The Slacking Blogger and eating healthy isn't really more expensive than eating junk

I haven't written for a long time because I was obsessing over another project.  I delivered a message at the New Song church women's retreat.  It was emotionally DRAINING but truly an incredible experience.  I was so nervous that I would bomb but the Holy Spirit took over just in time and I did pretty good!

So I weigh in a week from tomorrow and, no, I didn't reach my personal challenge goal.  I know it's not over yet, but I'd need to starve myself for the next seven days to drop 14 pounds by next Thursday.  This does not sound like a good time.  Thus, I shant attempt that little feat.

On the bright side,  I'm 9 pounds away from having a weight that no longer begins with a 2!  I feel better, I look better, my blood pressure is down, I have more energy and day-to-day life is just a lot easier to handle.  I no longer dread the thought of going to the grocery store because it makes me tired.  Still hate grocery shopping but just because it's...grocery shopping.  Next weekend, Kenz and I are going on a little trip (we're totally going to an NHL game!!!!!) and I'll have plenty of energy to tromp around the HP Pavilion in San Jose and climb the stairs to our 2nd-level seats with no problem.   Our hotel is near the arena so we'll just walk on over!

So one thing I hear a lot is that eating healthy is WAY more expensive than eating junk.  'Tis true, chicken breasts and salmon are more expensive than hot dogs and fish sticks.  But I've found that we are actually spending LESS on food than we were before.  The first reason is that we don't eat out as much as we used to.  We used to eat out 3-4 times a week (including our weekly after-church visit to Jimmy's...omg...I miss you, Jimmy's!!!).  At $15-30 a meal, depending on the restaurant, that adds up FAST. 

The second reason is that we simply eat less food!  When we have steak for dinner we split one instead of each having one.  No more hamburger helper in big batches tempting me to savor another bowl of it's deliciousness!  We rarely have leftovers unless I cook some extra chicken for salads the next day.  Other than that, we cook only the portions that we're going to eat.  It cuts down on the temptation to overeat and also cuts down on waste.

The third reason is that there's stuff we just don't buy any more like calorie-laden drinks and snacks.  No more boxes of ice cream or giant bags of chips.  If we want a treat, we buy a Skinny Cow individual serving cup (140 calories) or some cheddar flavored Quaker mini-rice cakes that taste like fricken' Cheetos! (140 calories in 17 of those little suckers but who can eat 17???)  That way, we can have a little treat without having a gigantic bag of something laying around to tempt us!

So ends my sage advice for the day.  Now I have to work on another writing project:  my challenge essay.   I'm certain it will be riveting!

Shel

Let's Get Small-er (and pants, part deux)

(First, I have to take care of a little business....*AHEM*)

I LOVE CANADA!

(We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.)

I wore my favorite pants on Friday even though they're WAY too big now.  I kinda felt smaller in them.  I have to wear a belt or they'll just fall off.  No need to open the fly to get them off.  Just unbuckle the belt and they slide right down, making a whooshing sound.   They're so big that my friend, Brian, pointed out that they were falling down and I looked like I had a load in my pants.  I told him to stop looking at my ass.  Today, I'm wearing small-er pants.  I say small-er instead of small because, well, there's nothing small about my pants.  I'm also wearing a newer shirt that fits, instead of a baggy one.  And I feel smaller. 

I feel more comfortable in my skin today.  I feel more comfortable in general today.  I noticed said additional comfort while I was driving.  How can sitting in a seat and turning a steering wheel be uncomfortable?  When you're fat, everything is uncomfortable.  Everything is more difficult.  Everything you do requires more effort to get it done.  But things are getting way easier already.  Even though I haven't dumped tons of weight there are lots of little things that are already different.  Things like:

• Not only can I bend over and touch my toes, I can put my fingers under my toes and lift up my feet.
• When I put my purse on my shoulder, it stays there.
• Tying my shoes is way easier.
• When I'm on the eliptical or the treadmill at the gym, I can see BOTH of my shoulders in my reflection on the little tv monitor.
• I can do my grocery shopping or bop through the mall without getting tired after 15 minutes.
• (Just noticed this one) My torso doesn't touch the arm rests on my chair.

These are little things.  But to me, they're kinda big.  When you're fat, even the smallest chore can seem gargantuan.  Activities that people take for granted, like getting in and out of the car, can be really difficult.   When you're fat, just BEING is hard. 

In light of my recent disgust with my scale which is completely opposed to the way I FEEL, I decided I'm not going to weigh myself until I weigh in on the 31st.  Oh, I'm making progess, for sure.  But I don't think I'll be The Biggest Loser.  And I'm perfectly ok with that.  All the little things are adding up to bigger things.  I'm eating WAY better and WAY less, I exercise regularly for the first time in my life, and I go to bed every night knowing that I did something good for myself.

I've been awesome at self-destruction my whole life.  I never felt like I deserved anything good.  I'm afraid that if I just focus on completing a 12-week challenge that week 13 will begin with a bacon cheeseburger and a pile o' fries followed by a marathon session on the couch.  If I do that, I'm pretty sure that would be the meanest thing I've ever done to myself.  But I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the God of the Universe, and I know he's got big plans for me.  It will be way hard to carry out those plans from the couch.