My weight loss secrets so far

My first month of  attempted weight loss has come and gone and here are a few secrets I've learned so far:


Secret #1: You can't have cookies for breakfast.  This fact may surprise some of you, but it is true.  We have such lazy summer mornings this year that by the time we get up and going, it's been a lot easier to grab a few cookies (any kind will do) and pop them in my mouth as we head out the door.


Secret #2: Exercise is imperative.  Really. I've been told any movement will do, including getting up to change the channel on the t.v. instead of using the remote (do t.v.'s even have those buttons anymore?!) Walking to the mailbox, riding around the block on your bike, tying your shoes (ok that last one may not count, but as hard as I have to work at it, I count it!)

Secret #3: Drink lots of water.  This is much easier for me in the summer than it is in the winter.  I've never been real great at being completely hydrated and it seems that the only time I actually consume the correct amount of water is when I am hiking.  I believe it is 8 glasses of water a day, but I've been told that the more you weigh, the more water you need (and more stops at the facilities!)


So how did I do this month? Fail.  I managed not to do any of the above weight loss secrets, but I still managed to lose 1 lb.....I'm sure that was a fluke.  

I've decided that I will need to take a line from the movie "What About Bob?" and do this weight loss thing in "baby steps"

This month I am going to commit to doing the following:

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Have a breakfast that doesn't resemble a baked good of any kind.
Exercise at least 10 minutes 3 times a week.


Doing it this way should be a little less overwhelming.

Pardon what is going to sound like an excuse, but this thing will be a little easier once the kids are back to school and we have a routine again!

Losing Weight

Isn't everyone you know at some point trying to lose weight?  If you are female, I think it is a fore gone conclusion that at some point in your life you will try to lose weight.  I think it must be in our DNA!

What is the first thing that we ask someone who has lost weight?....."How did you do it?" as if they discovered some magical way that is unknown to the rest of mankind.  The simple response is, "watching what I eat and exercise."

I haven't really struggled with my weight until after having children (My choir dress from my senior year in high school was a size 2 and we had to still take it in a bit!).  Now, mind you, I measure 5' tall with shoes on.  I'm somewhere in the 4 feet 11-some odd inches in bare feet..so size 2 in high school was healthy.

Once I started having kids my battle with weight began.  I have gone up and down, up and down, up and down over the last 11 years.  I am currently on the "up" side of my weight.  I have plenty excuses that maybe you share as well.

"I don't have the time, what with the kids around all the time" ("um..except for summer break they were in school all day and you didn't so a thing!")

"I'm too tired" (stop going to bed at 1:00 in the morning...that might help!)

"I don't want to get up early" (you don't have to, you are home ALL DAY!)

"I don't feel like it" (I can't argue that point!)

"The holidays are coming, why try now when it will be so hard?" (give me a break, you can still have treats, just don't eat the whole plate of cookies by yourself!)

"Dieting can be so overwhelming and frustrating" (this is true, so stop doing it!)

"If I wasn't home all day, it would be so much easier to not eat so much" (maybe, but you are, so set up snacky stuff that isn't going to kill your figure!)

"I'll start next Monday" (what is so magical about Monday?)

So the fact of the matter is, I eat like crap and I would much prefer to curl up with a book than hop on the eliptical machine (which is conviently located downstairs in the family room).

It's time for a change and I'm hoping that sending this out to everyone in the known universe will help me stay committed.  I am a firm believer in simply sticking to smaller serving sizes and adding exercise to your daily routine (firm believer in theory...as I haven't implemented any of this as of yet!)

I have some small goals that I've set for myself to measure my progress:

I want to wear my wedding ring again.
I want to be able to tie my shoes without struggle.
I want to be able to keep up with my family when we go on hikes.
I would like to be into a size 5/6 jeans.
Only weigh myself once a month..remember that weight means nothing, how the clothes fit is the goal!
I want to set a good example for my kids.

That last one is probably the most important one for me.  I want my daughters to have healthy attitudes toward food and exercise.  My husband and I have alway tried to correct any of the children if they say something like "I need to exercise so I can stay skinny." with, "No, you need to exercise to be healthy."

So, here's to my first step in exercise.