Wherein I Give Up

So, yeah. I gave up.
I gave up hoping that somehow magically, just as it seems it magically appeared, this coat o' fat I've been wearing would disappear. It seems intent on staying.

And you may recall that my dear oncologist looked me straight in the eye, post "I have these lingering chemo side-effects" whining, and said "I'm willing to bet all of those would go away if you lost some weight."

The nerve.

The common sense.

So yes. I've acknowledged that the thirty pounds I've gained since Chris and I have been together  may in fact be related to our lifestyle and not chemo (yes, you read that right...30. 3-0. O.M.G.  But, um, for the record, Chris and I have been together almost 7 years...but I digress....). While chemo may have caused my metabolism to come to a screaming halt, it's likely it was only moving at a very leisurely pace previously. In fact, I think my metabolism was stopping to smell a lot of flowers along the way.

Time for a change. I've consulted with a dietitian/ nutritionist and...and...and....hired a personal trainer. (Raise your hand if you're shocked. Right...I'm now typing with one hand myself.)

Here's what I learned from the nutritionist that seems to be helping me a lot:

1) I think about what I can eat, not what I can't eat.   This has been the most helpful bit of advice, since I'm not good at denying myself. So if I'm at a restaurant, I go right to the "lite" menu and pick something. I do not look at the things I cannot have (and I try to ignore the server when the specials are explained). When I make a meal for myself or go grocery shopping, I do the same thing. It's worked much, much better for me!

2) I'm eating more fiber. In fact I'm eating a ton of fruits and vegetables (aided greatly by the fact that a client dropped off 2 big boxes of the most delicious oranges!) and my snacks are fiber bars. I have yet to feel hungry, which makes the below goal much easier...

3) I'm trying to stay at or under 1,500 calories a day. That used to be a meal for me. But, 1 and 2 above make that not too difficult. Now as for difficult....

4) I'm limiting my alcohol.  This has proven to be the most difficult. Not so bad when I'm just at home (but I do miss my glass...es.... of wine late at night, especially when I'm writing. Writing and wine go together in my mind...). It's much harder when I'm at community events, parties, or, um...Chris's Sunday Night Chef Fights!

So far though, I've lost 6 pounds, gained 2 back (I have no idea how that is, but it is...). It's been 2 weeks. I didn't even mention it before this because I wanted to make sure I was really doing it. And I am. The goal is to lose that 30 pounds. Yeah, I'm going to have to stick with this awhile. Maybe forever. (Can't think about that now...baby steps!).

I'll tell you about the trainer in the next post. My arms hurt to much to keep typing now....