Here we are at the very end of September - we sure got here fast! With the change in weather, I finally pulled out all of my fall and winter clothes from last year. After going through everything, I decided I needed just a couple of things . . . OK, maybe "need" isn't exactly the right word :-).
Anyway, I went shopping to pick up a couple pairs of cords and was also on the lookout for another sweater or two. I went to one of the stores at our local mall and found a couple of cute pairs of pants, but they weren't in my size. In fact, the store had very little in my size (size 6 pants and size small tops). It was pretty frustrating to see lots of things in larger sizes, and the bigger the size, the more things I found. There was one darling wool jacket, but they didn't have it my size. They had a couple of jackets in a medium, and several jackets in size large and XXL. I commented to the sales clerk that I was surprised that they didn't have more things in small sizes, and she said that they only ordered one size 6 or size small for each item. She went on to explain that they really didn't have very many people wanting small sizes.
A little over two years ago, I couldn't even shop in this particular store because their largest size was way too small for me. It seems ironic that now I'm having trouble shopping there because they don't have anything small enough.
What's striking to me is that this store, focused on properly stocking merchandise so they're able to move it out the door, has all but stopped ordering small sizes. I live in Michigan, which is one of the heaviest states in the country, and the expanding girth of our population is now reflected in the decisions made by clothing buyers.
I watched a segment last week on the "Today" show that featured fashion for larger women. The segment was touted as "fashion for real women," and all of the clothing shown was size 14 and up; the host noted that the average American woman is now a size 14. As the average size gets better, it's becoming more difficult to even recognize what a healthy weight looks like.
This blog isn't about sizes, but it is about the growing perception that overweight is the new normal. We may kid ourselves and comfort ourselves with knowing that we look like the average American, but our bodies aren't fooled. A BMI of 30 or over puts us at higher risk for a host of diseases, and it doesn't matter if most people have BMI's hovering near 30 or not. Popular perception doesn't change the medical reality and the risks of being overweight. Take Shape for Life/Medifast isn't about getting to a certain size - it's about getting to a healthy weight and then staying there for the rest of our lives.
I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: what we're doing here is counter-cultural. I kind of like being counter-cultural - how about you? :-)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Feeding Our Bodies AND Our Souls
"The soul, like the body, lives by what it feeds on." ~ Josiah Gilbert Holland
I read that quote yesterday as part of my morning devotions and it rattled around in my thoughts all day. I think it's a great quote and worth writing about :-)
First of all, this quote is certainly true when it comes to our bodies and how we're feeding them. Most, if not all, of us started on this program because we hadn't been properly feeding our bodies in years (for me, that would be a couple of decades . . . ) and our bodies were showing the effects of our neglect. Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, gastric reflux were all physical evidences of two decades of my own neglect. There were other consequences of my neglect that were hidden to others - things like low self-esteem, embarrassment, frustration at not being able to find clothes to fit, worry about not fitting into spaces, etc.
As I began to properly nourish my body using the Take Shape for Life/Medifast program, it was amazing how quickly my body began to respond. I not only saw the weight begin to come off, but my blood sugar returned to normal in the first week, and my gastric reflux disappeared almost immediately. Within a short time, my cholesterol also returned to normal without medication. Over and over again, people are amazed at how quickly things turn around with their lab work, because this program is about getting people healthy, not just thin. It's as if our bodies are just waiting for us to make better choices :-).
Our souls also live on what we feed them, so it's worth asking ourselves what we're feeding our souls. Are we feeding our souls negativity? When we've had nothing but years of failure, it's easy to tell ourselves that we can't lose weight and believe that, in the end, this program is bound to fail, too. If are looking in the mirror every morning and telling ourselves that we're weak and not able to do this, I can promise you that eventually this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Whether it's the food we're putting into our bodies or the things we're putting into our heads and our hearts, it's definitely garbage in/garbage out.
This program is about so much more than just losing weight, it's about getting healthy - physically, emotionally, and for many of us, spiritually. Moving from obesity to a healthy weight, moving from being defeated to experiencing victory, and learning how to relate to food in a positive, healthy way are all part of getting healthy. As you are learning to put healthy things into your body, I would also encourage you to put healthy things into your mind and your heart. Find ways to nourish your soul!
I read that quote yesterday as part of my morning devotions and it rattled around in my thoughts all day. I think it's a great quote and worth writing about :-)
First of all, this quote is certainly true when it comes to our bodies and how we're feeding them. Most, if not all, of us started on this program because we hadn't been properly feeding our bodies in years (for me, that would be a couple of decades . . . ) and our bodies were showing the effects of our neglect. Obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, gastric reflux were all physical evidences of two decades of my own neglect. There were other consequences of my neglect that were hidden to others - things like low self-esteem, embarrassment, frustration at not being able to find clothes to fit, worry about not fitting into spaces, etc.
As I began to properly nourish my body using the Take Shape for Life/Medifast program, it was amazing how quickly my body began to respond. I not only saw the weight begin to come off, but my blood sugar returned to normal in the first week, and my gastric reflux disappeared almost immediately. Within a short time, my cholesterol also returned to normal without medication. Over and over again, people are amazed at how quickly things turn around with their lab work, because this program is about getting people healthy, not just thin. It's as if our bodies are just waiting for us to make better choices :-).
Our souls also live on what we feed them, so it's worth asking ourselves what we're feeding our souls. Are we feeding our souls negativity? When we've had nothing but years of failure, it's easy to tell ourselves that we can't lose weight and believe that, in the end, this program is bound to fail, too. If are looking in the mirror every morning and telling ourselves that we're weak and not able to do this, I can promise you that eventually this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Whether it's the food we're putting into our bodies or the things we're putting into our heads and our hearts, it's definitely garbage in/garbage out.
This program is about so much more than just losing weight, it's about getting healthy - physically, emotionally, and for many of us, spiritually. Moving from obesity to a healthy weight, moving from being defeated to experiencing victory, and learning how to relate to food in a positive, healthy way are all part of getting healthy. As you are learning to put healthy things into your body, I would also encourage you to put healthy things into your mind and your heart. Find ways to nourish your soul!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Weight Loss Forecast
Happy Monday! We're waking up to a chilly morning with predictions of rain and damaging winds for much of the day. The temptation to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head was overwhelming, but my schedule is full and, whether I felt like it or not, it was definitely "up and at 'em" :-).
Maybe you woke up this morning feeling as motivated as you ever have to stay on plan and reach your goal. Your weight loss forecast for today is warm and sunny and you feel energized as you face your day. Good for you - you're off to a great start!
But maybe you woke up this morning and faced a weather forecast much like mine and found that your motivation was about as chilly and soggy as the weather. Are you tempted to pull the covers over your head and wait for a more sunny day? My encouragement to you is to take a deep breath and get "up and at 'em" with your weight loss.
I talked with a friend last week who is struggling quite a bit with staying on plan right now. She's had wonderful success, so she knows the plan works, but a busy scheduled and some added stress resulted in her getting off plan and she is really having a hard time getting back on. She is hopeful that once things settle down for her, she'll have an easier time and can begin to focus again on getting to her goal.
It's tempting to make the decision to not follow the program when things are busy and stressful, because we may think that we just don't have time to stay on plan. I understand that thinking, because that pretty much summed up the mindset I had with every other weight loss plan I'd ever been on. My commitment to staying on any given plan was dependent upon my schedule, the weather, how tired I was, whether or not my nose was drippy . . . there wasn't really any level of commitment. I was a "fair weather dieter" of the worst kind. That wishy-washy approach kept me in an oscillating pattern of lose-gain-lose-gain for over twenty years, never making any real progress.
Because the 5 Take Shape for Life/Medifast meals are prepacked and require little to no preparation, I have actually found them to be ideal for busy days. When I'm feeling stressed, it's a relief to not have to think about what I'm going to eat - I just grab my food and go. Eating Medifast meals UNcomplicates my life, plus they give me the energy and nutrition I need to keep going.
Bottom line is that busy schedules and stress aren't really barriers to this plan unless we choose to make them barriers. The food part is the easy part of the program - it's the head and heart stuff that makes us or breaks us. It ultimately doesn't matter if the sky is sunny or cloudy, if the temperature outside is warm and balmy or cold and rainy; it doesn't matter if we feel on top of the world or feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. What matters is whether or not we're committed to reaching a healthy weight. If we aren't committed, then a million and one things will come up that will seem like reasonable excuses to go off plan, and it's likely that we will. But if we're focused on reaching our goal, then none of those external things will matter.
I hope that you're committed to an on-plan day and that you won't allow anything to stand in the way! Have a great Monday!
Maybe you woke up this morning feeling as motivated as you ever have to stay on plan and reach your goal. Your weight loss forecast for today is warm and sunny and you feel energized as you face your day. Good for you - you're off to a great start!
But maybe you woke up this morning and faced a weather forecast much like mine and found that your motivation was about as chilly and soggy as the weather. Are you tempted to pull the covers over your head and wait for a more sunny day? My encouragement to you is to take a deep breath and get "up and at 'em" with your weight loss.
I talked with a friend last week who is struggling quite a bit with staying on plan right now. She's had wonderful success, so she knows the plan works, but a busy scheduled and some added stress resulted in her getting off plan and she is really having a hard time getting back on. She is hopeful that once things settle down for her, she'll have an easier time and can begin to focus again on getting to her goal.
It's tempting to make the decision to not follow the program when things are busy and stressful, because we may think that we just don't have time to stay on plan. I understand that thinking, because that pretty much summed up the mindset I had with every other weight loss plan I'd ever been on. My commitment to staying on any given plan was dependent upon my schedule, the weather, how tired I was, whether or not my nose was drippy . . . there wasn't really any level of commitment. I was a "fair weather dieter" of the worst kind. That wishy-washy approach kept me in an oscillating pattern of lose-gain-lose-gain for over twenty years, never making any real progress.
Because the 5 Take Shape for Life/Medifast meals are prepacked and require little to no preparation, I have actually found them to be ideal for busy days. When I'm feeling stressed, it's a relief to not have to think about what I'm going to eat - I just grab my food and go. Eating Medifast meals UNcomplicates my life, plus they give me the energy and nutrition I need to keep going.
Bottom line is that busy schedules and stress aren't really barriers to this plan unless we choose to make them barriers. The food part is the easy part of the program - it's the head and heart stuff that makes us or breaks us. It ultimately doesn't matter if the sky is sunny or cloudy, if the temperature outside is warm and balmy or cold and rainy; it doesn't matter if we feel on top of the world or feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. What matters is whether or not we're committed to reaching a healthy weight. If we aren't committed, then a million and one things will come up that will seem like reasonable excuses to go off plan, and it's likely that we will. But if we're focused on reaching our goal, then none of those external things will matter.
I hope that you're committed to an on-plan day and that you won't allow anything to stand in the way! Have a great Monday!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Even More Reasons to Do It Now
Happy Sunday morning! I'll be leaving for church shortly, so I'll make this quick :-).
Just when I thought there weren't any more health reasons for losing weight than the ones we're already familiar with (most notable, diabetes and cardiovascular disease), I read an article yesterday published by the Associated Press which reported that "the risk of cancer due to the obesity epidemic could dramatically increase in the coming years.
Noting that women are more vulnerable to fall prey to obesity-related cancer, a recently-released European study said that within the next decade, obesity will become the main cause of cancer for women in Western countries.
The study, presented at the joint meeting of the European Cancer Organization and the European Society for Medical Oncology on Thursday, put forth data from 30 European countries, which revealed that colorectal cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer accounted for 65 percent of all obesity-related cancer cases.
Meanwhile, the data, obtained from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, also showed that the overall 'obesity and cancer' cases increased notably from 70,000 in 2002 to more than 124,000 in 2008."
Yikes!!! We keep hearing that we're killing ourselves with our forks, and now there is yet another study that points to the dangers of obesity. Often when we think of obesity, we think of it in terms of morbid obesity - where I was when I started this program at 260 pounds. However, medically speaking, individuals are considered obese if their BMI is 30 or over. The bad news is that anyone carrying an extra 30 pounds most likely has a BMI of over 30. They may not look obese as we tend to define it, but medically speaking, those extra pounds are putting them at increased risk for a variety of disease, including some types of cancer.
Research continues to uncover more links between obesity and disease. We already know that being overweight is unhealthy (and not a lot of fun). Now, more than ever, this report should provide added incentive to getting to a healthy weight as quickly as possible and then STAYING there. The good news is that we have the secret weapon to accomplish that very thing - the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan. You've heard it before, but I'll repeat it again: there is not a faster way to lose weight safely than this plan!
So what are you waiting for? :-)
Just when I thought there weren't any more health reasons for losing weight than the ones we're already familiar with (most notable, diabetes and cardiovascular disease), I read an article yesterday published by the Associated Press which reported that "the risk of cancer due to the obesity epidemic could dramatically increase in the coming years.
Noting that women are more vulnerable to fall prey to obesity-related cancer, a recently-released European study said that within the next decade, obesity will become the main cause of cancer for women in Western countries.
The study, presented at the joint meeting of the European Cancer Organization and the European Society for Medical Oncology on Thursday, put forth data from 30 European countries, which revealed that colorectal cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer accounted for 65 percent of all obesity-related cancer cases.
Meanwhile, the data, obtained from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, also showed that the overall 'obesity and cancer' cases increased notably from 70,000 in 2002 to more than 124,000 in 2008."
Yikes!!! We keep hearing that we're killing ourselves with our forks, and now there is yet another study that points to the dangers of obesity. Often when we think of obesity, we think of it in terms of morbid obesity - where I was when I started this program at 260 pounds. However, medically speaking, individuals are considered obese if their BMI is 30 or over. The bad news is that anyone carrying an extra 30 pounds most likely has a BMI of over 30. They may not look obese as we tend to define it, but medically speaking, those extra pounds are putting them at increased risk for a variety of disease, including some types of cancer.
Research continues to uncover more links between obesity and disease. We already know that being overweight is unhealthy (and not a lot of fun). Now, more than ever, this report should provide added incentive to getting to a healthy weight as quickly as possible and then STAYING there. The good news is that we have the secret weapon to accomplish that very thing - the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan. You've heard it before, but I'll repeat it again: there is not a faster way to lose weight safely than this plan!
So what are you waiting for? :-)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A New Season
It's hard to believe that this is the last weekend in September! We've had warm and rather summer-like weather for the past week, but the forecast is predicting temperatures more fall-like by the first of the week. I'm thinking it's about time to pack up most of my spring and summer clothes and pull out my fall things. Sigh!
Last fall I had to buy an entirely new wardrobe in my goal size (it was SUCH a burden to have to do all that shopping - NOT!). It's going to be fun to pull them out again, and it's wonderful knowing I won't have to worry about whether or not they'll fit. I know they will.
Before losing 126 pounds, I had clothing for each season in a couple of different sizes. I always had hold-overs from when I weighed less, and I always hoped that just maybe I'd be able to get into them. It was really funny last fall when I pulled out some of those really old clothes. To my great surprise, even the smallest things I'd saved from the late 1980's (I really had a couple of things that went back that far . . . ) were too big! It was just as well, because the oversized shoulder pads screamed 1980's and I would never have been able to wear them anyway :-). It was pretty amazing to realize that, at age 56, I was actually smaller than I was in my mid-30's.
I feel like I am finally settling in mentally and emotionally to where I'm at weight-wise. After losing the weight so quickly, I was pretty much in a state of disbelief that I'd actually reach my goal. I'd look in the mirror and not always "see" the new, thin body I inhabited. Sometimes it was almost shocking for me when I'd see a picture of myself, because I was sure that the photo was just taken at a funny angle that made me look a lot smaller than I was. Interestingly enough, I used to have the same reaction when I'd see photos at my top weight - I was convinced that it was just a bad angle that made me look bigger than I was. Same camera, so how it went from making me look bigger than I thought I was to looking smaller than I thought I was remains a mystery :-).
In addition to my brain and emotions finally catching up with my weight, I think my body has finally settled in to my goal weight as well. Things have continued to shift and settle, and my skin (which sagged much less than I feared it would) continues to rebound (although, at 57, gravity is still a force to contend with!)
As the weather points to a change in seasons, I feel like I have finally settled into the season called "the rest of my healthy life." And it's a good season, and I pray that it's a long one!
For those of you who are on your weight loss journey, I hope this season is a SHORT one for you! Make it as short as possible by committing to staying on plan - that's how you'll get to your goal as quickly as possible, and you'll start the rest of your own healthy life that much sooner.
Last fall I had to buy an entirely new wardrobe in my goal size (it was SUCH a burden to have to do all that shopping - NOT!). It's going to be fun to pull them out again, and it's wonderful knowing I won't have to worry about whether or not they'll fit. I know they will.
Before losing 126 pounds, I had clothing for each season in a couple of different sizes. I always had hold-overs from when I weighed less, and I always hoped that just maybe I'd be able to get into them. It was really funny last fall when I pulled out some of those really old clothes. To my great surprise, even the smallest things I'd saved from the late 1980's (I really had a couple of things that went back that far . . . ) were too big! It was just as well, because the oversized shoulder pads screamed 1980's and I would never have been able to wear them anyway :-). It was pretty amazing to realize that, at age 56, I was actually smaller than I was in my mid-30's.
I feel like I am finally settling in mentally and emotionally to where I'm at weight-wise. After losing the weight so quickly, I was pretty much in a state of disbelief that I'd actually reach my goal. I'd look in the mirror and not always "see" the new, thin body I inhabited. Sometimes it was almost shocking for me when I'd see a picture of myself, because I was sure that the photo was just taken at a funny angle that made me look a lot smaller than I was. Interestingly enough, I used to have the same reaction when I'd see photos at my top weight - I was convinced that it was just a bad angle that made me look bigger than I was. Same camera, so how it went from making me look bigger than I thought I was to looking smaller than I thought I was remains a mystery :-).
In addition to my brain and emotions finally catching up with my weight, I think my body has finally settled in to my goal weight as well. Things have continued to shift and settle, and my skin (which sagged much less than I feared it would) continues to rebound (although, at 57, gravity is still a force to contend with!)
As the weather points to a change in seasons, I feel like I have finally settled into the season called "the rest of my healthy life." And it's a good season, and I pray that it's a long one!
For those of you who are on your weight loss journey, I hope this season is a SHORT one for you! Make it as short as possible by committing to staying on plan - that's how you'll get to your goal as quickly as possible, and you'll start the rest of your own healthy life that much sooner.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Time for a New Healthcare Revolution
Happy Friday morning! I hope you're having a great day and have a wonderful, on-plan weekend planned.
I read an interesting article yesterday entitled "Eating Our Way to Illness." As the healthcare debate continues to wage in Washington, I believe attention needs to be focused on what is driving much of the skyrocketing costs. According to the article, "Annually we're spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet. One recent study estimated that 30 percent of the increase in health care spending during the past 20 years could be attributed to the soaring rate of obesity, a condition that now accounts for nearly one-tenth of all spending on health care." (Here's a link to the entire article, if you're interested: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/09/eating_our_way_to_illness.html)
Obesity is not only killing us - shortening our lives and diminishing the quality of our lives, but it is crippling our healthcare system.
The article I referenced discusses targeting the food industry, but I'm not here to enter into that debate. The truth is that we have to choose a healthier lifestyle. Regardless of what the food industry does, nobody forces us to eat the food it produces. The food industry has made unhealthy food cheap and convenient, but that doesn't negate our ability and responsibility to make healthier choices for ourselves and our families. Blaming the food industry turns us into victims, and we're not. Every time I drove through the Golden Arches, it was my choice to do so. Every time I shopped down the chips and snacks aisle at the grocery store, it was my choice to purchase the food and then eat it. Yes, there are way too many unhealthy food options out there, and yes, I believe the food industry's bottom line is profit, not nutrition, but WE make the choices.
Making the choice to get to a healthy weight and stay there is going against the culture and it certainly isn't easy. But it's worth the effort! If we stay on plan and reach our goal, we may just inspire our family members and friends to get healthy. If they get to a healthy weight and inspire others, who then do the same for THEIR family members and friends, we just might see a change in the health of our country. How's that for a lofty goal?
I think it's time for a new kind of healthcare revolution, and it can begin with you and me - one on-plan day at a time!
I read an interesting article yesterday entitled "Eating Our Way to Illness." As the healthcare debate continues to wage in Washington, I believe attention needs to be focused on what is driving much of the skyrocketing costs. According to the article, "Annually we're spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet. One recent study estimated that 30 percent of the increase in health care spending during the past 20 years could be attributed to the soaring rate of obesity, a condition that now accounts for nearly one-tenth of all spending on health care." (Here's a link to the entire article, if you're interested: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/09/eating_our_way_to_illness.html)
Obesity is not only killing us - shortening our lives and diminishing the quality of our lives, but it is crippling our healthcare system.
The article I referenced discusses targeting the food industry, but I'm not here to enter into that debate. The truth is that we have to choose a healthier lifestyle. Regardless of what the food industry does, nobody forces us to eat the food it produces. The food industry has made unhealthy food cheap and convenient, but that doesn't negate our ability and responsibility to make healthier choices for ourselves and our families. Blaming the food industry turns us into victims, and we're not. Every time I drove through the Golden Arches, it was my choice to do so. Every time I shopped down the chips and snacks aisle at the grocery store, it was my choice to purchase the food and then eat it. Yes, there are way too many unhealthy food options out there, and yes, I believe the food industry's bottom line is profit, not nutrition, but WE make the choices.
Making the choice to get to a healthy weight and stay there is going against the culture and it certainly isn't easy. But it's worth the effort! If we stay on plan and reach our goal, we may just inspire our family members and friends to get healthy. If they get to a healthy weight and inspire others, who then do the same for THEIR family members and friends, we just might see a change in the health of our country. How's that for a lofty goal?
I think it's time for a new kind of healthcare revolution, and it can begin with you and me - one on-plan day at a time!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Getting My Life Back
Good morning! My day got reordered a bit from original plans because my friend had to postpone her visit until early November (her dog got sick and needed surgery). I had kept my schedule open to maximize my time with her, so my husband and I are taking advantage of a free morning and heading to Grand Rapids (30 minutes from our home) to spend some time with our oldest daughter and almost-3 yr. old twins. I love the fact that losing 126 pounds not only means that I can run around and chase Olivia and Zachary - AND get down on the floor with them :-) - but losing the weight also gave me the opportunity to leave the corporate world and go into business for myself, allowing me to spend a Thursday morning playing with my youngest grandchildren.
It's amazing to see how much balance has been brought into my life, and I'm so thankful! Just a little over two years ago, my weight was out of control, I was sick, I had very little energy, and I worked at a job that I enjoyed, but one that took up a lot of my time and had very little opportunity for advancement. I came home exhausted almost every day and had very little time to do the things I wanted to do. My future didn't look particularly bright, and I only hoped that I'd somehow have the health and stamina to continue working another 10-12 years so I could draw full Social Security. It wasn't that my life was bad, because it wasn't, but I lacked the time and the energy to really enjoy it. I also viewed my future with a fair amount of uncertainty because I knew my obesity had already resulted in diabetes and I feared future health issues were looming.
People who have known me for a long time tell me that I've changed a lot since losing 126 pounds. My core values are rock-solid and unchanged, but I now wake up full of energy and enthusiasm every day, and I look at the future with anticipation for what's next. My energy is no longer compromised by obesity and poor nutrition, and I no longer waste mental energy trying to figure out how to negotiate space (i.e., will I fit or not fit in any given spot) or comparing myself to all of my smaller friends.
I love the fact that all of these changes happened AFTER I reached the age of 55, an age when so many people think it's too late to make any significant changes in their lives. I'm always excited when I see younger people on this plan, because I know they are making changes that will positively impact their lives for many decades to come. I'm also excited when I see older people on this plan, because I know that their success will fuel a level of optimism that many didn't think possible to reclaim.
This plan is about so much more than losing weight, as important as that is. It's about getting your life back, then getting on with it! So many of us have invested a lot of energy chasing the elusive dream of losing weight, and when that dream is realized, we find there's a lot of energy left over for a lot more interesting (and fun!) things. The fastest way to get on with the rest of your life is to get to goal as quickly as possible, and you'll do that one on-plan day at a time :-).
It's amazing to see how much balance has been brought into my life, and I'm so thankful! Just a little over two years ago, my weight was out of control, I was sick, I had very little energy, and I worked at a job that I enjoyed, but one that took up a lot of my time and had very little opportunity for advancement. I came home exhausted almost every day and had very little time to do the things I wanted to do. My future didn't look particularly bright, and I only hoped that I'd somehow have the health and stamina to continue working another 10-12 years so I could draw full Social Security. It wasn't that my life was bad, because it wasn't, but I lacked the time and the energy to really enjoy it. I also viewed my future with a fair amount of uncertainty because I knew my obesity had already resulted in diabetes and I feared future health issues were looming.
People who have known me for a long time tell me that I've changed a lot since losing 126 pounds. My core values are rock-solid and unchanged, but I now wake up full of energy and enthusiasm every day, and I look at the future with anticipation for what's next. My energy is no longer compromised by obesity and poor nutrition, and I no longer waste mental energy trying to figure out how to negotiate space (i.e., will I fit or not fit in any given spot) or comparing myself to all of my smaller friends.
I love the fact that all of these changes happened AFTER I reached the age of 55, an age when so many people think it's too late to make any significant changes in their lives. I'm always excited when I see younger people on this plan, because I know they are making changes that will positively impact their lives for many decades to come. I'm also excited when I see older people on this plan, because I know that their success will fuel a level of optimism that many didn't think possible to reclaim.
This plan is about so much more than losing weight, as important as that is. It's about getting your life back, then getting on with it! So many of us have invested a lot of energy chasing the elusive dream of losing weight, and when that dream is realized, we find there's a lot of energy left over for a lot more interesting (and fun!) things. The fastest way to get on with the rest of your life is to get to goal as quickly as possible, and you'll do that one on-plan day at a time :-).
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Removing Obstacles
Yesterday marked 16 months since I reached my goal. I continue to be amazed that I not only reached my goal, but that I'm continuing to maintain in my goal range and in my goal size. It took just under 11 months to reach my goal and I've now been at my goal for 16 months, making those 11 months seem like a small blip on the screen.
My dad reads my daily blogs and told me yesterday (after reading yesterday's post) that he had never before thought of off-plan foods as obstacles to reaching goal, then he said he liked my perspective :-). I have a question for you: how do YOU view off-plan foods?
So often we look longingly at those off-plan foods, somehow thinking that they're our friends. When we're thinking in those terms, staying on the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan feels very restrictive and we can feel penned in. I don't know about you, but that's NOT how I want to feel! We so easily forget that the very foods we're longing for are the same foods that probably got us into the shape that led us to Take Shape for Life/Medifast to begin with . . . at least that was the disconnect I lived with for years. I'd go on one diet or another and almost immediately begin to pine after all of the high calorie, high carb, high fat foods I was trying to avoid. I felt deprived and I kept looking for a magic pill that would allow me to eat the foods I wanted to eat and still lose weight. When I was on a diet that involved counting points, I would actually figure out how many points my favorite candy bar took and I'd sometimes factor those points into my daily allotment. No surprise, I was never very successful on this plan :-).
By the time I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was finally sick of playing games. My weight had spun out of control and I was ready to be done with the diet game I'd been playing for so many years. When I saw the scale start to move down and I dropped a size my very first month on plan, something clicked in my brain. It began to dawn on me that this plan was the vehicle that would bring me to my goal, and I wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
All of those foods that used to lure me off other weight loss plan suddenly looked different to me. It's not that I wasn't tempted, because I was, but I really did view them as potential obstacles to getting what I REALLY wanted. When I was tempted by an off-plan food, I would sometime literally say out loud, "THAT will not get me where I want to go!" I also said, on occasion, "If that will keep me fat one more day, it's not worth it."
I didn't understand at the time that I had embraced a principle that I now talk about a lot - making secondary choices to support our primary choice. What I experienced was a shift in thinking where I made a firm primary choice, to get to a healthy weight, then made secondary choices to support that primary choice. One of the hallmarks of a secondary choice is that they aren't necessarily what you want to do, but you make those choices because they support your primary choice.
We make a primary choice to be gainfully employed because we need to support ourselves and pay our bills, so we make secondary choices (getting up early, going to work when we don't feel like it, etc.) because they support our primary choice. Musicians make a primary choice to become proficient on their instrument (primary choice), so they practice for hours on end (secondary choice). The same is true for athletes who want to excel; the examples go on and on. For all of our primary choices, we have to eliminate obstacles, even if they're good things, because they stand between us and what we really, truly want.
Right now, while you're on your weight loss journey, those off-plan foods - even the healthy ones like fruit - are obstacles that can keep you from reaching your goal. Right now, these are not your friends :-). The weight loss portion of this plan isn't forever; it's just a short season in your life. Keep this season as short as possible by committing to staying on plan and clearing out any and all obstacles that stand in your way. You won't regret it!
My dad reads my daily blogs and told me yesterday (after reading yesterday's post) that he had never before thought of off-plan foods as obstacles to reaching goal, then he said he liked my perspective :-). I have a question for you: how do YOU view off-plan foods?
So often we look longingly at those off-plan foods, somehow thinking that they're our friends. When we're thinking in those terms, staying on the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan feels very restrictive and we can feel penned in. I don't know about you, but that's NOT how I want to feel! We so easily forget that the very foods we're longing for are the same foods that probably got us into the shape that led us to Take Shape for Life/Medifast to begin with . . . at least that was the disconnect I lived with for years. I'd go on one diet or another and almost immediately begin to pine after all of the high calorie, high carb, high fat foods I was trying to avoid. I felt deprived and I kept looking for a magic pill that would allow me to eat the foods I wanted to eat and still lose weight. When I was on a diet that involved counting points, I would actually figure out how many points my favorite candy bar took and I'd sometimes factor those points into my daily allotment. No surprise, I was never very successful on this plan :-).
By the time I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was finally sick of playing games. My weight had spun out of control and I was ready to be done with the diet game I'd been playing for so many years. When I saw the scale start to move down and I dropped a size my very first month on plan, something clicked in my brain. It began to dawn on me that this plan was the vehicle that would bring me to my goal, and I wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
All of those foods that used to lure me off other weight loss plan suddenly looked different to me. It's not that I wasn't tempted, because I was, but I really did view them as potential obstacles to getting what I REALLY wanted. When I was tempted by an off-plan food, I would sometime literally say out loud, "THAT will not get me where I want to go!" I also said, on occasion, "If that will keep me fat one more day, it's not worth it."
I didn't understand at the time that I had embraced a principle that I now talk about a lot - making secondary choices to support our primary choice. What I experienced was a shift in thinking where I made a firm primary choice, to get to a healthy weight, then made secondary choices to support that primary choice. One of the hallmarks of a secondary choice is that they aren't necessarily what you want to do, but you make those choices because they support your primary choice.
We make a primary choice to be gainfully employed because we need to support ourselves and pay our bills, so we make secondary choices (getting up early, going to work when we don't feel like it, etc.) because they support our primary choice. Musicians make a primary choice to become proficient on their instrument (primary choice), so they practice for hours on end (secondary choice). The same is true for athletes who want to excel; the examples go on and on. For all of our primary choices, we have to eliminate obstacles, even if they're good things, because they stand between us and what we really, truly want.
Right now, while you're on your weight loss journey, those off-plan foods - even the healthy ones like fruit - are obstacles that can keep you from reaching your goal. Right now, these are not your friends :-). The weight loss portion of this plan isn't forever; it's just a short season in your life. Keep this season as short as possible by committing to staying on plan and clearing out any and all obstacles that stand in your way. You won't regret it!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Confident Hope
Happy Tuesday! I'm really looking forward to today, as my new Beth Moore Bible study on Esther begins this morning. My mom is attending the Bible study with me again this year, and it's a joy to be able to spend time with her (she turned 80 last May) as we study and learn together. Following the Bible study, I have two meetings back to back, and then will go home and prepare for a monthly get-together of people in our area who are on 5&1. This will be a busy day filled with doing some of the things that I love best :-).
One of the things that I love doing is spending time with people who are on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. It's amazing to watch the transformation, not just physically as they lose weight, but emotionally and mentally as they begin to realize that they really WILL reach their goal. They move into the zone that I call "confident hope."
I blogged about "confident hope" back in November of 2007. I had been on plan for five months, had lost sixty pounds (and just gotten through Thanksgiving on plan!), and was just a day away from leaving the 200's behind forever. Here's what I wrote on that November day almost two years ago:
There is something powerful about the moment when the reality washes over someone that they really WILL reach their goal. So many of us have struggled for years and had all but lost hope of ever reaching a healthy weight. Then we found Take Shape for Life/Medifast, decided to give it a try, and wonderful things began to happen. As the scale begins to move down and we start to drop sizes, our skepticism finally gives way, first to a tentative hope, and then to confident hope.
Are you there yet? If not, just keep doing what you're doing and stay on plan, because it WILL come. One of the powerful things that comes along with that confident hope is that once you know you're going to reach goal, once that is clearly fixed in your sight, you won't let anything stand in your way. Once I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WOULD reach my goal, I wanted to get there as fast as I safely could. At that point, I viewed off-plan food as obstacles that would only get in the way of where I wanted to go, and eating off plan no longer even tempted me.
It's all about focusing on where you're going and knowing exactly what you want. You may not yet believe that the program will really work, but keep working it anyway :-). There WILL be a morning when you wake up and it will hit you that this really is "it", and it's a moment to savor and celebrate.
You'll reach that moment, just like you'll reach your goal, one on-plan day at a time!
One of the things that I love doing is spending time with people who are on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. It's amazing to watch the transformation, not just physically as they lose weight, but emotionally and mentally as they begin to realize that they really WILL reach their goal. They move into the zone that I call "confident hope."
I blogged about "confident hope" back in November of 2007. I had been on plan for five months, had lost sixty pounds (and just gotten through Thanksgiving on plan!), and was just a day away from leaving the 200's behind forever. Here's what I wrote on that November day almost two years ago:
One of the things I have gained over these past five months on Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a confident hope. I say "confident hope" because we all hope for things, some of which are unlikely to ever actually happen. I usually send in my Publisher's Clearing House entry and I always hope that I'll win the grand prize, but I'm realistic enough to know that it probably won't happen. I hope that I can travel to Europe sometime before I die, and that may or may not happen.
But then there is confident hope, and that's an entirely different kind of hope. In terms of my weight loss, I have replaced the long-held "I hope I can someday get down to a normal weight again" kind of hope with a new, confident hope because I know that it is finally within my reach. I am almost half-way there! This isn't the "probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be nice?" hope. This is hope that is firmly planted in reality - it is tangible. And as I wait for the scale to drop that all-important pound that will put me below 200 for the first time in over 18 years, I wait in hope because I know it will happen, and I know that I will see the scale continue to drop.
So, the cost of a month of Medifast is approximately $300. But the added benefit of confident hope? Priceless!!
There is something powerful about the moment when the reality washes over someone that they really WILL reach their goal. So many of us have struggled for years and had all but lost hope of ever reaching a healthy weight. Then we found Take Shape for Life/Medifast, decided to give it a try, and wonderful things began to happen. As the scale begins to move down and we start to drop sizes, our skepticism finally gives way, first to a tentative hope, and then to confident hope.
Are you there yet? If not, just keep doing what you're doing and stay on plan, because it WILL come. One of the powerful things that comes along with that confident hope is that once you know you're going to reach goal, once that is clearly fixed in your sight, you won't let anything stand in your way. Once I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WOULD reach my goal, I wanted to get there as fast as I safely could. At that point, I viewed off-plan food as obstacles that would only get in the way of where I wanted to go, and eating off plan no longer even tempted me.
It's all about focusing on where you're going and knowing exactly what you want. You may not yet believe that the program will really work, but keep working it anyway :-). There WILL be a morning when you wake up and it will hit you that this really is "it", and it's a moment to savor and celebrate.
You'll reach that moment, just like you'll reach your goal, one on-plan day at a time!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Survival Mode or Thriving Lifestyle?
Happy Monday morning! Following a fun and busy weekend, I am starting off a very busy week for me. I have a number of meetings on my schedule today, my fall Bible study starts tomorrow (Beth Moore study on Esther!), followed by more meetings tomorrow afternoon and evening; Wednesday a woman who has been my friend since we were both in third grade is coming to spend a couple of days with me.
I'm so thankful that healthy habits have become part of my lifestyle, because in my obese past, a busy week would be a lost week for me in terms of doing anything healthy. In my obese past, a busy week would be one where I went into what I called my "survival mode," which meant "don't even think about trying to make any changes, just get through it" mindset. "Survival mode" for me meant eating whatever I wanted, because so-called comfort food was an integral part of my survival. Any week that included a lot of extra activity automatically triggered my "survival mode" mentality.
The funny thing is that I spent an awful lot of my time in a "survival mode", but I was barely surviving - and actually THRIVING was not even on my radar. What was happening was that I kept gaining weight and getting into a less and less healthy state, ending up diabetic and on medication for several different things. I kept thinking that when things slowed down, I'd try to make some lifestyle changes. When things weren't so busy, I just knew that I'd finally have time to focus on losing weight and getting healthy. The problem was, of course, that things never really slowed down and every week was filled with things that, in my thinking, mandated yet another "survival mode" week.
What a difference Take Shape for Life/Medifast has made in my life! I have not only gone from surviving to really, truly thriving, but this healthy lifestyle now fits perfectly into even the busiest of days or weeks. In fact, when I'm really busy I tend to eat more Medifast meals just because they are SO convenient and inexpensive. I just grab and go and don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat or when - I don't even think about it. Instead of going into a "survival mode" and eating a lot of high-sugar, high-fat empty carbs that used to drain me of all energy, I now have high-nutrition mini-meals that provide the energy I need to keep going.
One of the things I've learned is that there will always be 101 excuses to not make healthy choices. Life is busy and life has a lot of built-in stresses, so if we are looking for excuses, we don't have to look far. However, if we really WANT to get healthy, if our eyes are fixed on what we really want, it's amazing how quickly those excuses evaporate.
Once we're focused on what we really want, we figure out how to make it happen. I heard someone recently say that if your dream is big enough, the facts don't matter. If your dream is to get to a healthy weight and live a life that truly exemplifies optimal health, then the "facts" don't matter: the fact that things are stressful, the fact that life is incredibly busy, the fact that you have twenty social events this month and all of them will involve food, the fact that your kids are making you crazy and your dog threw up and your boss makes Mr. Scrooge look like boss of the year, etc. etc.
I'm really not trying to sound insensitive to all of the issues that many of you are facing, and I really do understand that life can be incredibly difficult. What I have come to understand is that NOT taking care of ourselves won't make any of those things better or easier, and eating the wrong kind of food won't help, either. There may be a lot of things in your life that you can't control right now- but whether or not you stay on plan is something that you CAN control.
I hope that today is a wonderful, stress-free start to a wonderful, stress-free week, but even if it's going to be a crazy day and a crazy week, I hope it will be an on-plan crazy day and week!
I'm so thankful that healthy habits have become part of my lifestyle, because in my obese past, a busy week would be a lost week for me in terms of doing anything healthy. In my obese past, a busy week would be one where I went into what I called my "survival mode," which meant "don't even think about trying to make any changes, just get through it" mindset. "Survival mode" for me meant eating whatever I wanted, because so-called comfort food was an integral part of my survival. Any week that included a lot of extra activity automatically triggered my "survival mode" mentality.
The funny thing is that I spent an awful lot of my time in a "survival mode", but I was barely surviving - and actually THRIVING was not even on my radar. What was happening was that I kept gaining weight and getting into a less and less healthy state, ending up diabetic and on medication for several different things. I kept thinking that when things slowed down, I'd try to make some lifestyle changes. When things weren't so busy, I just knew that I'd finally have time to focus on losing weight and getting healthy. The problem was, of course, that things never really slowed down and every week was filled with things that, in my thinking, mandated yet another "survival mode" week.
What a difference Take Shape for Life/Medifast has made in my life! I have not only gone from surviving to really, truly thriving, but this healthy lifestyle now fits perfectly into even the busiest of days or weeks. In fact, when I'm really busy I tend to eat more Medifast meals just because they are SO convenient and inexpensive. I just grab and go and don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat or when - I don't even think about it. Instead of going into a "survival mode" and eating a lot of high-sugar, high-fat empty carbs that used to drain me of all energy, I now have high-nutrition mini-meals that provide the energy I need to keep going.
One of the things I've learned is that there will always be 101 excuses to not make healthy choices. Life is busy and life has a lot of built-in stresses, so if we are looking for excuses, we don't have to look far. However, if we really WANT to get healthy, if our eyes are fixed on what we really want, it's amazing how quickly those excuses evaporate.
Once we're focused on what we really want, we figure out how to make it happen. I heard someone recently say that if your dream is big enough, the facts don't matter. If your dream is to get to a healthy weight and live a life that truly exemplifies optimal health, then the "facts" don't matter: the fact that things are stressful, the fact that life is incredibly busy, the fact that you have twenty social events this month and all of them will involve food, the fact that your kids are making you crazy and your dog threw up and your boss makes Mr. Scrooge look like boss of the year, etc. etc.
I'm really not trying to sound insensitive to all of the issues that many of you are facing, and I really do understand that life can be incredibly difficult. What I have come to understand is that NOT taking care of ourselves won't make any of those things better or easier, and eating the wrong kind of food won't help, either. There may be a lot of things in your life that you can't control right now- but whether or not you stay on plan is something that you CAN control.
I hope that today is a wonderful, stress-free start to a wonderful, stress-free week, but even if it's going to be a crazy day and a crazy week, I hope it will be an on-plan crazy day and week!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Food is NOT My Life
Happy Sunday! After traveling last weekend, I'm really happy to be able to go to church this morning with my husband. I love to travel, but it's always wonderful when I'm home and able to attend my own church.
I saw a video clip on CNN.com yesterday about a 623 pound woman. She is in the hospital right now and can't go home because her bed won't fit through the door. This dear woman is in very serious medical condition and her doctor said that her massive weight is putting too much pressure on her heart. He expressed concern that her life span will be measured in months, not years, if she can't get help to lose weight.
The story broke my heart, and what really pulled at me was the woman's statement, "Food is my life."
I didn't pick up on her age, but I don't believe she is even 50. She is in bed, on oxygen, can't move, and may very well die if she doesn't get immediate help. And food is her life.
I've never said that food is my life, but for too many years it played too large a role (pun intended!) in my life. Food wasn't my life, but much of what WAS my life revolved around food. Food wasn't my life, but it's what I ran to when stress, disappointment, frustration, anger, or boredom came up (and with three children and a demanding job, one of more of those emotions was bound to show up on a daily basis).
When I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, it became clear pretty quickly that the eating part of this program was easy. I liked the food and it satisfied me so that I wasn't overly hungry. The eating part of the program fell right into place. The hard part of the program was changing how I thought and felt about food. I had to learn how to disengage emotionally from food and learn how to put it into its proper perspective as nourishing fuel for my body.
I've shared over the past couple of days about eating on this side of goal, so I hope it's clear that I still enjoy food - I very much enjoy food! However, it is no longer the focal point of my activities and it is not the place of comfort for all of my emotions. As I've shared in the past, one of the things that I learned on my weight loss journey was to turn to my Heavenly Father with all of the concerns and stresses of life. Food is incapable of providing lasting comfort - any comfort I thought I was getting disappeared the minute I'd swallowed my last bite. That comfort was immediately replaced with disgust, self-recrimination and despair. I learned to go to God in prayer with every need of my heart, and I learned that He is a faithful, loving Father Who had been waiting a long time for me to do that.
Food is not my life. My relationship with Jesus Christ is my life. My husband and my family are my life. My life is tremendously enriched with the blessing of a multitude of friends, near and far, and I have the joy of work that enables me to help people every day lose weight and regain their own health. My life is rich and full and I thank God every day for His blessings, because I know that all I have comes from Him. And I also thank Him that, with His help, I have learned to put food into its proper perspective.
Today I am praying that someone will reach out and help the 623 pound woman in the story before it's too late.
Have a great, on-plan Sunday!
I saw a video clip on CNN.com yesterday about a 623 pound woman. She is in the hospital right now and can't go home because her bed won't fit through the door. This dear woman is in very serious medical condition and her doctor said that her massive weight is putting too much pressure on her heart. He expressed concern that her life span will be measured in months, not years, if she can't get help to lose weight.
The story broke my heart, and what really pulled at me was the woman's statement, "Food is my life."
I didn't pick up on her age, but I don't believe she is even 50. She is in bed, on oxygen, can't move, and may very well die if she doesn't get immediate help. And food is her life.
I've never said that food is my life, but for too many years it played too large a role (pun intended!) in my life. Food wasn't my life, but much of what WAS my life revolved around food. Food wasn't my life, but it's what I ran to when stress, disappointment, frustration, anger, or boredom came up (and with three children and a demanding job, one of more of those emotions was bound to show up on a daily basis).
When I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, it became clear pretty quickly that the eating part of this program was easy. I liked the food and it satisfied me so that I wasn't overly hungry. The eating part of the program fell right into place. The hard part of the program was changing how I thought and felt about food. I had to learn how to disengage emotionally from food and learn how to put it into its proper perspective as nourishing fuel for my body.
I've shared over the past couple of days about eating on this side of goal, so I hope it's clear that I still enjoy food - I very much enjoy food! However, it is no longer the focal point of my activities and it is not the place of comfort for all of my emotions. As I've shared in the past, one of the things that I learned on my weight loss journey was to turn to my Heavenly Father with all of the concerns and stresses of life. Food is incapable of providing lasting comfort - any comfort I thought I was getting disappeared the minute I'd swallowed my last bite. That comfort was immediately replaced with disgust, self-recrimination and despair. I learned to go to God in prayer with every need of my heart, and I learned that He is a faithful, loving Father Who had been waiting a long time for me to do that.
Food is not my life. My relationship with Jesus Christ is my life. My husband and my family are my life. My life is tremendously enriched with the blessing of a multitude of friends, near and far, and I have the joy of work that enables me to help people every day lose weight and regain their own health. My life is rich and full and I thank God every day for His blessings, because I know that all I have comes from Him. And I also thank Him that, with His help, I have learned to put food into its proper perspective.
Today I am praying that someone will reach out and help the 623 pound woman in the story before it's too late.
Have a great, on-plan Sunday!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Reflections from Chicago
We got home last night following a whirlwind, 14-hr. trip to Chicago and back. It was a lot of fun and especially good to be able to spend some time with our 22-yr. old son. He worked 80-85 hours a week all summer and is now back in college and working a part-time job, so we don't see him very much (he lives at home). It was great to have some extended time with my two guys!
What was also great was having the energy I needed to spend several hours walking and standing at the Museum of Science and Industry. I was last there three or four years ago, and I remember how tired I got and how often I looked for a place to sit. Hauling around an extra 130 pounds was hard work! I remember my back, feet and knees hurting, and I remember trying to look like I was having fun and enjoying myself when all I really wanted to do was sit.
This time, walking and standing wasn't an issue, and we walked a LOT! Other than sitting down for a cup of coffee with my husband, I pretty much walked and stood for five hours. I had Medifast bars and pretzels with me, along with water, so I fueled as needed while I enjoyed the exhibits. And I wasn't tired!
Saving my money and calories for dinner was the plan, and I stuck to the plan. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went on line and checked out the restaurant's menu ahead of time, so I already knew what I was going to order. They had a wonderful HUGE salad which my husband and I split, then I had one serving of the deep dish spinach pizza and my husband, son and I split a dessert. I left the restaurant comfortably full, but not uncomfortably stuffed. Even after walking around the museum for most of the day, after we left the restaurant I wished we'd had time to walk around the Chicago Loop for a while instead of heading home - and I had the energy left to have done it.
Even though I've been at my goal for 16 months, my head is still catching up with the transformation my body has undergone. I still marvel that I have the energy and stamina to do things that would have been almost impossible, or at least very difficult, just three or four years ago. I still marvel that I can now enjoy all kinds of food and enjoy it in moderation - and that I can enjoy it without feeling guilty. Eating the kind of food I enjoyed last night is no longer "cheating" for me, and it no longer threatens to trigger a binge (the "well, as long as I cheated, I may as well REALLY cheat and then get back on my diet tomorrow" kind of binge).
When I got up the morning and weighed myself, I weighed exactly what I did yesterday morning. I am no longer worried that things are going to spin out of control, that eating the "wrong thing" will somehow start the terrible slide back to 260. There is tremendous freedom and joy for me in knowing that my two-plus decades of obesity are finally behind me.
If someone would have told me two years ago, not yet three months into my weight loss journey, that I would feel as good as I do today - both physically and mentally - I wouldn't have believed them. I wouldn't have believed that I could really lose all of the weight I needed to lose, and I couldn't imagine not worrying about my weight, making peace with food, and having so much energy.
Maybe that's where you are right now. Maybe you can't imagine you could ever be at your goal weight, able to do the things you want to do, and free to really enjoy a variety of food and not worry about gaining weight. You don't have to believe that you'll get there, but if you commit to staying on plan, one day at a time, that's exactly where you'll land!
The Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 journey is really a short one, and it's designed to get to your goal - and beyond - as quickly and as safely as possible. Go for it! Fix your eyes straight ahead and get a clear picture in your mind of what you want, then don't let anything stand in your way.
What was also great was having the energy I needed to spend several hours walking and standing at the Museum of Science and Industry. I was last there three or four years ago, and I remember how tired I got and how often I looked for a place to sit. Hauling around an extra 130 pounds was hard work! I remember my back, feet and knees hurting, and I remember trying to look like I was having fun and enjoying myself when all I really wanted to do was sit.
This time, walking and standing wasn't an issue, and we walked a LOT! Other than sitting down for a cup of coffee with my husband, I pretty much walked and stood for five hours. I had Medifast bars and pretzels with me, along with water, so I fueled as needed while I enjoyed the exhibits. And I wasn't tired!
Saving my money and calories for dinner was the plan, and I stuck to the plan. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went on line and checked out the restaurant's menu ahead of time, so I already knew what I was going to order. They had a wonderful HUGE salad which my husband and I split, then I had one serving of the deep dish spinach pizza and my husband, son and I split a dessert. I left the restaurant comfortably full, but not uncomfortably stuffed. Even after walking around the museum for most of the day, after we left the restaurant I wished we'd had time to walk around the Chicago Loop for a while instead of heading home - and I had the energy left to have done it.
Even though I've been at my goal for 16 months, my head is still catching up with the transformation my body has undergone. I still marvel that I have the energy and stamina to do things that would have been almost impossible, or at least very difficult, just three or four years ago. I still marvel that I can now enjoy all kinds of food and enjoy it in moderation - and that I can enjoy it without feeling guilty. Eating the kind of food I enjoyed last night is no longer "cheating" for me, and it no longer threatens to trigger a binge (the "well, as long as I cheated, I may as well REALLY cheat and then get back on my diet tomorrow" kind of binge).
When I got up the morning and weighed myself, I weighed exactly what I did yesterday morning. I am no longer worried that things are going to spin out of control, that eating the "wrong thing" will somehow start the terrible slide back to 260. There is tremendous freedom and joy for me in knowing that my two-plus decades of obesity are finally behind me.
If someone would have told me two years ago, not yet three months into my weight loss journey, that I would feel as good as I do today - both physically and mentally - I wouldn't have believed them. I wouldn't have believed that I could really lose all of the weight I needed to lose, and I couldn't imagine not worrying about my weight, making peace with food, and having so much energy.
Maybe that's where you are right now. Maybe you can't imagine you could ever be at your goal weight, able to do the things you want to do, and free to really enjoy a variety of food and not worry about gaining weight. You don't have to believe that you'll get there, but if you commit to staying on plan, one day at a time, that's exactly where you'll land!
The Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 journey is really a short one, and it's designed to get to your goal - and beyond - as quickly and as safely as possible. Go for it! Fix your eyes straight ahead and get a clear picture in your mind of what you want, then don't let anything stand in your way.
Friday, September 18, 2009
A Day in the Life of Maintenance
I'm going to warn you up front that I'm going to talk a bit about food today, so if you're feeling particularly vulnerable, you might want to skip today's post. It's not that I am trying to tempt anyone to stray, but I know that some of you reading this are in maintenance, so today mostly applies to you (maybe) :-).
My husband, son and I are heading to Chicago this morning for a day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Chicago is about a 2-1/2 hr. drive from my home, so it's a very do-able day trip. I grew up in the south suburbs of the Windy City and loved going to the Museum of Science and Industry, so I'm very much looking forward to the day. Our son (22-1/2) has been a huge Harry Potter fan for years and even looked a lot like the young wizard when he was in middle school, complete with the haircut and round glasses. We didn't set out to copy the Harry Potter look, but our son looked enough like Harry Potter to make more than a few people do a double-take when they'd see him. Anyway, the Museum of Science and Industry has a special Harry Potter exhibition right now, which is why we're making a day trip there.
Since my husband lost 50 pounds on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and our son lost 60 pounds, in addition to my own 126 pound loss, we've packed crunch bars, pretzels and puffs for the day. We've done this for two reasons. First of all, we don't want to spend money on food at the museum - it's expensive and not that great. Bringing our own stuff with us will save a lot of money as well as a lot of calories.
And saving calories today is important, because we're heading to the restaurant that originated the now-famous deep-dish Chicago pizza. This particular restaurant has been featured in a couple of different Food Network programs, and since it's just ten miles from the museum, we're going to check it out!
That's the fun part about being in maintenance - we CAN do this and completely enjoy the experience. We've learned how to pay attention to our "full" signals, so there's no worry that we'll be miserable as we finally push away from the table. In fact, I went on line and checked out the menu and I already know that I'll order a large green salad to accompany the pizza.
That's part of how we do maintenance in our family. The deep-dish pizza will certainly be a rare treat, as we almost never eat pizza. But preceding our dinner will be several Medifast meals, ensuring that we're getting in lots of great nutrition while, at the same time, helping us manage our calories, fat grams and carbs. After our pizza meal tonight, tomorrow we'll be a little extra careful with what we eat, and I'm sure our dinner will be a very simple lean and green.
Everyone's plan for maintenance will look a little different, and that's OK because we're all different with different levels of activity - and we all have different metabolisms. No matter how we each do maintenance, there is room in all of our lives on the other side of goal for an occasional all-out splurge, and tonight my splurge will be a slice or two of deep-dish Chicago pizza. Life this side of goal is good, so hurry up and get there :-).
For those of you on 5&1 who made it to the end of this blog :-), hang in there and keep up the great work! You're getting there, one committed day at a time!
Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
My husband, son and I are heading to Chicago this morning for a day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Chicago is about a 2-1/2 hr. drive from my home, so it's a very do-able day trip. I grew up in the south suburbs of the Windy City and loved going to the Museum of Science and Industry, so I'm very much looking forward to the day. Our son (22-1/2) has been a huge Harry Potter fan for years and even looked a lot like the young wizard when he was in middle school, complete with the haircut and round glasses. We didn't set out to copy the Harry Potter look, but our son looked enough like Harry Potter to make more than a few people do a double-take when they'd see him. Anyway, the Museum of Science and Industry has a special Harry Potter exhibition right now, which is why we're making a day trip there.
Since my husband lost 50 pounds on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and our son lost 60 pounds, in addition to my own 126 pound loss, we've packed crunch bars, pretzels and puffs for the day. We've done this for two reasons. First of all, we don't want to spend money on food at the museum - it's expensive and not that great. Bringing our own stuff with us will save a lot of money as well as a lot of calories.
And saving calories today is important, because we're heading to the restaurant that originated the now-famous deep-dish Chicago pizza. This particular restaurant has been featured in a couple of different Food Network programs, and since it's just ten miles from the museum, we're going to check it out!
That's the fun part about being in maintenance - we CAN do this and completely enjoy the experience. We've learned how to pay attention to our "full" signals, so there's no worry that we'll be miserable as we finally push away from the table. In fact, I went on line and checked out the menu and I already know that I'll order a large green salad to accompany the pizza.
That's part of how we do maintenance in our family. The deep-dish pizza will certainly be a rare treat, as we almost never eat pizza. But preceding our dinner will be several Medifast meals, ensuring that we're getting in lots of great nutrition while, at the same time, helping us manage our calories, fat grams and carbs. After our pizza meal tonight, tomorrow we'll be a little extra careful with what we eat, and I'm sure our dinner will be a very simple lean and green.
Everyone's plan for maintenance will look a little different, and that's OK because we're all different with different levels of activity - and we all have different metabolisms. No matter how we each do maintenance, there is room in all of our lives on the other side of goal for an occasional all-out splurge, and tonight my splurge will be a slice or two of deep-dish Chicago pizza. Life this side of goal is good, so hurry up and get there :-).
For those of you on 5&1 who made it to the end of this blog :-), hang in there and keep up the great work! You're getting there, one committed day at a time!
Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Seasons
Happy Thursday! This week, and this month, is flying by!
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, making it tempting to slip away for the day with my camera and a crunch bar or two :-).
Of course, a beautiful West Michigan autumn sets the stage for the next season, which often stretches into the better part of five months of cold, snow and mostly grey 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 almost 16 months 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 committing to staying on plan, one day at a time.
Who's with me today?
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, making it tempting to slip away for the day with my camera and a crunch bar or two :-).
Of course, a beautiful West Michigan autumn sets the stage for the next season, which often stretches into the better part of five months of cold, snow and mostly grey 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 almost 16 months 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 committing to staying on plan, one day at a time.
Who's with me today?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Biggest Loser
Last night was the season premier of "The Biggest Loser," and I watched bits and pieces of it (I've DVR'd the program and will watch it in its entirety in the next day or so). Once again a group of morbidly obese individuals have embarked on an adventure that will hopefully bring all of them to their goal, and one lucky person will leave with some extra money in the bank.
I used to watch "The Biggest Loser" when I weighed 260 pounds, and the program always filled me with a mixture of hope and despair. As I watched individuals who were as heavy as me shrink week by week, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for me to drop weight like that, and it left me hopeful that it was possible. Unfortunately, watching the program also brought a lot of despair because I figured the only way to ever lose the better part of 130 pounds, short of surgery, was to put my life on hold and head to the Biggest Loser ranch. I have a bad knee so I knew that I could never do the level of exercise required by the TBL contestants. I also figured that the possibility that I'd ever be a contestant was less than "zero." Also, I couldn't imagine being on national TV wearing clothing that emphasized every bulge and roll, let alone step on an oversize scale for all the world to see. Honestly, a lot of times I'd end up eating cookies or chips while I watch "The Biggest Loser" - how sad is that?
While I'm now happy to see anybody lose weight, just about regardless of how they do it, I am so happy that WE have a MUCH better program right here than what we see on "The Biggest Loser." Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a medically safe, clinically proven program with almost 30 years of experience behind it, and it has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians. "The Biggest Loser" can't even come close to that! We are also losing weight while living our real lives, so we're learning how to do this in the same environment we'll live in after we reach our goal. Many of TBL contestants really struggle with their weight once they leave the ranch and return to their real lives, because they've lost weight in a completely artificial environment. Again, I'm always happy to see them lose and I'm cheering them on every step of the way. The difference is that I know that Take Shape for Life/Medifast is the real deal and will work for everyone, regardless of how much or how little they can exercise (and remember, we aren't even supposed to exercise more than 45 minutes a day while on 5&1).
Sixteen months after reaching my goal, I'm still watching "The Biggest Loser" and thankful that I AM a biggest loser - all 126 pounds of it! I didn't win $250,000 in the process, but I got much more than that. I got my life and my health back, and I have the tools to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. That sure feels like a winner to me!
Who else plans to be a biggest loser? You'll do it one on-plan day at a time :-).
I used to watch "The Biggest Loser" when I weighed 260 pounds, and the program always filled me with a mixture of hope and despair. As I watched individuals who were as heavy as me shrink week by week, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for me to drop weight like that, and it left me hopeful that it was possible. Unfortunately, watching the program also brought a lot of despair because I figured the only way to ever lose the better part of 130 pounds, short of surgery, was to put my life on hold and head to the Biggest Loser ranch. I have a bad knee so I knew that I could never do the level of exercise required by the TBL contestants. I also figured that the possibility that I'd ever be a contestant was less than "zero." Also, I couldn't imagine being on national TV wearing clothing that emphasized every bulge and roll, let alone step on an oversize scale for all the world to see. Honestly, a lot of times I'd end up eating cookies or chips while I watch "The Biggest Loser" - how sad is that?
While I'm now happy to see anybody lose weight, just about regardless of how they do it, I am so happy that WE have a MUCH better program right here than what we see on "The Biggest Loser." Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a medically safe, clinically proven program with almost 30 years of experience behind it, and it has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians. "The Biggest Loser" can't even come close to that! We are also losing weight while living our real lives, so we're learning how to do this in the same environment we'll live in after we reach our goal. Many of TBL contestants really struggle with their weight once they leave the ranch and return to their real lives, because they've lost weight in a completely artificial environment. Again, I'm always happy to see them lose and I'm cheering them on every step of the way. The difference is that I know that Take Shape for Life/Medifast is the real deal and will work for everyone, regardless of how much or how little they can exercise (and remember, we aren't even supposed to exercise more than 45 minutes a day while on 5&1).
Sixteen months after reaching my goal, I'm still watching "The Biggest Loser" and thankful that I AM a biggest loser - all 126 pounds of it! I didn't win $250,000 in the process, but I got much more than that. I got my life and my health back, and I have the tools to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. That sure feels like a winner to me!
Who else plans to be a biggest loser? You'll do it one on-plan day at a time :-).
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Blast From the Past
Every now and then, I enjoy re-reading some of my old blogs, particularly the ones I wrote while I was still on the 5&1 program. It's good for me to remember where I was with my weight loss and to reflect on how I was processing everything that was happening to me.
Last night I read a post I originally wrote on February 13, 2008, about eight months into my weight loss journey. I thought I'd share it with you today - I hope you'll enjoy this peek into my past :-). I entitled this blog, "Clutter, Fat, and What's Eating Me (and You)?"
As I re-read this entry from over 18 months ago, I can only marvel at all I've learned and I praise God for how much He's helped me grow emotionally and spiritually (while I shrank physically!). It has been and continues to be an incredible journey!
Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Last night I read a post I originally wrote on February 13, 2008, about eight months into my weight loss journey. I thought I'd share it with you today - I hope you'll enjoy this peek into my past :-). I entitled this blog, "Clutter, Fat, and What's Eating Me (and You)?"
Part of the MF journey for me is figuring out how in the heck I managed to eat myself from a weight of 130 (in my 20’s and early 30’s) to my starting weight of 260. Knowing that 95% of dieters regain all of their weight, and often add additional pounds, has motivated me to figure out what happened and what I need to do to be a permanent resident of that 5% who DO keep the weight off.
Because I’ve seen this self-assessment as an integral part of my weight loss journey, I was interested to see that very thing addressed last night on “The Biggest Loser.” Trainer Jillian invited her psychotherapist mom to meet individually with each of the members on Jillian’s team so they could talk about the emotional issues that led to their obesity. The therapist made the point that if we don’t figure out why we eat and address those emotional issues, we WILL gain the weight back. It’s not just a matter of what we’re eating, we have to address what is eating US.
There is someone close to me who has been obese their entire adult life and needs to lose well over 100 pounds. They insist that they doesn’t emotionally eat and claim that the reason they are so overweight is because they enjoy food. Because I know this individual very well, I am pretty sure that that they are stuffing a lot of negative emotions, but I can’t point that out for them. And nobody else can point out MY reasons to me, or YOUR reasons to you. Each of us has to do the hard (and often painful) work for ourselves. It may involve working with a trained counselor, it may involve a lot of time in prayer, and it may involve a lot of blogging :-), but we owe it to ourselves to uncover the emotional triggers. When I am finding is that once the triggers are identified and confronted, they are also disarmed.
I’ve blogged before about my own realization that much of what I was literally stuffing was anger, particularly anger towards God when my life began to veer off of MY plan. I won’t rehash all of this now, except to say that there is great release and healing that happens when the issues are honestly confronted.
Now about the clutter . . .
I was fascinated to read an excerpt this morning from a new book by Peter Walsh entitled, “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Big?” (excerpt posted on cbs.com). Walsh, a regular contributor to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and the organizational expert on TLC's "Clean Sweep," talks about the connection between de-cluttering and losing weight, and offers practical strategies for de-cluttering your life and, by extension, shedding pounds. In the excerpt I read, he writes about the American obsession with “bigger is better” and our near-perfecting of the instant gratification syndrome. He makes the point that the clutter so many of us surround ourselves with represents something much deeper that’s going on in our lives.
As I spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, He continues to gently show me those things that I need to release to Him. In the process of doing that, I am able to embrace the true freedom that He offers. So the challenge to myself today is to continue to do the hard work of figuring out what exactly has been eating me and then getting rid of it – de-cluttering the emotional closets and garages in my life.
And while I’m doing all of this, I may just clean out my bedroom closet for good measure!
As I re-read this entry from over 18 months ago, I can only marvel at all I've learned and I praise God for how much He's helped me grow emotionally and spiritually (while I shrank physically!). It has been and continues to be an incredible journey!
Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Monday, September 14, 2009
Prioritizing and Reprioritizing
Happy Monday everyone! I'm happy to be home today after a busy, but great, weekend in Atlanta. While I was in Atlanta, I heard many wonderful stories from others who have lost weight and gotten healthy, including one woman who lost 176 pounds on Take Shape for Life/Medifast. Lives are being changed every day - including YOUR life! :-)
This morning it's back to the routine for me, and that includes leaving for the health club for a good workout in a few minutes. I am so happy to be able to say that working out is part of my routine now. When I miss it, I really DO miss it! After being gone all weekend, there are a lot of things that I need to do to catch up, both with work and with my house (I notice that somebody sprinkled dust rather liberally on my furniture while I was gone!), so it would be easy for me to stay home and get busy here. However, I have learned that if I put off working out, it ends up not happening (funny how that works!). This morning is one of those mornings when I really have to look at my priorities and ask myself "What is it that I REALLY want?"
One of the things that I REALLY want, and one of the things that I'm committed to, is continuing to improve my fitness level and to STAY healthy. I know that it would be very easy for me to lose ground pretty quickly if I don't make taking care of myself a priority, so putting exercise near the top of my "to do" list is a necessity. I know that the work I need to do WILL get done, and I will also tackle the dust today, but first I'm heading out the door with my tennis shoes in hand.
There are lots and lots of things clamoring for your time and attention today, and if you're like me, it's really easy to allow all of those things to get in the way of taking care of yourself. If that's the case, it's time to reprioritize! Taking care of yourself doesn't make you selfish - it will ultimately allow you to be MORE efficient and get MORE done because you'll have the energy, stamina and health to do it.
Taking care of yourself also means making the time to plan out your meals for the day to ensure that you'll stay on plan. If you think through your day and plan ahead what you'll eat today, you'll stay on plan. Staying on plan today means you'll wake up tomorrow morning one day closer to your goal!
Who's committed to taking care of yourself today?
This morning it's back to the routine for me, and that includes leaving for the health club for a good workout in a few minutes. I am so happy to be able to say that working out is part of my routine now. When I miss it, I really DO miss it! After being gone all weekend, there are a lot of things that I need to do to catch up, both with work and with my house (I notice that somebody sprinkled dust rather liberally on my furniture while I was gone!), so it would be easy for me to stay home and get busy here. However, I have learned that if I put off working out, it ends up not happening (funny how that works!). This morning is one of those mornings when I really have to look at my priorities and ask myself "What is it that I REALLY want?"
One of the things that I REALLY want, and one of the things that I'm committed to, is continuing to improve my fitness level and to STAY healthy. I know that it would be very easy for me to lose ground pretty quickly if I don't make taking care of myself a priority, so putting exercise near the top of my "to do" list is a necessity. I know that the work I need to do WILL get done, and I will also tackle the dust today, but first I'm heading out the door with my tennis shoes in hand.
There are lots and lots of things clamoring for your time and attention today, and if you're like me, it's really easy to allow all of those things to get in the way of taking care of yourself. If that's the case, it's time to reprioritize! Taking care of yourself doesn't make you selfish - it will ultimately allow you to be MORE efficient and get MORE done because you'll have the energy, stamina and health to do it.
Taking care of yourself also means making the time to plan out your meals for the day to ensure that you'll stay on plan. If you think through your day and plan ahead what you'll eat today, you'll stay on plan. Staying on plan today means you'll wake up tomorrow morning one day closer to your goal!
Who's committed to taking care of yourself today?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thankful for the Little Things
Happy Sunday! I'm flying home from Atlanta this morning, so my bags are packed and I've got my crunch bars and chili nacho cheese puffs ready :-).
It's funny, but even though I reached my goal almost 16 months ago, I still haven't gotten over the thrill of simple things. Every time I fly, I can't help but smile when I easily fasten my seatbelt - no worries anymore about whether or not I need an extender. I continue to marvel that I can cross my legs on a plane (or that I can even cross my legs at all!), and don't take it for granted that I can walk down the narrow aisle of a plane face first instead of sideways. I love knowing that I can put down the arm rest, and I'm thankful that I don't "spill over" onto the seat next to me (and I'm sure whoever is sitting next to me is thankful, too!).
I never want to take these things for granted, because they are all reminders to me of what my life was like when I weighed 260 pounds. The fact that I can now easily do all of the things I listed brings tears to my eyes and causes me to overflow with thanksgiving to God for leading me to Take Shape for Life/Medifast when He did. My two decades plus of living as a morbidly obese woman were often very painful, but I never want to forget where I was, because I never want to take for granted where I am.
Have a blessed, on-plan Sunday!
It's funny, but even though I reached my goal almost 16 months ago, I still haven't gotten over the thrill of simple things. Every time I fly, I can't help but smile when I easily fasten my seatbelt - no worries anymore about whether or not I need an extender. I continue to marvel that I can cross my legs on a plane (or that I can even cross my legs at all!), and don't take it for granted that I can walk down the narrow aisle of a plane face first instead of sideways. I love knowing that I can put down the arm rest, and I'm thankful that I don't "spill over" onto the seat next to me (and I'm sure whoever is sitting next to me is thankful, too!).
I never want to take these things for granted, because they are all reminders to me of what my life was like when I weighed 260 pounds. The fact that I can now easily do all of the things I listed brings tears to my eyes and causes me to overflow with thanksgiving to God for leading me to Take Shape for Life/Medifast when He did. My two decades plus of living as a morbidly obese woman were often very painful, but I never want to forget where I was, because I never want to take for granted where I am.
Have a blessed, on-plan Sunday!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Be a GOOD Influence :-)
I'm in Atlanta right now, getting ready for a day-long Take Shape for Life health coach conference. It's fun being with other people who are currently on or who have been on Take Shape for Life (and now at their goal weight), and it makes it easy to make healthy choices when it comes to eating because that's what we're all focused on doing.
Surrounding yourself with people who are supportive of your healthy lifestyle is SO important, and if they actually HAVE a healthy lifestyle, that's even better! It's not a lot of fun to be the "odd person out" and try to make healthy choices when everyone around us is intent on chowing down . . . it's still possible to make those healthy choices, but it's not always a lot of fun :-).
The good news is that even if the people surrounding you aren't into a healthy lifestyle, you can be the one to start a whole new trend. I can promise you that the people in your life are watching you, and even if they are making lousy choices when it comes to food, they are still watching you. If they are making unhealthy choices, some of them are overweight and probably not very happy about it. As they see you choosing to stay on plan and making healthy food choices, and especially as they see you lose weight and KEEP it off, some of them will decide to give the program a try, too.
Weekends can be really challenging for a lot of people because weekends are when we kick back, relax, and get together with family members and friends. If your get-togethers are anything like my get-togethers, they always involve food. I talk to people all the time who do great on plan all week and then fall apart on the weekend because they are influenced by the people they're with.
This weekend, my challenge to you is for you to be the GOOD influence in other people's lives :-). I'm not saying it will be easy, but you'll be much happier with yourself on Monday morning if you choose wisely this weekend (you know you will!), and you may also have the opportunity to encourage someone else to start on their own journey towards health.
Surrounding yourself with people who are supportive of your healthy lifestyle is SO important, and if they actually HAVE a healthy lifestyle, that's even better! It's not a lot of fun to be the "odd person out" and try to make healthy choices when everyone around us is intent on chowing down . . . it's still possible to make those healthy choices, but it's not always a lot of fun :-).
The good news is that even if the people surrounding you aren't into a healthy lifestyle, you can be the one to start a whole new trend. I can promise you that the people in your life are watching you, and even if they are making lousy choices when it comes to food, they are still watching you. If they are making unhealthy choices, some of them are overweight and probably not very happy about it. As they see you choosing to stay on plan and making healthy food choices, and especially as they see you lose weight and KEEP it off, some of them will decide to give the program a try, too.
Weekends can be really challenging for a lot of people because weekends are when we kick back, relax, and get together with family members and friends. If your get-togethers are anything like my get-togethers, they always involve food. I talk to people all the time who do great on plan all week and then fall apart on the weekend because they are influenced by the people they're with.
This weekend, my challenge to you is for you to be the GOOD influence in other people's lives :-). I'm not saying it will be easy, but you'll be much happier with yourself on Monday morning if you choose wisely this weekend (you know you will!), and you may also have the opportunity to encourage someone else to start on their own journey towards health.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Eating Whatever You Want!
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Friday! I'm flying to Atlanta this morning for a weekend conference, so I'm posting this before I leave.
One of things I really, REALLY hate is feeling deprived. I enjoy life and want to savor things, and feeling deprived just doesn't fit in with my joie de vivre :-). That could have easily been a problem for me on 5/1 if I had chosen to dwell on all of the things that I couldn't eat, so I adopted a different mindset.
I told myself repeatedly that I could have WHATEVER I wanted, but I was CHOOSING to eat a Medifast meal or a lean & green. While I was on 5/1, people would say things like, "Oh, you probably can't eat this or that" and I would always respond, "I can eat anything I want, but I'm choosing to eat something healthy instead."
That might sound like a silly thing, but it made a huge difference for me in how I viewed the time I spent losing weight. Instead of feeling deprived and sorry for myself, and instead of having a "poor me, diet victim" mindset, I found it very empowering to view this as a positive choice I was making. I didn't allow myself to think in terms of "I can't have this or that," because human nature ALWAYS wants what it can't have. There is something rebellious in this human nature of ours that rears it's ugly head the moment someone says we can't have something. So I told myself all the time that I could have anything I wanted, and that it was my choice to eat the things I did. Saying that not only felt very positive and empowering for me, but it kept me from having people feel sorry for me, which I did NOT want. It left me feeling in charge of the choices I was making, and it was a reminder to me that it really WAS my choice.
It was my choice to go on this plan. Nobody made me do it. I didn't HAVE to go on - I could have chosen to remain 260 pounds (or more) and diabetic. It was my choice to STAY on plan - nobody made me do that, either. Every day, every meal, it was my choice to do it or not.
For me, I knew it would be deadly to continually focus on what I couldn't have; I did NOT want to spend the better part of a year looking longingly at plate after plate of "forbidden" food. Instead I focused on what I was gaining and celebrated each and every good choice that I made. Sometimes it was a real struggle, I promise you, and sometimes I came perilously close to caving in - but I didn't. Once each decision was made to stay on plan, I knew it was because I chose to do the right thing and it felt SO good to know I'd walked away from a potential slip.
Today I want to encourage you to focus on staying positive, even in the way you think about off-plan food. You already know that that food really isn't your friend (it probably helped you get where you are, and no real friend would do that!), so I'm encouraging you to think positively today. Embrace the choice that you've made to get healthy, because it really is, and always will be, your choice.
One of things I really, REALLY hate is feeling deprived. I enjoy life and want to savor things, and feeling deprived just doesn't fit in with my joie de vivre :-). That could have easily been a problem for me on 5/1 if I had chosen to dwell on all of the things that I couldn't eat, so I adopted a different mindset.
I told myself repeatedly that I could have WHATEVER I wanted, but I was CHOOSING to eat a Medifast meal or a lean & green. While I was on 5/1, people would say things like, "Oh, you probably can't eat this or that" and I would always respond, "I can eat anything I want, but I'm choosing to eat something healthy instead."
That might sound like a silly thing, but it made a huge difference for me in how I viewed the time I spent losing weight. Instead of feeling deprived and sorry for myself, and instead of having a "poor me, diet victim" mindset, I found it very empowering to view this as a positive choice I was making. I didn't allow myself to think in terms of "I can't have this or that," because human nature ALWAYS wants what it can't have. There is something rebellious in this human nature of ours that rears it's ugly head the moment someone says we can't have something. So I told myself all the time that I could have anything I wanted, and that it was my choice to eat the things I did. Saying that not only felt very positive and empowering for me, but it kept me from having people feel sorry for me, which I did NOT want. It left me feeling in charge of the choices I was making, and it was a reminder to me that it really WAS my choice.
It was my choice to go on this plan. Nobody made me do it. I didn't HAVE to go on - I could have chosen to remain 260 pounds (or more) and diabetic. It was my choice to STAY on plan - nobody made me do that, either. Every day, every meal, it was my choice to do it or not.
For me, I knew it would be deadly to continually focus on what I couldn't have; I did NOT want to spend the better part of a year looking longingly at plate after plate of "forbidden" food. Instead I focused on what I was gaining and celebrated each and every good choice that I made. Sometimes it was a real struggle, I promise you, and sometimes I came perilously close to caving in - but I didn't. Once each decision was made to stay on plan, I knew it was because I chose to do the right thing and it felt SO good to know I'd walked away from a potential slip.
Today I want to encourage you to focus on staying positive, even in the way you think about off-plan food. You already know that that food really isn't your friend (it probably helped you get where you are, and no real friend would do that!), so I'm encouraging you to think positively today. Embrace the choice that you've made to get healthy, because it really is, and always will be, your choice.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
To All of My Fellow Marathoners
Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week!
I recently read a story that I thought had great application for all of us (myself included!) who are committed to making changes in our lives. So often we have great intentions but get sidetracked - and sidelined - because we're so worried about what others might think of what we're doing. Here's the story:
One of the things that impressed me about this story was how matter of fact and unapologetic Joe was, and how accepting his family was of his statement that he would join them at the fast-food restaurant but not eat the food.
It's funny, but if a marathoner turns down food because they're training for a race, absolutely everybody understands and supports the decision, and most people won't try to undermine the decision. It's universally understood that you don't mess with an athlete in training, and people training for a marathon (or other athletic activity) are amazingly disciplined because they are focused on the ultimate reward.
Why are we so often reluctant to make the same declaration? We are in training, too, only this isn't just a race, this is our lives and our health. Yet we find ourselves apologetic when we're in social situations if we don't eat what everyone else is eating, or we cave in because we don't want to offend anyone.
Today my challenge to you is to think and act like a marathoner - be focused on the ultimate outcome and be bold! This is the marathon of your life, and you are in training - learning new healthy habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Ready . . . set . . . go! Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
I recently read a story that I thought had great application for all of us (myself included!) who are committed to making changes in our lives. So often we have great intentions but get sidetracked - and sidelined - because we're so worried about what others might think of what we're doing. Here's the story:
Recently, when my wife and I wanted to meet our sons and their families for a quick bite to eat, we decided that, with everyone’s busy schedules, it would be easiest to meet at a nearby fast-food joint. When I called my son Joe to suggest the plan, his response was, “Well, I can meet you there, but I can’t eat that stuff. I’m training for a marathon.”
. . . Joe had a goal in mind—the successful completion of the marathon. He knew that reaching the goal was going to require months of disciplined choices, like waking up early to run longer and longer distances. And it meant that he would need to carefully guard and consider everything that he took into his body. Each meal—in fact, each snack—became an opportunity to choose to nourish and energize his body toward a successful marathon run.
One of the things that impressed me about this story was how matter of fact and unapologetic Joe was, and how accepting his family was of his statement that he would join them at the fast-food restaurant but not eat the food.
It's funny, but if a marathoner turns down food because they're training for a race, absolutely everybody understands and supports the decision, and most people won't try to undermine the decision. It's universally understood that you don't mess with an athlete in training, and people training for a marathon (or other athletic activity) are amazingly disciplined because they are focused on the ultimate reward.
Why are we so often reluctant to make the same declaration? We are in training, too, only this isn't just a race, this is our lives and our health. Yet we find ourselves apologetic when we're in social situations if we don't eat what everyone else is eating, or we cave in because we don't want to offend anyone.
Today my challenge to you is to think and act like a marathoner - be focused on the ultimate outcome and be bold! This is the marathon of your life, and you are in training - learning new healthy habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Ready . . . set . . . go! Who's committed to an on-plan day today?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Changing My Future
I got home from Chicago last night, just a little before 9 PM. It was a long couple of days, but it was good to see some of my extended family members. I was encouraged that several of them expressed real interest in getting more information about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. Nothing would thrill me more than seeing the scourge of obesity and diabetes finally stopped in my family. My mom has a 75 year old cousin who is on dialysis 3 times a week and in very poor health after years of being diabetic; her daughter is 47 and takes 5 shots of insulin every day and a host of other medications and has neuropathy in her hands and her feet; her 26 year old granddaughter (daughter of the 47 year old) wears 4X clothes and is pre-diabetic. And that's just one of the families.
There were a lot of things I didn't eat while I was on 5&1 and losing 126 pounds. There were days when I was sick to death of eating Medifast meals, and days when I just didn't want to do this anymore. There were days early on the program when I really doubted that it would even work. There were times when I felt very sorry for myself, or even angry at myself, because I had to be on this program.
As I spent time with my relatives over the past two days, I praise God that He not only led me to this program, but that I didn't allow any of the just-mentioned things stop me from staying on plan and getting to my goal. It was very sobering for me being with my relatives, because I was acutely aware of how close I came to being another family statistic - obese and diabetic. The genetics are there, there's no doubt about that. Had I not found this program when I did, today I would be 260 pounds or more, and I would definitely be diabetic and on medication and headed towards the complications that so many of my relatives are living with.
Thanks to Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was able to change my health future. As long as I continue to make healthy choices, my future will NOT include diabetes, amputation, dialysis, and blindness. Making healthy choices means there are some foods I won't eat at all, or only eat on occasion; making healthy choices means I will incorporate regular exercise into my life, whether I feel like it or not :-); and making healthy choices means I will continue to eat 5-6 small meals a day, and 2-3 of those meals will be Medifast meals. Those aren't always the choices I WANT to make, but the alternative - obesity and diabetes - is unthinkable to me. My primary choice is health, so I will make the secondary choices I need to make to support what I really want. I think it's worth it!
Are you committed to your health - including getting to a healthy weight and staying there? Take it one day at a time and don't allow anything to get in your way - you'll never regret it!
There were a lot of things I didn't eat while I was on 5&1 and losing 126 pounds. There were days when I was sick to death of eating Medifast meals, and days when I just didn't want to do this anymore. There were days early on the program when I really doubted that it would even work. There were times when I felt very sorry for myself, or even angry at myself, because I had to be on this program.
As I spent time with my relatives over the past two days, I praise God that He not only led me to this program, but that I didn't allow any of the just-mentioned things stop me from staying on plan and getting to my goal. It was very sobering for me being with my relatives, because I was acutely aware of how close I came to being another family statistic - obese and diabetic. The genetics are there, there's no doubt about that. Had I not found this program when I did, today I would be 260 pounds or more, and I would definitely be diabetic and on medication and headed towards the complications that so many of my relatives are living with.
Thanks to Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was able to change my health future. As long as I continue to make healthy choices, my future will NOT include diabetes, amputation, dialysis, and blindness. Making healthy choices means there are some foods I won't eat at all, or only eat on occasion; making healthy choices means I will incorporate regular exercise into my life, whether I feel like it or not :-); and making healthy choices means I will continue to eat 5-6 small meals a day, and 2-3 of those meals will be Medifast meals. Those aren't always the choices I WANT to make, but the alternative - obesity and diabetes - is unthinkable to me. My primary choice is health, so I will make the secondary choices I need to make to support what I really want. I think it's worth it!
Are you committed to your health - including getting to a healthy weight and staying there? Take it one day at a time and don't allow anything to get in your way - you'll never regret it!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My Renewed Passion and Commitment
I'm still in Chicago and will attend the funeral for my mom's cousin this morning. Yesterday was the visitation and it was frankly depressing. Almost all of my mom's first cousins are diabetic and all are overweight, with several morbidly obese. Several of them are struggling with severe health issues related to their diabetes. Even more distressing to me was seeing some of their children, my second cousins, obese and diabetic - and most of them are younger than I am. One of my second cousins is diabetic, taking 3 different oral medications for her diabetes and also taking 5 shots of insulin each day. She isn't even 50, but has severe diabetic neuropathy in her hands and her feet and has multiple other health issues related to her obesity. She spent much of the visitation sitting in the kitchen of the funeral home, where the table was filled with food of all kinds. Ironically, there were lots of cookies, coffee cakes, candy and sweets - and I watched my diabetic relatives, including her, eating all of this stuff. I wanted to scream.
I brought with me information on the two-year study that Johns Hopkins conducted comparing two groups of diabetics, one group on the American Diabetic Association diet and one group on Medifast. No surprise, the group on Medifast did remarkably better in not only losing weight but also at controlling their diabetes, with an impressive percentage reducing or eliminating their medications. I was able to share this material with a few cousins, but others were not interested, even though I shared my own story with them. I could tell that while they were happy for me, they just didn't believe it could ever happen for them, too.
My heart aches because I know that things could be different for some of these family members if they could only believe that it was possible to change. Some of them are resigned to the fact that they're diabetic and assume it's just a given because of their genetics.
My mom and I each brought a couple of Medifast crunch bars with us and, trust me, I wasn't even tempted to eat a cookie or anything else. Seeing my relatives eating the very foods that are killing them made me very thankful that God led me to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. I realize that, but for the grace of God and the miracle of this program, I could well be in the same state of poor health as my relatives.
I also realize that I cannot afford to become complacent or ever think that I've permanently slain the obesity monster. The monster has been dealt a mighty blow, but I know that it has the potential to roar back to life and bring with it diabetes and other health issues. Daily diligence is the only way to keep the monster at bay, and I can't think of a single thing I could eat that would be worth potentially ending up like so many of my family members.
I'll head home this afternoon following the services and the funeral lunch. I'm heading home with a renewed commitment to my own health, and a new level of passion to help others get healthy and stay healthy.
Getting healthy and staying healthy requires a commitment to doing it one day at a time. I'm committed today - are you? I sure hope so!
I brought with me information on the two-year study that Johns Hopkins conducted comparing two groups of diabetics, one group on the American Diabetic Association diet and one group on Medifast. No surprise, the group on Medifast did remarkably better in not only losing weight but also at controlling their diabetes, with an impressive percentage reducing or eliminating their medications. I was able to share this material with a few cousins, but others were not interested, even though I shared my own story with them. I could tell that while they were happy for me, they just didn't believe it could ever happen for them, too.
My heart aches because I know that things could be different for some of these family members if they could only believe that it was possible to change. Some of them are resigned to the fact that they're diabetic and assume it's just a given because of their genetics.
My mom and I each brought a couple of Medifast crunch bars with us and, trust me, I wasn't even tempted to eat a cookie or anything else. Seeing my relatives eating the very foods that are killing them made me very thankful that God led me to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. I realize that, but for the grace of God and the miracle of this program, I could well be in the same state of poor health as my relatives.
I also realize that I cannot afford to become complacent or ever think that I've permanently slain the obesity monster. The monster has been dealt a mighty blow, but I know that it has the potential to roar back to life and bring with it diabetes and other health issues. Daily diligence is the only way to keep the monster at bay, and I can't think of a single thing I could eat that would be worth potentially ending up like so many of my family members.
I'll head home this afternoon following the services and the funeral lunch. I'm heading home with a renewed commitment to my own health, and a new level of passion to help others get healthy and stay healthy.
Getting healthy and staying healthy requires a commitment to doing it one day at a time. I'm committed today - are you? I sure hope so!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Obesity is Such a Thief
I'm leaving shortly for Chicago to bury yet another relative who died too early from the complications of diabetes and obesity. This morning I'm upset - really upset - at what obesity steals from so many people.
The relative who passed away was one of my mom's first cousins. She was 73 years old and actually passed away over a week ago, but they held her body and waited until today for the visitation (the funeral is tomorrow) because her son and his wife were expecting their first baby, her first grandchild. The plan was to induce his wife last week so he could be with her for the birth of their baby before he left and traveled to Illinois to bury his mom. His mom had very much looked forward to the birth of her first grandchild, but she didn't make it.
She had been overweight and diabetic for years, has been legally blind due to diabetic complications for a long time and spent the last several years of her life on dialysis. Her older sister is obese, diabetic and now on kidney dialysis three days a week.
My mom has another first cousin whom we'll see today who is in his 60's and who lost a leg due to diabetic complications a couple of years ago and has been fighting to keep his other leg.
My mom's brother lost a leg due to diabetic complications 6 years before he passed away 18 months ago. One of my great-grandmothers also lost a leg due to diabetic complications.
Almost all of my mom's first cousins are now diabetic. Everyone assumes this is the "family curse," but nobody seems to understand that the REAL family curse is obesity, and it's the obesity that enables the genetic predisposition for diabetes to ravage my relatives.
My 80 year old mom has been diabetic for over 23 years and on insulin for 9 years; she has lost part of her vision and has diminished kidney function due to complications from the disease.
That's a snapshot of my mom's side of the family. My dad's mom, my grandmother, died after falling into a diabetic coma, so the devastating consequences of diabetes have hit hard for me on both sides of the family.
This is why I was devastated when, at 268 pounds, I was also diagnosed with diabetes, and why I am so passionate about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. I not only lost 126 pounds and am maintaining my weight loss, but I REVERSED my diabetes!!! This program not only gave me my life back, but praise God, I believe it has saved and extended my life!
When I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and go back to my old way of eating (and yes, I AM tempted to do that sometimes . . . ), all I have to do is think about my relatives. I think about those who are legally blind, who have lost a limb, or who are on dialysis. I think about those whose lives have been cut short, of those who have a very poor quality of life, and do you know what? I RUN to my Medifast packets, so thankful for these wonderful little meals that help me to keep my weight down and help to keep my blood sugar normal.
All of my diabetic relatives spent decades as overweight and obese adults before diabetes finally hit, then spent years as overweight and obese diabetics before the complications came. Had they been able to bring their weight down to a healthy BMI, I can't help but wonder how many of them would never have become diabetic at all.
I mentioned my mom and talked about the complications she's experienced due to her diabetes. The amazing thing is that after losing over 40 pounds this past year on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, her diabetes is now so well controlled that she seldom needs any insulin during the day and her HbA1c is terrific. She can't reverse the damage diabetes has already done, but keeping it so well controlled means diabetes is not continuing to wreak havoc on her body. I can only wonder if she could have avoided diabetes and her own complications if she'd lost weight and changed her eating habits years ago.
The problem with the health complications of obesity, including diabetes, is that they take years to develop, and they are often silently doing major damage before we're even aware of them. Because obesity is a silent killer, it can be easy to put off losing weight and making healthy choices for "just one more day," choosing immediate gratification over long-term health benefits. We don't think about it that way, but boiled down, that's the choice we're making.
You've heard it before, but it bears repeating again: this is NOT a diet; this is a program designed to help people get healthy. For most everyone here, the first step in getting healthy is getting to a healthy weight, but that's just the first step, not the end. Learning healthy habits and committing to incorporating them into our lives means we will live longer and healthier, with a lot more quality to our lives.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend years of my life obese, sick, and tethered to a dialysis machine. Choosing healthy choices that enable me to stay at a healthy weight seems like a small sacrifice, if it can even be called a sacrifice. I am committed to NOT dying from an obesity-related disease, and I am committed to not having the quality of my life compromised by obesity. I can't think of anything I could eat that would be worth a shortened, compromised life.
Your healthy future begins, or continues, today, as you commit to staying on plan today. Are you committed to an on-plan day today?
The relative who passed away was one of my mom's first cousins. She was 73 years old and actually passed away over a week ago, but they held her body and waited until today for the visitation (the funeral is tomorrow) because her son and his wife were expecting their first baby, her first grandchild. The plan was to induce his wife last week so he could be with her for the birth of their baby before he left and traveled to Illinois to bury his mom. His mom had very much looked forward to the birth of her first grandchild, but she didn't make it.
She had been overweight and diabetic for years, has been legally blind due to diabetic complications for a long time and spent the last several years of her life on dialysis. Her older sister is obese, diabetic and now on kidney dialysis three days a week.
My mom has another first cousin whom we'll see today who is in his 60's and who lost a leg due to diabetic complications a couple of years ago and has been fighting to keep his other leg.
My mom's brother lost a leg due to diabetic complications 6 years before he passed away 18 months ago. One of my great-grandmothers also lost a leg due to diabetic complications.
Almost all of my mom's first cousins are now diabetic. Everyone assumes this is the "family curse," but nobody seems to understand that the REAL family curse is obesity, and it's the obesity that enables the genetic predisposition for diabetes to ravage my relatives.
My 80 year old mom has been diabetic for over 23 years and on insulin for 9 years; she has lost part of her vision and has diminished kidney function due to complications from the disease.
That's a snapshot of my mom's side of the family. My dad's mom, my grandmother, died after falling into a diabetic coma, so the devastating consequences of diabetes have hit hard for me on both sides of the family.
This is why I was devastated when, at 268 pounds, I was also diagnosed with diabetes, and why I am so passionate about Take Shape for Life/Medifast. I not only lost 126 pounds and am maintaining my weight loss, but I REVERSED my diabetes!!! This program not only gave me my life back, but praise God, I believe it has saved and extended my life!
When I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and go back to my old way of eating (and yes, I AM tempted to do that sometimes . . . ), all I have to do is think about my relatives. I think about those who are legally blind, who have lost a limb, or who are on dialysis. I think about those whose lives have been cut short, of those who have a very poor quality of life, and do you know what? I RUN to my Medifast packets, so thankful for these wonderful little meals that help me to keep my weight down and help to keep my blood sugar normal.
All of my diabetic relatives spent decades as overweight and obese adults before diabetes finally hit, then spent years as overweight and obese diabetics before the complications came. Had they been able to bring their weight down to a healthy BMI, I can't help but wonder how many of them would never have become diabetic at all.
I mentioned my mom and talked about the complications she's experienced due to her diabetes. The amazing thing is that after losing over 40 pounds this past year on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, her diabetes is now so well controlled that she seldom needs any insulin during the day and her HbA1c is terrific. She can't reverse the damage diabetes has already done, but keeping it so well controlled means diabetes is not continuing to wreak havoc on her body. I can only wonder if she could have avoided diabetes and her own complications if she'd lost weight and changed her eating habits years ago.
The problem with the health complications of obesity, including diabetes, is that they take years to develop, and they are often silently doing major damage before we're even aware of them. Because obesity is a silent killer, it can be easy to put off losing weight and making healthy choices for "just one more day," choosing immediate gratification over long-term health benefits. We don't think about it that way, but boiled down, that's the choice we're making.
You've heard it before, but it bears repeating again: this is NOT a diet; this is a program designed to help people get healthy. For most everyone here, the first step in getting healthy is getting to a healthy weight, but that's just the first step, not the end. Learning healthy habits and committing to incorporating them into our lives means we will live longer and healthier, with a lot more quality to our lives.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend years of my life obese, sick, and tethered to a dialysis machine. Choosing healthy choices that enable me to stay at a healthy weight seems like a small sacrifice, if it can even be called a sacrifice. I am committed to NOT dying from an obesity-related disease, and I am committed to not having the quality of my life compromised by obesity. I can't think of anything I could eat that would be worth a shortened, compromised life.
Your healthy future begins, or continues, today, as you commit to staying on plan today. Are you committed to an on-plan day today?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Same Old Tastebuds, But a Whole New Attitude
It's going to be a busy Sunday for me. Today starts with church (of course!), then we're having two families over this afternoon for an early Labor Day cookout. Tonight I have to pack because I'm going to Chicago tomorrow morning with my parents for the visitation and funeral of one of my mom's cousins. The next couple of days will be filled with people to talk to and food minefields to avoid :-).
Avoiding food minefields has gotten easier (note that I said easier, not easy!) over the past few months. I've heard some people say that after they lost their weight, they also lost their taste for a lot of their old fattening foods, but I can't honestly say that. I still have a fat girl set of tastebuds, and I think I probably always will. Everything that tasted good to me before I lost weight still tastes good to me . . . sigh. It would be a lot easier if all of those things still didn't appeal to me, but they do.
Since I didn't get a new set of tastebuds when I lost weight, I've had to stay focused on what I really want, and I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that what I really want is to stay at a healthy weight and in my size 6's. I have the same old tastebuds, but I also have a whole new attitude about food and the role that I will allow to play in my life. Food is not my life anymore, and it is no longer the focal point of every get-together. I still enjoy eating, and I also enjoy cooking and baking, but my life doesn't revolve around it anymore.
These next couple of days will be precious times of getting together with dear friends and family members. There will be food - lots of food - but I've learned how to choose carefully and I am committed to staying focused.
Avoiding food minefields has gotten easier (note that I said easier, not easy!) over the past few months. I've heard some people say that after they lost their weight, they also lost their taste for a lot of their old fattening foods, but I can't honestly say that. I still have a fat girl set of tastebuds, and I think I probably always will. Everything that tasted good to me before I lost weight still tastes good to me . . . sigh. It would be a lot easier if all of those things still didn't appeal to me, but they do.
Since I didn't get a new set of tastebuds when I lost weight, I've had to stay focused on what I really want, and I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that what I really want is to stay at a healthy weight and in my size 6's. I have the same old tastebuds, but I also have a whole new attitude about food and the role that I will allow to play in my life. Food is not my life anymore, and it is no longer the focal point of every get-together. I still enjoy eating, and I also enjoy cooking and baking, but my life doesn't revolve around it anymore.
These next couple of days will be precious times of getting together with dear friends and family members. There will be food - lots of food - but I've learned how to choose carefully and I am committed to staying focused.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A Lovely Balance
Happy Saturday, and Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope you're planning on a great (and on-plan) weekend!
Last night and today are great examples of the kind of balance I've found in maintenance. Most of the time, our dinners are simple lean & green meals - meat and a veggie or salad. I like the fact that it's simple to cook, simple to clean up, and 100% healthy. Last night we got adventurous with our veggies and roasted kohlrabi with a toss of olive oil and fresh garlic, then pan "fried" sliced radishes with a tablespoon of chopped onion and seasoning (we sprayed the non-stick skillet with butter-flavored spray). The radishes lose their hot edge when cooked and tasted a lot like fried potatoes :-).
On Thursday I saw the movie "Julie & Julia" and got inspired to try one of Julia Child's recipes, which is what I'm making for dinner tonight. It's a pretty healthy recipe, but not "lean & green." It's a fairly involved recipe, so it will take up a fair portion of my day, but since I love to cook, it will be fun!
I am sharing this today to just encourage you that there IS life - and food - after you reach goal :-). Eating healthy is a way of life for me, and there is nothing I could eat that would be worth regaining the weight. However, in maintenance it's fun to be able to splurge every now and then and cook (and/or eat) something that's outside of a Take Shape for Life/Medifast lean & green and know that it's OK to do that - more than OK!
Staying on plan now means you'll get to your goal as quickly as possible, and then you can move forward with the rest of your healthy, thin life - and life IS good this side of goal :-).
Have a great Saturday!
Last night and today are great examples of the kind of balance I've found in maintenance. Most of the time, our dinners are simple lean & green meals - meat and a veggie or salad. I like the fact that it's simple to cook, simple to clean up, and 100% healthy. Last night we got adventurous with our veggies and roasted kohlrabi with a toss of olive oil and fresh garlic, then pan "fried" sliced radishes with a tablespoon of chopped onion and seasoning (we sprayed the non-stick skillet with butter-flavored spray). The radishes lose their hot edge when cooked and tasted a lot like fried potatoes :-).
On Thursday I saw the movie "Julie & Julia" and got inspired to try one of Julia Child's recipes, which is what I'm making for dinner tonight. It's a pretty healthy recipe, but not "lean & green." It's a fairly involved recipe, so it will take up a fair portion of my day, but since I love to cook, it will be fun!
I am sharing this today to just encourage you that there IS life - and food - after you reach goal :-). Eating healthy is a way of life for me, and there is nothing I could eat that would be worth regaining the weight. However, in maintenance it's fun to be able to splurge every now and then and cook (and/or eat) something that's outside of a Take Shape for Life/Medifast lean & green and know that it's OK to do that - more than OK!
Staying on plan now means you'll get to your goal as quickly as possible, and then you can move forward with the rest of your healthy, thin life - and life IS good this side of goal :-).
Have a great Saturday!
Friday, September 4, 2009
A Little Soul Food for the Journey
Happy Friday (and Happy Labor Day weekend)!
One of the first things I did after starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007 was put together a playlist of songs on my iPod that would inspire me and keep me focused. I named this playlist "Soul Food" :-). I knew that the most challenging part of this plan would be the heart and mind part - once I was in the fat-burning state, the food part was easy.
The songs on this playlist were mostly contemporary Christian songs, because the words of those songs reminded me to turn to the Lord, not chocolate, to meet my soul hunger. The songs included songs with titles like, "Lord, I Thirst for You," "All I Want is You, Lord," "I Surrender", and "More of You, Less of Me" (I thought the title of this particular song pretty much said it all!).
I put this playlist together and listened to it every day for a long time (there are 169 songs on this particular playlist), because I wanted to continually remind myself of the need to reshape my heart and my mind about how I related to food. I still listen to this playlist on a regular basis!
I really tried to put myself in an environment that supported what I wanted, which was to lose weight and get healthy. That not only meant clearing my house of any food that could possibly be a temptation and avoiding trigger restaurants (just about any ethnic restaurant), but also surrounding myself with things that encouraged me and kept me focused. I stayed tightly connected to the plan's on-line community, listened to my "Soul Food" playlist, and each day looked to God for the strength I needed to get through that day.
As you begin this Labor Day weekend, I really encourage you to get creative and find as many ways as possible to stay encouraged and focused. There are lots and lots of distractions out there, so being intentional about what you allow into your life (and what you temporarily exclude) can make a tremendous difference. Set yourself up for success and you'll get there, one on-plan day at a time. And if you can find some music to help along the way, so much the better!
One of the first things I did after starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007 was put together a playlist of songs on my iPod that would inspire me and keep me focused. I named this playlist "Soul Food" :-). I knew that the most challenging part of this plan would be the heart and mind part - once I was in the fat-burning state, the food part was easy.
The songs on this playlist were mostly contemporary Christian songs, because the words of those songs reminded me to turn to the Lord, not chocolate, to meet my soul hunger. The songs included songs with titles like, "Lord, I Thirst for You," "All I Want is You, Lord," "I Surrender", and "More of You, Less of Me" (I thought the title of this particular song pretty much said it all!).
I put this playlist together and listened to it every day for a long time (there are 169 songs on this particular playlist), because I wanted to continually remind myself of the need to reshape my heart and my mind about how I related to food. I still listen to this playlist on a regular basis!
I really tried to put myself in an environment that supported what I wanted, which was to lose weight and get healthy. That not only meant clearing my house of any food that could possibly be a temptation and avoiding trigger restaurants (just about any ethnic restaurant), but also surrounding myself with things that encouraged me and kept me focused. I stayed tightly connected to the plan's on-line community, listened to my "Soul Food" playlist, and each day looked to God for the strength I needed to get through that day.
As you begin this Labor Day weekend, I really encourage you to get creative and find as many ways as possible to stay encouraged and focused. There are lots and lots of distractions out there, so being intentional about what you allow into your life (and what you temporarily exclude) can make a tremendous difference. Set yourself up for success and you'll get there, one on-plan day at a time. And if you can find some music to help along the way, so much the better!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
No Downside
I was just thinking yesterday about how much my life has changed since losing 126 pounds. There is a really long list of things that changed, and all of them are good! I honestly can't think of a single downside to losing (and maintaining) my weight . . . not a single one!
I had a lot of apprehension about losing so much weight, even though I didn't even think I COULD lose it. I was a mix of skepticism and apprehension, sprinkled with just a touch of hope. I was apprehensive that I'd ever be able to maintain a weight loss. I was very apprehensive about how I'd look after losing 126 pounds - would I look old and drawn? Would I have skin hanging all over? Would I EVER be able to enjoy food again?
There were times when this apprehension threatened to derail my progress, and I'm thankful that it didn't! When I found myself feeling anxious about all of the unknowns, I decided to not borrow trouble and just leave everything in God's hands. I figured I would deal with any issues when and if they came up and not waste time worrying about them in the meantime.
You may have heard a loud sigh at some point as I exhaled deeply, realizing that none of my fears materialized.
I lost the weight quickly, and the transition and maintenance program has made it relatively easy to stay in my goal range (I haven't maintained perfectly, as most of you know, but I'm still at a healthy BMI and in my size 6 jeans - a major victory AND relief).
My skin looks really good - not perfect, but really pretty good! People ask me all the time if I've had plastic surgery, which I have NOT (I have nothing against it, but I can't afford it and, at age 57, not sure that's how I'd choose to spend my time and my money anyway). I have a little bit of loose skin on my abdomen, but I'm not a bikini type of person to begin with; I have some loose skin on my upper arms, but my arms fit in a size 2 or 4 jacket, so it's not too bad; and I have loose skin on my upper thighs. The upper thighs are the most pronounced area of loose skin, so I don't wear skirts above my knee and I wear walking shorts or capris (I'm too old for Daisy Duke shorts anyway!). My legs fit into size 6 skinny jeans, so the loose skin isn't a problem with clothing sizes. People tell me I look healthy - and younger than I did before losing the weight :-).
And I DO enjoy food now - and I enjoy it without feeling guilty! For years I felt guilty much of the time I ate, because I viewed everything as either "good" or "bad" food. No surprise, the food I liked best was in the "bad" category, and every time I ate it I did so with the feeling that I was cheating (I was always on one diet or another), so the enjoyment was tempered with guilt. I can't tell you how freeing it is to eat something that USED to be in the "bad" category and simply say, "Wow, that was GOOD!" There is no longer a "good" or "bad" category of food, because everything can be enjoyed in moderation and in proper portions. This is amazingly freeing and one of the unexpected joys of reaching my goal.
I just realized that there IS one downside to reaching goal, so I'd better 'fess up! The post-goal shopping trip can be expensive (but oh, so much fun)! I needed everything from underwear out - pajamas and nightgowns, bathrobe, swimsuits (I actually had fun shopping for swimsuits, if you can imagine!), business clothes, sports clothes, coats, jackets . . . and then new accessories to go with my new wardrobe! Yep, that's the only downside I can think of, but it sure didn't feel much like a downside :-)
Don't let anything keep you from reaching your goal! Maybe you haven't seen a healthy weight in a long time, or maybe you've NEVER seen a healthy weight, but don't let fear of the unknown keep you from getting there. Losing weight doesn't solve every problem in our lives, but it WILL improve your life in ways you can't even imagine.
Make today an on-plan day!
I had a lot of apprehension about losing so much weight, even though I didn't even think I COULD lose it. I was a mix of skepticism and apprehension, sprinkled with just a touch of hope. I was apprehensive that I'd ever be able to maintain a weight loss. I was very apprehensive about how I'd look after losing 126 pounds - would I look old and drawn? Would I have skin hanging all over? Would I EVER be able to enjoy food again?
There were times when this apprehension threatened to derail my progress, and I'm thankful that it didn't! When I found myself feeling anxious about all of the unknowns, I decided to not borrow trouble and just leave everything in God's hands. I figured I would deal with any issues when and if they came up and not waste time worrying about them in the meantime.
You may have heard a loud sigh at some point as I exhaled deeply, realizing that none of my fears materialized.
I lost the weight quickly, and the transition and maintenance program has made it relatively easy to stay in my goal range (I haven't maintained perfectly, as most of you know, but I'm still at a healthy BMI and in my size 6 jeans - a major victory AND relief).
My skin looks really good - not perfect, but really pretty good! People ask me all the time if I've had plastic surgery, which I have NOT (I have nothing against it, but I can't afford it and, at age 57, not sure that's how I'd choose to spend my time and my money anyway). I have a little bit of loose skin on my abdomen, but I'm not a bikini type of person to begin with; I have some loose skin on my upper arms, but my arms fit in a size 2 or 4 jacket, so it's not too bad; and I have loose skin on my upper thighs. The upper thighs are the most pronounced area of loose skin, so I don't wear skirts above my knee and I wear walking shorts or capris (I'm too old for Daisy Duke shorts anyway!). My legs fit into size 6 skinny jeans, so the loose skin isn't a problem with clothing sizes. People tell me I look healthy - and younger than I did before losing the weight :-).
And I DO enjoy food now - and I enjoy it without feeling guilty! For years I felt guilty much of the time I ate, because I viewed everything as either "good" or "bad" food. No surprise, the food I liked best was in the "bad" category, and every time I ate it I did so with the feeling that I was cheating (I was always on one diet or another), so the enjoyment was tempered with guilt. I can't tell you how freeing it is to eat something that USED to be in the "bad" category and simply say, "Wow, that was GOOD!" There is no longer a "good" or "bad" category of food, because everything can be enjoyed in moderation and in proper portions. This is amazingly freeing and one of the unexpected joys of reaching my goal.
I just realized that there IS one downside to reaching goal, so I'd better 'fess up! The post-goal shopping trip can be expensive (but oh, so much fun)! I needed everything from underwear out - pajamas and nightgowns, bathrobe, swimsuits (I actually had fun shopping for swimsuits, if you can imagine!), business clothes, sports clothes, coats, jackets . . . and then new accessories to go with my new wardrobe! Yep, that's the only downside I can think of, but it sure didn't feel much like a downside :-)
Don't let anything keep you from reaching your goal! Maybe you haven't seen a healthy weight in a long time, or maybe you've NEVER seen a healthy weight, but don't let fear of the unknown keep you from getting there. Losing weight doesn't solve every problem in our lives, but it WILL improve your life in ways you can't even imagine.
Make today an on-plan day!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Running a Marathon
Yesterday morning I read a short story about the Comrades Marathon, which is held annually in South Africa. The Comrades Marathon began in 1921 and is the oldest ultramarathon, covering 56 miles (90 km). One individual has run this marathon every year since the 1980's, winning it none times between 1981 and 1990, setting a world record in 1986 (5 hours and 24 minutes and 7 seconds) that stood for 21 years. Wow!
I am NOT a runner but my younger daughter is, so even though I don't have first-hand experience in training for a marathon, I know a little bit about what goes in to preparing for one. Individuals who run marathons train for them and prepare themselves both physically and mentally. Once the race starts, they set a pace and stay focused on running their own race.
This weight loss journey is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It's important to get that distinction firmly into our minds, because we prepare very differently for a sprint than we do a marathon. Our mind has to be focused on the long-term - this is not a short-term process! If we're solely focused on short-term success, we're geared up for a sprint and may well run out of steam before we cross the finish line. There is a certain amount of endurance required, as well as a determination to stay focused on the goal, even if it's 56 miles away and we can't see it from where we are. Those ultramarathoners can't begin to see the goal line when they start the race, but they've prepared, they're focused on reaching their goal and they won't let anything stop them. They may not be able to see it, but there is no doubt in their mind that they'll get there by just putting one foot in front of the other.
Our marathon is one day at a time, perhaps even one meal at a time. But we WILL get there - there's no question about it - as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other. While you're running your own personal weight loss marathon, the crowd is cheering - for YOU! - so keep running. You may feel breathless at times, and your legs may ache from the effort, but keep putting one foot in front of the other, one meal at a time. You'll get there!!
I am NOT a runner but my younger daughter is, so even though I don't have first-hand experience in training for a marathon, I know a little bit about what goes in to preparing for one. Individuals who run marathons train for them and prepare themselves both physically and mentally. Once the race starts, they set a pace and stay focused on running their own race.
This weight loss journey is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It's important to get that distinction firmly into our minds, because we prepare very differently for a sprint than we do a marathon. Our mind has to be focused on the long-term - this is not a short-term process! If we're solely focused on short-term success, we're geared up for a sprint and may well run out of steam before we cross the finish line. There is a certain amount of endurance required, as well as a determination to stay focused on the goal, even if it's 56 miles away and we can't see it from where we are. Those ultramarathoners can't begin to see the goal line when they start the race, but they've prepared, they're focused on reaching their goal and they won't let anything stop them. They may not be able to see it, but there is no doubt in their mind that they'll get there by just putting one foot in front of the other.
Our marathon is one day at a time, perhaps even one meal at a time. But we WILL get there - there's no question about it - as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other. While you're running your own personal weight loss marathon, the crowd is cheering - for YOU! - so keep running. You may feel breathless at times, and your legs may ache from the effort, but keep putting one foot in front of the other, one meal at a time. You'll get there!!
Running a Marathon
Yesterday morning I read a short story about the Comrades Marathon, which is held annually in South Africa. The Comrades Marathon began in 1921 and is the oldest ultramarathon, covering 56 miles (90 km). One individual has run this marathon every year since the 1980's, winning it none times between 1981 and 1990, setting a world record in 1986 (5 hours and 24 minutes and 7 seconds) that stood for 21 years. Wow!
I am NOT a runner but my younger daughter is, so even though I don't have first-hand experience in training for a marathon, I know a little bit about what goes in to preparing for one. Individuals who run marathons train for them and prepare themselves both physically and mentally. Once the race starts, they set a pace and stay focused on running their own race.
This weight loss journey is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It's important to get that distinction firmly into our minds, because we prepare very differently for a sprint than we do a marathon. Our mind has to be focused on the long-term - this is not a short-term process! If we're solely focused on short-term success, we're geared up for a sprint and may well run out of steam before we cross the finish line. There is a certain amount of endurance required, as well as a determination to stay focused on the goal, even if it's 56 miles away and we can't see it from where we are. Those ultramarathoners can't begin to see the goal line when they start the race, but they've prepared, they're focused on reaching their goal and they won't let anything stop them. They may not be able to see it, but there is no doubt in their mind that they'll get there by just putting one foot in front of the other.
Our marathon is one day at a time, perhaps even one meal at a time. But we
WILL get there - there's no question about it - as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other. While you're running your own personal weight loss marathon, the crowd is cheering - for YOU! - so keep running. You may feel breathless at times, and your legs may ache from the effort, but keep putting one foot in front of the other, one meal at a time. You'll get there!!
I am NOT a runner but my younger daughter is, so even though I don't have first-hand experience in training for a marathon, I know a little bit about what goes in to preparing for one. Individuals who run marathons train for them and prepare themselves both physically and mentally. Once the race starts, they set a pace and stay focused on running their own race.
This weight loss journey is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It's important to get that distinction firmly into our minds, because we prepare very differently for a sprint than we do a marathon. Our mind has to be focused on the long-term - this is not a short-term process! If we're solely focused on short-term success, we're geared up for a sprint and may well run out of steam before we cross the finish line. There is a certain amount of endurance required, as well as a determination to stay focused on the goal, even if it's 56 miles away and we can't see it from where we are. Those ultramarathoners can't begin to see the goal line when they start the race, but they've prepared, they're focused on reaching their goal and they won't let anything stop them. They may not be able to see it, but there is no doubt in their mind that they'll get there by just putting one foot in front of the other.
Our marathon is one day at a time, perhaps even one meal at a time. But we
WILL get there - there's no question about it - as long as we keep putting one foot in front of the other. While you're running your own personal weight loss marathon, the crowd is cheering - for YOU! - so keep running. You may feel breathless at times, and your legs may ache from the effort, but keep putting one foot in front of the other, one meal at a time. You'll get there!!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
How About Those Resolutions?
Welcome to September! I am in disbelief that it's September, even as I type the word!
September is a great time to take stock of where we're at. Remember those New Year's resolutions we made 9 months ago? How are you doing? Do you even remember most of them?
I'm guessing that one of the resolutions you made was to lose weight and get healthy, right? For the over 20 years that I spent being obese, losing weight was ALWAYS on my list of New Year's resolutions. No surprise that each September inevitably found me no closer to my goal than I was when I made that resolution. That all changed, of course, when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007. 2009 was the first year in over two decades that didn't include "losing weight" as one of my resolutions :-).
If you're continuing to make steady progress towards your goal, keep up the great work! Even if you aren't where you wanted to be, look at how far you've come and celebrate that. You're on track to end 2009 strong, so pat yourself on the back and keep your eyes on the prize.
If you've been struggling, especially over the summer, now is a perfect time to get back on plan and back on track. There are four months left in 2009, plenty of time to make real progress towards (or maybe even to reach!) your goal.
Time is going to pass, whether you're on plan or not. The question is, where do you want to be four months from today when we ring in 2010? Getting where you want to be starts with one committed day at a time :-)
September is a great time to take stock of where we're at. Remember those New Year's resolutions we made 9 months ago? How are you doing? Do you even remember most of them?
I'm guessing that one of the resolutions you made was to lose weight and get healthy, right? For the over 20 years that I spent being obese, losing weight was ALWAYS on my list of New Year's resolutions. No surprise that each September inevitably found me no closer to my goal than I was when I made that resolution. That all changed, of course, when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007. 2009 was the first year in over two decades that didn't include "losing weight" as one of my resolutions :-).
If you're continuing to make steady progress towards your goal, keep up the great work! Even if you aren't where you wanted to be, look at how far you've come and celebrate that. You're on track to end 2009 strong, so pat yourself on the back and keep your eyes on the prize.
If you've been struggling, especially over the summer, now is a perfect time to get back on plan and back on track. There are four months left in 2009, plenty of time to make real progress towards (or maybe even to reach!) your goal.
Time is going to pass, whether you're on plan or not. The question is, where do you want to be four months from today when we ring in 2010? Getting where you want to be starts with one committed day at a time :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
