About this blog

Upcoming events

Surviving my second-biggest challenge

by FranN on February 27, 2009

February 27, 2009

Post from “FranN”

We are now starting Week Five of the Lab’s Biggest Loser Program, and over the past five days, I faced my second biggest challenge since the program has started. The first challenge was just getting started. I was sure that I wouldn’t see Week Twelve, because I though I was going to die on Day One. I didn’t (die, that is). Now I find that I actually enjoy working out, and after completing four week, I feel much better, I look better, and my clothes don’t fit–not because they are too tight anymore, but because they are too loose!

However, Challenge Number Two recently reared its ugly head in the form of a five-day business trip. I was afraid that I would not be able to control what I was eating the way I could at home. Also, I would be just sitting for hours listening to presentations and not getting in nearly the amount of exercise that I had over the past four weeks. Well, I’m back from my trips and today was my day of reckoning, i.e. weigh-in. Much to my relief, I gained barely over a half a pound.

In the past, I viewed freely offered food (you know, the cakes, cookies, high sugar snacks, fried, greasy, appetizers offered at the breaks and receptions) at conferences as a license to eat anything and everything without thought to the consequences. What was different this time was that I didn’t eat ANY of it. Don’t misunderstand, I certainly didn’t go hungry, but I’d worked way too hard to lose that first five percent of my starting weight to fall off the wagon now. That provided great motivation and, fortunately, sticking with the “eating properly and exercising program” was facilitated by staying at a hotel that offered a “fit” menu in addition to the normal high-calorie options. The food was very good, just lower in calories, and this was the only food I ate. It demonstrated that you can have good, healthy, tasty food without consuming thousands of calories above what you need and still be satisfied–something that I hadn’t expected. I hope more restaurants start offering these options. In addition, the hotel had a very good fitness center and although it was difficult, I found a way to squeeze in a least an hour of workout time every day that I was there.

I had been really dreading this trip and the prospect that it would undermine everything that I had worked so hard to accomplish over the past four weeks in a controlled environment. I guess I really wanted to post this blog, because we can’t live in a controlled environment all the time (nor would we want to), so I wanted to let everyone know that if you are determined to do something, you can find a way to accomplish it. It might not be easy, but it definitely feels good when you succeed.

 

One Response to “Surviving my second-biggest challenge”

1. Posted March 3rd, 2009 at 9:49 am

   It is so hard to resist the sweets. Great job.

Leave a Reply

(note: all comments are moderated)

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« go back