I finally faced the dreaded scale last Friday and to my shock and surprise...loss of 5 lbs! I didn't jump up and down though. I don't know why I didn't get excited. Maybe it's because I know the reason I've lost those pounds is because I have added more fruits and veggies to my diet and am cutting out more refined carbs. Maybe it's because I know in my heart of hearts that that's got to happen. I can't eat to my carb delight! It's kind of depressing to know that, even if it means that's the key to my losing weight.
See, even though my head knows that eating less refined carbs and eating more fruits and veggies is the KEY to my success, my wanting of bad stuff does NOT stop. People who have a high metabolism or have never had a weight problem in their life do not understand this. I know they think, "Just cut out ___ and you'll lose weight" but for me that's the kiss of death. If I cut it out, I want it more. The key for me is to reduce it gradually over time. Take my sweet tea addiction. I was drinking sweet tea all the time. It was my go-to drink. I first cut it down to 3 glasses a day. Then over time, down to 2. Now I am down to 1 glass a day but most days I don't drink it at all.
Other things haven't been too hard for me but I know it's a battle for others. Fast food, for instance, has not been hard for me to cut out. I know it's a God thing, but I honestly don't like the taste of McDonald's, Chick-fil-a (shocker, I know), Burger King, etc. Every fast food has it's own unique taste but God has made it taste bad to me. I know that sounds crazy but I prayed about it and that's how it is for me now. Another thing is sweets around the house. That has become a daily battle that God continues to fight for me. My husband brings home cookies, brownies, etc. from school. I do not eat them. God gives me the power to resist. I choose healthier options such as frozen yogurt or reduced fat muffins I make from scratch.
If you are feeling like you've hit a plateau, or you are struggling to start your new food life, here's some advice from me (who is battling the same battle).
- Take it to God every morning. Ask Him to help you make the right decisions with food and help for finding time to exercise.
- Take baby steps. For one week cut back on something that you HAVE to have that's not good for you.
- Don't expect it to be easy. This is the biggest lesson I've learned. This is a battle I will have to do for the rest of my life. It will never be easy for me, even when I get down to my 'ideal' weight. I had to come to terms with this fact when I started. I would love to be gifted with losing all this weight and then magically keeping it off, but that's not what's going to happen. When I accepted the fact that I would have to eat this way for the rest of my life, then I was able to move forward with changing my eating habits. If you are not ready to do that, you are not ready to lose the weight.
Well, I guess this was a longer post than I intended!
