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If you think this is about YOU, maybe you should go reconcile with your parent and work to get back your kids instead of continuing to be a jerk. If you think I am you, or similar to you, welcome! :-)

Monday, May 23, 2011

In Which the Grandparents Get Fit (or More Fit)- Chapter 1

Once upon a time, a long time ago, oh, somewhere around 2003, 2004, I lost 32 pounds on a low carb diet. Was it truly Aktins? No. Was it truly South Beach? No. But it was full of protein, with nary a crust of good bread, and it didn't take long, only 3 months. The weight stayed off, and what was once a size 24 was a size 16. Yahoo for me.

Well, that is yahoo until a few weeks ago, when I bought jeans. Size 18. So I went to the scale. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM??? Yes, I was overweight. I never lost the rest of the weight, basically because I was quite pleased with the results back in the day. But now I was adding to it.

I tried to start the low carb thing again. For whatever reason, it simply didn't work. I could not kick start my weight loss. 

The Mister has not been looking all that slim, either. His previous illness in 2008 took a lot of weight off his frame, and reduced him by 3 sizes. Those 3 sizes and another are back. While he sees the prior illness as beneficial, I know a lot of things happened with his internal organs, including his heart.

After looking through many a diet, we decided even though it seemed pedestrian, provincial and just downright middle class, we would join Weight Watchers Online. The Mister and I currently don't see the need to attend meetings about our weight, or be with other people in real time about it, at this time. We might not be digital natives, but we are certainly fluent in the language.

The Mister was a tagalong, actually. He saw me input our debit card number into the Weight Watcher site, and thought it would be a good idea, especially since registration is currently free. He seemed happy enough with the choice.

He was not as happy when I informed him that while I would be happy to enter information about certain foods not in the WW database, I was not going to follow him around with a pen and paper, and keep his chart for him, any more than I was going to chew his food for him. Not a wifely duty!

Each food, every food- there are no forbidden foods, which makes WW especially palatable to us- has been assigned a point, based upon the grams of fat, the carbs, the fiber, and the protein. Everybody gets at least 29 points a day, and 49 extra points per week. Those with more weight actually get more points. Tracking occurs on an online tracker, which will also calculate foods not listed in WW's expansive database. 

WW requires activity as well as counting points attached as values to foods. That activity can be converted into food points, if needed. The Mister tried this by helping with the lawn work, after not having had real exercise in awhile. Hopefully, he will join us for walks instead.

The children and I have been walking the local trails set aside for that purpose. It fulfills a PE credit, as well as gives us time to be outside and talk. Conversations have been interesting, to say the least, and sometimes quite profound. The walks have an added benefit of building some relationship time.

WW wants individuals to set a goal. I chose their suggestion of 5% of my weight as my first goal. Seemed reasonable.

The various trackers weave information that show behavior patterns with food, and can be used to diagnose possibly why an individual weighs more than he or she would desire. I discovered this week that Friday and Saturday are horrible eating days for me, days that cause stress make me nibble constantly. I have no idea why, except that those are our "fun" days. Let's just say there is very little at Mikky D's that doesn't consume WW points. One can eat anything, but don't expect to not have that food shave off a lot of points. (HINT: Go for the Chicken Selects and the salads if you can eat them, and skip even the McDouble.)

Portion control was something I was used to doing, but fell out of practice. The food scale had a giant crack in it (plastic), so I still need to get a new one. Accurate measuring cups I have, 3 sets. 

We paid for 3 months, in order to register gratis. We'll have to see how this works out. 

As a woman of a certain age, I know I can't guarantee I will be here tomorrow. I know that nobody can. I know of a relation who got into heavy-duty fitness in his late 40s. He dropped dead on the rowing machine at his health club when he was about 62. I also know my late aunt would have been better off had some of her morbid obesity been trimmed earlier, taking her away from us at only 64, two days after her birthday.

I would like to see Baby graduate college, at least at the undergraduate level. It would be a bonus to attend her wedding or final profession as a religious sister, whichever she decides. The extra weight may put a stop to those plans.

I don't have major health problems- yet. I have slightly elevated blood pressure, brought on by (surprise, surprise) my weight and past stress. I show no signs of diabetes, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I have no heart disease, and actually have been blessed with very good cholesterol levels. I have a hitch in my sciatic nerve on the left side, again brought on by weight. I don't want this to turn into hip problems. 

And I have to say, at a certain point, the midsection fat HURTS! It's hard to squeeze it into pants. It isn't comfortable in a skirt waistband. Dresses start to look like mumus, and BAM, size 24 is back with a vengeance!

My weight, for me, has become much like a Sallie Mae loan on the Dave Ramsey Show. It's time to kick the old girl, or at least part of her, out of the house, for her own sake, as well as the sake of the grandkids. 

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