You're having fun!! That was clear after reading some of the responses I received to yesterday's blog. Some of you are doing things you haven't done in years, or ever, just because you CAN - and you CAN because you've lost weight and gotten healthier!
This really isn't about the Medifast food we eat. When we first start on this program, we tend to make it all about the food - what we like, what we don't like. Then something happens: we begin to lose weight and feel better. From that point on, the Medifast food becomes what it's intended to be, a nutritionally complete catalyst for rapid and safe weight loss. In the comments I received yesterday, people weren't talking about how much fun they're having eating the oatmeal or a crunch bar; they were talking about how much fun they're having in their lives. That's the point!
Our focus shifts from what we're eating to what's happening with our body. We see change happening before our eyes and our world begins to open up for us. As we lose weight, have more energy and feel better about ourselves, activity becomes fun (one person commented that she is now running just because she loves it), shopping becomes fun (a LOT more fun, in fact!), and many of us become a lot more comfortable being with other people because we're not so self-conscious about our weight.
What was interesting was that the responses about having fun weren't really focused on the scale, either. Of course it's fun to see the scale come down and it can be frustrating when it gets stuck, but this program ultimately isn't about the scale. It's about being healthy and living a healthy, active lifestyle doing the things that you want to do. That's called optimal health, and living an optimally healthy life is FUN!
Getting to a healthy weight is important, but it's about so much more than the food we eat to lose the weight or the number on the scale. This program is about getting our lives back and celebrating the reclamation all along the way. Each day, each meal, each choice brings us one step closer to living a truly optimally healthy life that will enable us to do all of the things we want to do. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Having Fun Yet?
Are you having fun? This isn't a trite question - I'm serious. Are you having fun on this program? You may not be having fun EVERY day (I certainly had days when I wasn't having any fun at all), but overall, do you enjoy being on this program? Are you having fun?
Before you think I've totally lost my mind, let me explain. Over time, we will continue to do the things that we enjoy and find it very difficult to sustain activity that we don't. Unless we are uber-disciplined (something that escapes the majority of us, including me), we just won't continue to do things over time that we don't enjoy.
My brother sent me a link to a short video that brilliantly illustrates the difference fun can make. Individuals at a train station in Sweden noticed that most people took the escalator with very few opting for the stairs, so they wondered if they could get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do so. They hired a group of engineers who turned the stairs into a piano keyboard, complete with sound for each note on the keyboard. As a result, 66% more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator. They concluded that fun can obviously change behavior for the better. Here's a link to the video, in case you want to watch it: http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase.
Sometimes we have to look for the fun - it may not show up as an engineer-designed piano staircase :-). Choosing activity we enjoy will keep us moving and active over the long-run because most of us won't continue to engage in an exercise routine we hate. We can even enjoy being on plan if we recognize how much better we feel, both physically and mentally, eating six small meals a day and reclaiming control of our health. And yes, it IS fun to feel (and look) better!
Look for ways to have fun today! If we're looking for the fun, we're more likely to find it. One of the choices we get to make every day is our attitude. Choose wisely :-)
Before you think I've totally lost my mind, let me explain. Over time, we will continue to do the things that we enjoy and find it very difficult to sustain activity that we don't. Unless we are uber-disciplined (something that escapes the majority of us, including me), we just won't continue to do things over time that we don't enjoy.
My brother sent me a link to a short video that brilliantly illustrates the difference fun can make. Individuals at a train station in Sweden noticed that most people took the escalator with very few opting for the stairs, so they wondered if they could get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do so. They hired a group of engineers who turned the stairs into a piano keyboard, complete with sound for each note on the keyboard. As a result, 66% more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator. They concluded that fun can obviously change behavior for the better. Here's a link to the video, in case you want to watch it: http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase.
Sometimes we have to look for the fun - it may not show up as an engineer-designed piano staircase :-). Choosing activity we enjoy will keep us moving and active over the long-run because most of us won't continue to engage in an exercise routine we hate. We can even enjoy being on plan if we recognize how much better we feel, both physically and mentally, eating six small meals a day and reclaiming control of our health. And yes, it IS fun to feel (and look) better!
Look for ways to have fun today! If we're looking for the fun, we're more likely to find it. One of the choices we get to make every day is our attitude. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Time Flies
Yesterday I got out all of our Christmas decorations and started putting my house into the holiday spirit. I pulled out my Christmas dishes and we ate Thanksgiving leftovers on them - talk about mixing the seasons! I also put all of my Christmas music on my iPod and listened to that while I put away the Thanksgiving decorations and started working on Christmas. As much as I would like to bask in the glow of Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming and I have to shift gears in a hurry.
As I was listening to my Christmas music yesterday, it was hard to believe that it's been almost a year since I heard those songs. As I pulled out the Christmas decorations, it seemed like it wasn't that long ago that I was putting them all away.
The reality is that time really does go fast. Days morph into weeks, and weeks into months almost faster than we can imagine. For everyone on 5&1 right now, this is really, REALLY good news :-). I know there are some really long days on plan (at least I sure had a few!), but in retrospective, the days, weeks and months go by in a flash. By staying on plan now, even on those really, really long and difficult days, you will be at your goal before you know it. That's true whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100. The days will pass regardless, and they will pass quickly. If you choose to stay on plan now, everyone one of you will be getting ready for Christmas next year at your goal weight. Many of you will be buying your spring and summer wardrobe in your goal size, too, if you choose to stay on plan now.
It's so easy to get caught up in the here and now and go straight for the immediate gratification (my hand is raised as I write this . . . ), but the here and now is gone in a breath and tomorrow is just a moment away. Staying on plan today means that you are choosing to temporarily give up something you enjoy eating to reach something you really want - a healthy weight and a great goal size. The decision to make wise choices isn't always easy, but there are never any regrets for doing so.
The choice is yours, so choose wisely :-)
As I was listening to my Christmas music yesterday, it was hard to believe that it's been almost a year since I heard those songs. As I pulled out the Christmas decorations, it seemed like it wasn't that long ago that I was putting them all away.
The reality is that time really does go fast. Days morph into weeks, and weeks into months almost faster than we can imagine. For everyone on 5&1 right now, this is really, REALLY good news :-). I know there are some really long days on plan (at least I sure had a few!), but in retrospective, the days, weeks and months go by in a flash. By staying on plan now, even on those really, really long and difficult days, you will be at your goal before you know it. That's true whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100. The days will pass regardless, and they will pass quickly. If you choose to stay on plan now, everyone one of you will be getting ready for Christmas next year at your goal weight. Many of you will be buying your spring and summer wardrobe in your goal size, too, if you choose to stay on plan now.
It's so easy to get caught up in the here and now and go straight for the immediate gratification (my hand is raised as I write this . . . ), but the here and now is gone in a breath and tomorrow is just a moment away. Staying on plan today means that you are choosing to temporarily give up something you enjoy eating to reach something you really want - a healthy weight and a great goal size. The decision to make wise choices isn't always easy, but there are never any regrets for doing so.
The choice is yours, so choose wisely :-)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Choosing a Healthy Tomorrow
Last night my brother and his family, who are still visiting from Chicago, came over for dinner, along with my parents. Before they left, my mom checked her blood sugar level, as she's been diabetic for over 24 years (she's 81-1/2). Her diabetes is now well-managed and she rarely takes insulin during the day after losing 40 pounds on Take Shape for Life/Medifast (she used to take 4-7 units after every meal) and she continues to eat small meals throughout the day. However, she still checks her sugar levels before meals and before she goes to bed and usually takes an injection of long-acting insulin at bedtime.
As Mom checked her blood sugar, she commented that she's so tired of diabetes, so tired of checking her blood sugar all of the time and having to be so careful. Mom has experienced complications of diabetes, including partial loss of vision in one eye and diminished kidney function, and she's seen the devastation of diabetes in family members (her brother and one first cousin each lost a leg to diabetes, as did her grandmother, and several cousins have been on dialysis; a number of relatives died prematurely due to diabetes). She understands the need to be diligent, but she hates it. She's had numerous instances of her blood sugar getting dangerously low and a couple of times paramedics had to be called, including once when she was unresponsive and having a seizure. It's scary stuff.
What hit me last night is the reality that no one else in our family has to ever become diabetic. This disease can end now. By making healthier choices, by getting to a healthy weight and staying active, by eating six small meals a day, my family has the information they need to never be diabetic. This family scourge can end, if my family chooses to go a different route.
I know it can end because I reversed my own diabetes and I've worked with a number of diabetics who have had a remarkable improvement in their blood sugar, reducing or completely getting off medication, including insulin. I've read the clinical studies done by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health that repeatedly show the positive impact Medifast has on diabetics.
When I was growing up, it was assumed that at least some of us would eventually become diabetic because it is strong on both sides of my family (my paternal grandmother died at age 68 from complications of diabetes and, as I've already shared, it's rampant on my mom's side). Our pediatrician told my mom that at least one of her four children would undoubtedly have diabetes because of the strong family history, and both my sister and I were diagnosed with diabetes, my sister in her late 40's and I was 53. It seemed to be unavoidable, given our genetics, but as it turns out, it IS avoidable and it IS reversible . . . if we're willing to make permanent lifestyle changes.
I'm pretty passionate about this, and I expressed my strong feelings last night about stopping diabetes in our family so that it doesn't impact another generation. I probably talked too long and spent too much time on my soapbox, but I hope my family members heard my heart: I don't want anyone else I love to have to deal with this very preventable disease!
Diabetes rates across the country have skyrocketed, right along with obesity rates; the two are inseparable. Not every overweight person will become diabetic, but the likelihood of developing diabetes increases dramatically as weight increases. The cost, both in terms of health care dollars and personal suffering, is staggering . . . and we can end it here and now, if we choose.
Even 2-1/2 years after reaching my goal, sometimes I don't feel like making wise choices in what I eat, and sometimes I don't. However, watching my mom and listening to her last night was a good reminder to me that the choices I make today will have an impact on my health tomorrow. I've already had a peek at where obesity and poor eating habits will lead me - right back to being diabetic. I choose to make different choices today because I choose to be healthy tomorrow.
What choices are you making today? They will impact tomorrow . . . choose wisely :-)
As Mom checked her blood sugar, she commented that she's so tired of diabetes, so tired of checking her blood sugar all of the time and having to be so careful. Mom has experienced complications of diabetes, including partial loss of vision in one eye and diminished kidney function, and she's seen the devastation of diabetes in family members (her brother and one first cousin each lost a leg to diabetes, as did her grandmother, and several cousins have been on dialysis; a number of relatives died prematurely due to diabetes). She understands the need to be diligent, but she hates it. She's had numerous instances of her blood sugar getting dangerously low and a couple of times paramedics had to be called, including once when she was unresponsive and having a seizure. It's scary stuff.
What hit me last night is the reality that no one else in our family has to ever become diabetic. This disease can end now. By making healthier choices, by getting to a healthy weight and staying active, by eating six small meals a day, my family has the information they need to never be diabetic. This family scourge can end, if my family chooses to go a different route.
I know it can end because I reversed my own diabetes and I've worked with a number of diabetics who have had a remarkable improvement in their blood sugar, reducing or completely getting off medication, including insulin. I've read the clinical studies done by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Health that repeatedly show the positive impact Medifast has on diabetics.
When I was growing up, it was assumed that at least some of us would eventually become diabetic because it is strong on both sides of my family (my paternal grandmother died at age 68 from complications of diabetes and, as I've already shared, it's rampant on my mom's side). Our pediatrician told my mom that at least one of her four children would undoubtedly have diabetes because of the strong family history, and both my sister and I were diagnosed with diabetes, my sister in her late 40's and I was 53. It seemed to be unavoidable, given our genetics, but as it turns out, it IS avoidable and it IS reversible . . . if we're willing to make permanent lifestyle changes.
I'm pretty passionate about this, and I expressed my strong feelings last night about stopping diabetes in our family so that it doesn't impact another generation. I probably talked too long and spent too much time on my soapbox, but I hope my family members heard my heart: I don't want anyone else I love to have to deal with this very preventable disease!
Diabetes rates across the country have skyrocketed, right along with obesity rates; the two are inseparable. Not every overweight person will become diabetic, but the likelihood of developing diabetes increases dramatically as weight increases. The cost, both in terms of health care dollars and personal suffering, is staggering . . . and we can end it here and now, if we choose.
Even 2-1/2 years after reaching my goal, sometimes I don't feel like making wise choices in what I eat, and sometimes I don't. However, watching my mom and listening to her last night was a good reminder to me that the choices I make today will have an impact on my health tomorrow. I've already had a peek at where obesity and poor eating habits will lead me - right back to being diabetic. I choose to make different choices today because I choose to be healthy tomorrow.
What choices are you making today? They will impact tomorrow . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, November 26, 2010
168 Choices
Happy day after Thanksgiving! I'm not a big shopper, so I avoid the craziness of Black Friday like the plague (I'll do most of my Christmas shopping over the internet). My two oldest granddaughters (7 and almost 6) spent last night and they want to knit (oldest one already knits and I'll teach the younger one), watch a movie and have a tea party. That sounds like a perfect way to spend the day :-).
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and regardless of what you ended up eating (or not eating) yesterday, I hope you woke up this morning on plan. If yesterday's eating didn't go exactly as planned, today IS a new day!
In case anyone is thinking, "well, I blew it yesterday so I might as well wait until after Christmas to get back on plan," may I offer a different perspective?
Since we eat six times a day on this program, between now and Christmas Day you will eat 168 times. Even if one (or two) meals yesterday were off plan, you still have 168 opportunities to make healthy choices that can easily have you down 8-10 pounds, or even more, before Christmas. How great will it feel to be down 8-10 more pounds a month from now?
I know that some of you will face a couple of holiday parties, etc. between now and Christmas, but I'm encouraging you to think about where you want to be a month from now. You have 168 meals between now and then and the choices you make for each of those meals will determine where you'll be Christmas Day.
Whether you're out shopping today or doing something else, choose wisely :-)
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and regardless of what you ended up eating (or not eating) yesterday, I hope you woke up this morning on plan. If yesterday's eating didn't go exactly as planned, today IS a new day!
In case anyone is thinking, "well, I blew it yesterday so I might as well wait until after Christmas to get back on plan," may I offer a different perspective?
Since we eat six times a day on this program, between now and Christmas Day you will eat 168 times. Even if one (or two) meals yesterday were off plan, you still have 168 opportunities to make healthy choices that can easily have you down 8-10 pounds, or even more, before Christmas. How great will it feel to be down 8-10 more pounds a month from now?
I know that some of you will face a couple of holiday parties, etc. between now and Christmas, but I'm encouraging you to think about where you want to be a month from now. You have 168 meals between now and then and the choices you make for each of those meals will determine where you'll be Christmas Day.
Whether you're out shopping today or doing something else, choose wisely :-)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
I am counting my blessings and giving thanks to God with a full heart today. Thank you for the way you have encouraged and blessed me!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!
I am counting my blessings and giving thanks to God with a full heart today. Thank you for the way you have encouraged and blessed me!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Time to Plan
We're having 20 people for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, so I will spend most of today in the kitchen, cooking and baking in preparation for my family. Tomorrow will be busy with a house full of people, and our four young grandchildren (7, almost 6, and 4-year old twins) will add their own level of energy to the mix :-).
It will be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and I will enjoy small portions of everything but won't overdo it because I don't like that over-full, stuffed feeling. I remember eating until I couldn't eat another bite, then feeling pretty uncomfortable and sluggish. Of course, that didn't stop me from eating all the desserts (we usually have two or three different desserts) a short time later.
Three years ago, when I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, I made the decision to stay on plan (I've shared about this before so won't go into the details). We still had a house full of people (26 that year) and I still had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with my family, even though my total calories for the day were right around 900 (5 Medifast meals and my lean & green). Thanksgiving is about so much more than the food!
Many of you have made the decision to stay on plan tomorrow, and I want to encourage you to stay with that plan - you won't regret it! However, I know that there are others who have made the decision to go off plan. I want to encourage you, too, and, if I may, offer a couple of suggestions.
If you've made the decision to go off plan tomorrow, I really encourage you to still eat your 5 Medifast meals. First of all, continuing to eat small meals throughout the day will keep your blood sugar stable so that you won't sit down to your holiday meal famished. If you're over-hungry, you will not only be more likely to overeat, but the big meal will trigger an insulin surge to help metabolize the meal, and the insulin surge will be followed by a blood sugar drop which triggers cravings.
Plan now exactly what you're going to eat at your Thanksgiving meal, and think about the choices you'll make. If you really love stuffing, then have a small spoonful and think about skipping the rolls. If you really look forward to your relative's award-winning pumpkin pie, consider limiting some of the side dishes so you can enjoy a small piece. I am encouraging you to decide now which foods are your "must haves," then have a small portion of those things and skip the other, focusing on making most of your meal as close to a lean & green as possible.
If you have a plan, this will be a controlled step off plan instead of a free-for-all. If you sit down for dinner with stable blood sugar because you've been eating small meals every 2-1/2 or 3 hours and you have a plan for what you're going to eat, you will stay in control of your eating.
Lastly, make sure that you end your day with a Medifast meal. By doing so, you will have ended your day back on plan. Instead of feeling like you cheated or "blew it," you will know that you were on plan for most of the day, had a planned off-program meal, then got right back on. Then get right back on program Friday morning!
I'm sharing this because I've talked to too many people who didn't plan for Thanksgiving and ended up gorging themselves. They felt guilty and frustrated with themselves and then had difficulty getting back on plan. I've talked to people who ended up eating their way through the holidays as a result and, no surprise, putting 10-15 pounds back on. I know that none of you want to do that!
Again, the best choice tomorrow is to stay on plan, but if you choose to not do that, putting together a plan will make all of the difference. Decide today what you're going to do, and choose wisely :-)
It will be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and I will enjoy small portions of everything but won't overdo it because I don't like that over-full, stuffed feeling. I remember eating until I couldn't eat another bite, then feeling pretty uncomfortable and sluggish. Of course, that didn't stop me from eating all the desserts (we usually have two or three different desserts) a short time later.
Three years ago, when I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, I made the decision to stay on plan (I've shared about this before so won't go into the details). We still had a house full of people (26 that year) and I still had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with my family, even though my total calories for the day were right around 900 (5 Medifast meals and my lean & green). Thanksgiving is about so much more than the food!
Many of you have made the decision to stay on plan tomorrow, and I want to encourage you to stay with that plan - you won't regret it! However, I know that there are others who have made the decision to go off plan. I want to encourage you, too, and, if I may, offer a couple of suggestions.
If you've made the decision to go off plan tomorrow, I really encourage you to still eat your 5 Medifast meals. First of all, continuing to eat small meals throughout the day will keep your blood sugar stable so that you won't sit down to your holiday meal famished. If you're over-hungry, you will not only be more likely to overeat, but the big meal will trigger an insulin surge to help metabolize the meal, and the insulin surge will be followed by a blood sugar drop which triggers cravings.
Plan now exactly what you're going to eat at your Thanksgiving meal, and think about the choices you'll make. If you really love stuffing, then have a small spoonful and think about skipping the rolls. If you really look forward to your relative's award-winning pumpkin pie, consider limiting some of the side dishes so you can enjoy a small piece. I am encouraging you to decide now which foods are your "must haves," then have a small portion of those things and skip the other, focusing on making most of your meal as close to a lean & green as possible.
If you have a plan, this will be a controlled step off plan instead of a free-for-all. If you sit down for dinner with stable blood sugar because you've been eating small meals every 2-1/2 or 3 hours and you have a plan for what you're going to eat, you will stay in control of your eating.
Lastly, make sure that you end your day with a Medifast meal. By doing so, you will have ended your day back on plan. Instead of feeling like you cheated or "blew it," you will know that you were on plan for most of the day, had a planned off-program meal, then got right back on. Then get right back on program Friday morning!
I'm sharing this because I've talked to too many people who didn't plan for Thanksgiving and ended up gorging themselves. They felt guilty and frustrated with themselves and then had difficulty getting back on plan. I've talked to people who ended up eating their way through the holidays as a result and, no surprise, putting 10-15 pounds back on. I know that none of you want to do that!
Again, the best choice tomorrow is to stay on plan, but if you choose to not do that, putting together a plan will make all of the difference. Decide today what you're going to do, and choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Waiting for Perfection
If you've read my blogs for very long at all, you've probably noticed that I enjoy good, thought-provoking quotes. There is often a lot of truth wrapped up in a pithy sentence or two. That is certainly true for this quote:
I am the kind of person who likes to get her ducks in a row, get everything "just so" before I take the first step. There have been a number of things in my life over the past 2-3 years that have moved me outside of my comfort zone as I've been forced to learn as I go instead of getting everything right first. I've realized that waiting until optimal conditions, with everything in place and all obstacles cleared away, usually means that I keep waiting . . . and waiting . . . Life has a way of being messy and less-than-perfect, and just as soon as one obstacle is eliminated, two more pop up.
That was certainly true of my past weight loss efforts. I wanted the calendar clear, with nothing on the horizon that would involve food and tempt me to go off plan. Things had to be good at work - no stress, and there certainly couldn't be any issues at home. When all of these things were properly aligned, I could focus on losing weight. However, the minute life happened - good or bad - the diet was once again off. And trying to lose weight around the holidays? Forget it! Talk about a less-than-ideal time to lose weight!
I was very much in a mindset of wanting to wait for the perfect time to start another program just prior to placing my first Take Shape for Life/Medifast order. I started this program on June 24, 2007, just when the summer fresh fruits were beginning to appear at our local farmer's market. I really like fruit, so the thought of not eating fruit for an entire summer was troubling and I seriously considered waiting until fall to begin the program. But then I thought about the honey crisp apples, my favorites, that made their appearance in the fall. Fall wouldn't be a good time to start, either! But then after fall, I knew the holidays would be here and who in their right mind starts a weight loss program during the holidays?
So, in mid-June of 2007, as I tried to figure out when I should place my order and get started, I realized that the next "convenient" time to start the program wouldn't be until January 2, 2008 - more than six months away. I realized that I absolutely could not go that much longer at the weight I was at (260), and I feared that if I waited six more months, my weight would be much higher.
Was it the ideal time for me to start? That's hard to say. All I know was that it was the right time to start. I started the program two weeks before my birthday and one month before our two-week vacation at a lake cottage we rented. I started this program at the beginning of a summer filled with cookouts and get-togethers with family and friends. It wasn't ideal and there were certainly obstacles to address, but it was the right time for me and, as I shared in yesterday's blog, I couldn't have imagined how much my life would change in the process.
Some of you are just getting started on this program and the holidays are staring you in the face. This isn't an ideal time for you to start, either, but it's the right time because you're ready to change your life. Good for you for not waiting until things are perfect . . . you won't regret the choices you're making! Think about how much better you're going to feel on January 2 when you're 10 or 20 pounds lighter than you are today :-).
You've made a great choice in beginning this program, and each choice you make today, tomorrow and the day after that will bring you closer to a healthier future. Choose wisely :-)
***
In yesterday's blog, I mentioned the opportunity I had last week to appear on our local CBS affiliate. The link was posted last night, so I thought I'd share it here, in case you'd like to check it out: http://www.wwmt.com/sections/video/?videoId=680551576001&lineupId=1137706675&play=now
"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what! Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. ~ Mark Victor Hansen
I am the kind of person who likes to get her ducks in a row, get everything "just so" before I take the first step. There have been a number of things in my life over the past 2-3 years that have moved me outside of my comfort zone as I've been forced to learn as I go instead of getting everything right first. I've realized that waiting until optimal conditions, with everything in place and all obstacles cleared away, usually means that I keep waiting . . . and waiting . . . Life has a way of being messy and less-than-perfect, and just as soon as one obstacle is eliminated, two more pop up.
That was certainly true of my past weight loss efforts. I wanted the calendar clear, with nothing on the horizon that would involve food and tempt me to go off plan. Things had to be good at work - no stress, and there certainly couldn't be any issues at home. When all of these things were properly aligned, I could focus on losing weight. However, the minute life happened - good or bad - the diet was once again off. And trying to lose weight around the holidays? Forget it! Talk about a less-than-ideal time to lose weight!
I was very much in a mindset of wanting to wait for the perfect time to start another program just prior to placing my first Take Shape for Life/Medifast order. I started this program on June 24, 2007, just when the summer fresh fruits were beginning to appear at our local farmer's market. I really like fruit, so the thought of not eating fruit for an entire summer was troubling and I seriously considered waiting until fall to begin the program. But then I thought about the honey crisp apples, my favorites, that made their appearance in the fall. Fall wouldn't be a good time to start, either! But then after fall, I knew the holidays would be here and who in their right mind starts a weight loss program during the holidays?
So, in mid-June of 2007, as I tried to figure out when I should place my order and get started, I realized that the next "convenient" time to start the program wouldn't be until January 2, 2008 - more than six months away. I realized that I absolutely could not go that much longer at the weight I was at (260), and I feared that if I waited six more months, my weight would be much higher.
Was it the ideal time for me to start? That's hard to say. All I know was that it was the right time to start. I started the program two weeks before my birthday and one month before our two-week vacation at a lake cottage we rented. I started this program at the beginning of a summer filled with cookouts and get-togethers with family and friends. It wasn't ideal and there were certainly obstacles to address, but it was the right time for me and, as I shared in yesterday's blog, I couldn't have imagined how much my life would change in the process.
Some of you are just getting started on this program and the holidays are staring you in the face. This isn't an ideal time for you to start, either, but it's the right time because you're ready to change your life. Good for you for not waiting until things are perfect . . . you won't regret the choices you're making! Think about how much better you're going to feel on January 2 when you're 10 or 20 pounds lighter than you are today :-).
You've made a great choice in beginning this program, and each choice you make today, tomorrow and the day after that will bring you closer to a healthier future. Choose wisely :-)
***
In yesterday's blog, I mentioned the opportunity I had last week to appear on our local CBS affiliate. The link was posted last night, so I thought I'd share it here, in case you'd like to check it out: http://www.wwmt.com/sections/video/?videoId=680551576001&lineupId=1137706675&play=now
Monday, November 22, 2010
Two and a Half Years . . . and Counting
Happy anniversary to me, sort of! It's hard to believe, but it was 2-1/2 years ago today, May 22, 2008, that I finally reached my weight loss goal. During the almost-11 months it took to lose the weight, there were certainly some long days, but the time on plan went fast. As I look back now, 2-1/2 years later, the time spent losing the weight was just a minor blip in time.
So much has changed in my life since then! I am still healthy, still wearing my size 6 jeans, and I'm loving my life. I have had some amazing opportunities to share my story and encourage others, including my first live TV spot last week on our local CBS station's early morning news program. If someone would have told me on June 24, 2007, my first day on the program, that I would be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed them. I'm so grateful to God for all of His many blessings, including leading me to this program when He did.
I didn't set out to change my life . . . I just wanted to lose a little bit of weight. But as I learned to make new and better choices, growth happened in ways I didn't expect. I learned how to redefine my relationship with food and, in fact, severed the chains of emotional eating that held me in bondage for over two decades. The shame and embarrassment of living as a morbidly obese women began to heal, to the point I can now talk about how much I weighed, what size I wore, and share the feelings I had - all without hesitation. That would have been unthinkable not that long ago.
Statistics report that 85% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it all, plus additional weight, within two years. I praise God that, because of what I learned on this program and with His help, I have beaten the odds. I don't take that for granted, not for a minute.
Your life is changing on this program, whether you're aware of it or not. I don't know where these changes will eventually take you, but when you reach your goal, you will be in a different place physically, emotionally and mentally. Trust me - it's a GOOD place - and you want to get here :-). And you WILL get here, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
So much has changed in my life since then! I am still healthy, still wearing my size 6 jeans, and I'm loving my life. I have had some amazing opportunities to share my story and encourage others, including my first live TV spot last week on our local CBS station's early morning news program. If someone would have told me on June 24, 2007, my first day on the program, that I would be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed them. I'm so grateful to God for all of His many blessings, including leading me to this program when He did.
I didn't set out to change my life . . . I just wanted to lose a little bit of weight. But as I learned to make new and better choices, growth happened in ways I didn't expect. I learned how to redefine my relationship with food and, in fact, severed the chains of emotional eating that held me in bondage for over two decades. The shame and embarrassment of living as a morbidly obese women began to heal, to the point I can now talk about how much I weighed, what size I wore, and share the feelings I had - all without hesitation. That would have been unthinkable not that long ago.
Statistics report that 85% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it all, plus additional weight, within two years. I praise God that, because of what I learned on this program and with His help, I have beaten the odds. I don't take that for granted, not for a minute.
Your life is changing on this program, whether you're aware of it or not. I don't know where these changes will eventually take you, but when you reach your goal, you will be in a different place physically, emotionally and mentally. Trust me - it's a GOOD place - and you want to get here :-). And you WILL get here, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Forget Motivation
We all had lots of motivation when we started this plan. There may have been different catalysts for what finally flipped the switch and prompted us to get started, but that catalyst was accompanied by a burst of motivation. This time was going to be different.
Motivation may have gotten us started, but it won't keep us going over the long haul. It has an annoying way of dissipating, sometimes just when we need it most. If we're depending on a constant supply of fresh motivation, we will end up being disappointed and discouraged, and we may find ourselves on and off the program, waiting to restart until another burst of motivation appears on the horizon. That's not a good long-term strategy, especially since each subsequent wave of motivation is a little less robust that the last one. Almost everyone who's been on and off program repeatedly confesses to finding it more and more difficult to get back on plan and stay there because the initial motivation they had never returns.
So what's a person to do? I read a quote a week or so ago that said, "Motivation gets you started. Habits keep you going." It's the habits we develop that will keep us going in a different direction.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "90% of what we do is habitual, autopilot behavior - how we treat people, how we spend our money, how we eat, our attitudes. If you want different results, take inventory of your habits & consciously change them. Most studies show that a habit can be broken in 6 weeks!"
When I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, my focus was to just stay on plan for 21 days in a row (I'd always heard that it takes 21 days to break a habit or create a new one). I marked off the calendar each day, and as I neared day 21, there was a level of excitement and amazement as I realized that I was actually doing it. I had never followed a weight loss plan for 7 days in a row without cheating, let alone 21. When I reached the 21st day, I realized that if I could stay on plan for 21 days in a row, I could stay on plan indefinitely. That was the first turning point for me.
Even though my motivation certainly waned over time (although seeing the scale continue to do down and dropping a size a month helped my motivation not to disappear completely), each day that I stayed on plan strengthened new habits. Each day that I stayed on plan, those old, unhealthy habits weakened and had less power over me.
As was pointed out in the Mayo Clinic quote, changing our habits is a matter of conscious choice. It won't happen automatically, and it's not easy. But it's a choice we CAN make. If we recognize that our old, unhealthy habits are no longer serving our best interest, don't wait for motivation to get started. Make the decision to change your habits, beginning today. Once you do that, your choices will begin to reinforce the decision you made. Choose wisely :-)
Motivation may have gotten us started, but it won't keep us going over the long haul. It has an annoying way of dissipating, sometimes just when we need it most. If we're depending on a constant supply of fresh motivation, we will end up being disappointed and discouraged, and we may find ourselves on and off the program, waiting to restart until another burst of motivation appears on the horizon. That's not a good long-term strategy, especially since each subsequent wave of motivation is a little less robust that the last one. Almost everyone who's been on and off program repeatedly confesses to finding it more and more difficult to get back on plan and stay there because the initial motivation they had never returns.
So what's a person to do? I read a quote a week or so ago that said, "Motivation gets you started. Habits keep you going." It's the habits we develop that will keep us going in a different direction.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "90% of what we do is habitual, autopilot behavior - how we treat people, how we spend our money, how we eat, our attitudes. If you want different results, take inventory of your habits & consciously change them. Most studies show that a habit can be broken in 6 weeks!"
When I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, my focus was to just stay on plan for 21 days in a row (I'd always heard that it takes 21 days to break a habit or create a new one). I marked off the calendar each day, and as I neared day 21, there was a level of excitement and amazement as I realized that I was actually doing it. I had never followed a weight loss plan for 7 days in a row without cheating, let alone 21. When I reached the 21st day, I realized that if I could stay on plan for 21 days in a row, I could stay on plan indefinitely. That was the first turning point for me.
Even though my motivation certainly waned over time (although seeing the scale continue to do down and dropping a size a month helped my motivation not to disappear completely), each day that I stayed on plan strengthened new habits. Each day that I stayed on plan, those old, unhealthy habits weakened and had less power over me.
As was pointed out in the Mayo Clinic quote, changing our habits is a matter of conscious choice. It won't happen automatically, and it's not easy. But it's a choice we CAN make. If we recognize that our old, unhealthy habits are no longer serving our best interest, don't wait for motivation to get started. Make the decision to change your habits, beginning today. Once you do that, your choices will begin to reinforce the decision you made. Choose wisely :-)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wise Investments
In this time of economic uncertainty, most of us want to make sure that we get the best return possible on our investments. Whether it's our 401K or IRA or some other type of investment we've made to ensure our financial future, we want to see growth over time. We review our quarterly reports and look for an increase from the previous quarter and we watch for trends that indicate future growth.
Would you be willing to invest $100 if you could be guaranteed a million dollar return? (Who wouldn't, right?)
That's what you're doing right now. The investment you're making in your health is a small investment when it's compared to your future return - a longer, healthier life. The potential return on your health is worth far more than a million dollars, too!
Yes, there is the financial investment you're making to purchase the products needed to do this program, and there is also the mental and emotional investment. There is hard work involved in ridding ourselves of old habits that didn't serve us well and embracing new, healthier habits. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but incorporating these healthy habits will pay long-term, priceless dividends.
When we have our health - when we feel as good as we can possibly feel - we're able to enjoy our lives to the fullest. It doesn't matter how much money we have or how much stuff we've collected, if we're struggling with health issues and living in a state of unhealth or even disease, the money and the stuff don't matter. We may be wise with our financial investments, but if we aren't being wise in our health investments, we won't be able to fully enjoy the benefits of our 401Ks and IRAs. If we aren't wise in the choices we make for our health now, those financial investments may end up being drained for medication and other medical expenses. I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to spend my money!
The return on financial investments is a bit uncertain right now, but the investment in our health has a solid track record on its return. This is a long-term investment, and while many of us see almost immediate results and have been able to reduce or eliminate medications, the real returns will be evident in the years ahead.
The choices we make today determine the future return we will receive. Choose wisely :-)
Would you be willing to invest $100 if you could be guaranteed a million dollar return? (Who wouldn't, right?)
That's what you're doing right now. The investment you're making in your health is a small investment when it's compared to your future return - a longer, healthier life. The potential return on your health is worth far more than a million dollars, too!
Yes, there is the financial investment you're making to purchase the products needed to do this program, and there is also the mental and emotional investment. There is hard work involved in ridding ourselves of old habits that didn't serve us well and embracing new, healthier habits. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but incorporating these healthy habits will pay long-term, priceless dividends.
When we have our health - when we feel as good as we can possibly feel - we're able to enjoy our lives to the fullest. It doesn't matter how much money we have or how much stuff we've collected, if we're struggling with health issues and living in a state of unhealth or even disease, the money and the stuff don't matter. We may be wise with our financial investments, but if we aren't being wise in our health investments, we won't be able to fully enjoy the benefits of our 401Ks and IRAs. If we aren't wise in the choices we make for our health now, those financial investments may end up being drained for medication and other medical expenses. I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to spend my money!
The return on financial investments is a bit uncertain right now, but the investment in our health has a solid track record on its return. This is a long-term investment, and while many of us see almost immediate results and have been able to reduce or eliminate medications, the real returns will be evident in the years ahead.
The choices we make today determine the future return we will receive. Choose wisely :-)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Past, Present, Future
Sometimes we think that what has been will always be, or we think that where we are is "it" and we're convinced that things will never change. If we've had a long history of failed attempts at losing weight, it's easy to believe that our dieting history determines our future. I read a quote yesterday that challenges this kind of thinking:
The decisions we made in the past had a significant impact on where we are today, and many of those decisions became habits over time. But habits are still decisions, even if we aren't acutely aware that we're deciding each and every time. The reason I know these are really decisions is because we have the ability to change them if we choose to do so. We can get rid of unhealthy habits that don't serve us and we can develop an entirely new set of habits that put us on a new path - if we want to.
Going back to Robbins' quote, "your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them" - infused in each of these statements is choice. We choose what we're going to focus on, whether it be past failures or current frustrations or future hopes and dreams that include being at a healthy weight. If we look up and focus on the sky, we can't focus on the ground. If we fix our gaze on the ground, we can't see the sky. Where we choose to focus is critical, and it is a decision we have to make every day.
Robbins says that we decide "what things mean" to us - we attach a value and that value determines what we do with things. Because the focus of this blog is about making healthy choices, let me apply this to the food choices we make. If we value being healthy - if we've made a fundamental choice to get to a healthy weight - then that value will determine the food choices that we make. If we value immediate gratification more than being healthy, that value will lead us to make different choices.
The choices of what we're going to focus on, what things mean to us and what we're going to do with them WILL, in large part, determine the future of our health. That future may seem a long way away, but we're getting there one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
"It's not what is happening to you now or what has happened in the past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them that will determine your ultimate destiny." ~ Anthony Robbins
The decisions we made in the past had a significant impact on where we are today, and many of those decisions became habits over time. But habits are still decisions, even if we aren't acutely aware that we're deciding each and every time. The reason I know these are really decisions is because we have the ability to change them if we choose to do so. We can get rid of unhealthy habits that don't serve us and we can develop an entirely new set of habits that put us on a new path - if we want to.
Going back to Robbins' quote, "your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them" - infused in each of these statements is choice. We choose what we're going to focus on, whether it be past failures or current frustrations or future hopes and dreams that include being at a healthy weight. If we look up and focus on the sky, we can't focus on the ground. If we fix our gaze on the ground, we can't see the sky. Where we choose to focus is critical, and it is a decision we have to make every day.
Robbins says that we decide "what things mean" to us - we attach a value and that value determines what we do with things. Because the focus of this blog is about making healthy choices, let me apply this to the food choices we make. If we value being healthy - if we've made a fundamental choice to get to a healthy weight - then that value will determine the food choices that we make. If we value immediate gratification more than being healthy, that value will lead us to make different choices.
The choices of what we're going to focus on, what things mean to us and what we're going to do with them WILL, in large part, determine the future of our health. That future may seem a long way away, but we're getting there one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Finding Motivation
Last week on Veteran's Day I watched an interview with several veterans who talked about how the things they learned while in the service helped them launch successful businesses. As expected, they mentioned things like discipline and sacrifice, but one veteran's comment about motivation really impressed me. He said that there was a sign in the workout room on his military base that read, "Somebody wants to kill you today. Work out!" Seeing that sign motivated him to work out hard and push himself because he knew his life could depend on it.
We don't have that kind of threat hanging over us, but I wonder if we would make different choices if we did. What choices would we make if we opened the refrigerator or cabinet door and saw a sign that said, "Diabetes and heart disease wants to kill you. Stay on plan!"?
For most of us those diseases aren't immediate threats to our health, so it's easy to think that the choices we make don't really mean anything. And they don't, in the short run. If we choose to go off plan today or tomorrow, it's unlikely that that choice will have a lasting effect. However, if we make those choices day after day, there will be an accumulative effect. It may not show up tomorrow or the next day, but if we are making poor choices, we are taking daily steps towards an unhealthy future.
We also may not see immediate results if we choose to stay on plan. The scale might not move tomorrow and there is no way for us to peek inside our bodies to see the changes that are happening. But over time, changes will certainly become evident - the scale will eventually record a healthy weight and lab work is likely to reflect improved health. Each day that we choose to stay on plan, we are taking another step towards a healthier future.
Because we do better over time if we are moving towards something we want instead of moving away from what we don't want, how about this sign for our refrigerators and cabinets, "A healthy future awaits. Choose wisely."?
We don't have that kind of threat hanging over us, but I wonder if we would make different choices if we did. What choices would we make if we opened the refrigerator or cabinet door and saw a sign that said, "Diabetes and heart disease wants to kill you. Stay on plan!"?
For most of us those diseases aren't immediate threats to our health, so it's easy to think that the choices we make don't really mean anything. And they don't, in the short run. If we choose to go off plan today or tomorrow, it's unlikely that that choice will have a lasting effect. However, if we make those choices day after day, there will be an accumulative effect. It may not show up tomorrow or the next day, but if we are making poor choices, we are taking daily steps towards an unhealthy future.
We also may not see immediate results if we choose to stay on plan. The scale might not move tomorrow and there is no way for us to peek inside our bodies to see the changes that are happening. But over time, changes will certainly become evident - the scale will eventually record a healthy weight and lab work is likely to reflect improved health. Each day that we choose to stay on plan, we are taking another step towards a healthier future.
Because we do better over time if we are moving towards something we want instead of moving away from what we don't want, how about this sign for our refrigerators and cabinets, "A healthy future awaits. Choose wisely."?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Another Changed Life
Changing lives . . . that's what this program does! I am reminded every day about how my life was transformed thanks to Take Shape for Life/Medifast, and I continue to hear stories from others who are reclaiming their own lives. I've written a lot about my own journey, but I want to share a story with you about one of my good friends. Everybody likes a good story, right?
My friend is in her mid-60's and has been overweight her entire life. Nothing she'd tried had ever worked and she was resigned to living out the rest of her days as an obese woman. Then one of her friends lost weight on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and my friend decided to give it a try. She really didn't expect much because, like me, she'd never been successful at losing weight. As you can probably guess, this time ended up being different.
My friend reached her weight loss goal last week, losing 133 pounds in 448 days (not that she was counting!). The weight loss is wonderful - she looks amazing, feels fabulous and is wearing fun clothes in a size she never dreamed she'd be in. But that's not why I'm writing about her today.
I don't know if she'll read today's blog because she's leaving on a two-week Mediterranean cruise tomorrow (a gift from a dear friend), a cruise that would have been very difficult for her had she not gotten to a healthy weight. She will not only be able to fly with ease - no issues of a seat belt not fastening around her! - but she will be able to do some things that wouldn't have been possible before. She marveled as she told me of her plans to visit the pyramids and said that she will be able to climb them. She almost giggled as she shared with me the fact that she is going to ride a camel. She will be visiting Rome and now has the energy to walk for miles up and down hilly streets.
This program is about getting your life back so that you can do the things that you want to do. It's about getting healthy so that you can live your life to the fullest as long as you possibly can.
The process of getting there can be daunting, and my friend faced challenges all along the way, including the recent death of her mom. But she was focused on creating health in her life and didn't allow anything to get in the way. When I talked with her last night, she told me what I expected to hear: it was worth it - she has NO regrets for the choices she's made. She has a plan that she will follow on the cruise, and because she is at a healthy weight and able to do so many fun things, this cruise won't be all about the food and the endless midnight buffets.
What will life look like for you when you're at a healthy weight? How will you feel? What will you be able to do? The holidays are just around the corner, but you will sail through them IF you're focused on what is waiting for you the other side of goal.
Thanks for letting me share my friend's story with you today. A new chapter in her life is just beginning to unfold, so reaching her goal wasn't the end of her story by any means! She reached her goal the same way that I reached mine, and the same way that you will reach yours - one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
My friend is in her mid-60's and has been overweight her entire life. Nothing she'd tried had ever worked and she was resigned to living out the rest of her days as an obese woman. Then one of her friends lost weight on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and my friend decided to give it a try. She really didn't expect much because, like me, she'd never been successful at losing weight. As you can probably guess, this time ended up being different.
My friend reached her weight loss goal last week, losing 133 pounds in 448 days (not that she was counting!). The weight loss is wonderful - she looks amazing, feels fabulous and is wearing fun clothes in a size she never dreamed she'd be in. But that's not why I'm writing about her today.
I don't know if she'll read today's blog because she's leaving on a two-week Mediterranean cruise tomorrow (a gift from a dear friend), a cruise that would have been very difficult for her had she not gotten to a healthy weight. She will not only be able to fly with ease - no issues of a seat belt not fastening around her! - but she will be able to do some things that wouldn't have been possible before. She marveled as she told me of her plans to visit the pyramids and said that she will be able to climb them. She almost giggled as she shared with me the fact that she is going to ride a camel. She will be visiting Rome and now has the energy to walk for miles up and down hilly streets.
This program is about getting your life back so that you can do the things that you want to do. It's about getting healthy so that you can live your life to the fullest as long as you possibly can.
The process of getting there can be daunting, and my friend faced challenges all along the way, including the recent death of her mom. But she was focused on creating health in her life and didn't allow anything to get in the way. When I talked with her last night, she told me what I expected to hear: it was worth it - she has NO regrets for the choices she's made. She has a plan that she will follow on the cruise, and because she is at a healthy weight and able to do so many fun things, this cruise won't be all about the food and the endless midnight buffets.
What will life look like for you when you're at a healthy weight? How will you feel? What will you be able to do? The holidays are just around the corner, but you will sail through them IF you're focused on what is waiting for you the other side of goal.
Thanks for letting me share my friend's story with you today. A new chapter in her life is just beginning to unfold, so reaching her goal wasn't the end of her story by any means! She reached her goal the same way that I reached mine, and the same way that you will reach yours - one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Using Our Brains and Our Feet
First of all, on this Veteran's Day, I want to thank all of the men and women who have served or who are currently serving our country. Our freedom isn't free!
***
Speaking of freedom, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook yesterday and it triggered a lot of memories and thoughts: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." ~ Oh The Places You'll Go
This is from the great writer and philosopher, Dr. Seuss :-). He had a remarkable gift of putting great thoughts into simple, fun verse, but sometimes profound thoughts come wrapped in simple packages.
We DO have a brain in our head and we DO have feet in our shoes; we really CAN steer ourselves in any direction we choose! We may not believe that we have the ability to steer our lives in a different direction, but we can do just that if we decide that's what we really want to do. So often we tend to view ourselves as hapless, helpless victims - particularly when it comes to battling our weight.
We blame our genetics, we blame our childhood, we blame our spouses or our boss. We may feel that we're hopelessly enslaved to overeating, or we may just think that we have "big bones." I spent a long time and expended a lot of emotional energy blaming other things (pregnancy, returning to the workforce, etc.) for my obesity, and I felt trapped. I remember times at work when I would take a 3rd or 4th doughnut or muffin and surreptitiously eat it in the bathroom, feeling shame while at the same time excusing myself by rationalizing that I obviously had an eating disorder and couldn't help myself. (I want to stop here and say that I recognize that there are true eating disorders that need professional intervention and I'm not for a second minimizing them here. I didn't have a true eating disorder and just threw out that excuse at the time because I was trying to ease my own guilt.) The truth was that it was a choice I made - every time.
That was actually GOOD news, because it meant that when I was ready to make a different choice, I was able to do that. There came a day when, with God's help, I made the decision to get healthy. Because I wanted that more than I wanted the food, I was able to make different choices. I was able to use the brain God gave me and put my feet on a different path, in a new direction. I don't want to sound like this was easy, because it certainly wasn't, but it WAS possible. It's possible for you, too, if you make the choice to change.
Choose wisely :-)
***
I am leaving this morning for a weekend conference in Pennsylvania and will be home late Monday night. I'll have limited access to the internet while I'm gone but will get back to blogging next week. Have a great weekend and keep making wise choices!
***
Speaking of freedom, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook yesterday and it triggered a lot of memories and thoughts: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." ~ Oh The Places You'll Go
This is from the great writer and philosopher, Dr. Seuss :-). He had a remarkable gift of putting great thoughts into simple, fun verse, but sometimes profound thoughts come wrapped in simple packages.
We DO have a brain in our head and we DO have feet in our shoes; we really CAN steer ourselves in any direction we choose! We may not believe that we have the ability to steer our lives in a different direction, but we can do just that if we decide that's what we really want to do. So often we tend to view ourselves as hapless, helpless victims - particularly when it comes to battling our weight.
We blame our genetics, we blame our childhood, we blame our spouses or our boss. We may feel that we're hopelessly enslaved to overeating, or we may just think that we have "big bones." I spent a long time and expended a lot of emotional energy blaming other things (pregnancy, returning to the workforce, etc.) for my obesity, and I felt trapped. I remember times at work when I would take a 3rd or 4th doughnut or muffin and surreptitiously eat it in the bathroom, feeling shame while at the same time excusing myself by rationalizing that I obviously had an eating disorder and couldn't help myself. (I want to stop here and say that I recognize that there are true eating disorders that need professional intervention and I'm not for a second minimizing them here. I didn't have a true eating disorder and just threw out that excuse at the time because I was trying to ease my own guilt.) The truth was that it was a choice I made - every time.
That was actually GOOD news, because it meant that when I was ready to make a different choice, I was able to do that. There came a day when, with God's help, I made the decision to get healthy. Because I wanted that more than I wanted the food, I was able to make different choices. I was able to use the brain God gave me and put my feet on a different path, in a new direction. I don't want to sound like this was easy, because it certainly wasn't, but it WAS possible. It's possible for you, too, if you make the choice to change.
Choose wisely :-)
***
I am leaving this morning for a weekend conference in Pennsylvania and will be home late Monday night. I'll have limited access to the internet while I'm gone but will get back to blogging next week. Have a great weekend and keep making wise choices!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Surprised by Joy
When I first started blogging almost 3-1/2 years ago, it was a very personal way for me to chronicle a very personal struggle with obesity. I started Take Shape for Life/Medifast with a healthy measure of skepticism and a smidgen of hope and I decided to blog for the first time in life so that I would have a written record of my journey, wherever it took me. As I've shared before, I certainly had no idea that I'd actually reach my goal and I couldn't have fathomed ever being able to help anyone else struggling as I had.
Over the past couple of years, my blogging has become less about my own journey and more about writing things to encourage others. It's a joy and also very humbling to know that things I write resonate with others and provide a bit of encouragement along the way.
Today I'm stepping back a minute because I want to chronicle a point in my own life; I hope that my personal reflections will somehow be a blessing to you, too.
I have been struggling for several months with feelings of discouragement and from time to time have felt the shadow of depression lurking at the edges of my soul. We've been really busy and we've done a lot of traveling, so on the surface things look pretty good. But often I've been challenged to keep doing what I knew I needed to do while pushing back the shadows.
That was true yesterday morning when I woke up. I knew I had a busy day in store, so I took a deep breath and, as I do every morning, asked God to give me the strength I needed to get through the day. I also asked Him to restore my joy.
Last week I shared in my blog the need of some of our soldiers in Afghanistan and I also shared that with the ladies in my Bible study. Following last week's class, the class leaders told me that they wanted to take a collection to help buy supplies for these soldiers. I left for Bible study yesterday morning knowing that the ladies would take a collection; I planned to go shopping following our study. The majority of the 40 women in the Bible study are senior citizens, so I figured I would probably have $200-$300 to spend on supplies, enough to fill 3-4 boxes. I was still pushing back my emotional shadows all through the Bible study and felt tired, but figured the shopping and packing of boxes would probably take a couple of hours and I looked forward to doing what I could to help. One of the ladies volunteered to go shopping with me.
To my absolute shock, those dear ladies gave me over $1,600 to spend on supplies for our soldiers. Another lady joined us on the shopping trip and two overflowing shopping carts later, we had filled 22 large flat-rate boxes to ship to Afghanistan.
What I realized yesterday is that while I may be looking for blessings in one area, God may be ready to bless in an entirely different way. What I thought would be a couple of hours spent shopping and boxing turned into over 8 hours, including the time needed to complete 22 Customs forms. I was so focused on the work at hand that there was no time for me to think about myself, and as I worked with these ladies to shop and pack boxes, there was a real sense of joy and purpose.
So what am I learning (note: I didn't say "what I've learned" because this is very much a process)? If I focus on the black dot on the page, I will miss all of the white space surrounding it, and in that white space are blessings - I just need to look for them. There are times when I don't see God working in an area in the way I am praying and hoping that He will work, but that doesn't mean He's not working in my life. He is not only working in that area, even when I can't see it, but He is also working in other areas - I just need to look. I also realized again that serving others and looking for ways to be a blessing is one of the best ways I know of to rediscover joy.
What happened yesterday doesn't mean that the shadows have permanently evaporated. I'm a realist and I know they may well return. That's why I'm blogging today - I want to remember how God surprised me with joy yesterday, just when I needed it. It wasn't in the way I expected, but it was there and it was clearly His doing as He used a group of sweet ladies to generously give so that a group of soldiers would be encouraged and blessed. In the process, I was also blessed.
Perhaps things aren't going the way you wish they were. Perhaps you are frustrated with the scale and that frustration is clouding other things in your life. My encouragement to you today is to look around you and look for joy. It's there, perhaps not where you expect it to be, but it's there. We really do get to choose what we focus on - the black dot or the white paper. Choose wisely :-)
Over the past couple of years, my blogging has become less about my own journey and more about writing things to encourage others. It's a joy and also very humbling to know that things I write resonate with others and provide a bit of encouragement along the way.
Today I'm stepping back a minute because I want to chronicle a point in my own life; I hope that my personal reflections will somehow be a blessing to you, too.
I have been struggling for several months with feelings of discouragement and from time to time have felt the shadow of depression lurking at the edges of my soul. We've been really busy and we've done a lot of traveling, so on the surface things look pretty good. But often I've been challenged to keep doing what I knew I needed to do while pushing back the shadows.
That was true yesterday morning when I woke up. I knew I had a busy day in store, so I took a deep breath and, as I do every morning, asked God to give me the strength I needed to get through the day. I also asked Him to restore my joy.
Last week I shared in my blog the need of some of our soldiers in Afghanistan and I also shared that with the ladies in my Bible study. Following last week's class, the class leaders told me that they wanted to take a collection to help buy supplies for these soldiers. I left for Bible study yesterday morning knowing that the ladies would take a collection; I planned to go shopping following our study. The majority of the 40 women in the Bible study are senior citizens, so I figured I would probably have $200-$300 to spend on supplies, enough to fill 3-4 boxes. I was still pushing back my emotional shadows all through the Bible study and felt tired, but figured the shopping and packing of boxes would probably take a couple of hours and I looked forward to doing what I could to help. One of the ladies volunteered to go shopping with me.
To my absolute shock, those dear ladies gave me over $1,600 to spend on supplies for our soldiers. Another lady joined us on the shopping trip and two overflowing shopping carts later, we had filled 22 large flat-rate boxes to ship to Afghanistan.
What I realized yesterday is that while I may be looking for blessings in one area, God may be ready to bless in an entirely different way. What I thought would be a couple of hours spent shopping and boxing turned into over 8 hours, including the time needed to complete 22 Customs forms. I was so focused on the work at hand that there was no time for me to think about myself, and as I worked with these ladies to shop and pack boxes, there was a real sense of joy and purpose.
So what am I learning (note: I didn't say "what I've learned" because this is very much a process)? If I focus on the black dot on the page, I will miss all of the white space surrounding it, and in that white space are blessings - I just need to look for them. There are times when I don't see God working in an area in the way I am praying and hoping that He will work, but that doesn't mean He's not working in my life. He is not only working in that area, even when I can't see it, but He is also working in other areas - I just need to look. I also realized again that serving others and looking for ways to be a blessing is one of the best ways I know of to rediscover joy.
What happened yesterday doesn't mean that the shadows have permanently evaporated. I'm a realist and I know they may well return. That's why I'm blogging today - I want to remember how God surprised me with joy yesterday, just when I needed it. It wasn't in the way I expected, but it was there and it was clearly His doing as He used a group of sweet ladies to generously give so that a group of soldiers would be encouraged and blessed. In the process, I was also blessed.
Perhaps things aren't going the way you wish they were. Perhaps you are frustrated with the scale and that frustration is clouding other things in your life. My encouragement to you today is to look around you and look for joy. It's there, perhaps not where you expect it to be, but it's there. We really do get to choose what we focus on - the black dot or the white paper. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Ready for a Busy Day!
Happy Tuesday everyone! I have a jam-packed schedule today - it's all good, but it will be a very busy day! I've planned out my Take Shape for Life/Medifast meals for the day, however, so the busy schedule won't result in sludge eating :-).
It can be hard to stay focused and stay on plan when things are busy, and if we don't plan accordingly, busy days, accompanied by their own level of stress, make us incredibly vulnerable to off-plan eating. I'm not sure why it is, but put me into a hectic, stressful day and I can almost guarantee that there will be the wrong kind of food lurking around every corner. I don't kid myself, either. If I haven't planned, if I don't have everything I need with me, it's very easy to rationalize and grab the nearest food - and the nearest food-of-choice will be something loaded with white flour, white sugar and fat.
But eating those things won't keep me moving in the direction I want to go, and I'm in pursuit of optimal health. Even though they taste good for a nano-second, I know that those several hundred calories beckoning me won't provide any nutrition and that an hour or so after eating it I'll get a very predictable blood sugar drop.
So I've planned for today because I'm choosing health. I have the food ready that I'll need because I am also choosing convenience.
Those are my choices today - what are your choices? Is this a busy day for you? Are you ready for it? Is this a day with a lot of free time? Are you ready for that? Regardless of what's on your calendar for today, it's a good day to move forward, and you'll do that one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
It can be hard to stay focused and stay on plan when things are busy, and if we don't plan accordingly, busy days, accompanied by their own level of stress, make us incredibly vulnerable to off-plan eating. I'm not sure why it is, but put me into a hectic, stressful day and I can almost guarantee that there will be the wrong kind of food lurking around every corner. I don't kid myself, either. If I haven't planned, if I don't have everything I need with me, it's very easy to rationalize and grab the nearest food - and the nearest food-of-choice will be something loaded with white flour, white sugar and fat.
But eating those things won't keep me moving in the direction I want to go, and I'm in pursuit of optimal health. Even though they taste good for a nano-second, I know that those several hundred calories beckoning me won't provide any nutrition and that an hour or so after eating it I'll get a very predictable blood sugar drop.
So I've planned for today because I'm choosing health. I have the food ready that I'll need because I am also choosing convenience.
Those are my choices today - what are your choices? Is this a busy day for you? Are you ready for it? Is this a day with a lot of free time? Are you ready for that? Regardless of what's on your calendar for today, it's a good day to move forward, and you'll do that one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Spending Energy
Staying on plan is a lot of work. There's no getting around it. Opening packets isn't hard, but being surrounded by the ever-present temptations IS hard and it takes constant focus to avoid them. That focus can be exhausting sometimes.
That's true, but did you know that it's even more exhausting to give in to temptation and go off plan?
I recently read that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it; procrastination saps energy while completion gives relief.
This was certainly true for me. I cheated miserably on every other program I'd ever been on until I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, and the energy I spent cheating really was exhausting and demoralizing. The internal struggle pre and post cheat went something like this: "That really looks good and I want it. I know I'm not supposed to have it, but it really looks good and I'm hungry/tired/stressed and I deserve it. I shouldn't have it . . . I really shouldn't have it. OK, I'll just have a bite. Well, maybe half won't be too bad . . . Ugh, I ate the whole thing. Since I ate one, I'll eat the other one so I won't be tempted anymore . . . Well, I really blew it. How could I be so stupid and weak? I don't even feel good - I ate way too much. I'm never going to lose weight. Why do I even try? I wish I hadn't eaten the stupid thing - it wasn't worth it."
That cycle was repeated over and over again, and it was emotionally exhausting. Every time the cycle was repeated, I felt more demoralized and defeated and reaching a healthy weight seemed just a little further away. Talk about an energy drain!
Contrast that with the energy involved in staying on plan: "That really looks good and I want it. But I also really want to get to a healthy weight and I want that more than I want the food. I can have that if I want, but I am choosing to not eat that right now because it won't get me where I want to go . . . Wow, I did it - I didn't cheat. Whew! I really did it - that feels great!" Instead of feeling emotionally drained, this scenario energizes you - it really does!
I remember really struggling at times to stay on plan and there were a few times when I almost caved. The internal dialogue was certainly more extended than the example listed above. However, there was SUCH a feeling of relief when I walked away - I was flooded with relief and joy once the temptation had passed. The realization that I really could stay on plan gave me hope that I would eventually reach my goal and it also strengthened my "no thank you muscle" for the next inevitable temptation. Knowing that I'd resisted once made it just a bit easier to resist the next time, and that next time made it even easier to resist the time after that.
So how are you going to spend your energy today? It all depends on the choices you make, so choose wisely :-)
That's true, but did you know that it's even more exhausting to give in to temptation and go off plan?
I recently read that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it; procrastination saps energy while completion gives relief.
This was certainly true for me. I cheated miserably on every other program I'd ever been on until I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, and the energy I spent cheating really was exhausting and demoralizing. The internal struggle pre and post cheat went something like this: "That really looks good and I want it. I know I'm not supposed to have it, but it really looks good and I'm hungry/tired/stressed and I deserve it. I shouldn't have it . . . I really shouldn't have it. OK, I'll just have a bite. Well, maybe half won't be too bad . . . Ugh, I ate the whole thing. Since I ate one, I'll eat the other one so I won't be tempted anymore . . . Well, I really blew it. How could I be so stupid and weak? I don't even feel good - I ate way too much. I'm never going to lose weight. Why do I even try? I wish I hadn't eaten the stupid thing - it wasn't worth it."
That cycle was repeated over and over again, and it was emotionally exhausting. Every time the cycle was repeated, I felt more demoralized and defeated and reaching a healthy weight seemed just a little further away. Talk about an energy drain!
Contrast that with the energy involved in staying on plan: "That really looks good and I want it. But I also really want to get to a healthy weight and I want that more than I want the food. I can have that if I want, but I am choosing to not eat that right now because it won't get me where I want to go . . . Wow, I did it - I didn't cheat. Whew! I really did it - that feels great!" Instead of feeling emotionally drained, this scenario energizes you - it really does!
I remember really struggling at times to stay on plan and there were a few times when I almost caved. The internal dialogue was certainly more extended than the example listed above. However, there was SUCH a feeling of relief when I walked away - I was flooded with relief and joy once the temptation had passed. The realization that I really could stay on plan gave me hope that I would eventually reach my goal and it also strengthened my "no thank you muscle" for the next inevitable temptation. Knowing that I'd resisted once made it just a bit easier to resist the next time, and that next time made it even easier to resist the time after that.
So how are you going to spend your energy today? It all depends on the choices you make, so choose wisely :-)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Getting our ZZZZ's
We turned the clocks back last night, which means we had the opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep. Did you take advantage of that? I did and it felt great!
Did you know that sleep, or the lack of sleep, has a dramatic impact on your health, including your weight? Along with poor diet and inactivity, poor sleep is a major contributor to living in an unhealthy state.
In his book, Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen, Take Shape for Life/Medifast's Medical Director, writes that getting too little sleep disturbs appetite regulation, giving sleep deficiency the potential to be a major factor in obesity. He cites research on 28,000 adults and 15,000 children which showed that less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in children as young as five. Dr. Andersen explains that when we're sleep-deprived, our body secretes excess ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, and less leptin, a substance that tells us to stop eating. Lack of sleep also prevents our bodies from replacing dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that bring comfort and satisfaction. Guess what? If we're low in those two brain chemicals, we will crave sugar and other high-calorie foods.
And we thought getting healthy was just eating right and moving our bodies!
In our fast-pace society, sleep is something we're tempted to compromise. When I worked full-time, I rarely got more than 6 hours of sleep a night because I stayed up too late and then had to get up for work. It wasn't until I went back to work that the weight really piled on, and while I blamed it on inactivity, sitting in front of a computer all day instead of being a busy stay-at-home mom, I now realize that my chronic sleep deprivation may have played a part as well.
We need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep every night. If we aren't getting that, we are not only compromising out health (Dr. Andersen also writes about the link between lack of sleep and increased inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents, anxiety and depression), but we may be making it harder to stay on plan and get to a healthy weight.
So as you are making other choices about your health today, what you're going to eat and how you're going to move, what about what time you're going to go to bed? That's another habit of health to develop as you continue your journey! Getting healthy requires a series of choices that, working together, will enable us to create optimal health in our lives. Choose wisely :-)
Did you know that sleep, or the lack of sleep, has a dramatic impact on your health, including your weight? Along with poor diet and inactivity, poor sleep is a major contributor to living in an unhealthy state.
In his book, Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen, Take Shape for Life/Medifast's Medical Director, writes that getting too little sleep disturbs appetite regulation, giving sleep deficiency the potential to be a major factor in obesity. He cites research on 28,000 adults and 15,000 children which showed that less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in children as young as five. Dr. Andersen explains that when we're sleep-deprived, our body secretes excess ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, and less leptin, a substance that tells us to stop eating. Lack of sleep also prevents our bodies from replacing dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that bring comfort and satisfaction. Guess what? If we're low in those two brain chemicals, we will crave sugar and other high-calorie foods.
And we thought getting healthy was just eating right and moving our bodies!
In our fast-pace society, sleep is something we're tempted to compromise. When I worked full-time, I rarely got more than 6 hours of sleep a night because I stayed up too late and then had to get up for work. It wasn't until I went back to work that the weight really piled on, and while I blamed it on inactivity, sitting in front of a computer all day instead of being a busy stay-at-home mom, I now realize that my chronic sleep deprivation may have played a part as well.
We need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep every night. If we aren't getting that, we are not only compromising out health (Dr. Andersen also writes about the link between lack of sleep and increased inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents, anxiety and depression), but we may be making it harder to stay on plan and get to a healthy weight.
So as you are making other choices about your health today, what you're going to eat and how you're going to move, what about what time you're going to go to bed? That's another habit of health to develop as you continue your journey! Getting healthy requires a series of choices that, working together, will enable us to create optimal health in our lives. Choose wisely :-)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
How to Keep Going, Even When You Don't Want To
Yesterday I talked about not quitting half-way through the game. I know that's easier said than done! How do you keep going when you just want to be done?
First of all, I understand completely that feeling. I got tired of eating the food and I got tired of not eating so many other things. It took me two days short of 11 months to reach my goal and while the months went fast, especially as I look back, there were some mighty long days! It wasn't always fun.
I remember about four months into the program that I started questioning how long I would be on plan. It was just before Thanksgiving and I had 26 people coming to my house for dinner that year, so I knew that I'd be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I'd made really good progress with my weight loss and had dropped several sizes, so I was in a much better place than I'd been when I started the plan that June. I toyed with taking a small break to really enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and I also considered taking a break between Thanksgiving and New Years and then starting in again on January 2.
I considered this, but I didn't do it. In fact, I stayed on plan through the holidays and lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. When I reached New Year's Day, I didn't know that it would be over 5-1/2 more months until I reached my goal, but I was really happy that I'd continued to make progress through what is admittedly the toughest time of the year.
So how and why did I do that? Again, it wasn't easy, but I stayed on plan because I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight and get on with the rest of my life, and I wanted it more than I wanted the food. I really, really wanted the food - don't get me wrong - but I wanted something else even more.
Chapter 3 of Dr. A's Habits of Health is entitled, "Motivation f or Change." He describes a typical and very predictable pattern that most of us will recognize from our past dieting experiences, a pattern based on wanting to change to fix a problem. Here's the pattern:
1. Emotional conflict leads you to act
2. Because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much
3. Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the emotional conflict
4. Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place
5. Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions.
6. And the original behavior returns.
That is how we've ended up in a yo-yo dieting pattern, losing and gaining, losing and gaining over the years. If we are focused on fixing a problem (being overweight and/or unhealthy), the upcoming holiday season is a dangerous one. If you've been on plan for any length of time, you DO look and feel better, no doubt about it. That's why it's important to take a deep breath and focus - focus hard - on what it is that you really want.
I've been talking about the holidays, but this is true regardless of what time of year it is. Life continues to happen and anytime life happens, there is always food . . . always. If we're focused on what we want, and if we're honest with ourselves about what it is that we most want, we will make the secondary choices that support that fundamental choice.
Three years ago, I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight. I made some hard choices, but those choices supported what I most wanted. There are no regrets!
What do you really want today? Identify what it is that you want, focus on it, then choose wisely :-)
First of all, I understand completely that feeling. I got tired of eating the food and I got tired of not eating so many other things. It took me two days short of 11 months to reach my goal and while the months went fast, especially as I look back, there were some mighty long days! It wasn't always fun.
I remember about four months into the program that I started questioning how long I would be on plan. It was just before Thanksgiving and I had 26 people coming to my house for dinner that year, so I knew that I'd be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I'd made really good progress with my weight loss and had dropped several sizes, so I was in a much better place than I'd been when I started the plan that June. I toyed with taking a small break to really enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and I also considered taking a break between Thanksgiving and New Years and then starting in again on January 2.
I considered this, but I didn't do it. In fact, I stayed on plan through the holidays and lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. When I reached New Year's Day, I didn't know that it would be over 5-1/2 more months until I reached my goal, but I was really happy that I'd continued to make progress through what is admittedly the toughest time of the year.
So how and why did I do that? Again, it wasn't easy, but I stayed on plan because I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight and get on with the rest of my life, and I wanted it more than I wanted the food. I really, really wanted the food - don't get me wrong - but I wanted something else even more.
Chapter 3 of Dr. A's Habits of Health is entitled, "Motivation f or Change." He describes a typical and very predictable pattern that most of us will recognize from our past dieting experiences, a pattern based on wanting to change to fix a problem. Here's the pattern:
1. Emotional conflict leads you to act
2. Because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much
3. Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the emotional conflict
4. Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place
5. Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions.
6. And the original behavior returns.
That is how we've ended up in a yo-yo dieting pattern, losing and gaining, losing and gaining over the years. If we are focused on fixing a problem (being overweight and/or unhealthy), the upcoming holiday season is a dangerous one. If you've been on plan for any length of time, you DO look and feel better, no doubt about it. That's why it's important to take a deep breath and focus - focus hard - on what it is that you really want.
I've been talking about the holidays, but this is true regardless of what time of year it is. Life continues to happen and anytime life happens, there is always food . . . always. If we're focused on what we want, and if we're honest with ourselves about what it is that we most want, we will make the secondary choices that support that fundamental choice.
Three years ago, I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight. I made some hard choices, but those choices supported what I most wanted. There are no regrets!
What do you really want today? Identify what it is that you want, focus on it, then choose wisely :-)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Getting, and Staying, in the Game
"Health is not a spectator sport." Is your first instinct to nod in agreement, or are you thinking, "rats!!" :-) It's true . . . if we want to be optimally healthy, being as active and vibrant as we can possibly be for as long as possible, we have to get in the game.
This quote is from Dr. A's Habits of Health, a book written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's Medical Director, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen. My husband and I have been working our way through this book for the past few months, and I do mean working our way.
I'm really good at studying and learning. I'm an avid reader and enjoy the whole learning process, and I believe in being a lifelong learner. However, reading, studying and learning in and of itself, as good as those things are, won't do a thing to get me healthy or keep me healthy.
Prior to starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I had done a lot of reading and studying. I had a good grasp of nutrition and understood the health risks of obesity. Unfortunately, I did a lot of my reading while eating cookies or chips . . . I kid you not. I used to say that my obesity (my all-time high weight was 268 on my 5'5" frame) wasn't due to not knowing what to do or a failure to grasp the health risks.
Knowing and doing are two entirely different things. If we want to reach a healthy weight, if we want to be as healthy as we can possibly be, we have to stop being a spectator and get in the game. It simply won't happen by osmosis. I'm certainly not advocating that anyone stop reading about health - in fact, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Andersen's book to anyone who wants to create long-term health in their lives. I just know that reading alone, even Dr. A's book, won't do it for us. We can know all of the ins and outs of why it's important to eat every 3 hours and we can have the low-glycemic list memorized, but if we aren't doing it, the information is useless.
Once we're in the game (and since you're reading this, I'm guessing that you're in the game!), the next challenge is to stay in the game. I've never seen a team decide half-way or 3/4 of the way through a game that, since they're ahead and doing well, that they can quit early. Even when a team has a comfortable margin and their win is a foregone conclusion, they stay in the game until it's over. We have to do the same! For us, the game isn't over when we reach our goal . . . it's never really over as long as we're on this earth. Every day between now and goal is a day where you have to make choices to move forward. That doesn't change when you reach your goal - some of the options will change, but you will still have choices to make and those choices will either move you forward or take you back. The game continues!
If you're inclined to sit on the bleachers, it's time to get off. If you're currently in the game, keep going! You'll do that with the choices you'll make today. Choose wisely :-)
This quote is from Dr. A's Habits of Health, a book written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's Medical Director, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen. My husband and I have been working our way through this book for the past few months, and I do mean working our way.
I'm really good at studying and learning. I'm an avid reader and enjoy the whole learning process, and I believe in being a lifelong learner. However, reading, studying and learning in and of itself, as good as those things are, won't do a thing to get me healthy or keep me healthy.
Prior to starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I had done a lot of reading and studying. I had a good grasp of nutrition and understood the health risks of obesity. Unfortunately, I did a lot of my reading while eating cookies or chips . . . I kid you not. I used to say that my obesity (my all-time high weight was 268 on my 5'5" frame) wasn't due to not knowing what to do or a failure to grasp the health risks.
Knowing and doing are two entirely different things. If we want to reach a healthy weight, if we want to be as healthy as we can possibly be, we have to stop being a spectator and get in the game. It simply won't happen by osmosis. I'm certainly not advocating that anyone stop reading about health - in fact, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Andersen's book to anyone who wants to create long-term health in their lives. I just know that reading alone, even Dr. A's book, won't do it for us. We can know all of the ins and outs of why it's important to eat every 3 hours and we can have the low-glycemic list memorized, but if we aren't doing it, the information is useless.
Once we're in the game (and since you're reading this, I'm guessing that you're in the game!), the next challenge is to stay in the game. I've never seen a team decide half-way or 3/4 of the way through a game that, since they're ahead and doing well, that they can quit early. Even when a team has a comfortable margin and their win is a foregone conclusion, they stay in the game until it's over. We have to do the same! For us, the game isn't over when we reach our goal . . . it's never really over as long as we're on this earth. Every day between now and goal is a day where you have to make choices to move forward. That doesn't change when you reach your goal - some of the options will change, but you will still have choices to make and those choices will either move you forward or take you back. The game continues!
If you're inclined to sit on the bleachers, it's time to get off. If you're currently in the game, keep going! You'll do that with the choices you'll make today. Choose wisely :-)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Three Years Later
I started thinking today about three years ago, when I was just a little over 4 months into this journey. I am so happy that I blogged all along my journey, because it's fun to look back and remember. Here's what I wrote three years ago today:
What's interesting now is reading - and sensing - the joy I had at that point in my journey. I was only four months into what would end up being an eleven month process, so I still had a long way to go when I wrote this. I'm so thankful that I didn't wait until I reached the end of my journey and was at my goal to find things to celebrate.
It's hard to stay motivated when our goal is months away, and there are certainly days when staying on plan is no fun at all (I had plenty of those days!). While I really encourage individuals to stay focused on their goal, sometimes it's helpful to shift our focus for just a moment.
Sometimes we need to look back at where we were when we started, just to remind ourselves of how far we've come. We really ARE making progress, one day at a time.
Sometimes it also good to stop for a moment and look at where we are right now. We may not be where we want to be, but thank God, we're not where we were, so celebrate that!
Stay focused on your goal, of course, but don't put your life on hold until you get there. There is a lot to celebrate now. Every day that you choose to stay on plan, you are choosing to change your life! Choose wisely :-)
The NSVs (non-scale victories) just keep coming! Even as I move ever closer to leaving the 200's behind forever (currently at 206!), I'm enjoying some great NSVs which keep a silly, but very contented, smile on my face.
One HUGE NSV is shopping. Oh my goodness!! I don't know when the thrill of shopping in Misses sizes will begin to dissipate, but it's still there in full-force every time I walk into a store. Last Saturday I went to a store in the mall that had 40% off of the total purchase, so I happily shopped the sale racks for clothes in the next size down, knowing that there would be an additional 40% taken off - gotta love that! I bought a pair of Misses 14 slacks which zip and button, but are too tight to be worn in public, but I bought them in FULL confidence knowing that I'll be in them in a few weeks. I also bought a couple of Misses size 12 blazers - a bit snug yet, but not for long!! I have to keep reminding myself not to go crazy - yet - because I'm not in my final size. But after spending years with very limited fashion choices in the Women's department, this is way too much fun!
With some very wintery weather moving into Michigan yesterday, I realized that I needed a new good winter coat. I bought a new winter jacket a couple of weeks ago, but had hoped that the wool coat I bought 3 years ago might work for this year, but not a chance! The coat is a 20W and it was ridiculously huge - there was absolutely NO way I could wear it this year. When I bought it, I hadn't been able to find anything in the store that fit my 268 pound body, so I ordered it from L.L. Bean. Now that I am 62 pounds lighter, the coat was beyond huge on me. Oh darn - I had to go shopping again! It was wonderful to walk into the department store and have CHOICES - choices of color, style, length. I found a great wool coat on sale for half price, which was wonderful because it will be WAY too big next winter!
And my last fun NSV was when my husband and I were walking a couple of days ago. We were talking and holding hands when he commented, "You're walking a lot . . . smoother . . . these days!" He hesitated and searched for the right word before he came up with "smoother." I told him that it was probably because 1) my knee was feeling SO much better and I wasn't limping any more and 2) because my thighs don't rub together any more when I walk! He just shook his head and grinned, but we swung hands while we walked!
If someone would have told me last June 24, my very first day on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, that I would be enjoying these things today, I'm not sure I would have believed it. But taking it one meal and one day at a time, life has gotten much sweeter, and the best is yet to come! Is it worth giving up some former favorite foods? What do YOU think?!
What's interesting now is reading - and sensing - the joy I had at that point in my journey. I was only four months into what would end up being an eleven month process, so I still had a long way to go when I wrote this. I'm so thankful that I didn't wait until I reached the end of my journey and was at my goal to find things to celebrate.
It's hard to stay motivated when our goal is months away, and there are certainly days when staying on plan is no fun at all (I had plenty of those days!). While I really encourage individuals to stay focused on their goal, sometimes it's helpful to shift our focus for just a moment.
Sometimes we need to look back at where we were when we started, just to remind ourselves of how far we've come. We really ARE making progress, one day at a time.
Sometimes it also good to stop for a moment and look at where we are right now. We may not be where we want to be, but thank God, we're not where we were, so celebrate that!
Stay focused on your goal, of course, but don't put your life on hold until you get there. There is a lot to celebrate now. Every day that you choose to stay on plan, you are choosing to change your life! Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Aligning Priorities
"When our old priorities don't go with our new life, we either return to our old life or adopt new priorities."
My old priorities as they related to food and my health were WAY off. I was very much focused on instant gratification and only gave a passing nod to the idea that what I was putting in my mouth today could negatively impact me tomorrow. I was certainly aware of the dangers of obesity, but I always had VERY good intentions to "start being good tomorrow." I can't tell you how many "last suppers" I've had in my life as I tried to eat up all of the "bad food" before starting on the next sure-thing diet. I knew that exercise was important, and I could give a pretty good list of all of the reasons why, but there was never time to exercise today - but I'd promise myself that I'd get started tomorrow. My priorities were pretty much on the here and now, and "tomorrow" never showed up on my calendar. Every day was only "today."
To this day, it amazes me that God led me to the right program at the right time, knowing that I was finally - FINALLY - ready to make permanent changes in my life. I didn't even realize it at the time, and that the thought that I could really make permanent, positive changes seemed impossible.
However, June 24, 2007 was the beginning of what has truly been a life-changing journey, and, with God's help, I have made permanent changes in my life. I know I can never return to that old life, so I've been forced to adopt some new priorities. Many of these priorities flow out of my primary choice/ secondary choice philosophy (are you tired of hearing about this yet?).
Some of my priorities - my most important priorities - remain unchanged: my faith and my family. However, other priorities have been rearranged because being healthy is now one of my new, permanent priorities - a primary choice.
According to the statistics, 85% (or more) of people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, plus some, within two years. I can't help but wonder if many of these people return to their old, overweight life because they never changed their priorities.
Priorities don't automatically change. They only change as we choose to change them. It's never an easy task, but if we don't change our priorities to support our new, healthy life, sooner or later we'll find ourselves in a place we vowed we'd never see again.
Changing priorities happens one day at a time, one choice at a time. What choice are you making today? Choose wisely :-)
My old priorities as they related to food and my health were WAY off. I was very much focused on instant gratification and only gave a passing nod to the idea that what I was putting in my mouth today could negatively impact me tomorrow. I was certainly aware of the dangers of obesity, but I always had VERY good intentions to "start being good tomorrow." I can't tell you how many "last suppers" I've had in my life as I tried to eat up all of the "bad food" before starting on the next sure-thing diet. I knew that exercise was important, and I could give a pretty good list of all of the reasons why, but there was never time to exercise today - but I'd promise myself that I'd get started tomorrow. My priorities were pretty much on the here and now, and "tomorrow" never showed up on my calendar. Every day was only "today."
To this day, it amazes me that God led me to the right program at the right time, knowing that I was finally - FINALLY - ready to make permanent changes in my life. I didn't even realize it at the time, and that the thought that I could really make permanent, positive changes seemed impossible.
However, June 24, 2007 was the beginning of what has truly been a life-changing journey, and, with God's help, I have made permanent changes in my life. I know I can never return to that old life, so I've been forced to adopt some new priorities. Many of these priorities flow out of my primary choice/ secondary choice philosophy (are you tired of hearing about this yet?).
Some of my priorities - my most important priorities - remain unchanged: my faith and my family. However, other priorities have been rearranged because being healthy is now one of my new, permanent priorities - a primary choice.
According to the statistics, 85% (or more) of people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, plus some, within two years. I can't help but wonder if many of these people return to their old, overweight life because they never changed their priorities.
Priorities don't automatically change. They only change as we choose to change them. It's never an easy task, but if we don't change our priorities to support our new, healthy life, sooner or later we'll find ourselves in a place we vowed we'd never see again.
Changing priorities happens one day at a time, one choice at a time. What choice are you making today? Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Help Needed
****
I am writing to all of you and asking for your help. As you all know, Chris is in Afghanistan for a year. There are about 4,800 men in the brigade, Chris is in one of the 6 battalions comprised of about 490 men and has 32 in what he calls his shop. Before leaving they had to pre-ship everything they would need for a year ahead of time. Their extra uniforms, boots, bedding, family mementos, leisure items, etc.... They usually go into debt trying to buy all the things they will need before they leave. As they are not allowed to ship out with all of this they have to ship ahead of time. Well...........they had 38 of these big containers lost. Chris received one of their 20 x 20 foot containers that was packed from top to bottom and first of all it had been lost for awhile and when they opened it there was absolutely nothing in it!!!! Everything had been stolen. They bypassed the locks, the custom seal and cut open the back of the container, emptied it and welded it back on. They have lost millions of dollars worth of equipment, laptops, and etc... I am most concerned about the uniforms and boots and laptops, and whose hands they are in, but that is another story. Anyway they are up in the mountainous region of Logar Province. They are not situated at a base where they could hope to replace their personal items. So I am asking each of you to find it in your heart to send a box to a soldier for Christmas, anything you send is going to be greatly appreciated. Chris is the Support Operations Officer and will distribute these items. I found out the last time he was over there that you can't just send a box to a soldier, they will never receive it. It must go to a named soldier, so therefore that is why I am asking you to send it through this channel as I know that it will get to those in need. Everything will be need to be sent by November 15th for them to receive it in time for Christmas. Please get this info out to any of the organizations that you are involved with and to your Church, and any other way you can think of. I know that you will bring a moment of joy into some soldier's life and they will appreciate something from home.
I go to the PO and get these large FLAT RATE priority boxes, they are free, and they are not big, 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide....also pick up a stack of the customs form to fill out since it is being shipped out of the country. If you are not familiar with this form, you just put your address and his address, they give you 4 lines to list the stuff in the box, I usually just put candy, socks, snacks etc...I'm not always exact, mark that it is a gift, sign your name and date it, put a value on it. It costs $12.50 to mail no matter how heavy. I have found this the most economical way to send him stuff. Of course, some things won't fit, then I just pack it well and pay the extra cost, most times over $20.
I got a list of things that they like from Chris and of course anything you can come up with you would like to send to them.
Jelly beans
Chips in a can (otherwise they get squashed)
Dip in the can( no glass containers allowed) (also no aerosol products)
Jerky
Sunflower seeds, cashews, mixed nuts, etc.
Any kind of candy
Chap sticks ( it is arctic cold there about 10 degrees)
Air fresheners that stick up or in a sealed can( like you can usually buy at the carwash where you have your car washed)
Socks (they wear them until they can't any more and throw them away)
Gold Bond foot powder
Large and x-large briefs
Any good thermal underware they can wear under their uniform, like under armor stuff at Academy ( I purchased Chris some Pantagonia thermal wear that people buy for skiing, they have it in different weights, but it is expensive) I'm sure anything is going to be appreciated.
Some light weight fleece blankets ( bought Chris one at Bed, Bath Beyond with the LSU people tailgating)
Toothpaste
Stick deodorant (no aerosols)
Electric shavers (can't send shaving cream in a can) maybe some kind of soap
I go to the PO and get these large FLAT RATE priority boxes, they are free, and they are not big, 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide....also pick up a stack of the customs form to fill out since it is being shipped out of the country. If you are not familiar with this form, you just put your address and his address, they give you 4 lines to list the stuff in the box, I usually just put candy, socks, snacks etc...I'm not always exact, mark that it is a gift, sign your name and date it, put a value on it. It costs $12.50 to mail no matter how heavy. I have found this the most economical way to send him stuff. Of course, some things won't fit, then I just pack it well and pay the extra cost, most times over $20.
I got a list of things that they like from Chris and of course anything you can come up with you would like to send to them.
Jelly beans
Chips in a can (otherwise they get squashed)
Dip in the can( no glass containers allowed) (also no aerosol products)
Jerky
Sunflower seeds, cashews, mixed nuts, etc.
Any kind of candy
Chap sticks ( it is arctic cold there about 10 degrees)
Air fresheners that stick up or in a sealed can( like you can usually buy at the carwash where you have your car washed)
Socks (they wear them until they can't any more and throw them away)
Gold Bond foot powder
Large and x-large briefs
Any good thermal underware they can wear under their uniform, like under armor stuff at Academy ( I purchased Chris some Pantagonia thermal wear that people buy for skiing, they have it in different weights, but it is expensive) I'm sure anything is going to be appreciated.
Some light weight fleece blankets ( bought Chris one at Bed, Bath Beyond with the LSU people tailgating)
Toothpaste
Stick deodorant (no aerosols)
Electric shavers (can't send shaving cream in a can) maybe some kind of soap
Microwave popcorn (a huge hit)
Rice Krispie treats
Rice Krispie treats
Crocs or shower shoes (showers are 500 yards away and they need these so they won't have to put their dirty boots back on)
And last but not least.....iTunes gift cards........the soldiers can buy movies and download to their computers. This is really a big hit!!!! Yeah they really do have Internet access..........really amazing isn't it. That is if they can afford $150 a month to have it! What a ripoff!!
Also send cards as often as you can they really appreciate any mail from home.
That about sums it up my friends. I just want to thank each and every one of you for doing something for one of these guys. I know that many of you have asked what you could do, so this is the info I have at present, and your efforts are greatly appreciated. What you are doing may mean the absolute world to someone lonely, alone in a dangerous situation far across the world.
God bless each and every one of you, love
Mike & Karen
Chris Brown
HHC, 94th BSB
FOB SHANK
APO, AE 09364
christopher.m.brown@afghan.swa.army.mil
This is Chris's email address, but can't promise that he will find the time to write but I hope he will if you do email him.
****And last but not least.....iTunes gift cards........the soldiers can buy movies and download to their computers. This is really a big hit!!!! Yeah they really do have Internet access..........really amazing isn't it. That is if they can afford $150 a month to have it! What a ripoff!!
Also send cards as often as you can they really appreciate any mail from home.
That about sums it up my friends. I just want to thank each and every one of you for doing something for one of these guys. I know that many of you have asked what you could do, so this is the info I have at present, and your efforts are greatly appreciated. What you are doing may mean the absolute world to someone lonely, alone in a dangerous situation far across the world.
God bless each and every one of you, love
Mike & Karen
Chris Brown
HHC, 94th BSB
FOB SHANK
APO, AE 09364
christopher.m.brown@afghan.swa.army.mil
This is Chris's email address, but can't promise that he will find the time to write but I hope he will if you do email him.
Thanks so much! Oh yes, remember to choose wisely :-)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Meeting Goals
Welcome to November! I am in disbelief as I type "November" - how did we get here so fast? Are you starting November where you'd hoped to be, or is your weight loss lagging behind your projections? For many of you, you knew where you hoped you'd be by the holidays and based on what the scale is saying, the reality is hitting that you may not be exactly where you wanted to be. If that just described you, the question is, what now?
For those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while, you know that I'm not a proponent of attaching dates to weight loss goals. We simply can't control how fast we release the weight and the scale can be maddening at times; all we can really control is whether or not we choose to stay on program. That said, I DO understanding wanting to hit milestones.
When I was on 5&1, I set up a spreadsheet that projected when I'd reach my goal if I averaged 2 pound losses each week. Each week as I logged my weight loss for the week, the spreadsheet would update. I had a lot of 1 pound weeks and I had three separate weeks when I didn't lose a thing, even though I stayed on plan. I saw my projected goal date repeatedly change. I'll be honest and let you know that my heart sank a bit when I saw my anticipated goal date extended. However, I realized that I was still further ahead than if I hadn't stayed on plan.
Each day that you stay on plan, you are one day closer to your goal. Regardless of how fast the scale is moving, changes ARE happening and you ARE moving in the right direction. You WILL reach your goal - I promise :-).
So if November doesn't find you where you'd hoped you'd be, that's OK. You're getting there, one day, one meal and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
For those of you who have been reading my blogs for a while, you know that I'm not a proponent of attaching dates to weight loss goals. We simply can't control how fast we release the weight and the scale can be maddening at times; all we can really control is whether or not we choose to stay on program. That said, I DO understanding wanting to hit milestones.
When I was on 5&1, I set up a spreadsheet that projected when I'd reach my goal if I averaged 2 pound losses each week. Each week as I logged my weight loss for the week, the spreadsheet would update. I had a lot of 1 pound weeks and I had three separate weeks when I didn't lose a thing, even though I stayed on plan. I saw my projected goal date repeatedly change. I'll be honest and let you know that my heart sank a bit when I saw my anticipated goal date extended. However, I realized that I was still further ahead than if I hadn't stayed on plan.
Each day that you stay on plan, you are one day closer to your goal. Regardless of how fast the scale is moving, changes ARE happening and you ARE moving in the right direction. You WILL reach your goal - I promise :-).
So if November doesn't find you where you'd hoped you'd be, that's OK. You're getting there, one day, one meal and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
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