigh. If only the weight I lost equaled the mass of those bags of potatoes. Then I could be done with this counting calories thing. 

10 down and only 35 more to go...  Aaack.  Considering how averse I am to actually dieting and how much I LOVE food (and, okay, wine), I figure it might take me a whole year to lose 20 more pounds. That means it may take me up to two years to reach my final goal weight. I am actually good with that scenario. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Of course, the longer I do this the better chance I have of making healthier eating habits become permanent. 

Don't worry! I am not trying to be thin. I never have been thin, and at 65 thinness is not something I aspire to. That ship has sailed! I am 5'2" and if I reach my goal weight I will be at the absolute tippy top of the healthy BMI for my height. Tippy top is good enough for me. I want to be strong, healthy, and energetic so I can keep up with my grandchildren.

I want to be able to jump up and down and act a fool when our granddaughter grows up and wins an academy award. That's a long term goal.


The little guy, N, expects grandma and grandpa to play tag with him for crying out loud. And he runs like the wind. My immediate goal is to be able to catch that little stinker. I want to win the game.

Still, if losing weight starts to make my neck look any worse then all bets are off.

See what I mean?  Like the wind





23 comments:

  1. HE'S worth catching!

    And the neck? I'm trying to grow my hair long enough so that I can use duck tape to pull it back.

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    1. Yes, he really is. Re: the neck solution - I'm pretty sure you are a genius.

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  2. Two words for you--cotton turtlenecks. Saved my life.

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    1. Two words for you--Central Florida. Hotter than hell. No way will I wear a cotton turtleneck. Plus, my neck is so short I would just LOOK like a turtle.

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  3. Once, Colette, I gained 45 pounds, literally in six weeks. First I asked, then I screamed at doctors, "What is wrong with me?" They said Old Age, you quite smoking, Sedentary. I was seeing two or three docs at the time, for a variety of issues. My gastroenterologist said, "Oh, a malfunctioning thyroid can cause sudden weight gain. I'll throw in a thyroid function test. My PC called shortly thereafter: "Oh, your thyroid has crapped out. We'll start hormone replacement therapy." She did, and I quit gaining. However, it took me ONE YEAR to lose that 45 pounds. "Better slow and steady," they said. Through gritted teeth I would remind them they let me gain in in six weeks.
    The good news is, once you understand the process of losing weight and eating to that weight, you can stay the same forever.

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    1. I'm counting on that being true. However, it is grossly unfair that it is so easy to put it on yet so hard to take it off. Grrrr.

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  4. 10 pounds out of 45 is almost 25% of the way there! Congratulations! Keep up the good work! : )

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    1. Thanks Jennifer, I absolutely had not thought of it that way. Funny how approaching something from a slightly different direction makes it look more appealing.

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  5. Congrats on your discipline and results. As my exercise science daughter tells me - 1 pound weight loss is equal to 3 to 4 pounds less pressure on the knees. And at my age, that is more important than how I look.

    What I don't understand is how I can gain 2 pounds in 2 days but need 3 weeks to take it off. It's just not fair.

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    1. Interesting and good to know. Yes, the imbalance between gaining and losing is too cruel.

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  6. I like your goal: slow and steady wins the day. And you are right. If you take it off slowly and develop good habits over time, you'll keep it off. As for neck wrinkles -- scarves to wonders and they make you look chic and stylish. Go for it.

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    1. Many thanks for the encouragement and the scarf tip.

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  7. Grand kids are a great motivator for getting and keeping us in good health.
    And losing 10 pounds is great! Kudos to you.

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  8. Check out this book "Ultra-Metabolism" by Dr. Mark Hyman! It's not about dieting, but you will lose weight and get/stay healthy, to boot!

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  9. That's good news, Colette!

    Keeping my calorie intake at a healthy and satisfying level that I could live with for the rest of my life and abstaining from wine and concentrated sugar and other foods that triggered craving were the keys for me. I know that doing that wouldn't work with everyone, though. I am happy to be healthy and tippy top! Wine didn't seem to be a problem until I realized that when I drank any wine at all, sooner or later it triggered a craving to keep eating more food (and, in my case, triggered bulimia). I went on my first diet when I was 10 years old. Until I was 37 years old, I struggled on a daily basis with food and my weight. From age 17 to age 37, I suffered from bulimia. Turns out that I had many food allergies and intolerances that triggered overeating. When I eliminated those trigger foods and found that I could enjoy generous amounts of many other foods that I thoroughly enjoyed, I found freedom from a lifetime of struggle. I always hope, when I share my story, that my experiences will help others who struggle with issues around food and weight.

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    1. Good to hear. The healthier I eat the happier I am, that's for sure. I'm definitely not feeling deprived. Interesting to hear that food allergies and intolerance can trigger overeating.

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  10. I wish I had some wisdom to share. I don't. I try to gain weight and can't. I'm also 5'2" but can't get past 103 pounds. It's CRAZY, and I like wine too. It's got to be each body's metabolism. Right? Good luck with your goal.

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    1. It is totally about metabolism, I'm sure of that.

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  11. If ever there waa motivation, "like the wind" grandchild is it! Congrats on the measurable success and good luck for continued success.

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So, whadayathink?