Bella Begins

The Beginning of a Whole New Me!

I’ve decided to finally lose these pounds that I’ve been wanting to lose for so long.

At 36 years old, I’ve been heavy all of my life. I’ve had short time periods where I was slim and felt great, but then something would happen, and the weight would creep back up. I’ve tried Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig with some success, but not enough to sustain for a long period of time. My goal is to lose 150 pounds, and I’m hoping to lose a large percentage of that by August 2008, in time for CTLB’s wedding in Connecticut. I feel like my mind is made up enough for me to overcome habits that I’ve built over a lifetime.

This blog began with two of my friends, CCLuv and BeachGirly, but within one week of beginning Phase 1, both of them stopped doing the South Beach Diet (SBD). Which is fine; everybody is different and what works for one person doesn’t work for someone else.

For me personally, SBD has completely changed my outlook on dieting, nutrition, and weight loss. I feel such a sense of empowerment that I know I’m going to be successful this time. There’s simply no stopping me now that I’ve discovered the ease of eating the low-glycemic index way.

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In March 2008 I found out about the Weight Management Program of San Francisco from a girl in my grad school program who had lost a bunch of weight (80 lbs. in 5 months, to be exact). I looked into a similar program at Kaiser that my doctor had recommended, but it was $4500, with no payment plan. WMP of SF offered pay-as-you-go services, and since it was under strict doctor supervision, I decided to do it.

I began the WMP of SF fasting program on April 8, 2008, and I’m looking forward to losing at least 80 pounds before I go to CTLB’s wedding in August.

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In October 2008, I joined Weight Watchers, a program I have had success on in the past, but one I have never been able to stick with to my goal weight.  I made a lot of healthy choices during this time period, but struggled quite a bit.  Fasting from April – October really wrecked havoc with my metabolism, and when I first joined WW, I actually gained weight, even though I was completely OP.  This discouraged me, and sent me into a bit of a tailspin where I wasn’t counting points, was eating a bit out of control, and basically sabotaging myself and my weight loss.

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The last week of December 2008, I re-joined WW with a renewed sense of commitment.  I had a huge AH-HA moment where I realized I had been treating my healthful eating in an all-or-nothing mentality.  I decided to break that thought process and realized that moderation (even with indulgences) is key.  I began 2009 feeling confident that I would be successful in my weight loss efforts.

I began with 3 small goals:

1. Go to a WW meeting EVERY week, no matter what I think the scale is going to reveal.  This had been a huge problem for me in the past, when I avoided meetings whenever I thought the results would be unfavorable.  This is such faulty logic, because tough weeks are the times I need the meetings the most.  (Reward for attending a meeting every week from 12/28/08 – 2/15/08: buying myself a Wii and Wii Fit).
2. Try 1 new recipe a week.  In 2008 I discovered a love of cooking, but tended to stick with my tried and true recipes.  New recipes are the perfect way to combat boredom and keep things interesting.
3. Get in 30 minutes of activity a day.  This one may be the hardest of the 3 goals, because my life can get hectic.  But, I’m determined.  “Activity” isn’t limited to working out at the gym – it includes bike rides, walks, Wii Fit, or anything else that keeps me moving for 30 minutes a day.

The new goal for 2009 is to try to get to my goal weight by October 17th, the night of my 20th high school reunion.

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The first half of 2009 was spent gaining and losing the same weight.  Until I started gaining even more weight. Lack of activity and too much food will do that to you.  Finally, on June 18th, 2009, I decided enough was enough, and I started over AGAIN.  But this time I promised it would be for the last time.  I know that I will continue to struggle, but I am making a goal for the summer to STAY ACTIVE.  Between increased activity and sticking to WW, I should be able to lose quite a bit of weight.  No specific goals right now, but I’m feeling very positive.