7 Things I Have Learned In My First 60 Days

This isn't meant to be a "How to" post. Nor am I espousing to have all the answers regarding diet and fitness. This is just a list of things that I have learned in my first two months on MFP that I can use and build on as I continue to mold my new lifestyle. I think that a lot of folks will be able to identify with some of this stuff though, which is my motivation for posting it.

1) I was completely clueless about serving size. --- As I began weighing and measuring my food, I was truly astonished at how much I had been eating before. I intuitively knew that I was overeating, but as I began to learn about caloric intake and what an appropriate amount was for me, I was shocked. I was routinely eating my entire day's caloric intake in one meal at times. My idea of a serving size was normally 3 to 4 times as much as it should be. This was a real eye-opener for me. I have no idea how I managed to go 40 years without learning what a serving size was...but somehow I did. Maybe denial? In fact, now that I know how much I was truly eating, I am kind of surprised that I'm not more overweight than I am.

2) F*** the scale --- I quickly became obsessed with the number on the scale and was stepping on it every time I went to the bathroom...which is a lot since I drink a lot of water and green tea now. I had to put it away in the closet. After reading about daily weight fluctuations, water retention etc, I learned that FOR ME obsessing over scale numbers was getting me depressed far more than making me happy. I do weigh myself twice a week at the gym and that is what I use to track my weight loss. But I also take my body measurements twice a month and have been paying more attention to the way I look and feel. And there is no doubt that I am feeling and looking better. I don't even know what my goal weight is anymore. I guess I'll know when I get there. But as long as I look and feel better, then the scale can say whatever it wants. For me it is such a bad indicator of my true progress.

3) Weightlifting is awesome. --- I never thought that I would enjoy it, but I read a lot about it on these forums and became convinced that I needed to make it part of my fitness plan. I started out just using the Cybex machines for a few weeks until I got some confidence and now I use free weights. I won't get into all the benefits of weight training, but I have already noticed some results and am excited to see my body transforming before my eyes. I still have a lot of fat to get rid of, but underneath it I can feel my body kind of tightening up and I have already experienced some great gains in how much I can lift. Love weightlifting!!!!!

4) Night snacking is my kryptonite --- I have always woken up in the middle of the night and eaten snacks since I was a little kid. I don't binge, but eat a fair amount (usually a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter or two granola bars), but if I continued to eat the way I am now and eliminated that I would eliminate an estimated additional 2,000 calorie a week from diet. That's a half pound a week. I have been able to keep within my calorie limit pretty well during the day, but for some reason at night I am compelled to eat. I need to figure out how to stop doing that.

5) You CAN quit smoking AND lose weight. --- As I sit and type this now, I am 59 days smoke-free. During that time I have lost 14 pounds and 4% body fat. I had a couple of binges when I had some killer nicotine cravings, but other than that I didn't use food to get me through the tough part of quitting. I'm not sure about my metabolism (supposedly smoking slows it down), but for me, eating at a deficit applies whether I am smoking or not. That is to say, that the only reason I can see why people might gain weight when they quit is because they eat more. And you don't have to, so when I read on smoking cessation sites that weight gain is inevitable... I cringe. It doesn't have to be that way. Maybe it is harder to do both at the same time....but definitely not impossible.

6) I LOVE running. - I have already run a 5K (only in training, have a race in December), but I'm hooked!!! I ran track in high school, so I chose running as my cardio activity of choice. I went crazy the first few days and ended up with a case of runner's knee so bad that I literally couldn't walk for almost a week. After getting a proper pair of shoes, using a walk/run program, and slowly building up my mileage, I can see a 10K and a half-marathon in my future. And then..who knows? Also...I am convinced that strength training three days a week has helped strengthen my legs and accelerated their adjustment to the pounding of running.

7) I need to cut myself some slack. - A year and half ago I was an overweight, angry, unhealthy, active alcoholic and drug addict. Today I have been sober for 16 months and have begun to get in shape physically through diet and exercise and have laid down the cigarettes for good. There are days when I feel like I am making no progress or that I should being running faster than I am. But really It is pretty amazing and maybe even miraculous that I am where I am today. So while it is OK for me to set goals and expect success, there are times when I just need to sit back and say, "Dude you are doing just fine. Way to go. You're awesome!"