I've Finally Made It! So, Now What?

WOW, I had my blog for today all planned out, but just read one the only other blog I've ever read, Back in Skinny Jeans (located on my blog list), and she states that she will no longer blog about basically all this nonsense. She asks how old do you have to be before you stop obsessing about your body and looks? It is a GREAT question. I think I have a great answer. Stephanie, the writer of the blog, mentions that she has been obsessing about her looks and weight since teen years (She is now in her 40's). I agree with her that our society perpetuates the feelings of insecurity women have about their looks, particulary the beauty industry as a means of survival. On the other hand, she states that there is nothing wrong about wanting to look and feel your best. That is where I am coming from. There are so many things that you can't control. The way other people make you feel, for example. But one thing you can control is how you make yourself feel. By eating right, making the right choices about diet and exercise, you are giving yourself some fabulous gifts. The gifts of self confidence, health, and if a bonus gift is beauty, well, great! We all know how it is. If you are going out, and you take the time to pick just the right outfit and do your hair and makeup, you just feel great on the way out the door. If you are rushed, didn't take the time to look the way you like to look, you wind up feeling this slightly off feeling all night, wishing you did what it took to feel your best. It is not about what others think of you: They might think you look great. But it is how you didn't live up to your standard in terms of looking your best.

So, the title of this blog is where I wanted to go with this today. I am finally at my goal weight. I have arrived. The sacred number on the scale! This number, by the way, was not the "Oh, I'd be happy at X", it is "WOW, if I could get down to X..." So, here I am. I'd like to share my feelings with you. I am ecstatic, jubuliant, all those things you would expect. I want to go clothes shopping, and get my nails done. I want to look polished. Am I perfect? NO!!! Do I care? HONESTLY, NO! I think some people will assume that if they get to their goal weight, it will never be enough once they realize they are not perfect. This is the point I want to get across. I know I will never be perfect. I do know that at this weight I feel more confident, fit into my clothes better, feel comfortable. I am happy because weight means that I have been able to shed some bad habits and eat healthily, and until I am comfortable, not FULL. I am not saying by any means that this is the way I will be from now on-the perfect eater. But, at least I can say that I like what I am experiencing,and each day I will remind myself of that. One day at a time. Bottom Line: It is important to care about how you look in my opinion. It is also important not to obsess, but to just be aware of what you are putting in your mouth and why. Enough said on this for now. Think about it.

Make the right choice!

There is no doubt about it, I love to eat. But what's unfortunate are the mind games and mis-information. For example, I was reading this food comparison in Glamour Magazine (would not buy it-got it at the library!) It's not that I don't like the mag, but looking at those images constantly can't be good. ANYWAY, they listed the calories for one medium sized Bananna Nut Muffin at 530 and 23 grams of fat. (!) If that were in my house, I would probably eat it as I was racing out the door. Then I would incorrectly say to myself "Well, I only had that muffin this morning-I can afford to eat a bit more for lunch or whatever..." 530 is PLENTY of calories for a breakfast, especially if you want to add some coffee with half and half, sugar, and some OJ! The interesting part of this article was what they listed as having the same amount of calories: 1 english muffin with 2 tsp. peanut butter, 1 hard boiled egg, 6 oz of greek yogurt with strawberries and 2tsp of honey on top and a large coffee with skim milk! Can you imagine! That is the kind of breakfast we all should be having. I certainly would not convince myself that I did not have enough for breakfast...And it actually had less calories at 430 and only 12 grams of fat. Unbelievable!

Time for Blog!

I am so sorry to anyone who has been following. I did warn that I would be super busy in the summer and not be able to post. I will now commit to try and keep up with this. It is not that I don't think about my weight, health, body composition, etc. every day, but sometimes it might take me a few days to gather my thoughts, so bear with me.

When I first started this blog, I divulged that one of the reasons I started exercising again after a 10 year hiatus was that experience my traditional 5 lb weight loss during my busy summer catering season. Well, this year was a banner year, and yes, I did lost that 5 lbs. In fact, almost 10 lbs. I am a petite person and most people would say I did not need to lose this weight, but I am ecstatic about it. My clothes fit better, I am back in my "skinny jeans". I can't pinch any inches on the side of my waist. I just feel good. NOW THE PROBLEM: How to maintain. First off let me say I am not depriving myself. I have been able to maintain, eating whatever I want.
LISTEN UP TO THESE TIPS on how:

THE SECRETS ARE: HAVE ONLY A LITTLE OF THE "BAD" THINGS.
You can have one glass of wine a night, but it really has to be one if you don't want to gain.
When you go out to a party on the weekend it can be two, but something else has got to go (maybe no carbs that day or something like that). If you want to indulge in one thing, try to cut out something else that you won't miss so much.

EAT SMALLER MEALS MORE OFTEN. I have heard this many times, but I am trying it really for the first time. EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, but choose something healthy and a smallish portion. You will be amazed at how little will chase that hungry feeling away.

Exercise will firm you up, but from my point of view, IT WILL NOT HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT unless you are doing intense cardio sessions that last more than 45 minutes.
Yes, exercise is great and now that I have a bit more time, I am getting back to my weekly classes and schedule. I always feel great after I do it, and my muscles are getting firmer. But I did not exercise a lick this summer and lost 10 lbs. I was active, but more importanly, just did not eat as much. Bottom line: calorie intake is the key to weight loss.
I like to exercise, but do not like the torture of the treadmill and other boring machines. Because I will not subject myself to that, I need to take in less calories, plain and simple.

EAT UNTIL YOU ARE NO LONGER HUNGRY, NOT UNTIL YOU ARE FULL. This is a hard one for me, especially if something is delicious. I just can't stop. It is a struggle everyday. I dream that someday I can follow this rule without even thinking, but I am not there yet. One thing that makes it easier for me is knowing that I can eat the next time I am hungry. I am not going to wait to some appointed time. If I eat a sandwich, and I get full 1/4 of the way through, I know I can pick it up in an hour if I want and have some more. That is very simple, but very liberating. It works too! This is not only a weight maintenence tip, it is also a very healthy way to live, taxing your system much less than overeating.

I have also been taking Chromium Picolinate (with dinner) and another supplement that I read about (name next time). Both are supposed to help with fat metabolism. Who knows if they help.

Oh the last tip for today: WEIGH YOURSELF DAILY. It is not obsessive. It is just staying aware of where you are at. It helps me, especially not to eat at night, because I know I have to face the scale in the morning! Whatever works for you, most important tip of the day!

Hope this helps out you members of the 30-40 year old ladies who don't want to wear the elastic waistbands and holiday sweaters!