Thirty More Pounds

Ok, I have decided that if I blog what I am trying to do that it will make me more accountable to you, my readers, and hopefully keep me on the straight and narrow for eight weeks.  I have had 30 pounds that I have needed to lose for almost three years.  You know the story, I will lose ten pounds and gain it back.  About five years ago, I let go of 50 pounds and this last 30 has remained.  But I'm determined that this summer it's leaving also. 

This is my plan. During the summer, the college pool will be open for a morning swim from 9:00 to 10:00.  My goal is to swim every morning Monday thru Friday until Aug. 2, eat low carbs and no sugar.  I think I can handle that.  My big temptation is sugar.  I will put honey in things because I have several salad dressings that call for honey and stevia for Popsicles that I make but no white sugar or any drinks that have high fructose corn syrup.  I want to totally get off of the corn syrup that I swear is in almost everything. 

I would like to lose ten pounds a month and I realize that it will probably take me until September to get off the full 30 pounds.  For me, with summer starting and all the fresh fruit and vegetables I felt like this would be a good time for me to do this.  I have been asking questions of people who are vegetarians, how they eat and what they eat and I have found out that they basically eat every couple of hours. Whatever fruit is on hand, maybe an avocado, a hand full of spinach.  My daughter, Katie, has a friend who is vegetarian and he will cook a pan of mushrooms and eat them or a pan of Quinoa and eat it.  Not necessarily 3 squares a day but about a cup of something off and on all day. 

I am not necessarily wanting to be vegetarian, I love a good hamburger and french fries but mentally it's hard for me to eat meat that you buy at the grocery store since I have seen how all beef and chicken are raised and processed. I would like to train myself to go for natural snacks like fruit or carrots and celery or a handful of spinach instead of carbs.  I like those natural snacks but I have trained my body to crave the other. I can do this!  One thing I do know about myself, for me to succeed I have to have food on hand that is satisfying and healthy or I will blow it.

I started on Monday and so far I have done well other than I missed my swim yesterday because even though the pool is inside they have windows and they will not let you swim if it is lightning.

One little tip that Katie's friend shared with her, at night when you get hungry and want a snack, and I always do that, he said to eat an avocado that it is very satisfying.  One other thing that really helped me was the mint water.  I really get tired of drinking plain water and I do lemon a lot but the mint is really a great change. 

So, when I'm tackling a big project, I go after it a little at a time and that's how I'm looking at this weight.  Ten pounds this month and then I'll look at July.  Wish me well!