The decision

I thought I should update all 5 of my faithful blog readers on my weight loss journey as I’ve been slacking on writing the past few weeks.

It’s been exceptionally busy work-wise and after I type tons and tons of emails all day, I don’t feel like typing anymore in the evening.

But, I’m back with a little update.

A few weeks ago I bought a brand new scale.

This thing is fancy – it tells all kinds of metrics and has a phone app. It makes getting weighed into a fun game. It tracks my progress each time I get on the scale and the line on the graph is going down. 🙂

The only downside is that it cost me 2 pounds. A comparison of my old scale and my new scale shows that my new scale has me at 2lbs heavier, so I reversed a little.

But, the good news is, I have flipped the numbers around. My starting weight of 242 is now 224 (actually 223.5 this morning) – 18.5lbs total weight loss! I’m still a long way to get to my goal weight of 160-ish lbs, but moving in the right direction.

I’ve also been keeping track of measurements like waste, chest, arms etc and all are moving in the right direction as well.

Walking is certainly getting easier. I had an appointment with my Neurologist today and he was happy to hear of my lifestyle changes and it seems that any symptoms I was having, are going away!

I think my body just got to a breaking point, where it couldn’t handle 242lbs on a slightly crooked, out of shape frame and it was manifesting itself in a few different ways.

Apparently, I don’t have to go back for a check-up as the symptoms I was having have reversed enough not to need to worry about them!

I have continued to eat healthy every day – and believe it or not, with the exception of a few Egg McMuffins, I have not had fast food since January 5th!

And this got me thinking…

It’s all about “The Decision”

I’ve read enough about nutrition, exercise, diets and healthy lifestyle and I’ve come to the conclusion that “the decision” to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle is more important than almost any other aspect of the process.

Even more important than food or exercise.

What do I mean by that?

Well…the decision that I made to live a healthier lifestyle makes me accountable to myself (and to God) for what I do (or don’t do) with my body and what I put in it as fuel. It makes me aware of what’s happening with my body and aware that if I want to move in a certain direction, I need to do and not do certain things.

No one can make this choice for me. No matter how much prodding, nagging or suggesting is done by loved ones, it has to be my own decision to make some changes.

And for you, if you want to live a healthier lifestyle, it has to be your decision.

Something that the DDPY program really emphasizes is the idea of “Owning your life.”

Of course, there are all kinds of things we have no control over, but the things we DO have control over – Own them. Make up your mind, take control of them and do what you can to improve. This goes beyond just weight loss.

There’s no shortage of “diets” out there that each has its own benefits. Eat meat, don’t eat meat. Eat dairy, don’t eat dairy, eat fruit, don’t eat fruit. Eat carbs, don’t eat carbs.

It would seem that they’re all contradictory and I don’t think it actually matters that much!

And as for exercise routines, there are all kinds of exercise routines.

Some are pretty intense and some are not. Which one is the “right” one? Some programs have you sweating for 45 minutes straight, and others just get you stretching in ways you have never stretched before.

My take on it is that there is no right or wrong answer. Make a “decision” to be healthier and then make all your other decisions, with that “decision” in mind. The rest may fall into place easier than you think!

Of course, we all know that a daily visit to a fast food chain and no exercise is a recipe for disaster, but on the flip-side, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to finding a healthy lifestyle routine that works for you.

As long as your new lifestyle takes into account 2 things (healthy eating and some kind of movement), it’s probably going to work on some level.

There’s no magic pill, no magic plan. Just eat well and move. Healthy eating is simply eating real food (avoid packaged, boxed or processed as much as you can) and just eat real food. Lots of vegetables. Lots of fruit, Some meat, dairy, grains etc.

Actually – Canada’s new food guide seems to have nailed it down quite well. A little less dairy and meat than they recommended in the past. And, don’t forget – protein can come from more than just meat, and calcium can come from things other than dairy.

“The Decision” is the thing that’s going to keep you moving further ahead.

Once you make the decision to live a healthier lifestyle, you think twice about what you order at a restaurant or what you eat at home.

I recently enjoyed an amazing and slightly expensive meal at Milestones – and to be honest, it wasn’t as enjoyable as it had been in the past and I didn’t feel great afterward. I never thought I would see that day!

Previously – I LOVED restaurant food. Now I find it slightly unsatisfying and I don’t even feel like we’re on a diet!

We have not cut out anything entirely, but eating in moderation, and I don’t miss some of the terrible foods I ate previously, because we have been making some pretty amazing food at home.

We only allow ourselves 1 meal at a restaurant per week, but when we go to the restaurant, I eat what I feel like eating. Interestingly, a big pile of greasy food doesn’t look as appealing as it did before. I did have a burger this past Sunday while we were out with friends. It was quite good.

We have decided eating better just needs to be part of our everyday life going forward for the long run. It’s not as if I can just go back to the way that I was, once I get to 160-ish-lbs.

So….that’s about all of my “weight loss wisdom” for today. 🙂

If you want to freak yourself out when it comes to food, I encourage you to check out a few movies. Most are available online in various places like Netflix, Prime or even on YouTube.

Food Inc.

Genetic Roulette

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead