I stepped on the scale this morning. I have officially gained 14lbs since I went to the beach this summer. At that point I was only a few pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. SO CLOSE. Do you know how hard it is to GAIN weight while you’re training for a marathon (please abstain from the “it’s muscle, not fat!” comments - I’ll email you pictures if you want - ITS FAT) - but I have proven it’s possible with late night anxiety binging and all day candy-eating.
So, I think I’m going to start over. (Do you find yourself saying that a lot? It’s the most common phrase I ever utter.)
I think I focus so much on my failures that I get depressed which makes me eat more and fall even further away from the goal. So, I’m going to stop thinking about where I WAS and how I’ve gone BACKWARDS and just think about moving forward.
I took pictures of myself in my “dream” bathing suit, the one I want to fit into, about 3lbs ago. I told myself “This is as big as you’ll be, so take pictures so you can see how far you’ve come.” Now I find myself, 3lbs heavier and thinking, “Should I take another set of pictures?”
So: Today is just about TODAY. Sound good? I’m going to be healthy for TODAY. Screw last week. Screw last month. Screw last year. Hell, let’s screw tomorrow too! Today is just about today. Do you think it’s possible to change 31 years worth of conditioning to only think about today? I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?
If you’ll think only about being healthy today, then I will too. I had a goal of losing a few more pounds by today, but I ended up gaining some. It’s hard. And after breastfeeding for so long, I kind of got used to burning those extra 500 calories a day. Now they’re all sticking to my hips.
Here’s to today.
I am totally w/ you. I have gained 3 pounds in a few weeks from late night snacking and I am too running 4 miles. I don’t want the muscle excuse either. I want my magic number.
I am here for you! Let us take on one day at a time together.
They stress that in 12 step programs “one day at a time”
I think if it works for them…it can work for us. I am not yet running any significant distances or anything…but in regards to my running…I will take it one day at a time. I will get there.
You can do it! (and hopefully so can I)
Sounds very good! I hope you can do it. And give yourself some days (weeks ;)) to condition yourself, because it takes, what was it, 21 days?
Don’t focus on the failures. You are making lifestyle changes and it has been very inspiring to read your progress. Being sick and having anxiety will happen and you will occasionally backslide, but it is about believing that the exercise and eating right leads to a whole healthier you.
There are going to be times when it isn’t going as planned - just remember how good it felt the times when it does.
I think your way of thinking “moving forward” is the key to success. Too often, people focus on what they did wrong, instead of “moving forward”.
Hang in there!
Been lurking for awhile - since I fell in love with one of your free designs that I’m now using - after tweaking it some - but you’re still credited for the GENIUS that it is
Any way, this one hits home to me. Somehow, over the course of a year, I’ve managed to put on 20 pounds, when I should have lost 10. I’m struggling, but somehow, it’ll come around….right?
This is best advice and I needed to hear it, thanks!
YOu know what I hate even more than ‘its muscle, not fat’? The whole ‘its all baby’ cause EVERYONE kept telling me that and as it turns out, 7 weeks after my son was born…I still have 17 pounds of pure FAT to lose.
Random wild applause, and great cheers. I think it’s a great way to live.
Girl, I don’t want to lecture you, but you are needlessly driving yourself insane by focusing on some arbitrary number. It is physiologically impossible for an adult woman to maintain the same weight all the time. Hormonal changes over the course of the month render this impossible. Plus, age + babies = a higher set weight; it’s inevitable. For the love of all things holy, please stop being so self-critical. You are beautiful. You look very healthy. I’d bet you $500 your BMI is in the healthy range. Having a “range” rather than a fixed number would be an approach that is much more in keeping with the sensible, healthy, holistic lifestyle you are striving for. You have much more important things to devote your mental and spiritual energy to than this obsessive self-flagellation. (And in case it’s not obvious, I’m saying all of this with the greatest of love and admiration. )
I’m totally feeling you! I know you can do it. Lately, every time I want something sweet I grab an apple. Not the same as a snickers, trust me. But it helps a little. Good luck!
Good luck, Zoot! I am in the same place, just my battle seems like an awfully big one, and it is. 200lbs to lose. I’m rather petrified.
I try doing that too. I measure things in kilos instead of pounds as I’m from New Zealand, but aboout 1 1/2 years ago I made a massive effort to lose weight, and I lost about 30 pounds overall. And I still had another 30 to go, but I TOTALLY put them all back on over the next few months. The thing that sucks is I lost them basically through not eating. So I know it’s incredibly unhealthy to go back down that path, but I also know that if I do it the healthy way, I won’t have such good results, so I lose heart easily. So its about thinking for TODAY which is really not working today and I KNOW its for today but there is pizza in the fridge that I cannot ignore so today is just going to have to start tomorrow. For real. OH GOD I AM PUTTING IT OFF ALREADY AREN’T I
No worries, Zoot. Its quite common to gain while training for a marathon. Your body is changing to adapt to you new endurance training. You just keep going. You’ll be fine.
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