As I was going about my day yesterday I kept thinking about what needs to change for me to continue down my weight loss journey at a slightly faster more regular pace. The one thing I kept coming back to is consistency.
I need to be more consistent in keeping with my good eating habits and exercise. Well, actually the exercise isn't the problem. I get that in regularly, though maybe not as many days as some people, but it works for me. It's my eating that doesn't stay consistent.
In all honesty I have days that I do really good and then I always have days that I eat too much. I know that I'm doing this, but it's like I just hope that it will even out for the week and I'll see maybe a 0.5 - 1.0 lb loss. Well, you can't have three days of eating really good and then two of eating really bad and then two more of so-so eating and hope to lose weight very quickly. It's probably why I'm always so nervous on Saturday mornings when I weigh in. I know I haven't eaten well consistently through the week and by Saturday I'm afraid that it's going to show on the scale and then I'll have to post about it and feel awful.
Don't get me wrong, I still truly do believe in taking baby steps, but I'm seeing myself fall into a pattern that I followed about nine years ago when trying to lose post-pregnancy weight (and then some). Back then I lost about 40 pounds over the course of two years. Now I agree, that a loss over two years is better than a gain. However (long dramatic pause) during that same time a friend of mine lost 60 pounds in about 6-8 months.
The difference? She was consistent. I wasn't. She put her mind to it and lost weight. I put my mind to it on days I felt like it and then didn't worry about it on other days. So, it took me a lot longer and I never reached my goal. Of course, then I was so happy to weigh what I weighed when I got married that I didn't care about a healthy goal weight, but that's another story.
Anyway, I don't want to fall into that same pattern. I intend on making my goal weight this time. I've set myself a time to lose it that gives me plenty of time to fall off the wagon, have bad days, learn what works best for me, etc. etc., but I do not want to use this large time frame as an excuse not to stick with the program.
To help me stay more consistent I'm going to keep a food journal for at least the next month. Yes, I know I mentioned that I was already doing this, but I stopped a few weeks ago. SparkPeople is great, but I'm going to handwrite in a weight loss journal I have already started. I want to be able to look over each week and see what worked and what didn't.
This hasn't been easy for me as I have fought "healthy" eating with everything in me sometimes and I am slowly changing some lifelong bad habits. I think now it's time to get some consistency in my plan and try my best to have good weeks instead of just a few good days per week.
I think a food journal is a great idea. Consistency and accountability are awesome words in helping with being successful!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you are trying new things, trying to figure out what exactly will give you the most success, both now and for the long haul!
Good for you, that you notice the difference and came up with a plan/solution. I guess now I won't feel so bad about sending you the b-day present I bought you (which I KNOW is more than a month late - 50 lashes for your bad friend). I'll spill the beans and say that I bought you a journal to write whatever you wanted to in, but then felt bad 'cuz you mentioned you were doing it online, but NOW I'm going to send it to you!!! Good that you were able to notice what may be keeping you from a regular loss each week.
ReplyDeleteLeah, you are so right. Consistency is a huge factor is success of any kind. OF course, the first step is realizing this. I want to encourage you to not be too hard on yourself about your weight loss over the last two years. As you pointed out, it is a loss. Now, move on and make today the best you can make it.
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