I used to swim twice a week as my main exercise – so I thought. I have been wearing a Fitbit watch for a couple of weeks now, and it sees like it’s a rare day that I don’t take 10,000 steps. Sometimes as many as 18 or 19 thousand. I don’t even have to try, apparently I just do it. How did I ever gain so much weight with all that walking around??? It must have taken some dedication.
Now, I am careful to portion what I eat and not overeat. That is consistent with my new values. I am working hard, but it is worthwhile.
My food intake and calorie count
Breakfast – 4oz rice (120); beef and broccoli (150);
- 270 calories
Lunch – Italian bread (120); ham (200);
- 320 calories
Dinner – 15oz Nachos (600); chips (140); sour cream (50);
- 790 calories
Snacking – tea with half and half (80); 1 serving tea cookies (170)
- 250 calories
Total for the day: 1630 calories (limit 1700)
Over the long term
I decided early in my effort to lose 120 pounds that I would have to make a lifestyle change. I didn’t want to lose weight and then gain it back. That meant that the old me had to go. I knew that I couldn’t just change my habits, I had to change the reason for them. I had to build a new person who would be in control of their body. It’s a different way of seeing the world. I also had to build a lifestyle that I could live with and even enjoy. I had tried many times to force myself to eat less and lose weight just by willpower. I knew that was a loser, from experience.
I have been doing this for nearly two years now. It is doable and I feel pretty confident that I can do this for a long time. And I have shown over this time that I can lose weight whenever I want. It does take work and it is not easy. But it can be done. My mind does boggle a bit at the idea that, when I want to stop losing weight, I may have to start eating an extra 500-1000 calories per day. What will that be like???
Maintaining a weight will be a whole new challenge. But it can’t be harder than losing 100+ pounds, right?
Right?
-The Doctor