South Beach

Okay, I have to say, it seems to be working. I did a slightly modified version because my workouts have gotten to be pretty intense. I just make sure that I eat some sort of complex carb in the afternoon to fuel my workout. Otherwise, I've been sticking to it pretty well.

The biggest change in it for me is making sure that I have some sort of meat with my lunch and supper. At breakfast I have been relying on milk for protein. But at lunch and in the evening, I make sure that I have a piece of meat.

The only problem with this is that I don't like meat. I don't like to look at it, think about it, touch it. In all honesty, it really bugs me to think about eating flesh. I know that this food is provided by God for my health and well-being. I do not have a moral issue with it. I just think it's a little icky to eat flesh.

So, instead of dealing with raw meat, I bought frozen, already cooked chicken breasts and chicken strips. I also bought some frozen fish (it is raw). But because this stuff can be cooked from frozen, it is not as difficult for me to deal with and I just think about something else while I cook and eat it.

We all have our issues. And based on the results, I have to admit that it is worth it for me to find ways to deal with my issue. The loss for the week is 2 lbs. But in addition to that, I have realized that I had been basing most of my caloric intake around starchy carbohydrates and these drag me down and make me feel bad. They weigh me down in spirit. I don't think all carbs are bad, I think there must be some sort of appropriate balance for maintaining this spirit. I now have to figure out what that balance is.

Plateaus

Okay, I have to say that this really amuses me. My last post I was complaining about change and this one I am complaining about not changing. But, it still seemed like a worthwhile topic to consider.

I've been kind of stuck at my current weight for several months now. And after over a year of dramatic changes, this is getting really old. I've been trying to figure out how to get unstuck and have several ideas.

In order to come up with those ideas I have polled a few people whose opinions I respect. Out of respect to them, I will not say who they are. But, I will provide a few insights into what I have learned.

One person suggested that your body hits a plateau and all that means is that you are adjusting to your current weight before you move on. I have no evidence to refute this claim; however, it does seem that after a while, you need to take stock in what you are doing and make sure that you aren't doing something that is causing the plateau, i.e., letting up in your workout or eating more than you think.

One person suggested exactly what I identified in that last sentence - maybe my workouts are getting to easy for my body or I am eating more than I think or I am eating the same thing day after day. With the help of a personal trainer, I am certain that my workouts have continued to evolve over time. This is the plus side of having a personal trainer. They can help you continually update and/or improve your workout to keep things challenging. As for the eating, I am beginning to think that this may be my problem.

When I discussed it with my doctor, she offered a prescription for an appetite suppressant and also suggested that I try Phase II of the South Beach diet for about 6 weeks. I told her that it was important to me to achieve this goal without surgery and without medication. I want people to know that it is possible to do this without that kind of help. But I have been thinking about the South Beach option and have decided to give that a go.

So, for the next couple of weeks, it is my intent to follow the South Beach eating plan. I will keep you all posted on how that works and if it gets me off the plateau.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Change

Okay, let's face it - none of us handle change well. I have never handled change well. I hate change. Change means that I'm losing something even if it is something that I don't like. It seems sometimes that the bad I know is better than the good I don't know. I think this makes me an Israelite.

In the old Testament, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and out of slavery and into the desert. Here they were, free. They had been removed from captivity and were headed to the Promised Land. What is the first thing they do? Complain. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but they look to Moses and ask why did he ever ask them to leave Egypt. Why did they leave their land to wander in the desert where they didn't know anything, anyone, or have any food? Never mind that God was providing food for them on a daily basis. And God had promised to take them to a land "flowing with milk and honey." The evil they knew was better than the good they didn't.

But, life is all about change. Losing weight is all about change. Changing how you see yourself in the mirror, changing how you see food, changing how you see the steps you take and activities you pursue during the day. I find that sometimes I get stuck in wondering why I ever left Egypt for something I didn't know and didn't understand. Then I take a step and realize how much easier it is to do even the smallest things (getting off the couch, walking up and down stairs, even sleeping for goodness sake) and I am reminded that the Promised Land is overflowing with milk and honey.

So, change is difficult and sometimes we have to let go of things even things we think are good in order to be able to grab the better things that God has promised us. In the meantime, I try and learn how to find joy in the midst of the change. See the small victories in each day. Take pleasure in the people I have in my life now knowing that tomorrow they may be gone. And remember that I am headed to the land overflowing with milk and honey even though I think I would prefer if it were overflowing with chocolate.

Happy changing.