It’s been over 2 weeks since I have been at this same weight – 212 pounds. I went over on my calories a few times, but for the most part, I have followed my plan and should have seen the scale come down a few more pounds. It is very frustrating. All of the other benefits, such as smaller clothes, more energy, better sleep and less tummy aches, are all wonderful things but without that number dropping on that scale, I start to lose my motivation.
But I did not let that number set the tone for the rest of today. I took a nice hot bath, got dressed and made my favorite 2-egg breakfast. Then I packed a few healthy snacks, including grapes, a granola bar and a Fiber-One brownie and took them to work with me. I had to meet some people near the cafeteria over my lunch hour so I decided to flip my day and eat the bigger meal then and consume less calories for supper, so I had a big deli sandwich with baked bbq chips and drank a little bit of Cherry Coke. I’m not gonna’ lie – it was good!
Again, even though the scale has not gone down, I know that plateaus are a normal part of dieting and the only way to get down from them is to either be patient or work a little harder to try and move things along faster. With my busier schedule, it’s not as easy to find time to work out as much. But today, my schedule opened up so I took full advantage and really pushed myself.
The night began with my youngest daughter's volleyball games at 5:30pm but they were done early so we left by 6:00pm. Then, we had time to kill since her dance class did not start until 7:00pm. Luckily, she agreed to be dropped off early so I could go for a long walk.
First, I walked outside on a path with many tough hills, which equaled about 2.5 miles, and then I kept walking on an indoor track so I could complete a full 55 minutes of exercise.
I kept a brisk pace the whole time and thought about all of the things that frustrate me and why I am OVER them. As I have progressed on this journey, my self-confidence has gotten better and better. It has empowered me to realize that I will not be anyone’s door mat any longer. I am done being minimized, passed over, put down and walked on. I am done letting people make decisions for me and tell me my worth. I may be a middle-aged woman that decided not to really get into the corporate world until now, but that doesn’t mean that I am any less dangerous. It’s my time to spread my wings and see how high I can fly – and not just on this journey, but at work and in my relationships too. My voice matters. I am finally posting things on social media and taking a stand for what I believe in. I have sat back and watched other people soar for too long. It’s my turn and I am TAKING it!
After my walk (and epiphany as it were), I decided to drink my supper and bought a chocolate peanut butter protein shake, equaling about 360 calories. I was starving and still had 30 minutes before I needed to pick up my daughter so it was the best option. Then I would not need to take time to eat supper when I got home. But because my lunch was so big, I did not have enough calories left to cover all 360 calories. (Ugh)
So even though I planned my entire day, making good and healthy choices, walking over 3 miles and pushing myself the whole time, it was still not enough because I ate more calories than required in order to lose my desired 2 pounds a week. It’s so disappointing. In hindsight, I probably should have picked a different lunch item, instead of the large deli sandwich, but what’s done is done. I will not give up. Tomorrow is another day. I already signed up for a weight lifting class happening at noon and I will walk outside when I get home after work. There is still plenty of hope, along with tried and true results that I have already experienced so I just need to keep at it. Change will happen. (Heavy sigh.)
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