Tuesday 17 May 2011

Totalled?

I've become a tea drinker.

Not because I particularly like tea. And what I drink is not black tea... except for the odd chai. No, I drink tea that doesn't taste like tea. Like Chocolaty Chai, or Rooibos. I do have the odd green tea once in a while.

And every cup of tea is sweetened with two packets of Sugar Twin.

I am sure some of you are recoiling in horror! Why would I not use something like honey, that golden goodness chock full of natural sweet?

Well, because I am on a diet.

My preferred hot drink is a mocha, minus all the whipped creamy stuff. I just want half coffee, half hot chocolate. That, unfortunately, is loaded with sugar, which means calories, which means it is now a treat and not a several times a day drink. I nearly wept at the thought of doing without when I first started on this diet, but now, it's fine. I can handle it. I've adjusted well. I'm tough, you know.

You see, in the fall of 2008, I had my gall bladder removed. It was full of sludge and not acting appropriately. In fact, it made its presence known much more often than necessary, which had been causing me quite a bit of distress over the previous three years. So I had the offending organ lopped off and discarded.

For those of you who have been following me for a while, you might recall this was the same time that That Damn Cat earned her nickname. I was slimmer then than I am now. The ensuing time has seen my weight creep up by about 25 lbs. I am not pleased! Neither is my wardrobe.

So I decided it was high time to take matters into hand and do something about it. I have the time to devote to such antics and likely will for the remainder of the year. Hence the full-on effort to shed said extra baggage and return to my svelte self... I know it's in there somewhere... I've seen it before!

I'm doing this sensibly with walking, watching the calories that go in (without being ridiculously stringent) in an effort to make the weight loss gradual so it can stay off. I figure by the end of summer I will be right where I want to be. Slim and trim. I've also incorporated what exercises I can that don't require a right arm, such as ab work, legs, and some weights working arm muscles not involved in lifting the arm away from the body. I can do bicep curls no problem, as long as I use a lighter weight than what I used previously.

Hence the tea totaller. Something with flavour but no extra calories. It's working too. My clothes are already getting looser. Soon they will fall right off and I will require smaller bits to wear. Of course, it also means my bits are getting smaller too, but that is the price I must pay.

16 comments:

  1. You could join Ms. Boxer zumba-ing ...

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  2. Mago: I'd love to! In fact, that would be the kind of class I'd enjoy. However, my right arm does not take kindly to any movement away from my body... Even a little skid in some sand on the sidewalk the other day resulted in a very sharp pain when my arm came away from my side a little ways but quickly to maintain my balance. So, I think I will pass on Zumba for now. Perhaps next year?

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  3. we're starting our regime here, too! the MITM and i decided we can do the "hurry up and wait" thing while getting some exercise, instead of just sitting and fretting! xoxooxo

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  4. Please keep posting about this. I need all the encouragement I can get. I wouldn't even mind smaller bits! :)

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  5. For years I have sweetened tea and decaff coffee with Hermasetas. I expect it's probably banned in Canada and the States but sometimes its worth living dangerously.

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  6. Did you ever drink sweet tea in Texas? It can be a shock to newbies!

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  7. I like strong cold tea, the kind Ma makes, the kind a mouse could trot across!

    New regime starting here too, though I do hope my bits don't get smaller! :¬)

    xxx

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  8. Savannah: Fretting burns calories, but it also burns way too many brain cells. Glad you and the MITM are taking the sensible route! xoxoxo

    Andrea: Will do. I am *ahem* rather buxom, so downsizing the bits a bit won't hurt. As long as they don't disappear!!!

    Pat: I've not heard of that stuff. Obviously it can't be that dangerous if you've consumed it for years and are still around to talk about it. ;-)

    XL: Yes, I've had Texas sweet tea... it's right up my alley!

    Map: I'm not so sure I'd want tea with mousie footprints, thanks. And I don't think your particular bits get smaller with weight loss. That seems to be a female thing. ;-) xoxoxo

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  9. Hope: Thanks! And to you... since you're doing home renos right now. ;-)

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  10. I remember years ago that my Dad gained about a stone by drinking Mochas from the drinks dispenser where he worked - being a man, he didn't realise the calorific intake. The weight fell off when he stopped.
    Good Luck, Ponita!

    Sx

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  11. Scarlet: Yeah, the mochas certainly didn't help. It's more than just that, though... and the fix is a lifestyle change, that I need to stick to, tough as that may be. Thanks for the support!

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  12. Just thought I would stop by after reading your comments for so long over at Pat's
    Your comments about the mouse in her house just cracked me up.

    cheers, parsnip

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  13. Stevia is the way to go. Doesn't have the nastiness of the artificial sweetners.
    And when are you coming to visit meeeeee!?
    (and, haha, the word verification is tasteng)

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  14. Parsnip: Welcome! Hehehe... I think I have freaked Pat out about the mice. ;-)

    Sidi: Heya, sis. I've tried Stevia... didn't like the flavour. Kinda like why I drink diet Pepsi instead of regular (and Pepsi over Coke). It's the flavour. For whatever reason, I prefer it. If my D&R benefits come through, I might be able to swing a visit, but money is really tight. It's not like I'm working, you know...

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  15. Oh, good for you. I admire people who do what they say they're going to do. Hope your clothes fall right off. :-)

    Pearl

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