Losing weight etc.

Three and a half months ago, I was looking at pictures of myself and was horrified at how wide and old I looked. I could've easily passed for a 42 year old young-looking-grandmother watching after her teen daughter's two small children (mine)...SERIOUSLY!

I was dragging my feet on starting the dieting and exercising thing. I feared physical pain and change. My favorite excuse was "Gavin is only 6 months and I'm still nursing"...wouldn't my supply dwindle and thus, my son suffer if that happened?

I finally got tired of looking and feeling sloth-ish that I decided to just start by moving more. You know, walking a little here. An exercise video there. And jogging on occasion. Then a funny thing happened. As I slowly became more fit, I began to want and like to exercise. WOW?! I just startled myself. When, I say that word EXERCISE it is no longer a dirty word to me, and three months ago it was!!! And speaking of dirt. I literally showered in my own sweat this morning after I ran and LOVED IT! I think that when we push ourselves hard enough and get our sweat-on, I really think we get our happy-on too.

Now it is time to talk about numbers and results. I've lost a whopping 38 pounds to date (I lost 13 pounds within the past 3 months) and I'm only 3 pounds away from reaching my initial goal of getting back to my pre-pregancy weight. Once I get there I will work on my ultimate weight-loss goal. I kinda have a ballpark range of where I want to be but I will cross that bridge when it is time to.

Moving more

I posted an article awhile back on the science behind making behavioral changes and one of the lessons I learned was that in order to adopt the habit of exercising one needed to find their unique dopamine-inducing-activity (or activities). The key word here is activity. In short, our brains are wired to seek out dopamine-inducing-activities (DIA's). For some it is eating. Playing videogames. Facebooking. For me it is eating sweets and now, running. Take a guess on which one has helped me lose weight? OK. Point made.

The trouble is when too many of our DIA's revolve around sedentary activities (anything where you sit for long periods of time such as excessive gaming, reading, computer use etc.) or unhealthy activities (overeating, mindless eating) or maladaptive activities (heavy drinking, smoking, drug use etc.) So, for a person to pick up exercising, it is really important to start slow and to do something one likes to do. All you have to do is to stick to doing this activity for 21 days and you will make a habit of it. I know that sounds like a long time. But I did it. With two small kids! You almost have to treat yourself like a dog and "teach yourself" this new trick until you get it. Not just know how to do it. But to do it to the point where it becomes a part of who you are.

Eating, etc.

There are so many "temporary" ways of dieting/eating that in the long run is a waste of time. There are also various methods that will lead to long term weight loss. You just have to chose one that's right for you. For me it is tracking what I eat and loading up on unprocessed foods, fruits, vegetables, and water. I know that keeping track of everything I eat is a pain in the derrière, but if this is the way that I can reach my weight loss goals and still eat carbohydrates and sweets in moderation, then the benefit definitely outweighs the cost. The five-million-dollar word here is sustainability. My brother Erle's method for weight loss and weight maintenance (he's been doing this for years now) is during the weekdays to not to eat more 25 grams of carbohydrates per day then load up on carbs on the weekend. For me that is not sustainable. If I want a cake pop on Tuesday night and more than 1/2 cup of brown rice on Wednesday night, then dangit! I eat it! The bottom line is you have to change what you eat to lose weight and sustain that change until, as I said it before, it becomes a part of who you are.

Here's what I learned. True and lasting change is the kind you cannot see (at first) because it all starts inside of you. First your heart must change, then your heart will influence your mind. (Not vice versa because the heart is infinitely stronger than the mind.) Then voila! The change is visible and everyone is high-fiving you and saying how great you look!

You can do it! I can do it! WE can do it!

Have a charmed & blessed week all = )