January 20, 2015

"Get it over with!"


There is something I've been wanting to write about ever since Andrea was here, but things were busy, and I never got a good chance to.

Like me, Andrea (who has lost 130 pounds) gained back a little bit of weight last year. And like me, she spent a lot of time thinking about and worrying about getting back down to goal. When she talked to her Weight Watchers leader about it, her leader told her to "Get it over with!" so that it stops taking up so much space in her head. "Why are you dragging this out? Just do it and get it over with."

When Andrea told me that, something really clicked for me. I've spent nearly an entire year now talking about getting back to goal, working on getting back to goal, making plans to get back to goal, etc... but I'm still not there. A year was PLENTY of time to drop 20 pounds! The amount of time and energy I've spent toward this simple (not to be confused with "easy") task has been astronomical.

What Andrea's leader meant when she said "Get it over with!" is that the sooner we get back to goal, the sooner we can stop worrying about getting back to goal. I make light of it a lot on my blog, but being over my goal weight causes me a ton of unnecessary anxiety and stress. I think I look okay where I'm at, and I feel okay; but I also know that I looked and felt a million times better when I was at my goal weight (nearly all of 2013).

This is probably my favorite picture of me at goal. Not necessarily because
of how I looked, but because I also felt very confident.
I don't feel like the same person I was a year ago--that person was super confident and determined not to get derailed. Since then, I gained some weight back, and along with the gain, I lost a lot of the confidence I used to have. I used to accept compliments and believe them; but now, when someone tells me I look good, I automatically think, "Why are they saying that? I've gained weight." (This is a self-confidence issue that started when I gained some weight, and not necessarily related to how I actually look.)

It's not that I haven't been trying to get back to my goal weight--I wake up every single day with the plan of doing what I did to lose the weight in the first place (measuring portions, counting points, logging food). But something derails me, and I just think, "Oh, well, I'll just write it off and start over." And that attitude tacks on another couple of days to the amount of time it will take me to get back to goal. If I keep doing that, I'm obviously never going to get there!

Here is a recent picture of Andrea, Rik, and me. My confidence in this photo was the complete opposite of the photo above. I was awkwardly standing there, worried about my size, wearing a baggy sweatshirt instead of something fitted. "The old me", basically.


I love the idea of "Just get it over with!" because it helps me to imagine that when I'm at goal, I can stop worrying about getting back to goal. It's not a "finish line" per se, because I will have to work just as hard to maintain my weight when I get there; but at the very least, the anxiety of being over my goal will stop taking up so much space in my head. This is really hard to explain, and I'm not sure it makes any sense, but hearing that from Andrea was a big "Aha!" moment for me.

I wrote "Get it over with!" on a piece of paper and posted it on my fridge, so that I see it every time I'm in the kitchen. My goal is simply to stay on track with my eating so that I can get back down to goal, and stop worrying about getting back to goal. Thinking of it this way has certainly changed my attitude toward "going a little off plan" or "just starting fresh tomorrow". Going off plan will take me even longer to lose the weight, which is all the longer I'll be worrying about it.

Andrea also told me that she does best when she plans out her food for the day. In the mornings, she puts all of her planned meals into the online Weight Watchers tracker, so she knows how many points she may have to play with if she gets hungry. If she changes her mind about what to eat, she can always just change it on the tracker. I loved the idea of using the tracker that way! When I was losing the weight, I used a dry-erase board to plan out my day, and it worked really well. So this week, I've been planning out my day on the tracker in the morning, and it has definitely helped me.

On Sunday, I went to the fruit/veggie market and bought a TON of produce for the week. I forgot just how much stuff I can get for super cheap when I go there. I spent $30, and got all of this:



I've been eating fruits and/or vegetables with every single meal and snack for three days now. Gotta use them up! :)

I bought a ton of bell peppers! When I buy them at Kroger, the red ones are usually $1.50+ each; these were four for $1. I love bell peppers for soup, stuffed peppers, fajitas, etc. For Taste Test Tuesday, I decided to use some of the peppers. I wanted fajitas, but since I'm supposed to be taste testing a new recipe, I searched Pinterest and came across Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers. Sounded good to me!

The prep for this recipe takes a while, and uses a lot of dishes, but I hoped it would be worth it. The only change I made to the recipe was that I used 2 teaspoons of oil instead of 2 Tablespoons. (Also, my peppers were very small, so I got 11 pepper halves instead of 10 out of the batch.) They didn't look very appetizing when I took them out of the oven, but sometimes the best food isn't very pretty.


I added a little sour cream and diced avocado, and they were really good! When I tasted the filling by itself, I thought it was kind of bland; but when eaten with the pepper, it was delicious. My only complaint about the recipe is that the peppers were too soft after cooking them twice (you cook them before stuffing them, and then bake them with the filling). Next time, I won't cook them before stuffing them. But other than that, I really liked this recipe and will definitely make it again.

43 comments:

  1. Great post! Some of your veggie prices are so much better then mine. SC
    Thanks for the inspiration to reset. And get on with it!

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  2. I totally hear you! I'm crawling back to my optimum weight/fitness levels too. Just remember what the little green guy said: Do or do not. There is no try.

    Karen in Sydney

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  3. Thanks for the motivation!

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  4. I love this, Katie! I've felt the same way about binge eating since gaining an extra 30-35 lb a few years ago. It doesn't seem like a long time until I think about it, but I've been trying to quit bingeing since the summer of 2012 and that scares me--how much life we've wasted being upset about our weight! Let's get it over with!

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  5. Katie - that is like a blast of cold water right in my face. I have been trying to lose the same 20 pounds for YEARS. And it crept up to 30 pounds this last year because of some health issues. I started WW just before the holidays thinking "what's the big deal? Fifteen weeks and I'll be done." Of course, I've not stayed within points limits over the holidays, but at least I didn't gain any more. That's really something to stop and think about how much time I've spent thinking and obsessing over the weight with no real change. I finally had a week within points, and dropped 2 pounds. Now, reading your post, I've taped a big message on my mirror: 1 down. 14 to go. Get it over with!

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  6. Oh i need to read this! I was just thinking something like this today. I rejoined WW around Thanksgiving after gaining back 35 of the 45 pounds I had lost 2 years ago (and never reaching goal), and I've only been doing the program about half way, so I'm only seeing half the results (painfully slow and negligible). I want to get to goal this year, or damn near close to it, but it's definitely not going to happen at this rate. I'm just overestimating how much wiggle room there is. I'm going to keep that phrase in mind every time I try and cut a corner and pretend something I eat doesn't really count if I don't track it! (true story, lol)

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  7. Holy Cow! This post couldn't have come at a better time. I'm on the road to losing 100lbs and it's been such a roller coaster ride. I was losing, then I would stall or gain some back, then lose some again. And now I'm gaining again. I know it's my diet. I've been doing the same thing with the "write it off" mentality. And wow, this is a hard slow journey and I want it finished. I just need to get my head back in the game. So thank you for this post. It's a swift kick in the behind for me. As for stuffed bell peppers, I never cook them before I stuff them. I prefer to have a little crunch. Again, awesome post. -Tiffany H

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  8. I love this and I would guess many of us need to hear that same thing👆😀😀😀

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  9. Wouldn't it be great if we could inject our thinking with a dose of whatever we had in our brains while we were first losing weight?! Stinking thinking is so hard to get past. I have found if I can get one or two days of solid WW tracking accomplished, it helps me be back in the groove again. It also helps me to focus on smaller goals. Maybe you should intently focus on taking off five pounds instead of thinking about losing 20? Then hit that goal, celebrate, and move on to attack the next five. You can do this! (I've had to do it too many times to count.)

    On an unrelated note, is there a way I can find what I set as my time goal for the virtual 5K? I obviously should've written it down...... Can't remember what my time goal was and I can't find the information on the sign-up page. :-/

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  10. This is a really great post and I definitely needed to read this. I've been thinking about this very topic for a while now. I gained back about 20 of the 60ish pounds I had lost in 2013 and experienced the same loss of confidence. I realized that 2014 I spent a lot of time worrying instead of actually taking action to make it better. "Getting it over with" is truly what I need to do--mentally I feel ready now!

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  11. My goodness once again your post was dead on what I've been dealing with lately!! I lost 70 lbs 1.5 yrs ago. Maintanance has been hard but this last holiday season was SO hard. I gain 10lbs on top of the 10 i'd gain since hitting goal. I've been really struggling getting back on track; allowing anything and everything to derail me
    Your post was my wake up call. Thank you!!!

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  12. I needed this so bad. I am queen of excuses and starting over tomorrow. I need to just do it! Just get if over with!! I need to lose 50 more pounds to get to goal. Thanks for you motivation!

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  13. Great post and a wonderful message. One thing I sometimes do is over plan things rather than just doing them. I'll research the perfect eating plan or perfect exercise and read all about it and try to "learn" it ...all instead of just going out and doing it. I think that is one thing that sometimes keeps from getting it over with.

    BTW, I also preplan my meals. I track both on MFP and WW and I usually fill it in before hand just to kind of see how the day lays out and to make sure I have enough points for what I want to eat and to tweak it if I need to.

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  14. My adult son has been living with us for the last year as he's been between jobs. (He just did get a good job and moves to St. Louis next week.) Keeping my 140 pounds off during the last year has been difficult in part because he needed more food in the house than I did. (I've put on 10 pounds.) And if the chocolate Kisses are in the house, I will eat one or two or ten. Same with his cold cuts and cheeses and all kinds of salty downfalls for me. I did best when the refrigerator was empty of everything but skim milk, olives, and oranges. When the pantry did not have bags of chips and other snacks.

    Spring racing season is coming (I have three half marathons jammed into five weeks), and I'd like to drop some pounds before then. Gotta stay on it. I hope it's a little easier now.

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  15. The concept of "Get it over with!" Is perfect. I hadn't thought of it exactly that way, but the frustration over my weight gain definitely has taken up too much space in my head as well. I so get what you're saying.

    Thanks for sharing.

    P.s. Isn't it funny that we feel so awful for gaining 20 pounds back?! I told my best friend it might as well be the entire 70 pounds I lost for how "fat. I feel.

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  16. This post was perfect. Since March, I lost 32.75 pounds of the around 130 I need to lose. In Dec I gained 4 and my head is calling me a failure. Not sure how 4 pounds is more important than 32 in my success/failure scale, but it speaks so much louder than the loss did. Sat was my just do it and be done with it to get this 4 pounds back off. I write my food for the week, get groceries, and always have at least one new recipe during the week so I don't get bored. It worked for 32 pounds, so I know it will work for 4 and then the other 100 --
    Thanks for the post. It is truly amazing to read your post and know that I am not alone with my ups and downs. Reading the other comments makes it like a whole community of people who are working towards improvement. That really does help.
    Thanks,
    Pat

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  17. Thank you so much for this! Sounds so simple, but I too have been dragging my feet. I appreciate all the other comments also, very inspiring! <3

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  18. I love this post so much! Thank you. I, too, will be "getting it over with", starting RIGHT NOW! =)

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  19. What a great post! Get on with it is just a great way to look at everything on the "to do" list! BTW avacados 7 for $1 ??? I pay $1.25 EACH IN FLORIDA.... Great prices on your fruits and veggies. Another reason to eat yummy nutritious food! Go get that goal girl!

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  20. Thanks for sharing! I needed to hear "get it over with" as well since my weight loss has stalled since around Thanksgiving. I've been fluctuating between the same 7 pound range for the past 2 months because I just can't stay consistent with healthy eating. Still tracking (after the fact though and not pre-planning) and still working out at least 3x per week, but almost always going way over my calorie goal for the day. I know what I need to do, I just can't seem to do it and am hoping this is the kick in the butt I needed!

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  21. OMG! You have no idea how much I needed to read this post today of all days! I am so with you right now... Thanks for sharing your photos. Anyone seeing your "now" photo would say look great, but I can see the difference in your expressions from when you were at goal... I know what you were thinking (I feel the same way) and I applaud what you've come to realize. I hope this will be a big AHA for me too!

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  22. Your blog today is where I'm at as well. I gained 30 lbs last year, lost it during the summer and fall (Diet Bets finally got me motivated), then slipped up again over Christmas and am really struggling to get back on track. So far....10 pounds up. Better than 30, but I think the reason it bothers us so much is that we fear gaining it all back. I still look okay and my clothes still fit (many didn't fit after the 30-lb gain--that was depressing) but I don't feel proud of myself anymore and no longer enjoy hearing compliments. Making bad choices really messes with your self esteem. I'm like you--every morning I start over with good intentions and also like you and Andrea, I just need to "get it over with." I'm not waiting until it's 30 lbs to lose this year. Once again--You inspire me Katie!

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  23. I know *exactly* how you feel. For me I get anxiety when I'm over 200 lbs. The farther below that I am the less stress I feel. I spent all last year above 200 and slowly creeping. 208 was where I ended the year. I finally said enough. I started the Advocare 24 day challenge on Jan 7th and I'm below 200! Not by much, but just a tad and it helps my anxiety. I have plenty of weight to lose still, but my body like that 200 mark. So it's a constant battle. And I hate the space it takes in my brain! Good for you. I really think you can buckle down and get back to goal. You've done it before. You know what it takes! Kick some butt and do it!

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  24. Oops I forgot to add - if you want a crazy yummy stuffed pepper recipe - this is hands down my favorite: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/black-bean-sweet-potato-quinoa-stuffed-bell-peppers/

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  25. I do exactly what Andrea does! I joined a Diet Bet this month, and realized I needed to start keeping track of my calorie intake so I started using an app called Lose It! and in the morning I track my breakfast and lunch right away so I can play around with my options for dinner based on how I feel. I even look up how much certain exercises will "gain" for me, and it makes me more likely to work out as well. It definitely helps keep the momentum going for me, and taking the guess work out of eating has changed my mentality. Like yesterday - instead of wondering all day what I'd feel like having for dinner, I decided before lunch that I felt like having a taco salad, and then found a recipe that would meet my calorie budget. I then had that meal to look forward too instead of the ominous feeling that I might break the calorie bank *right* after getting back from the gym. I'm 100% with Andrea on this one!

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  26. I needed to hear this today! Thanks Katie!

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  27. As i'm sure you've seen by the number of comments - yes, yes, and yes to this post. It's something that we all need to hear and so timely for us all! Thank you, as always, for being inspiring, honest, and you. So happy to read your blog daily and good luck with getting back on track!

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  28. Thanks for the post. I needed to hear this today. I'm struggling with my WW journey lately - losing and gaining the same 3 pounds over and over again. Time to really focus. And that recipe looks amazing!

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  29. Do you shop at Randazzo's fruit market?? I ask because I live in Macomb Michigan and that's where I can get all of my produce for super cheap too :)

    BTW, love the quote "Get it over with!!!" I need that kick in my butt. Ive gained weight in the past year and I cant seem to lose it. Its totally bringing my spirit down. I need this kick in the pants -- so thank you!

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  30. I love stuffed peppers. I actually thought about making some last week, but didn't get any at the store. It's on my list for this week, though. Instead, last week, I made a quinoa-stuffed acorn squash. It was delicious.
    Also, that's a great mantra to get in your head. Like that old saying, if you spent as much time doing something as you do worrying about it, you'd be done by now. :-)

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  31. What an inspiration you are. Can I also just say, those peppers look delicious!

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  32. I watched this today and thought you might find it interesting too... Fat Loss Tips! Shocking!: http://youtu.be/JVjWPclrWVY

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  33. I think a note on my fridge might not be enough. Sounds like a good tattoo. ;) Need to lose 15 that I gained back... plus another 35 to reach goal. I used to plan out my entire day on Sparkpeople and I quit. Totally forgot that I ever even did that. So a HUGE thank you for that reminder.

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  34. This attitude is exactly how I feel about NY resolutions - props to anyone who follows through but I learned just to go for it no reason to wait for the new week/month/right time. Just start. Sooner you start the sooner you get there.
    Also must say MIGHTY jealous of that grocery receipt. That would be at least double but more like $75 here in NYC!

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  35. I happen to think that Blazers sweatshirt looks pretty good on you! ;)

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  36. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this advice of Get Over With It. It totally makes sense to me and sums up what I've needed to do for about 6 months. I have 16 pounds and my goal is to have that off by June 1. For me, everyday that I don't follow the plan, it means one more day into the summer that I can't wear my shorts because I am not buying new ones. It has been a good motivator for me. You go, Katie! No looking back now!

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  37. I'm in the same boat. I lost 84 pounds four years ago and then I had a baby 2.5 years ago. I have been trying to lose the same 12 pounds for over two years. I lose a few, then put a few back on. Frustrating. I am glad I didn't just gain it all back, but still. Going to try for another 10 after I get to pre-pregnancy weight, which will make me 100 pounds lighter than my heaviest weight. :)

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  38. Hi, Katie, I'm a new reader. It's good to "meet" you. :-) I've been reading your past posts and find your commitment to healthy living and maintaining your weight amazing. You probably get this a lot, but you are certainly a wonderful role model to me and so many others. Thank you for sharing your story so honestly!

    I have also lost weight--35-40 pounds depending on where I start from. That doesn't sound like much, but in my mind I was 600 pounds because that's what that excess weight felt like to me. I lost & have maintained (three years this month) through Weight Watchers(I'm a lifetime member too), adopting a vegan diet, and a focus on strength training rather than cardio. Last fall I was so focused on training for my goal race that I stopped strength training & tracking points. Of course I gained...duh! I am about 6 pounds over goal but would like to lose a few more to be under goal. I keep thinking I need to do it but, like you, I'm not too unsatisfied with my weight, so I haven't made the loss a priority until these past few weeks. This post really inspires me to just do it, to get back to goal & stop thinking about it! Thanks for the motivation!

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  39. I'm right there with everyone else who's been commenting... this is really what I needed to hear!! I spent the last year "trying" to lose 10... NOW 15 lbs that I had regained!! Gahhhh! I really just need to get it over with!!!

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  40. This post came at the perfect time for me. I was just contemplating sending you an email asking for advice. 9.5 years ago, I was almost 240 lbs (5'3"). I started losing weight through changing me eating habits and then incorporated exercise. I hit 125 and was so happy. That took over 2 years. Since then, I have crept back up to 150. It seems like everyday is a constant battle in my own headof whether or not it is all worth the depriving myself to be slimmer and more confident. I reason with myself that I still look good and maybe I should find peace here. But, I can't and it really is taking up so much of my headspace to stay here. This time last year, i could run 6-9 miles and loved it. Now, I do good to get 2mi/ 3x a week. I just want to be where i was a year ago! I am 37 and I hate to think this is a lifelong battle.

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  41. Katie - Thank you so much for this post! I have become a regular reader within the past 6 months or so but have not commented before. I feel like I could have written this most myself. At the end of 2014, I had lost 90 of hopefully 100 pounds (that's the goal), but in a short time have gained 10 pounds back due to some personal things. I have good intentions but have been letting these personal things get in the way, so I turn to food and find myself binging. As you said, I spend so much mental time and energy thinking about those extra pounds and losing them - I've just got to do it. I too will put the motto of "Get it over with!" in my home to remind me of my goal, and that I can and will succeed. Thank you so much. I'll be thinking of you on your journey!

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  42. Thank you for this post! I've been struggling with weight loss this last year. What started out with a bang last January-May (40 pounds woot!) slowed to a trick and has been at a standstill for the better part of 4 months. Part of me wants to give up--but I don't want to gain all the weight back (plus more, 'cause that's just how it works). I need to just "Get it over with" and get back to planning my meals, abstaining from the foods that trigger bad eating, stop believing that "this one candy won't hurt," and get my butt out of bed and exercising consistently. I don't have an excuse (though I manage to come up with a bunch at each weigh-in!). I'm going to post "Get It Over With and Stop Worrying About It" everywhere--especially on the fridge!

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  43. Great Post... I needed this today!
    Teresa*

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