Monday, February 3, 2014

A New Outlook

With all my back problems over the past year, working out has fallen to the wayside.  I have a hard enough time walking for long distances, let alone trying anything beyond that. As such, I gained about 7 pounds.  It really affected my self-esteem, not to mention my ability to fit into my clothes!  Gaining weight is kind of a vicious cycle.  You gain weight, which makes you feel bad about yourself, which makes you eat unhealthily, which makes you gain more weight.  A couple weeks ago, I finally decided I needed to change.  I contacted a friend who sells Advocare and bought the products necessary to complete the 10-day cleanse.  I wanted a clean slate and rules to follow to make me focus on my eating. I'm happy to say, it worked!  After the 10 days were up, I had lost 4 pounds.  Now, the weight loss is probably more related to the strict diet rules I followed, as opposed to the Advocare products, but I'm not going to knock the process!

I'm really happy I did it, because it helped open my eyes to just how poorly I was eating. I'm a lot more aware of what I'm putting into my body, and I'm making a conscious effort to make better decisions every day.  I haven't had a soda in more than 14 days, and I plan on keeping that up.  Water and flavored water (with low quantity of sucralose, not aspartame) are my drinks of choice now.  I used to crave something sweet almost every day, and that was just so detrimental to my health. Desserts and sweets are no longer a staple in my diet.  I've made a new rule that I can only have dessert once a week.  I had half a piece of cake the other day, and I felt really bad afterwards. It showed me that the enjoyment I think I get by eating it is just not worth the calories and sugar.  It was eye-opening, and I'm so glad I can realize that now.

I started riding the stationary bike last week.  It's something that my body can handle, without causing me too much pain, and I can do it any time of day.  I'm hoping this exercise, combined with my healthier eating, will continue the weight loss.  Wish me luck!    

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