Allow me to preface this post by saying, this is for ME. I know that you guys do not care about my eating habits. But I also know that if I am able to stick to this, maybe – just maybe – something I write might help someone. If nothing else, it helps me to write it down. If I write about my journey for all of (cyber) world to see, I am more likely to be successful. I know, I know! I said it would jinx me but I changed my mind. 

This isn’t a resolution. I really don’t make those.  It’s more of a goal. 

Something has to be done, ya’ll. I realized over Christmas break that things were quickly spinning out of control. In other words, I began eating anything and everything I wanted. Even when I wasn’t hungry, which is the biggest no-no in the world! 

I decided that if I begin a “Food Diaries” series, it might serve as a form of accountability. Maybe that will help?

A Little Back Story:

I’ve set out to lose weight (I mean, really lose weight) two other times in my life. Once when I was a high school junior and once after I got married. Both times I did it the exact same way. I cut my portion size in half and ate 5 “mini-meals” a day. I don’t care who you are or what you weigh, it works. Period.

Each time, I was determined to drop weight because of what someone said to me.

I guess if I’m writing this as a ‘diary’ entry, I should elaborate…

In high school I dated this guy. It always starts with the opposite sex, right? After church one Sunday we went out to eat. Long John Silvers, to be exact. (That should tell you how much it affected me) I was not all that big, but I loved fast food. My guy pointed that out to me. He said, “you know, you really shouldn’t eat so much fast food. It’s not good for you.” What he said wasn’t terrible, but it did make me think.

The second time was when I worked at the Meyer Center. I had just gotten married and was probably the biggest I had ever been. Minus the probably, I was huge. 

My friend and I drove one of the little buses to pick up the kiddos each morning and drop them off in the afternoon. One day when we got to a child’s house, the mother came out to say hello. That’s not all she said. “Hey Mrs. Andrea! Wow, you’ve gained a lot of weight.” 

Ouch.

Needless to say, I dropped the weight fast. I even began running after that encounter!

I make light of it now, but this should serve as a reminder to all of us. Words hurt. Whoever said ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is an idiot. A wound from a stick will eventually scab over and fade, but I remember words from 20+ years ago.

So that’s my back story. I’ve never considered myself to be obese, but I definitely need to shed a pound or two. Or three… or twenty. 

I’ve come up with 5 ways I’m going to make this happen.

1. I’m going to stop eating a big breakfast every day. It hurts me to even write that. Ya’ll know my love for breakfast. I look forward to eating like a trucker every morning. No more. I’ve bought Herbalife shakes and will replace two meals a day. I am going to eat a good breakfast on Saturday mornings – hello Eggs Up Grill – but that’s it. 
2. I’m not eating bread. This one also stings a little. Okay, a lot. Bread turns to sugar so this one’s a no brainer. 
3. Portion control. Other than fried foods and bread, I don’t plan to deprive myself of anything I want. I’ve found that if I do, it causes me to crave whatever it is I shouldn’t eat. Instead, I’ll only allow myself to eat a tiny serving. I did this today at work. Mom cooked an amazing hamburger casserole. It was to die for. She reads my blog, so I need to brag. It really was great! I wanted it SO bad but knew I needed to drink a shake for dinner. I ended up measuring out a cup and carrying it to work to have for lunch. It was plenty and I was satisfied. 
4. No fried foods. Plain and simple. 
5. Eat small meals throughout the day. I’m drinking a shake for breakfast and dinner. I will eat a normal lunch. And by normal, I mean it’s when I’ll exercise portion control. Between lunch and my evening shake, I’ll snack on healthy stuff. There’s always an exception to the rule. There will be times when I will want to have dinner out with friends – at that point, I’ll switch up my shake schedule. Once I get down to my goal weight, I will drink one shake a day to maintain. They taste really good! Maybe I can post a recipe or two sometime. 

I’m excited about the changes, I just hope I follow through. I’m not planning to post before and after pics, but maybe I’ll post a few pics when it’s all over. I’m thinking summer?

Oh, and I’m also going to buy a pair of jeans from Old Navy in the size I want to be in. I’ll hang them in my room so I have to look at them every day. 

This whole diet thing is such a mind game, ya know?

I hope to post a ‘Food Diaries’ entry once a week. I’m not going to promise a particular day because we all know I can’t stick to that kind of schedule.

If you have thoughts, suggestions, post ideas or just want to send a word of encouragement, feel free to email me at andreacbeam@yahoo.com

I love hearing from you!