For starters I have decided not to follow one particular formula because I know I will not stick to it and will fall off the wagon early on. So, I am going to combine a few different ideas; Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover, Eat Yourself Slim by Michel Montignac (he's French so how can I resist?) and The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program. For exercise, I have decided that I have to tailor it to my needs. I do a lot of walking, but this obviously is just not cutting it. I will be doing a combination of Stroller Fit, home workout DVDs, dancing and one or two days at the local gym (which is so inexpensive I am berating myself for not getting there sooner - it's half a block from my house). When I am walking, say pushing the stroller, I make myself aware of my muscles, particularly the abdominals and as per Susan Powter's trick, I try to pretend I am walking through mud, providing my own resistance and sucking in the tummy. I will have to set up an appointment with the trainer at the community center's gym (by the way, the consultation is free - again, berating myself) and work out a routine where I can isolate certain muscle groups, particularly my core. So far, I have exercised every day for 5 days in a row and hope to continue in this way until I start to see some results. Yay me!
The sugar reduction is the toughie for me. I am definitely a sugar addict and while I am not quite as addicted as Very Mom (you have to admire the woman's past commitment to sugar and now her commitment to changing), white refined sugar is without a doubt the single largest carbohydrate that I consume. I haven't quite gone cold turkey, but want to read the above mentioned book and see what the program is to "get off the junk". I have known for years that children of alcholics can have a propensity toward sugar addiction and my biological father was an alcoholic. Plus, while my mother is not what I would consider a sugar junkie, she likes her some sweet stuff (I state here that she has done a great job on herself with Weight Watchers and is very strict now about her sweet intake. She has way more willpower than me and also stick-to-itiveness, because I could never do the point system as she has). Plus, my bio-dad had mental health problems which he passed on a little of to myself and I know that when you are feeling down, all you want is the high and sugar has provided that high for me time and again, albeit short term.
Here's the unique side to me: I love food in its entirety, so losing weight and eating right should not be a problem, right? Wrong. I am also highly lazy, due in part to being deconditioned, and I usually look for the quick and easy route for food. Inevitably this is junk. But really, when I sit and think about it, there are very few foods I dislike. Here is a list of the veggies I like or don't like:
Vegetables I Dislike: eggplant
Vegetables I Don't Love (yes, there's a difference, because I'll eat these ones): parsnips, spinach (cooked), bells peppers (cooked), tomatoes (cooked), beet greens (cooked),
Vegetables I Haven't Tried, But Might Want To: kale
Vegetables I Haven't Tried, But Am Scared Of: okra, fiddleheads (I heard they are carcinogenic)
Vegetables I Like: onions, white turnips, lima beans, radishes,
Vegetables I Love: corn, carrots, peas, beets, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoflower, asparagus, yellow turnips (I heart rutabaga!), squash (all kinds), celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, raw tomatoes, and just so many more!
So, baby steps. Or more appropriately to this blog, hamster steps. Because hamsters have even smaller feet than babies. I make my point:
Eeek! How cute is that? (No rodent haters allowed to comment here!)
And speaking of hamsters, Hamster Boy has been developing quite the temper lately and I am not pleased. He has shrieked at me, tried to pinch me and has done his version of yelling. It's hilarious. And terrifying. I am already head-to-head with my three, almost four year old constantly - I just simply don't have the energy to battle two little people.
But it's hard to stay mad when you see them like this:
Check out his "moobs" (man boobs)!
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