There comes a point in some people's lives when they decide enough is enough. Not to say that I ever really considered myself fat, but there did come a day not so long ago when I stepped on the scale and thought "well, it might be time to change some things".
Maybe it was just a desire to look fantastic in a swimsuit come summer. Or maybe it's the beginning of healthier eating that will really contribute to long-term health. Maybe it's the result of reading a few interesting things, and watching a few interesting things:
- "Why We Get Fat, and What To Do About It" by Gary Taubes (a great book - I'm only about halfway through, but already I'm implementing the very low-carb focused eating habits that his research highlights, and already I'm seeing results)
- "Forks over Knives" by Lee Fulkerson - a great documentary highlighting the health benefits of a whole-foods fruit and vegetables diet
So far from loading up the fridge with healthy fruits and veggies, to really stepping up my intake of dark leafy greens, cutting down (pretty much eliminating) my intake of breads, sweets...pretty much anything you would find in the aisles of your friendly neighborhood grocery store. We've been sticking to the deli section, stocking up on lean deli meats and cheeses, buying nice fresh fish, and enjoying lots of leafy green spinach, crunchy kale, sweet green, red, orange, and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and sweet green peas.
It's interesting. I've always loved food. I've always loved cake, and pie, and cookies, and it's no mystery that I love ICE CREAM. Giving up on Ben & Jerry has been like having a friend call and leave repeated messages, and just ignoring it and trying not to notice when they keep calling. Poor guys. What will they do with all that Peanut Brittle ice cream? There might be a surplus crowding the shelves of your local grocery store. Just so all of you know...
But despite my love of food, I've been surprised with how good I've been feeling since starting to eat differently, and think differently. I've actually found myself enjoying coming up with creative ways to turn fish, red peppers, and half of an avocado into a really tasty meal (something that doesn't make me miss cheeseburgers).
Ultimately, healthier living is the goal, but at the end of the day, the weight loss has been nice, too. I'm hoping in a few months there will be about 25-30 pounds less of me blogging on here, and I've decided to get myself a cute new swimsuit for summer if I reach my goal. One thing that's really been helping is an app that Kevin turned me on to. It's called "Lose It" and it helps you set your goals. First you enter your current weight, then you move on to outline what you want your "goal weight" to be. It will then ask you a couple questions to help ascertain what your ideal daily caloric intake will be (since I'm not super active, and spend a lot of my day at a desk, I went on the lower end of the scale). Next it tells you by what date you can expect to reach your goal weight. Ultimately I like the app because it's so easy to use, plus its interface makes it really easy to stay motivated. I like that it also sends you little encouraging emails for the little milestones you reach. So far I've lost about 5-6 pounds, and in some ways, I feel like they've been falling off. It's the incredible shrinking Diana!
I'll definitely keep anyone who reads this blog updated on my progress (or our progress, I should say! Kevin got me started on all this, and he's doing great, too! Ruby's even been switched to a higher protein lower carb diet, and thanks to some extra exercise she got at Kevin's parents house over the Thanksgiving holidays, she's looking a little leaner, too!)
xoxo
Diana
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