I know I have posted on this when I started or re-started this effort, but I am once again embarking on a weight loss journey. All prior attempts have failed miserably because I was going about it the wrong way. I think this time, I may be onto something that will actually work for me!
Let me first say that no one has ever told me that I am really overweight. I am certainly hefty for my frame, but not outside of the normal range for my height. Still, because I am slight of frame, this newly added weight has, well, weighed heavily on me. So I want to lose some weight, but not a lot.
So now let me talk about my approach. In the past, I was too focused on short term gains, short term setbacks, and the number on the scale. I wasn't really and truly thinking in terms of a lifestyle overhaul. I packed on the pounds over the last couple of years because I had bad habits, such as eating tons of cheese and creamy foods. I also got into the habit of stuffing myself instead of just stopping when I felt relatively full. Anyways, if I had continued to live like I was, I was going to continue to gain weight.
Despite my bad habits, I did have some good ones. I pretty much never eat fast food or soda, and I rarely eat meat. I also have very rare sugar cravings and usually only indulge in my coffee. However, I have a penchant for the small bags of chips inside the vending machine. I used to joke that it is a good thing the bags have gotten stingier or I'd be eating more chips!
Anyways, the first thing I did was to resist the vending machine. I did this by having a banana or yogurt at my desk instead. I usually had a snack attack in the afternoon and being lazy, I'd rather have something I can get with the least amount of effort. So that means if I have a banana or yogurt in front of me, I'll likely eat that instead of taking a walk to the vending machine.
The next thing was to get in more activity in my day. So I started getting on and off the train at a stop or two farther away from the office. This forces me to walk more every day. It isn't much, but I'm sure it adds up.
Then there's the standing desk thing. I spend at least half my work day standing, which burns more calories than sitting. I also tend to fidget more when standing. I've been doing this for a few weeks now and I can honestly say that I enjoy doing this.
At this point, I was feeling pretty good and decided to cut down on my portions. I would either pack my lunch and breakfast, or when I would go out and get food, I'd only eat half or most and save the rest for the next day. I no longer stuff myself silly.
In the beginning, it was slow going. I just wanted to get more active and eat more healthy on a daily basis. When I got used to one new routine, I added something else. After several months of slowly changing the way I live, I weighed and measured myself and was surprised to see that I had dropped 5 pounds and a quarter of an inch everywhere. It's not enough for people to notice, but to me, it means I am somehow on the right track towards a slimmer, healthier me.
So anyways, here's the list of what I'm doing now:
- Standing desk
- Walking to and from a farther train stop to my office
- Take a short walk around office floor every hour
- Aim for 10,000 steps every day
- Do 10 minutes of some kind of exercise activity at home
- Drink 8 glasses of water per day
- No sugar in my work coffee
- Fruit or yogurt, or homemade veggie and fruit smoothie for breakfast
- Small lunch
- Fruit or yogurt for snack
- Keeping a food journal and tracking caloric intake
- Lighter and smaller dinners
I often do not complete every goal on the list but I can usually get to at least a few, which is better than how I was living before. Tracking my food and goals keep me accountable and helps me to realize what routines work and what routines don't. I do realize I will most likely never be as thin as I was, but this is a lifestyle change and not a crash diet. What I've found so far is that when I made the first change and was successful, it felt good. When I introduced the second change and it stuck, it felt even better. As I kept going, I was encouraged to continue down this track and make more changes. I think I'm going to rest at this current set of goals for a while and then see how I feel. :-)
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