I am the queen of good intentions - really I am. Over the years I've found that my follow-through often falls apart, but wow, my intentions are SO good and so sincere!
A while back I finally tackled a long-ignored pile of papers that was in the bottom drawer of my desk. This pile accumulated over several months as I would throw papers in there (usually just before somebody came over in an attempt to quickly straighten up my office), always promising myself that I would get to the paper pile "soon." Then things would get busy and soon more papers would be added to the growing pile.
As I finally got through that pile of papers, interestingly, one of the things buried in my paper pile was a book entitled (and I'm not kidding!), "100 Ways to Simplify Your Life." When I bought the book, I obviously had good intentions at the time about getting more organized and simplifying things!
The problem is that good intentions or even the right tools (like my book) aren't enough. Without follow through, good intentions pile up like the papers in my desk drawer. Tools that remain used are useless, or worse, add to our guilt because they remind us of what we intended to do but never quite got around to doing.
Everyone who started on this program began with good intentions - the BEST intentions. This was IT - it was time to lose weight and get healthy once and for all. This program comes with a variety of tools for us to use, and with the tools available and the ease of the meal replacements, there really isn't any reason why everyone doesn't reach goal, right? Or ???
The missing ingredient to success for many is the follow through. We get off plan for one reason or another (the reasons don't matter), and we mean to get back on, really we do. We have good intentions . . . but our follow through is lacking. Sometimes we sabotage ourselves for a variety of reasons, and sometimes we're too quick to settle for less than what we really want because we're distracted by the lure of immediate gratification.
We have the right program, we have the right tools, and we have good intentions. The only thing we need to be successful is follow through. That is the choice facing us today . . . choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Celebrating Obesity
There is a new program premiering on TLC tonight, "Big Sexy." The promotional clips for it are concerning, because they appear to be promoting obesity as fun and viable lifestyle choice.
Because I was morbidly obese for over twenty years, I am painfully aware of the prejudice obese individuals face. I am also aware of the need to accept ourselves where we are - self-loathing is damaging on so many levels. Regardless of our weight, we are valuable people who are loved by God and we deserve the love and respect of the people around us.
However, this program looks like it goes far beyond acceptance to celebration, and being morbidly obese wasn't something I ever wanted to celebrate. The promotional clips show obese women having fun and strutting their style and several women seemed to dismiss the idea of ever being thin. They are obese and proud of it and fully intend to stay that way.
I've only seen the promotional clips, so I don't know how the show will play out, but in the clips all of the women are young. They are having fun and celebrating, perhaps even flaunting, their plus sizes, definitely living in the moment.
What disturbs me about the clips I've seen is that the emphasis seems to be on obesity as an acceptable - and fun - lifestyle. What won't be shown is the long-term effects of this obesity. These young women who are out partying and living an excessive lifestyle now haven't yet encountered the almost-inevitable health consequences of their obesity.
Obesity greatly increases the chances that someone will end up with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, joint problems, and obesity is linked as a risk factor for several types of cancer. Obesity is about far more than what size we wear or how we look in a swimsuit - obesity impacts our health. Those health risks may be in the background for someone in their 20's or 30's, but they will eventually catch up with the majority of overweight and obese individuals.
What would be interesting to know is how many of the women on this new show have tried and failed so many times to lose weight that they've given up and lost hope. How many of them secretly long to be at a healthy weight but have opted for a tough, in-your-face attitude about their obesity to hide the pain and despair they feel?
My heart goes out to these women because I know life is challenging for them at their weight. I also know that many of them are facing serious health issues in the future if they don't make changes to their lifestyle. They may have given up hope, but we know there IS hope, and we know what it is :-).
Many of us had just about given up ourselves and had very little hope that we could ever turn things around until, one way or another, we found our way to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. One day at a time, one meal at a time, things began to turn around for us and we ended up getting our lives - and our health - back, and some of us ended up with an entirely new life. I'm so thankful for the ways this program has changed my life and it's exciting to see the way it's changing others' lives, too. Those changes happen with the individual choices we make, so choose wisely :-)
Because I was morbidly obese for over twenty years, I am painfully aware of the prejudice obese individuals face. I am also aware of the need to accept ourselves where we are - self-loathing is damaging on so many levels. Regardless of our weight, we are valuable people who are loved by God and we deserve the love and respect of the people around us.
However, this program looks like it goes far beyond acceptance to celebration, and being morbidly obese wasn't something I ever wanted to celebrate. The promotional clips show obese women having fun and strutting their style and several women seemed to dismiss the idea of ever being thin. They are obese and proud of it and fully intend to stay that way.
I've only seen the promotional clips, so I don't know how the show will play out, but in the clips all of the women are young. They are having fun and celebrating, perhaps even flaunting, their plus sizes, definitely living in the moment.
What disturbs me about the clips I've seen is that the emphasis seems to be on obesity as an acceptable - and fun - lifestyle. What won't be shown is the long-term effects of this obesity. These young women who are out partying and living an excessive lifestyle now haven't yet encountered the almost-inevitable health consequences of their obesity.
Obesity greatly increases the chances that someone will end up with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, joint problems, and obesity is linked as a risk factor for several types of cancer. Obesity is about far more than what size we wear or how we look in a swimsuit - obesity impacts our health. Those health risks may be in the background for someone in their 20's or 30's, but they will eventually catch up with the majority of overweight and obese individuals.
What would be interesting to know is how many of the women on this new show have tried and failed so many times to lose weight that they've given up and lost hope. How many of them secretly long to be at a healthy weight but have opted for a tough, in-your-face attitude about their obesity to hide the pain and despair they feel?
My heart goes out to these women because I know life is challenging for them at their weight. I also know that many of them are facing serious health issues in the future if they don't make changes to their lifestyle. They may have given up hope, but we know there IS hope, and we know what it is :-).
Many of us had just about given up ourselves and had very little hope that we could ever turn things around until, one way or another, we found our way to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. One day at a time, one meal at a time, things began to turn around for us and we ended up getting our lives - and our health - back, and some of us ended up with an entirely new life. I'm so thankful for the ways this program has changed my life and it's exciting to see the way it's changing others' lives, too. Those changes happen with the individual choices we make, so choose wisely :-)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Self-Sabotage
Recently I've had several conversations with friends who are struggling to stay on plan. These individuals shared, with great frustration, about the way they seem to self-sabotage themselves over and over again without really understanding why.
I completely understand where these friends are coming from because that was exactly where I was for a long time with every other program I ever tried. It's a miserable place to be, that feeling of being driven by triggers and emotions that we don't quite understand and finding ourselves defeated over and over again.
I'm not an expert in human behavior by ANY stretch of the imagination, so all I could do with these friends was share what worked for me when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan. I was motivated to stay on plan because I couldn't justify spending the money on this program unless I was actually doing it, and that motivation prompted me to set myself up for success rather than failure.
One thing I did was to leave all of my money and my debit card (and credit card) at home when I went to work every day. I had with me the Medifast meals I needed for the day, so when it was time to eat, I didn't have another option besides what I'd brought with me. That strategy served me well on more than one occasion when I frankly didn't feel like having a Medifast meal. Had I had money or my debit card with me, it would have been really easy to hop in my car and drive through a fast-food place for something that definitely wouldn't have been on plan. Not having that option forced me to stick with the plan whether I felt like it or not! The funny thing was that once I had my Medifast meal, I was glad that I hadn't cheated :-).
I also set up my environment for success and got rid of any and all food temptations. I cleaned out my desk drawer at the office and cleared out cabinets and my refrigerator at home. (Because it was just my husband and myself at home and because he was incredibly supportive of me, I was able to purge my house - a real blessing!)
Another thing I did was adopt a Stop-Challenge-Choose approach to temptation. When I found myself craving something off plan (and yes, I most certainly DID have those cravings from time to time!), I would first look at the time to see if I was craving something because I was truly hungry and it was time to eat. If that was the case, I had my next Medifast meal ready to go. If I looked at the clock and realized that I'd eaten just an hour or so before, I understood right away that what I was experiencing wasn't physical hunger. I'd drink a large glass of water (since thirst can often masquerade as hunger) and then ask myself what was going on - why was I suddenly craving something? By stopping a minute and challenging my feeling, I was usually able to identify was was driving the craving. Perhaps I was tired or frustrated or perhaps just looking for a way to postpone doing something I didn't feel like doing . . . it usually didn't take much detective work to zero in on what was going on. Once I understood what was behind the craving, I was back in control and able to choose the response that supported what I REALLY wanted - getting to a healthy weight. As I've shared in the past, once I identified the real issue, I often shot up a quick "help me, Lord!" prayer, too :-).
We sabotage ourselves for a variety of different reasons, and some individuals need the help of a professional to help work through some of those issues. My purpose in writing today isn't to figure out WHY someone sabotages, but rather to offer up a couple of strategies to make it more difficult for you to follow through when you're tempted. My experience was that every time I successfully resisted the temptation to sabotage myself, I felt a huge sense of relief when the temptation was over. That sense of relief was an indication to me that, on some level or another, I really DID want to be successful in getting to a healthy weight. That sense of relief also prompted me to begin to probe at the underlying reasons why I seemed at times so bent on sabotage. In the end, a lot of emotional and spiritual growth happened along the way to losing 126 pounds.
The reality is that we are NOT helpless victims, held captive by our whims and vulnerable to every temptation that comes our way. Every temptation has a window of time in which we can choose our response. Stop, challenge, and choose wisely :-)
I completely understand where these friends are coming from because that was exactly where I was for a long time with every other program I ever tried. It's a miserable place to be, that feeling of being driven by triggers and emotions that we don't quite understand and finding ourselves defeated over and over again.
I'm not an expert in human behavior by ANY stretch of the imagination, so all I could do with these friends was share what worked for me when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan. I was motivated to stay on plan because I couldn't justify spending the money on this program unless I was actually doing it, and that motivation prompted me to set myself up for success rather than failure.
One thing I did was to leave all of my money and my debit card (and credit card) at home when I went to work every day. I had with me the Medifast meals I needed for the day, so when it was time to eat, I didn't have another option besides what I'd brought with me. That strategy served me well on more than one occasion when I frankly didn't feel like having a Medifast meal. Had I had money or my debit card with me, it would have been really easy to hop in my car and drive through a fast-food place for something that definitely wouldn't have been on plan. Not having that option forced me to stick with the plan whether I felt like it or not! The funny thing was that once I had my Medifast meal, I was glad that I hadn't cheated :-).
I also set up my environment for success and got rid of any and all food temptations. I cleaned out my desk drawer at the office and cleared out cabinets and my refrigerator at home. (Because it was just my husband and myself at home and because he was incredibly supportive of me, I was able to purge my house - a real blessing!)
Another thing I did was adopt a Stop-Challenge-Choose approach to temptation. When I found myself craving something off plan (and yes, I most certainly DID have those cravings from time to time!), I would first look at the time to see if I was craving something because I was truly hungry and it was time to eat. If that was the case, I had my next Medifast meal ready to go. If I looked at the clock and realized that I'd eaten just an hour or so before, I understood right away that what I was experiencing wasn't physical hunger. I'd drink a large glass of water (since thirst can often masquerade as hunger) and then ask myself what was going on - why was I suddenly craving something? By stopping a minute and challenging my feeling, I was usually able to identify was was driving the craving. Perhaps I was tired or frustrated or perhaps just looking for a way to postpone doing something I didn't feel like doing . . . it usually didn't take much detective work to zero in on what was going on. Once I understood what was behind the craving, I was back in control and able to choose the response that supported what I REALLY wanted - getting to a healthy weight. As I've shared in the past, once I identified the real issue, I often shot up a quick "help me, Lord!" prayer, too :-).
We sabotage ourselves for a variety of different reasons, and some individuals need the help of a professional to help work through some of those issues. My purpose in writing today isn't to figure out WHY someone sabotages, but rather to offer up a couple of strategies to make it more difficult for you to follow through when you're tempted. My experience was that every time I successfully resisted the temptation to sabotage myself, I felt a huge sense of relief when the temptation was over. That sense of relief was an indication to me that, on some level or another, I really DID want to be successful in getting to a healthy weight. That sense of relief also prompted me to begin to probe at the underlying reasons why I seemed at times so bent on sabotage. In the end, a lot of emotional and spiritual growth happened along the way to losing 126 pounds.
The reality is that we are NOT helpless victims, held captive by our whims and vulnerable to every temptation that comes our way. Every temptation has a window of time in which we can choose our response. Stop, challenge, and choose wisely :-)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hate the Process . . . Love the Result
Hate the process . . . love the result. That often describes me! Whether it's cleaning out a closet or doing some other "needs to be done" project, I often find that I really don't enjoy the process, but I love the result. That is certainly true of the process I'm currently in - recovering from my total knee replacement. Three and a half weeks into this and I'm honestly not loving the process - it's slow, frustrating, and I'm tired of the whole thing. But I'm hanging in there and maintaining a fairly good attitude because I know that the end result will be worth it.
The truth is, sometimes there is joy in the journey and sometimes there's not. Thankfully, most of my weight loss journey was pretty joyful because it was exciting to watch my body shrink and transform. I felt great, wasn't hungry, and I loved watching the scale and my clothing size go down. However, there were times when I was definitely NOT having fun and despising the process.
What kept me going on those days was wanting to be done with the weight loss portion of the program so that I could get on with the rest of my life. On more than one occasion while I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, my husband heard me muttering to myself (or saying it out loud), "This is NOT the rest of my life . . . " I reminded myself of that periodically because while the almost-year went fast, there were some really LONG days. On those long days, getting from one Medifast meal to another was hard, and on those days I wasn't particularly excited that the next meal I would have would be yet another Medifast meal. Resolute would pretty much describe my mindset on those days, just as resolute best describes my mindset right now as I work through this recovery period. Then and now, it was a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to move forward, whether I felt like it or not.
On those days, it really helps to have a clear vision of where you want to end up. Moving away from the problem only works up to a point, because once the situation begins to improve, the pressure is off and it's hard to maintain momentum. Momentum is better sustained when you've moving forward towards something you want.
I know I write about this a lot, but that's because I think it makes all the difference between whether you view this program as another diet or whether you view this as a new, healthy lifestyle. Diets don't work - 85% of people who go on diets regain their weight, plus more, within two years. Diets are designed to fix a problem, not create health. By embracing the healthy habits you're learning now (eating six small meals a day, drinking lots of water, getting regular exercise, watching portion sizes, etc.), you will establish a healthy lifestyle that will keep you moving in the direction of optimal health - well beyond just reaching your weight loss goal.
I hope you're having a great, joy-filled and on-plan day, but even if your day is less than joyful, I hope it's still an on-plan day. You may not be enjoying the process today, but I can promise you that you're gonna love the results! Regardless of how you feel today, there are still choices to be made . . . choose wisely :-)
The truth is, sometimes there is joy in the journey and sometimes there's not. Thankfully, most of my weight loss journey was pretty joyful because it was exciting to watch my body shrink and transform. I felt great, wasn't hungry, and I loved watching the scale and my clothing size go down. However, there were times when I was definitely NOT having fun and despising the process.
What kept me going on those days was wanting to be done with the weight loss portion of the program so that I could get on with the rest of my life. On more than one occasion while I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, my husband heard me muttering to myself (or saying it out loud), "This is NOT the rest of my life . . . " I reminded myself of that periodically because while the almost-year went fast, there were some really LONG days. On those long days, getting from one Medifast meal to another was hard, and on those days I wasn't particularly excited that the next meal I would have would be yet another Medifast meal. Resolute would pretty much describe my mindset on those days, just as resolute best describes my mindset right now as I work through this recovery period. Then and now, it was a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to move forward, whether I felt like it or not.
On those days, it really helps to have a clear vision of where you want to end up. Moving away from the problem only works up to a point, because once the situation begins to improve, the pressure is off and it's hard to maintain momentum. Momentum is better sustained when you've moving forward towards something you want.
I know I write about this a lot, but that's because I think it makes all the difference between whether you view this program as another diet or whether you view this as a new, healthy lifestyle. Diets don't work - 85% of people who go on diets regain their weight, plus more, within two years. Diets are designed to fix a problem, not create health. By embracing the healthy habits you're learning now (eating six small meals a day, drinking lots of water, getting regular exercise, watching portion sizes, etc.), you will establish a healthy lifestyle that will keep you moving in the direction of optimal health - well beyond just reaching your weight loss goal.
I hope you're having a great, joy-filled and on-plan day, but even if your day is less than joyful, I hope it's still an on-plan day. You may not be enjoying the process today, but I can promise you that you're gonna love the results! Regardless of how you feel today, there are still choices to be made . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Freedom!
I'm not somebody who is naturally inclined to follow the rules. I don't know if it's that I'm a bit of a free spirit or if I just have a real rebellious streak (or perhaps a bit of both), but I tend to want to color outside the lines and look for tinges of gray rather than black and white.
Because of that, I found a recent story rather interesting. This story was part of a devotional that I read, and the author wrote that "Long ago my wife decided that driving within the speed limit gives her a wonderful sense of freedom. She tells me, 'I don't ever need a radar detector. And I never have to slow down when I see a state patrol car or worry about paying a fine for speeding.'"
I tend to drive 5-8 miles over the speed limit and I have often felt a catch in my throat when I see a cruiser on the side of the road. I take my foot off the gas and nervously glance in the rear view mirror to make sure the patrol car hasn't taken off after me. (NOTE: I've only had two speeding tickets in my life and it's been close to 20 years since my last ticket.) I'm not the car speeding down the highway going 20 miles over the speed limit, but I'm also not usually in the right-hand lane with my cruise control set at the speed limit, either. And that does, on occasion, create moments of tension for me.
Reading the story about the woman who found freedom by following the rules - as written - got me thinking :-). So often we think the rules are restrictive and limit our freedom when they really have the ability to GIVE us freedom. Seems ironic, doesn't it?
That is certainly true when it comes to following the rules on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. Staying on such a strict regime with no wiggle room can feel restrictive sometimes and there is a tendency for some of us to want to find a gray area. We may find it frustrating that there IS no gray area with this program - no options for coloring outside the lines. The truth is that there is great freedom by following the protocols of this program, because they are designed to make it easy. The 5&1 program couldn't be more simple - no counting calories, carbs, fat grams or points. All we have to do is stay inside the lines and it works! There is great freedom in not having to figure things out every day, and that's one of the things that made this program work for me. I loved not having to think about it!
Following the program as written also brings freedom because we don't have to feel guilty about what we're eating. A friend of mine told me that she loves not feeling guilty about food any more. On past weight loss programs, I'd cheat and feel guilty even while I was eating the off-plan food (kind of like speeding and seeing a patrol car!). There was never much true pleasure in eating the off-plan food because I felt so guilty doing it, and as soon as the food was gone I almost always felt regret, disgust, etc. That's not freedom!
Lastly, following this program as written brings the long-term freedom of living life at a healthy weight - not only feeling and looking great, but also having the freedom to enjoy food in moderation and in proper portions.
How are you going to define freedom today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Because of that, I found a recent story rather interesting. This story was part of a devotional that I read, and the author wrote that "Long ago my wife decided that driving within the speed limit gives her a wonderful sense of freedom. She tells me, 'I don't ever need a radar detector. And I never have to slow down when I see a state patrol car or worry about paying a fine for speeding.'"
I tend to drive 5-8 miles over the speed limit and I have often felt a catch in my throat when I see a cruiser on the side of the road. I take my foot off the gas and nervously glance in the rear view mirror to make sure the patrol car hasn't taken off after me. (NOTE: I've only had two speeding tickets in my life and it's been close to 20 years since my last ticket.) I'm not the car speeding down the highway going 20 miles over the speed limit, but I'm also not usually in the right-hand lane with my cruise control set at the speed limit, either. And that does, on occasion, create moments of tension for me.
Reading the story about the woman who found freedom by following the rules - as written - got me thinking :-). So often we think the rules are restrictive and limit our freedom when they really have the ability to GIVE us freedom. Seems ironic, doesn't it?
That is certainly true when it comes to following the rules on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. Staying on such a strict regime with no wiggle room can feel restrictive sometimes and there is a tendency for some of us to want to find a gray area. We may find it frustrating that there IS no gray area with this program - no options for coloring outside the lines. The truth is that there is great freedom by following the protocols of this program, because they are designed to make it easy. The 5&1 program couldn't be more simple - no counting calories, carbs, fat grams or points. All we have to do is stay inside the lines and it works! There is great freedom in not having to figure things out every day, and that's one of the things that made this program work for me. I loved not having to think about it!
Following the program as written also brings freedom because we don't have to feel guilty about what we're eating. A friend of mine told me that she loves not feeling guilty about food any more. On past weight loss programs, I'd cheat and feel guilty even while I was eating the off-plan food (kind of like speeding and seeing a patrol car!). There was never much true pleasure in eating the off-plan food because I felt so guilty doing it, and as soon as the food was gone I almost always felt regret, disgust, etc. That's not freedom!
Lastly, following this program as written brings the long-term freedom of living life at a healthy weight - not only feeling and looking great, but also having the freedom to enjoy food in moderation and in proper portions.
How are you going to define freedom today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Enbracing the Season
Even though the calendar says it's still summer, there are signs that fall is just around the corner. In many parts of the country, children are now back in school (Michigan children return to school the day after Labor Day) and families are settling into a routine after a busy summer. Outside my window, I'm seeing the first signs of leaves changing colors, which gives me really mixed feelings. On the one hand, I love the beauty of a West Michigan autumn - the colors are spectacular and there are many lovely scenic drives available within just an hour or two of my house. On the other hand, a beautiful West Michigan autumn sets the stage for the next season, which often stretches into the better part of five (or six) months of cold, snow and mostly gray skies. Sigh . . .
This time of year, I find myself facing the choice of embracing the season at hand and enjoying the unique beauty it brings, or I can miss the beauty of each day because I'm focused on what's coming next - cold and snow. I used to miss much of the autumn beauty because I'd be busy settling into my winter funk (might as well get a head start on it, you know!). My weight would invariably start to climb this time of year, just as my spirits would begin to droop, and I would pretty much eat my way through the fall and winter, only emerging from my food-induced coma sometime in mid to late April.
Not any more! Part of what I learned on my own weight loss journey was to embrace the season I'm in right now and look for the unique beauty that it brings. And guess what? I'm not just taking about the seasons on the calendar - I'm talking about the seasons in my life.
I viewed my almost-year of weight loss as a season in my life that I'd set aside to get to a healthy weight. I really took the viewpoint that being on 5&1 was NOT the rest of my life, just one short season in what I hoped would be (and still hope will be) the rest of my long and healthy life.
Like the seasons on a calendar, my weight loss "season" had it's good days and it's not-so-great days. Some days during this "season" felt like the best of a summer day - airy and bright, while other days felt like the depths of winter - long, cold and grey, but I knew that it was only one short "season" of my life. I've shared before, but I'll say it again: I did NOT wake up joyful every day that I got to be on plan that day; I did NOT wake up every single day happy about facing another 5 Medifast meals. Thankfully, most days I WAS pretty positive about all of the changes I was seeing and it helped that I really liked (and continue to like) almost all of the Medifast meals. Joyful or not, I did view this as a season in my life and I was determined to make it as short of a season as possible :-).
Since reaching my goal over three years ago, I look back on my "lose weight and get healthy" season as a VERY short season in my life - just under a year. It is a season that I will never regret, because I learned so much about how to eat, I learned so much about myself and how I related to food, and I grew a lot emotionally and spiritually, even as my body shrank. The best part is that this season is past and I'm in an entirely new season of life - HEALTHY. I'm at a healthy weight, in a size I never in a million years thought I'd be in (size 6 slacks and 4 dresses), I have energy to keep up with a very busy schedule (and 4 very busy little grandchildren), and I have an entirely new career helping people achieve the kind of success that I've been blessed with on this program.
I really encourage you today to embrace this "season" in your life. It really will go fast, and the season that follows may well be the very best season of your life. I also encourage you to make this "season" as short as possible, and you can do that by choosing to staying on plan, one day at a time. The choice is yours today . . . choose wisely :-)
This time of year, I find myself facing the choice of embracing the season at hand and enjoying the unique beauty it brings, or I can miss the beauty of each day because I'm focused on what's coming next - cold and snow. I used to miss much of the autumn beauty because I'd be busy settling into my winter funk (might as well get a head start on it, you know!). My weight would invariably start to climb this time of year, just as my spirits would begin to droop, and I would pretty much eat my way through the fall and winter, only emerging from my food-induced coma sometime in mid to late April.
Not any more! Part of what I learned on my own weight loss journey was to embrace the season I'm in right now and look for the unique beauty that it brings. And guess what? I'm not just taking about the seasons on the calendar - I'm talking about the seasons in my life.
I viewed my almost-year of weight loss as a season in my life that I'd set aside to get to a healthy weight. I really took the viewpoint that being on 5&1 was NOT the rest of my life, just one short season in what I hoped would be (and still hope will be) the rest of my long and healthy life.
Like the seasons on a calendar, my weight loss "season" had it's good days and it's not-so-great days. Some days during this "season" felt like the best of a summer day - airy and bright, while other days felt like the depths of winter - long, cold and grey, but I knew that it was only one short "season" of my life. I've shared before, but I'll say it again: I did NOT wake up joyful every day that I got to be on plan that day; I did NOT wake up every single day happy about facing another 5 Medifast meals. Thankfully, most days I WAS pretty positive about all of the changes I was seeing and it helped that I really liked (and continue to like) almost all of the Medifast meals. Joyful or not, I did view this as a season in my life and I was determined to make it as short of a season as possible :-).
Since reaching my goal over three years ago, I look back on my "lose weight and get healthy" season as a VERY short season in my life - just under a year. It is a season that I will never regret, because I learned so much about how to eat, I learned so much about myself and how I related to food, and I grew a lot emotionally and spiritually, even as my body shrank. The best part is that this season is past and I'm in an entirely new season of life - HEALTHY. I'm at a healthy weight, in a size I never in a million years thought I'd be in (size 6 slacks and 4 dresses), I have energy to keep up with a very busy schedule (and 4 very busy little grandchildren), and I have an entirely new career helping people achieve the kind of success that I've been blessed with on this program.
I really encourage you today to embrace this "season" in your life. It really will go fast, and the season that follows may well be the very best season of your life. I also encourage you to make this "season" as short as possible, and you can do that by choosing to staying on plan, one day at a time. The choice is yours today . . . choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I Can't
I kind of like acronyms because they can help me to remember things - at least if I can remember what each letter stands for! I came across an acronym that initially made me wince, but the more I think about it, the more I like it: I CAN'T
I
Certainly
Am
Not
Trying
As I said, my first reaction was frankly pretty negative. I think this probably stemmed from the fact that I have said, "I can't" on numerous occasions - and thought it even more often. So many times when I've faced a challenge, my knee-jerk reaction is to think (or say), "I can't." Of course, the minute I decide I can't, I can't - and I don't. Why bother trying if you already know that you can't do it, that you can't succeed? Why should I set myself up for failure when I've already decided that it can't be done?
I've known several people who desperately need to lose weight but who refuse to try Take Shape for Life for even a month because they are so sure that they can't lose weight, or they believe that they can't keep it off. Rather than risk failure, they decide to not even try. Their "I can't" may be the result of multiple failed attempts at losing weight, causing them to believe that any effort, no matter how valiant, will only end in failure and disappointment.
Most of the time when we say or think "I can't", the truth is "I don't want to." People may say "I can't stay on plan on the weekends because we eat out", but what they mean is "I don't want to stay on plan on the weekends" or, perhaps most accurately, "I choose to not stay on plan on weekends." Other "I can'ts" may include things like "I can't stay on plan because I cook for a family" or "I can't stay on plan because I travel, or I'm going on vacation."
The reality is that we all have a long lists of "I can'ts" that run around inside our heads, and the "I can'ts" go far beyond staying on plan. Saying "I can't" keeps us thinking we are helpless victims of circumstances beyond our control. Believing we can't keeps us stuck where we we are.
It's amazing what we CAN do when we decide that's what we WANT to do! It's amazing what we CAN do when we try, even when we're sure we can't. It really comes down to what we choose to do. Choose wisely :-)
I
Certainly
Am
Not
Trying
As I said, my first reaction was frankly pretty negative. I think this probably stemmed from the fact that I have said, "I can't" on numerous occasions - and thought it even more often. So many times when I've faced a challenge, my knee-jerk reaction is to think (or say), "I can't." Of course, the minute I decide I can't, I can't - and I don't. Why bother trying if you already know that you can't do it, that you can't succeed? Why should I set myself up for failure when I've already decided that it can't be done?
I've known several people who desperately need to lose weight but who refuse to try Take Shape for Life for even a month because they are so sure that they can't lose weight, or they believe that they can't keep it off. Rather than risk failure, they decide to not even try. Their "I can't" may be the result of multiple failed attempts at losing weight, causing them to believe that any effort, no matter how valiant, will only end in failure and disappointment.
Most of the time when we say or think "I can't", the truth is "I don't want to." People may say "I can't stay on plan on the weekends because we eat out", but what they mean is "I don't want to stay on plan on the weekends" or, perhaps most accurately, "I choose to not stay on plan on weekends." Other "I can'ts" may include things like "I can't stay on plan because I cook for a family" or "I can't stay on plan because I travel, or I'm going on vacation."
The reality is that we all have a long lists of "I can'ts" that run around inside our heads, and the "I can'ts" go far beyond staying on plan. Saying "I can't" keeps us thinking we are helpless victims of circumstances beyond our control. Believing we can't keeps us stuck where we we are.
It's amazing what we CAN do when we decide that's what we WANT to do! It's amazing what we CAN do when we try, even when we're sure we can't. It really comes down to what we choose to do. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Burning Ships & Bridges
The ancient Greek warriors were both feared and respected by their enemies. In battle, the Greeks established a well-deserved reputation for their unsurpassed bravery and unshakable commitment to victory. The key to their overwhelming success on the battlefield had far more to do with how the Greek commanders motivated the warriors than it did with issues of tactics or training. The Greeks were master motivators who understood how to use a "dramatic demonstration" to infuse a spirit of commitment into the heart of every warrior. Once the warriors had been offloaded from their boats onto their enemy's shore, the Greek commanders would shout out their first order…"burn the boats!" The sight of burning boats removed any notion of retreat from their hearts and any thoughts of surrender from their heads. Imagine the tremendous psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. As the boats turned to ash and slipped quietly out of sight into the water, each man understood there was no turning back and the only way home was through victory.
No retreat and no turning back – I like it! In all of my past attempts at losing weight, I never quite burned the ships. Whether it was keeping bigger sizes “just in case” or maintaining a mindset that gave me permission to return to my old way of eating, I kept glancing backward even as I tried to move ahead. I’d see the scale drop a few pounds, but never quite believed it would be permanent, even thought I hoped it would. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the very fact that I kept looking back factored in to the inevitable failure I experienced.
When I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I finally decided that this was “it” – my last diet forever. To that end, I got rid of my other diet books. I also got rid of my clothes as I shrank out of them – there was no saving of any bigger sizes “just in case.” I burned my bridges and I burned my ships, because neither the bridges or the ships would bring me to a place I wanted to be.
Because I kept burning the ships and the bridges as I continued on my journey, I had no choice but to keep moving forward – retreating was not an option. It was scary. Make that: it was very scary! I had never been successful in losing any significant amount of weight, and I certainly hadn’t been successful at keeping it off, so burning bridges and ships felt reckless. As it turned out, it was a real step of faith. However, taking a step of faith – one step at a time – makes all the difference! Once you know there is no turning back, it’s amazing what that does to your attitude and your motivation :-).
So who’s committed to an on-plan, ship-burning day today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Tons or Ounces?
Life isn't easy. Every day we are faced with dozens of choices and many of those choices are difficult. For those of us committed to either getting to or maintaining a healthy weight, sometimes we may wonder if the struggle is worth the pain we're feeling. I read a quote from Jim Rohn that addresses this question: "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."
Having experienced both the pain of discipline and the pain of regret (LOTS of regret . . . ), I can tell you from first-hand experience that I'd much rather carry the weight of discipline! In the moment, it's always easier to make the wrong choice because the wrong choice invariably is the one based on immediate gratification. We get a quick rush of good feelings or perhaps even euphoria when we go for the instant gratification. The problem is that the rush is almost always quickly followed by lots of regret and self-recrimination. The good feelings we had as we were eating the off-plan food are gone almost as soon as the last bite is swallowed and in their place are thoughts of "I just blew it . . . I can't believe I ate all of that . . . I'm so weak . . . I'll never reach my goal . . . it's hopeless . . . " My experience is that the regret always outweighs the brief satisfaction I had, and it lasts MUCH longer. In the past, that regret usually led to another round of going for immediate gratification to make me feel better temporarily, followed by another round of regret. Blech!
There is certainly pain in discipline, but it's short-lived. At the point of making the decision, there can be a real struggle in saying "no" to something we really want. For me, there have been times when it felt like it took everything in me to walk away from the temptation. But when I DID walk away . . . when I DO walk away . . . the pain of saying "no" is immediately replaced with a rush of relief and joy that I didn't give in. When I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan and successfully faced up to a food temptation, the relief and joy that followed was a reminder to me that I would have felt awful if I'd given in. The next time a temptation came up (and temptations were everywhere, especially during the holiday season), I remembered how wonderful I felt when I'd walked away and that helped to give me the strength I needed to do so again. As I've shared in the past, I also recognized my own weakness and drew heavily on my Heavenly Father for the strength I needed to walk away.
Tons or ounces . . . what do you want to carry today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Having experienced both the pain of discipline and the pain of regret (LOTS of regret . . . ), I can tell you from first-hand experience that I'd much rather carry the weight of discipline! In the moment, it's always easier to make the wrong choice because the wrong choice invariably is the one based on immediate gratification. We get a quick rush of good feelings or perhaps even euphoria when we go for the instant gratification. The problem is that the rush is almost always quickly followed by lots of regret and self-recrimination. The good feelings we had as we were eating the off-plan food are gone almost as soon as the last bite is swallowed and in their place are thoughts of "I just blew it . . . I can't believe I ate all of that . . . I'm so weak . . . I'll never reach my goal . . . it's hopeless . . . " My experience is that the regret always outweighs the brief satisfaction I had, and it lasts MUCH longer. In the past, that regret usually led to another round of going for immediate gratification to make me feel better temporarily, followed by another round of regret. Blech!
There is certainly pain in discipline, but it's short-lived. At the point of making the decision, there can be a real struggle in saying "no" to something we really want. For me, there have been times when it felt like it took everything in me to walk away from the temptation. But when I DID walk away . . . when I DO walk away . . . the pain of saying "no" is immediately replaced with a rush of relief and joy that I didn't give in. When I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan and successfully faced up to a food temptation, the relief and joy that followed was a reminder to me that I would have felt awful if I'd given in. The next time a temptation came up (and temptations were everywhere, especially during the holiday season), I remembered how wonderful I felt when I'd walked away and that helped to give me the strength I needed to do so again. As I've shared in the past, I also recognized my own weakness and drew heavily on my Heavenly Father for the strength I needed to walk away.
Tons or ounces . . . what do you want to carry today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, August 19, 2011
Managing Expectations
How do we manage expectations, especially when reality doesn't meet our expectations? How do we avoid the danger of frustration and disappointment when things aren't going as we thought they would - and should - go?
That is my challenge right now, 17 days into my recovery from my knee replacement surgery. Because I am relatively young for this type of surgery (I just turned 59) and because I am healthy and managed to stay fairly active despite my bad knee, I had very high expectations going into this surgery. I reasoned that since I wasn't in my mid-70's and didn't have a list of health issues, I would set new records for recovery. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. I fully expected to meet or exceed normal benchmarks in physical therapy and that it would be no time at all before I was back, better than ever.
As you may have guessed, what I expected isn't happening, at least not yet. The truth is that I have fallen behind in meeting those benchmarks because of the amount of swelling I still have in my knee - far more swelling than what would normally be seen at this point in the recovery process. What my surgeon tells me and what the physical therapist tells me is that my knee was in far worse condition than anticipated, so the surgery was more extensive than the average knee replacement. This means more swelling and a longer recovery period. And there isn't a thing I can do about it other than wait and keep my leg elevated, iced and continue wearing a compression stocking.
One of the hardest things about this has been realizing that my expectations are falling far short of reality. I didn't expect to still be so immobilized this far out and I find myself getting frustrated and discouraged. But frustration and discouragement won't change a thing, except make me not so much fun to live with. The reality is that I am doing all I can, that I cannot speed up the process, and that I will eventually get to where I want to be, but it will take longer than expected. My challenge is to rest in the moment and allow the process to continue.
So how does this apply to being on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan? I think we all start this program with high hopes that the weight will absolutely melt off because we want to get to our goal as quickly as possible. We know that women lose, on average, 2-4 pounds per week and men lose 3-5 pounds per week, and we often expect to see a 4-5 pound loss every week. When we're staying on plan and the scale is moving at a slower pace than we expected, it can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. We may see others on plan who are losing faster than we are and that only feeds our own frustration. We may have set a goal of losing a certain amount of weight or reaching our goal by a specific date, and if that date comes and goes and we didn't quite hit the mark we set, discouragement sets in. Rather than celebrate how far we HAVE come, we focus on the fact that we fell short of our goal.
One of the things I realized when I started on 5&1 was that I had absolutely no control over how fast my body relinquished the weight. All I could control was whether or not I stayed on plan. I made the decision to follow the program as long as it took, knowing that if I did that I would eventually reach my goal - and I did! I will be honest and admit that those weeks when the scale only moved a pound, or when it didn't move at all, were frustrating - of course they were! But I knew that I'd done all I could and I knew I had to trust the process and stay on plan regardless of what the scale said, knowing that eventually the scale would catch up.
Whether it's recovering from surgery or continuing on your journey to a healthy weight, there are things we can control and things we can't. Like the wonderful Serenity Prayer, we have to learn to change the things we can change, accept the things we can't, and ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the difference. What we can control is whether or not we choose to follow the path and do all we can do, and we can choose our attitude. My challenge - and yours - is to choose wisely :-)
That is my challenge right now, 17 days into my recovery from my knee replacement surgery. Because I am relatively young for this type of surgery (I just turned 59) and because I am healthy and managed to stay fairly active despite my bad knee, I had very high expectations going into this surgery. I reasoned that since I wasn't in my mid-70's and didn't have a list of health issues, I would set new records for recovery. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. I fully expected to meet or exceed normal benchmarks in physical therapy and that it would be no time at all before I was back, better than ever.
As you may have guessed, what I expected isn't happening, at least not yet. The truth is that I have fallen behind in meeting those benchmarks because of the amount of swelling I still have in my knee - far more swelling than what would normally be seen at this point in the recovery process. What my surgeon tells me and what the physical therapist tells me is that my knee was in far worse condition than anticipated, so the surgery was more extensive than the average knee replacement. This means more swelling and a longer recovery period. And there isn't a thing I can do about it other than wait and keep my leg elevated, iced and continue wearing a compression stocking.
One of the hardest things about this has been realizing that my expectations are falling far short of reality. I didn't expect to still be so immobilized this far out and I find myself getting frustrated and discouraged. But frustration and discouragement won't change a thing, except make me not so much fun to live with. The reality is that I am doing all I can, that I cannot speed up the process, and that I will eventually get to where I want to be, but it will take longer than expected. My challenge is to rest in the moment and allow the process to continue.
So how does this apply to being on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan? I think we all start this program with high hopes that the weight will absolutely melt off because we want to get to our goal as quickly as possible. We know that women lose, on average, 2-4 pounds per week and men lose 3-5 pounds per week, and we often expect to see a 4-5 pound loss every week. When we're staying on plan and the scale is moving at a slower pace than we expected, it can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. We may see others on plan who are losing faster than we are and that only feeds our own frustration. We may have set a goal of losing a certain amount of weight or reaching our goal by a specific date, and if that date comes and goes and we didn't quite hit the mark we set, discouragement sets in. Rather than celebrate how far we HAVE come, we focus on the fact that we fell short of our goal.
One of the things I realized when I started on 5&1 was that I had absolutely no control over how fast my body relinquished the weight. All I could control was whether or not I stayed on plan. I made the decision to follow the program as long as it took, knowing that if I did that I would eventually reach my goal - and I did! I will be honest and admit that those weeks when the scale only moved a pound, or when it didn't move at all, were frustrating - of course they were! But I knew that I'd done all I could and I knew I had to trust the process and stay on plan regardless of what the scale said, knowing that eventually the scale would catch up.
Whether it's recovering from surgery or continuing on your journey to a healthy weight, there are things we can control and things we can't. Like the wonderful Serenity Prayer, we have to learn to change the things we can change, accept the things we can't, and ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the difference. What we can control is whether or not we choose to follow the path and do all we can do, and we can choose our attitude. My challenge - and yours - is to choose wisely :-)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Whatcha Gonna Give Up?
Whatcha gonna give up? That really is the bottom-line question. We all have to give up something, so it comes down to deciding what it is that we're going to give up.
That truth hit home yesterday as I talked on the phone with my aunt (my mom's younger sister). She and I were discussing the recent passing of her cousin at age 70 due to complications of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Aunt Norma talked about our cousin and how his family smuggled unhealthy food into the hospital for him time and time again because he would only eat certain foods. When she would talk to him and his wife about his need to eat differently to get his diabetes under control, she was told that they weren't willing to give up their favorite foods. They liked what they liked and they weren't giving those foods up for anything.
My aunt commented that instead of giving up those foods, he chose to give up a leg, amputated due to circulation issues stemming from his Type 2 diabetes. He gave up his independence and was pretty much house-bound for several years and spent the last months of his life in a nursing home - not a place most 70 year old men want to be. My aunt noted that other family members have given up their vision due to diabetic retinopathy, others are on dialysis due to kidney damage caused by their Type 2 diabetes.
While I am SO thankful that my Type 2 diabetes never resulted in any of these complications and is now completely under control due to losing weight and eating small, low glycemic meals throughout the day, there were things I gave up for years. While I clung to my favorite foods, I gave up the ability to easily move. I gave up feeling comfortable in my body, avoiding pool parties and water parks. I gave up the fun of going clothes shopping with friends as I was too embarrassed to let them know what size I wore. I gave up feeling good about myself and was stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of diet starts and stops, berating myself after every failure.
We all have to give up something, so what are you going to give up? Being on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 means giving up on responding to immediate gratification. It means giving up - at least temporarily - on eating your favorite foods, or perhaps going to your favorite restaurant. It may mean changing how you cook for your family. If you enjoy having a glass of wine with your dinner, it means giving up that glass of wine for a few months.
You can either give up unhealthy eating habits and, in the process, gain an entirely new life for yourself, or you can give up on being at a healthy weight and continue doing the same things you've done, which means you'll continue to get what you've got. The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
That truth hit home yesterday as I talked on the phone with my aunt (my mom's younger sister). She and I were discussing the recent passing of her cousin at age 70 due to complications of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Aunt Norma talked about our cousin and how his family smuggled unhealthy food into the hospital for him time and time again because he would only eat certain foods. When she would talk to him and his wife about his need to eat differently to get his diabetes under control, she was told that they weren't willing to give up their favorite foods. They liked what they liked and they weren't giving those foods up for anything.
My aunt commented that instead of giving up those foods, he chose to give up a leg, amputated due to circulation issues stemming from his Type 2 diabetes. He gave up his independence and was pretty much house-bound for several years and spent the last months of his life in a nursing home - not a place most 70 year old men want to be. My aunt noted that other family members have given up their vision due to diabetic retinopathy, others are on dialysis due to kidney damage caused by their Type 2 diabetes.
While I am SO thankful that my Type 2 diabetes never resulted in any of these complications and is now completely under control due to losing weight and eating small, low glycemic meals throughout the day, there were things I gave up for years. While I clung to my favorite foods, I gave up the ability to easily move. I gave up feeling comfortable in my body, avoiding pool parties and water parks. I gave up the fun of going clothes shopping with friends as I was too embarrassed to let them know what size I wore. I gave up feeling good about myself and was stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of diet starts and stops, berating myself after every failure.
We all have to give up something, so what are you going to give up? Being on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 means giving up on responding to immediate gratification. It means giving up - at least temporarily - on eating your favorite foods, or perhaps going to your favorite restaurant. It may mean changing how you cook for your family. If you enjoy having a glass of wine with your dinner, it means giving up that glass of wine for a few months.
You can either give up unhealthy eating habits and, in the process, gain an entirely new life for yourself, or you can give up on being at a healthy weight and continue doing the same things you've done, which means you'll continue to get what you've got. The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Doing the Math
When I was in school, math was not particularly my strong suit (though I did get an "A" in algebra :-) ). Although numbers and formulas hold only limited interest for me, I did come across an equation that resonated with me, so I thought I'd share it with you. Ready?
Intentions
- action
= squat
Ouch! That's one math equation that doesn't require a calculator to figure out. Regardless of how lofty or well-intentioned, intentions that aren't followed up with action will ultimately result in nothing. As much as we'd like it to be different, just wishing won't make it so.
For years I wished - like crazy - that I'd lose weight. I had the best of intentions as I started innumerable diets, always hoping that the latest and greatest would finally be "it" and bring me to my goal. I bemoaned more than once that my weight problem (I avoided EVER saying "obesity") wasn't due to lack of effort on my part to lose weight, and I also wondered aloud how much I'd weigh if I hadn't kept trying to lose weight. Ironically, I now understand that my years of yo-yo dieting directly contributed to me ending up at 268 pounds, as I'd lose fat AND muscle on those diets, then gain back fat, further lowering my already sluggish metabolism. My good intentions to lose weight were followed by sporadic action. I'd start strong and quickly fold, especially once the hassle factor of the diet collided with constant hunger and slow weight loss.
So what made the difference this time? I had good intentions when I ordered Take Shape for Life/Medifast, but this time I actually followed those good intentions with action. I knew that the expense of the program would only be cost-neutral if I was actually following the program and replacing my other food with Medifast products; I couldn't justify the cost of the program if I was playing around with it and still eating other things. I committed to staying on plan for four weeks, planning to decide near the end of that period whether or not to order another four weeks. Because I saw such amazing results right away, and because it was easy and I felt great, I decided to place a second order and committed to staying on plan four more weeks. I honestly thought the initial month's weight loss was a fluke and didn't expect to see much happen the second month, but I was wrong (thankfully!). My intentions plus consistent action over almost 11 months brought me - finally - to my goal.
When good intentions are followed by action, the math changes:
Intentions
+ action
= RESULTS!! - perhaps beyond your wildest dreams :-)
If you're ready for some new math in your life, it begins with going beyond good intentions to action. It's a choice we can make beginning today - choose wisely :-)
Intentions
- action
= squat
Ouch! That's one math equation that doesn't require a calculator to figure out. Regardless of how lofty or well-intentioned, intentions that aren't followed up with action will ultimately result in nothing. As much as we'd like it to be different, just wishing won't make it so.
For years I wished - like crazy - that I'd lose weight. I had the best of intentions as I started innumerable diets, always hoping that the latest and greatest would finally be "it" and bring me to my goal. I bemoaned more than once that my weight problem (I avoided EVER saying "obesity") wasn't due to lack of effort on my part to lose weight, and I also wondered aloud how much I'd weigh if I hadn't kept trying to lose weight. Ironically, I now understand that my years of yo-yo dieting directly contributed to me ending up at 268 pounds, as I'd lose fat AND muscle on those diets, then gain back fat, further lowering my already sluggish metabolism. My good intentions to lose weight were followed by sporadic action. I'd start strong and quickly fold, especially once the hassle factor of the diet collided with constant hunger and slow weight loss.
So what made the difference this time? I had good intentions when I ordered Take Shape for Life/Medifast, but this time I actually followed those good intentions with action. I knew that the expense of the program would only be cost-neutral if I was actually following the program and replacing my other food with Medifast products; I couldn't justify the cost of the program if I was playing around with it and still eating other things. I committed to staying on plan for four weeks, planning to decide near the end of that period whether or not to order another four weeks. Because I saw such amazing results right away, and because it was easy and I felt great, I decided to place a second order and committed to staying on plan four more weeks. I honestly thought the initial month's weight loss was a fluke and didn't expect to see much happen the second month, but I was wrong (thankfully!). My intentions plus consistent action over almost 11 months brought me - finally - to my goal.
When good intentions are followed by action, the math changes:
Intentions
+ action
= RESULTS!! - perhaps beyond your wildest dreams :-)
If you're ready for some new math in your life, it begins with going beyond good intentions to action. It's a choice we can make beginning today - choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A Wonderful - and Reassuring - NSV
Even though I reached my goal over 3 years ago (yeah!!), every now and then I am pleasantly surprised by yet another NSV (non-scale victory). My recent surgery and ongoing recovery has provided the latest one.
Because emotional eating played a huge part (no pun intended) in me getting all of the way to 268 pounds, there has still been the unanswered question of how I would react when under extreme stress, etc. Would those old "just give me chocolate and nobody will get hurt" feelings bubble up to the surface again? I've come to realize that the garden-variety of everyday stress no longer triggers an eating frenzy, but I hadn't really been pushed beyond that until the past couple of weeks.
To my delight and immense relief, even the pain and frustration I've had (and, to some extent, am still having) hasn't pushed me over the edge. That realization fills me with joy and thanksgiving!
When I was in the hospital, I was very focused on getting good nutrition to help with the healing process, so I turned down many of the food options on the menu in favor of healthy things. One night my husband brought up baked salmon and green beans for my dinner since the hospital's options were a turkey rice soup with roll, meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes, and a turkey provolone sub sandwich. I selected a tossed salad and fresh fruit cup off the hospital's menu to supplement the meal my husband brought me. When one of the food service workers came to take my breakfast order and I ordered scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast, she smiled and asked me if she couldn't tempt me with a cinnamon roll. I grabbed one of my before pictures that I had on the nightstand and handed it to her, assuring her that I couldn't be tempted because I was never going back to 268 pounds again. I also told her that I was focused on getting the best nutrition possible to help my body heal and that as delicious as the cinnamon roll probably was, it didn't have anything in it that would nourish my body. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "good point!" I brought Medifast meals with me to the hospital (Ready to Drink shakes, crunch bars, pretzels, cheese puffs, and the new bites) so that I could continue to eat six small meals a day.
Since I've been home, Medifast meals have made it easy for me, and those meals along with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, grilled meat, salad and vegetables pretty much make up my daily eating plan.
This is such a HUGE shift for me from just a few years ago! Prior to Medifast, my surgery and recovery period would have been a time to fully engage in a "poor me, I deserve to eat" mode. I would reason that I needed to regain my strength and would focus on "dieting" later, and would have indulged in lots and lots of "comfort food." Especially during this recovery period as I've battled severe pain, swelling and lots of frustration, drifting into emotional eating would not have been surprising . . . except I haven't!!!
What I now know - FINALLY - is that the emotional eating is gone. Gone. And it's never coming back! I praise God for this because it has only been as I have allowed Him to work in and through me and have allowed Him to fill in all those emotional gaps that the emotional eating cycle has finally been broken. As hard as the past couple of weeks have been, there is real joy in knowing that a miserable part of my past is truly gone.
I decided to write about this today for two reasons. First of all, this blog is a chronicle of my own journey and this was an important discovery for me. Secondly, I wanted to share because I know how many of you are still grappling with your own emotional eating issues and I want to give you hope that it IS possible to finally put those issues to rest once and for all. Doing so is a journey in and of itself, but it IS possible to permanently cut those ties between our emotions and food and to put food in its proper place. It IS possible to deal with the stuff of life - all of the stuff - without stuffing your face!
As you make the choice today to stay on plan, as you determine that nothing will "make" you go off plan, you are laying down new habits that, given time, will permanently replace the old habits that weren't serving your best interests. Take it one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. And choose wisely :-)
Because emotional eating played a huge part (no pun intended) in me getting all of the way to 268 pounds, there has still been the unanswered question of how I would react when under extreme stress, etc. Would those old "just give me chocolate and nobody will get hurt" feelings bubble up to the surface again? I've come to realize that the garden-variety of everyday stress no longer triggers an eating frenzy, but I hadn't really been pushed beyond that until the past couple of weeks.
To my delight and immense relief, even the pain and frustration I've had (and, to some extent, am still having) hasn't pushed me over the edge. That realization fills me with joy and thanksgiving!
When I was in the hospital, I was very focused on getting good nutrition to help with the healing process, so I turned down many of the food options on the menu in favor of healthy things. One night my husband brought up baked salmon and green beans for my dinner since the hospital's options were a turkey rice soup with roll, meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes, and a turkey provolone sub sandwich. I selected a tossed salad and fresh fruit cup off the hospital's menu to supplement the meal my husband brought me. When one of the food service workers came to take my breakfast order and I ordered scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast, she smiled and asked me if she couldn't tempt me with a cinnamon roll. I grabbed one of my before pictures that I had on the nightstand and handed it to her, assuring her that I couldn't be tempted because I was never going back to 268 pounds again. I also told her that I was focused on getting the best nutrition possible to help my body heal and that as delicious as the cinnamon roll probably was, it didn't have anything in it that would nourish my body. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "good point!" I brought Medifast meals with me to the hospital (Ready to Drink shakes, crunch bars, pretzels, cheese puffs, and the new bites) so that I could continue to eat six small meals a day.
Since I've been home, Medifast meals have made it easy for me, and those meals along with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, grilled meat, salad and vegetables pretty much make up my daily eating plan.
This is such a HUGE shift for me from just a few years ago! Prior to Medifast, my surgery and recovery period would have been a time to fully engage in a "poor me, I deserve to eat" mode. I would reason that I needed to regain my strength and would focus on "dieting" later, and would have indulged in lots and lots of "comfort food." Especially during this recovery period as I've battled severe pain, swelling and lots of frustration, drifting into emotional eating would not have been surprising . . . except I haven't!!!
What I now know - FINALLY - is that the emotional eating is gone. Gone. And it's never coming back! I praise God for this because it has only been as I have allowed Him to work in and through me and have allowed Him to fill in all those emotional gaps that the emotional eating cycle has finally been broken. As hard as the past couple of weeks have been, there is real joy in knowing that a miserable part of my past is truly gone.
I decided to write about this today for two reasons. First of all, this blog is a chronicle of my own journey and this was an important discovery for me. Secondly, I wanted to share because I know how many of you are still grappling with your own emotional eating issues and I want to give you hope that it IS possible to finally put those issues to rest once and for all. Doing so is a journey in and of itself, but it IS possible to permanently cut those ties between our emotions and food and to put food in its proper place. It IS possible to deal with the stuff of life - all of the stuff - without stuffing your face!
As you make the choice today to stay on plan, as you determine that nothing will "make" you go off plan, you are laying down new habits that, given time, will permanently replace the old habits that weren't serving your best interests. Take it one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. And choose wisely :-)
Monday, August 15, 2011
So Sad
I received some very sad news last night. Another one of my mom's cousins passed away too young, and as a direct result of decades of morbid obesity and complications of Type 2 diabetes. This cousin was 70 and his heart finally gave out. He lost a leg due to diabetes several years ago and had been in and out of the hospital for the past three years as doctors fought to save his other leg. He always thought of himself as a picky eater and wasn't cooperative even in the hospital as they tried to monitor his food intake; his wife would smuggle in his favorite foods, the very foods that were killing him.
As I've attended funeral after funeral, I've talked to family members about this program and they all know my own story and my own history with Type 2 diabetes. I talked to his wife at length about our program (she is morbidly obese and needs a walker because her legs and ankles won't support her weight), but to no avail. This couple have been pretty much housebound for the past few years, needing in-home help, starting in their mid to late 60's. All because they weren't willing to change how and what they eat. How sad!
It breaks my heart that family members are living such compromised lives due to dialysis, amputations, etc. and dying early due to complications of their Type 2 diabetes which was brought on, at least in part, by obesity. It doesn't have to be this way! It shouldn't be this way!
If they'd known 20 or 30 years ago how things would turn out, I wonder if it would have been enough to motivate them to change.
The problem is, we don't have a crystal ball and we can't see into the future. Many of us have spent years pretending that the statistics don't apply to us and believing that somehow we'll be one of the lucky ones to escape the odds. That was pretty much my attitude until a blood test in September of 2005 revealed Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. That was a very sobering day for me as I realized that two decades of morbid obesity had finally caught up with me. Because of my family history, I had only to look around at family members dealing with complications of Type 2 diabetes to realize that that's where I was heading. That scared me to death! By losing weight and permanently changing my lifestyle, I changed my health future. Losing 126 pounds - and keeping it off - has kept my blood sugar and cholesterol at healthy levels for over 3 years.
We can't see into the future, but study after study shows a correlation between being overweight/obese and an increased risk for a variety of health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Making the decision today to take control of our health and develop a healthier lifestyle will impact our health decades from now in ways we may not fully comprehend.
It's too late for my cousin, but it's not too late for you. Thank God that you have a chance to redirect your health future, depending on the choices you make today. Choose wisely :-)
As I've attended funeral after funeral, I've talked to family members about this program and they all know my own story and my own history with Type 2 diabetes. I talked to his wife at length about our program (she is morbidly obese and needs a walker because her legs and ankles won't support her weight), but to no avail. This couple have been pretty much housebound for the past few years, needing in-home help, starting in their mid to late 60's. All because they weren't willing to change how and what they eat. How sad!
It breaks my heart that family members are living such compromised lives due to dialysis, amputations, etc. and dying early due to complications of their Type 2 diabetes which was brought on, at least in part, by obesity. It doesn't have to be this way! It shouldn't be this way!
If they'd known 20 or 30 years ago how things would turn out, I wonder if it would have been enough to motivate them to change.
The problem is, we don't have a crystal ball and we can't see into the future. Many of us have spent years pretending that the statistics don't apply to us and believing that somehow we'll be one of the lucky ones to escape the odds. That was pretty much my attitude until a blood test in September of 2005 revealed Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. That was a very sobering day for me as I realized that two decades of morbid obesity had finally caught up with me. Because of my family history, I had only to look around at family members dealing with complications of Type 2 diabetes to realize that that's where I was heading. That scared me to death! By losing weight and permanently changing my lifestyle, I changed my health future. Losing 126 pounds - and keeping it off - has kept my blood sugar and cholesterol at healthy levels for over 3 years.
We can't see into the future, but study after study shows a correlation between being overweight/obese and an increased risk for a variety of health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Making the decision today to take control of our health and develop a healthier lifestyle will impact our health decades from now in ways we may not fully comprehend.
It's too late for my cousin, but it's not too late for you. Thank God that you have a chance to redirect your health future, depending on the choices you make today. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Stretching
I constantly refer to this program as a journey because there is so much growing and stretching that happens along the way. Stretching isn't always fun, and sometimes it's downright painful! I'm finding that to be very true as I continue therapy following my knee replacement surgery.
Stiff muscles are always resistant to stretching, and I know that if I stop where it feels comfortable, my range of motion will be limited - far less than what I want it to be and what it can be. My physical therapist pushes me to the point of pain, has me hold the stretch or the bend, then pushes me a bit farther. What's really interesting, however, is that if I stretch as far as I can and hold it for a minute or so, even though it hurts, the muscles relax and I can go just a bit more. If I hold that for another minute or so, I can stretch farther yet. It's a painful process, but a necessary one and by continuing to push and stretch beyond what I think I'm capable of doing, I will regain full use of my knee.
For many of you (and formerly me!) on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1, you are stretching some muscles you haven't used in a while. I used to say that every time I turned down a food temptation, I was strengthening my "no thank you" muscle :-). Whenever we stretch those muscles, it's initially not comfortable and sometimes even a bit painful. But if we hold the position for a moment or two, the pain leaves and we find we can make a little more progress. We won't get there all at once, but if we're persistent and refuse to give ground, and if we're willing to keep stretching, we WILL get there!
If you're feeling some tight muscles today as this program stretches you, hold your position and don't back off, because you will soon be reaching further than you can imagine - all the way to your goal. So decide to stretch today, then choose wisely :-)
Stiff muscles are always resistant to stretching, and I know that if I stop where it feels comfortable, my range of motion will be limited - far less than what I want it to be and what it can be. My physical therapist pushes me to the point of pain, has me hold the stretch or the bend, then pushes me a bit farther. What's really interesting, however, is that if I stretch as far as I can and hold it for a minute or so, even though it hurts, the muscles relax and I can go just a bit more. If I hold that for another minute or so, I can stretch farther yet. It's a painful process, but a necessary one and by continuing to push and stretch beyond what I think I'm capable of doing, I will regain full use of my knee.
For many of you (and formerly me!) on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1, you are stretching some muscles you haven't used in a while. I used to say that every time I turned down a food temptation, I was strengthening my "no thank you" muscle :-). Whenever we stretch those muscles, it's initially not comfortable and sometimes even a bit painful. But if we hold the position for a moment or two, the pain leaves and we find we can make a little more progress. We won't get there all at once, but if we're persistent and refuse to give ground, and if we're willing to keep stretching, we WILL get there!
If you're feeling some tight muscles today as this program stretches you, hold your position and don't back off, because you will soon be reaching further than you can imagine - all the way to your goal. So decide to stretch today, then choose wisely :-)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Submitting to the Process
Two weeks ago, just prior to my surgery, I found myself filled with a lot of anxiety. The anxiety wasn't just in anticipation of what I knew would be a big surgery and a painful recovery. I was also anxious because I knew that being in the hospital and the recovery time at home would involve needing a lot of help from others. I am a pretty self-sufficient, independent person and while I love helping other people, it's hard for me to be in a position where I need help myself. I think that's called false pride :-).
I shared some of these concerns with a close friend of mine who gave me some very wise words of advice. She told me to submit to the process and stop trying to fight it. She's a nurse and informed me that, yes, I WAS going to need a lot of help and that there were a lot of people who would be there to provide the help I needed. I needed to choose to allow them to help me.
That ended up being profoundly good advice! I made the decision to leave the ego and self-sufficient attitude at home and truly submit to the process. That was a good decision because I now realize that bringing those attitudes with me would have only made me (and possibly others) frustrated, and fighting what was obviously needed would have sucked energy that I frankly didn't have.
Since being home, it's been hard to always ask my husband for help because I feel like such a bother . . . not that he's ever made me feel that way! My wise friend asked me if I would feel bothered if I was the one helping and I told her "no;" she then challenged me to question why I thought I didn't deserve the same level of care that I would give others.
This recover process is turning out to be a learning process for me as I continue to learn to let go of self-sufficiency and truly, graciously welcome the loving support of family members and friends. So often we somehow think we aren't worthy of "bothering" others. Especially for those of us who are women, we were raised to put everybody else first and it feels selfish when we find ourselves in need.
The truth is that we ARE needy people. We DO need the support and help of others. And it's OK for us to ask - and expect - support.
For those who are on the weight loss phase of this journey, it may feel a bit selfish sometimes. You are spending money on a program for you, you are likely cooking differently for your family and perhaps avoiding some of the old, favorite restaurants. You want and need the support of the people around you. All of this - ALL of this - is OK!
Recognizing that this is a time for you is an important step in this process. This is your time to recover from months or years of being overweight or obese and during your own recovery process it IS about you :-). That doesn't mean that we stop caring about others, of course, but it does mean that it's OK to articulate what you need and to make sure your environment supports your success. Let go of those feelings that tell you doing so is selfish. Let go of your own inclination towards self-sufficiency and reach out for the support you need.
Choose to submit to the process . . . the whole process. Staying on 5&1, getting support - needing support! There are lots of choices to be made on a daily basis . . . choose wisely :-)
I shared some of these concerns with a close friend of mine who gave me some very wise words of advice. She told me to submit to the process and stop trying to fight it. She's a nurse and informed me that, yes, I WAS going to need a lot of help and that there were a lot of people who would be there to provide the help I needed. I needed to choose to allow them to help me.
That ended up being profoundly good advice! I made the decision to leave the ego and self-sufficient attitude at home and truly submit to the process. That was a good decision because I now realize that bringing those attitudes with me would have only made me (and possibly others) frustrated, and fighting what was obviously needed would have sucked energy that I frankly didn't have.
Since being home, it's been hard to always ask my husband for help because I feel like such a bother . . . not that he's ever made me feel that way! My wise friend asked me if I would feel bothered if I was the one helping and I told her "no;" she then challenged me to question why I thought I didn't deserve the same level of care that I would give others.
This recover process is turning out to be a learning process for me as I continue to learn to let go of self-sufficiency and truly, graciously welcome the loving support of family members and friends. So often we somehow think we aren't worthy of "bothering" others. Especially for those of us who are women, we were raised to put everybody else first and it feels selfish when we find ourselves in need.
The truth is that we ARE needy people. We DO need the support and help of others. And it's OK for us to ask - and expect - support.
For those who are on the weight loss phase of this journey, it may feel a bit selfish sometimes. You are spending money on a program for you, you are likely cooking differently for your family and perhaps avoiding some of the old, favorite restaurants. You want and need the support of the people around you. All of this - ALL of this - is OK!
Recognizing that this is a time for you is an important step in this process. This is your time to recover from months or years of being overweight or obese and during your own recovery process it IS about you :-). That doesn't mean that we stop caring about others, of course, but it does mean that it's OK to articulate what you need and to make sure your environment supports your success. Let go of those feelings that tell you doing so is selfish. Let go of your own inclination towards self-sufficiency and reach out for the support you need.
Choose to submit to the process . . . the whole process. Staying on 5&1, getting support - needing support! There are lots of choices to be made on a daily basis . . . choose wisely :-)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Don't Get Bogged Down in the Process
Tomorrow will be a week since my total knee replacement and over these past several days I have spent a lot of time reminding myself that I cannot get bogged down in the process.
Right now I am at the "it's gonna get worse before it gets better" stage. The pain is worse than it was prior to surgery, so it would be really easy for me to question my judgment in deciding to go forward with the knee replacement. Of course, that wouldn't really help anything at this point because I can't undo the decision that was made - I DID have surgery, and for good reasons. Getting bogged down in second-guessing myself is silly. I also know that the knee had gotten quite bad and would only get worse (my doctor said the x-rays didn't tell the full story and that my knee was far worse than he'd anticipated). I know I did the right thing and I know that just a few weeks from now I will be SO glad I did.
I just need to get from here to there :-). I am going to a leadership conference at Sundance in early October and it's about a 10 minute walk down the mountain from our mountain suite to the conference center. I am focused on being able to walk up and down that mountain (my doctor tells me that's a very realistic expectation). Keeping my eyes focused on the goal that I want is helping me get through the challenges of today. While the recovery is a bit rockier than anticipated, I knew it would be challenging and painful and I resolved ahead of time to not get bogged down in the process.
When we're in the middle of something that's difficult, it's easy to believe the lie that things will never get better - that what we're dealing with now is what we're going to be dealing with for the foreseeable future. This simply isn't true! What IS true, however, is that if we allow our minds to go there and get bogged down in the process, it will negatively impact our ability to deal with the here and now. When we're in the midst of the process, getting and maintaining perspective is critical. It's not easy, but it IS our choice!
Right now you may be at a point where staying on plan is HARD. You may be second-guessing why you started this program to begin with and you may even be tempted to believe that it really wasn't THAT bad before. Don't go there! Keep your eyes on what it is that you really want and understand that staying on plan, even when it's hard, is just part of the process.
In the end, it WILL be worth it! You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Right now I am at the "it's gonna get worse before it gets better" stage. The pain is worse than it was prior to surgery, so it would be really easy for me to question my judgment in deciding to go forward with the knee replacement. Of course, that wouldn't really help anything at this point because I can't undo the decision that was made - I DID have surgery, and for good reasons. Getting bogged down in second-guessing myself is silly. I also know that the knee had gotten quite bad and would only get worse (my doctor said the x-rays didn't tell the full story and that my knee was far worse than he'd anticipated). I know I did the right thing and I know that just a few weeks from now I will be SO glad I did.
I just need to get from here to there :-). I am going to a leadership conference at Sundance in early October and it's about a 10 minute walk down the mountain from our mountain suite to the conference center. I am focused on being able to walk up and down that mountain (my doctor tells me that's a very realistic expectation). Keeping my eyes focused on the goal that I want is helping me get through the challenges of today. While the recovery is a bit rockier than anticipated, I knew it would be challenging and painful and I resolved ahead of time to not get bogged down in the process.
When we're in the middle of something that's difficult, it's easy to believe the lie that things will never get better - that what we're dealing with now is what we're going to be dealing with for the foreseeable future. This simply isn't true! What IS true, however, is that if we allow our minds to go there and get bogged down in the process, it will negatively impact our ability to deal with the here and now. When we're in the midst of the process, getting and maintaining perspective is critical. It's not easy, but it IS our choice!
Right now you may be at a point where staying on plan is HARD. You may be second-guessing why you started this program to begin with and you may even be tempted to believe that it really wasn't THAT bad before. Don't go there! Keep your eyes on what it is that you really want and understand that staying on plan, even when it's hard, is just part of the process.
In the end, it WILL be worth it! You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Monday, August 1, 2011
What Are You Waiting For?
What are some of you waiting for?
A friend of mine had an obese, Type 2 diabetic friend who she'd talked to several times about this program and explained to him the difference it would make for his diabetes. She didn't press him to start because she understood that everyone has to be ready, and he wasn't ready. She shared with him how, several months after her own heart attack and stroke, she went on this program and not only lost weight but also significantly improved her health. But he wasn't ready. Several months later she ran into her friend and he told her that he thought he was thinking more about maybe starting the program, but wasn't quite ready. Unfortunately, just a few weeks later he went into a diabetic coma and died - at age 56. Ironically, he had actually ordered a month's worth of product and had it in his cabinet, but he hadn't gotten around to actually starting on the program.
Another friend of mine had a morbidly obese co-worker with whom she shared the program. He took information home, reviewed it and handed it back to her and said he wasn't interested. Sadly, this man died of a massive heart attack several months later.
I didn't know these individuals and I have no idea why they weren't ready to start the program, but I'm going to speculate, because I'm guessing one or more of their reasons were the same reasons I hear over and over again: too busy right now, or social event/vacation is around the corner, or I feel OK so I must be OK, or it's summer and I want to eat fruit, or I can't give up my {fill in the blank}, or or or or ????
I know that many of you reading this have made the decision to get healthy and you are refusing to allow anything to get in your way - good for you! Today's blog is lovingly for - and I do mean "lovingly" - those who think that "today's just not a good day to do this" and who assume that there will always be a more convenient tomorrow. So did these individuals gentleman. Both died WAY too early. It's impossible to know if things would have been different for them had they made the decision to lose weight, but it's hard not to wonder because we know that losing weight positively impacts blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Why do we allow so many other things, so many less important things, keep us from doing something as important as taking care of ourselves? I've known individuals who desperately needed to lose weight who decided not to continue on the program because they eat out all the time and didn't want to limit their menu selections to lean and green options. Others who hesitate to start because they are convinced that their family "wouldn't like it" if they prepared lean and green meals instead of the family favorites. So many people want to lose weight, but they want to do it on their own terms, in their own way. The problem is that our way flat-out doesn't work - if it did, we wouldn't be here :-).
The reality is that tomorrow won't be more convenient. Tomorrow will have it's own list of excuses why we "can't" do this. Gambling on our health is high-stakes gambling - why risk it?
If you aren't on plan today, what are you waiting for? What on earth is more important in today's schedule than taking care of yourself? The choices we make today are important - to us and the people we love. Choose wisely :-)
***
My surgery is tomorrow morning and I will be in the hospital for 2-3 days. I'll return to blogging when I'm home. In the meantime, you know what do do!
A friend of mine had an obese, Type 2 diabetic friend who she'd talked to several times about this program and explained to him the difference it would make for his diabetes. She didn't press him to start because she understood that everyone has to be ready, and he wasn't ready. She shared with him how, several months after her own heart attack and stroke, she went on this program and not only lost weight but also significantly improved her health. But he wasn't ready. Several months later she ran into her friend and he told her that he thought he was thinking more about maybe starting the program, but wasn't quite ready. Unfortunately, just a few weeks later he went into a diabetic coma and died - at age 56. Ironically, he had actually ordered a month's worth of product and had it in his cabinet, but he hadn't gotten around to actually starting on the program.
Another friend of mine had a morbidly obese co-worker with whom she shared the program. He took information home, reviewed it and handed it back to her and said he wasn't interested. Sadly, this man died of a massive heart attack several months later.
I didn't know these individuals and I have no idea why they weren't ready to start the program, but I'm going to speculate, because I'm guessing one or more of their reasons were the same reasons I hear over and over again: too busy right now, or social event/vacation is around the corner, or I feel OK so I must be OK, or it's summer and I want to eat fruit, or I can't give up my {fill in the blank}, or or or or ????
I know that many of you reading this have made the decision to get healthy and you are refusing to allow anything to get in your way - good for you! Today's blog is lovingly for - and I do mean "lovingly" - those who think that "today's just not a good day to do this" and who assume that there will always be a more convenient tomorrow. So did these individuals gentleman. Both died WAY too early. It's impossible to know if things would have been different for them had they made the decision to lose weight, but it's hard not to wonder because we know that losing weight positively impacts blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Why do we allow so many other things, so many less important things, keep us from doing something as important as taking care of ourselves? I've known individuals who desperately needed to lose weight who decided not to continue on the program because they eat out all the time and didn't want to limit their menu selections to lean and green options. Others who hesitate to start because they are convinced that their family "wouldn't like it" if they prepared lean and green meals instead of the family favorites. So many people want to lose weight, but they want to do it on their own terms, in their own way. The problem is that our way flat-out doesn't work - if it did, we wouldn't be here :-).
The reality is that tomorrow won't be more convenient. Tomorrow will have it's own list of excuses why we "can't" do this. Gambling on our health is high-stakes gambling - why risk it?
If you aren't on plan today, what are you waiting for? What on earth is more important in today's schedule than taking care of yourself? The choices we make today are important - to us and the people we love. Choose wisely :-)
***
My surgery is tomorrow morning and I will be in the hospital for 2-3 days. I'll return to blogging when I'm home. In the meantime, you know what do do!
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