Friday, May 7, 2010

Day 32 - One Down, Three to Go

Diet tip of the day: Tell people you are dieting. If you keep it to yourself, you miss out on all the tips and advice, the support and motivation that those people could offer you. Welcome the advice of others. Share your dieting stories with others and they will share with you.

I printed out links to my blog so that I could have it ready when I run into somebody I think I should share it with. One of the people who trained me at another store stopped by my store today, and she mentioned that she had been working out at home before she starting shopping. I thought about whether I should tell her about my blog or not, but as soon as I thought about it, I remembered that I have nothing to lose! We got to talking, and she invited me exercise with her or to do a race with her if I ever wanted to. After that, I gave the link to my boss and to another co-worker. I think the more people I talk to about my dieting, the more confident I become that I can lose this weight.

Speaking of weight, my official weigh-in was today. I've only lost .2 pounds. Yes. A fraction of a pound. However, as long as I'm not gaining, I will be happy for the next week. I am in the middle of Finals, and it is really important for me to focus on my classes, which means I sacrifice healthy eating a bit for time's sake.

I had my first final this morning. It was Philosophy. I really enjoyed that class but hated it at the same time. A lot of the issues frustrated me, like the week we spent on abortion. My professor told us at the beginning of the semester that she was going to convince all of us, no matter which side of the argument we were on, that we really had no idea what we really thought about abortion, and that if we didn't change our mind, we were just stubborn. After several weeks of debate, I feel that both of the arguments we looked at made very good points, but I am no more inclined to agree with the other side than I was at the beginning of the semester. I think the hardest part of the class was hearing some of the ignorance of human kind. I'm not saying people are stupid, but people, as a whole, are really ignorant to other societies and to our own shortcomings as a society. Saying "well everybody thinks it" is not a valid argument for the morality of something. But we all too often gauge our actions based on what society allows us to get away with.

I promise there's a point to this. I think a lot of my over-eating problems came from my own little society. My family, my friends, my boyfriends, they were all overweight, and more so than me, so I didn't REALLY work as hard as I should to lose the weight. I am in no way blaming anyone around me. We are all responsible for ourselves. I am only saying that I didn't put the same pressure on myself that I think I would have under different circumstances. I think now I've finally realized that it doesn't matter what everyone else weighs, what everyone else looks like. I need to judge myself based on what is healthy and what will make me happy. I'm taking responsibility and taking my weight problem seriously.

I don't feel like my over-eating is an addiction. I do, however, realize that I have used eating in a weird way since I was young. I would sneak food when my parents weren't home, even when I was in high school. I didn't even know why. I don't know why I developed that habit, or compulsion. I still have compulsions to eat when I'm not hungry. But now, I am aware of them and whether I am truly hungry or only compelled to eat by some strange inner demon who wants to add inches to my hips. (Don't worry, I'm not THAT delusional.) I feel like I'm much more empowered by this diet to take control of my weight, my health, and my happiness.

The woman who invited me to work out with her today was discussing "Runner's high" with me today. I mentioned I have felt happier on days that I've gone outside and run, even if it is only a few minutes. She said that she HATES running, but that she loves that high after exercising. I now know the feeling of that high, mainly because I'm not being forced to run in gym class. I'm pushing myself to improve my life. It's so much different when you have the control over your body. It makes me want to work a lot harder. Once it stops raining, I plan on getting right back out there and lifting my spirits.

I'm glad I'm getting more followers. Keep on inviting people and giving me your advice! And make sure you send me your recipes at theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com.

And for exercise: Do push-ups at a 70 degree angle against the wall. If you feel like more of an expert, do them at a 45 degree angle on the edge of a couch.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for your honesty! I don't know why I've become the person I am today. I'm twice the weight I was in high school. I sometimes think I'm protecting myself from being the person I was when I was younger. I didn't like that self very much. I'm happy with my life, but very disappointed with my weight and wish I could wake up and be "normal" again. But now I see it should be about me and not what other people think of me. Thanks, Shapeshifter. I'll keep that on my mind as I fight this beast. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous, if we try to be "normal" by society's standards, what does that even mean? Does that mean California normal? Wisconsin normal? Normal for the average weight in the US? Those all mean different things, and none of them are the right attitude. The only way to truly motivate yourself is to be selfish. Say "I want to be healthy and I'm going to do it for myself." It becomes a lot easier when you're doing something completely for yourself, not trying to meet someone else's standards. Plus, "healthy" is a lot easier to define. Good luck! Keep in touch!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope you do well on your finals! I used to love the debates we'd have in my high school politics class. The teacher knew I was good at arguing a point, and he used to like to make us think, so he'd often have me argue for the side I was against. Most of the time in the hot debate issues both sides have good points, and some times being forced to acknowledge that and argue the other side helps your opinion become stronger and more based in fact.

    Are you doing weigh ins at work, or for some other orginization? You've been stressed this week, what with studing and the school year coming to a close, so it stands to reason that you won't lose much weight. Once you've gotten your grades and you see how well you've done, that stress will lift from your shoulders and the weight will start to come off.

    I was a compulsive muncher when I was at home too. If the urge hits, try munching on carrots or celery. Or chew a piece of gum. Before long, you'll stop getting the urge.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Why wait until it stops raining??? I take my dog out for a walk rain or shine. (Funny, he needs to go potty in all kinds of weather!!) And the rainy days make me feel just as good as the sunny days. Better, maybe, because I feel (righteous?) like I had a good excuse to skip it and I did it anyway. Unless you melt like the Wicked Witch of the West!! (Wizard of Oz)

    ReplyDelete