TARGET: 128
POUNDS TO GOAL: 10
It's been a month since I last posted here.
You may recall that in desperation, I decided to try out the NutriSystem plan.
It started out well. In fact, it gave me back some of the structure I'd missed since going off track from the Lindora program I'd been so successful with.
I concluded that my inability to keep up with the methods that had been working so well arose out of sheer boredom with the program and the program products. I felt good.
The NutriSystem plan had me eating more carbs than I had become accustomed to -- so I skipped some of the snacks and just about all of the fruits. I had been forced to eliminate fruits during my successful weight loss phase at Lindora, too, because my body refused to go into ketosis until my carbohydrate levels had been reduced to next to nothing. This resulted in an average 600-800 calories per day during my weight loss phase. While this alarmed most people who learned of it, I felt comfortable because the registered nurse-counselors at Lindora monitored my health on a daily basis (except for weekends and holidays).
That kind of medical scrutiny is why the clinic program costs so much -- and why I'm shying away from it now. I simply don't have the money.
Unfortunately, I don't seem to have the ability to do this alone. And I'm being pressured by my loving spouse to LOSE THIS WEIGHT before we visit his family in Britain. That trip is now only one month a way.
I don't think deadlines are very useful when you're trying to manage your weight.
If I was desperate four weeks ago, you can imagine how I'm feeling right now.
The truth is, I did pretty well with the NutriSystem products and lost four pounds over the first two weeks. This was what I expected.
And then Mother's Day weekend happened. My sister came down for a visit and I spent three days eating "normally." The four pounds packed right back on and here we are again.
I'm not renewing the NutriSystem plan for a second month, although I have not ruled it out for the future.
In the meantime, I've turned to the traditional avenue of the desperate dieter: SlimFast. Drinking protein shakes instead of meals is NOT a lifestyle choice -- but it is something I may be able to stick to for a short period (say, one month). At least, it's something I used successfully years ago to keep my weight in check.
What happened to my goal of exercising an hour a day? That goal has also been messed up by lifestyle issues -- specifically, the difficulty I have in carving out such a large chunk of time during my limited work day.
Both of these goals - diet and exercise - are issues that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. Sometimes I'll be successful at both (as I was two years ago). Sometimes, I'll have to just settle for what I can manage. It will always be a struggle.
