Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Week 20, 210 lbs.

What a change!!  Left: Me at 288 lbs.  Right: Me at 210 lbs.
I'm over half way to my goal!!

I'm working my way, inch by literal inch, to the 80 lb. milestone!  I'm two pounds away and will probably be there before my next blog post, so it's time for another photo comparison!

Just 10 lbs. to go and I'll be under 200 lbs. for the first time since 1989 (I think).

I am still making up for the ground I lost last week by going off diet.  My fat percentage is up again.  The diet counselors and I were puzzled about the jump in my fat ratio - I didn't do any strenuous exercise and I was completely on plan all week ... so what happened?

It wasn't until we talked about the stuff I ate last week that it all made sense.  The fatty and sugary foods I ate last week added to my overall fat mass, so I am still working off those moments of weakness.  Two days of consuming cheese-stuffed jalapenos, sausage balls and assorted cookies off the art center's reception tables were not worth the extra work I caused myself.

The fat gain gave me a much-needed reality check. I needed last week's experience to show me, in no uncertain terms, how important my nutrition choices need to be from here on out.  A couple of days' worth of indulgence left me with two weeks' worth of work.  There will be a day, in the very near future, when I am no longer on this diet.  I want to keep the weight I've shed off my body for the rest of my life.  I can't go back to the way I was eating when I weighed 288 lbs. and more. 

I'm not going to say I am never going to touch fried chicken or cookies ever again.  That would be unrealistic.  I am going to say that those items will be extremely limited in Lanza's post-diet world.  I enjoy living so much more now with a healthier size and lifestyle that going back to who I was before I started Ideal Protein is unthinkable.

I am not going to focus on last week's blunder.  Instead I am going to focus on how I feel today and list some of the things that have changed in my every day life, the things that make each day a new miracle.
  • Bath time!  One of my favorite indulgences has always been long, hot tub baths.  In the past I was so heavy that getting into and out of the tub was a major chore. Not only that, the tub was not comfortable once I got in there.  I eventually gave up on them all together. I can now easily get into and out of the tub and relax with a lot more room to soak!
  • Public Restrooms!  I no longer have to do acrobatics to fit inside of the average public restroom stall!
  • Goodbye to the 2s!  My jeans size is a LOOSE 18.  No more twenty-something sizes or more than one X!
  • Stairs!  I can climb stairs quickly, without pain or without getting winded!
  • Who are you?  People who haven't seen me in a long time are not recognizing me.  When this happens it reinforces my determination to keep going because what I've done so far has already made a huge difference in the way people are seeing me.
  • I fit ... with room to spare!  Seat belts, movie theater seats, and chairs with arms no longer have the potential for embarrassment. Not only that, I can comfortably cross my legs again!!
Each day brings a new victory or miracle, it's impossible to list everything.  The biggest, most important change that has happened to me is on the inside.  I'm alive again -  an active participant in life, rather than someone who hides from the world around her. I have a sense of well-being. I feel good about myself and the joy I feel each day radiates to those around me.  I keep thinking of that scene in "The Grinch that Stole Christmas" where the Grinch's heart grows so big it breaks the little animated view finder.  That's what's happening to me right now.

Note:  For the next two weeks, my weigh-in will be on Tuesday afternoons.... so my regular blog posts will be either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. 



2 comments:

  1. I am beyond proud of you! You're so beautiful as always!
    Jess

    ReplyDelete
  2. amazing lady you look simply amazing !

    ReplyDelete