Confessions of a "Foodie" Mom

by Pam Connell | More from this Blogger

22 Aug 2009 11:56 PM

Okay, here goes. Like Mary Ann said, I've often kept my weight loss efforts from people outside the immediate family. I figure if I succeed, they'll notice, and if I fail, they won't know I tried. (Hmm...I suspect that's why some kids don't try in school....maybe we adults are not so different from children after all.)

But, sometimes accountability to someone else is easier than accountability to ourselves (I know that's sad, but true.) So now I will be accountable to all of you.

I'm a 40-year-old mom with three kids; the youngest is a kindergartener. I have been writing for Families.com for over 2 ½ years in the Adoption Blog. I have also at various times taught preschool and religious education, worked in adult education, a church and a Family Resource Center.

Here's some weight history: I was a skinny kid, but became chunky at puberty. I dieted in eighth grade and began high school as a slim girl. I put on lots of weight that year, though. I lost a little bit on Weight Watchers when I was sixteen. When college came, instead of gaining the "Freshman Fifteen", I actually lost it. I credit that to living in the dorm and not keeping food in my room. For the most part I ate only at scheduled meal times.

After I was married I again gained about 15 pounds. Then I had a baby. I gained 25 pounds while pregnant, but lost it within a couple of months-breastfeeding, plus pain and nausea from a gall bladder problem and emergency surgery. Now I had only the 15 extra pounds I'd had before I got pregnant.

It seemed that during the two years I was nursing I didn't have to worry about gaining more weight, and I reveled in that freedom. Once I stopped nursing, though, that habit of not watching calories turned against me. I gained steadily. When we adopted our second child, friends joked that at least I wouldn't get the "maternity 40". Actually I did gain weight with each of our two adoptions, not much less than I did during the pregnancy. (I wrote a blog about weight gain in adoptive parents that you can read by clicking here .)

Six or seven years ago I lost almost 25 pounds with a program of prepackaged weight loss foods and doing water aerobics twice a week and strength exercises twice a week. Then I had a series of injuries-herniated disks that never really healed, tears in the plantar fascia of my feet that took nearly two years to heal.

With my feet not healing, I was forced to accept the fact that they probably wouldn't unless I lost weight. As Libby said in her blog, I felt forced into it. This past spring, I joined a weight loss group run by a therapist. We committed to supporting each other and sharing strategies. We used a book written by Dr. Judith Beck, a cognitive therapist. Unlike many books which consist of a diet plan, Beck focuses on skills and thought patterns dieters can use to stick to healthy eating habits.

I lost ten pounds, and they've stayed off over the summer. We no longer meet as a group but created a group website to stay in touch and offer support. I have about 40 more to go (the charts say 50 even to get to the upper range for my height--all of five feet-but I'll be thrilled to lost 30 or 40 more.) But even losing the ten pounds has made a tremendous difference to the pain in my feet and knees.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm a good candidate for weight loss. I love food. My mom was a wonderful cook and I've always loved baking. I love trying new foods from different cuisines and any unusual dishes brought to potlucks. I have a definite sweet tooth. Lasagna and brownies are my favorite foods. One of Dr. Beck's instructions in the book was, "Think ahead ten minutes. How will you feel if you have eaten that unplanned food?" I think I'm supposed to say I'd feel bad....but sometimes my honest answer is that I think I'd feel good! I use food for comfort, but also for celebration. Some days just feel like a fruit pie and some days just feel like a savory corned beef dish, you know?

In short, I am a "foodie"-one who loves good food. But now, I will have to find new ways to celebrate and comfort. I will be an accountable, responsible foodie. I will tell you all, each weekend, how I've been doing. My current weight is 175. Next weekend it had better be a bit lower, or I'll have a lot of explaining to do to all of you.

Wish me luck.

Until then,

Pam

Please see these related blogs I wrote last month:

Two Dozen Motivating Reasons to Lose Weight:

Two Dozen MORE Reasons to Lose Weight

Learn more about Pam Connell

Pam Connell is a mother of three by both birth and adoption. She has worked in education, child care, social services, ministry and journalism.

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