Just an Author Trying to Get Healthy in a Fast Food World

I am on week two of really trying to get back at my healthy lifestyle. I have not started exercising yet though. I am not comfortable going back to the gym at all. And I cannot wear a mask while exercising (I call it like it is, I'm overweight and out of shape. Exercising for me means I'm huffing and puffing and my face is the first thing to get red and hot. Wearing a mask while doing that sounds like a death wish to me...FYI- disclaimer- I wear one every time I go out in public though) I fear I would suffocate, and let's not even discuss my issue with germs in a gym where everyone is sweating and huffing and puffing. But all that is just me - I am not judging anyone for their beliefs during this COVID time. But, I digress... I've been watching the calories, making better choices, and drinking all the water. 2lbs the first week This week started out pretty good. But as the middle of the week closed in, things got more difficult. I wanted carbs. I settled for grah...

It's Friday! Woot!! After consuming too many carbs during the Superbowl, I decided this week I would cut the carbs, and look to the weekend. Limit my carbs during the week, then eat some of my cravings on the weekends. This was the wrong week to do that, lol... PMS week! It was rough. I was lucky that there was no chocolate in the house, and I was too lazy to go out to buy any. Because if it was here, I surely would've eaten it! I felt like I was depriving myself of all that I so desperately wanted to eat. (I felt as dramatic as that sentence sounded, lol) and it was only 4 days!! haha! But I drank my water, I tried to stay within my calories, and I ate chicken and veggies - NO STARCHES - for those four days. I still had my half of a bagel in the morning. And I was praying that after all that I actually lost weight this week, seeing as how it is pms week and I typically gain lots of water weight. I had my Burton Nutrition vanilla protein shakes for lunch. I usually go...

Yes, my journey to getting healthy is going slower than I had originally planned. My original plan was 50lbs a year for two years. Well, I am in year three now, and I am close to reaching the 40lb mark. See? Slower than I planned. But...that almost 40lbs is gone and hasn't been seen in 3 years. THAT is an accomplishment that I am proud of. Every little bit counts. And it hasn't been easy. I was close to this 40lb goal right before Thanksgiving - the same week my dad had a heart attack. The stress had me not eating at first, but then the anxiety kicked in and I made a few bad food choices. I had good moments and bad moments over the next month. But those bad choices didn't define me, and here I am, back on the threshold of that small milestone. I chose a long term goal (2 years) so the weight is easier to keep off. So I can learn how to allow myself pizza once in a while, or baked potato chips as a treat, and bread!! But learn how to eat those things without overdoin...

I've been back to my #gettinghealthy mindset for two weeks now. And it feels great! I have to remind myself daily that getting healthy is a lifelong mindset. You have to learn how to eat, and for me, that is re-learning. Before, I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. If I wanted fast food for breakfast, I got it, and starbucks (whole milk and whipped cream), I got it, fast food for lunch, and pizza for dinner - yep. That's how I rolled. My food cravings controlled me. You just have to learn balance when it comes to eating. You can have a meal out once in a while, you can eat bread (hello - it's delicious! lol), you can have some chips at a party, or a summer night out for ice cream with the family. You just have to balance your day, or the days around it out. You go all out one day and eat too many calories, get up the next day and get back at it. This is for life, there are no short cuts. And can you really imagine NOT eating foods that you love for the rest of your life...

This week I got back on track with my healthy lifestyle. I kept my calories in check, I drank my water, and I got in 4k-5k steps daily. And it felt great. Today was the pay off - weigh in day. I dropped 4lbs from last week - granted, about half of that was water weight. But it helps me want to keep going. Oh, did I mention my husband brought home sprinkle thumbprint cookies from the grocery store bakery yesterday??? My kryptonite...my nemisis... whatever you want to call it. I LOVE thumbprint cookies - heck, you might as well have put a cupcake in front of me. But, today was weigh in day, and I didn't want that lump of sugar (even though I did look up the calorie count of one cookie...I really did) to define my work for the week. Maybe tonight I will have ONE.