A Little Bump In The Road

In Mexico they call it a tope (tow-pay), a bump in the road that forces you to slow down. I met one of those this week. It's been a struggle for days. Not going completely whole-hog, still, too many bites, too many calories. But I'm confident it's a mere bump in the road. 


Monday's are so good for start-overs. Since I write everything down, I know exactly where I went wrong last week, and hopefully I can make different decisions this week, and all of March.


One problem is that I was getting all my calories before 2 p.m. and there was no way I could go without eating again until bedtime. I knew I should ration those calories, but simply put, I didn't do it. So for March one strategy will be to do a better job at spreading out the calories so I have enough for a small supper or snack at bedtime.


Another problem area has been to think I should eat something sweet for breakfast with my cup of coffee. Sweet treats aren't taboo, but when I indulge, I just need to think in smaller quantities. For example, we stopped for cinnamon rolls yesterday on the way to church. I knew I should have half or less of one, but I got greedy and didn't want to give half away. (I'll blame it on the luscious maple frosting.) My husband would have been happy to split one with me. Next time, I'll take along a little plastic knife and cut that sucker into quarters.


The key to everything is to plan, plan, and plan. So I will march into March with a plan to succeed.

"Re-wire me, Lord."

Yesterday my prayer partner and I were talking about those old unhelpful and unproductive patterns that cause us to keep doing the same things over and over. As she prayed, she said, "Lord, please re-wire us."

I love that word!  That's what I want to be. Re-wired.


I haven't done so well for a few days. There's a quote that says, "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."


When I got on the scale this morning it reflected my slip-ups earlier in the week. I'd fallen back into some old unhelpful, unproductive patterns of eating. And the scale was hollering "Ditto, girl!" at me.
It boils down to this, I simply cannot eat the way I used to unless I want to regain those lost pounds and weigh what I used to. I've got to make permanent changes. And not just in my eating. I can say this about several areas of my life.


I am not discouraged, and I don't really look at this as a setback. It's just a bump in the road. I may not be able to record another pound lost the end of February, but I have hope for March.


In Bible study last night the speaker was talking about making time to spend with God. She said things don't have to be perfect. We don't have to have the perfect place, we don't have to have the perfect chair, the perfect surroundings, the perfect time of day, etc. Striving for "the perfect" can be a roadblock to whatever we are hoping to achieve, for things are rarely perfect.


My diet certainly is far from perfect. But I'm filled with hope, because little by little I see improvement. I don't eat like I used to. I think more before taking that first bite of something I probably shouldn't. I make better choices. (I'll clarify that by saying "most days I make better choices.") The scale has been a good friend. Not only does it reward me with lower numbers month after month, but it also rebukes me when I've slacked up on my efforts. It keeps me honest with myself.


I've got a week before the end of month weigh-in. I think I have a 50-50 chance of showing a loss. But I've got to buckle down and behave myself, and when I've had enough, I need to brush my teeth and stop eating for the day.

Three's Company

My daughter and son-in-law have jumped into the race, and the three of us are now pushing toward that goal of getting healthier. Well, I could actually count my husband, too. The two of us have been exercising  2-3 times a week. And I've been trying to walk each day now that the weather is perking up and not so chilly.


If you've been keeping up with my blog, you might recall my grumbly attitude that I wish I could see faster progress with my weight loss. I still wish I was losing faster, but I'm not as discouraged about the slowness. All I have to do is look at my chart, and see those dots continue to work their way down. Since October, I haven't had any gains. That's something to crow about! And I'm fairly confident that I'll be updating my chart the end of February to show yet another pound lost.


There have been days when I've eaten more than I should have. I'll call those pothole days. But thank God there are fewer pothole days than those where I do eat right. Stress breaks down my resistance, so on days where there is lots of pressure, I don't do as well. 


I'm learning some strategies that help keep me on track. Things like brushing my teeth after supper so I don't continue feeding my face until bedtime. I've also noticed that on days where my breakfast calories are high, the rest of the day is often doomed. So I'm trying to be more watchful there. Eating breakfast out makes for more challenges the rest of the day unless I can order "sides" and be happy with an egg and toast and a bite or two of hubby's hash-browns. I've noticed protein keeps me satisfied longer than grains. So when I have time in the morning, I make a double omelet with one yolk and two whites. I sprinkle on a minimum of grated cheddar cheese. Oh, and more and more I'm liking chopped jalapeño peppers with my eggs. It seems better if I eat grains in the evening. Often my supper will be a bowl of oatmeal, or home made granola. It fills me up. And one more strategy I've discovered for feeling full is to drink a hot Pero or Roastaroma with milk. I can't get past that longing for my tummy to be filled. I don't enjoy going to bed hungry, then laying there thinking about food.


So... if you check back in a couple of weeks, there's a good chance you'll see a new chart posted, one that reflects another pound down the drain.