After being gone for a good portion of the day for the second day in a row, I had some things to catch up on and didn't get started on my exercise until late morning. And even though I really didn't feel like exercising, I knew I had to slog it out because someone might actually know if I didn't. Since I've started writing about my "lose weight, gain health" project, I've found that being accountable to my readers definitely forces me to get busy and get it done! Even hearing that one single person is following along motivates me to not skip out on my commitment. So thank you for being there for me, YOU are what keeps me going!
I opted to just do stairs at home again since I wanted to head into the village later in the day, but I decided if I was going to be forced to exercise, I would set a goal to surpass my numbers from the last time I did stairs. I am thrilled to report I was successful! I managed 27 trips in 20 minutes, took a two minute break, and then pushed for another seven trips in five minutes, for a total of 34 trips and 25 minutes! Even though it's not a full 30 minutes, it definitely gets my heart rate up more than walking does and it also seems my stamina is getting a little better. I've also noticed that an added side effect of doing the stairs for exercise seems to be helping my balance, something I have struggled with since my brain surgery!
Since it seems I am gradually overcoming my resistance to daily exercise, now I need to work on my food choices. One thing I struggle with is the fact that I'm such a picky eater. The list of things I don't like, or won't eat, is much larger than what I do like or will eat, which makes it difficult to prepare healthy meals. Add that to the fact that I hate cooking and it's too hot to cook three squares a day, and how hard and expensive it is to get the things I do like on a regular basis, and it adds up to leaving me with limited choices. 
Unfortunately, that leads me to just not eating much at all some days because there's little that I like. And it also means that when I do sit down to eat something that I do like, I often eat a larger portion than I should, even if it is "healthy." I know that has really screwed up my metabolism, and I need to figure out how I'm going to turn that around. I'm just not sure what I'm going to do about it yet, but I do know I'd really like to get this damn scale to move downward a few more numbers.I'm open to any suggestions that anyone has, so tell me, HOW and WHAT do YOU eat to keep your weight in check? (Please, I beg of you, please just don't say fish……..)
You know, food is like clothes. Most people wear the same 4-6 outfits every week - you know, the ones that are comfortable and that we just really, really like. Food is no different. If you look at what you were eating when you weren't eating so great, you probably had 4-6 favorite meals that you just ate, over and over. So maybe trying to figure out what those were, and then see if there's a way to make them slightly healthier. Or, try to find some new recipes of things you really love, and then give yourself permission to eat them frequently.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes when we diet, we get hung up on having to be super creative, when in fact, being consistent may be more important and effective. I think the biggest challenge in Belize is just dealing with the limited food choices. Hopefully some of the skinnier people will "weigh in," no pun intended lol! Keep up the good work, Dawn! Awesome achievement on the stairs. :)
that's an interesting way of describing it Sharon - I've never thought about it that way. I just know that this girl cannot live on a diet of just salads and strange veggies for the rest of her life. I wish I weren't so picky, I REALLY do! It is such a challenge to find things I like, and then it isn't always available!
ReplyDeleteYou sure can't prove it by the way I look now, my best weight loss thingie was KNOWING when I was full. Paying attention NOT to what is left on my plate but, Was I full??????? If I decided I was, the rest went into the trash can ASAP! Also since my sweet tooth is the biggest one in my mouth, knew I couldn't keep it up without a little something sweet most days. Did all that in the
ReplyDeleteAM. If you are excercising, you burn that off.
Yes that's true, knowing when you are full and being mindful of what you are eating, actually enjoying it instead of wolfing it down, can make a huge difference. I have the bad habit of not eating until I'm STARVING- and then all my commitments to good eating seem to go out the window!
Deletedon't diet. That is all. be mindful of what you are eating, why you are eating, when you are eating, etc. Eat non-processed whole foods in moderate portions. Do not eat until you are "full", because in abotu 20 minutes you will be "over-full".
ReplyDeleteand it's weird, but when it's hot I don't even feel like eating at all, which I know slows my metabolism down too. I am trying to remind myself to eat a tiny (healthy) snack every couple of hours to keep my body from thinking it is in starvation mode. But when it's hot I could really care less about food. You'd think that would make me lose weight, but it hasn't!
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