Guest Post: Nadia & Her Weight-Loss Mission

Hey guys! Please welcome Nadia’s fifth guest post detailing her progress with her weight-loss mission to lose 25 pounds and take over the world! It’s been over a month now and it’s been a joy watching my pal juggle her creative dreams and health goals.
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Whenever you make plans – I mean solid, this-is-definitely-happening plans – it always turns to shit. It’s a law of life. So last week, when I made the grand announcement that I would exercise a lot more, that is of course the same week that I became ill with a fever. As a result, I’m basically calling this week a mulligan. I felt unmotivated and a little sickly during the week, and it wasn’t until maybe the weekend came around that I felt like returning to my dieting and exercising ways. Some weeks, you’re driven. You feel ambitious, like you could take over the world. Other times, you feel like all you can handle is curling up on the couch.

So how can you beat the diet blahs? I’m still figuring it out. In the meantime, I’ve focused on learning about how we feel when we eat. If you feel like picking up a carton of ice cream, ask yourself why. Is it because ice cream is fantastic no matter what, and you have a huge craving for it? Is it because you want sugar? Or is it for some other reason…like work sucked, or you had to deal with people you don’t like, or your feelings were hurt? What is causing you to eat – and not just to eat, but to eat foods that add fat and cholesterol? Learning what those triggers are is a painful process, but many of us are trained to eat based on emotions instead of hunger. By taking another look at yourself, you’ll probably be able to figure out what’s really wrong, and whether there’s something else you can do to feel better. Phone a friend, watch a movie, go for a walk – just put down the ice cream!

Best Meal:

Ana and Nia’s Throw-Everything-In-There Veggie Pasta Bake: I’m not sure if we should stick to that title, but the bottom line is, The Cranky One and I got together to make dinner. And in the words of lovely Cranky’s mom, “it was fab-ulous!” Whole wheat pasta, low-fat mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, zucchini, butternut squash, bell peppers, and veggie sausage make for a great, low-fat dinner.

Worst Meal:
[photo cred]
Calorie King says one serving of fried shrimp = 273 calories & 13.9g fat ; med.-serving fries = 427 calories & 22.9g fat

Shrimp and chips: Fried shrimp and french fries is a combination I rarely indulge in – we’re talking maybe once, twice a year – but for me, in my state of mind at the time, it was so worth it. Next time, I’ll stick to peeled shrimp and some kind of vegetables.

Food I Didn’t Realize Would Be Bad:

Trader Joe’s Maple Leaf Cookies: When I read the label, I thought TWO cookies equaled 110 calories. Turns out it’s just one! And they’re pretty addictive. Although these cookies have no additives or preservatives, they’re not exactly sugar or fat friendly. Eat with extreme caution.

How I Worked Out:

See the first paragraph of this post.

What Did We Learn?:

Some weeks, you’re not going to be “on.” You’re going to be very off, like a dark light bulb waiting for someone to flick the switch. In these cases, it’s okay to let yourself just be – don’t beat yourself up over failing to accomplish what you set out to do. Just take a deep breath and get back to it, which is precisely what I aim to do.

This Week’s Goal:

Given that I now have a LOT of free time, we’re going to try that whole “exercise five times a week” thing again. This is the perfect opportunity to seek out scenic places to run, swimming pools to jump in, and free workout areas around town. Wish me luck!

Start Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 142.6

End Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 143.4

Ask me and Ana questions on Twitter at @nahdeeeyah and at @feedmeimcranky1!

To see Nadia’s first update, click here; her second, click here; her third, click here; and/or her fourth, click here.
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Nia, you learned some awesome lessons! I totally agree that we have to give ourselves permission to not “be on” all the time. And, just as we have to give ourselves permission at times, there are also times we’v got to question whether it’s permission we really need (i.e. permission to eat an entire pint of ice cream straight from the carton), or whether we need to take a moment to assess and reevaluate. Good luck this week!

Anything Nia went through this past week resonate with you?

<3,

The Cranky One