11/17/11

It has been about six weeks since I started this experiment. 

I started out at 201 pounds.  This was a new high (or low) for me personally.  I don’t have time to go to meetings for Weight Watchers and I needed a way to stay accountable.  Certainly, my son telling me that he “loved my jiggly butt” was motivation in and of itself.  Or his saying that my “stomach is so soft, it’s better than a pillow.” 
It’s easy to block out what you really look like and ignore your children because they say obnoxious things all the time.  They have no filters. 

You know you’re in trouble when your patients start asking you if you’re pregnant.  That happened more than once.  I chalked it up to big shirts, or just plain obnoxious commentary. 

I figured that it is time to take stock of the experiment and to see how well this has been working.  I have invited many of my patients to view my blog.  They are surprised to find out that I too, struggle with some of the same problems they do.  Also, secretly, I think they hope I’ll fail because then they don’t have to succeed.  Put another way, I feel the pressure to succeed so I can show my patients that they can succeed at this too. 

Well, I have lost TEN POUNDS!!!! 

My new digital scale says I weight 190.4 lbs., so technically I’ve lost 10.6 pounds, but who’s counting?  (Kudos to Target, who took back the broken scale without a receipt or box and let me get a new one!  They are my new favorite store!)

I still have another 15 or so pounds to go.  I still have to incorporate exercise into this experiment.  I definitely understand my patient’s issues when it comes to weight loss and exercise and I hope they see this.

Here are a few tips. 
Don’t eat out.  Don’t eat out.  Don’t eat out. 
Eating out was my undoing.   I didn’t realize how often we were eating out or ordering in until we stopped. 

Try new foods. 
I am trying new foods and I’m trying old foods in new ways.  For example, I am making a type of chili with bulgar wheat instead of meat.  I love bulgar wheat but always had it in traditional middle eastern dishes, like tabouli, or a pilaf like dish.  I made eggplant rollatini  which is kind of like eggplant parmesan but with a lot less ricotta cheese, and with pre-roasted eggplant slices and with a homemade quick tomato basil sauce.  My daughter’s best friend told me she hates eggplant normally, but loved the eggplant rollatini  Get recipes from the “Cooking Light” magazine or it’s website.  They have great recipes.  Weight Watchers web site also has wonderful recipes.  If you are cooking for one or two, cut the recipes in half, or freeze half of the prepared food in single serving containers. 

Cut way back on salt. 
I didn’t realize how salty my food was until I stopped eating so much processed food.  My ankles don’t puff up at the end of the day like they did. 

Buy a leather punch.  (My belt is suddenly too big!  Hurrah!  I need to punch a new hole in it!)

Keep a sense of humor. 
Have a cookie now and then.
Realize that this is a lifestyle change and will take time to get used to. 
Develop a new habit of making a menu weekly and shopping to it.
Cook the foods you have on your menu instead of letting the ingredients turn into compost in your refrigerator. 
Keep plenty of healthy snacks handy.
Don’t let yourself get so hungry at the end of the day that you eat ravenously when you get home. 
Include the kids in preparing meals.  (They’re more likely to eat the food if they help to make it.)
Drink a lot of water. 

Most importantly, do something big to announce to everyone that THIS IS IT.  You’re making a BIG change.  For me, it was a drastic hair cut.  I went from a “below the shoulders” style (usually pulled back so my hair was not in my or my patient’s faces) to a short  bob.  People say they “like my hair cut” and I announce that I did it because Dr. Tong yelled at me to lose weight so this was my way to start the whole process...with a big change in my appearance. 

Let’s keep going!  Another 10 pounds is my next goal, as is incorporating exercise. 
Feel free to leave comments!