15 hours ago
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Putting it out there
I'm overweight. I have been for most of my life. Luckily for me, I've been supremely healthy save for the weight problem.
I've tried just about every diet known to man. I've had some success but then I end up putting it all back on plus some more. Chronic yo-yo dieting. Same story as most other overweight people.
The problem for me is that I think of it as temporary. Also, I'm not a big exercise fan. Put those two quirks together and you've got a recipe for failure.
In June, I started watching what I eat. I lost 5 pounds in six weeks. Then I went on vacation.
I tried to be somewhat good, though I wasn't as vigilant as I should have been. The good news is that I didn't gain the whole 5 pounds back. Just a couple.
Last week I made a decision that is a long time coming and I'm hoping that by putting it out here for everyone to see, that I will be motivated to finally make the changes that I need to in order to stay healthy. I know that if I don't make serious changes in my life, I'll end up with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and who knows what all else.
No more diets for me. I'm looking to make lifestyle changes that can carry past a time limit. So I joined SparkPeople.
Perhaps you've heard of this. They help you track your nutrition and fitness while teaching you the tools to make lifestyle changes. So far, so good. I've lost almost 3 pounds. I'm sure that most of that is water as I'm back to drinking my 8+ glasses a day. I've started walking my dog more regularly. We do a 2 mile loop around town when the weather's good. I'm checking out an exercise class on post next week that is a combination of cardio and strength training. Basically, I'm becoming more active.
That's important now that I will soon be spending the majority of my time everyday sitting at the computer. I want to be more active and healthy. If I lose some weight along the way, that's a bonus.
Have you heard of SparkPeople? Tried it? If you're on there, shoot me a note and we can be buddies.
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10 comments:
Hello, Riley! I came to the same conclusion a few months ago and began walking every morning. I don't consider myself sedentary and yet, as I get older I am putting on the weight and don't lose it as easily as when I was young.
So far I have only lost a few pounds but I feel more energized. I did miss a week from a bad incident - severe dehydration. Ugh! But I am back on track and hope to continue to add distance to my walks to help me become more fit.
I haven't seen/heard of SparkPeople, but I am going to check it out. We can all use all the encouragement we can get in life, esp. with weight loss challenges.
Nice to meet you, fellow Outreach member~
Hi Riley (and Christine, too :)
This post speaks to me b/c I too, have always struggled with weight. My pattern includes losing weight and keeping it off until some inciting incident comes along that throws me off completely--and every time it's harder to get started--again.
At my blog last week, I talked about little efforts adding up. That's what happened with me this time (a process which dates back to Jan 2009). I don't talk about dieting but made some changes that have been farily easy to maintain. I'll never be 'thin' but I'm better proportioned and much more energetic too.
I'm getting too long-winded here and this ties into my recent post about little efforts adding up. So, I'm turning the rest of my response into a write-up for my blog (which I plan to post later today or early tomorrow, lol. Second time I've done that recently!)
Good luck with all your efforts and I'll check out SparkPeople too. BTW, Riley, I like the new look of you blog but also loved the charm of the previous one. I also very much like your tagline.
Have a great day!
Joanna Aislinn
NO MATTER WHY
The Wild Rose Press
www.joannaaislinn.com
www.joannaaislinn.wordpress.com
Hey Riley,
Great post. I'm about one step behind you. I'm overweight myself. A few years ago, I'd lost almost 40 lbs by eating right and exercising daily, and then I hit an emotionally difficult period, and I ended up gaining it all back and then some. I'm just at the point now where I'm slowly trying to get myself back into it. I've begun eating better, but I absolutely hate exercise. lol I'll have to look into sparkpeople. See what it's about. Brave of you to put it out there. Good luck on your journey.
My weight's decent. I am, however, not especially fit, just lucky enough to have a fast metabolism. I tried SparkPeople but found the food logging onerous (mostly because I cook just about everything from scratch and it doesn't necessarily fit what they have for options). I might try it again with just fitness goals. Maybe I'll see you there!
I'm not on it, although I should be, but my husband joined with his coworkers and they all lost weight. Unfortunately he hasn't been following it lately and he gained a little back. But from what everyone says- it really does work. If I get on it I'll look for you.
Hi Riley! Congratulations on putting it out there. Accountability is where it's at! I completely know what you're talking about. I actually lost heaps on a diet food program which shall remain nameless, but when I stopped, BAM! Back came 10 lbs! And it's been creeping up since then. So, I'll have to check out SparkPeople and I'll be watching to see you progress. Sounds like you're off to a good start!
Denise Golinowski
THE FESTIVAL OF THE FLOWERS: THE COURTESAN AND THE SCHOLAR at The Wild Rose Press
Thanks for the support and well wishes!
I felt pretty virtuous this morning. I started my walk and it started raining about 10 minutes into it and though I didn't walk the 2.3 miles of the loop, I did get 1 mile in before calling it quits.
Teresa, you can enter your recipes in and it calculates the info for you. Time consuming at first but you only have to do it once.
If you ladies join, let me know. I'm there under a different name.
Good on you, Riley. It's a problem I'm sure many of us (including me) can empathise with. During periods of my life when I've exercised and lost weight I always feel great - fit and strong - but it's hard to keep up the motivation. Wishing you good luck and the best of health.
Riley, I admire your determination. I'm overweight. As a child I was thin and anemic, and wasn't overweight until after my second child was born. It's hard to lose. The older you get, the harder it is, so it's great that you are losing now.
Haven't heard of it, Riley, but I do believe exercise is the key if you want to lose weight and keep it off. Take it slow to start, but once you develop the habit, you'll look forward to those exercise sessions. They'll not only help you look better, but feel better and improve your health--the most important part of losing weight.
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