Oh, how I have avoided writing about this topic but also mentally drafted several postings on it. Here goes.
Since May 2011, I have lost 40 pounds. Here's the how - nursing Mimi and eating lots of low fat protein and vegetables. It's that simple and that boring. I followed, sometimes loosely, the Dukan Diet and the Paleo diet. 'Nuff said about that.
Two things have surprised me about losing weight - First, that I now look in the mirror and see the body I expect to see. For years, I've looked in the mirror and been surprised to see that my body was bigger than I anticipated. The incongruousness of that would leave me shocked, sad and negative. Now, I look in the mirror and see what I expect to see and it feels good - I'm happy with what I see. I look how my brain thinks I look. The outside matches the inside, so to speak.
Second, because of the afore mentioned contentedness, I don't really feel like losing those last 10 pounds. I'm giving it a go, but by February 15th, I'm going to call it good and start the maintenance phase of the diet. I'd like to be a size 10, but not something I deem necessary or am willing to strive for.
I want to emphasize that I lost the weight because I wanted to. I didn't feel I had to or needed to (though one could argue that our culture ingrains this in women - and that would most likely be the case for me). I wanted to see what would happen if I did shed some weight, specifically 50 lbs. I did not anticipate the results. I thought I'd lose the weight and want to lose more, be more critical of my body. I didn't expect acceptance, but I will most certainly take it and celebrate it.
Since May 2011, I have lost 40 pounds. Here's the how - nursing Mimi and eating lots of low fat protein and vegetables. It's that simple and that boring. I followed, sometimes loosely, the Dukan Diet and the Paleo diet. 'Nuff said about that.
Two things have surprised me about losing weight - First, that I now look in the mirror and see the body I expect to see. For years, I've looked in the mirror and been surprised to see that my body was bigger than I anticipated. The incongruousness of that would leave me shocked, sad and negative. Now, I look in the mirror and see what I expect to see and it feels good - I'm happy with what I see. I look how my brain thinks I look. The outside matches the inside, so to speak.
Second, because of the afore mentioned contentedness, I don't really feel like losing those last 10 pounds. I'm giving it a go, but by February 15th, I'm going to call it good and start the maintenance phase of the diet. I'd like to be a size 10, but not something I deem necessary or am willing to strive for.
I want to emphasize that I lost the weight because I wanted to. I didn't feel I had to or needed to (though one could argue that our culture ingrains this in women - and that would most likely be the case for me). I wanted to see what would happen if I did shed some weight, specifically 50 lbs. I did not anticipate the results. I thought I'd lose the weight and want to lose more, be more critical of my body. I didn't expect acceptance, but I will most certainly take it and celebrate it.
2 comments:
wow.. I am nearing that. I want to be able to do yoga poses without my belly being in the way. :) great work at being content!
Good for you!! And I am so glad that you feel content in your body.
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