Kind to Myself

I am not pleased with the way I appear today. I have not been perfect on my food choices. My lunch included a burrito with sour cream, beef and guacamole as well as a side of chips. But, I have decided to be kind to me. When I am angry with myself it triggers negative results including binge eating. The old saying by those in 12 step programs is, "Progress not perfection". I am eating and exercising better then I was last week or last month but I am not perfect. I am improving and if I continue to make a sincere effort to be better that is good enough for now. Better to my family, better for my work, and most important better for myself. It took years to get to the point I am at now. I must be patient and kind to myself. My better choices will bear fruit.

Portion Control

I have been eating almost exclusively vegetarian for a few days. The exception was a small piece of salmon. BUT, tonight I splurged. I had a thin New York strip steak. Eat anything you like. What? There is nothing off limits. If you like a food enjoy it. Be a little hedonistic. Here's the deal, if it is a food that is densely caloric limit the frequency you serve it and the size of the portion. Most nutritionists would tell you that your serving of meat or poultry should be approximately the size of a deck of regular playing cards, about 3 ounces. My New York was more like 5 oz but I just need to burn or drop 500 calories a day from my baseline. My normal serving would be 12-14 ounces. Enjoying my life, enjoying my food, and improving everyday.

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Goals

First let me state the obvious, we all must set goals. This is not just about weight loss, this is about life. How can you gauge your progress if you don't know what it is you are trying to accomplish? If my goal was to drive to New York within one week but after three days I was only to Reno I would know I was not effectively attaining my goal.

Set Goals that require effort but are obtainable. If I set a weight loss goal of losing 5 pounds over two months I would be successful but I would cheat myself of any feeling of accomplishment. I could lose 5 pounds in the first week. Conversely if I said I want to lose 20 pounds in one month I will fail. There is no healthy way to lose that much weight in so little time. I have set a goal of losing 20 pounds by the 4Th of July. That works out to 7 pounds the first week and then a pound a week for 13 weeks. A pound of fat would take a reduction of 500 calories per day. This will require effort but should be possible without great discomfort.

REWARDS. When you achieve your goals you should reward yourself. I know people that want to celebrate a successful weight loss program by treating themselves to a piece of cheesecake. That's fine but not that productive. You are still food centric. When losing weight you will look better. I would suggest rewarding yourself with some nice new clothes or a new hair style. Something that builds on the positive results you are achieving.

Enjoy yourself. In addition to caloric reduction you need to burn more calories. Make the activity enjoyable. Yesterday I walked to Lake Cunningham on a beautiful spring afternoon. The journey was its own reward. Eat food you like in a common sense way. Last night for dinner I had a little salmon teriyaki. I find it delicious but made sure I had an appropriately sized portion. Losing the weight is not a punishment and its not torture. Its beneficial and can feel good.

This is NOT a Diet. I want to loose weight for health, appearance, and improve my self-image but the new levels of activity and healthier meals are not temporary, they represent a lifestyle change. Its not a period of self-denial that I can't wait to end, its a new way to live. A healthier way to live longer and better

I am Almost Obese!

There are plenty of things I don't like about myself. We all have some. I was teased frequently as a child for having freckles, but I would not change my heritage for anything. Even if I wanted to I could do nothing about it. Genetics brought me some unsightly leg veins but the medical plan doesn't cover "cosmetic" procedures so I accept it. I would really like dental implants and to improve my smile but I don't have the $30,000 to spend so I accept myself as I am. I weigh 258 pounds and I accept that the aging man in the mirror is a bit overweight. Wait a minute. There is no reason I have to be fat. Losing weight will most likely improve my health, make me more attractive and improve my self esteem but I do nothing. There is no excuse, weight loss is FREE.

I bought a scale and weighed myself. I take that weight and plug it into a BMI calculator and see I have a Body Mass Index of 29.8. If your BMI is from 25 to 29.9 you are considered overweight, if it is 30 or over you are OBESE! I was a couple of pounds from obesity. Now as you look at the chart you can see I am in good company. As of 1994 almost 60% of American men and about half of the women were overweight or obese. The numbers have gotten worse since then.

I work a full time job. I pay all the bills for a family of four. Since my wife's strokes and heart attack I buy and cook all the food. I am the one who cleans the kitchen and does the laundry. I am frequently the babysitter for my three year old granddaughter in the evenings. My wife can no longer drive so I take her to dialysis on Saturday's. As the only income I don't have a dime to spare. But I will still loose 20 pounds by the forth of July. My point is none of us feel we have the time or money to take on any new struggles. In our stress filled society we want to just turn on the TV and zone out. But WEIGHT LOSS IS FREE. Its not easy but it is free. If I can do this anybody can. I am a stress or emotional eater. When I feel bad about myself or my situation I eat. When I feel sad or lonely I stuff my face. This will be a journal about success, self improvement and a journey to better mental and physical health. Any of us can do it, its a choice.

To find your own Body Mass Index Go Here: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/