Before you begin to question my grammar skills, I have not spelled “weigh” incorrectly. As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my covid purchases was a new scale. I have not owned a set of scales for many, many years because their reality is depressing. I actually do not know a soul who likes to step on the scales. The last time that I had to do it was in my doctor’s office during a physical, and I couldn’t even bring myself to look. But like many others, staying home during quarantine made me think. Was I eating more? Had I gained much weight? I was definitely a little more sedentary during this time and some pants were feeling a bit snug. Snacks had become a way of life, a coping skill so to speak. I decided that I needed a reality check, hence, the new scales.

My purchase arrived within days. It was sleek and looked like frosted glass. Very fashionable! The idea of stepping on a glass tile made me nervous. What if I broke it? That would be embarrassing! I set it in the bathroom behind the door and decided that I would take my chances and step on it first thing in the morning before I had had anything to eat.

The next morning, I summoned all my courage and took that first step. My worst nightmare was confirmed… I was fat! Once the shock of the numbers wore off, I knew I now had to take action. I hate diets and complicated rules, so how to proceed? The concept of weight is actually very simple; it is a balance of calories in and calories out. I knew that I needed to keep things simple or I would quit. I recalled a health app on my phone and decided to have a look at it. I could record daily weight and track my daily calories easily. I discovered that by monitoring my calorie intake, I could eat what I wanted (within reason of course) as long as I stayed under 1200 calories per day. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the graph line recording my weight head in a downward path.

I am delighted to report that in about 2 months, I have lost 15 pounds. Since beginning my personal program, I have also started some simple daily exercises (only about 15 minutes) and walking more. I do not deprive myself. I love my wine, but include it in my calorie count. I feel like I am making healthier choices, but now that my city has opened up more regarding covid restrictions, my friends and I have started meeting on Wednesdays again for dinner at our new pub. I am pleased that I have not erased my progress because I allot my food intake accordingly and eat whatever I want.

Had it not been for this damn pandemic, I may not have been motivated to make changes in my habits. I mean, I have promised myself for 40 years that I would lose the pounds that I had gained during pregnancy with two ten-pound babies and that didn’t happen. I have no specific goal in mind, and perhaps that is what keeps me on track. I would like to say this has become my new life-style, but these kinds of commitments often get derailed. At the moment, I am enjoying this challenge, and it is most definitely having a positive result.

Thanks for reading,

Penny xo