On March 31st, 2013 I stepped on the scale and looked with displeasure as it read 181 pounds. “This is not acceptable,” I said.
Like many people, I have gained about five pounds a year since I turned 40. After 9/11 I think I gained ten pounds in one month because all I did was watch television and eat ice cream for comfort. But although my weight kept creeping up, until that March day in 2013 I wasn’t ready to do something about it.
The spark that began my “new eating regime” was a conversation with my nephew’s wife, Kim. We saw her on March 29th and my sister-in-law asked her if she’d lost weight. Kim said that she had because she’d been limiting her food intake to about 1,500 calories a day.
“I could do that,” I thought.
So two days later, when I stepped onto the scale, it was a moment when I had the opportunity to walk my talk. I said that I can do that, but was I really ready to act? On that day my answer was yes. Since that moment on the scale at the end of March I’ve lost over 40 pounds on my DIY new eating regime.
Why write about this on Coffee for Roses? Because for me there is a real connection between losing weight and the garden. I call my DIY weight loss plan The Gardens & Gratitude Diet because both have played a huge role. Over the next several months I’ll write more about this.
In introduction I need to say the following: There is no special herb, berry, or supplement that will magically help people lose weight. There is no one particular program, time of day, or secret, old weird tip. There is no forbidden fare, workout routine, or proper food combination that miraculously will cause us to shed pounds.
For most people, there are only calories consumed verses calories burned. (See note below.*)
That’s not to say that joining a program, group or gym is a bad idea. Most of us need something that assists us to change old habits and start new ones. A workout routine, weight-loss system or walking buddies are all positive things. I remain skeptical about the herbs, berries, and supplements, but I’ll leave that for others to focus on.
For me it was the vegetable garden that helped nourish and encourage this process.
This brings me back to my personal experience. I’ll continue to write about how I lost weight since that is the only true information I have to give. For me, finally taking control was empowering. I discovered that although there was no outside weight loss woo-woo; the magic is in me.
Over the next several months I will be sharing thoughts about healthy eating, and The Gardens & Gratitude Diet, with the readers of this blog. I’ll be writing about food, attitudes, strategies, and how everything is connected to everything else. If you’re interested, this blog might help you jump-start your weight loss plan along with your gardening.
More to come.
*Note: there are some exceptions to this statement. Growing evidence of the role of bacteria in the guts of some people indicate that some are predisposed to weight gain not because of the calories they eat but because of the microbiology in their bodies. Anyone who strictly maintains a reduced calorie diet and doesn’t lose weight should look into this and consult their physicians.
