(left) Donnette Thomas , 'Your Health's' 'Battle of the Bulge' participant, stands outside the University of the West Indies' library, Mona, St. Andrew. (right) Sandra Smith , 'Your Health's' 'Battle of the Bulge' participant, climbing the steps to the offices of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Mandeville, Manchester. - PHOTOS BY CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
IN APRIL, two of Your Health readers Donnette Thomas and Sandra Smith took on the public challenge to battle with their bulges. They are being guided by Your Health's nutritionist, Rosalee Brown, and exercize experts, Kenneth Gardner. Today, we get an update on the participants' progress. Will they win the battle? Look out for the update June 1.
DONNETTE'S DIARY
THE BEGINNING ...
I HAVE tons of clothes that I cannot wear; either the sleeves are too tight, the jeans cannot zip up, the buttons are popping off ...
These are clothes I wore in first year (at university). I am just wrapping up my second year now, so it is not that long ago. Simply put, I want my body back, so I am not going to buy new clothes. I got into this programme because I wanted to get guidance ... to exercise regularly, to eat better, to feel better.
FIRST DAYS MARCH 31 TO APRIL 4
Fast foods and sugar cravings are major obstacles: My biggest challenge during the first few days was avoiding fast foods when I was too tired to go home and cook. Still, it is a process and I am trying. I feel confident about losing the weight. I am looking forward to being slimmer. I also want to exercise more consistently.
However, today (March 31), I overate, because I ate lunch too late. I realised that I will have to try to carry healthy snacks to keep off the hunger when I might miss lunch. I swam for close to an hour in the evening. It felt so good. On another day (April 2), I had major sugar cravings, to which I succumbed by having half of a cappuccino pie. I feel bad about eating junk food again this week. I'm undermining my weight loss programme.
Two days later (April 4), I again felt for something sweet. I know it was because of how stressed I was, but I did not have anything. I felt good because I did not give in.
Time passes into the second week, April 6 to April 19: I had an apple and an orange before class. They gave me a sugar jolt, but are not unhealthy. The fibre should also keep me from getting too hungry and overeating later. I felt full, but full of good stuff. I am now more conscious of what I eat when I eat out. I know I cannot eat perfectly all the time, but now I am less likely to try buying or eating junk food. As time passes, I feel motivated by my own efforts at weight loss.
I exercise. My goal is to do so three times per week. I also want to have more fruits and vegatables and limit the sugar, fat and salt. I think I have been doing well so far. I do Bodies in Motion and/or Total Body Sculpt with Gilad on Fit TV. It is half an hour of aerobics and muscle/strength/flexibility training. I really enjoy it! The cravings still come though.
Today (April 18), I felt a strong urge for pastry. I passed some of my favourites coconut drops and cinnamon rolls, and I smelled the cinnamon it was intoxicating! However, I 'walked on by'. I would usually succumb, but my tight jeans reminded me of why I am in this programme. I reminded myself of how I felt when I could not wear my favourite jeans, because they did not fit anymore. The pastries just seemed less tempting.
LAST WEEK APRIL 20 TO APRIL 29
I find that once I started exercising, I was really into it and the half-hour went by quickly. I have not really lost any weight, but I have more muscle definition. My arms, waist, thighs and butt look more toned. My stomach is flatter. For now, I am taking it one day at a time. Next month, hopefully, I will have more prominent muscles and a tighter midsection.
SANDRA'S DIARY
ALTHOUGH I want to lose weight (and a lot of it too), I do want to pressure myself by making unrealistic demands. I have been exercising and have changed my eating habits. This has changed my life.
I have come a far way from the first two weeks of my exercise programme (jogging and working out with Fit TV for 30 to 60 minutes), when I was sore and in pain every time I moved. I also found it difficult to wake up to exercise. However, the aches and pains eventually disappeared, as I persisted and I began waking up earlier to exercise.
CHORES HAVE BECOME A TRIUMPH
I have become better at what I am doing and I am now enjoying my early morning walk or jog. There have been tremendous benefits from the change. My exercise routine makes me feel more in control of my life. Truth be told, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with working, studying and being a mother. I became depressed at times because I felt that I was just doing the same things everyday without having time for myself. That feeling is now gone. I am experiencing better sleep and better moods, which help me to better interact with persons in my everyday life.
Regarding my eating habits, I am trying to eat smaller portions of food in small meals spread out throughout the day, instead of in three heavy meals. I also am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I must admit that I managed that for the first two weeks, but I found that I sometimes went back to my old ways of having only three meals. When that happened, I felt guilty, then drank a cup of slimming tea to make up for my slippage. I also sometimes did not eat anything else, unless it was an apple or orange and drank lots of water.
Eating more vegetables is difficult, because I have always hated eating vegetables, except for the cooked cabbage, callaloo or raw lettuce. I realise that I seem to have a (mental) block where vegetables are concerned.
However, I have been eating a lot more fruits. I must admit that I have slipped a few times by eating high-calorie foods, because they were available when I was hungry. The good news is that I have learned to control my rice and dumpling habit. I am eating less of each at meal time. I also find that I exercise better since I have stopped eating large portions (of food), so I am lighter in the morning and my walk or jog seems easier.
WEIGHING IN
Finally, I weighed recently before breakfast and ... I am 162 lbs. Looking at myself, I do not see a (physical) change. I look the same and I am now wondering if my scale works. I am encouraged by both (fitness expert) Kenneth (Gardner) and (nutritionist) Rosalee (Brown) to better my eating habits. I am hoping to lose more pounds next month. I am also encouraged by the hope that after slimming down, I can walk into a clothing store and find something that fits and looks good. Right now, shopping for clothes is a frustrating task. I am happy that I am sticking to my programme and hope that I will see results.
