Today is the day

I am absolutely 100% committed to beginning a healthy new chapter in my life today. TODAY.  (As in, eight hours from now when I wake up.)

I spent several hours in the kitchen Sunday afternoon cleaning and chopping vegetables.  I read a book over the weekend (Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Feel Fabulous With the Diet You Were Born to Eat) which helped me say, "Okay, I can do this."

I'm ready to do this.

Here are a few reasons:

1)  I don't want a hip replacement in twenty years.

2)  I prefer not to experience diabetes in the future.

3)  I am super embarrassed by my appearance.

4)  I have nothing to wear, even though I have a closet full of clothes.

5)  I'd like to walk for hours without my back and feet hurting. 

Being fat has no upside, other than the fact that you can be invisible if you are fat, but I'm a little sick of being invisible.  Also?  Fat ladies have cushiony laps for babies.  Other than that?  No upside.

Comments

[Deborah]

Yep... I can relate to MANY of your reasons. Sadly I think less about the REAL medial / health related reasons and am more focussed on 3 - 5. And... I so hear ya!

[Jennifer]

Yes, yes, yes! I started a primal diet (see Mark's Daily Apple blog or the Primal Blueprint book...basically a paleo variant) on Ash Wednesday and lost 10 pounds by Easter. And I wasn't hungry. And for the most part, I didn't crave sweets. A spoonful of almond butter or [LOVE] coconut butter/manna, which are naturally sweet but have no added sugar, helped when I wanted sweets. I didn't exercise, either...I need to add that in next.

My in-laws lost a lot of weight on Weight Watchers, and I did, too, back in the day (before my second child), but tracking and portion control makes me stabby and rebellious. I have a better time of it just cutting out, say, sugar, altogether, than trying to eat ONLY ONE cookie or whatever. I find an alternative to the cookie rather than eating the one and then having to stave off temptation (um, or not) and feeling sorry for myself.

Well-Fed by Melissa Joulwan has some great recipes, and a whole section on her "Weekly Cook-up" talking about what she pre-cooks on the weekend and how she puts it together during the week when she's in a rush. It might be helpful to you on your busy schedule? That is the challenge on the paleo diet, I think...I'm cooking a lot more. The upside is, I like what I cook for the most part. Homemade olive oil mayo is crave-worthy, so much better than storebought. :) And I'm suddenly obsessed with kale chips, and butternut squash, and skirt steak. SO weird for me.

I've been lurking for a long time...don't remember if I've commented before. Good luck! And don't be so hard on yourself. I don't know how you maintain the schedule you do...hopefully this will be a season of taking care of yourself, not just trying to lose weight. I'm still learning the "taking care of myself" thing myself...but really, I'm a better mom and wife when I have the discipline to actually pay attention to my own health (physical AND emotional).

[tricia]

you need to want it. i just posted on my blog what most women do for weight loss and what most people need to do for weight loss.

it is so simple. :)

[Liz]

I just finally started my own regime today, the plan is to weigh 65kg by next year. So far I weigh 86kg. (I lost 5kg last month from just cutting down all that sugar alone)
When I read through your list of reasons I laughed at No. 4. That is exactly how I feel too! lol, all these pretty clothes and dresses I can't fit into cause I have a 'gummy tummy'... hmmm gummy bears... um what was I saying? Oh yeah!
Good luck and remember your doing this for you cause you deserve the best! It usually takes about 10 weeks before anything majorly noticeable happens in my experience (I'm one of those people who lose weight in a bundle, go Omg I can now eat whatever I want! So a few months later I'm back where I began T_T)

[Dot]

I have read your blog from start to finish and wanted to wish you luck. I find Tim Ferris idea of a cheat day helps. I have one once a fortnight and every time the cake calls I say not today but you can on Sunday. Helps keep me on the straight and narrow.

[Gastric Bypass Man]

It's good to know you're finally committed to be healthy. The reasons you stated above are all good reasons and motivations since all of them is for yourself. That's the most important, lose weight not to please other people but because you want to do it for yourself. Good luck :)