Monday, July 06, 2020

Simple weight loss plan

It is time to draw the line in the sand.  It is time to stop sitting on the fence in my weight loss efforts.  It is time to stop the self imposed plateau on the scales  and start losing weight again.  Now is the time and I have been thinking about it all weekend even while we had a little get-a-way.  We are home now and  I know what I’m going to do.  It is a combination of exercise, intermittent fasting, tracking my food and mental aspects to stay motivated. and of course I’m going to share it all, starting with our little trip and ending with my plans and ideas to get this weight off once and for all!

Weekend getaway
We have had a great weekend.   It was a long weekend so we researched, plotted and planned and figured out a wee little getaway that would still offer us social distancing safety but also allow us to go away for a bit to relax.   What did we do?   We went to Berkeley Springs, WV.   Berkeley Springs is a neat little town and we did go into one or two stores.  But for the most part we explored and roamed.   The state park with the springs is small but we spent a fair amount of time wading in the warm spring.   It felt fabulous on this stinkin’ hot weekend!!!

We of course drank some famed Berkeley Springs water.

And we walked through the museum.

But honestly, the real reason we went to Berkeley Springs? It was one of the only places that I found an outdoor hotel pool that was open!!!  We wanted to swim!!!

We had a great time!   But as I mentioned earlier, the whole time we were there and relaxing, my mind was in a whirl.   I am not happy with my increasingly  pudgier face nor with how my body feels.  I am disgusted with the numbers on the scales and how my clothes fit (or don’t fit as the case may be).   One thought was positive this weekend while I pondered my predicament and that was that it was time to change.  I have no choice!

Choosing to be healthy versus being fat

Ok first of all, I do have a choice. Everything I do is a choice.   The choices I make with my food are choices that allow me to be fat and to possibly gain even more weight.   I most frequently chose being fat with my food choices, at least lately.   Admittedly, I wasn’t sitting there thinking, ohh I’m going to eat  this piece of cake because I’m choosing to be fat. But if I look deep enough I knew the cake wasn’t in line with my goals for living a healthier thinner life. I CHOSE to eat it anyway!     It was my choice!    Every bite I eat I need to start focusing on the choice and I need to put it into words.  I need to ask myself, “is this a good choice for your long term goals of losing weight or will it only give you a fleeting momentary flash of pleasure’.   I know from when I lost the weight before that my energy levels and general happiness and feelings of well being were sky high without this excess weight....so I know how awesome I will feel in the long run.  Every food choice is a question of receiving a short term rush of pleasure or obtaining a lifetime of goodness.

Intermittent fasting

I have dabbled with this in the past.  It seems to happen naturally when I am actually going into the office.  For me, the concept of a 16:8 fasting schedule has merit.  I have never been a big breakfast person so it’s not a stretch for me to naturally fall into a 16:8 system of intermittent fasting.   What is the 16:8 method of Intermittent Fasting?  It is the art of fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8 hour window.  The plan just flows naturally for me due to my own natural tendencies.  But I also like the plan due to the f act that that is calories saves and one less meal I need to worry about!     I have thought about doing a One Meal A day style of intermittent fasting, but I fear that I would lose control and just eat absolutely crazily during that one meal.  For my own personal diet issues, OMAD would not work for me.   

I will also say that I am not going to be super strict about this.  If we decide to go for a big hike or bike ride and leave before my window of eating is open, I am NOT going to stand firm and say “no, I can not eat because it’s not time’. That is foolhardy.  I will break my fast early because I know that fueling my body before those activities is important.

Likewise, I have been talking about my lunch break plans (and we will get to that in a short bit).  If those plans end up to not fall in line with the intermittent fasting method, I may have to adjust.  This is the loose and flowing option in my plan....the one most subject to change!

Tracking my foo
Typically Intermittent fasting  is only eating within the window of opportunity and no tracking is needed.  A person just needs to limit their eating to that available window of time.  But I know that I can do a lot of damage in 8 hours.  So therefore, I WILL Continue to track my food!!  I also know that when I actually track my food that I am so much more cognizant of HOW I am eating and much more inclined to pull in the reigns.

Exercise
My big thing is my lunch break.  I started last week with a spin on the exercise bike during my lunch hour.  I pushed myself, I was out of the saddle and really pushing myself hard.   I plan on doing this regularly.   My ‘easy’ goal is 3 times a week for 20 minutes of my 30 minute lunch break.  I would preferably like to do it 5 times.  But let’s start with an easy goal of 3!!!

It is a super simple plan that I have set up.  Why is it so simple?  It’s simple because in theory  weight loss is simple.  Limit calories and/or expand how many calories you burn.   My plan does both of those things but is nothing outrageous!  Now it’s time to implement the plan and lose weight and get my healthy life back!!!