Good things come to those who weight...

 

 Good things come to those who weight...
3 February 2014

And over Christmas time, this is rather easy.  There’s gammon and nuts.  Puddings galore.  Roast leg of lamb and roast chickens too.  There’s braai vleis meat and possibly more take-aways than normal.  Breakfasts in holidays not just bland and boring cereal.  Instead there’s waffles, pancakes, flap jacks, bacon and eggs plus toast.  There’s snacking and nibbling and noshing of food.  Permanently grazing it seems.

Yes, temptation is indeed difficult to resist during the festive season.  Especially if away.  Or even just at home, and everyone is on leave and in the holiday eating zone. 

Meal times are usually not all that strict.  Suppers tend to run rather late.  Exercise not very high on the agenda either.  And there’s a fair bit of lounging about that is done.  Grand scale vegging sessions completely the norm.

But here’s the thing – being overweight and feeling fat and flabby is not all that great. 

Personally, my head gets dark when my body gets big.  My self-esteem suffers and I just plain feel eeeuuuwww!  Generally not in a good space.

And so, a few months ago, I got back on the Weigh-Less wagon once more.  It was made easier by the fact that a whole bunch of friends were also doing Weigh-Less at the same time, and thus we helped to inspire one another and motive each other to stay on track.

I had been slipping, and my fat alter-ego, Mildred, had been creeping up on me. 

I enjoy Weigh-Less.  It’s a really sustainable diet.  Simply because it’s not a diet.  It’s just a logical and correct way to approach food.  And I see it as the fuel needed for my body to function properly.

Also, I’ve done the Weigh-Less thing before.  And it works like anything.  You lose the weight and it tends to stay off.  The major bonus to Weigh-Less, is that it is quite frankly impossible to go hungry on it.  If anything, I battle to eat all of the allotted food in one day.  But you have to.  It’s about the balance of foods in certain categories, and so deciding to skip carbs or bulk up on protein at the cost of your veg, is not right.

I don’t eat a lot.  Food is not a huge focus in my life.  I tend to forget to eat sometimes – I know – it’s a special kind of stupid.  I get busy and distracted.  Left to my own devices, I’d spend my days nibbling on fruit – right through the morning and into the afternoon.  Avoiding carbs and proteins.  But, it’s just that – stupid.

I’m not doing my body any favours, by doing this.  I’m confusing it.  Making it store reserves.

So when on Weigh-Less, I make a deal with myself.  I will only put into my mouth, that which I am supposed to.  I will not snack in between.  I will not finish those last biscuits or nuts left over from the kids lunch boxes.  I will not nibble a few slices of cheese, whilst cutting some for the kids school sarmies.  Cause that’s the real danger.  I don’t ever sneak a chocolate into the trolley in the middle of the day, and quickly eat it.  I don’t do that at all.  That’s not my danger.  But I do eat too much fruit.  Fooling myself that it’s natural, healthy, etc.  But sadly, it’s filled with sugars too.  And so for now, moderation is the key.

I have not joined classes.  I’m not doing a weekly weigh-in.  Rather I’m following the menu plan I already have.  Weighing myself.  And taking absolute joy and delight in the daily diminish in my scale.

But I’ve also had another deal with myself for many years already – even when doing hectic Weigh-Less.  I will stick to the plan Monday to Friday, with no exception.  But from Friday evening until Sunday evening, I’m off the hook.  I still try and make healthy food choices, but I basically eat what I want.  And this system has worked for years and years.

Every so often I go off the rails, and I simply make a decision and get back on the dieting horse again.  Making the decision is harder than putting in the dieting effort.  It really is. 

It is not more expensive to eat healthy.  It is not more time consuming.  I don’t cook two meals – one for me and one for my family.  I make small adjustments along the way, that make a big difference.

In addition, I started walking – about four times a week.  Up the beautiful, yet evil hill, just up the road from the Primary school, where I drop my youngest kids.  Sometimes friends join me.  And having company on a walk is just so fabulous!  Particularly as I don’t notice how far I’m walking or how steep that hill is.  My jaw gets lots of exercise, as we tend to talk a mile a minute, and my soul is fed by my interaction with friends.  But mostly I’m on my own.  It gives me the opportunity to get a bit of exercise.  To clear my head.  To drink in the beautiful, magnificent, mountainous surroundings around me (they’re ridiculously gorgeous), to glory in the sunlight, to breathe fresh air and to do so deeply.  To spend some time with me.  To think about stuff.  To just enjoy the simple, yet wonderful pleasure of being outside.  Especially in the early mornings.  When the air is still fairly crisp.

This in itself is a strange concept for me.  And one I’m not entirely familiar with.  I.  DON’T.  EXERCISE.  And though walking is admittedly not all that strenuous, it is exercise none the less.  I walk fast-ish.  For me.  I’ve put some awesome music on my cell phone and I listen while I walk.  Singing along sometimes.  Enjoying rediscovering certain music, and discovering a love for others.  And though I do occasionally veer off my hill every so often and take a different route, the hill, though absolutely murderous, is still my best.  Mainly because the view from the top is so breath taking.  And whilst walking, I pick fast paced, bouncy songs.  Mostly trashy pop tunes.  The fad of the moment songs.  Though I have some stellar awesome good music as well.  Downhill is the best, as I’m normally not so out of breath.  I tend to sing along.  Occasionally glancing behind myself to make sure that my lack of vocal skill is not exposed to fellow walkers and cyclists out there.  And another firm favourite of my downhill walk is ….. skipping.  I know, skipping.  But hey, don’t knock it.  Skipping is fun.  It makes me feel about five and extremely happy.  It’s such a frivolous fun thing to do, especially when you’re listening to a really cool song, and you’re singing along at the same time.  I don’t do it all of the time, but I have spurts of skipping.  And my heart just bursts with joy when I do it.  I really hope I never grow old and stop doing fun stuff like skipping.

Anyway, so despite slacking off over Xmas and picking up a bit again, I picked up the Weigh-Less mantle once more, just two weeks ago.  Doing my walks up my hill.  Delighted with the results already.  I didn’t need to lose much.  But that little bit of weight loss, made a big difference.  Not only to my body.  But to my head too.

I will never be skinny.  Or thin.  It’s okay.  I just don’t want to be fat and overweight.  I’m quite happy with normal and medium.

Yay less bulky me!  Yay!

And to prove it, this past weekend saw me in a fairly skimpy dress for a cocktail dress code wedding on Friday.  Something which would have put me into a right spin ordinarily, leave me feeling depressed about my figure.  And then in a cat suit no less for an ABBA themed 50^th birthday party on Saturday.  Loved the cat suit so much, that I even wore it a bit yesterday, when I was flopping on the couch relaxing after having spent two nights dancing like anything and partying until the wee hours.  Actually, come to think of it, I only have to drop the cat suit off at the costume rental shop at 5pm.  Perhaps I should squeeze in another little walk up my hill, wearing the cat suit.  It will be such fun skipping down the hill, with the bell bottoms, flapping at my ankles.

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Way skinnier me, feeling fabulous in a skimpy (for me) dress

 

Never thought I'd be able to pull of a cat suit

 

Simply loving it!