As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we joined Golds Gym on Black Friday. Serious about weight loss, Roy and I have been really good. We go between 3-6 days a week, we have tried some new classes, we laugh, and we lift weights together.
For me, it is all about consistency, and having someone to work out with really helps. Roy encourages me, makes me laugh, and makes working out bearable - dare I say even fun? We took a class last Thursday, Body Pump - AMAZING workout! But I don’t think my legs have ever been that sore. I could barely walk down the stairs, even sitting down was rough, but happily I woke up this morning and feel almost normal. Normal enough to hit the gym today, but sadly my honey is not feeling well, so I will either be going it alone or bringing one of the older boys.
I do find it frustrating though, the pounds seem to melt off Roy, and I count calories, carbs, etc. and workout hard, and I am just chugging along. But, Roy is very supportive, and cheers all my victories - no matter how small. We have been keeping food diaries for about a month (it will be one month on January 31st) and I have lost five pounds since I started recording everything I put in my mouth! And, I’ll take that. Five pounds in just over three weeks. Slow but steady.
I have also adjusted the way I cook. Cooking for me has usually been fun. I enjoy cooking for a large family. I like experimenting and trying new things, but with three growing boys it has been a challenge. The boys are pretty active. They are all growing, so cutting calories isn’t necessarily something they have to worry about. On the other hand… Roy and I aren’t getting any younger. For me, especially after five babies, losing weight has been a challenge. I made up excuse after excuse to avoid the gym. I told myself I would cut back on the sweets tomorrow as justification for eating one more Oreo, and the weight got comfortable, especially around my butt!
After deciding that we needed to get serious about watching what we eat, our health, etc., I set out on a mission. I wanted to find healthy meals that EVERYONE could enjoy. The boys still don’t need to watch their weight, but at the same time, why not teach them about healthy eating and how tasty it can be right from the get go? And for the most part, they have been great. Addi, Hayden, and Dean are too young to understand the hows and whys, but they have gamely tried the new recipes I have put on the table. Joe is a bit more vocal in his critique. He even said he enjoyed the “healthy” spaghetti sauce better than my usual. Corey is very interested in food, so he has enjoyed looking through my new cookbooks, and finding recipes that would appeal to everyone. I bought Rocco Dispirito’s book, Now Eat This, the other day, and I think I want to try everything in it! Corey looked at it, and has decided he wants to make the revamped Philly Cheesesteak. It’s great that the older boys are supportive or our decision to cook healthier meals. I still buy them snacks, but I have found that every day that goes by it is easier for me to avoid snacking on them myself.
I bought some dark chocolate candies for Roy and I, and I am learning to enjoy just one and really to savor it, rather than eating three or four. I am learning to listen to my body and stop eating when I am full, even if we are out. The other day, Roy, Dean and I went to Chili’s. Normally, even though I might be full, I would try to eat just a few more bites since the food is often expensive, but this time I ate about half and I was full, so rather than try and finish it, we took it home, and I had the rest for dinner last night.
And it is working! I don’t feel hungry all the time, I don’t feel restricted like I am sure some diets are, I am learning to enjoy the gym, and I feel better than I have in years. I even worked up a little treat list for myself. For every five pounds I lose, I get a treat. I woke up this morning, and sure enough… five pounds are gone! So, I went to Target and got myself a brand new Navy Blue sports tank. The next treat I am looking forward to is a new pair of cross trainers… already have them picked out!
