What 6 months of low carb living taught me... Spring 2014

March 2014

6 months behind me.

W*O*W !

I feel so much much better, but still far to go. I tend to be able to carry weight and people not know that the number is a lot higher than they think. Amazing people will say, " Oh... don't get too thin, you look great and healthy now as you are, yet I am smack dab in the middle of an unhealthy /overweight /obese listing for height and weight.

Nice to fit into some of my clothes again, not be so tight in the upper arms and across the chest, but real goal would be to to slip back into some of my jeans.

I've kept a drawer full of jeans that don't fit. (hoarding issues... uh huh.) Some were from pre pregnancy (and therefore my previous weight / size) ,some that were altered to fit me perfectly. Can not even slide my knee and upper thigh into them right now. : (

Finally dipped back into "One-der-land" after the Christmas ski trip which was SO nice to see. I never want to see that 2++ number on the scale again and need to remember this feeling so that when the ebbs and flow of the process happen, I pull in the reigns and keep the trend heading down!!!

Holding, hovering and maintaining same weight throughout January of 2014.

Plowed through the annual Girl Scout cookie purchase of thin mint boxes. Really, it was the first real CHEATING and off plan, but once I got through that, they were gone and I got back on plan. The lesson learned from this was this process is not black and white, good or bad, all or nothing.  I am really applying the 80/20 rule and therefore on the rare occasions I fall off track, ( which is really not that hard to stay "on" track!) and get back to the plan the next time I eat and don't allow this binge to continue.

I have been strong during staff birthday cake celebrations of passing, or my good co worker friend allowing me to smell (yes literally inhale) the smell of the very sweet white cake / white icing, and then passing my piece.

Another mantra that helped I have posted to my desk -

"One step closer or one step away from your goal..."

Does eating that piece of cake put me a step closer or further from where I want to be? Or is it one of those days and I want the cake, and then get past that and eat a good next meal. I've tended to be able to easily skip it.

Another dear friend and co worker was describing that when we were growing up, we had a Sunday dinner. A larger pot roast, all the spreadings and a dessert. This was a once a week thing. As a society, we have allowed ourselves to relish in a Sunday dinner (celebration) everyday. That is too much! Sunday dinner, fast food, multiple cokes or a big 44 oz one, desserts, coffee's... whatever it is, it is time to get back to on occasion!


April 2014

Took the family on vacation in Florida again this spring.

On our trip last year, Spring 2013 and at my heaviest in a large, one piece swimsuit, I told myself this was about taking the kids to the ocean for the first time.Shelling, walking on the beach, boogie boarding and enjoying our family time together. No one cared about me being in a swim suit, there were bigger people out there walking around than a solid size 14/16/18 (?) and to get over myself. BUT... I also promised myself while relaxing into the beach chair and zoning out relaxing with the crashing of the waves, I was never coming back to Florida feeling like this again.

So... this year Spring 2014, I was trying to celebrate my accomplishment of being down 20 + lbs, (yes still far to go, but acknowledging the accomplishment) and although curvy as hell, and still no where close to goal,  I bought and wore a bikini the entire trip. I am a water skier and life long lake girl, so I needed to get back into the mentality of "surfer girl style" where I am comfortable and self defined.