Monday, January 21, 2008

Jesus God I am so Hungry

I have been slacking big time with the exercise. It has been sporadic at best since Halloween, which is a lot different from my usual five days a week workout schedule.

I got a little cocky and thought that since I typically eat quite a bit and don't gain weight that I could let the workouts slide while I concentrate most of my free time on writing. What I didn't take into account is the only reason that I could eat like a trucker was because I was burning it all off every day. Sitting at the computer while editing chapter twenty-six isn't going to burn off a bathtub sized portion of Thai peanut noodles.

Still, I was in denial for a bit. My jeans were snug, my shirts strained at the buttons, and all I could think was my damn dryer was on the fritz and shrinking everything. But the spillage and straining got to a point where finally I realized I was gaining some weight. It's not a lot, but I wear my clothes fairly fitted, so even five or eight pounds (my guess is it's more like eight) makes a big difference.

I don't trust myself with portion control, and the thought of weighing my food freaks me out, so I went and loaded up on a cart full of Weight Watchers frozen "food." Yeah, it's not really food. It's frozen flavored air, and let me tell you - twenty points a day?? I could eat twenty points in a typical meal. But I've been sick AND busy writing, so I know that hitting the gym while the kids are at school isn't an option until my bronchial issue clears up. Hence the diet.

I've been eating this "food" for a few days now and staying strictly within my points allotment. Yes, I can already see a difference. But holy mother of our sweet baby Jesus I am hungry ALL THE TIME. It's all I can think about.

Yesterday I bought Chloe a pack of sugar-free fruit flavored gum. I unwrapped a piece for myself and OH MY LORD I felt like I was eating creme brulee with a side of happiness. I sat in the car and chewed piece after piece of gum while my daughter stared at me like I was eating my own legs. And we wonder why diets don't work? Uh, it's because in order to lose weight by dieting alone you can't eat anything. I also think it's why so many American women are bitchy. It's the dieting. The minute I stop hacking up a lung I am back on the elliptical machine and lifting weights and eating real food again. And for anyone out there willing to shell out the big bucks for a diet program - save your money and go ride a bike. Then come home and have a grilled panini and some soup. Something good and real.

Have a good MLK day and tomorrow I pick a winner for the Kate Spade bag!

25 comments:

Jennifer said...

I would so much rather run on my treadmill every morning than not eat. Of course, as I get older, I am having to run on my treadmill every morning AND not eat and let's just say I'm not doing well with that. Or, maybe it really is my dryer... *grin*

You have more willpower than I -- you go!

Anonymous said...

i'm the same, if i exercise, i can eat anything but as soon as i stop exercising forget it. i can't diet. as soon as i even start thinking about dieting, i go on a binge

Sunshine said...

You and I have been on the same exercise vacation. I stopped right after Halloween too because life got crazy, I'll have to get back at it too. I've dodged the "gain" bullet, but the cottage cheese thighs are still firmly in place.
Damn Thai peanut noodles!

Nancy said...

Good for you, catching it right away.

I eat those flavored boxes of air also. Since last April, I have lost and kept off 48 lbs. (a small kid) ... actually, I would have been happy with a 25 lb loss, but more kept coming off. I don't think I have been this thin since high school.

So, I keep eating boxes of air and I am never hungry.

I eat all day long, but it's fruit, vegi's, nuts, etc.

Fairly Odd Mother said...

You may be feeling bitchy, but you speak the truth! Now, I should get my butt onto the exercise bike so that I can enjoy myself later on!

Anonymous said...

I combined a workable mixture of Weight Watcher's entrees, salad with chicken with stuff from the Atkin's plan. And I exercise almost every day. I've been naturally thin my whole life but turning 40 slowed my metabolism and a sad way and it's been a few years since that particular birthday. Anyway...I've lost five pounds in about two weeks. I really feel okay and I don't feel enslaved by my eating plan.

Rima said...

I know what you mean. I had a Lean Cuisine "meal" for "lunch" and I'm so weak with hunger right now that my neck is barely supporting the weight of my head.

Beck said...

I hate exercising and I hate restricting how much I eat. Fatness, here I come!

Tootsie Farklepants said...

Amen! And that's really all I can add.

Suburban Correspondent said...

Exercising alone doesn't do it for me anymore - that's why I had to go to WW in the first place. None of us exercise enough(I'm willing to bet) to compensate for what we'd like to eat. Chocolate! Cheese! Bread! Yum! But I hate those prepared diet foods - there's never enough.

20 points isn't much - but remember, it's really 25 with the weekly points. When I first went to WW, I was nursing a baby; so I got 30 points a day, plus the 35 weekly - it was easy! This time around, I'm hungry and a tad cranky. But not as cranky as I will be if my bathing suit doesn't fit in June.

Beth said...

I could leave a 45 page long comment about topics related to dieting, Weight Watchers and my never-the-same-size-for-more-than-two-minutes ass, but all I really want to say is:

I WANT THAT KATE SPADE BAG!!!!

Please? (Will it camouflage my ass? Actually, I don't really care.)

xoxo!

Mrs. G. said...

If it makes you feel any better, I have to eat less AND exercise to lose weight. Life is so unfair. There is always sugar free jello.

Anonymous said...

You have one of those dryers too, hey? I keep riding the breastfeeding train thinking that I can eat whatever I want because I'm burning more calories, but soon I'm going to have to hop off and do some exercise. Sigh.

-andi

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Sadly, I must exercise like crazy and starve myself to lose weight.

I think you're right, many women are bitchy just because they are so hungry. Right now I'm trying to find a happy medium, where I eat little enough to lose some weight, but enough so as not to bite the heads off my family members.

Unknown said...

And that is precisely why most of the diets I go on last about three hours...

crazymumma said...

I hate fucking dieting. scuse my language but really.

it is what gets me to the gym five days a week so I can eat my own body weight in...whatever.

Little Miss Sunshine State said...

I'm doing the Points thing too. Not going to the meetings, just counting. The only one of their things I can eat is the Mac and Cheese. Last night I was craving a hotdog but NO WAY was I going to put 17 grams of fat in my mouth!

I used to walk on a treadmill until I had foot surgery 2 years ago. Now my exercise consists of running around at work.

Little Miss Sunshine State said...

I'm doing the Points thing too. Not going to the meetings, just counting. The only one of their things I can eat is the Mac and Cheese. Last night I was craving a hotdog but NO WAY was I going to put 17 grams of fat in my mouth!

I used to walk on a treadmill until I had foot surgery 2 years ago. Now my exercise consists of running around at work.

painted maypole said...

trying to fit back into my clothes, too. dieting is no fun at all!

Moments Of Mom said...

Yeah, I turn into a mega bitch when I don't have any food in my tummy. And I don't mean spinach salad, I mean good stuff. Keep you warm stuff.

So yeah, I exercise now as much as possible and LOVE IT!

Get back to the work out as soon as you feel up to it. You'll thank yourself later.

Don Mills Diva said...

I am so with you on needing to eat real, good food. I LOVE my food and I eat healthy but my biggest problem has always been portion control...

Sarahviz said...

God, I hear you loud and clear. I'm jonesing to get back to running (outdoors). This winter hibernation weight is definitely making me cranky.

Biddy said...

i pretty much hate you lol i diet, i excersise, i still gain weight. what the!?

i actually like most of the weight watchers meals. the 3 cheese ziti is delish! especially if you throw in a grilled chicken breast.

i know lots of weight watchers secrets, so holler at me if you want to know some! (i.e. brownies that are only 1.5 points and taste like heaven)

Kristi B said...

I've always been able to increase exercise and not worry about what I eat---and still maintain or lose---until I had that second baby AFTER 35. Now, I can maintain with exercise, but I can't lose. I've done WW twice and the thing I like about it (as far as diets go) is that it's the most realistic. You truly can eat whatever you want, you just have to make up for it another time---which is so much more like real life than something like the low carbs diets where you literally can't eat whole categories of food. Totally unrealistic. Now---my tips for surviving WW without being crabby--(a) the most important is to eat a lot of vegetables. A LOT. That bathtub sized thing of Thai noodles? eat a cup of noodles and fill the rest of the tub with veggies seasoned with Thai spices. It's key! and it works. When you're desperate for a late night snack--eat frozen veggies. I'm serious. They're actually pretty tasty with salt and pepper, (b) absolutely forget about those frozen dinners---they are way too small and way too not-satisfying! you must eat real food with lots and lots of veggies--seriously, you can eat a decent sized slice of pizza for 4 points, and if you load it with a sautee of peppers, spinach, broccoli, and garlic, you'll feel like you've eaten like a queen, (c) use all of your flex points. They give you 35 a week. EAT THEM! you'll still lose weight, and (d, finally) take the exercise points---even if you just walk the dog or shovel the driveway---take a couple points and then eat those points. You'll still lose weight!
Sorry this was so long!

Anonymous said...

I hear you, sister.

If you dig into my archives, you'll see all sorts of praise I have for Weight Watchers (but not those frozen "meals" - ugh!)

I'm also in the 5-8 club, and also missing my 4 days doing something very active. I don't know how to fit it all in, but if I don't, nothing will fit at all.

My most recent favorite WW leader said that she allows herself to overeat salads and popcorn. If she's going to eat mindlessly, she's going to get full.

Are you up for a last 5 pounds challenge?