Dieting sucks, if you'll pardon my Shakespeare.
Chuck and I began the Nutrisystem program 46 days ago and I'm down 11 lbs. I'm happy to be down 11 lbs. - downright giddy. But why does losing weight take. So. Long? This is the point where I start to wonder if the end is worth the means. Do I really care if I'm a little on the heavy side?
Yes, I do care. I'm tired of looking frumpy and slovenly. I'm tired of being depressed, fatigued and achy all the time and wearing a wardrobe that looks like a carry-over from the Eastern Bloc (evening vear? svim vear?). Chuck calls my side of the closet the Mao Tse Tung collection.
When I was thinner and only needed to lose 3-5 lbs. at any given time, I'd simply fast for a couple of days and be done with it. I've tried to convince myself that I could just fast for 30 days and be done with it. I wonder, when Jesus went to the desert and fasted for 40 days did the devil tempt him with Quarter Pounders and Twinkies?
The problem is that I hate regimens. I've always been good at planning and making lists and taking notes, but bad at discipline and follow-through. I've trained myself to believe that I work best when I have a pressing deadline; when I'm forced to cram weeks of leisurely work into a few days of sleepless torture. This behavior actually worked through college and my professional career days. But, I gotta tell ya, there just aren't many deadlines pressing down on this housewife and home schooling mom.
Enter the sloth.
After the first 28 days of our diet, I slacked off on my daily food diary. And, you guessed it, I started skipping, substituting or outright cheating. So, I'm back to the diary...it really does help keep me honest.
Chuck has lost more weight on it than I, mainly because he doesn't always get all of his food in with his schedule. He also does not cheat; if he doesn't have time to eat the prescribed meal, he skips it.
Neither of us has begun an exercise program, which I know is essential to weight control.
One regimen at a time, please.