Well, I’m down another 1 1/2 lbs this week. I’ve also broken 160 which is huge! This was what I weighed last February at my last physical. This was my set point and I couldn’t get below it no matter what I tried. For 2 years I saw my weight go up from 140 to 160 only to diet it back down to 140, until finally it wouldn’t budge. I feel like I’ve broken through a physical and psychological barrier.
Now it’s the march down to my fighting weight of 140. This is where I feel the most comfortable, my clothes fit and I’ve lowered my risk of diabetes, dementia, cancer and stroke (all of which run in my family). At 55, I’m more cognizant than ever of the health risks of being overweight. I have one kidney and I look at diabetes as a death sentence. My father was insulin dependent (he lived to 86) and my brother has been for years now (morbidly obese). If I’m delaying the inevitable, at least I’m delaying it!
Ultimately, my goal is to be able to maintain my weight with the tools I’ve learned from iDiet. This isn’t just about losing weight for me. I want to keep it off without starving myself (it didn’t work long term in the past). Eating more fiber makes me feel full. Eating more often and spacing out my food keeps my blood sugar level (no more hypoglycemia from too much exercise and not enough glycogen).
Don’t get me wrong. I’m Jewish and I love food! In moderation. You can still celebrate with food (just not every day or even every week). I pick and choose when I want to eat something special. I’ve found substitutes for things I love that satisfy me. I’ve found a high fiber bar that tastes delicious! It’s a great snack for 130 calories. I’ve always loved fruits and veggies; now I’ve found a fat free poppyseed dressing that tastes wonderful. Learning more about food and why we crave what we crave (different things for different people). Some people crave sugar but I’m not one of them. I LOVE crunchy. Years ago that was chips; today it’s a 100 calorie light kettle corn popcorn. I enjoy the things I love in manageable portions.
When I was younger, I could cut back on chips and cheese cake and lose the few lbs I’d gained. Not anymore. Post menopausal is tough. I tell all my perimenopausal clients, lose the weight now; it’s not easier after menopause. But it can be done! When you’re older what you put in your mouth becomes more important because your metabolism has slowed down. My husband who has been thin all his life (5’8″, 160 lbs, 32 waist) put on 10 lbs for the first time. He cut out ice cream at night (we won’t go there) and lost 5 lbs immediately. The other 5 lbs won’t budge. He is having to change his diet. More fruits, veggies, less bagels and take out food. He needs to eat breakfast and spread his calories out over the course of the day. He’s not used to that. He eats the majority of his calories from lunch on.
Like a lot of households we have different foods for different people. This makes for more of a challenge in eating healthy and maintaining my weight. We do the food shopping together so that we both have the food we like. I try not to be the food police with my husband. What he eats is up to him. I have a hard enough time policing my own diet without taking on his. I try to set a healthy example and over time he has changed his diet. When I met him he ate pop tarts (I did when I was a kid, not since) and now he has added salads to his diet. He’s a work in progress like all of us.
It’s never too late to lose weight. I have clients in their 70’s and 80’s who are losing weight. Viv has lost over 15 lbs on iDiet in her 70’s. She has had limited success with weight loss in the past but iDiet has changed that. It’s wonderful seeing her shrinking; wearing new clothes and able to increase her exercise as the scale goes down. I’ll be at her house for Passover Seder this year. I’m bringing some healthy food and I’ve already planned what I’m going to eat. Planning is key when it comes to the holidays.
Only 3 more weeks left to the iDiet group. I’ll be continuing on with my weight loss journey. After the 10 weeks are up; I’ll write updates to let everyone know how I’m doing. I appreciate the emails people have sent sharing their weight loss journeys with me. ‘Til next week!
About our guest blogger Debra Goldman:
Debra has been an athlete, trainer and Pilates instructor for over 30 years, and she has referred clients to the iDiet program for several years. She noticed that every one of them lost weight, maintained their weight loss, and raved about how easy and enjoyable the community groups were. Like most people, Debra has faced and overcome a variety of physical injuries and health issues — some that make weight maintenance more difficult. So she decided to join an iDiet group, and journal the process. Join us on Debra’s weight loss journey.
Debra Goldman can be contacted at:
Pilates Works, Inc
253 Cochituate Rd
Wayland, MA 01778
(508) 655-1178
www.pilatesworksinc.com
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