The Inevitable Plateau

Everyone knows that during dieting, you eventually hit a plateau. This is when you don't lose weight, you get frustrated, and usually you give up. The hardest part of weight loss is fighting through this or so I've been told. I feel like the last five years have been my plateau. I couldn't even start the weight loss journey because my metabolism just didn't want to start up.

So, here I am finally losing weight and all I seem to think about lately is hitting that inevitable plateau. When I got on the scale this week, I was sure that it was going to show no weight loss or even a little weight gain. I obsessed all week about how I wasn't doing my best. I actually did lose 1 1/2 lbs last week so I was still doing something right. But, this week got me thinking....Is the plateau nothing more than us sabotaging ourselves?

Think about it. I'm five weeks into my Operation: Get Steenie Healthy. I'm starting to feel comfortable with picking my meals and knowing what the right foods and amounts are. But, perhaps I'm a little too comfortable. I didn't keep the daily log up like I should. I missed entire days this week. I know I had a few extra snacks this week (though they were healthy snacks). And, I seemed to have a larger appetite, not able to get full. Of course, this all made me feel a little guilty and made me just sure that I was going to hit the plateau. So, really I psyched myself out this week. It was all in my head!

The only good thing is that I really have learned not to be hard on myself. Everyone falls off the health wagon sometimes. It's about getting back on and steering for that goal. Don't worry about the bumps along the way. And, don't stress about that plateau. Just keep going steady and don't get too comfortable. Being too comfortable is why I'm overweight in the first place.

What it boils down to is that self-sabotage isn't healthy so there's no place for it in Operation: Get Steenie Healthy.

I love Tomato Chicken

You know what's a wonderful feeling? It's going to kung fu, getting a new gi, and realizing you get to drop a size. That has been a long time coming and I'm so excited!! What a way to start the second month of Operation: Get Steenie Healthy. Now, don't get me wrong, the new gi is pretty snug and a little uncomfortable. But, isn't that the way it should be? What bigger motivation is there then fitting comfortably in your clothes?

So, I've shared a sample daily meal log with friends and figured I should post one here, too. I hope this helps you understand the work put into creating a healthy meal plan. Of course, it helps to have a wonderful husband who loves to do the cooking and is great at creating food masterpieces. Anyway, here is how one of my favorite meal plans goes...

Breakfast: 6 ounces Greek Yogurt - 143 cal, 0 fat, 14 protein, 20 carbs, 68 sodium

                  1 piece wheat toast w/butter spray - 45 cal, 0 fat, 3 protein, 8 carbs, 90 sodium

                  TOTAL -- 188 cal, 0 fat, 17 protein, 28 carbs, 158 sodium

Snack: 1 piece ww toast w/peanut butter - 195 cal, 10 fat, 8 protein, 24 carbs, 148 sodium

Lunch: Turkey Sandwich on wheat bread - 192 cal, 4 fat, 15 protein, 34 carbs, 686 sodium

             carrots - 27 cal, 0 fat, 1 protein, 6 carbs, 30 sodium

             TOTAL -- 219 cal, 4 fat, 16 protein, 40 carbs, 716 sodium

Snack: Red apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter - 262 cal, 16 fat, 8 protein, 6 carb, 65 sodium

Dinner: Tomato Chicken (my favorite!!) - 184 cal, 2 fat, 27 protein, 13 carbs, 81 sodium

              Steamed Green Beans - 38 cal, 0 fat, 2 protein, 8 carbs, 2 sodium

             1 small red potato, baked chipped - 110 cal, 0 fat, 3 protein, 26 carbs, 0 sodium

             TOTAL - 332 cal, 2 fat, 32 protein, 47 carbs, 83 sodium

Snack: Sugar Free Popsicle - 15 cal, 0 fat, 0 protein, 4 carbs, 0 sodium

DAILY TOTAL --  1211 cal, 32 fat, 81 protein, 149 carbs, 1170 sodium

Now, some people need to eat more calories and some days I have closer to 1500 calories. It depends on what I choose to eat each day, but I try to stay under 1800 no matter what I chose. I also watch my fat and try to keep it under 39g a day. This week, I'm watching my carbs (probably the hardest thing yet) and my sodium. Sodium adds up quickly so try to stay under 2300 per day.

Along with the dieting comes exercise. I know we all lead busy lives, but try to get out there and at least walk. Everything burns calories!! Well, except doing nothing. I found some great information at www.webmd.com  about fitness. Also, they have a great calorie counter and exercise counter. Check it out! The internet can be such a wonderful aid. It's helped me learn about the nutritional values in foods, helped me come up with meal plans, and just helped motivate me.

Well, this is all of the advice and info I have today. I told you, it's hard work and an ongoing process. I'm still trying to come up with great lunch meals. I struggle with the carbs during that time and am just not very creative. Does anyone have any recipes? Please share them as I'm sure we would all love to create some more meals. One more thing....here' s a picture of the delicious meal my husband prepared last night. See, you don't have to eat bland, yucky foods just because you choose to eat healthy!! Doesn't this look yummy?

Blogging? Me? I don't know about this.

I'm finally following my sister's advice and starting a blog about my road to getting healthy. I began this journey a month ago so I'll have to give a bit of back story. I was always the underweight, thin kid who couldn't gain weight no matter how much I ate. Boy, do I miss those days now. I gained weight after my twins were born in 2001 and never lost it all, but was not completely overweight. In 2005, my husband was injured in an offshore accident and we had a really scary, stressful couple of years. Needless to say, I gained 60 lbs that year. I've tried and tried to lose it to no avail. So, a couple of months ago, I decided that enough was enough and I made appointments with doctors to have bloodwork done, etc. Everything was great, so I decided to start a diet plan.

One month ago, I started a diet plan suggested by my doctor. I cut my calories to 1200 and ate a low-fat diet. I spent two weeks studying, writing, and planning. I made an appointment with a dietitian because I was worried about the diet plan and wanted to get some nutritional advice. She started teaching me the way to eat and what to watch. I'll get into that later. Along the way, I started sending emails to family and friends with meal plans, advice, and encouraging notes. I'm surprised about how many people wanted to know what my secret was and how I was doing it. It's great going through this with everyone and it helps to hold me accountable.

So, what is my secret? Hard work!!! I know that sounds cliche, but seriously, it's about holding yourself accountable for every bite and every exercise you do. I write out each meal including the nutritional values, like calories, protein, fat, sodium, and carbs. I've tweaked the meals over the last few weeks and still struggle with coming up with a variety. As far as exercise, I do kung fu three days a week and try to walk on the days off. It's all about having the willpower to say no to the junk that the kids and hubby want to eat. It's not easy, but it's well worth it. I feel great.

Along the way, I realized this 'Get Healthy' goal was about a lot more than weight, it's about being an entirely new person. It's about enjoying life and getting out there with the kids. Be happy, don't let life pass you by while you sit on the computer, watching television. Get out there! Explore! Be healthy! That's what I'm doing. So, month 1 results.....I've dropped 13 pounds. And, as I continue this journey, I hope that by sharing it I can help motivate others to do this, too. Believe me, it's worth it!