weight loss

Losing 20 pounds – post 7

/ christinaparisi / Leave a comment

I did it.

I joined a gym.

This is a first for me and I’m not going to lie. I feel… nervous and apprehensive. I always pictured gyms as large sweaty rooms full of people trying to show each other up. I’m hoping I’m wrong but I guess I won’t know till I’m there.

Fortunately, my husband is a trainer-quality gym-goer so I am in very good hands for my first session, which will likely be tomorrow. If it wasn’t for him,  I’d be struggling far greater. I truly have only been inside a gym maybe three times my whole forty-year life.

I want to slap the 28 year-old me who took for granted a super fast metabolism. I should have been nurturing it and appreciating it.

But yes, hindsight is twenty/twenty.

Now, pictures of myself are becoming harder to look at. Quite simply, I am not happy with the way I look.

I should mention this is extremely personal. It is NOT a statement on how others should feel about themselves at any given weight. It’s about feeling good about oneself and if there is something you want to change to make that greater, then you should, as long as it’s done in a positive way.

For me, this means losing twenty pounds. That’s my truth and what I’ve determined will make me feel better about my body and my health. If I want to be around for a lot longer, I have to take steps to help ensure that, no?

And I’ve tried the past several months and appreciate all of you who have come along with me, but now, still weighing in at 141, I’m pulling out the big guns.

I’m a certified first-time gym member.

Stay tuned…

 

Losing 20 pounds – post 6

/ christinaparisi / Leave a comment

Hello again. It’s me, the same 141-pound woman who is trying to lose weight but keeps failing at it.

I’m still at that above weight mark. Fortunately, I haven’t gained more but I am not losing either and am getting beyond frustrated.

But then, leave it to my loving husband, to bring me to reality and tell me the real reason my weight loss plan is not going as well as I’d hope –

I drink too much wine.

There’s nothing like a glass of wine or two after a long restaurant shift but that’s 300+ empty calories I’m taking in. There’s nothing like a glass of wine as I write my latest article but wouldn’t some green tea be a much healthier pairing? There’s nothing like a fun happy hour on the weekends but really, is three glasses necessary followed by more at dinner?

When I think about how much I involve wine in my life, I realize it’s likely the reason I am struggling with losing weight. As my husband pointed out to me, my eating habits have gotten healthier and are not bad. It’s the extra calories and carbs that come along with this beloved beverage of mine (yet another unhealthy one…)

So, here it is. I need to be honest with myself. I am going to drink much less. I will likely be grumpy about it but I know it will help with my weight loss goals, not to mention it’s just plain healthier living.

Wish me luck. I’m gonna need it.

And thank you all for following along on this journey of mine. Your support means a lot to me.

XO

Quitting Diet Coke – uh oh

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I’ve been dreading writing this post. In fact, a friend of mine just last night asked me about my Diet Coke addiction and I told her the post was coming, knowing full well I should have written it by now… Thankfully, she reminded me I shouldn’t wait any longer.

So here goes…

When I went to Palm Springs March 21-23, I allowed myself a few Diet Cokes. Hey, I was on vacation, so I gave myself a pass.

But then, I returned home and went without them for a bit but then allowed a couple here and there. I have by no means returned to drinking that dark bubbly liquid but I would say I’ve allowed about four or so and I’ve only been back three backs.

See, I opened the door and unfortunately, the timing sucks.  I remembered how helpful it can be for losing weight and if you’ve been following my other series, you can appreciate that a DC is helpful. If you opt for this soda, it has no sugar. And for me, it can tide me over all morning/afternoon, letting me have my first meal in the later afternoon without batting an eye and for intermittent fasting, that is awesome.

I should mention I don’t drink coffee so without it,  intermittent fasting is much more difficult.

BUT NO

I have to stop myself. I’m better off without it, keeping it in very small doses, for traveling and weddings and such :) so I just have to come up with another solution.

FYI I have not gained weight but I haven’t lost either.

The struggle is so real people. And for me, it’s daily.

Still weighing in at 141.

Stay tuned….

Losing 15 – no wait, 20 – pounds post 5

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Seeing that my weight is now at 141, I decided to change the title of these posts to reflect the truth.

I want to lose 20 pounds after I somehow gained a few pounds while I tried to lose… what?! I know…. (read post 4.)

This past week has been okay. I haven’t added any weight but I’m still not losing. It’s beyond frustrating.

The little changes I’ve made along the way feel good but they are clearly not enough and not as effective as I want them to be.

So, I’ve been doing some research for external help. Weight watchers app seems cool but another method has caught my attention.

Intermittent fasting.

This has been tremendously helpful to my husband, who maintains his chiseled physique with the gym, healthy eating, minimal drinking and intermittent fasting.

The idea is to fast for 16 hours a day. I’m not sure if this is going to work for me, but I’m going to give it a try since I don’t like to eat in the morning and typically wait till the afternoon to eat anyway. It’s not a diet per se, but a style of eating.

I am going to start this in a week because my husband and I are going out of town this week to do a little relaxing since I finished a large section of the book I’m writing and he finished mixing an album he’s working on (he’s an audio engineer/producer) and I don’t want to fast on vacation. I mean, come on….

BUT, I will be beginning this next week and in the meantime, I am going to accept myself and my body and feel confident rocking my bathing suit at the pool, all 141 pounds of me.

#losingfifteenpoundsdamnit