Every day this week, I do really well, but here's where the dilemma comes in. All advice says you can't expect your family to diet with you; it has to be for yourself, but there reaches a point where it feels like it's more than just doing it for yourself and making your own choices and feeling like someone else in the same house is actually pushing you to fail. I'm seeing a frustrating pattern here. I've already talked to the other person, but it's still happening. I could try to be stronger, but with the particular turn of events and the way it's been going down, it feels ten times harder than just making good choices for dinner.
And we skipped walking twice because of circumstances. I'm so glad I've been doing extra workouts almost every day so it's not a complete failure, but anyone who says that you can't expect the whole house to be on board is either single or doesn't have a spouse with worse habits than their own.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Momentum Lost
It seems like it's harder to go back onto a diet than to start one in the first place. One can know it's a successful way and still be unable to make it past those first few days. Really, I think it's those first few days/weeks that are the hardest, then it gets easier.
I have noticed from pictures last year that something interesting happened before. When we see a bone-protruding skinny person, we think they look unhealthy and it's not good. Well, last year compared to know, my weight is the same, but the bones aren't quite so prominent. What made it even out so that the chub on my body reflects on my face, but last year I looked so much thinner except in obvious areas? Makes the point for me that eating so few calories is not normal for anyone. You just can't get enough nutrition from too few calories. It's not something you should do forever.
Just long enough to lose a few more pounds. That is what I would like.
I do need to remind myself to re-focus, though. I suspect three reason why I am having trouble keeping at it. Maybe spelling it out will help.
1. Sleep: I saw a short news clip linking what seems totally obvious, but said in such a way that it really brought the point home. It pointed out that when you are tired, you tend to think you "deserve a treat" and often have more late evening cravings. We already know that people who sleep less tend to weigh more, but notice how that is carefully worded so it doesn't mean people who are fat don't sleep and people who don't sleep are always fat. It's just a trend. I suspect it's more related to the overall idea that if you don't care for your body by giving it enough sleep, you likely don't care enough to feed it all the right things and make sure it gets exercise. Anyway, the point is, maybe there is a connection to feeling tired and dieting in the sense that it's so easy when you are tired or overly hungry to think "Dammit, I deserve a treat/reward/etc." and then eat something out of range. When you count calories, you can have a lot because you find yourself trading that candy bar you desire for a granola bar and an apple. Same calories, much more filling. Again, after the hump at the beginning, those choices get easier to make. Feeling tired might make me want a cheeseburger and feel too tired to substitute it with a veggie burger because of the prep time. It can also just make me want a cheeseburger.
2. Water: Drink plenty of water. It curves certain craving, makes you feel full, and keeps your hydrated so that you don't feel tired and achy and all those things that make #1 happen.
3. Hunger: I did go back to 1200 a day + exercise (which has increased from a year ago to being around 2 miles a day instead of barely 1) for a week and lost nothing still. I think I have to go back to the 800 calories, 2 days a week trick. This is more difficult because what often happens in I have to save as many calories for dinner as I can. Scott doesn't have the same problem, Jane needs a good meal, and I find if I am hungry after dinner, I'm more inclined to say "Screw it. I want nachos." Well, on those days, I'll have my yogurt and occasionally a coffee. Then I ignore the hunger in my stomach until lunch, then I pick out the lowest calories meal I can. After that, I'm trying to ignore hunger all day and then I have dinner. Now I'm at or near 800, still hungry, and tired from trying to ignore feeling hungry all day. Nachos. Cheeseburger. They become all I can think about because this is a 100% in the back of your mind thing where you start to wonder if it's all worth it. It's mentally exhausting. Then the day gets blown out by a little late-evening snacking and all I had was 1200 calories, but now I can't lose anything and the next day is equally frustrating.
So, I'm trying to have a nice cleansing day today and be both reasonable, but also strict. Keep myself busy. Maybe that will help.
I have noticed from pictures last year that something interesting happened before. When we see a bone-protruding skinny person, we think they look unhealthy and it's not good. Well, last year compared to know, my weight is the same, but the bones aren't quite so prominent. What made it even out so that the chub on my body reflects on my face, but last year I looked so much thinner except in obvious areas? Makes the point for me that eating so few calories is not normal for anyone. You just can't get enough nutrition from too few calories. It's not something you should do forever.
Just long enough to lose a few more pounds. That is what I would like.
I do need to remind myself to re-focus, though. I suspect three reason why I am having trouble keeping at it. Maybe spelling it out will help.
1. Sleep: I saw a short news clip linking what seems totally obvious, but said in such a way that it really brought the point home. It pointed out that when you are tired, you tend to think you "deserve a treat" and often have more late evening cravings. We already know that people who sleep less tend to weigh more, but notice how that is carefully worded so it doesn't mean people who are fat don't sleep and people who don't sleep are always fat. It's just a trend. I suspect it's more related to the overall idea that if you don't care for your body by giving it enough sleep, you likely don't care enough to feed it all the right things and make sure it gets exercise. Anyway, the point is, maybe there is a connection to feeling tired and dieting in the sense that it's so easy when you are tired or overly hungry to think "Dammit, I deserve a treat/reward/etc." and then eat something out of range. When you count calories, you can have a lot because you find yourself trading that candy bar you desire for a granola bar and an apple. Same calories, much more filling. Again, after the hump at the beginning, those choices get easier to make. Feeling tired might make me want a cheeseburger and feel too tired to substitute it with a veggie burger because of the prep time. It can also just make me want a cheeseburger.
2. Water: Drink plenty of water. It curves certain craving, makes you feel full, and keeps your hydrated so that you don't feel tired and achy and all those things that make #1 happen.
3. Hunger: I did go back to 1200 a day + exercise (which has increased from a year ago to being around 2 miles a day instead of barely 1) for a week and lost nothing still. I think I have to go back to the 800 calories, 2 days a week trick. This is more difficult because what often happens in I have to save as many calories for dinner as I can. Scott doesn't have the same problem, Jane needs a good meal, and I find if I am hungry after dinner, I'm more inclined to say "Screw it. I want nachos." Well, on those days, I'll have my yogurt and occasionally a coffee. Then I ignore the hunger in my stomach until lunch, then I pick out the lowest calories meal I can. After that, I'm trying to ignore hunger all day and then I have dinner. Now I'm at or near 800, still hungry, and tired from trying to ignore feeling hungry all day. Nachos. Cheeseburger. They become all I can think about because this is a 100% in the back of your mind thing where you start to wonder if it's all worth it. It's mentally exhausting. Then the day gets blown out by a little late-evening snacking and all I had was 1200 calories, but now I can't lose anything and the next day is equally frustrating.
So, I'm trying to have a nice cleansing day today and be both reasonable, but also strict. Keep myself busy. Maybe that will help.
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