Remember where I said that I wanted to continue with my healthy eating habits? Well... It's had some mixed results.
Yes, overall, I can say that I've been eating better on the whole than before I started cutting out refined carbs. So technically, I can say that goal is generally speaking, achieved.
However, when things were going rough in the beginning of the year, I fell off the water wagon. Spectacularly. I ate much worse and much more than before I started cutting carbs. If you want to understand craving and addiction, go cold turkey for a year and then be told you have to consume (but in limited amounts) the thing you're addicted to.
My addiction is sugar and refined carbs. And once I started consuming them, the hunger did not end (literally) until the day I cut back drastically.
Here's the problem. I picked up ALL of the weight that I'd lost in the year before.
Here's the bigger problem: When I cut back in May, I didn't cut back to the portions I should have. And also, I threw myself into work and writing to the extent that calling my lifestyle sedentary would be the understatement of the century.
Here's the result: The weight, while not going up, isn't budging either, and it's simply not a healthy weight to be at.
Which means that when it comes to my health goals, I'm going to have to be a bit more specific.
So.
Goal one: Lose between 20kg (44lb) and 30kg (66lb)
Goal two: Regain control over what and how much I'm eating. AND drinking more water.
Goal three: Excercise.
My Reasoning?
I'm 1.7m tall. From experience I know that 66kg (145lb) is a good weight for me. (Although it looks a bit too skinny for my taste.) It's well within the healthy BMI range, though, so I arbitrarily picked it as my "Ideal" weight. However, I'm not going to be very unhappy if I settle somewhere around 75kg, (165lb) since it actually looks better on me, which is my highest goal weight. I'm aiming for somewhere in that ballpark.
Yes. You're reading the chart right. At the moment, I'm weighing 96kg (211lb). Which puts me solidly in the Obese range. I am NOT thrilled to return here. So I'm getting out as fast as I healthily can.
How fast?
I'm not going to crash diet, but I will systematically cut my portions. The diet I'm on is very filling, which means that if I do it right, I don't need to eat as much. And I don't get hungry. I don't get all that many cravings.
But I've been messing with those principles, which means that even now, when I've cut back, I'm not eating completely right, and as such I'm also eating as much as four times more than I need for my lifestyle.
I'm figuring that the weight will come down steadily once I'm back into last year's routine, and should stay off because 1) I don't need/crave more food and 2) I'll be more active.
I'm hoping that I'll be in the "overweight" section by the end of the year, which means I'll be somewhere in my goal range by early next year.
I don't want to put too much of a time limit on my progress, because I don't want to lose too fast. I want to lose at a rate that's natural to my body, eating and exercising in a way that fits my life-style in a sustainable way. Because if at all possible, I really don't want to be back at this weight again.
And this time, although I'm not a fan of the scale, (I'm a believer of healthy living for the sake of it.) I will be weighing in for as long as I'm seriously pursuing this goal.
Who's with me? I'll be updating on Fridays.
Oh one more thing: I'll be taking a picture every week in this exact same outfit every Friday. No Make-up. No fuss. No Photoshop. No Frowns. (Not going to be all melodramatic and sad-looking about my weight. My weight isn't depressing me. I want to shake it because it's unhealthy. And I'm smiling because I know that I am going to win this battle of the bulge.)
10 comments:
Don't forget, diets are only effective if they TRULY become your diet (not for a set period of time). However, as you've noted, drinking more water and regular consistent exercise will be almost as, if not more, important. Find something that's fun and inspires you to work out.
One I found that can be done at home is Hero's Journey 2.0. I found it when one of my favorite youtuber's was talking about it. It's basically a 60 day program of varying difficulty that's inspired by video games so that YOU decide what you do in the game and that dictates what kind of exercises you end up doing. Kind of a "choose your own path" game.
I think you look fabulous as you are. But I understand about you wanting to be healthier. I am also in the obese range and also decided that I'm going to do something about it. I have recently started to exercise. If anyone can lose the weight, it is you. You go girl!
Don't want to take away from your goals at all! But the chart looks funny to me. It seems to imply that at 5'1" I should weigh about 110lbs -- I haven't been that weight in 15 years, and even when I did weigh that little, I was hollow-cheeked and very thin. I thought 120 was good for me (and I definitely don't weigh that either, since I'm still nursing) but it says 120 is edging into overweight!
Oh well, I guess having a goal based on a miracle-chart is a good incentive to meet diet and exercise milestones.
Wishing you the best!
Hello Misha.
You and I are suffering from the same thing, imagine that. Since I moved to Johannesburg I've stopped going for walks, it's not safe here especially if you are carrying a camera. You live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet and it's safe to walk. Oh how I envy you.
My advice, if I may be so bold as to give advice, is start walking every day. Your diet is one thing but burning off all that energy will do wonders for your figure. By the way, I don't think you are obese, a little over weight but still pretty good looking all the same.
Blessings from Geoff in an unsafe Johannesburg.
Great post! kiss! 👄
Great post! kiss! 👄
You're a tenacious person and I have no doubts you'll hit your goal. I like your game plan. You go, girl.
PS That's a good picture of you.
I agree with you Robert. And the diet I'm on will definitely remain the way I eat. Hero's Journey looks like an interesting way to get fit. Thanks for the heads-up.
You too Murees! :-D
Deniz, I have to admit that for the reasons you pointed out, I'm actually not a big fan of BMI as a measure of health. There are a variety of reasons that determines health, and not all that many of them actually have anything to do with how tall people are. That said, it's the only visible aid I could find that actually gives context to my progress, even if it's wonky.
Geoff, my mother and I are trying to walk more, but we'll probably only be able to do so every day when 1) we don't have flu and 2) it doesn't threaten to rain every few days. ;-)
Thanks Carolina. :-)
Thanks Sandra!
Best of luck to you Misha! I think you have a great attitude and I have no doubt you will succeed. :)
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