The Sequel: Diet Harder

During what was arguable the least stressful year of my adult life so far, I used the South Beach diet principles to lose 50 lbs in 6 months (and then gained all of that back in the 8 years since I met Paul).  I had a teaching assignment that was familiar to me, co-workers who were real friends and a support system, I was (temporarily) debt-free, and I had completely accepted my single status.  Planning and preparing meals for my diet and taking classes at a local gym 6 days a week was easy. 
I'm not implying even for a second that I would give up the family I have now, but with a more demanding job and a family to care for, it's proving to be significantly more difficult to stay the course this time around.  I managed to stick with my diet plan for 4 days this week...and I got out for some exercise twice.  Sigh.  It was a very productive week at work, and the "must do" list got taken care of there, but the chores at home were neglected because I was doing so much school work, so I'll spend the weekend catching up here at home.

I'm realizing that to be successful again, I may have to wade slowly into my lifestyle changes this time versus changing everything at once. 

The Plan:
Take immediate control of breakfast and lunch.  Since Paul doesn't eat breakfast, and the boys most often eat at daycare, there are no influences on what I have (other than time).  Back to the soy-based protein shakes that served me so well the first time around!  Lunch is completely within my control so long as I prepare it the night before AND I remember to eat it (I work through lunch so often, I frequently miss eating altogether).  I'm thinking I'll make some of the protein shake mix available at work, so if I don't manage a solid lunch, I get something meaningful anyway. 
Exercise: 
When I was skimming through my books last night to remind myself of some of the principles of the SB diet, I came upon their suggested workout plan for beginners...with the requirements being appropriate shoes, a chair, a step, and eventually some small weights (all of which we have), it sounds like as good a place to start as anything I'd come up with myself.  It requires 20 minutes a day, and while I'd ultimately like to get back to an hour a day (5 or 6 days a week), it will be much easier to carve out 20 minutes of time given our schedules and the many demands on my time right now. 
Knowing that I can really only completely control 2 meals a day and manage only 20 minutes of exercise a day for now also makes me realize I have to be prepared for weught loss to be slower this time. 
In a side note, my prescription weight loss medication is on it's way...we decided the risks of continued obesity could be just as serious as the potential side effects of the medication, so I'll begin taking it and see what happens.  While the drug maker suggests being on the low dose for 14 days and then moving to an intermediate dose, my doctor has me taking the low dose for 30 days and then the intermediate dose for 30 days...we'll evaluate whether to stop altogether, continue on the same dose, or move to a higher dose after 12 weeks.  I'm hoping to stop taking it after the 12 weeks...once the weight loss begins AND I'm firmly entrenched in my lifestyle changes where food and exercise are concerned, I won't be needing it.  I am using it as a catalyst only - I firmly believe the answer isn't found in a pill.

In other news this week, my MRI went as scheduled (though I've learned our insurance isn't very quick about pre-certification and getting benefits information back to providers). I expect to get a call this next week about the results.  I found it ironic that the 30 minutes or so when I was required to lie still and silent, but not fall asleep, during the MRI was the most alone time I've had in about as long as I can remember (even the noise proved to be a bit relaxing).  Case in point: I've been interrupted no less than 12 times in creating this post!
I think perhaps this afternoon when I go to my hair appointment (which I had to reschedule 3 times because of other meetings & appointments), I may follow it with a quick stop for a pedicure as well - just to have some ME time!