Slow and steady and whinging

[lagilman]

This spring was tough, and repeated knee and ankle injuries didn't help. So I ended up mid-May with a body I wasn't pleased with.

[translation: I put on six pounds over the winter/spring, and lost muscle tone]

Because I am a practical meerkat, I set myself a goal: get to a weight I consider healthy, and makes me feel good about myself, by 5 July. That way I can enjoy the usual summer treats (bbq, ice cream, etc) without stress (and keep on maintenance the rest of the summer).

I set out a reasonable plan to achieve this goal: cut calorie count slightly, and 4x/week cardio (always keeping in mind that I don't want to reinjure anything, and that once it gets above 85 degrees I become an unhappy meerkat). Also keeping in mind that too few calories makes me unable to brain. The original suggestion of 1200 daily calories was laughed out of the house for a much more doable 1400ish.

Results: I'm on track to achieving my goal on time. Slow and steady, the same way I put the weight on.

Whinging: 1400 is still borderline cannot-brain point for me. Plus, I find myself occasionally sinking into a sulky, self-pitying mood that can only be remedied by going over the day's calorie count (which I do without flinching, because day-to-day functionality is more important than dropping a pound that week, but urgh).

Whinging 2: I am not the sort of person who generally craves sweets. I'm more than happy to trade a dessert for a glass of wine with dinner, and can soothe most cravings with savory better than sweet. But Oh My God have I been craving pastry like a crazy person the last two weeks.

I keep telling myself that this too shall pass, and cashew butter on sourdough is ALMOST like a cookie (it's not).

Two more weeks, and I'm on maintenance. I can do that....



(for those of you who care about such things, I'm 5'4" tall, of a slight-to-moderate build, and my goal weight is 136 pounds.  I could go lower but that gets into Actual Deprivation Stage.  And really, why?  I'm not an actress who needs to look good on camera...)

Comments

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

I hear ya - and I'm getting there myself. Trying to do all the usual stuff for the moment, get back on a regular meal schedule, no more sugar-full sodas, and stop the nighttime snacking. If I can stick to it, I'll be back where I ought to be in a month or two.

If.

Ugh.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I am always awed by how good you are at setting yourself to goals and achieving them: you are so organised and determined. I am another who prefers savoury to sweet, but having said that, being tired makes me crave sweet things. There's also a hormonal element, with me.
You are not whinging at all.
And you can definitely do it.

[lagilman]

for me, accountability is key. I borrowed from the Weight Watcher's school and log everything I eat, and how much water (non-soda liquids) I'm drinking. Having that awareness every day makes it less "oh do I haveta?" and more "hey, can I do it again today?"

The fitbit is helping, too. There's no way, with that little tattletale on, that I can pretend I moved when I didn't.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Those do seem like a good idea.
The writing things down thing doesn't work for me, alas: it just becomes another Rule hemming me in.

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

I sometimes drive myself crazy writing down my exercise routines. Not so much writing what I did, but planning out future exercises. It's as if the universe is resisting the order I impose upon my life.

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

Weight Watchers is one of the few proven ways to lose weight. My Dad has been on it for years and now he doesn't need diabates medication anymore.

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

I hear ya. I find calorie-counting particularly painful. I've done massive diets twice in the past 6 years now with success, but this year I am Stalling.

Of course part of it I think is a lack of commitment on my part; my personal life is so stressful right now that I can't deal with the depression of calorie-counting on top of it. Maybe next month...

[lagilman]

I guess the trick for me is that I don't consider it depressing. It's like writing - I need to accomplish X in order to get the end result. So I hit so many words in a day over a set period of time, or I balance my calorie intake and exercise, and I get my result.


...this is me being annoyingly logical and Virgo-like again, isn't it?

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

Not at all -- that's the attitude I had the two times it really worked for me. I think if I can adjust my attitude this time, it'll work.

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

Being logical and anal retentive is the key to my success...in everything except dating.

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

I don't like calorie counting either. As long as I'm eating produce instead of processed food, I consider that good enough.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

I so hear you! Between editorial things I can't discuss yet (small stuff but big for me), end-of-the-school year stuff, injuries and sick, I've put on about five pounds more than I really want to carry, and I'd like to get it down to ten pounds less so I have some room for being bad.

But...post-menopausal body has its own mind sometimes. I'm not putting weight on in the usual places, which is weird (but totally explainable). Yuck. Guess it is official now...