Things I Can Do Now

I've been reading yet another diet book because I find they are motivational when I need a boost to my weight loss efforts. As with most recommendations, the author recommended the dieter take things one day at a time. However, I realized today that we need to take things one day at a time and not become overwhelmed by how much farther we need to go, but we can forget to look at the bigger picture. The bigger picture isn't just about how much weight I still need to lose, it's also about how far I've come thus far. It's good to focus on today and what I need to do to stay on target today, but I need to celebrate the my achievements, and I don't mean in pounds. So, while I was working out on the treadmill, I was trying to think of everything I can do now that I couldn't do a year ago. Here's some of the things I came up with:

I can wash dishes without it hurting my back.
I can pick up and hold my 1 year old for longer than 30 seconds.
I can play chase with my kids.
I can bend down and pick something up off the floor.
I can stand on one leg.
I can bend down forward to tie my shoes.
I can do a full sit-up.
I can get out of bed in the morning without feeling achey and stiff.
I can think up healthy food to make for dinner without referring to a cookbook.
I can shop without having to refer to a book for which foods are healthier.
I can walk up the long hill at the end of my street without having to rest halfway up.

And many, many more. Just thinking about all the things I can now do made me put a little extra effort in my workout and I felt happy with myself.

I have made a decision about my diet. I have decided that the WW plan is too loose for me, I want something more stringent, something with solid walls that I can't cross. WW allows too much give. For instance, I can eat 2 servings of full-fat ice cream on WW and still stay within my points allowance. But, I know eating the ice cream isn't the best thing for me so, while I am remaining within the parameters of the "diet" I am still not making the best food choices.

After a LOT of reading the past two days, I have decided on a new diet. I am aiming for a low-fat (no more than 20 grams of fat per day) high-fiber (35 grams or more) diet. This way, I'm eating well and have to account for what I'm eating, but its no more complicated than calculating points for WW. I just tally the fat content and the fiber content of everything I eat and keep my fat to no more than 20 and my fiber to around 35 and I'm good. Also, apparently fiber not only makes one feel fuller longer, but it cancels out some of the calories already eaten. Not sure how that works.

Also, another book I read was a study of 250 people who lost significant amounts of weight and have kept the weight off. Most of them use a low-fat diet. It is also the diet my parents have been using and have been so successful. That's good enough reason for me.

Also, I read in another book about how it's important to choose a diet that works for you. I can't do low-carb, I LOVE carbs, and I don't mind eating complex carbs as opposed to simple carbs. I am, eventually, going to aim to purge my diet of all simple sugars, but one thing at a time!

Today I've had:

1 cup coffee w/ 1% milk & sugar
1 serving hot oatbran cereal w/ 1/2 tsp honey
1 cup broccoli
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 baked potato w/ low-fat cheese

I still have dinner to eat and probably a snack later on. I am only at 5 g of fat but I still need a lot of fiber, so I'm having veggies and whole-grain pasta for dinner with some fruit for dessert.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I hope I get a good number!

Oh, and I have now completed 10 days of my goal of 100 days of exercise. Just 90 days to go!