Day 28: Answering Some Questions

I really appreciate all the questions and support I'm getting - it's very motivational. One thing that I keep worrying about is the lack of inspiration I'm offering by blogging about my journey. I've read some other blogs by women on the same goal as me, and their blogs are very helpful, inspirational, and entertaining.

When it comes to my normal life, I am told I'm very entertaining. I make people laugh - and love every minute of it. I wanted to do the same when it came to this blog - but OMG dieting and losing weight is the hardest thing to write about when I'm trying to be entertaining. I can throw fat jokes out till the cows come home - but throwing them out about trying not to be fat...not so easy.

Anywhoos...I've received lots and lots of questions about what exactly it is that I'm doing that is so different to the other fad diets out there. Obviously, it looks as though a lot of you are more interested in the "hows" rather than the "how is it going". Well, here's my answer:

If you've read my blog from the beginning - you know that I've tried all the craze diets. After failed attempt after failed attempt - I decided BOO to that crap, and decided to do my own thang. Is my diet plan a new one of a kind miracle worker?? Oh, hell no. I shouldn't really refer to it as my own diet plan - it's a combination of things that I've picked up from trials, advice, research - and I want to experiment if putting them together might have better success.

So what is it that you're actually doing, and why only for 60 days??
First off, my experiment is not only going to last 60 days. The 60 day challenge, I created on my own as more of a lifestyle change. I am developing it to help myself retrain my fat way of life into thinking more about losing weight - and keeping it off.

I'm combining healthier eating with exercise - nothing special. I did a 4 day detox to get things started, and that's outlined in the blog step by step. I'm training my body to live on small portions, healthy foods, and ditching the crap stuff. I can't outline an exact diet plan right now, cause that's why I'm performing an experiment. I don't want people to do what I'm doing - until I know it works. I'm also exercising - A LOT. I believe that you can't lose weight by just cutting back on food, alone - not permanently anyways.

So, what happens after the 60 days?
I'm designing the 60 day challenge to be a form of rehab for those addicted to food. Just like a drug addict goes thru rehab to kick their habit - food addicts must do the same thing. My hope is that after 60 days my body will be "reborn" into a healthier lifestyle. My goal, afterall, is not to diet - but to change my whole way of thinking so that my weight loss will be permanent and won't come seeping back after a couple of months.

Why aren't you weighing yourself?? How do you know how much weight you're losing, if you don't weigh in every week?
The 60 day challenge isn't supposed to be focused on how much weight I'm losing - but rather to focus on getting healthier. I definately hope to lose weight - but stepping on a scale can be a very emotional thing. My theory is, you don't show a drug addict continous photos of drugs while in rehab to cure them - you work on other motivations to make their rehab work. I feel that if I step on a scale every week - and I'm not happy about the results, I'll feel some form of defeat. By just focusing on eating healthy and exercising, I can mentally prepare myself for that step when I'm ready.

If you're not weighing yourself, how do you know it's working?
In short, I don't. There are other things that I'm worrying about (see above). HOWEVER, I will say that in the last 28 days, I've noticed my clothes getting much looser, I don't get hungry as much, my snacking habits are all but gone (unhealthy snacking anyways), I can walk 45 minutes a treadmill without having to call an ambulance, and people are making comments about noticing that I'm losing weight. These things are all indications that I'm doing something right.

How much weight do you want to lose?
My long term goal is to lose 100lbs. I started the 60 day challenge at 239lbs. If I had to put a time limit on it, I'd like to lose 100lbs in a year - but as long as I'm making progress, that part doesn't bother me as much. I really don't have a number that I've placed on the 60 day challenge, for all the reasons above. I want my weightloss to be healthy, achievable, and most of all permanent. By losing a large amount too quickly - I definately believe that it will come back. My focus is on a healthy lifestyle...wow, how many times can I say that in one blog??

Ok, I think that about wraps up the main questions for now - will be more than happy to answer anymore that you have.

Again - thank you all so much for the support. I will try my hardest to be a little more entertaining thru the second half of the challenge. I truly believe I wouldn't of gotten this far without you all...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!