JanRM
Hi, I appreciate all you've written with regard to your weight loss struggles. I too have always had to watch what I eat. I lost 35 lbs. 3 yrs. ago (yes, I'll be 53 y/o in a few days, lol) with the help of the Jenny Craig plan and the metabolic armband that they had partnered with at that time, BodyMedia. I've kept the weight off. But it's a daily struggle. I completely agree with you about the restaurant food. It is truly the kiss of death to weight loss success. Avoid going out to restaurants as much as you possibly can. That said, it is okay, probably even vital to your weight loss/maintenance success, to allow yourself a restaurant meal on occasion. I've found that there are certain places where I'm able to eat better and control what I take in, more effectively. I like a food bar for the ability to put the healthiest choices on my plate. Yes, it comes with its own risks, going to a place like an "all you can eat" spot. But I stick with baked chicken and overload my plate with green beans and cooked carrots when available. Then I add fresh fruit where I would usually have had dessert. I had one more little trick, more mental than anything. I allowed myself to look around at the people who were clearly not concerned about what they were eating, or how negatively the junk food and large (and multiple) portions affected the way their bodies looked. I have to say it helped to motivate me to put down food that was just plain unhealthy. I am a believer in any food in moderation. But the truth is, that until you feel strong and in enough control of your willpower, it's a bad idea to eat dessert. That and breads are just a nasty, slippery slope. I also have found that I never need to look for bread to put on my plate as it is in almost everything we eat already, right? 🙂 As for the life challenges (moving, friends visiting for long periods of time, etc.) they will always exist. I have my own, a double disc fusion in 2001 for a couple of herniated discs. Unfortunately the pain didn't leave with the surgery. It's a daily struggle. It's better to kind of psych yourself up for those times and just accept that those situations will always be there to add to your challenge. But you can do it. A nice side benefit of eating right when others are watching is that you never know when you will be a source of strength to someone else who is desperately searching for theirs! Lastly, I used to wear that armband (worn high up on the left bicep, per the manufacturer's instructions) every day without fail. It was a wonderful ice breaker and conversation starter. I could be standing in line at the grocery store and someone would ask me what was that thing on my arm? It gave me motivation just discussing it with others and how great it worked for me. I have since upgraded and replaced that old armband with the Fitbit Charge HR. Please know that with the success of losing your weight, comes the added challenge of keeping that weight off (some say the latter is much harder to do). I realized that I was never going to wake up on one magical day and just feel like I wanted to start losing the weight. That was when I knew it was now or never. For reference, at the time I was working the BodyMedia plan I had a step requirement of 8,000 minimum per day (I tried to do at least my 8k daily) and about 1350 calories per day. It took me somewhere around 3 months to get that 35 lbs off. Good luck reaching your goal.
