6
Jan

What’s this about butter?

   Posted by: Dawn   in Diet & Health, My Life, Updates

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So I was supposed to start this massive new diet on Monday to prepare for my brother’s wedding.  Monday ended up being my “last day of decadence” and I planned to start Tuesday.  yesterday was almost successful (I guess?  Maybe?) but I could not resist the call of Girl Scout peanut Butter Cookies…. Vile Temptresses!  So I’ve had to rewind and do some thinking and evaluating,  and thus, I’ve come to a number of realizations:

  1. I hate dieting.
  2. I know nothing about dieting.
  3. I have a difficult time telling the difference between bullshit claims and real “science.”
  4. The only times I ever lost weight before were by accident, and it was a mix of severe stress, anxiety, and workaholism.  Oh, or having a hospital worthy illness.  I’m not particularly interested in reviving any of the above.
  5. I did accidentally lose 20 lbs in undergrad by eating only soup… but that was far from intentional, and I’m not sure it would work again.
  6. I am WAY LESS ACTIVE than I used to be.  Running between colleges to teach, sleeping 2-3 hours a night, and being a college athlete kept me pretty fit.  The last serious activity I had was YinzTeam softball, and I broke a bone.  Absurd.
  7. I know I have to start exercising, but actually doing it is the problem.  I find it boring.  Like REALLY boring.  Can’t I just play a video game and have it shave off pounds?  Ahh… welcome back Wii Steve! (Maybe the Jillian Michaels Wii work out too? Anyone try this?)
  8. I need advice from people who actually dieted and had success.
  9. I do not want to give up butter.  I don’t think I can do it.  Sugar, I can cut way back on.  Butter? … Not a chance.  You can tell me to eliminate all butter from my diet, and I will nod and say “Ok” and within 48 hours (if that) I’ll be eating butter because I can’t resist. 
  10. I’ve been hesitant to discuss this for a lot of reasons:  embarrassment, fear of family and friends judging me, admitting it openly means it’s really necessary, and just general “Oh wow, did you see Dawn gained some weight?” apprehensions.  Well, tough.  I need to buck up and do it, and if I’m going to do it, I need support from family and friends.  It’s SO much easier for me to rationalize not exercising, and not eating healthier if I’m the only one I would be accountable to.  I have a blog and connections to tons of friends, readers, and utter strangers…. why not use them for support & accountability?

So forgive me for volunteering you for this job, but how often do you have someone asking you to crack the whip?  Yeah, yeah, I know I should only care about my health, and being accountable to myself “because that’s what really matters,” but let’s face it folks… That’s just not me.  Yes, I want to wear my cute little bikinis again, but I’m a hermit at heart.   My cholesterol is still high (I’m assuming) and my waist line now puts me at a high risk for heart disease.  Considering my family history, I can’t afford to put this off any longer.  Not if I want to live a long, happy life with kids and a retirement on a beach somewhere. So I need some help, otherwise I’ll end up  burrowing in to a library and 20 years from now you’ll need to get me out with a  crane. 

What diet strategies have worked for you?  What has NOT worked?  What would you recommend for me?  I need to lose at least 20 pounds (max 30) in 9 months and lower my cholesterol.  I’m aiming to start Monday January 14th, full throttle.  I’m edging my way toward dieting, like slowly getting in to a cold pool.  I figure that i have 9 months, and if one thing doesn’t seem to be working, I have time for another strategy.  And, you know, if it doesn’t work, I can always get liposuction in October.  (I kid, I kid!  …. maybe)

The forum is yours folks, and all answers are welcome. 

 

**Day 1 completely cigarette free.**

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Diet & Health, My Life, Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

11 comments so far

Burgh Baby
 1 

That “I’ll start January 14th” crap has got to go. Start now. Not full tilt, perhaps, but start making choices right this second that will lead to a healthier you.

January 6th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Dawn
 2 

@burghBaby — Done and done, Ma’am! I’m actively choosing healthier “snacks” and watching the amount of sugar and soda I take in. I plan on having a healthy dinner too. :) And you’re right… There’s no reason I can’t go home and exercise for at least 15 minutes after work TODAY. I will. Thanks!

January 6th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
rasager
 3 

I lost about 30 pounds in 2005ish.

Counting calories, portion control and minimal exercise will do WONDERS.

I was a calorie NAZI. I wrote everything I ate down until I had established how many calories were in my usual fare. I also made it a sort of game to keep my calorie intake below 600 for both breakfast and lunch. Then you indulge at dinner — eat whatever you want, but keep the portions reasonable.

I also took up doing a yoga DVD 2x a week (I can send you a link if you want). It helped reduced stress considerably AND drove home the point that food = fuel, which helps keep your will-power going. 2 hours of exercise a week ain’t bad.

No need to give up that butter you love!

January 6th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Nancy
 4 

Dawn-

I can’t imagine you needing to lose 20 lbs- you are so thin! Anywho I am trying to shed the three dozen cookies I ate over the holidays and shed a few unwanted pounds as well. If your trying to lose a few- weight watchers has always worked for me- it lets you eat what you want but controls your portions- you can join online for about 5 bucks a month- I also recommend yoga- great for stress- and really tones the body if you are consistent

Good Luck :)

January 6th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
TTG
 5 

Doing Weight Watchers has taught me there is no secret to losing weight. It is simply eat less and move more.
You need to stop putting it off and start now.
Also you need to make lifestyle changes because dieting doesn’t work.
Start out by eating healthy 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day, drink 8 glasses of water, and exercise more.

January 6th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Angelina
 6 

Girlie, we talked earlier and you’re hearing the same thing over and over.. Calorie and portion control.. It really really works! When I was craving my mint m&ms I got a quarter measuring cup out an took a scoop.. That was what I let myself have all day and I still have that same bag from Christmas.. It gets easier.. The first thing you do need to remember is DO NOT Forbid yourself from having something. That will only lead to you not wanting to keep going and you’ll get unhappy. We don’t want you unhappy.
KEEP THE BUTTER FOR GODSAKE! Who told you that you had to give up butter? That’s asinine, insane even!!!Just read the labels, check the serving size and the calories. Write it all down when you eat something so that you’re not denying yourself something extra and to make sure you’re not going over. You can do it.. I’ve got my box of matches and as I light one for me I’ll light one for you!

January 6th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
wa
 7 

Go buy a body bug…not too expensive and you can find them at Walmart or any sporting goods store…and actually use it.

calories you burn > the calories you take in

Wear it for a day to see how many calories you burn WITHOUT exercise. That is how many calories you should be eating in one day. Add exercise to that and you’ll lose weight.

Good luck!

January 6th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
TheJim
 8 

Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet!

January 6th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Dawn
 9 

Wow, you guys are amazing! Thank you!

@rasager YOU ARE A GODSEND, WOMAN! :)

@Nancy — You, my friend, are very kind! And I think you’re right, you’re the third person to mention yoga to me, and right now that’s the plan! Let me know how you’re fairing with your weight loss!

@TTG — You’re also right, and I’d love to say that I actually did work out last night, but I didn’t. BUT I took your advice (with that of everyone else) and started calorie counting yesterday. I thought I was going to be fine, and I was roughly 500 calories over! Now I have a better idea of goals!

@Angelina — I’ve got some extra lighters I’m not using… :) No worries, we’ll get through it, and 15 minutes a day? I can handle that… combined with yoga, it’s no problem!

@Wa — BRILLIANT IDEA…! I’ll see if I can find one this weekend!

@TehJim — Don’t think that hasn’t crossed my mind! If it was Taco Bell from the 90’s, I might agree… :)

Thanks again, y’all!! it may seem like a small thing, but you all helped me a lot, and I’m actually excited to do this. Let’s just hope it lasts!

January 7th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Danielle
 10 

Hey, Dawn–

I struggle with many of the same issues. Had lots of luck - lost 20 lbs - with the Tap&Track app for the iphone (calorie tracking all teched up). Wrote all about it in the link.

January 7th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Meredith
 11 

At the beginning of 2009 I decided I had had enough with being overweight. A friend of mine had joined Weight Watchers, so I borrowed her points book, copied it, figured out my daily allowance, and forced myself to follow it as closely as possible.

It was hard at first, because I was eating portions that were far too large. As time went on, it got easier and easier, as I wasn’t as hungry.

The main thing with weight watchers is exact portioning. If it says 1 cup of cooked wheat spaghetti, you have to get that measuring cup out and dole out exactly that much. I added vegetables into things I never really did before, and it helped fill me up faster (Zucchini, peppers, and onions in my spaghetti sauce, more veggies than meat in my home made Chinese, etc.)

By the time I plateaued, I lost 30 pounds. I think it took me about 6 months to do. I didn’t exercise much, because I hate exercise. I just watched what I ate, and eventually I stopped watching altogether and I didn’t regain any of that weight I had lost….

…until now. I’m 5 months pregnant! It’s hard to gain the weight back, but it’s for a good reason, and so far it’s under control and within a healthy limit.

If you want the points book, I can send you the scans I have. Just shoot me an email and I’ll send it your way. It’s not going to be easy, but I wish you luck! You can do it. :)

January 7th, 2010 at 1:26 pm

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