Out with the old...
The start of a new year always comes with a period of transition. Schoolchildren go from one term to the next, the workforce readjusts to their regular routine again and inevitably, there are the transitions that come with resolutions. Yes, peeps, today marked my official first day on the "I know I need to do something drastic to lose weight but I know myself too well" diet. I've been reading a lot about raw food diets and how people drop loads of excess pounds on this eating plan. For a good month now, I've been anxiously preparing myself to work up to the challenge of eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables in the hopes of seeing the slim me emerge quickly.
There's one simple issue here: willpower. Old habits die hard, and when the mere thought of chocolate drives you into a state of longing, you know you have a problem, one that is not easily conquered, no matter how "easy" a particular eating plan may be. By all accounts, a raw food diet seems pretty easy, right? No cooking involved, no calorie counting and a wide range of fruits, veggies and nuts to pick from. The thing is that I have to want to pick up an apple, even with the aroma of fresh bread wafting past my nostrils, and it will be a shame to waste those leftover holiday cakes that are sitting just above the veggie drawer in the fridge. This must qualify as an addiction. The same way an alcoholic or drug addict has trouble avoiding an opportunity to get drunk or high, those of us whose tongues are sugar magnets suffer the same unhealthy battle with our food choices.
I do feel ashamed when I lose my way. Just one doughnut, I tell myself. One chocolate bar can't possibly make that much of a difference, can it? On it's own, probably not, but it becomes a catalyst for a series of unfortunate food choices, and the vicious cycle returns. I've been dealing with this for years and I know it will take a monumental effort for me to conquer this sugar addiction, but it's imperative that I do. During the holidays all I heard from several concerned but rather tactless friends, family members and in-laws was how much weight I'd gained. In Ghana people can be very blunt about stuff like that. They will publicly make comments and grab any squeezable body part of yours or shamelessly pat your belly, backside or whatever body part they feel drawn to at any particular moment to emphasize your ever-increasing jiggly bits. It's highly annoying but most of them actually mean well. It's a wake up call. I don't want to be a victim of bad health.
I'm in my 30s now and I'm horrified at how much harder it is for me to drop pounds than when I was in my 20s. It's kind of scary. I didn't expect my metabolism to slow down so quickly! Those Tae Bo tapes don't produce results like they used to! (hence my love/hate relationship with them as mentioned in a previous post. But I guess that really has nothing to do with the tapes). Food is going to play a huge role in me reaching my weight loss goal, so I might need to start doing daily mantras or something to get my willpower together!
I've decided it will probably be more realistic for me to attempt a 50 to 70% raw diet. I still plan on eating some cooked veggies and definitely cooked protein like chicken fish, eggs, beef, pork... but to avoid frying and to try limiting the cooked protein to one meal. I did break down and have some biscuits today (also left over from holiday festivities) but as the supply of sweet treats diminishes, my chances of sticking with a better eating plan will look more promising (as long as I resist the urge to stock up on more of said sweet treats). All the best to those who struggle with their weight like I do. Hopefully, each of us can find the solution that suits us as individuals.
Ah, I almost forgot to mention that I tried skipping (jumping rope) today for exercise. Not for the faint of heart, but I'm looking forward to building up stamina as I do this. I can see why skipping is said to be more effective than jogging. It kicked my gelatinous arse pretty well this morning!
Hubby is also in transition, not just with his weight (yep, we both have weight issues. We're making a concerted effort to work hard on helping our son avoid the genetic trap!), but also in his career. He's transitioning from one job to the next and I couldn't be happier or prouder. He is an ace at what he does and he puts his all into delivering for his company but a better offer came along and he's taking it. It will probably mean longer hours and less flexibility for him though, because he'll be heading up a department at the new place, so yet another transition to deal with. Bring it on, I say!
So this new year is already introducing several new things into my life and we're only 3 days in! As I say goodbye to some of the things of yesteryear I wonder what will change next year by this time, if we're still here... by God's grace...
Peace.
There's one simple issue here: willpower. Old habits die hard, and when the mere thought of chocolate drives you into a state of longing, you know you have a problem, one that is not easily conquered, no matter how "easy" a particular eating plan may be. By all accounts, a raw food diet seems pretty easy, right? No cooking involved, no calorie counting and a wide range of fruits, veggies and nuts to pick from. The thing is that I have to want to pick up an apple, even with the aroma of fresh bread wafting past my nostrils, and it will be a shame to waste those leftover holiday cakes that are sitting just above the veggie drawer in the fridge. This must qualify as an addiction. The same way an alcoholic or drug addict has trouble avoiding an opportunity to get drunk or high, those of us whose tongues are sugar magnets suffer the same unhealthy battle with our food choices.
I do feel ashamed when I lose my way. Just one doughnut, I tell myself. One chocolate bar can't possibly make that much of a difference, can it? On it's own, probably not, but it becomes a catalyst for a series of unfortunate food choices, and the vicious cycle returns. I've been dealing with this for years and I know it will take a monumental effort for me to conquer this sugar addiction, but it's imperative that I do. During the holidays all I heard from several concerned but rather tactless friends, family members and in-laws was how much weight I'd gained. In Ghana people can be very blunt about stuff like that. They will publicly make comments and grab any squeezable body part of yours or shamelessly pat your belly, backside or whatever body part they feel drawn to at any particular moment to emphasize your ever-increasing jiggly bits. It's highly annoying but most of them actually mean well. It's a wake up call. I don't want to be a victim of bad health.
I'm in my 30s now and I'm horrified at how much harder it is for me to drop pounds than when I was in my 20s. It's kind of scary. I didn't expect my metabolism to slow down so quickly! Those Tae Bo tapes don't produce results like they used to! (hence my love/hate relationship with them as mentioned in a previous post. But I guess that really has nothing to do with the tapes). Food is going to play a huge role in me reaching my weight loss goal, so I might need to start doing daily mantras or something to get my willpower together!
I've decided it will probably be more realistic for me to attempt a 50 to 70% raw diet. I still plan on eating some cooked veggies and definitely cooked protein like chicken fish, eggs, beef, pork... but to avoid frying and to try limiting the cooked protein to one meal. I did break down and have some biscuits today (also left over from holiday festivities) but as the supply of sweet treats diminishes, my chances of sticking with a better eating plan will look more promising (as long as I resist the urge to stock up on more of said sweet treats). All the best to those who struggle with their weight like I do. Hopefully, each of us can find the solution that suits us as individuals.
Ah, I almost forgot to mention that I tried skipping (jumping rope) today for exercise. Not for the faint of heart, but I'm looking forward to building up stamina as I do this. I can see why skipping is said to be more effective than jogging. It kicked my gelatinous arse pretty well this morning!
Hubby is also in transition, not just with his weight (yep, we both have weight issues. We're making a concerted effort to work hard on helping our son avoid the genetic trap!), but also in his career. He's transitioning from one job to the next and I couldn't be happier or prouder. He is an ace at what he does and he puts his all into delivering for his company but a better offer came along and he's taking it. It will probably mean longer hours and less flexibility for him though, because he'll be heading up a department at the new place, so yet another transition to deal with. Bring it on, I say!
So this new year is already introducing several new things into my life and we're only 3 days in! As I say goodbye to some of the things of yesteryear I wonder what will change next year by this time, if we're still here... by God's grace...
Peace.
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