For my entire adult life my weight has fluctuated. I have at most times a 2-3 size range of clothes in my closet. I’ve lost weight and slowly gained in back multiple times. I KNOW what works for me and I know how to keep it off. My problems are lack of will power and motivation, especially in social situations. There are a lot of weekends spent at the tiki bar with sugary mixed drinks and bar food. It’s FUN though and since I didn’t get to have that lifestyle in my 20s I enjoy it now as an empty nester! Going out to eat is also very convenient when you are busy. We were eating out 3 times a week! None of that does anything to increase your overall health. Yes- dancing is fun but it doesn’t burn off as many calories as I am consuming.
It’s easy to think “I’ll start again next week” or “I’ll get back on track at the end of the summer”. Trust me- that doesn’t work. At least not for me. Last summer it became very clear to me that big changes needed to be made. I was spending more time chasing around grandkids and it was hard to keep up with them. I was at the heaviest I had ever been and it was time for a permanent change.
So at the beginning of this year my husband and I decided to make some big changes. He had bariatric surgery last month. That’s his story to tell not mine, but it does mean changes for both of us. It was a big decision that we made together and was about six months in the making. He had the big one, not the sleeve or a band. He is doing well and has seen great results so far. But what does that mean for me?
I have gone back to tried and true calorie counting. 1200-1300 calories a day for now. Once I add in exercise this spring I will add account for that. Most days that means protein shakes/bars for breakfast and lunch and a sensible dinner. Eat less, move more. Simple and it works. We no longer have any snack food in the house. Everything we eat is measured and weighed out. I can tell you the calories/fat/sugar/protein in everything I eat. Our refrigerator and pantry look much different these days.
We are still adjusting to social situations.
-We had friends over to watch a couple of football games and we had only healthy food that I could easily log.
-We were invited to play euchre with friends and we scheduled it between lunch and dinner and asked them to please not make any snacks for us.
-We have been out a few times to watch a local singing competition and we’ve had water, iced tea or diet pop while two hundred people around us are drinking and loud and having a great time. I’m a social drinker and enjoy getting giggly with my friends. I wish I liked beer, there are so many lower calorie options.
-Our son and his fiancé came up for a weekend and I prepared them for what to expect. We have no snacks and probably not much food they usually eat. But they were fine with it and we had eggs, and english muffin and turkey sausage for dinner. 500 calories and we had all we really needed.
-I went to a special event in town at our local theater. The ticket included soft drinks, appetizers and all you can eat popcorn. I did some research ahead of time about the popcorn and I was able to have a small serving with no butter. I didn’t eat any of the food or drink any of the alcohol. I brought a protein bar with me to have for dinner. It was a little hard to look at all that food and see everyone enjoying it but I stuck with it.
I allow myself one “cheat meal” every two weeks. Not a whole day, just a meal where I can have what I want without having to count the calories. It gives me something to look forward to have helps with the cravings. My husband isn’t quite ready to go out to eat at a restaurant yet but when he is we are going to be a lot smarter about it. We can share a meal, make better menu choices, avoid appetizers and desserts. We can also make eating out a special occasion again and not a way of life. Better for our health AND our bank account!
We are going try to plan get togethers with friends that aren’t food based. When you think about it, almost every time we get together with people it’s based around a meal. “Let’s grab lunch ” or “Let’s meet for dinner and….”. Our holidays, celebrations and special occasions are almost always centered around food. My hope is to do more “Let’s meet and go for a walk” or “How about we meet after dinner and …”.
I’ve lost twenty pounds so far. I have about seventy more to go. I’m not on a timeline although I would love to be almost there by the end of the year. I’m not going to beat myself up though. I’m not going to beat myself up. I’m not going to beat myself up. I know there will be months where I barely lose anything. The important thing is that I am making changes that will be long lasting and good for my body. We CAN’T go back to our old lifestyle. Chad’s surgery means permanent changes for both of us. It means hopefully we’ll have more years together, have more energy to chase around those grandkids, have more stamina for all the dancing on the beach and future adventures we take.
So if it seems like you don’t see me around as much, it may just be that I am avoiding tempting situations. Reach out to me and we can go for a walk on the beach or for a hike along the AuSable. Or we can play some games, I love a good board game!