When it comes to "magic" weight loss, the news is filled with tricks and definitely NO treats. There were two separate news articles yesterday that caught my attention and neither was good news for anyone looking for an easy answer to losing weight.
The first article was alarming, actually. Apparently there are a number of patients of a California plastic surgeon who have elected to have a patch surgically applied to their tongue. The purpose, according to the physician, is to "make chewing solid foods very difficult and painful, limiting the patient to a liquid diet." I read that and thought, "you have GOT to be kidding me" . . . except I knew it wasn't a joke. The article included concerns from other physicians about the risk of infection and other potential complications from this procedure. Apparently the tongue patch is intended to be kept in place for only 30 days before being removed, but this is certainly not a wise approach, even on a short-term basis.
The other article announced that federal health regulators have decided not to approve an experimental diet pill which had been touted by some experts as the most promising weight-loss drug in over a decade. The FDA has asked for more study results and additional information on the drug's possible health risks, including major cardiovascular events and risks for women of childbearing age. The article went on to say that research continues in an effort to find an answer to America's obesity crisis.
In my humble opinion, the answer to America's obesity crisis will never be found in a surgical procedure, any surgical procedure, and it won't be found in a pill, either. These are all attempts to treat the symptoms and don't address the cause.
I'm not a psychologist and I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush, but I know that I didn't double my weight between my early 30's and my early/mid 50's because I was (am) a good cook and enjoy food. I spent a lot of time in denial to be sure, but even in my denial I understood that I was doing a lot of emotional eating. No surgery and no drug could fix that . . .
It wasn't until I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast that I finally began the work of addressing my emotional eating issues. What prompted me to do that were two things: first of all, I couldn't justify the cost of doing this program unless I was actually DOING the program. I knew it would only be cost-neutral if I was staying on plan. Secondly, when the weight started coming off, I was afraid to mess up what was finally clearly working and working well, so I was motivated to stay on plan. Both of these compelling reasons to stay on plan forced me to begin to deal with the stuff of life without running to food to stuff my feelings. At the time I made the decision to stay on plan, I certainly didn't think about the emotional ramifications of that decision, but learning how to deal with stress, boredom, etc. without running to chocolate (my drug of choice) made all of the difference for me.
As I've shared before, part of my story is that I learned that food couldn't fix the issues and I learned to turn in a deeper way to the true Source of my comfort - my Heavenly Father. He was and is faithful in meeting my every need!
Take Shape for Life/Medifast isn't a bag of tricks - it's a solid, proven program that works. If you make the choice to work the program, you will not only lose weight, but you just might experience personal growth in the process. How's that for an added treat?
It all begins with the choices you make. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Change: Another Perspective
Yesterday's blog stated that no change = no change. A friend of mine sent me an e-mail to let me know that he disagreed with what I'd written. Here's what he wrote:
You know what? I agree with him :-) Our bodies are constantly changing, whether or not we're aware of the change. It's not possible to remain static - frozen in time. If we aren't taking action, we may think that nothing is changing, but over time the changes taking place inside our bodies will become evident.
We don't see the change, good or not, on a day-to-day basis. I've heard Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, say that it doesn't matter today if you eat a cheeseburger or not, but it matters over time. We don't see the immediate results/consequences of the choices we make today, but we shouldn't fool ourselves and think that not seeing them means there aren't results/consequences.
Staying on plan today might not reward you with a drop on the scale tomorrow, but over time your choice WILL make a difference because you WILL reach your goal. While you're staying on plan, you are also improving your health because you are positively impacting your cholesterol, blood pressure, managing your blood sugar, and reducing inflammation. These improvements will make a big difference in your health in the long run.
My friend is right. Our bodies WILL change over time and all we can do is choose the path that change will take. Which path do you want? Choose wisely :-)
I must disagree with your blog today. No Change = No Change is not true. We are always changing. We cannot alter the fact that we are changing we can only direct the path of change by our choices. We are in a constant path of change. Our choices only direct us down which path of change we move. The easiest path is the path of poor eating habits resulting in poor health. If we are on this path and we refuse to make choices that move us into a different direction our body will continue to change but in ways that are dangerous to our well being. If we choose to make wiser eating and health choices we move to the other path of change, change in a healthier direction.
We can't stop the fact that our bodies are changing. To choose to stay on the same path will result in arriving at the destination of being unhealthy. To choose to turn around ('repent') and choose a newer healthier path will take us to a destination of optimal health. But we will always have some of change in our life it is just which path of change we will choose.
You know what? I agree with him :-) Our bodies are constantly changing, whether or not we're aware of the change. It's not possible to remain static - frozen in time. If we aren't taking action, we may think that nothing is changing, but over time the changes taking place inside our bodies will become evident.
We don't see the change, good or not, on a day-to-day basis. I've heard Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, say that it doesn't matter today if you eat a cheeseburger or not, but it matters over time. We don't see the immediate results/consequences of the choices we make today, but we shouldn't fool ourselves and think that not seeing them means there aren't results/consequences.
Staying on plan today might not reward you with a drop on the scale tomorrow, but over time your choice WILL make a difference because you WILL reach your goal. While you're staying on plan, you are also improving your health because you are positively impacting your cholesterol, blood pressure, managing your blood sugar, and reducing inflammation. These improvements will make a big difference in your health in the long run.
My friend is right. Our bodies WILL change over time and all we can do is choose the path that change will take. Which path do you want? Choose wisely :-)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Still Thinking About Change
Yesterday I blogged about the fact that not changing is really choosing to stay where we are. I'd like to expand on that thought a bit today. Basically, another way to say this is: no change = no change.
That pretty much says it. If what we are doing and the way we are thinking isn't producing the results we're seeking, then there's only one thing to do: CHANGE!
For me, I spent years in the no change = no change rut. I made repeated attempts to lose weight (name a diet and I probably tried it at one time or another), but I was only kind of sort of trying to change the outside without really being willing and ready to fundamentally change how I thought and emotionally related to food. I wanted to change the outside without being willing to change the inside, and it never worked.
The reason why I know I wasn't ready to change how I thought and emotionally related to food is because I was always trying to outsmart the program I was on. I was never ready and willing to just follow the program (and given some of the crazy programs I tried, lack of compliance was probably a GOOD thing in those instances). Regardless of what program I was on, whatever level of compliance I had was limited to my mood, stress level, etc. If things in my life were less than ideal, it was too easy to decide that it wasn't going to be a "good diet day." This went on for two frustrating decades. The only change I experienced was an increase in my weight and a decline in my health. Not exactly the change I was looking for!
For change to begin or continue in your life, you have to be ready to change - not just your outside, but your inside. Are you ready? If so, your willingness to change will be reflected in the choices you make today. Different choices WILL equal change, so choose wisely :-)
That pretty much says it. If what we are doing and the way we are thinking isn't producing the results we're seeking, then there's only one thing to do: CHANGE!
For me, I spent years in the no change = no change rut. I made repeated attempts to lose weight (name a diet and I probably tried it at one time or another), but I was only kind of sort of trying to change the outside without really being willing and ready to fundamentally change how I thought and emotionally related to food. I wanted to change the outside without being willing to change the inside, and it never worked.
The reason why I know I wasn't ready to change how I thought and emotionally related to food is because I was always trying to outsmart the program I was on. I was never ready and willing to just follow the program (and given some of the crazy programs I tried, lack of compliance was probably a GOOD thing in those instances). Regardless of what program I was on, whatever level of compliance I had was limited to my mood, stress level, etc. If things in my life were less than ideal, it was too easy to decide that it wasn't going to be a "good diet day." This went on for two frustrating decades. The only change I experienced was an increase in my weight and a decline in my health. Not exactly the change I was looking for!
For change to begin or continue in your life, you have to be ready to change - not just your outside, but your inside. Are you ready? If so, your willingness to change will be reflected in the choices you make today. Different choices WILL equal change, so choose wisely :-)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Choosing Change or Choosing Status Quo
Here's a quote to ponder a while: "Whatever you are not changing . . . you are choosing." What do you think?
I had to think about that for a bit, but it makes sense. There are certainly some things in our lives that we CAN'T change, but we have the ability to change a lot more than we often think we can . . . IF we choose. When there are things in our lives that we wish were different and we have the ability to change them, inaction really boils down to our decision to choose the status quo.
That certainly is true when it comes to our weight - the issue that brought all of us here :-). It doesn't matter what we think our genetics are, it doesn't matter if we've never been at a healthy weight in our lives, it doesn't matter how old we are or anything else. We can change our weight and begin or continue on a path to a healthy weight if we choose. If we aren't making progress and losing weight, if we aren't taking control of our weight, then it's because we're choosing to stay at an unhealthy weight.
Nobody can do this program for us. Conversely, nobody can make us go off plan. The only exception to the last sentence would be if someone tied us to a chair, pried our mouth open and force-fed us. I doubt that's happened to anybody lately!
I'm not saying that staying on plan is easy, because it's not. I also fully understand the struggle with emotional eating as I was a long-time emotional eater. However, it's still our choice - every time. The reality is that if we decide to change, really decide, we will make the choices we need to make that change happen. We may not do this perfectly, but over time our choices will more and more align with our decision to implement change.
So what are you choosing today? Are you choosing to change, or are you making the choice to stay where you are? The secondary choices you make today will support what it is that you really want. Choose wisely :-)
I had to think about that for a bit, but it makes sense. There are certainly some things in our lives that we CAN'T change, but we have the ability to change a lot more than we often think we can . . . IF we choose. When there are things in our lives that we wish were different and we have the ability to change them, inaction really boils down to our decision to choose the status quo.
That certainly is true when it comes to our weight - the issue that brought all of us here :-). It doesn't matter what we think our genetics are, it doesn't matter if we've never been at a healthy weight in our lives, it doesn't matter how old we are or anything else. We can change our weight and begin or continue on a path to a healthy weight if we choose. If we aren't making progress and losing weight, if we aren't taking control of our weight, then it's because we're choosing to stay at an unhealthy weight.
Nobody can do this program for us. Conversely, nobody can make us go off plan. The only exception to the last sentence would be if someone tied us to a chair, pried our mouth open and force-fed us. I doubt that's happened to anybody lately!
I'm not saying that staying on plan is easy, because it's not. I also fully understand the struggle with emotional eating as I was a long-time emotional eater. However, it's still our choice - every time. The reality is that if we decide to change, really decide, we will make the choices we need to make that change happen. We may not do this perfectly, but over time our choices will more and more align with our decision to implement change.
So what are you choosing today? Are you choosing to change, or are you making the choice to stay where you are? The secondary choices you make today will support what it is that you really want. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Holiday Surviving AND Thriving!
Every month we have a get-together for individuals in the area who are on (or who have been on) 5&1. Last night was one of our get-togethers and we talked about how to survive the holidays. With Thanksgiving a month away and Christmas less than two months from now, it really IS time to start thinking about how to successfully navigate the holidays. I'm pretty passionate about this because I've seen far too many people fall off program around the holidays and struggle terribly to get back on plan. Sadly some of them find it almost impossible to restart once they're off.
Three years ago I faced the upcoming holiday season and knew I needed a survival strategy - and fast! I didn't have the option of sitting out the holidays because the entire family gathers at my house for our holiday meals. We had 26 people at our house for Thanksgiving dinner that year and 23 for Christmas. We also hosted family member and friends for both a Christmas Eve supper and a New Year's Eve dinner party. Because I had been on plan since June 24 of that year and had lost a lot of weight by early November, I really didn't want to mess up what was clearly a good thing. I felt great and was seeing consistent results and was really afraid to go off plan. At the same time, I knew I wouldn't be happy eating a simple lean and green (or worse, sipping a Take Shape for Life/Medifast shake) while everyone else was enjoying a traditional holiday meal.
One of my friends who is very creative with recipes put together some great "legal" holiday recipes. Her efforts resulted in a great - and legal - recipe for stuffing, a couple of different recipes for pumpkin pie, as well as recipes for mock mashed potatoes and green bean casserole! These recipes enabled me to have the flavors of a traditional holiday meal and my plate looked a lot like everyone else's plate, but I stayed on plan and my total calories on Thanksgiving Day 2007 were right around 900. Best of all, that year I lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day!
By making the decision today to stay on program through the holidays, you will be making a choice that will keep you moving toward your goal. Once the decision is made, planning now what you're going to do is key. You'll never regret making the choice to stay on plan and this choice will, Lord willing, enable you to enjoy countless holiday seasons in the years to come - healthy and looking and feeling fabulous! The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
*****
If you would like the holiday recipes, I have posted the recipe collection as a note on my Facebook page. If you do a search for "justpraisin" you will find my page :-)
Three years ago I faced the upcoming holiday season and knew I needed a survival strategy - and fast! I didn't have the option of sitting out the holidays because the entire family gathers at my house for our holiday meals. We had 26 people at our house for Thanksgiving dinner that year and 23 for Christmas. We also hosted family member and friends for both a Christmas Eve supper and a New Year's Eve dinner party. Because I had been on plan since June 24 of that year and had lost a lot of weight by early November, I really didn't want to mess up what was clearly a good thing. I felt great and was seeing consistent results and was really afraid to go off plan. At the same time, I knew I wouldn't be happy eating a simple lean and green (or worse, sipping a Take Shape for Life/Medifast shake) while everyone else was enjoying a traditional holiday meal.
One of my friends who is very creative with recipes put together some great "legal" holiday recipes. Her efforts resulted in a great - and legal - recipe for stuffing, a couple of different recipes for pumpkin pie, as well as recipes for mock mashed potatoes and green bean casserole! These recipes enabled me to have the flavors of a traditional holiday meal and my plate looked a lot like everyone else's plate, but I stayed on plan and my total calories on Thanksgiving Day 2007 were right around 900. Best of all, that year I lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day!
By making the decision today to stay on program through the holidays, you will be making a choice that will keep you moving toward your goal. Once the decision is made, planning now what you're going to do is key. You'll never regret making the choice to stay on plan and this choice will, Lord willing, enable you to enjoy countless holiday seasons in the years to come - healthy and looking and feeling fabulous! The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
*****
If you would like the holiday recipes, I have posted the recipe collection as a note on my Facebook page. If you do a search for "justpraisin" you will find my page :-)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Getting Healthier - Body and Mind
I had a fun conversation yesterday morning with a friend of mine who's lost 26 pounds in the past six weeks on our program. Naturally she's excited about her progress, and she's also happy that she's sleeping better and no longer having problems with gastric reflux.
What was most interesting to me was her comment that she was really excited because her "mind is getting healthy." She explained that her thinking is changing and she is embracing this program as a permanent, healthy lifestyle change. Wow! She really gets it, and I'm so excited for her. Because her mind is getting healthy, she isn't viewing this program as a diet (because it's NOT a diet!).
I've said for a long time that the food part of this program is the easy part - the hard part is the head and heart part. Changing how we think and how we emotionally relate to food is essential if we're going to not only reach our goal, but have the healthy habits we need to maintain our weight loss and continue. These changes don't happen overnight, but they do happen over time IF we make the decision to truly change our lives.
In my opinion, one of the best tools available to guide us in making those changes is "Dr. A's Habits of Health," the book written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen. This is a comprehensive guide to helping us make permanent changes in our lives. Dr. A spends a lot of time talking about how to change our orientation and move from focusing on solving a problem (like being overweight) to creating something you want in your life.
I'm happy for my friend and also for others who realize that their minds are getting healthier right along with their bodies. There are so many tangible ways to measure our success on this program: the scale, the tape measure, what size we're in, etc. Measuring other, intangible improvements is more difficult, but the change is still happening and it makes all of the difference in the long run.
Getting healthy in both our bodies and our minds happens one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
What was most interesting to me was her comment that she was really excited because her "mind is getting healthy." She explained that her thinking is changing and she is embracing this program as a permanent, healthy lifestyle change. Wow! She really gets it, and I'm so excited for her. Because her mind is getting healthy, she isn't viewing this program as a diet (because it's NOT a diet!).
I've said for a long time that the food part of this program is the easy part - the hard part is the head and heart part. Changing how we think and how we emotionally relate to food is essential if we're going to not only reach our goal, but have the healthy habits we need to maintain our weight loss and continue. These changes don't happen overnight, but they do happen over time IF we make the decision to truly change our lives.
In my opinion, one of the best tools available to guide us in making those changes is "Dr. A's Habits of Health," the book written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen. This is a comprehensive guide to helping us make permanent changes in our lives. Dr. A spends a lot of time talking about how to change our orientation and move from focusing on solving a problem (like being overweight) to creating something you want in your life.
I'm happy for my friend and also for others who realize that their minds are getting healthier right along with their bodies. There are so many tangible ways to measure our success on this program: the scale, the tape measure, what size we're in, etc. Measuring other, intangible improvements is more difficult, but the change is still happening and it makes all of the difference in the long run.
Getting healthy in both our bodies and our minds happens one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Making Choices
We made a last-minute decision last Friday to drive to Indiana and visit some friends for the weekend. Our visit included a couple of meals at a restaurant. Because I went on 5&1 last Tuesday and have made the decision to take off a few pounds, my menu options at the restaurants were a bit more limited. Funny thing was - I was OK with that. I'd made the decision to go back on the program for a couple of weeks, so the other menu choices weren't particularly tempting. Our friends ordered what they wanted and my husband and I did the same, sticking with salad, veggie, and, as it turned out, salmon for both meals (one Saturday night and one Sunday afternoon).
It's amazing how quickly things in my brain "clicked" once I made the decision and went back on program. I know what I want and am very focused on my goal, so being around off-plan food really isn't an issue anymore.
It wasn't that way when I first went on 5&1 and early on I definitely struggled at times with feeling deprived and looking at all of the things that I "couldn't have." However, over time I began to embrace the reality that I COULD have those things - if I wanted to and chose to have them. I was a grown-up and free to make those choices. I also understood that there was something I wanted more than the food - I wanted to get to my goal and have a thin, healthy body. Because I wanted that, and I really did want that, I made the choice to not eat certain things. I've written a lot about the need to make secondary choices to support our primary choice, and I keep going back to this because it is SO important!
If you have a mindset that thinks of this program as being all about deprivation - can't have that and can't have this - your journey will be a lot more of a struggle. None of us likes to feel deprived. We are hardwired to take care of ourselves and feeling deprived for very long often leads to resentment and anger. Those feelings are hard to carry with us for weeks or months at a time and staying in a deprivation mindset often leads to eventually going off plan because we feel almost driven to "be good to ourselves."
However, if we've made the primary choice to get healthy, then we will view the secondary choices we make - including staying on program - from a different perspective. We will understand that these choices are steps on a ladder, with each choice bringing us that much closer to what we really want. We will embrace these choices are just that - the choices we are choosing to make. When I was on 5&1, I adopted the mindset of "I can have anything I want any time I want, but I am choosing to eat 5&1 instead of that because 5&1 will get me where I want to go and that won't." That thinking kept me out of feeling deprived all the time and it was one of the things that helped keep me focused and relatively cheerful all the way to my goal (I said relatively . . . !).
You don't have to stay on plan and you don't have to reach your goal. You really don't! The choice is yours, and if you've made the choice to stay on plan and get to your goal (and I hope you have!), then embrace this as your choice, then continue to choose wisely :-)
It's amazing how quickly things in my brain "clicked" once I made the decision and went back on program. I know what I want and am very focused on my goal, so being around off-plan food really isn't an issue anymore.
It wasn't that way when I first went on 5&1 and early on I definitely struggled at times with feeling deprived and looking at all of the things that I "couldn't have." However, over time I began to embrace the reality that I COULD have those things - if I wanted to and chose to have them. I was a grown-up and free to make those choices. I also understood that there was something I wanted more than the food - I wanted to get to my goal and have a thin, healthy body. Because I wanted that, and I really did want that, I made the choice to not eat certain things. I've written a lot about the need to make secondary choices to support our primary choice, and I keep going back to this because it is SO important!
If you have a mindset that thinks of this program as being all about deprivation - can't have that and can't have this - your journey will be a lot more of a struggle. None of us likes to feel deprived. We are hardwired to take care of ourselves and feeling deprived for very long often leads to resentment and anger. Those feelings are hard to carry with us for weeks or months at a time and staying in a deprivation mindset often leads to eventually going off plan because we feel almost driven to "be good to ourselves."
However, if we've made the primary choice to get healthy, then we will view the secondary choices we make - including staying on program - from a different perspective. We will understand that these choices are steps on a ladder, with each choice bringing us that much closer to what we really want. We will embrace these choices are just that - the choices we are choosing to make. When I was on 5&1, I adopted the mindset of "I can have anything I want any time I want, but I am choosing to eat 5&1 instead of that because 5&1 will get me where I want to go and that won't." That thinking kept me out of feeling deprived all the time and it was one of the things that helped keep me focused and relatively cheerful all the way to my goal (I said relatively . . . !).
You don't have to stay on plan and you don't have to reach your goal. You really don't! The choice is yours, and if you've made the choice to stay on plan and get to your goal (and I hope you have!), then embrace this as your choice, then continue to choose wisely :-)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
More Reason Than Ever
As if we didn't have reason enough to lose weight and get healthy, a report released by the CDC a couple of days ago should do it. According to the report, diabetes will double or trip in the U.S. by 2050, with up to one-third of adults having diabetes if the current trend continues. " 'We project that, over the next 40 years, the prevalence of total diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) in the United States will increase from its current level of about one in 10 adults to between one in five and one in three adults in 2050,' the CDC's James Boyle and colleagues wrote in their report."
Before we dismiss this report with thoughts that by 2050 we'll either be ancient or dead so who cares?, the reality is that in 2050 those diabetics will be our children and our grandchildren. The unhealthy habits that are becoming ingrained now will wreak havoc on the next generation unless things change drastically.
I've seen the ugliness of diabetes up close and personal. My paternal grandmother died at age 68 from complications of diabetes, one of my maternal great-grandmothers lost a leg due to diabetes, as did my mom's brother, my uncle. Several of my mom's first cousins died early due to complications of diabetes, including stroke and kidney failure, and one of her cousins had a leg amputated while in his early/mid 60's. My mom lost part of her vision in one eye and has diminished kidney function because of her own diabetes (now under control thanks to Take Shape for Life/Medifast). Believe me when I tell you that I wouldn't wish diabetes on my worst enemy, and the thought that my children or grandchildren could end up diabetic is terrible.
What's also terrible is the truth that diabetes is preventable. It can sometimes even be reversed - IF individuals are willing to make permanent changes in their lifestyle. I've had the joy of working with a number of diabetics who've seen a tremendous improvement in their disease once they were on this program, often quickly reducing or even eliminating their medication. My own mom (age 81) is pretty much off of her insulin (previously she took 4-7 units of insulin after every meal and still ran pretty high numbers).
So what's our part in stemming an epidemic that won't reach its full impact until 2050 or beyond? Our part is to make the decision to take charge of our own health now. By doing so, we will not only add years to our own lives (to say nothing of improving the quality of our lives), but we will also be setting a healthy example for the next generation, and the one after that. For those of you who are still busy raising children, you have the opportunity to begin changing your children's health future today.
We can't help others until we help ourselves - we need to lead a new health revolution by example. We can't expect our families to make healthy choices if we aren't willing to do so ourselves. We will help ourselves - and our families - one day and one choice at a time. For your own sake, for the sake of those you love, choose wisely :-)
Before we dismiss this report with thoughts that by 2050 we'll either be ancient or dead so who cares?, the reality is that in 2050 those diabetics will be our children and our grandchildren. The unhealthy habits that are becoming ingrained now will wreak havoc on the next generation unless things change drastically.
I've seen the ugliness of diabetes up close and personal. My paternal grandmother died at age 68 from complications of diabetes, one of my maternal great-grandmothers lost a leg due to diabetes, as did my mom's brother, my uncle. Several of my mom's first cousins died early due to complications of diabetes, including stroke and kidney failure, and one of her cousins had a leg amputated while in his early/mid 60's. My mom lost part of her vision in one eye and has diminished kidney function because of her own diabetes (now under control thanks to Take Shape for Life/Medifast). Believe me when I tell you that I wouldn't wish diabetes on my worst enemy, and the thought that my children or grandchildren could end up diabetic is terrible.
What's also terrible is the truth that diabetes is preventable. It can sometimes even be reversed - IF individuals are willing to make permanent changes in their lifestyle. I've had the joy of working with a number of diabetics who've seen a tremendous improvement in their disease once they were on this program, often quickly reducing or even eliminating their medication. My own mom (age 81) is pretty much off of her insulin (previously she took 4-7 units of insulin after every meal and still ran pretty high numbers).
So what's our part in stemming an epidemic that won't reach its full impact until 2050 or beyond? Our part is to make the decision to take charge of our own health now. By doing so, we will not only add years to our own lives (to say nothing of improving the quality of our lives), but we will also be setting a healthy example for the next generation, and the one after that. For those of you who are still busy raising children, you have the opportunity to begin changing your children's health future today.
We can't help others until we help ourselves - we need to lead a new health revolution by example. We can't expect our families to make healthy choices if we aren't willing to do so ourselves. We will help ourselves - and our families - one day and one choice at a time. For your own sake, for the sake of those you love, choose wisely :-)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Victories and Challenges
Even though there are still some struggles for me in maintenance, I am so happy to realize that other things are no longer an issue. Going back on 5&1 has challenged me to evaluate and re-evaluate what's gone right for the past 2.5 years in maintenance and what still needs work.
I still struggle with quantity - my "clean plate club" mentality is still alive and kicking and it's hard to not finish what's on my plate, regardless of how full I may be. Perhaps it's a remnant of my "think of the starving children in India" childhood, or perhaps it's something else, but I have a tendency to keep going until the food is gone. I can still put away a lot of food at a single meal, so becoming more mindful of quantity and paying close attention (and not ignoring!) those full signals is important.
What's no longer an issue is the quality of the food I eat. I used to be pretty indiscriminate about my food - if it was food, I'd eat it. I ate a fair amount of fast food and consumed too many empty calories, especially sugary foods. Sugar is still an issue at times, but I don't eat fast food or junk food. Potato chips, etc. have no place in my life, partly because I can't just eat one. I try hard to make sure that I'm not consuming empty calories.
Because I don't want to consume empty calories, one of my "maintenance rules" is that I don't drink calories. My Starbucks treat is now a venti Americano with a shot of sugar-free syrup. Sometimes I'll put in a little bit of cream, but most of the time I skip the cream, making it a delicious and guilt-free treat.
Best of all, I no longer run to food to meet my emotional needs. That was SUCH a long-time struggle, but I learned the first time around that food is incapable of meeting or fixing my emotional needs. Yesterday a situation came up that was quite upsetting for me and for a second I had visions of diving into chocolate to help me deal with my frustration. But I didn't. I acknowledged how I was feeling, then I brought the issue to the Lord and asked for His peace and His strength. I had to keep releasing the issue over the next couple of hours, but the peace and the strength was there and I stayed on plan and finished Day 4 of 5&1 without a hiccup. I can't even express what a huge victory this is for me!
I do want to point out that, in addition to praying, I also don't have any chocolate in the house, other than Medifast Dutch chocolate shakes, Medifast chocolate pudding, and Medifast chocolate crunch bars. I've set up my environment for success and I keep triggers out of the house. Even though I don't have that "I have to eat chocolate NOW" urge any more, I am a firm believer in avoiding temptation. Testing my resolve by keeping trigger food in the house just isn't wise.
So, five days into 5&1, there's a funky sweet taste in my mouth (yeah fat-burning!!) and an understanding of where I've had victory and where I still need some work :-). I praise God for the areas where I've grown and am depending on Him to help me in the areas where I need to grow. As I do that, I'll continue to do what I encourage all of you to do: choose wisely :-)
I still struggle with quantity - my "clean plate club" mentality is still alive and kicking and it's hard to not finish what's on my plate, regardless of how full I may be. Perhaps it's a remnant of my "think of the starving children in India" childhood, or perhaps it's something else, but I have a tendency to keep going until the food is gone. I can still put away a lot of food at a single meal, so becoming more mindful of quantity and paying close attention (and not ignoring!) those full signals is important.
What's no longer an issue is the quality of the food I eat. I used to be pretty indiscriminate about my food - if it was food, I'd eat it. I ate a fair amount of fast food and consumed too many empty calories, especially sugary foods. Sugar is still an issue at times, but I don't eat fast food or junk food. Potato chips, etc. have no place in my life, partly because I can't just eat one. I try hard to make sure that I'm not consuming empty calories.
Because I don't want to consume empty calories, one of my "maintenance rules" is that I don't drink calories. My Starbucks treat is now a venti Americano with a shot of sugar-free syrup. Sometimes I'll put in a little bit of cream, but most of the time I skip the cream, making it a delicious and guilt-free treat.
Best of all, I no longer run to food to meet my emotional needs. That was SUCH a long-time struggle, but I learned the first time around that food is incapable of meeting or fixing my emotional needs. Yesterday a situation came up that was quite upsetting for me and for a second I had visions of diving into chocolate to help me deal with my frustration. But I didn't. I acknowledged how I was feeling, then I brought the issue to the Lord and asked for His peace and His strength. I had to keep releasing the issue over the next couple of hours, but the peace and the strength was there and I stayed on plan and finished Day 4 of 5&1 without a hiccup. I can't even express what a huge victory this is for me!
I do want to point out that, in addition to praying, I also don't have any chocolate in the house, other than Medifast Dutch chocolate shakes, Medifast chocolate pudding, and Medifast chocolate crunch bars. I've set up my environment for success and I keep triggers out of the house. Even though I don't have that "I have to eat chocolate NOW" urge any more, I am a firm believer in avoiding temptation. Testing my resolve by keeping trigger food in the house just isn't wise.
So, five days into 5&1, there's a funky sweet taste in my mouth (yeah fat-burning!!) and an understanding of where I've had victory and where I still need some work :-). I praise God for the areas where I've grown and am depending on Him to help me in the areas where I need to grow. As I do that, I'll continue to do what I encourage all of you to do: choose wisely :-)
Friday, October 22, 2010
Interested or Committed?
I love Facebook. Not only does it allow me to take a peek into the daily activities of my married daughters, both of whom are active Facebook participants, and has enabled me to reconnect with friends from high school and college, it also provides ideas and inspiration for my blogs (you didn't think everything I write was 100% original, did you? :-) )
Yesterday a Facebook friend of mine posted the following quote on her status update, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Here's the quote: "There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're' interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permits. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."
I've written before about the difference between being interested in doing something (like losing weight) and committing to doing it, but I like the way this quote sums it up. It's really true, when you stop and think about it.
To be honest, quotes like this one used to make me mad, especially as it related to weight loss. I really thought I was committed to losing weight - goodness, I tried every new diet that came out! Didn't that prove how committed I was to losing weight? I sure thought so!
What I understand now is that up until I finally started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was just interested in losing weight, not committed to doing so. I was interested and as long as nothing came up in my life, I was fairly compliant with whatever plan I was on and dutifully counted the obligatory calories, carbs, fat grams or points. I was really pretty good, at least until something came up. The problem, of course, was that something ALWAYS came up! It was almost impossible to get through an entire week without SOMETHING coming up. We'd go out to dinner with friends or our Bible study group would meet and there would be a homemade dessert or the kids would want to come over for pizza or . . . you get the idea. Throw in a fair amount of stress (after all, I couldn't be expected to stay on a program when I was stressed, could I?) and a busy schedule that sometimes had me grabbing a meal at a fast-food drive-through and I was almost always more "off" than I was "on" any program I'd ever tried. I was interested in losing weight all right, but I was only interested in doing something as long as it was easy and there were no obstacles of any kind in my way.
How frustrating that life is always throwing obstacles in our way! If we're only interested in losing weight, those obstacles will trip us up over and over again.
However, when we're committed to losing weight, it's amazing at how our attitude changes. We see the excuses for what they are - excuses - and we're focused on results. Once we know what we want, we figure it out. I've seen this happen over and over again.
Are you interested in getting to a healthy weight or are you committed to reaching your goal? If you're committed - if you've made the fundamental choice to get there - then the choices you face become much easier because you will make the choices necessary to get you where you want to be. What do you want? Be honest with yourself as you answer that question, then choose wisely :-)
Yesterday a Facebook friend of mine posted the following quote on her status update, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Here's the quote: "There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you're' interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permits. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."
I've written before about the difference between being interested in doing something (like losing weight) and committing to doing it, but I like the way this quote sums it up. It's really true, when you stop and think about it.
To be honest, quotes like this one used to make me mad, especially as it related to weight loss. I really thought I was committed to losing weight - goodness, I tried every new diet that came out! Didn't that prove how committed I was to losing weight? I sure thought so!
What I understand now is that up until I finally started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I was just interested in losing weight, not committed to doing so. I was interested and as long as nothing came up in my life, I was fairly compliant with whatever plan I was on and dutifully counted the obligatory calories, carbs, fat grams or points. I was really pretty good, at least until something came up. The problem, of course, was that something ALWAYS came up! It was almost impossible to get through an entire week without SOMETHING coming up. We'd go out to dinner with friends or our Bible study group would meet and there would be a homemade dessert or the kids would want to come over for pizza or . . . you get the idea. Throw in a fair amount of stress (after all, I couldn't be expected to stay on a program when I was stressed, could I?) and a busy schedule that sometimes had me grabbing a meal at a fast-food drive-through and I was almost always more "off" than I was "on" any program I'd ever tried. I was interested in losing weight all right, but I was only interested in doing something as long as it was easy and there were no obstacles of any kind in my way.
How frustrating that life is always throwing obstacles in our way! If we're only interested in losing weight, those obstacles will trip us up over and over again.
However, when we're committed to losing weight, it's amazing at how our attitude changes. We see the excuses for what they are - excuses - and we're focused on results. Once we know what we want, we figure it out. I've seen this happen over and over again.
Are you interested in getting to a healthy weight or are you committed to reaching your goal? If you're committed - if you've made the fundamental choice to get there - then the choices you face become much easier because you will make the choices necessary to get you where you want to be. What do you want? Be honest with yourself as you answer that question, then choose wisely :-)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Closing the Gap
Today is Day 3 back on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 and it's amazing how much better I feel already :-). Note to self: do NOT eat sludge . . . it's not worth it on SO many levels!
I had a bit of a nagging headache yesterday, but I wasn't quite sure if the headache was related to the "wonderful" 3-5 day "getting into fat-burning" phase of this program or if it was due to lingering jet lag. Thankfully the headache wasn't bad enough to need even aspirin, so I'm not complaining.
Last night it was past 10:30 when I realized that I still needed one more meal. Medifast parmesan cheese puffs to the rescue! I love the fact that the hunger begins to dissipate so quickly. At the risk of giving you WAY too much information, I have also been shedding excess water via extra trips to the bathroom. Getting rid of the puffiness I've experienced for the past few days (some of it due to flying) is another great benefit of being back on 5&1.
I attended a networking happy hour last night and found it easy to sip a Diet Coke with lime while I munched on Meal #4, Cinnamon Pretzels. Others were eating and drinking other things, but I wasn't even tempted. I'm focused on getting back to where I want to be and I knew those other things would only get between me and what I want.
Right now there is a gap between my current reality - weight up and jeans snug - and where I want to be - my "happy weight" and comfy-fitting jeans. The gap between where I am at the moment and where I want to be creates tension that demands resolution. As long as I stay focused on what I want and in touch with my current reality, the tension remains. By taking definite action steps (including being back on 5&1), I will move from where I am to where I want to be. Those action steps are my secondary choices, and while I may or may not feel like doing them, they will help me reach my primary choice - my "happy weight."
It's so important to stay focused on what's most important to you - and you have to be honest about it. If you don't really want it - if you just think you SHOULD want it - you won't make the secondary choices needed to get there.
Once thing I know for sure: I don't HAVE to take off these few pounds. If I chose, I could easily go out and buy new jeans in a bigger size. Nobody is making me go on 5&1 right now - it's strictly my choice.
I have to be honest and admit that there is a temptation to just say forget it and buy the bigger size. For me, the bigger size would be a size 8. Since I wore a 24W/3X when I started on Medifast a little over 3 years ago, size 8 still sounds pretty good to me. I've thought about it and reasoned that as a 58 year old grandmother of 4, size 8 is really pretty good! When I think like that, it's tempting to settle and haul the snug 6's to a resale shop. But I won't.
For me, it was never about getting into a certain size. All I ever wanted was to be at a healthy weight. It was a huge shock for me to reach that healthy weight and find out that that weight had me in size 6 slacks and size 4 dresses! Underneath my morbid obesity was a pretty small woman - who knew? Settling for a size 8 now would be settling for something less than what I know is best. It would also be starting down a very slippery slope, and before long the 8's might become 10's, and then the 10's would become 12's. I know myself and I know that the only way to keep moving forward and striving to be as healthy as I can means I can't give up ground now.
As I shared yesterday, I wish this was easier, but it's not. However, the struggle is worth it because I can never, ever go back to weighing 268 pounds, diabetic and bursting out of size 24W/3X. Never. I may not be jumping up and down for joy right now at being back on 5&1, but it is a secondary choice that I'm willing to make to get me back to where I want to be. And I WILL get there, and so will you, one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
I had a bit of a nagging headache yesterday, but I wasn't quite sure if the headache was related to the "wonderful" 3-5 day "getting into fat-burning" phase of this program or if it was due to lingering jet lag. Thankfully the headache wasn't bad enough to need even aspirin, so I'm not complaining.
Last night it was past 10:30 when I realized that I still needed one more meal. Medifast parmesan cheese puffs to the rescue! I love the fact that the hunger begins to dissipate so quickly. At the risk of giving you WAY too much information, I have also been shedding excess water via extra trips to the bathroom. Getting rid of the puffiness I've experienced for the past few days (some of it due to flying) is another great benefit of being back on 5&1.
I attended a networking happy hour last night and found it easy to sip a Diet Coke with lime while I munched on Meal #4, Cinnamon Pretzels. Others were eating and drinking other things, but I wasn't even tempted. I'm focused on getting back to where I want to be and I knew those other things would only get between me and what I want.
Right now there is a gap between my current reality - weight up and jeans snug - and where I want to be - my "happy weight" and comfy-fitting jeans. The gap between where I am at the moment and where I want to be creates tension that demands resolution. As long as I stay focused on what I want and in touch with my current reality, the tension remains. By taking definite action steps (including being back on 5&1), I will move from where I am to where I want to be. Those action steps are my secondary choices, and while I may or may not feel like doing them, they will help me reach my primary choice - my "happy weight."
It's so important to stay focused on what's most important to you - and you have to be honest about it. If you don't really want it - if you just think you SHOULD want it - you won't make the secondary choices needed to get there.
Once thing I know for sure: I don't HAVE to take off these few pounds. If I chose, I could easily go out and buy new jeans in a bigger size. Nobody is making me go on 5&1 right now - it's strictly my choice.
I have to be honest and admit that there is a temptation to just say forget it and buy the bigger size. For me, the bigger size would be a size 8. Since I wore a 24W/3X when I started on Medifast a little over 3 years ago, size 8 still sounds pretty good to me. I've thought about it and reasoned that as a 58 year old grandmother of 4, size 8 is really pretty good! When I think like that, it's tempting to settle and haul the snug 6's to a resale shop. But I won't.
For me, it was never about getting into a certain size. All I ever wanted was to be at a healthy weight. It was a huge shock for me to reach that healthy weight and find out that that weight had me in size 6 slacks and size 4 dresses! Underneath my morbid obesity was a pretty small woman - who knew? Settling for a size 8 now would be settling for something less than what I know is best. It would also be starting down a very slippery slope, and before long the 8's might become 10's, and then the 10's would become 12's. I know myself and I know that the only way to keep moving forward and striving to be as healthy as I can means I can't give up ground now.
As I shared yesterday, I wish this was easier, but it's not. However, the struggle is worth it because I can never, ever go back to weighing 268 pounds, diabetic and bursting out of size 24W/3X. Never. I may not be jumping up and down for joy right now at being back on 5&1, but it is a secondary choice that I'm willing to make to get me back to where I want to be. And I WILL get there, and so will you, one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Back At It!
After two weeks of traveling from the beauty of the Utah mountains at Sundance to the Mojave Desert to the palm trees of Southern California, it was great waking up in my own bed yesterday morning! We had a wonderful trip - a good balance of work and fun (but since we love our work, it was really ALL fun!).
What wasn't so much fun was stepping on the scale when I got home. I could tell by the way my jeans were fitting towards the end of our trip that I was bringing home more than I left with, and I'm not just talking about souvenirs. A combination of lots of traveling and being very off-schedule, many restaurant meals and frankly not always making wise choices showed up on the scale. It's not awful and my size 6 jeans still fit, but my weight is definitely not where I want it to be and my 6's are mighty snug right now.
In retrospect, I honestly do wish I'd made more wise choices along the way. By the time we got home, I was feeling pretty sluggish. Not eating right really makes a difference in my energy level!That's the bad news.
The good news is that I know exactly what to do :-). As of yesterday morning, I'm back on 5&1 for a couple of weeks or so. I don't have a pair of size 8 jeans to grab, so I have two alternatives right now: I can either nip the gain in the bud or go out and buy a bigger size. Since I just told you that I'm back on 5&1, you already know what I've chosen to do. And that is a wise choice :-)
Maintenance definitely isn't for sissies, and as much as I wish this was easy, it's not. I wish I always made wise choices, but I don't. Getting back into my routine definitely helps, and I've also recognized the need to get refocused on what I want long term, and what I want long term is a fit and healthy body. I've learned again that when I don't focus on what I really want, I naturally gravitate towards immediate gratification.
So getting refocused is part of me getting back on track. Knowing that I don't have anything other than fitted clothes is also motivation. There are no elastic-waist, "eat and grow" slacks in my closet - nothing to slip into that would allow me to continue down a wrong path. My clothes and the scale keep me honest, and they keep me accountable.
Part of maintaining is monitoring - weighing on a regular basis and paying attention to how clothes fit. That has helped me repeatedly over the past 2-1/2 years since I reached goal and has helped me stay in my goal range and my goal size. Right now I'm on the upper end of that range for sure, but not for long! I'll go through the "fun" of getting back into fat-burning and will probably have a headache before I'm there, but I know that doing it now will get be back where I want to be.
Part of keeping me focused is my daily blogging, too, because I can't encourage others to choose wisely if I'm not doing that myself! No matter where you are on your journey - just getting started, making good progress, or perhaps starting over, we're all in this together. What we ALL want is a thin, healthy body as well as the healthy habits that will help us maintain that healthy body. We will all get there one meal, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
What wasn't so much fun was stepping on the scale when I got home. I could tell by the way my jeans were fitting towards the end of our trip that I was bringing home more than I left with, and I'm not just talking about souvenirs. A combination of lots of traveling and being very off-schedule, many restaurant meals and frankly not always making wise choices showed up on the scale. It's not awful and my size 6 jeans still fit, but my weight is definitely not where I want it to be and my 6's are mighty snug right now.
In retrospect, I honestly do wish I'd made more wise choices along the way. By the time we got home, I was feeling pretty sluggish. Not eating right really makes a difference in my energy level!That's the bad news.
The good news is that I know exactly what to do :-). As of yesterday morning, I'm back on 5&1 for a couple of weeks or so. I don't have a pair of size 8 jeans to grab, so I have two alternatives right now: I can either nip the gain in the bud or go out and buy a bigger size. Since I just told you that I'm back on 5&1, you already know what I've chosen to do. And that is a wise choice :-)
Maintenance definitely isn't for sissies, and as much as I wish this was easy, it's not. I wish I always made wise choices, but I don't. Getting back into my routine definitely helps, and I've also recognized the need to get refocused on what I want long term, and what I want long term is a fit and healthy body. I've learned again that when I don't focus on what I really want, I naturally gravitate towards immediate gratification.
So getting refocused is part of me getting back on track. Knowing that I don't have anything other than fitted clothes is also motivation. There are no elastic-waist, "eat and grow" slacks in my closet - nothing to slip into that would allow me to continue down a wrong path. My clothes and the scale keep me honest, and they keep me accountable.
Part of maintaining is monitoring - weighing on a regular basis and paying attention to how clothes fit. That has helped me repeatedly over the past 2-1/2 years since I reached goal and has helped me stay in my goal range and my goal size. Right now I'm on the upper end of that range for sure, but not for long! I'll go through the "fun" of getting back into fat-burning and will probably have a headache before I'm there, but I know that doing it now will get be back where I want to be.
Part of keeping me focused is my daily blogging, too, because I can't encourage others to choose wisely if I'm not doing that myself! No matter where you are on your journey - just getting started, making good progress, or perhaps starting over, we're all in this together. What we ALL want is a thin, healthy body as well as the healthy habits that will help us maintain that healthy body. We will all get there one meal, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
It's Magic!
I am the weight loss fairy and I am waving my magic wand, sprinkling fairy dust all around. If you are blessed enough to catch the breeze of my wand or have a few bits of dust land on you - poof! You will be at your goal! Anybody interested?
Wouldn't it be GREAT if it was that simple? How I wish I could wave a magic wand or sprinkle dust around and know that everyone touched would immediately be at their goal.
Of course, it's not that easy, is it? It's almost that simple, however. Eat 5 Medifast meals a day and fix a lean and green (or order one at a restaurant). Not much thinking required, and the program really DOES work like magic . . . it's just that the magic on this program takes a bit longer :-)
So are you ready to change your life today? Even in the absence of a weight loss fairy, you CAN make all of your dreams come true, if you decide that's what you want to do. Best of all, unlike magic that has an annoying way of disappearing, the changes you'll make on this program can last a lifetime.
The changes begin with the choices you'll make today, so choose wisely :-)
****
I am leaving today for Chicago and will be flying to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning for a leadership retreat at Sundance, Utah. Following the retreat, we'll be flying to Los Angeles (my husband is going with me!) for a week that will combine family time with a bit of business. I'll be back on October 19 and will get to blogging when I get home. In the meantime, you know what to do . . . keep making those wise choices!
Wouldn't it be GREAT if it was that simple? How I wish I could wave a magic wand or sprinkle dust around and know that everyone touched would immediately be at their goal.
Of course, it's not that easy, is it? It's almost that simple, however. Eat 5 Medifast meals a day and fix a lean and green (or order one at a restaurant). Not much thinking required, and the program really DOES work like magic . . . it's just that the magic on this program takes a bit longer :-)
So are you ready to change your life today? Even in the absence of a weight loss fairy, you CAN make all of your dreams come true, if you decide that's what you want to do. Best of all, unlike magic that has an annoying way of disappearing, the changes you'll make on this program can last a lifetime.
The changes begin with the choices you'll make today, so choose wisely :-)
****
I am leaving today for Chicago and will be flying to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning for a leadership retreat at Sundance, Utah. Following the retreat, we'll be flying to Los Angeles (my husband is going with me!) for a week that will combine family time with a bit of business. I'll be back on October 19 and will get to blogging when I get home. In the meantime, you know what to do . . . keep making those wise choices!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Getting What We Expect
"Sooner or later we get just what we expect." I read that sentence last night in John Maxwell's book, "Failing Forward." Interestingly, Maxwell follows that statement by wondering if the reader views this statement as optimistic or pessimistic, stating that our attitude determines our outlook. If we're an optimist, we expect things to turn out OK and they usually do. If we're a pessimist, we expect things to fall apart and assume that if anything bad can happen, it will.
So what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy? Simply this: do we expect to be successful or do we expect to ultimately fail? That may sound like a foolish question, but I think it's worth asking. In your heart of hearts, being totally honest with yourself, do you expect to reach your goal? Do you envision yourself at a healthy weight, looking and feeling wonderful? Or are you convinced, deep down, that this program will work for everyone BUT you?
Now the good news is that you don't have to believe the program works, because it works whether you believe it or not :-). If you stay on plan and make the daily choice to follow the protocols of this program, you WILL lose weight and you WILL reach your goal. That's a fact.
The challenge is that if we don't believe deep down that the program will work, if we don't believe that we'll ever really reach goal, the expectation of eventual failure can wreak havoc with our determination to stay on plan. If the vision of ourselves reaching goal is clouded or perhaps missing entirely, we will be more vulnerable to the temptations that surround us.
Our attitude can not only impact our outcome in the long run, but it also affects our outlook in the the mean time. If we're optimistic that we will reach out goal, then we are much more likely to take in stride the maddening fluctuations that we see on the scale. We know we're in this for the long haul and we're optimistic that we'll eventually get there. If we're pessimistic, those scale fluctuations may rattle us and we will allow them to reinforce our belief that we won't reach our goal.
But what happens if we're not optimistic by nature? Whether it's through nature or nurture, some of us just naturally see the glass as half-empty. Maxwell says that we can cultivate optimism in our lives by learning the secret of contentment. Contentment doesn't mean that we've settled for where we're at, but Maxwell says it comes from choosing a positive attitude that:
- expects the best in everything, not the worst
- remains upbeat, even when we get beat up
- sees solutions in every problem, not problems in every solution
- believes we can do it, even when others think we've failed
- holds on to hope
Hmmm . . . it sounds like we can choose our attitude, perhaps even choose to be optimistic. If that's true (and I believe it is, as does John Maxwell in his book), and if our attitude really does impact the outcome - if sooner or later we really do get just what we expect - then we have some choices to make today. These choices go far beyond which Medifast meals we're going to eat or what we're going to have for our lean and green. We also get to choose the attitude we're going to carry with us through this day.
Have a great day, and choose wisely :-)
So what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy? Simply this: do we expect to be successful or do we expect to ultimately fail? That may sound like a foolish question, but I think it's worth asking. In your heart of hearts, being totally honest with yourself, do you expect to reach your goal? Do you envision yourself at a healthy weight, looking and feeling wonderful? Or are you convinced, deep down, that this program will work for everyone BUT you?
Now the good news is that you don't have to believe the program works, because it works whether you believe it or not :-). If you stay on plan and make the daily choice to follow the protocols of this program, you WILL lose weight and you WILL reach your goal. That's a fact.
The challenge is that if we don't believe deep down that the program will work, if we don't believe that we'll ever really reach goal, the expectation of eventual failure can wreak havoc with our determination to stay on plan. If the vision of ourselves reaching goal is clouded or perhaps missing entirely, we will be more vulnerable to the temptations that surround us.
Our attitude can not only impact our outcome in the long run, but it also affects our outlook in the the mean time. If we're optimistic that we will reach out goal, then we are much more likely to take in stride the maddening fluctuations that we see on the scale. We know we're in this for the long haul and we're optimistic that we'll eventually get there. If we're pessimistic, those scale fluctuations may rattle us and we will allow them to reinforce our belief that we won't reach our goal.
But what happens if we're not optimistic by nature? Whether it's through nature or nurture, some of us just naturally see the glass as half-empty. Maxwell says that we can cultivate optimism in our lives by learning the secret of contentment. Contentment doesn't mean that we've settled for where we're at, but Maxwell says it comes from choosing a positive attitude that:
- expects the best in everything, not the worst
- remains upbeat, even when we get beat up
- sees solutions in every problem, not problems in every solution
- believes we can do it, even when others think we've failed
- holds on to hope
Hmmm . . . it sounds like we can choose our attitude, perhaps even choose to be optimistic. If that's true (and I believe it is, as does John Maxwell in his book), and if our attitude really does impact the outcome - if sooner or later we really do get just what we expect - then we have some choices to make today. These choices go far beyond which Medifast meals we're going to eat or what we're going to have for our lean and green. We also get to choose the attitude we're going to carry with us through this day.
Have a great day, and choose wisely :-)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Holding - and Releasing - Rocks
Do you have a rock in your hand? It may be a small rock that is easily held in one hand, or it may be a boulder that requires both hands and all the strength you have.
In the book, Dr. A's Habits of Health (written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, MD) there is a cartoon of a man treading water with his nose barely above the surface of a lake and holding a large, heavy rock in his hands. On the shoreline is a trail that leads up a mountain. At the top of the mountain are the words, “everything you’ve ever wanted”. On the rock are the words “what’s holding me back.”
We are all carrying around these big rocks in life which represent our concepts. For example: “I can’t attain my ideal goal weight because ________”. What you fill in the blank is your rock. You are just barely treading water and could have whatever you want if you’d just let go of your rock. What is your rock?
It can be scary to let go of our rock, especially if we've held on to it for a long time. Some of us have held on to our rocks so long that we can hardly remember life without it; we're no longer aware of its weight because it's become part of us. But what would happen if you just . . . let . . . go?
Sometimes it's just a matter of making the decision and releasing our grip. Other times letting go of our rock may require the assistance of a professional counselor - it all depends on the size of our rock and how long we've clung to it. My own weight loss journey was a time of letting go of my own rock, which I did with God's help. Releasing that boulder resulted in wonderful freedom for me. The song, "Finally Free" by Nichole Nordeman still causes me to tear up when I listen to it because it has such deep meaning for me (you can find it on YouTube, if you're interested).
Letting go of our rock may not be easy, but the choice to release it is in our grasp. Choose wisely :-).
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Unexpected Things
So many things happen as we lose weight. Most of the things that happen are quite wonderful and exciting, but I was surprised to encounter other things that were frankly uncomfortable and unwelcome.
During the many years I was morbidly obese, one thing I never had to worry about was that people would talk to me about my weight. Perhaps I put out vibes that said "don't even go there," or perhaps people just didn't want to offend me, but I never got comments about my weight. No one felt compelled (or had enough nerve) to pull me aside and express concern about my weight. I honestly don't know how I would have reacted, so the lack of comment was probably a good thing.
Because of that, I was quite unprepared for all of the comments when I started losing weight, especially the questions asking me how much I'd lost or inquiries into how much weight I wanted to lose. My weight and my struggle with my weight had been my deep, dark and very personal secret for over two decades and I was unprepared for this to become a topic of conversation. That changed over time, of course (and today, as a health coach, I share my struggle with weight and my story all the time), but at first it was very uncomfortable. For a long time, I tried to pass off the comments, especially if I was asked how much weight I wanted to lose. Telling anybody that I wanted to lose 120 pounds would have given them enough information to figure out approximately how much my starting weight was, and the thought of anyone knowing was horrifying to me.
I was also unprepared to see that some people began to treat me differently, as though I'd grown brain cells at the same rate I dropped pounds. That made me angry, and it also made me realize that some people made assumptions about my intelligence or ambition based on my size.
Most of all, I was completely, totally, 100% unprepared for the number of people who felt compelled to tell me that I needed to stop losing weight, that I'd gotten too thin, or who expressed concern that I was somehow becoming anorexic. These comments started coming about the time I got into a size 12 and, at 5' 5" tall, weighed about 180 pounds. I was clearly not even close to being at a healthy BMI, yet I had people expressing concern, even alarm, that I was getting too thin. I couldn't help but wonder where all of these people were when I was 268 pounds and diabetic. I wondered why my reaching a certain weight suddenly made it open season and made me fair game.
I'm sharing this because some of you are experiencing some of these things now, and others may face some of this in the near future. Perhaps you won't be bothered by these comments as much as I was (I hope not!!). But if you DO find yourself struggling with unexpected comments, how are you going to react?
Some people are so uncomfortable with having people comment and ask questions about their weight loss that they actually begin to sabotage themselves. They may retreat back into layers of fat, preferring the invisibility of obesity to feeling exposed in a smaller body. I've seen this happen and it breaks my heart.
What I had to realize was that this was MY journey and I had to stay focused on what I wanted. In the same way that I had to ignore off-plan foods, I had to ignore comments. I deflected concerns about how much weight I was losing by telling people that my physician was supportive of my weight loss goal. When asked how much I wanted to lose, I simply said that I just wanted to get to a healthy BMI. I learned to appreciate - and even enjoy - the compliments that came my way. They made me uncomfortable at first, but I understood that they were well intended.
All of this became an important part of my growth on this journey, because I had to choose to stay the course for ME. I had to be clear on what I wanted and why I wanted it, and I needed to be firm enough about that vision to withstand the comments and questions.
There are a lot of choices we have to make on this journey. Some of the choices have to do with what we eat, while other choices may include how we respond to others who question what we're doing. If we know what we want and we're focused on our goal, the choices we need to make will be clear and we'll choose wisely :-).
During the many years I was morbidly obese, one thing I never had to worry about was that people would talk to me about my weight. Perhaps I put out vibes that said "don't even go there," or perhaps people just didn't want to offend me, but I never got comments about my weight. No one felt compelled (or had enough nerve) to pull me aside and express concern about my weight. I honestly don't know how I would have reacted, so the lack of comment was probably a good thing.
Because of that, I was quite unprepared for all of the comments when I started losing weight, especially the questions asking me how much I'd lost or inquiries into how much weight I wanted to lose. My weight and my struggle with my weight had been my deep, dark and very personal secret for over two decades and I was unprepared for this to become a topic of conversation. That changed over time, of course (and today, as a health coach, I share my struggle with weight and my story all the time), but at first it was very uncomfortable. For a long time, I tried to pass off the comments, especially if I was asked how much weight I wanted to lose. Telling anybody that I wanted to lose 120 pounds would have given them enough information to figure out approximately how much my starting weight was, and the thought of anyone knowing was horrifying to me.
I was also unprepared to see that some people began to treat me differently, as though I'd grown brain cells at the same rate I dropped pounds. That made me angry, and it also made me realize that some people made assumptions about my intelligence or ambition based on my size.
Most of all, I was completely, totally, 100% unprepared for the number of people who felt compelled to tell me that I needed to stop losing weight, that I'd gotten too thin, or who expressed concern that I was somehow becoming anorexic. These comments started coming about the time I got into a size 12 and, at 5' 5" tall, weighed about 180 pounds. I was clearly not even close to being at a healthy BMI, yet I had people expressing concern, even alarm, that I was getting too thin. I couldn't help but wonder where all of these people were when I was 268 pounds and diabetic. I wondered why my reaching a certain weight suddenly made it open season and made me fair game.
I'm sharing this because some of you are experiencing some of these things now, and others may face some of this in the near future. Perhaps you won't be bothered by these comments as much as I was (I hope not!!). But if you DO find yourself struggling with unexpected comments, how are you going to react?
Some people are so uncomfortable with having people comment and ask questions about their weight loss that they actually begin to sabotage themselves. They may retreat back into layers of fat, preferring the invisibility of obesity to feeling exposed in a smaller body. I've seen this happen and it breaks my heart.
What I had to realize was that this was MY journey and I had to stay focused on what I wanted. In the same way that I had to ignore off-plan foods, I had to ignore comments. I deflected concerns about how much weight I was losing by telling people that my physician was supportive of my weight loss goal. When asked how much I wanted to lose, I simply said that I just wanted to get to a healthy BMI. I learned to appreciate - and even enjoy - the compliments that came my way. They made me uncomfortable at first, but I understood that they were well intended.
All of this became an important part of my growth on this journey, because I had to choose to stay the course for ME. I had to be clear on what I wanted and why I wanted it, and I needed to be firm enough about that vision to withstand the comments and questions.
There are a lot of choices we have to make on this journey. Some of the choices have to do with what we eat, while other choices may include how we respond to others who question what we're doing. If we know what we want and we're focused on our goal, the choices we need to make will be clear and we'll choose wisely :-).
Friday, October 1, 2010
Avoiding Sand Traps
I'm not a golfer, but yesterday I read a story about golf that captured my imagination.
"A famous golfer, Lee Trevino, when playing casual games of golf would "mess with the minds" of his competition. He would be certain to emphasize the hazards of the course as his competitors were about to hit the ball. As a player was lining up for their tee shot he would be certain to remind them of the water hazard to the left or the sand trap to the right or the trees that may line the fairway. This would inevitably take the focus of the golfer from where he wanted to hit the ball to where he did NOT want to hit the ball. He would be focusing on what to avoid, not where he knew he should and could hit the ball. When he teed off where did he hit it? Many times to the exact spot he was trying to avoid. Why? Because he was focusing on that spot."
I write a lot about changing our focus from fixing a problem (number on the scale, size we don't like, or a concerning report from the doctor) to fixing our eyes on what we want to create in our lives. In addition to the choice to fix a problem or create something we want in our lives, we also have to choose whether we're going to focus on the hazards along the way, and there are many, or keep our eyes on what we want.
It's Friday, and your personal hazards may include the restaurant you like to visit after work, or potential hazards may be lurking in your weekend activities. The holidays will be here before we know it and some of you may already be worried about how you're going to get through them. All of these hazards, and others, can divert your attention and land you in a sand trap.
I'm not saying to ignore the hazards, because you have to know what and where they are. You have to know what your strategy will be to avoid them (that's where planning is key). But once you've identified what the hazards are and know how you're going to handle them when they arise, determine to keep your focus on what you want - look straight ahead and swing!
Where we choose to focus ultimately determines how successful we are. Choose wisely :-)
"A famous golfer, Lee Trevino, when playing casual games of golf would "mess with the minds" of his competition. He would be certain to emphasize the hazards of the course as his competitors were about to hit the ball. As a player was lining up for their tee shot he would be certain to remind them of the water hazard to the left or the sand trap to the right or the trees that may line the fairway. This would inevitably take the focus of the golfer from where he wanted to hit the ball to where he did NOT want to hit the ball. He would be focusing on what to avoid, not where he knew he should and could hit the ball. When he teed off where did he hit it? Many times to the exact spot he was trying to avoid. Why? Because he was focusing on that spot."
I write a lot about changing our focus from fixing a problem (number on the scale, size we don't like, or a concerning report from the doctor) to fixing our eyes on what we want to create in our lives. In addition to the choice to fix a problem or create something we want in our lives, we also have to choose whether we're going to focus on the hazards along the way, and there are many, or keep our eyes on what we want.
It's Friday, and your personal hazards may include the restaurant you like to visit after work, or potential hazards may be lurking in your weekend activities. The holidays will be here before we know it and some of you may already be worried about how you're going to get through them. All of these hazards, and others, can divert your attention and land you in a sand trap.
I'm not saying to ignore the hazards, because you have to know what and where they are. You have to know what your strategy will be to avoid them (that's where planning is key). But once you've identified what the hazards are and know how you're going to handle them when they arise, determine to keep your focus on what you want - look straight ahead and swing!
Where we choose to focus ultimately determines how successful we are. Choose wisely :-)
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