Looking ahead

You know, being fit really is better than being fat.  Wearing smaller jeans is better than wearing bigger jeans.  Being able to run down the street without having a cardiac event is good. 

All of these things are better than overeating . . . and yet, I overeat--or just eat poorly--instead of being fit.  I overeat instead of wearing smaller jeans.  I overeat instead of running down the street.

And as I have said before and will say again, I am going to get it together.  I am going to make eating well and exercising daily a priority.  But not until after next week. 

Next week looks like this:

1)  Work Monday through Thursday a total of 30 hours.
2)  Take care of house and kids.  Prepare house for my absence (in other words, clean out fridge and wash all dirty laundry.  Consider mopping kitchen floor.)
3)  Pack clothes which disguise unfortunate weight gain.  Ha ha ha ha ha.  I did buy several new bras.  Believe me, if you saw me, you'd thank me.
4)  Pay bills, clean off desk, write sporadic blog entries.
5)  On Friday, arrive at airport at 6 a.m. (ouch, that hurts), fly to San Jose, California.  Meet friends at airport, pick up rental car, drive to conference.
6)  Participate in conference Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
7)  Fly home.  Resume life.  Resist total collapse.

Now, here's the good diet-related news.  The food at the conference includes  many healthy choices.  The surrounding area invites long walks under majestic Redwood trees.  So, I can kick-start my diet lifestyle change when I arrive.  It's always easier to eat healthy when people are watching your plate (or if you imagine they are watching your plate), right?  Even before then, I am going to be watchful and sensible.  I am.  I will.  Really.

Anyway, that's how life looks here.  How's life look where you live?

Comments

[Marietjie du Toit]

You can really make use of the opportunity to take longs walks under the Redwood trees. Set your mind to eat the healthy food provided at the conference - always better if you set your mind to it before the time. Good luck

[Tish]

Mel,

Have a good week. Do I recall you saying that the conference is at Mt. Hermon? I remember going there for conference weekends when I was a student at Stanford. It's a beautiful, beautiful place. Get your work done and have a good time at the conference and then come back to your lifestyle-shaping job. Head up, shoulders back, tummy in.

[Susanne]

Well, after doing something like "unintentional candy month" between carnival and eight days ago I decided to weigh again, and lose weight. this time for real. I made three rules, a) lights out at 10.30, b) no candy or gummy bears (but I'm allowed dark chocolate in sane amounts), c) only one alcoholic beverage per day, if possible.

I did very well for two days. That was a week ago. Today I have the same weight I had when I started. Which would be good if I hadn't lost about a pound in the meantime.

Meh.

One day at a time.

[Lynne]

As someone who just returned from a weekend away without the family --- DO NOT WASH THE FLOOR UNTIL AFTER YOU RETURN. In your absence your house rules will be on hiatus; the food you buy will be rotting in the fridge, the fast food wrappers visible in the over-flowing trash can, and the laundry pile will be monsterous whether you wash their clothes ahead of time or not...

Go - have fun - !!

[Yvonne]

Hi Mel - weather here pretty much sucks - so that is my excuse for not getting out to walk - also, i have a bum knee that causes me pain for days after a walk. The thing is I know that if I lose the weight, the knee will stop hurting as much. Today I signed up with http://caloriecount.about.com/ so I'll see how that works for me. It grades you on your food choices, and so far today I'm at an A-. This will work for me - perfectionist that I am. It gave me a goal of getting down to 131 lbs by the 27th of December (I'm starting out at 170 on my 5 ft. 4" frame) I never would have given myself that goal - I would be happy at 150... I just read the People article on Valerie Bertinelli - and she started at 170 - is 5'4" and is down to 131 or so - but she exercises - and I really don't!!! This website has a food log - and since I'm on the computer nearly all the time between work and home - I can update as needed. Ok - so that's what life looks like here in Lombard, IL. Have fun hiking amidst the Redwoods - I've never seen a Redwood!!!

[Ceci]

Enjoy yourself! I am hoping that it will be a much needed respite from the BUSY, BUSY, BUSY of life at home. And I know you told us how energizing it was to go for walks there last year. And I also remember you ranting about all the HEALTHY delicious food. Maybe this is the line in the sand. You will cross it and be able to clear your head and be back where you want to be.

I'm praying for you. Oh, and I'm down 22+ pounds, weighing in at 222 (started at 246--gulp!). You can do this. I know you can (and deep down, so do you :)

[How to detox]

Wow - redwood forests and probably some decent weather too - I'm not jealous - honest! Sounds like it could be fun - and if they have healthy food options at the conference all you need to do is be strong and select those from the menu (or probably a buffet I guess) - that's the hard part, I know. I love your concept of "lifestyle change" instead of starting a diet - it hasn air of permenancy about it :o)

[somebodys mother]

Unfortunately, my week is kind of revolving around a cardiac event. My beautiful uber-fit 70 year-old father is having triple bypass surgery on Wednesday. He watches his diet carefully, maintains a weight of 170 and spends 2 hours a day at the gym. I know many of you may be saying, "well then what's the point?" If you end up with this stuff anyway, why should I even try? Here's why: my father got crappy cardiac genetics, he had his first bypass when he was 45. Because of what he does he has not had to have anything done for the last 25 years. He has been healthy, and most importantly alive. He has seen his children married, and the miracle of grandchildren. So he will spend today being bored. And then will go through surgery and recovery.His big worry is that by the time the doctor will let him go back he won't know anybody there anymore. People come and go a lot at the gym. So for a while I'll be doing extra time on the treadmill. Somebody has to pick up the slack while my dad's out of comission.

[Carrie]

Hi Mel,
Well after 6 weeks of sane healthy eating I dropped the ball and now 6 weeks later have hit bottom. Which means I gained back ALL the weight lost in the first six weeks, plus some more, and am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and out-of-control.

What is so amazing is that yesterday all of the sudden, I felt sane again. Now I am on day 2 of sane eating and having absolutely NO PROBLEM doing so...what is up?

All I can say is this is the first time I have identified the 6 week cycles I seem to function in- so am trying to take notes and prepare myself for what is apparently going to happen 6 weeks from now. I liken it to the schizophrenic who takes their meds until they feel so much better that they forget why they needed them and decide they don't need them...

So for today...no sugar, no flour and I feel great. Hopefully I can figure out how to remember, for longer than 6 weeks, that those three things go together.

PS- I understand if you need to drop the blog to take care of yourself...but I hope you don't. I would miss you.

[MamaBearJune]

Good to see a post from you. Sounds like a crazy week coming up for you. My life is pretty boring. I go to see the surgeon tomorrow for my 6-week follow-up post surgery. It's supposed to snow tomorrow and also this weekend. No spring here yet!

I bet you'll do a great job kick-starting your new lifestyle in sunny California under the redwoods. :-)