I just discovered this site! Combined with what I've already started on FitDay and SparkPeople, I hope to get a real handle on my weight. I still have about 40 pounds to go before I reach my ultimate goal. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again. The trick is doing it in a healthy way this time, and resisting the urge to starve myself. It's going to be extremely discouraging to lose the weight slower than last time (at least prior to the inevitable metabolism crash that method always initiates), but it will be safer and longer lasting. This time, I'll help myself keep it off by getting it off properly in the first place!
Cataloging my intake has gone pretty well so far. I've been keeping a text document on my phone for when I'm away from the computer, and logging online using my <a href = "http://www.fitday.com/fitness/PublicJournals.html?Owner=leonardogirl">FitDay</a> and <a href = "http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=KATANA_X">SparkPeople</a> accounts; so far, however, I'm really starting to like FatSecret (shhh, don't tell my other accounts). In the past few weeks, I've gone over my caloric goals once, at a barbecue where I decided to give in and get good and drunk. As for the rest of the time, I've resisted the urge to overeat, but I need to make sure that I don't fall into my old habits and start depriving myself of the calories and nutrients I need; I'm not sure I've been getting quite enough, although the quality has been better than my previous diet of...well, crap. Step one is to continue eating as well as possible, and try to make sure I start getting at *least* 1000-1200 calories per day from high protein, low fat, fiber-rich sources. That might seem simple to most people, but as a former-anorexic-turned-fat-girl, this is a painful thought. I have a tendency to overeat for a while, then stop eating almost entirely. My metabolism has not thanked me.
I also need to start drinking more water. Since I moved back to the desert, I've noticed my skin getting patchy and rough. I'm sure my internal organs aren't doing much better. Luckily, this is an easy deficiency to compensate for!
The next step is going to be harder, mostly because my laziness knows virtually no bounds. Why would I exercise when I can spend my hours online or watching television? Gah, even I can tell how lame that sounds. I think I'll start with walking, and perhaps taking advantage of having stairs again by making a few laps every day. Although I miss the more strenuous workout once provided by the elliptical, I can do without it for a while. I also have some workout DVDs and a number of online resources that I will eventually take advantage of. Walking, however, seems like a nice, gentle way of easing myself back into a more physical lifestyle, and some step-aerobics will probably be kinder to my knees and smoke-addled lungs than attempting to jog.
The final step will most likely be the hardest. I need to quit smoking. It'll make it harder to eat right, undoubtedly, but in the long run it will have just as much of an effect on my health. Plus, I can save some money. The problem is, I'm scared to do it cold turkey. In fact, I don't think it's even the healthiest way, at this point. I've been smoking for several years, and I have a highly addictive personality. I've been trying (and mostly succeeding) to cut back over the past week. In the next few weeks (and months, who am I kidding) I *must* take this goal more seriously. If I find that I don't have the self-control to cut down and make the transition from smoker to nonsmoker gradually, I'm going to have to just *stop*, and that's a lot scarier to me.
There's still a lot of work to be done. But, I honestly need to do this for myself and for those that I care about. My mother has inspired me to take my health more seriously, and seeing my various family members either suffer or thrive as a direct result of their health is all the motivation I need. My fiance is a big man, and perhaps my success will help him to see that he can do the same and get healthier. Before we have children, I want to make sure that I can provide a positive example for them, in terms of health.
I'll also regain some of the self-esteem that I'm pretty sure I had at one point or another. Doing this the right way will give me a real sense of control and accomplishment. I've already lost 6 pounds and even that small difference has made me feel better about myself, not just because I look better but because I feel better.
So here goes.