Archive for March, 2012
19 Mar
A True Weight Loss Success Story
Lately, my weight loss, which was very slow to begin with, has disappeared altogether. I could bitch and moan about all the reasons why I haven’t been as vigilant, but who cares? The bottom line is that my bottom line is not the size I was hoping it would be by the time spring sprang. Alas, it’s 85 degrees in sunny South Carolina, and last year’s shorts are snug. The good news is that they were snug last year too, so I haven’t really gained any weight all winter. The bad news is that I didn’t lose any either.
Since I chose to look at the bright side, I won’t focus on what didn’t happen. I’ll look at the success that’s under the surface.
1. I have not abandoned any of the good habits I had last summer. I’m still vegan-ish (better than before probably since I’m loosening the strangle hold cheese had on my life). I’m still working out a couple times a week. I’m still valuing sleep and other forms of stress relief.
2. I did not arrange my holidays, birthday, or rainy weekends around what food would be perfect for the occasion.
3. I did not go on a diet, keep a food journal, or participate in any other activity that I associate with on-again-off-again dieting. And yet, my weight did not explode like it did 3 years ago when I stopped all my dieting do’s.
4. I have learned to love beans, kale, tomato sandwiches, plain avocados (without tortilla chips), Indian food, blueberries and herbal tea more than hamburger, ham sandwiches, nachos, or ice cream. I would have never thought it was possible, but it is.
So, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m disappointed in myself for not making the changes bigger and better (in order to make my ass smaller and better), but I’m not going to beat myself up either. It could be worse. It will still get better.
14 Mar
Sometimes, I’m Just Not Feeling It
I started this blog because I was so motivated by the research I was doing on veganism that I had to have an outlet to share it. The science behind a plant-based diet was blowing me away. The food was unexpectedly delicious. I was excited about the changes I was seeing and feeling in my body, and I needed to get all my ideas out of my head and onto some place where I could keep track of them all. (Is that why the rest of you blog?)
Yeh, right now, I'm definitely taking the escalator.
However, has anyone heard of the Law of Undulation? I first read that phrase in the book The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. Basically, the law of undulation is the concept that everything waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows. First, we’re excited and then we’re not. We’re happy, and then we drift away and we’re not happy. It’s a natural rhythm, like the tides or breathing–in and out. The funny thing about it is that while we’re “in,” we can’t imagine every being out. And, when we’re “out,” we can’t imagine that we’ll ever be “in” again.
Well, a few months ago, I was deeply “in” to being vegan. Now, I’m less “in.” I’m nottotally out. Oh, no. I’m not eating meat or dairy. I have not abandoned this lifestyle–I’m just not as enthusiastic about it. I’m not as enthusiastic about exercising either. Or cooking. Or blogging about eating, exercising or cooking. I’m just in that part of the cycle. I’m “out” right now.
I’m going to give myself a pass though. Who knows, I might see something from the outside that I haven’t seen from the inside. I’m still going to exercise and eat vegan. I’m just not going to beat myself up if my jogs are slow and my food is unimaginative. I’ll get back to it, and when I do, I won’t be able to imagine ever feeling like I do now.
easyveganfitness 