It's all enough to make you smile, make you feel a renewed sense of confidence. Every step you take towards getting healthy brings new rewards. I remember feeling downright amazing at 200 pounds (after I'd lost my first 40) because all of a sudden I had more energy, fit into normal sized clothing, and could climb on top of roofs (I mean that literally).
As we all know, gaining weight brings the opposite effects. Squishing yourself into too tight clothes is enough to bring on a temper tantrum. Seeing distant relatives/ friends who may notice your weight gain is enough to spoil a party. Flights of stairs and long walks can seem daunting. I could go on, but I think you get the gist.
From my recent posts, you can see which side of the spectrum I'm on. And no, it's not pleasant. Although (rationally) I know that being in the 160s is not the end of the world and I'm much lighter than my heaviest weight (240), it still doesn't feel good. So, I've resolved to take action--do something about this problem. At the very least, stop this weight gain in its tracks. And, hopefully, get back down to 150--a weight that I really enjoyed.
The question comes to mind: What do you need to lose weight? In the past, I needed specific foods and meals. Oatmeal in the morning. Beans and a tortilla for lunch. Cottage cheese with strawberries for a snack. And something vegetable heavy (like a stir fry or salad) for dinner. And of course Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. I needed water bottles, gym clothes (heck a gym membership) and no junk in the house. I needed an all-out battle plan.
And herein lies the problem. We have no money for these extra expenses, and one of Nathan and my favorite activities is to cook a meal together over a few glasses of wine. How do I incorporate that into my strict diet regimen? I don't even own a scale at the moment, so I'm not sure how to monitor my progress. And I can't afford a gym and it's crazy cold in Syracuse for running. In other words, how do I lose weight without having complete control over my food and exercise?
I know that it's certainly possible--I just need to find a new way of going about losing weight. I need to really and truly incorporate healthy habits into my lifestyle. If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them.
instead of the gym you can do a routine of bodyweight exercises at home.
ReplyDeleteThere are tons of websites with ideas - I like Gabby Reece:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_3OU23ww0Q
One of my favorite things to do is eat. A lot. And just because it's something I enjoy, doesn't mean that I should do it if I want to lose weight.
ReplyDeleteJust because one of your favorite things to do is drink a few glasses of wine and cook dinner is one of your favorite things to do - doesn't mean it's something that is possible while you are trying to lose weight.
So, the money thing - even if you are buying super, super cheap wine ($2 per bottle cheap), you are likely spending $15 per week on it. I just spent $15 at Whole Foods on 5 bags of various organic frozen vegetables and two bags of black beans. Both these things will last me over a week.
I'm not saying it's easy, but it can be done. You know this. Buying junk food isn't considerably cheaper than buying healthy food. Things like Skinny Cows are expensive. Things like frozen vegetables, tortillas, beans, etc. aren't expensive at all.
It comes down to deciding that losing weight is more important than drinking a few glasses of wine every night and having junk food in the house. I understand that you live with somebody now, but you're either going to have to learn to live with the junk food and wine around without indulging or communicate with him that it's not working for you right now to have these things around.
Buy a set of resistance bands and get going - there are so many at home workouts, especially free ones online. Resistance bands are inexpensive, don't take up much storage space and can be used for upper and lower body workouts.
ReplyDelete