Raise your Hand

By a show of hands can I get a complete tally of all the chicas out there trying to lose weight?  Oh, everyone?  Good then you can relate.  I decided that last year I finished my book, went to a writer's conference, branched out of myself.  This year, I take off the weight.  Not for my high school reunion (that was four years ago, I went "heavy").  Not for my husband, although he has never complained.  Not because  bathing suit season is around the corner, it actually comes around  every year.  But because it is time.  The twins being ten years old, I cannot call it baby weight.  Although, if I am holding a small baby, I may claim it as such.

I have read every book, done every diet before.  Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The Fat Flush (actually used that one to jump start me this time).  All of them.  Ooooh, I forgot "YOU on a diet."  Read them all, tried them all, and guess what?  Do you know the secret to losing weight and keeping it off?  Lean in close, this is a big fat secret that no one wants to tell you.  

You have to eat less and exercise more.  

That's it.  You should also consider everything you put into your mouth, no white sugar (it's poison, but I may die willingly), no white flour, no processed food, etc. etc.  The problem with that is you actually have to think.  Think about what you are going to eat and what you are not going to eat.  It's a total pain in the you know what.  But it does work.  

My mother-in-law and I were talking about "miracle" diets and pills and all that stuff.  I have tried "natural" diet pills, they made my lips numb.  I figured they were not that good for me if my lips were numb.  What we decided is we would like to be put into a coma, lose the weight, someone come in and exercise us, have plastic surgery and wake up eight weeks later at our dream weight.  No pain, all gain.  It should only cost around $100,000.00.  But man, wouldn't that be awesome.

You see, that is what we want.  We don't want to have to actually work at it, we just want to wake up skinny.  In our instant society, we want instant weight loss.  Well, sixteen years of having kids and raising kids and gaining weight, I have to give myself at least a year to take it off.  That stinks, but it is the way it is.

I will do one thing, I will not get preachy when I reach my goal weight.  There is nothing worse that that really cute gal who lost all the weight and now stares at you at the brunch when you eat a muffin.  It's just a muffin, and a mini-muffin at that.

So, battle lines drawn, I am trying.  I am praying about it.  I am getting up at 5:00am to get on the treadmill.  I am eating Ezekiel bread and lots of fruit and veggies and lean protein.  And if I want a cookie, I eat one or two, not the whole package.  I am taking vitamins and doing my best.  

What have you tried?  Are you trying now?  Keep going, if you fall off the wagon, get back on tomorrow, keep going.  I am in your corner.

God Bless you and yours.