Weight Loss Update Goose Egg

Yep, goose egg.  Nada, zero, ziltch whatever you want to call it, that is what I lost this week. NOTHING!!!!  Am I happy?   Well, I am happy that it wasn't a gain.  I definitely know that I have to make some corrections.   At least I can say I didn't go crazy pigging out.  I  do need to get back to more salads.  I also need to be stricter on my portions.  On the exercise side of the equation, I know I must spend a little more time either walking or on the elliptical.  Although I realize I wasted a week, I am not going to whine about.  (Maybe I am whining a little by writing this lol)   I like to think of this as simple math.  I burned all the calories I took in.   I know what I need to do to fix the problem.  I just need to do it.  This isn't rocket science, but it is mental.  And difficult.  I did learn one thing though.  When I do reach my goal of being not fat, the journey doesn't simply end as I guess I might of thought when I had first started.  Now I see that just maintaining is going to be in itself a journey.  A life long journey at that.

FRIENDS

This post is not strictly diet related but was on my mind so I decided to share.
Although I have friends in real life, I never was one to have many friends at once.  I always tended to have several close friends at any given time.  The reason why  I tell this is because while talking with the wife I mentioned something that was said online by a "friend".  She made the comment along the lines that "those people are not your friends".  She said this in not a mean way but simply as an observation.  As I thought about this later I believe she may be right in some technical definition sence, but I think she was wrong at the heart of the matter.  I believe this whole new social media realm is truly blurring the lines of friendship in real life versus friendship online.  While my wife is one to avidly spend time online, she is simply surfing the web but not interacting in any social way.  She doesn't enjoy Facebook, blogs, or Youtube much.  In fact she mainly loves to shop online (this is fodder for another post someday LOL).  So the idea of developing "friendships" online is truly foreign to her.  And that is OK.  In fact I can see myself making the same statement several months ago.  However since starting on my weight loss journey and meeting so many nice people in the weight loss community, I can see that is a very narrow view.  Although we may never meet each other for dinner as one might with a real life friend.  That is if the real life friends and my schedules ever work out between work, kids and everyday life responsibilities.   But we can certainly describe our dinners on our blogs and comment back and forth etc.  If you are reading this you probably understand what I mean.  It's not the same and that is OK, in fact in some ways even better.  For example, when I ramble on and on, you can simply move on to the next  blog (hopefully not just yet!).  Of coarse in real life sitting at dinner this is not so simply done.  If you are on Facebook, please check out this bunch of wonderful people in the weight loss community at http://www.facebook.com/youtubeweightloss
I have never seen a more supportive and motivating bunch of people.  And if blog reading and Youtube watching aren't enough, they have people doing the video chat thing.  I haven't tried this yet because I don't have a webcam, but I will try it soon.  The neat thing is there are people in different time zones across the world so whenever the mood strikes you to talk, there is a good chance someone will be able to talk with you.  Now if that is not blurring the lines of friendship between real life and online, I don't know what is.  What do you think?   What do you call your online "acquaintances"?

Autumn

Fall is in the air proper here in our neck of the woods.  The days are getting shorter and the shadows are getting longer-early signs that winter won't be far away.  The cool nights are just right for sleeping under layers of snugly blankets.  The cool days are perfect for insect free walks in the woods.  It is time for burning candles scented with cinnamon and spice.  The cool house is just waiting for the oven to be fired up and the baking to start.  I do love this time of year.   Now is the time for cooking foods like beef stew and  home made bread. Nothing is better than a house filled with the smells of  pumpkin or apple pies baking in the oven.  I freely admit that I love food and also love to cook and bake.  Now I must learn to do so without overeating the finished product!  I think between now and Christmas is going to be a very challenging time of year to diet through.  Are we sure that humans are not supposed to hibernate?  It seems like Fall is the time to overeat comfort foods and stay in a nice warm bed.  What is Autumn to you?  Do you have any strategies to get through the holidays without packing on the pounds?

My Struggle Right Now

Right now, I don't have a nagging sweet tooth.  I don't have the desire to binge eat a raft of food.  I am quite content with my smaller portions diet.  But, I am dealing with a certain dieting demon.  IMPATIENCE!!!  There, I said it.  I want this blog to be a totally accurate and honest account of my feelings and experiences through this weight loss journey.  So, in all honesty, I am struggling with severe impatience.  Impatience over the speed ( or more accurately the lack of speed) of weight loss.  Basically the thought pattern goes something like this: I have been dieting for over a month...I have been making do with smaller portions and exercising...so I expect something in return...I want to SEE some progress.  I want to FEEL some progress.  I want to HEAR from people, "wow you have really been losing some weight!"  I have lost 16 pounds, but I haven't had any of that.  I know I have not felt or seen anything!!  How depressing.  How utterly boring.  I feel like Linus who is waiting and waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.  It never comes.  My tummy is still there.  Just as big as ever.   I went hiking today.  I didn't glide along the paths-it was the usual struggle.
So I think writing it down will help.  I believe that recognizing this potential pitfall and addressing it is the first step in fixing it.  I know that I must keep telling myself that the weight wasn't put on in a day so it won't come off in a day, or week, or month.  I certainly do believe that losing it slowly will enable me to keep the weight off long term.  I know it was important for me to address this because, I don't want to just let the dieting demon win by talking me into a mental tailspin.  To me this journey is every bit as much of a mental battle as it is a physical struggle.  I have worked too hard to just quit because the progress is excruciatingly slow!

Lose Weight with Changes

As you may or may not know I'm a virgin.  Yep, a dieting virgin that is still wet behind the ears.  I just had my  one month anniversary.  So what do I know?  Not much!!!  I freely admit it.  But, recently I am noticing some changes.  For example, when I first started eating smaller portions, it was commented on by my whole family.  Not in a mean way mind you , but it was something out of the ordinary so it was a topic of conversation.  Now, not so much.  And, as for me, I am becoming accustomed to the changes in my eating habit.  So much so, that this new smaller portion habit is starting to feel more like "me" than pigging out.  To me this is a very exciting change!!!  I don't feel hungry, I just feel "normal".  Now I know that I could fall off the wagon at any time.  I definitely do not want to tempt fate.   And yes,  I am well aware that pride cometh before a fall and a million other little warning phrases.   But, right now it doesnt feel like I am doing anything but being me.  I think this is mainly due to the fact that I am eating what I want to eat.  Basically, I am eating the same foods and dishes that I ate before starting this weight loss journey.  You name it, Chinese, spaghetti, cereal,  I'm eating them.  I am just eating way less of them. One bowl period.  Plus a lot of fruit.  Simple?  Yes, but it is working (albeit slowly) so far.  I like these changes.  They feel like lifestyle changes.  And, they feel good...

Weight Loss Lessons Learned Along the Way

Well, I have been on this weight loss journey almost  a month now and I have learned a few things I thought I  would share with you:

* You will encounter doubters and /or negative people.  They may come at you with big smiles. They may seem to be well-intentioned.  It is possible that they may not realize what they doing.   But be careful, because their negativity will be like throwing water on your fire of enthusiasm.    Try to avoid mean or negative people like the plague.  Seriously life is just too short!!

*The less I eat, the less I need to eat to feel full.  For those of you who have been on the journey longer, these tips are probably basic knowledge.  But for someone like me, this is all new.  It seems as though my stomach (organ, not tummy so much) has shrunk.  In other words, I don't really have the capacity to eat the volume of food like I used to do.  I suppose this is similar to the effect achieved from the lapband surgery.  Whatever it is, I'm loving it!

*Do a diet that you enjoy?!?!  Sounds silly right, but I mean it.  If I don't like it, I wont do it.  It's that simple: I know myself.  I know I have about zero willpower.  I have all the respect in the world for those that do the various fasts and really strict diets.  I wouldn't last a day!!  I knew I had to keep my diet simple, because I am lazy!!  So I eat the same foods as before, just less...simple.

*Exercising is about 20 percent--Dieting is about 80 percent.  Of coarse this is just my opinion, and just based on my personal experience so take it with a grain of salt.  In the past I have tried to eat the same portions, and just burn it off with exercise.  It didn't work.  Unless you are doing something extremely physicial like mountain climbing all day, there is just too much energy (calories) in food to simply burn off with normal exercise.  I have come to think of my weight loss plan as simple math:  bring in less calories + burn more calories = a lighter me!!

*Make a Lifestyle Change!  This goes back to the idea of sustainability.  I don't want to lose a bunch of weight on a overly strict program so that when I eventually quit that program,  I gain all the weight back.  I have personally seen this happen and it is so sad.

* Substituting soup broth for a meal late at night is helping.  Yep, it is hot, filling, almost no calories, and tastes good.  I did a video on it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H49XUXff91I
Be sure to watch the blooper at the end.

Have you learned any lessons along the way?  I would love it if you would share them with us in the comments.