MickATL
Choices we make
Sep 12, 2014
Today I've already exercised. I find that knocking it out first thing in the morning helps me get going, feel accomplished and gets my heart rate up through out the entire day. 90 minutes on the exercise bike at a good clip (15.5 mph)= 22.7 miles & 565 calories burned. It was my first 90 minutes and it was a real challenge. Add to that 300 ab crunches and I feel accomplished!
For lunch I'm having 3 oz of Boars Head Maple Glazed Chicken lunchmeat on light Wasa crackers (2) and a slice of Havarti (my favorite indulgence) topped off with mustard. I could add a variety of veggies- lettuce, tomatoe, cucumber, etc. but I'd rather have a piece of fruit instead. That's basically my approach to each meal: lean protein & a fresh fruit or vegetable except breakfast. Since I exercise in the morning, I drink a carnation instant breakfast w/skim milk and I skip the fruit. That way, I can drink water while exercising. I have the 3oz of lean protein at lunch and dinner and a fresh fruit or vegetable.
We all have our own process that either works for us or against us. Frequent small meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner) sends signals to your brain that you are getting regular nutrition and the brain somehow tells your body to pull the extra calories needed throughout the day to come from fat as opposed to going into starvation mode where it'll actually pull from muscle to save its fat stores. At least that's what my dietician says.
I feel like I make choices each day that directly affect my weight loss. The decision to plan & eat 4 healthy small meals each day and the choice to move my body/exercise. These add-up to 5 choices a day or 35 a week. If most of those choices are healthy ones, I tend to lose weight. I'm accountable for those choices not my surgery. I have to do my part to succeed.
There are many ways to measure success. The scale is only one. I love the feeling of putting my long term goals ahead of my short term cravings. I've read so many WLS'isms on this website. One is- Nothing TASTES as good as skinny FEELS.
When I first started this journey, I printed and stuck to my refrigerator (as well as making it my desktop background on the computer) a photo of my heaviest weight taken at my cousin's wedding with a note that said "never again". Although I have experienced success and set-backs, I still remember that photo.
