Losing Weight

Almost every woman I know resolves to lose weight each new year (and periodically throughout the year.) This is true no matter what size or shape she is already. Maybe it's because of the unrealistic fashion icons but even skinny girls think they need to lose weight.

Well, that's certainly true at our house. My mom wants to lose 10 pounds because she is heavier than she has been in a long time. That's partly my fault. She has been an enthusiastic supporter of the bakery, maybe too enthusiastic when it comes to taste testing. Plus I make delicious dinners every night. So delicious that even the Graminator is weighing in at more than I expected. Plus the scale isn't particularly kind to me either. So it's time to stop indulging constantly and to start indulging on a more infrequent basis.

I know how to lose weight. I did it once, losing more than fifty pounds. I know I could do it again and I don't want to be the reason that my family is unhealthy in any way. So we are all eating healthier with an eye to losing a few pounds (except the Graminator, she needs the extra weight in case of illness or injury...but we only want to maintain her weight, not increase it.)

For my part, this means cooking meals that are just as delicious but lower in fat and calories and not using my family as test subjects for new recipes. (Or if I do need taste testers, making sure it's only a taste, not an entire tray of something.) I like cooking challenges so I'm up for it. We cleaned the house out last night of any tempting holiday remnants and stocked up with lots of healthy fruits and vegetables. I made a huge pot of veggie soup for my mom to eat for lunches and snacks because she wanted some. I'm going to get back into my in-home walking routine because it's a low impact exercise that I can't find an excuse not to do (um hello, you do it in your house so you can do it naked at two a.m. with no equipment...see, no excuses.)

I am detoxing from fast food and soda (also known as "Shae's crack") It's way too easy for me to consume large quantities of fat and calories with fast food and soda so I have to "just say no". In a month or so I can have the occasional soda (as a dessert but not with meals) and not more than one per week. It's just empty calories and actually encourages me to eat more.

My goals are modest. If I am exercising every day and eating healthier, I don't care how much weight I lose. I don't have a specific target except not being so sedentary and remembering portion control. But I want my family to be healthier so if doing this helps them, then bonus if I get healthier too.

Before when I lost all the weight, I relaxed the rules for two meals a week, I think this time it's going to be a Sunday free day. So I won't feel too deprived. Now if I can just not taste every batch of marshmallows....