One of the things my weight loss on-line community taught me was to celebrate all of the NSVs (Non Scale Victories) while I was on the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan. Those NSVs were important to recognize and celebrate when the scale was moving, and they were critical when the scale would hit a stall.
So often we put all of the weight (pun intended!) on the scale and allow that miserable thing to be the sole determinator of whether or not we're making progress. When the scale's downward movement comes to a screeching halt, or when it even has the audacity to show a gain (yikes!), it's really easy to get discouraged. Even though I stayed on plan and never cheated, the scale would have times of registering no weight loss, and I also saw a "gain" a few times, too. It was frustrating, and even maddening, because I knew there was no way I could possibly gain weight on a plan that had me under 1,000 calories a day. Had I relied on the scale alone to mark my progress, there are times it would have been easy to have decided to forget it, times I would have decided that this plan just wasn't working for me.
But, of course, I didn't dump the plan :-). I learned to watch for and celebrate other things that also told me I was losing weight, other things that reinforced the reality that the plan WAS working.
I measured myself every month and recorded my measurements. [Note: if you aren't in the habit of measuring yourself on a monthly basis, I really encourage you to start today!] In addition to losing 126 pounds on this program, I also lost 16.5 inches from my hips, 13 inches from my waist, and 11.25 inches from each thigh. Those numbers are a real measurement of the progress I made - just as much a measurement as the scale.
I took regular pictures of myself and watched the change in my face and my body. Sometimes I didn't see the change when I looked in the mirror, but I would see it when I looked at the photos.
Since I was diabetic when I started the program, another great NSV for me was (and still is) checking my blood glucose in the morning (I still do this periodically) and seeing the number in a normal range. This is a huge NSV for me, as is not having to take medication for high cholesterol or gastric reflux anymore.
I also looked for and celebrated other things: buying smaller clothes (this is a GREAT NSV!!), walking without my thighs touching, being able to take a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing and, one of my favorite NSVs, being able to easily fasten my seatbelt on an airplane.
My husband and I are flying to Orlando tomorrow morning and I can promise you that I will get a little thrill when I fasten my seatbelt. The last time I flew before starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I could barely get the seatbelt fastened and thought I'd have to ask for an extended. I struggled and managed to get it fastened, and while it was tight, I was so relieved that it finally clicked that I dealt with the discomfort rather than deal with the humiliation of asking for an extender. The next time I flew after that was when I went on the Medifast cruise a year ago. I was within 6 pounds of my goal and, remembering the struggle of a year earlier, I almost cried when I fastened my seatbelt and had several inches of extra belt. Talk about a wonderful NSV! I had my daughter take a picture of the extra belt :-).
Today may be a day where the scale is moving quickly for you and you're excited and motivated, if so, congratulations and enjoy - you deserve it! However, if you are in a stalemate with your scale, I would encourage you today to make a list of all of the NSVs you've enjoyed so far and celebrate each and every one of them. Make a list of the NSVs you're looking forward to and envision yourself celebrating them in a few weeks or months.
The scale will eventually catch up - it has to, but don't let it discourage you from staying on plan today.
Blessings!
Cheryl
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Paying Up
Good morning, everyone!
It's everyone's favorite day of the year - April 15 - tax day ;-). Since we owe money this year, guess when we're paying our taxes? Yep - the checks will be postmarked today :-) When we've been entitled to a refund, we've filed our taxes as soon as we could, but when we owe, well, that's a different story! We started paying quarterly estimated taxes this year, so the balance of what we owe isn't too bad. I'm thankful that we paid throughout the year so that the pay up today it isn't quite as painful as it could have been.
When it comes to our health, a day of reckoning generally comes, too, because our bodies, like Uncle Sam, have a way of keeping track of what's coming in and what's going out. When I was diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2005, I realized that my years of morbid obesity, bad habits, and a genetic predisposition had finally caught up with me. I had been "investing" in this for years, and the bill finally came due.
Sometime we think we can avoid the long-term ramifications of bad habits, but most of the time they eventually catch up with us. To be sure, there are always the exceptions - people who live healthy and die prematurely of a heart attack, someone who smokes 2 packs a day and lives to be 100 - but those are exceptions, not the rule.
The wonderful news is that our bodies were created with a wonderful ability to heal, and it's amazing to see how fast concerning health conditions can begin to reverse themselves when we begin to take care of ourselves. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol - conditions often resulting from being overweight - can and are being reversed as people get on this program and begin to lose weight. It's exciting!
Don't let anything get in the way of getting healthy, because you're worth it!
It's everyone's favorite day of the year - April 15 - tax day ;-). Since we owe money this year, guess when we're paying our taxes? Yep - the checks will be postmarked today :-) When we've been entitled to a refund, we've filed our taxes as soon as we could, but when we owe, well, that's a different story! We started paying quarterly estimated taxes this year, so the balance of what we owe isn't too bad. I'm thankful that we paid throughout the year so that the pay up today it isn't quite as painful as it could have been.
When it comes to our health, a day of reckoning generally comes, too, because our bodies, like Uncle Sam, have a way of keeping track of what's coming in and what's going out. When I was diagnosed with diabetes in September of 2005, I realized that my years of morbid obesity, bad habits, and a genetic predisposition had finally caught up with me. I had been "investing" in this for years, and the bill finally came due.
Sometime we think we can avoid the long-term ramifications of bad habits, but most of the time they eventually catch up with us. To be sure, there are always the exceptions - people who live healthy and die prematurely of a heart attack, someone who smokes 2 packs a day and lives to be 100 - but those are exceptions, not the rule.
The wonderful news is that our bodies were created with a wonderful ability to heal, and it's amazing to see how fast concerning health conditions can begin to reverse themselves when we begin to take care of ourselves. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol - conditions often resulting from being overweight - can and are being reversed as people get on this program and begin to lose weight. It's exciting!
Don't let anything get in the way of getting healthy, because you're worth it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Solid Investment
A story on the front page of my local newspaper yesterday morning caught my attention. The article discussed the average monthly cost of treating a diabetic, and concern was expressed at the number of diabetics who are cutting down on their medication, including insulin, to try and save money. Can you guess what the average cost is? According to the article, the typical monthly bill to treat diabetes runs $350 to $900 for those without insurance, a price tag that’s risen as newer, more expensive medicines have hit the market. Emergency care and a short hospitalization can easily top $10,000, and long- term complications can cost far more.
I just shook my head as I read this article, because for less than $300 a month, a diabetic on Take Shape for Life/Medifast could very likely reduce or possibly even get off their medication. For less than $300 a month, someone could turn around pre-diabetes and never even become a diabetic.
Once again, Take Shape for Life/Medifast seems like a great investment to me :-). For a few short months and around $300 a month, we can get to our goal weight AND get healthy. Can anyone put a price tag on what good health is worth to them? We have a program with a proven track record, supported with ongoing research from Johns Hopkins. There is absolutely no question that this program works . . . as long as we work the program :-)
So who's committed to investing today in a healthier tomorrow? The long-term benefits of your commitment today are incalculable - and you're worth it!
I just shook my head as I read this article, because for less than $300 a month, a diabetic on Take Shape for Life/Medifast could very likely reduce or possibly even get off their medication. For less than $300 a month, someone could turn around pre-diabetes and never even become a diabetic.
Once again, Take Shape for Life/Medifast seems like a great investment to me :-). For a few short months and around $300 a month, we can get to our goal weight AND get healthy. Can anyone put a price tag on what good health is worth to them? We have a program with a proven track record, supported with ongoing research from Johns Hopkins. There is absolutely no question that this program works . . . as long as we work the program :-)
So who's committed to investing today in a healthier tomorrow? The long-term benefits of your commitment today are incalculable - and you're worth it!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Choosing Contentment
Happy Monday morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! It was a fairly busy one for me, but it was all good. The weekend ended on a fairly chaotic note as four small grandchildren went on an Easter egg hunt that was confined to the living room and dining room of my daughter's house. There was a lot of noise and excitement, and one of the twins was content to just eat what she found, on the spot, rather than put it in her basket and look for more. We kept having to point out more things for her to find and encouraging her to keep looking. She had a lot of fun, but was definitely not into the "finding" as much as the others (especially the two oldest granddaughters).
You know, that's not such a bad thing. What I saw in Olivia was contentment with what she had and where she was in that moment. She was thoroughly enjoying the candy she had in her mouth, but we hardly gave her time to enjoy it because we were urging her to look for something else.
That is so typical of how most of us (and I mean "us"!) live our lives. We get so busy looking for that next thing, hoarding everything in our basket to enjoy later, instead of stopping and appreciating the moment we're in.
Stopping and enjoying the moment we're in is challenging when we don't particularly like the moment we're in. That is certainly true for this weight loss journey :-). I liked what it was doing for my body and my health, but it was a challenge for me to stay focused and find contentment in the moment. I was focused, and I needed to be, on my goal, but sometimes I was so focused on looking ahead that I was in danger of missing what was happening at the time.
This weight loss journey is about so much more than just losing weight and getting healthy, as important as that is. It's also about changing our hearts and minds in how we relate to food, and how we use (or misuse) food to deal with the stuff of life. If we don't change our relationship with food in a very fundamental way, this will ultimately become another diet and we'll find ourselves reverting to toxic former patterns.
Changing our we relate to food requires us to sometimes shift our focus from "tomorrow" so we can reflect and evaluate on "today." I was challenged to find contentment in the "today" of my journey, and eventually, to my amazement, I did, and it made all the difference.
So my encouragement to you today is to choose contentment in today's journey - whether you're just beginning, somewhere in the middle, or closing in on your goal. Being content with today can be a key factor in helping you stay on plan today.
Who's with me today? :-)
You know, that's not such a bad thing. What I saw in Olivia was contentment with what she had and where she was in that moment. She was thoroughly enjoying the candy she had in her mouth, but we hardly gave her time to enjoy it because we were urging her to look for something else.
That is so typical of how most of us (and I mean "us"!) live our lives. We get so busy looking for that next thing, hoarding everything in our basket to enjoy later, instead of stopping and appreciating the moment we're in.
Stopping and enjoying the moment we're in is challenging when we don't particularly like the moment we're in. That is certainly true for this weight loss journey :-). I liked what it was doing for my body and my health, but it was a challenge for me to stay focused and find contentment in the moment. I was focused, and I needed to be, on my goal, but sometimes I was so focused on looking ahead that I was in danger of missing what was happening at the time.
This weight loss journey is about so much more than just losing weight and getting healthy, as important as that is. It's also about changing our hearts and minds in how we relate to food, and how we use (or misuse) food to deal with the stuff of life. If we don't change our relationship with food in a very fundamental way, this will ultimately become another diet and we'll find ourselves reverting to toxic former patterns.
Changing our we relate to food requires us to sometimes shift our focus from "tomorrow" so we can reflect and evaluate on "today." I was challenged to find contentment in the "today" of my journey, and eventually, to my amazement, I did, and it made all the difference.
So my encouragement to you today is to choose contentment in today's journey - whether you're just beginning, somewhere in the middle, or closing in on your goal. Being content with today can be a key factor in helping you stay on plan today.
Who's with me today? :-)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It May Be Saturday, but Sunday is Coming!
Happy Saturday! I know this will be a busy day for many of you as you prepare for Easter tomorrow. It's a busy one for me, too, although tomorrow's dinner will be at my oldest daughter's house instead of mine. She's asked me to bring a couple of different salads, so my part is very easy this year. Since I'm bringing salads, I also know that there will be some healthy "green" for me and the other members of my family who have all lost weight on Medifast :-)
On this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I can’t help but wonder what Jesus’ disciples were feeling that Saturday morning. Their beloved leader and teacher was dead and buried, and all of their hopes and dreams died with him. They had left their fishing nets, their families – everything – to follow Him, and now He was dead. I don’t think words can even begin to describe the depths of their despair and sense of hopelessness. They didn’t know that Sunday was coming, and that with the sunrise their entire lives, and the world, would change forever. Their reality on that Saturday was one of no future, and they may have wondered if they would be the next ones nailed to a cross.
But Sunday DID come, and they heard the words they never expected: “He is not here, He is risen as He said!” What a difference 24 hours made in their lives! Jesus was alive – and is alive forevermore!
We all have Saturdays – days when it feels like there is no hope and we can’t envision a brighter tomorrow. We can find ourselves trapped in circumstances and it feels like there’s no way out and we lose hope. We may be discouraged by the economy, family situations, health issues, or even a frustratingly slow scale.
Hang in there! It may be Saturday, but Sunday IS coming!
Blessings!
Cheryl
On this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I can’t help but wonder what Jesus’ disciples were feeling that Saturday morning. Their beloved leader and teacher was dead and buried, and all of their hopes and dreams died with him. They had left their fishing nets, their families – everything – to follow Him, and now He was dead. I don’t think words can even begin to describe the depths of their despair and sense of hopelessness. They didn’t know that Sunday was coming, and that with the sunrise their entire lives, and the world, would change forever. Their reality on that Saturday was one of no future, and they may have wondered if they would be the next ones nailed to a cross.
But Sunday DID come, and they heard the words they never expected: “He is not here, He is risen as He said!” What a difference 24 hours made in their lives! Jesus was alive – and is alive forevermore!
We all have Saturdays – days when it feels like there is no hope and we can’t envision a brighter tomorrow. We can find ourselves trapped in circumstances and it feels like there’s no way out and we lose hope. We may be discouraged by the economy, family situations, health issues, or even a frustratingly slow scale.
Hang in there! It may be Saturday, but Sunday IS coming!
Blessings!
Cheryl
Friday, April 10, 2009
Stick With the Experts
We met with our accountant yesterday morning and (to our relief) after paying the taxes we owe, my husband and I still have the shirts on our backs :-). I'm not very excited about writing checks to the state and federal government, especially since I think I could do a MUCH better of spending my money than they will, but am thankful that we don't owe more than we set aside, which had been my fear. A couple of hours after we met with the accountant, we met with a financial advisor to arrange the transfer of my husband's 401k plan from his former employer to another fund, so much of the day was focused on financial stuff. Ugh!
I hate dealing with finances. I mean I REALLY hate dealing with finances, and I don't know enough about navigating either the tax system or investment options to venture out on my own. I have to depend on the guidance and expertise of individuals who really understand finances and have a proven track record I can rely on.
There are lots of things I prefer to do on my own, and am willing to spend the time to figure them out, because I tend to be pretty independent. Over the years, however, I've learned that there are times when the smartest thing to do is get help from an expert.
That's one of the things I love about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. After years of trying to figure out the diet thing on my own and experiencing nothing but failure, I finally looked to a plan that had the expertise and track record I needed. I stopped trying to figure it out on my own and just did what the experts told me to do and voila! it worked!
The wonderful thing is that this is a proven plan that works for just about everybody - we just have to work the plan :-)
So are you going to work it today?
Have a wonderful Good Friday!
Cheryl
I hate dealing with finances. I mean I REALLY hate dealing with finances, and I don't know enough about navigating either the tax system or investment options to venture out on my own. I have to depend on the guidance and expertise of individuals who really understand finances and have a proven track record I can rely on.
There are lots of things I prefer to do on my own, and am willing to spend the time to figure them out, because I tend to be pretty independent. Over the years, however, I've learned that there are times when the smartest thing to do is get help from an expert.
That's one of the things I love about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. After years of trying to figure out the diet thing on my own and experiencing nothing but failure, I finally looked to a plan that had the expertise and track record I needed. I stopped trying to figure it out on my own and just did what the experts told me to do and voila! it worked!
The wonderful thing is that this is a proven plan that works for just about everybody - we just have to work the plan :-)
So are you going to work it today?
Have a wonderful Good Friday!
Cheryl
Thursday, April 9, 2009
A Different Spring
The landscapers for our condo association were out in force yesterday, cleaning up from winter storms and blowing a fresh layer of wood chips. Things look SO nice, and with daffodils in bloom across the street, it really does FINALLY feel like spring. With temperatures in the 50's predicted into early next week, I'm hopeful that we've seen the last of the snow for this season.
In the past, signs of spring would almost always propel me into another attempt to try and drop some weight before summer. I would have spent much of the winter carb-loading as a way of coping with the cold and lack of sunshine, and would usually be up about 10 pounds by the time winter was over. Spring would bring a renewed effort to start moving and eat healthier, and I'd usually lose 10-15 pounds between early spring and late summer, before the weight gain cycle started all over again. Even in my 20's and early 30's, I always weighed more in the winter than the summer and I just accepted the fact that my "winter pants" were a size larger than my "summer pants." I now understand that I had already gotten into the oscillating gain/lose cycle that eventually spun out of control.
This is the first spring in years that I haven't been on a weight loss plan of some kind or another. Last year I was closing in on my goal (reached it on May 22), but I was still focused on losing weight. It seems strange to not have to do that this year - strange, but wonderful. I don't have any "winter weight" to lose - amazing. The few pounds I picked up over the holidays are long gone, and I never changed sizes, so I'm closing in on a year of being in the same size - even more amazing to me!
So this spring finds me in a place that I've probably never been before in my adult life, and it feels really, really good, and I'm so thankful!
For everyone here who's still on your weight loss journey, this can be the last spring you'll ever had to be focused on losing weight. Can you even imagine it? It WILL be the last spring you'll ever need to lose weight IF you commit to staying on plan and moving steadily towards your goal. Can you imagine next year this time NOT worrying about how you're going to look in shorts and a swimsuit? It can happen - MAKE it happen! You're worth it, and I'm cheering for you!
In the past, signs of spring would almost always propel me into another attempt to try and drop some weight before summer. I would have spent much of the winter carb-loading as a way of coping with the cold and lack of sunshine, and would usually be up about 10 pounds by the time winter was over. Spring would bring a renewed effort to start moving and eat healthier, and I'd usually lose 10-15 pounds between early spring and late summer, before the weight gain cycle started all over again. Even in my 20's and early 30's, I always weighed more in the winter than the summer and I just accepted the fact that my "winter pants" were a size larger than my "summer pants." I now understand that I had already gotten into the oscillating gain/lose cycle that eventually spun out of control.
This is the first spring in years that I haven't been on a weight loss plan of some kind or another. Last year I was closing in on my goal (reached it on May 22), but I was still focused on losing weight. It seems strange to not have to do that this year - strange, but wonderful. I don't have any "winter weight" to lose - amazing. The few pounds I picked up over the holidays are long gone, and I never changed sizes, so I'm closing in on a year of being in the same size - even more amazing to me!
So this spring finds me in a place that I've probably never been before in my adult life, and it feels really, really good, and I'm so thankful!
For everyone here who's still on your weight loss journey, this can be the last spring you'll ever had to be focused on losing weight. Can you even imagine it? It WILL be the last spring you'll ever need to lose weight IF you commit to staying on plan and moving steadily towards your goal. Can you imagine next year this time NOT worrying about how you're going to look in shorts and a swimsuit? It can happen - MAKE it happen! You're worth it, and I'm cheering for you!
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