Monday, January 05, 2009

Time to get serious!

January, 2009.
In a woman's codebook, that would stand for:
DIET SOS!

I think we've all been here at one point or another! HELP, indeed. Especially after eating all those Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years goodies. Who doesn't gain a few lbs? What's frustrating is when you're trying to lose weight before the holidays and all you do is gain more.

I took a stand this year and refused to fall into the old pattern! I've actually lost almost 2 lbs since Christmas, which isn't a lot, but I didn't gain! Instead, I ate sensibly ever since Christmas and started a very strict counting-calories diet on New Years Day. I weighed myself that morning and as of today I am down 1/2 lb in a few days. Slow and steady wins the race, right? I sure hope so!! I have 8.5 lbs to lose to be back at what I refer to as my pre-Audrey weight. Not too bad, considering she's not even 6 months yet.

So far this calorie counting diet hasn't been too hard and its definitely working. I'm already noticing my favorite PJ pants fit better than they did just a few weeks ago. Progress is such a motivator, isn't it? Makes it easier to resist the M&Ms and left-over Christmas cookies (which I would toss out but Hubby actually likes them) by knowing I'm already getting somewhere, and my goal isn't some distant illusion.

My hubby took me to calorieking.com and entered in my current weight, and the weight I'd like to be. It then told me how many calories I need to consume to maintain my goal weight. So that's now the number of calories a day I am eating - 1550. If I eat healthy snacks and spread them out, its actually quite doable. I even went to Olive Garden with Hubby for a date Saturday night and had 1 and 1/2 breadsticks, a plate of salad, and shrimp primavera, and stayed within my calorie limit after having had a small lunch and a granola bar for breakfast. Yesterday I came in UNDER my calorie limit, and today I am spreading my snacks out and will have enough calories left for dinner to get something fun at McDonalds. Yay for diets that don't deprive!

I'm a big fan of Weight Watchers but for me right now, this is much easier and faster. I don't have the time/money to go to the meetings and pay to access their amazing online programs. I would if I could! But I'm going to try this calorie thing first since it seems to be working. (and of course, keep on exercising!)

So I'm hanging in there! How are you guys doing? Who else is dieting in 2009? What diets are you trying? What made you decide to try that one? Dish!!! =)

5 comments:

Erica Vetsch said...

I'm with you! I lost 60 pounds in 2008, and I have around 25 more to go.

Lots of veg, walking on the treadmill as often as I can, and watching carbs.

We can do it!

And congrats on how quickly you've lost the baby weight, and even losing weight during the holidays. I was pleased to have just maintained during the past couple of weeks.

Georgiana Daniels said...

Ooo, I'll have to try calorieking. Actually, I didn't gain anything over the holiday, despite the 3 or 4 boxes of chocolate and all the cookies and cake at our place. (Just TRY being married to someone in the food business!) BUT, I also haven't lost all the weight I needed to lose in the first place. SOS is right!

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Congrats on the weight loss! Two pounds might not seem like much, but the next time you are at the grocery store, go to the butter section and hold up 2 of those 1 lb. butter bricks...that's how much you lost...makes you feel better when you can see what that 2 lbs actually looks like. Congrats again! I need to get on the ball and start eating better (and less junk) and exercising more.

Eileen Astels Watson said...

I'm with you, Betsy. I need to loose a few too. A year ago I joined Herbal Magic. I'm long off the herbs now to curb the appetite, but whenever I need to loose a few that creep back on I stick with the 2 protein, 2 starch, 2 fruit, 3 veges, 1 dairy, 2 fat, and 1 free exchange weight-loss program per day that got rid of 40 lbs off me in the first place. If I take in my 8 glasses of water a day, even without the herbals I don't feel hungry sticking with this plan.

Here's to us all counting those calories or food groups!!!

Anonymous said...

Good job Betsy! Since the new year, i'm on track, I need to lose 15 to get to my "pre-Mav" weight! Joining the Broadmoor Y because they have yoga at the times I need! I can't wait to get back into it. Good luck, 8 isn't much at all! Thanks for the info on calorieking!