I’m now weighing in at 258.0. This is fabulous – I’ve been trying for a long time to get below 260.0, and I’m so glad that I’ve finally done it. My ticker now says that I have 98 pounds to go, as opposed to 100 and above, and I’m delighted. I’ve been going to the gym and riding the recumbent bike all week long, and I’m starting to see a little definition here and there, and also some overall smaller-ness taking place.
However, I have been a little sad because I’ve been at 258.0 all week long. I’d hoped to see some more weight come off, but as I replace fat with muscle, I have to be willing to understand that since muscle weighs more than fat, it may take a while for those numbers to start coming down again.
On to the topic of today’s blog, which is “Making Friends with Food.” I’ve been a passionate admirer of food for years, but over the last month, I’ve felt like food was my enemy. I wanted that number on the scale to go down so badly, I felt like I was at odds with everything I put in my mouth. I’ve been trying to overcome these emotions and come to a cease-fire, as it were, with food. In some ways I’ve succeeded, and in others, I’m still working on it.
1. My first difficulty has been with pizza. I quite enjoy pizza, but it’s really loaded with empty calories, particularly in the crust. So I came up with a compromise, and I’m feeling pretty good about it. I made a pizza salad. I took some dark lettuce, sprinkled some shredded cheese on top, added lots of chopped tomatoes, and put pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms on top of that. Is it exactly the same as eating pizza? Of course not – but I get the basic taste, and I’m not poking all that white flour crust down my face.
2. I’ve been buying healthy foods I really like. Sure, most of my favorite foods fall into the “will make you fat if you even smell them” category, but there are healthy foods that get my tastebuds going. I really like pink grapefruit juice, marinated artichokes, peaches, mangos, and pears. I’ve been buying more of these and treating myself to them, which really does feel like a special occasion.
3. I’ve been trying to stop labeling food in my mind. Instead of saying, “Oh, that food is bad” or “That food is good,” I’m changing the tenor of my self-talk. Instead, I’m saying, “I don’t choose to eat that.” I think it’s helping me not develop emotional attachments to food. After all, what girl doesn’t secretly want to run off with the bad boy – let’s not give ourselves the temptation of the bad food!
And so my journey continues. It’s been hard, and I’m not going to lie about that. Sometimes I think, “I have 98 pounds to go? I’ll never get there.” But then the rational Tristi takes over and I realize, I’ve lost sixteen pounds. People are starting to notice that I’m smaller. My husband can wrap his arms further around me than ever before. There is progress being made, and even though it’s slow, and even though it seems to have come to a stand-still this week, it is coming. And I’m so proud of myself!
Tristi Pinkston is a full-time blogger in Media Reviews and LDS. You can read more of her blogs by clicking here.
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