There’s a lot more to being obese than fat cells. The psychology of being overweight weighs heavily on a woman. Especially a single woman. The last time I remember being thin enough to fit into a normal size was 1992– twenty years ago. It’s almost shocking when I realize as an adult I’ve been overweight longer than I have not been. My two youngest children have never known me not to be overweight. For a brief time after my divorce, I had lost about 40 pounds, but I was still not thin. What I find so interesting is that I never think of myself as morbidly obese. I see myself in my mind’s eye as I was in my teenage years and twenties. Even when I star in my own dreams, I am never overweight. A friend of mind recently sent me photos of us in the 70s and 80s. I remember those days like it was yesterday.
In my case, it wasn’t a layered ten pound gain per year that racked up the extra weight. I had been prescribed a medicine that, nearly overnight, put over 100 pounds on me. As hard as I fought against it, I couldn’t beat back the sudden weight gain. With kids, a husband, a job, responsibilities that piled on in my thirties, I just became resigned to living as yet another obese American. But, there is no denying I have been quietly amassing a bitterness about the new me. I can’t blame the Pharma drug, because it has always been within reach for me to diet and exercise. I am looking forward to this year to make progress toward my “50% off” campaign. I see losing half my weight as the “bad” half. The half that has kept me from doing all the things I want to do, and would have liked to have done the past twenty years. It’s more of a reverse metamorphosis or something.
To that end, I’ve been evaluating how to go forward. I ended the My Fit Foods challenge on Christmas eve. (More on My Fit Foods in another post.) I plateaued at 13 pounds lost, but I’m still content with that. I realize it is going to be a long haul and that program gave me a great kickstart. It also taught me the wisdom that surrounds eating more frequently in small quantities every day. I’ve also kicked coffee. I tried coffee after not having it for such a long while, but it just didn’t taste the same. Tea, much better. I’m also getting on the treadmill every day and doing the HIIT training technique my old trainer, Claire, had shown me. My one major disappointment is that I have not been to the Saturday ATX100 meeting in two weeks now. That is going to get remedied this week.
I will continue to persevere with my plans. Zach just sent me a note that Health Rally launched today. I signed up. Not sure exactly how it works, but I hope you will participate in the program. I called my rally, “Tally Ho!” The reward is $200 towards riding lessons after losing 80 pounds. Kind of a mid-term goal, but a good one. The basic idea is your friends and family pledge what they want. If you reach your goal, they pay up. I think I can find 40 friends to pledge $5, no?
All in all, I’m happy I’m moving forward (literally and figuratively). Happy New Year’s y’all.
The Fatcinating Blog 