The Addict

Healthy Living with
CityMomma/CountryMomma

I have come to realize over my almost 40 years of life that I have a very "addictive personality." If I like something, I really like it and have trouble controlling how much I do/use/"enjoy" it. Alcohol is something that I know I have to be mindful of so that I don't end up being an alcoholic. I have it under control but it could be a very slippery slope. After my mother's death, I was drinking almost a bottle of wine a night (The Husband had some of it) and that is definitely what helped contribute to much of my weight gain.

I am also one who can get very carried away with food. Obviously. I have foods that I refer to as "my crack." Foods that I can very rarely, and probably should never let pass my lips because they incite all out binges. Doritos, Cheetos, Bacon horseradish dip and chips, you get the picture. I've had these things a few times since I started my healthy lifestyle but it's only been at other people's homes/parties, never any in my own home where the offending food items would still be. (of course that is, if there were any left after my binge.) No more "crack" allowed in this house.

I am so fortunate that I have found a way of living that works for me. I am able to enjoy foods I like while making healthy choices and I eat pretty much what ever I want on a regular basis. I don't believe in fad diets like low carb diets, or the "no white things" diet, or pre-packaged food diets, etc. I simply count calories, (1700- 2100 a day) watch that I have a good fiber intake (at least 25 grams a day) and add plenty of fruits and vegetables and WATER... lots of WATER! I also love to work out which brings me to my newest addiction...

Exercise!

I know I've mentioned it before and it's probably the healthiest addiction I've ever had but it is truly an addiction for me now. I'm proud of what I can do, it gives me a thrill to run faster and farther than I ever thought possible and lift weights that I never thought I could lift. No, I'm not running marathons or lifting tons but for me, what I do is an accomplishment. I even managed to run for a full hour on Monday and made it five miles. I thought I wasn't going to make it but I did and boy, did I feel awesome after that... hence the addiction.

I wanted to take today "off" from the gym but I cannot manage to tell myself that it's OK, even though I've worked out every other day this week, including Sunday when Ziggy and I ran a 5K in our neighborhood in 34 minutes! My schedule is getting busier and soon I'll be in charge of my own weight loss groups which will cut into my work out schedule and that worries me. Tomorrow I am joining Ms. Phyllis (my weight loss guru) at a BMI seminar to try and put together a group that I'll be in charge of and that means that I don't have my full two hours to work out then either. Saturday, The Husband and I have one of our very rare monthly dates thanks to Parent's Night Out at the Y so I can't take off from working out that day either, I need to burn extra calories in order to be able to eat and drink a few extra calories at dinner. When I look at all this, I realize there will be no taking off today. I go to my weight loss meeting at 1, I'll have a quick treadmill run for a half an hour or so after that, go home and shower and then pick up The Son at the bus stop at 3:30 he also has karate later on this evening.

Tomorrow, I have my meeting with Ms. Phyllis at 2:30 so I'll have to go right to the gym after I put The Son on the bus at noon and get a warm-up mile on the treadmill and some weights in. It will be two days of shorter work outs but at least I'll be getting those work outs in.

Saturday, I'll have a long workout with a long run, and probably my leg weight routine so that I'll be able to enjoy myself on Saturday night with out much worry about what I eat/drink.

On Sunday, I will truly take the day off, especially after going out the night before. It will be hard but I know that I have to give my body a rest once in a while.

So, that's where I am right now... I got weighed on Monday and found out that I have lost a total of 68 pounds! SIXTY-EIGHT! It was very interesting to watch "The Biggest Loser" on Tuesday night and see a couple girls who were very close to the weight that I was when I started this healthy lifestyle. The Husband kindly said, "Well, they must be shorter than you because you didn't look like that." but I think I probably did and he just loves me so much that he didn't realize it, because honestly, they couldn't be THAT much shorter that it would make THAT much of a difference. (I'm 5'8") I get weighed again today at my real meeting so I hope that I'm right where I need to be.

Thanks for reading if you've read this far. I'll post an update on the weight loss tomorrow. Enjoy your Thursday, stay healthy!