After one month....

NEWS FLASH- Dieting sucks. I know that I mentioned this before... but seriously... it is not fun at all. However, it is incredibly rewarding. Here is a month one recap-

So after one month I lost 14lbs! WHOOOO HOOOO!!!! I was super excited to be on my way to being a skinnier and healthier version of me! I started riding horses again and was really enjoying myself. It was a workout without thinking of the work. I have ridden horses my whole life but had to take a break to be part of "corporate America." Or so I thought!! As it turns out... you really can make time for anything that you want to. I certainly used to have time to go out to the bar with my friends, so I just re-prioritized things in my life and made sure that there was time available for the things that are important to me. No more excuses!!!! That first month wasn't all rosey tho! Here are some things I learned and challenges I had to overcome-


Dieting- Yes this seems like an obvious challenge, I know. But when you have really committed to losing the weight, it is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

"No"- Learning to tell yourself "no" is one of the hardest things I have ever experienced! As a fluffy girl I knew what I was doing (or so I thought) and I was going to make the decisions that I wanted to make. And if that meant eating 1 or 2 (or 5... but who's counting, right?) Krispy Kreme donuts, so be it! I am the master of my own destiny and the master of my own waist line. (Or so I thought....)As hard as this step is... STICK WITH IT! Do not surround yourself with people who will try to lead you astray.... right now you need all the support you can get. If start out cheating, you will NEVER see the results that you want to see!

Caffeine Hangover- Yeah that's right. I gave up all caffeine cold turkey. I do not drink coffee often so soda was my staple. I could easily drink 6 cans a day.... while at work! Let alone if I had some at home! This was a choice that I made and was not suggested by my Dr. But I know that caffeine can lend itself to cravings and I did not want any part of that! I will say that there were moments that I felt like a drug addict. One of my co-workers would pop the top on a can and it would send me into a frenzy! I made BBQ sauce one night and wanted to use just a tiny bit of diet soda for flavor so I had Kyle buy me one bottle so I could use that. After all, I didn't want extra cans floating around! When I opened that bottle it was like the sky opened up and I could hear the angels singing. (Apparently dieting can also make you mildly crazy.) As I am prone to having mental battles with myself, I started the inner dialog. "Just put the cap back on it and walk away." I was successful, I did that, but I could not stop thinking about that damn soda sitting on my kitchen counter! It was a personal challenge to not drink it. Then I realized that the challenge was not ignoring the soda. The challenge was being comfortable pouring the soda out. You have not made a lifestyle change yet.... so cut yourself some slack and do not surround yourself with impossible temptations. Does that mean don't go to lunch? No- but that brings us to the next topic.

Eating out- Scary.... very scary. Since we know that in real life you cannot plan for EVERYTHING... here is what you do in real life- If you are going out to lunch with friends, work or on a date, set the place in advance and look at their menu online to decide what the best choice would be for you and your diet. Do not be afraid to be picky. Ask for your salad with dressing on the side and no croutons. You think they care? No! Order things that are grilled as often as possible and instead of heavy sauces ask that they use herbs. You still get great flavor but without needless calories. I also suggest going into these places chewing a piece of gum, this pacifies the desire to chew and it also keeps you from grabbing at the appetizers the evil non-dieters might order.