543 WW days & 74 FF days - Can you change habits of half a life time?

Changing my ways

Can you change the habits of half a life time? Yes, you can. But DON'T expect them to change fast. It takes months.........years. At the end of my first six months and 40 kg/88.1 lbs less in weight, I thought had it licked. "THEY" say it takes 6 months so. I made it there. YES! But I am now one year on and before three months had passed I gained near 11 kg/24 lbs, and am still fighting to get it off. A holifay, and christmas, new year really kicked me in the face. I thought I knew the trick? WRONG!

For a while I viewed it as failing, major failing. From defeat, to desillusion, to disappointment to acceptance, to determination, to a feeling that I can continue where I am without having to look back to last year october, to the realisation that despite the weight gain I had lost more than triple the weight AND could do it.AGAIN, or STILL.

My focus is now on the holiday season, making sure I tackle them with a confident feeling that I will not gain weight again. My aim is still to weigh less than 130 kg/286.6 lbs on january 1, 2009. That is 7 kg/15.4 lbs to go in 9 weeks. A though challenge but with my gym visits continued I know I can make it.

I notice I do not wwcount points anymore. I play by ear, and though I know it is a dangeous thing to do, and for a WW girl a deadly sin, I am doing well. I know the points of most food items, and when I look at the calorie and fat content I can guess pretty accurate how many points it is. The recipe for a point free life? Time fore most, a sense of foodcontent by now ingrained, I also use all kinds of tools given to me by friend, mentors, WW and the internet. So summing it up.... let me think..

1. Buy light, sugarless, low in fat, or fatless products, when possible biological as well.
2. Eat sweets, snack sensibly, restrict them to small portions, and usually only when I just excercised. When I have chosolate it is dark real dark, and a small bar.
3. Go to the gym 4 times a week, 700 kcal a session.
4. Always have breakfast ALWAYS, if I am up late on sunday, make it brunch, big brunch
5. Balance out lunch and dinner. So one big lunch or dinner cancels out the other one and have a small bite to eat instead.
6. When I want something sweet, I eat fruit.
7. When I am really hungry in between I have biological 0% fat curd with honey. TO DIE FOR!
8. Sinning is no sin, but a treat! No more than twice a week though.
9. drink water
10. Spend time outdoors no matter how the weather is!
11. Spend time with friends, do not lock myself indoors and "hang" around
12 Cycle do not use public transport or a car

I find I do not like real fat food any more. But go for more pure tastes, even pure tastes in vegetables. I have eaten cabbage, pure, without sauce, again. And it was good. Cauliflower without white sauce, and it was good! The past year and a half have been a revelation, an exploration into me.....a most enjoyable journey with ups and downs, but very enjoyable!

I extremely seldom have McDonalds or other snackfood, but for instance go one door down and have Italian pasta, brown biologocal and ask them to go easy on the oil. In geeneral I have grown much more picky about my food, and the way it is prepared, so in restaurants I state my preferences loud and clear. I do not feel forced to all which is on my plate, and WILL ask for a doggybag, which in my country is not always a given.

I just checked my blog or last year. Know what. I weighed exactly the same! -grins- How does that affect me. Is it a year lost? NO, it is proof that overall I did not gain weight in a year's time. Pretty good. But I still have not stopped. the best is yet to come!!!

542 WW & 73 FF days - Contemplating Weight Watchers

Signing in again....

No worries, no worries! I am not lost in action. Nor have I strayed far from the path. Fitness is still 4 times a week, and I try and watch my P's and q's foodwise as best as I can. I havehad a visitor for a whole week, that sort of cut into the routine. A bit more chocolate, some ice cream, some crisps, but none too bad.

What is happening is that I keep thinking I can do without Weight Watchers. Well not the programme, because by now that is ingrained in my brain, but more the weekly check ups. I weigh myself twice a week at the gym, so any kind of change is registered there. I keep a log of my progress, but notice it is hard to compare to the programme before fitness. For I notice that eventhough Ido not see any significant weightloss I do notice a slimmer form, tighter muscles, better physique.

Tape measure wise I don't see much difference either, but I do notice it in my clothes. I feel even better, look even better, have even more bounce, and more stamina. In short I feel GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

I am planning to stop weekly weigh ins as of january 1st 2009. But am sort of weening myself off to see how I cope. Anyone have any suggestions?

Yes, GOOOOOOD idea?

Noooooooo, BAD idea!!

Mind you I weigh myself 2 times a week, and go to the gym 4 times a week. I keep my progress scheduled in a chart. Any one have any experience with this?

This post sort of got stuck in draft version. Weigtwise I am doing fine. I will augment the weeklist list on the left soon! I promise. Bottomline, I now weigh 137.0 kg/3042.0 lbs, weightloss is now 35.7 kg/78.5 lbs. The weight is dropping off slowly. It does not look like much, 4 lbs in 4 weeks, but there has been a GAIN week in the past month, of nearly 3 lbs. Also the weight is shifting from fat to muscle. I look different, my lower legs are toned and sleek, my upper legs less bulky and flabby, my waist is starting to show more clearly, my stomach muscles stronger and more toned. With the weight I have it does not show easily, but it DOES show. And what is more I CAN FEEL IT!

So for those of you who were wondering I am still here. And still going strong. As I have said before the work outs at the gym are in a way heaven, they relax me, make me feel good and keep me on my toes. The sauna and steamroom after do wonders for my skin. I have started to go to the gym after work. Then when I come home I have left the day behind me, and the stress has just melted away. RRRRRRRRRRRREAL..........good!

On Stress...........watch the dolphins!

The picture below was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary's Hospital. Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences between the two dolphins. The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph, and if you find more than one or two differences, you may want to take a vacation or at least get a massage.

How did you do?

Do you need a vacation?! Apparently I do! Hope you got a good laugh! On a serious note, laughter is a great way to reduce stress and boost immune function. The general advice is, find a friend who can make you laugh, or put on a funny movie. Pin Panther always does it for me. You will feel better for it!