A holiday triumph

Since the holiday season began on Thanksgiving to now... I'm down a pound! With nine pounds to go, this is thrilling news for me. Because I did kinda indulge over the holidays. But this is the first time I did it this way:

Whole foods. I am continually amazed that I can eat more carbs using Paleo principles. At least in my body, all carbs are not created equal! In past holiday seasons, I would have a cookie here and there (the homemade kind from known masters) and some pumpkin pie on Christmas Day, and I would hold steady.

But ditching wheat has changed my whole outlook. There just isn't that much left to cheat with. And I have zero cravings in that direction, now that I've resisted for a whole year. When I would track a comparison day from last year, it was the same number of carbs. But they all came from unprocessed sources this time.

Fussy choices. Now, fruit is my "indulgence" and I eat it with Greek yogurt or heavy cream. I did a lot of pork rind French toast, with some Splenda syrup stretched with mashed berries. But that's about it. My tastebuds have become so sensitive to sweetness I didn't even bake LC goodies this year.

The closest thing to cheating was some sweet potatoes; a lower carb, higher nutrition version of white potatoes that I seem to get along with. Occasionally.

And yes, I had some holiday drinks, too. But I was strict; no sugary mixers, at all. Rum is my spirit of choice, and there's always a diet soda option to pair it with. What works even better is supplying my own mixer. The bar doesn't mind bringing me a shot in a tall glass with ice. So I tip an extra buck for their trouble; it is worth it for both of us.

Low stress. I got a big ham and we just picked on it for a week at a time. Instead of cooking for our annual holiday party, I picked up a deli platter and a box of mini-cheesecakes at the grocery store. Our guests brought more of their own favorites, and everyone was happy!

When something holiday-related would come up that I didn't want to do, I didn't do it.

Like a Boss. That's right. I did it My Way.

There's so much about the holiday season that we feel we have to do... when we don't have to. If there is something Other People make us feel compelled to do, from baking with sugar and flour to eating with sugar and flour... the ethical thing to do is resistance!

Other People aren't going to get the bloating and gas and heartburn. Other People aren't going to find half the clothes in their closet becoming too small. Other People aren't risking diabetes and arthritis and heart trouble. Or maybe, you know, they are. But it's an individual choice. We're individuals, too.

Other People aren't going to derail the way they eat for us. Why should we?

I'm thankful for my slim and healthy body

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I am both slimmer and healthier than I was seven years ago. I had tried so many other ways to control my weight that the dire warnings about low carb dangers did not matter to me. Because I kept reading equally dire warnings about how being fat would kill me!

My before and after simulation.

Anyone who has ever dieted knows the "keeping it off" part is the hardest. That is probably the most amazing part.

As seen at left, I used My Virtual Model to illustrate the difference in my appearance that resulted from my weight loss.

But that's only one benefit I gained. I also sleep better and never long for that afternoon nap any more. I have more energy and mental sharpness all day.

My blood pressure, triglycerides, and blood sugar all went down. Since going gluten-free my arthritis keeps dwindling so that now it's barely noticeable.

I did it all without suffering. I ate wonderful food like steak with garlic butter, salad with blue cheese dressing and bacon, hot wings, smoked almonds, and shrimp cocktail. I put Alfredo sauce on sauteed zucchini, tomato sauce on pizza quiche (extra pepperoni, please) and sharp cheddar sauce on ham and cauliflower to make Mock Mac 'n' Cheese. I make low carb versions of my favorite cookies and have a big hamburger on an Oopsie Roll instead of a white flour bun.

I love what I eat and I eat what I love.

I regret nothing.

Stop talking about motivation

Many of us think that if there's any magic cure for overweight, it's motivation.

Maybe "this embarrassing incident/this pair of pants/this picture of me at my friend's wedding" will be the motivation I need to do something about this weight!


We never stop to think about how absurd this is.

If we are already lurking in Lane Bryant or the Big & Tall shop, or pulling an outfit out of the closet uncertain how it will fit, or fearing the next binge, or worrying if we will fit in that amusement park ride, or refusing to take a booth in a diner, or avoiding reflections below our collarbones the way a vampire might... all these things aren't motivation?

Obviously we don't mean motivation. Because we have plenty of that. We are simply at a loss to figure out why it isn't enough... and so, we think we need more.


If only we could have stuck with it, we sigh, thinking back to the last scheme we tried. I must not have wanted it enough.

Fact is, all those tactics designed to make us Stop Eating: the pig that oinks when we open the fridge door, the pre-packaged tiny portions, the shakes we throw down instead of lunch, the delightful cocktail dress in our goal size that hangs on the back of the closet door; why do none of them work?

Because none of them, including the much-wished-for Magic Motivation, keep us from being hungry.

We might resist for a while or a long while, but just like holding our breath when we were kids, our body forces us to do what we have to do to survive.

But I don't need cake to live! I can survive without Triple Fudge Twirl ice cream! Why don't I crave steak and salad?

Exactly.

We are putting too much on Motivation's shoulders. We are underestimating our Hunger. We don't know we are Hooked.

We don't understand why we are standing at the microwave, nuke-defrosting the frozen cheesecake we had bought for company. It is supposed to sit in the fridge overnight and be cut into lovely slices, but instead it is exploding all over the paper towel we draped over it.  We will eat it anyway, burning our tongue on the over-done edges and scraping our teeth on the paper towel.

What got us here?

It was eating food, that isn't food.

I've decided

That’s the challenge before me; the last ten pounds.

I’m giving myself a year. A year? I hear everybody saying. For the luvapumpkincheesecake it will take you a year?

Yes. Because I only want to do things once from now on.

I've spent 38 years trying to get rid of these last ten pounds; and the many many others that caused so much despair and misery. I went on regardless. I don't think struggling with my weight stopped me from too many things, since I had times when I did feel I was slim enough to observe the differences. The problem was, those times didn't last without a lot of effort that could have been put into better endeavors.

Since figuring out what works for me, and refining it to this point, I can tell that I get far more accomplished, every single day, that is not about losing weight.

I've not only been able to stick with a consistent pant size which pleases me; I've also improved my moods, bulked up my confidence, and given my well-being a tremendous boost.

At a time when so many people are giving up on their weight problems and settling for poor health, I've been able to revitalize my brain and body.

I've decided that however long I have left; it's going to belong to me. I have quite the backlog of unrealized dreams. Each one of them would be ashes without the ability to enjoy the day without pain and sleep through the night without raging at myself.

If I take away the drain of constantly fighting my own impulses and instincts, thrashing to stay on top of depression and despair, what might I accomplish?

I want to finally figure that out.