2 Week Check-In

It's been 2 weeks since I recommitted to this journey and, as of last Friday, I've lost 3.5 lbs...more than half way to my first mini-goal of 5 lbs! I am really taking this one day at a time, figuring out what I'm going to eat, and how I'm going to move each day, to get me closer to where I want to be. When I started losing weight 6 years ago, for what I hoped would be the last time, I was so fed up. I don't feel that way now, because I just don't see myself as a failure this time. Maybe because while I was gaining this last 25 lbs, I was so happy, I just kind of feel like there were other things that I wanted to focus on then other than whether my pants were getting tight. I'm at a point now where I am ready to incorporate healthy eating and exercise back into my life, so I will...I am.

One big shift has been in how I look at sharing meals with someone else. I always knew that I had it easy, because I shopped and cooked (or didn't cook) only for myself. I could eat the most bizarre combinations of food, eat the same thing 5 nights in a row, not keep any snacks in the house, etc. Now Jeff and I shop together, we buy things for breakfast and lunch that we both like to keep the cost of groceries down, and we eat dinner together most nights. At first I felt like this took away my ability to control what I eat, but it's actually the exact opposite. We shop together every weekend, which makes grocery shopping (my least favorite activity) more tolerable. I look at what we have in the house, and plan out dinners for the week, and we buy what we don't have. This allows me to know in advance what I'm having for dinner each night, rather than stopping for pizza after work when I'm hungry, tired, and cranky! The best part is that, since Jeff usually gets home before I do, he does the cooking (my second least favorite activity!)

I've been doing a lot of walking because that's what I feel like doing right now. I tried getting back into yoga, but my favorite teacher left at the beginning of the year to have twins, and I just haven't found another that I like as much. The main reason that I stopped was because of my carpal tunnel syndrome and subsequent surgery. I've tried to get back into it, but my scars make it very difficult for me to be on my hands for long periods of time. I lift weights sporadically, but I've never enjoyed weight training. While the weather is still nice, I'm going to focus on getting out and walking as often as possible. I know once the winter comes I'll need to mix it up a bit.

I'm taking it slow, and doing things that I feel fit into my new life, and that I can sustain long term without feeling deprived. It's only been 2 weeks, but it feels good.