Happy Tuesday, Everyone!
As I stepped on the scale this morning for the weight check in that I do every few days, I was confident that I would see a drop in the number. I’ve been doing everything right. My intentions and my actions are one and the same: if I say I’m going to do it, it gets done.
I think part of this comes from the new way that I’m handling my weigh-ins. Rather than waiting for once a week “weigh-in days,” I’m weighing in every few days. This is beneficial for a few reasons:
- No main “weigh in day” means no “cheat day.” I could potentially weigh myself any day, so I’m always consistent in following my high-protein, low-carb diet.
- By checking in every few days I’m really able to see how my body is affected by things like lack of water, too much sodium, overexertion, and lack of sleep. Conversely, I can see the dramatic results of eating right, working out, and getting enough sleep.
- I don’t feel the same pressure I did on weigh-in days in terms of reporting out on this blog. That was internal pressure that I was placing on myself, by the way, not anything I ever felt from any of you. Reporting my weight loss on a monthly basis helps me see the bigger picture.
Now that it’s been one month (I started on Aug. 28th), I can say that I am so proud of the fact that I have lost 10.8 pounds within the 1st month and 20.8 lbs overall. If I keep up this progress, and I’m confident that I can, I will be at my pre-op goal by the middle of December. Then I’ll just maintain my weight loss through the holidays (no easy task!) and I should be on track to have the VSG surgery at the beginning of 2012. Perfect!
But the scale isn’t the only measure of my confidence; I’m also feeling so much better about the way I look. I have been spending time and putting in effort to look my very best. From my outfits to my accessories. From my hair to my makeup. I’m looking good, and that gives me the boost of self-esteem that I really need to keep my motivation strong. And I’m not the only one noticing, I’m hearing compliments from co-workers, students, family members, and old friends who I haven’t seen in a while. Even better, clothes that haven’t looked good on me in more than a year are finally fitting well/getting loose. New sizes needed soon is a huge confidence booster!
I’m also noticing that my portions are naturally getting smaller. This is truly the first time that I can say that I don’t want to eat as much as I used to. Case in point – last night I was making beef kabobs and I would have normally had two. But then I looked at them, and entered the calories into MyFitnessPal, and realized that one was more than enough. That’s progress!
Preparing my meals is a lot easier with these ready-t0-drink shakes and bars. I feel so organized and easy-going in the morning knowing that all I have to do is throw things into my lunch bag, rather than preparing a bunch of food, and the cost of the Premier Nutrition shakes/bars can’t be beat. Concentrating on my one main meal still allows me to be creative in the kitchen and feel like I’m taking good care of myself. Plus, the money I save on breakfast and lunch lets me splurge on fancier proteins for dinner. Win-win.
Even my workouts are getting better. I have so much more stamina than I used to, and I’m challenging myself to try new and different machines, routines, and classes. Going to the gym is becoming a time that I think of as “me time” rather than a chore. I might walk in stressed out with my long to-do list or something that happened that day, but I walk out feeling accomplished, happy, and stress-free.
The bottom line is, I am feeling confident and happy. Life is good, and I love knowing that a huge part of that is thanks to DOING LIFE.
Bella on the Beach 