Week 3- Unislim-

I made myself accountable and went to my Unislim meeting last night, despite the fact that I had a crappy week. It turned out to be a no gain, no loss week. I'm the same as last week. Still 16 pounds gone and a renewed sense of commitment. On Wednesday, I dusted myself off, stood up and got back on track. 2 days later, I'm still on track.

Last week, I took 2 leisurely walks but if I walked any slower, I would have been going backwards. This week, I decided to incorporate some 'exercise' into my routine. Now I use that word loosely in a way in which a 300 pound woman can. I managed (euphemism) to go for a brisk 15 minute walk 3 times this week. By the end of it, I was practically gasping but I was still upright, so it was a victory of sorts- even if I did need a respiratory treatment.

For the next week, I will be concentrating on eating healthy, walking (some more) and most of all, being kind to myself and others.

Stay tuned.

Toolbox Tuesday- The 7 Minute Rule

I managed to get through 19 days without chocolate. I won't lie, I miss it. Alot. Chocolate is my drug of choice. But like all bad relationships, it must come to an end. But there are times when the urge is much greater than my willpower. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and all that. And today was one of those days.

When I'm stressed, my desire for chocolate escalates- as it is my way to anesthetize myself. And right now my stress level is in the stratosphere. I finally found a place for me and the boys to live. The relief, although welcome and overwhelming, is tempered by the fact that I had to tell him. Mr Not-So-Wonderful. And as I predicted he did not handle it well and things have escalated here in the house. And that's all I'll say about that. Saturday night, I had chips from the chipper. And today, was a carb fest.

This is where the 7 minute rule comes in. In talking to my counselor about my strong desire for chocolate, she suggested that I wait 7 minutes before eating it and see if the craving passed and if, after 7 minutes I still craved the chocolate, to have it. And then gradually build up the minutes, so you're waiting longer to give into the craving. I have been trying that, and so far it has worked. Until today. The past few nightmarish days coupled with the fact that today is our 8th (and probably last) wedding anniversary have come to bear. It has been a horrendous day and about 2pm, I caved and ate all the chocolate as well as alot of carbs. I felt sick and sluggish. For the first time in 2 weeks, I had to take a nap after dinner.

This is a pivotal moment for me because this is the point where I usually fall off the bandwagon and not show up at the Unislim meeting on Thursday. But I can't because too much is at stake and to be honest, I don't want to give up. And I have to look at it like this: it was bad, it's over and it is what it is. It's time to move on.

Stay tuned.

Week 2- Unislim

Week 2 is done and dusted. And I'm happy to report that the week went by fast, which really helps between weigh-ins, especially if you're doing well.
This week, I went for 2 walks- no small feat considering the shape my knees are in. Michael had asked me if I would take him for a walk- so I did- a short leisurely walk lasting about 20 minutes, 2 days in row. By the time we got back, my knees were quite sore and achy, but I lived to tell about it. At one point during the walk, I sat down on a low stone bridge overlooking a little creek and Michael told me to be careful and not lean back in case I fell in. I asked him what he would do if I fell in. He said he'd run and get Daddy. And then he said, "It's a good thing you're real fat, then you wouldn't float away." Out of the mouths of babes. LOL.

Anyways, here are my week 2 results:

Start weight: 23.4 stone


Current weight: 22.2 (312 lbs., 140.9 kg)




4 lbs lost this last week: 16 pounds total.



Woo Hoo!

Toolbox Tuesday- Rewards

I'm a big believer in the merit system, especially the reward end of it. Rewards, to me, are a big incentive to complete or accomplish something. I think it's very important to reward yourself as you're losing weight to reinforce that what you've done is important and for it to be one more tool in the arsenal to provide encouragement to continue.

Comfort aside, I also use food as a reward. If I get my housework done by 11 in the morning, I treat myself to a scone and a cup of tea. If I make it through an incredibly rough day (insert any reason here), my reward can be anything from take out to chocolate.

But now, I've decided to incorporate rewards in my weight loss plan. Non food of course.

Let's face it, I've got to lose roughly about 150 pounds. That number is not real to me- it's too big. So, I don't think about that at all. I've decided to take it in 25 pound increments. For every 25 pounds I lose, I'm going to reward myself with something that I want or want to do- but it will be something just for me. And to keep it interesting, the rewards will get bigger and better with more weight lost.

For instance, when I lose my first 25 pounds, I'm going to reward myself with a pedicure. Now, I have really ugly feet- there is no hope for them, and despite the fact that I hate bringing them out in public, I would really love to have a pedicure. I haven't had a pedicure since November 2004 when I was about to go into the hospital to have Michael, so it would be a real treat.

And maybe at the 50 pound mark, I'll get my hair highlighted with 2 colors. Only a 5o pound weight loss would be able to justify the expense for me.

I've been off chocolate for 12 days now- which amazes me. If I make it to 30 days, I'll buy myself a little treat- like a DVD or something or maybe take a ride to Inch Beach by myself.

I'm open to any suggestions as to what other people do for rewards.