Sunday, November 29, 2009

Project Me!

I'm kinda an "all or nothing" type person when it comes to dieting. It's very hard for me to allow myself to slip up, and get right back on it. So, to that end, I am not going on another diet again as long as I live!

I have been on almost every "diet" known to man and still need to lose over 100 pounds. I have and still am contemplating weightloss surgery. Can't afford it at the moment so it is pretty much "off the table".

I have decided not to do another weightloss program. I know what I need to do to lose weight. I know how I need to eat and what I need to eat. I know the portion size and even the balance of protein to carbs etc. for my diabetes. So, why do I lose for about 30 pounds and then just stop? I don't stop the diet or program or whatever you want to call it, it quits me... don't think I can do that again!

I know that exercise plays a big part in that. With all my various ailments, I have never been very good at that end. I'm sure that that is why I have never succeeded in losing all that I want to. I have walked on my treadmill and started on my recumbandt bike as well the last time I really gave it a good effort. But I don't think I really had a good plan.

I am watching Biggest Loser this season. I could never do that kind of exercise atleast without Jillian yelling at me, or Bob pushing me to find the hidden "me" within! Being on the Biggest Loser Ranch you would have no choice in the matter. You would exercise when they said excercise or you would be headed home. I would have to be forced like that.

Right now, I have a blown out knee that is bone on bone. I have been in excruciating pain since the end of May. The pain has been increasing in severity. The doctor says I can not have surgery for knee replacement until I lose 80 pounds. Well, if you are overweight like I am, to the extent that I am, you know that 80 pounds may as well be 800! So here I sit, in my recliner, for the most part, in constant pain watching the world go by.
I am not telling you all this for your sympathy. Just filling in the background.

So what do we have? A big mess! I can't see starting another diet. From my viewpoint, that is just going to set me up for another failure. But I really feel the need to do something. If you have read some of the old posts on this site, you can see that all my medical issues would be greatly improved if not eliminated completely if I were able to lose the weight.

In order to do this I feel I really need to examine the reasons I became overweight to begin with and then to try to discover what is keeping me here, (emotionally). I feel like that is a big key to this. The rest is logistics.

I have always started a diet or program with unwavering resolve to do this right this time...and this time I will do it...I will lose the weight that is holding me back. Well, I am 56 years old and I have not done it yet.

I realize that if I take in more calories than I expend, I will gain weight. Very simple then, to lose weight I have to either, take in less calories or expend more calories. Preferably a combination of both. If I take in too few calories, my body thinks its starving and will hold on to every bit of stored fat it can to protect me. So guess that is not the answer. I need to make sure that I eat enough calories but not too much. Also I need to incorporate excercise to expend some calories.

Ok, so I am going to tackle this like a job project. It will be known as...Project Me.


Job Requirements
:
  • to become healthy and fit
Brainstorming Ideas:
  • take in reasonable amount of calories
  • incorporate exercise
  • don't let the scales tell the story
  • drink lots of water
  • get enough fruits and vegetables
  • eat lean protein
  • eat whole grains
  • take daily vitamins
  • take additional vitamin D
  • take other meds as neccessary
  • monitor blood sugars
  • take measurements once a month
  • cook my own meals atleast 5 days a week
  • collect all my healthy recipes
Plan of Attack:
  • Start "Project Me" Dec. 1, 2009

  • Monthly
  1. Weigh
  2. Take measurements
  3. Take stock in what went good and what didn't
  4. Set goals for next month

  • Weekly
  1. Cook dinner atleast 5 nights a week
  2. Make weekly menu for next week
  3. Plan for exercise or activity
  4. Set weekly goals
  5. Do weekly shopping
  6. monitor blood sugars

  • Daily
  1. Take vitamin & vitamin D
  2. Drink 8/8oz glasses of water
  3. Take other meds as needed
  4. Journal
  5. Take 30 minutes "me time"


Week One:
  1. weigh
  2. take measurements (first day of each month)
  3. drink atleast 8 8oz glasses of water daily
  4. take vitamins, vitamin D daily
  5. take other meds when needed
  6. start journal
  7. monitor blood sugars daily
  8. count calories and record any activities (for two weeks)
Well, there's the plan for now...I will add it to the side bar later so I can refer to it often. I will also add weight and measurements.

I am going to monitor my calorie intake and activity level for two weeks and take an average to figure out how many calories I am taking in to see how many I need to cut per day. You need to know where you are to know where you are going.

I am going to sit down and plan my menu and shopping list for this week. I am starting on Tuesday as it is the first day of the month. I intend to add to my program as I go along but for now these will be the things I am going to concentrate on. Baby steps!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

I'm Back...

Wow...it has been a year and a half since I have posted! And sadly enough, I am fighting the same battle. Or not fighting it, as the case may be.
I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately, trying to figure out how I got in this situation, or more to the point...what keeps me here? What made me hate myself so much that I just didn't care what happened to me? Or what I felt like, or looked like for that matter!
Well, I have decided that no matter how much you think about it, it just doesn't change it. You have to do something! A lot of things actually. I didn't get this way be thinking about it, nor did I get this way by just doing one thing. I did a lot of things to attain this level of couch potato. The question is...Am I really ready to do something about it?

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