2010 ~ Week 2

Hola blogger world! ((long sad face)) Week 1 was very rough...three days at the gym, low energy and, a pig-out at Chili’s. Thanks to all my friends who have cheered me on and given me helpful tips to curb my hunger. By increments of four weeks, I will share what I have lost or gained in inches around my waist as well as my weight. *bites lower lips* Here it goes…

Week 1: Waist ~ 39”, Weight ~ 184 lbs

Week 2: Waist ~ 37”, Weight ~ will post after a trip to the gym later today

By the way, I am 5’8” for those of you who may be curious of where I fall on the BMI (body mass index) chart. The two inch drop from my waistline is probably due to water retention from my cycle. In other words, I was bloated. Toda via estoy gordita y barrigita. ; )

My obsession for food this week inspired the following entry:

DIETING===>MODIFYING

Dieting makes me feel as though I am "dying" from starvation. My psyche goes into survival mode and I begin to resent the need to eat; a battle between my mind and my body. Yo se qué no me estoy muriéndo but try telling that to my barriga. Each meal is a struggle and I ask myself, "Do I really need to eat a full meal? Can't I just snack?” During the evening my personal battle is heighten to full steam. Now I have to account for my boys. Brightly I turn to them and announce, "How about a box of blueberries each for dinner tonight?" {It's more of a statement than a question} My boys retort, "mauommm, what about the meat?” Uggghh!! "What about the meat? How the heck do you think vegans survive without it?" I know a small handful of vegans and let me tell you, they survive quite well without meat in their diet. "Butttt, we are not VEGANS mom! We are mostly carnivores."

You may be asking, why make such a big deal about meat? My boys love fatty foods just as many other people do. Often I roast vegetables and serve it with a side of thinly cut grilled chicken breast. Every now and then I'll add rice or bread to the meal. Sounds good, huh? Yup, it's great as long as it's not repeated more than twice in a week. My guys kindly remind me that they are not rabbits and that they need more meat on their plates. [Frowns] "I want to lose weight, and I need you all to eat what I eat. We are all going on a diet whether you need too or not!" Hubby grumbles, "Babe...we are HUNGRY and we are men. We need 'real food'". This gets me every time because my poor husband works long hours Monday through Friday often skipping lunch. He truly is VERY hungry when he gets home from work. Mommy guilt kicks in and I breakdown giving-in before preparing the next meal. Dinner this time - a thinly cut rib eye grilled steak with skillet roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and a side of spinach salad. Not bad, huh? Well, the rib eye steak is laden with fat and my "men" love it! The salad, not so much; hubby and I eat most of it and the boys barely finger it with their forks. (((Sigh))) *rolls eyes*

Food!!! Me gusta comer! I watched and read many articles on the subject of weight loss to know that food does not have to be an enemy. Food needs to be respected as a means to fill us with the nutrition we need to be healthy. In a sense we abuse our bodies when we overeat, eat fatty foods or, foods filled with artificial preservatives and so forth. Many times I've heard that we need to make a conscious decision when we choose what foods we are to put in our mouths before each meal. Easier said than done! When you have created a habit of eating the way I and most others have, making a conscious decision takes too much effort. If I'm hungry and I am out and about running errands skipping lunch to keep up with my busy schedule, I'm going to reach for whatever looks tasty regardless of its healthy attributes or lack of. This is the part that fuels my inner battle with dieting.

It's easier to give into my guys' wishes and my barriga's when I'm dieting because dieting comes with so many restrictions. I do not appreciate being told what I can and cannot do. According to some of the media blitz on health, instead of dieting, the new way to trim down is to "modify our eating habits". {Changing the way we label actions is my favorite way to deal with things I do not like or things that challenge me....resolutions-goals, dieting-modify my eating habits, etcetera, etcetera.} Modifying what I buy to eat will help me to make those rash eating choices more agreeable to my weight loss goals. Sure I'm still hungry but I'm not about to buy goodies for anyone in my household. Now it won't matter what I grab out the refrigerator or cupboard because it is filled with good healthy choices. Actually, you can yodel in my refrigerator and cupboard because I only buy groceries for every three days.

Well readers, cheers to you if you have decided to modify your eating habits. Ching, ching! Oooops, drinking alcohol is another factor. It slows your metabolism thus allowing your body to soak up more fat. Instead, I have decided to toast you and me with a cool glass of water. Cheers!!