I Run for Cake

So, I decided early-on that I didn't want to write unless I had some motivation and encouragement for you fine people, OR I had something new to say about my journey.  I wasn't going to fill your blogger feeds with daily posts about what my scale told me this morning or pictures of each and every dish I decided to cook-up.  Lord knows there is already enough of that out there! (Sorry foodie's!)  As you can see, it's taken me all day to conjure up something interesting to write about, but I finally have it.  Are you ready?. . . . . . . . . . .

Diets Suck.

I know.  Riveting, eh?  But for real, doggs.  Diets are the pits.

I've tried almost every single one out there.  I've made progress, only to relapse, get depressed, and gain more weight.  It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya.  Let me count thy ways:

Trim-Spa/Hydroxicut/The Like:

This stuff gave me some pretty intense jitters. I could tell they sped up my metabolism, but they also made my heart palpitate and my palms sweat and deliriously dizzy at times. I remember one day, walking from the pool to my apartment and literally almost passing out on my porch.  The side effects of the appetite suppressant coincided with my forgetfulness and I would go all day without eating.  I lost some weight in the process, but I also think I may have done some damage to my heart.

Body For Life:

Let me just say, I think this is a fabulous concept. I had a youth minister who did this and got in some serious shape!  It even worked for me and the hubs for a time before kids.  But to this day, the thought of eating grilled chicken breast makes me almost want to throw up in my mouth a little. That was pretty much the only protein on the menu for me (as I don't eat fish). Weeks upon weeks of getting up and working out and eating nothing but grilled chicken breast and green beans left me 10 lbs lighter, but with a terrible taste in my mouth for the "staple" foods. After we quit, the cravings for all the carbs that I had been fasting from was more than I could take and the weight came right back. God bless mashed potatoes.

South Beach Diet: 

Did I mention I love mashed potatoes?  Enough said.  This one lasted about two seconds.

HCG Diet:

Okay, I had a difficult time with this one too. For one, let's take Michelle's potatoes away again. No, you do NOT get a cheat day. And you have to remember to take these liquid hormones three times a day. I definitely saw results. We're talking a pound or two a day would come off.  For weeks straight!  The very first week, I lost 11 lbs!  The second week 6! But then I cheated, and instead of getting right back in the saddle, it was a downhill spiral. Within three weeks, I had put all the weight back on, plus some. Super duper.

Rx Diet Pills/Phentermine:

I'm sad to say, if I still had some of these little nuggets of happiness, I would be taking them in a heart beat.  Unfortunately, my doctor says, "No no!  You too skinny now!"  (Yes, he's Asian and has the most adorable accent. But no compassion for my lack of personal drive.) This is basically legal "speed".  It is an amphetamine and it gets the job done quick.  The fabulous part is, you don't have to help it work at all.  I was still chowing on Happy Meals with my boys and not stepping foot in the gym and I went from 172-138 lbs in 4 months. Can I get a Hallelujah!? However, these little gems are habit forming and once you wean yourself away from their miracle, you are left with a very tired metabolism that now doesn't know how to function without the help of said super-pill.  I've gone from 138 back up to the 160 that I am at today.

The moral of the story here? I promise I have one.  Nothing works but hard work.  In the kitchen and out of the kitchen.  Though it's tempting to return to the safety of one of my "lose it quick" schemes for weight loss, I know from past experience that it's not going to work. I have to muster up enough self-control and motivation inside myself to take each and every day, just one day at a time. I'm going to have to wake up every morning and tell myself, "Today, I choose to make healthy choices for myself". And boy is it annoying.  And boy, is it tedious.  And boy, does it suck balls most days. But when I got on the scale this morning and saw that I was down 3 lbs from when I started this three weeks ago, I was a lot prouder of myself than the times before.  Because I know the 3 lbs came from running my booty off and changing my perspective one meal at a time. I still splurge.  If you've seen my facebook page, you are all well-aware that I love me some chocolate! And I have a tendency to indulge myself a little more than I should. But the weight will come off eventually as I'm continuously training myself to choose more wisely.

Why do I tell you all this? Because sometimes you just need to hear it one more time.

Nothing works like hard work.


Keep up the hard work, friends!  And thanks for spurring me on in my journey as well.  It means more to me than, well. . . . .cake. And everyone needs a little bit of that! :)