There is a common misconception that somehow the individuals who stay on plan and reach their goal are stronger or more self-disciplined than everybody else. Every time I hear that, I just have to smile, because I know how much I struggled, and still struggle, to have discipline in my life. When individuals decide that they just don't have the discipline that others have and attribute the lack of discipline to the reason they aren't staying on plan, they've really set themselves up for failure.
If you're telling yourself that you just aren't disciplined, that you aren't as strong as someone else, you've given yourself permission to fail, and you probably will. If you are waiting for some day in the future when you will somehow get the discipline you need to stay on program, you'll be waiting a long, long time.
A quote I really like says, "Discipline is making the choice between what you want now and what you want most!" Discipline isn't a matter of being stronger, it's a matter of deciding what it is that you want.
There are always things competing for our attention and if we aren't focused on what we want, we will grab whatever is closest, opting for immediate gratification. The problem with that strategy is that there is often a difference between what we want now, in this instant, and what we want most. If we are choosing what we want in this instant, that choice may be pushing us farther away from what we want most.
So what DO you want most today? Fix your eyes on it, then choose wisely :-)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
How to Finish Strong
How is your weight loss journey progressing? Are you making steady progress? Perhaps you're struggling to get on plan and stay on plan, questioning whether this is the right program for you and wondering if the success that others have had will somehow elude you. If this last sentence describes where you are right now, take heart.
It doesn't matter where you are or how the program has gone thus far. What does matter is how you finish. One quote I like says "The measure of a person is not how well they start, but how well they finish." You haven't finished yet, unless you've decided to quit.
Struggling isn't any fun and in the midst of the struggle we can sometimes wonder if the end result will be worth the effort. We are geared to want and expect fast results, immediate gratification, so when the positive feedback we're looking for isn't immediately forthcoming, it's tempting to throw in the towel.
I'm encouraging you today to keep going. You don't have to believe that this program works, but if you continue to work the program, you WILL reach your goal. If you embrace this as a lifestyle change, you WILL be able to maintain a healthy weight. Even if you're struggling, even if you are getting back on plan for the umpteenth time, you aren't finished yet!
When we're struggling, it's easy to believe that the outcome will ultimately be failure, but that's not true. I've seen too many people who've had several "practice" attempts on this program before things finally clicked for them and they made it to goal.
Success on this program is directly tied to the daily choices we make. Even if we don't feel like making those choices, and even if we don't believe those choices will ultimately make any difference, if we make them anyway, we will finish well. You may have gotten off to a rocky start, or you may have started strong and now find yourself struggling, but where you are or have been doesn't determine the finish. The choices you make today will. Choose wisely :-)
It doesn't matter where you are or how the program has gone thus far. What does matter is how you finish. One quote I like says "The measure of a person is not how well they start, but how well they finish." You haven't finished yet, unless you've decided to quit.
Struggling isn't any fun and in the midst of the struggle we can sometimes wonder if the end result will be worth the effort. We are geared to want and expect fast results, immediate gratification, so when the positive feedback we're looking for isn't immediately forthcoming, it's tempting to throw in the towel.
I'm encouraging you today to keep going. You don't have to believe that this program works, but if you continue to work the program, you WILL reach your goal. If you embrace this as a lifestyle change, you WILL be able to maintain a healthy weight. Even if you're struggling, even if you are getting back on plan for the umpteenth time, you aren't finished yet!
When we're struggling, it's easy to believe that the outcome will ultimately be failure, but that's not true. I've seen too many people who've had several "practice" attempts on this program before things finally clicked for them and they made it to goal.
Success on this program is directly tied to the daily choices we make. Even if we don't feel like making those choices, and even if we don't believe those choices will ultimately make any difference, if we make them anyway, we will finish well. You may have gotten off to a rocky start, or you may have started strong and now find yourself struggling, but where you are or have been doesn't determine the finish. The choices you make today will. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Beating the Odds
This past Saturday I went to a prayer breakfast and saw some long-time friends I hadn't seen in almost a year. When one of the women saw me, the first words out her mouth were, "You're still thin!"
It's so interesting that this was her reaction, and she's not alone. When I run into someone I haven't seen in a while, they often comment something to the effect of "it looks like you're keeping your weight off." And they always seem to be surprised.
Of course the reason that people are surprised that I'm keeping the weight off - that ANYBODY keeps the weight off - is because statistics show that over 85% of individuals who lose weight on a diet regain the weight, plus additional pounds, within two years. That is a depressing statistic! Many of the people in that 85% group will start one diet after another, losing and then gaining again and again, with the start of each diet finding them just a bit heavier than they were the last time they dieted. That was certainly my experience for over 20 years of failed dieting attempts. I never got to my goal weight - never got even close - but the beginning of each dieting cycle found me heavier and feeling more defeated. I blamed my failure on my lack of willpower and discipline.
What I didn't understand then, and what most people who start a diet fail to understand, is that diets don't work. A dieting mindset is a short-term mindset, a mindset that says "I'll do this for a while to lose weight." A dieting mindset doesn't have a focus on a long-term solution.
That's what makes our program different! Most of you are in the first phase of the Take Shape for Life/Medifast program, the 5&1 weight loss phase. But 5&1 isn't the entire program. Transition is part of the program, followed by the MOST important phase: Maintenance.
So when my friend commented that I was still thin, my response was, "That's the point of our program! We teach people the healthy habits they need to get to their goal and maintain a healthy lifestyle for the rest of our lives. This isn't a diet."
I'm so glad it's NOT a diet, because if it was, statistics indicate that I'd be right back where I started. But I'm not, and I never will be, because along the way this program taught me the healthy habits I need to maintain the rest of my life. Those healthy habits were hard-wired into my lifestyle one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. That's how they'll be hard-wired into your lifestyle, too. Choose wisely :-)
It's so interesting that this was her reaction, and she's not alone. When I run into someone I haven't seen in a while, they often comment something to the effect of "it looks like you're keeping your weight off." And they always seem to be surprised.
Of course the reason that people are surprised that I'm keeping the weight off - that ANYBODY keeps the weight off - is because statistics show that over 85% of individuals who lose weight on a diet regain the weight, plus additional pounds, within two years. That is a depressing statistic! Many of the people in that 85% group will start one diet after another, losing and then gaining again and again, with the start of each diet finding them just a bit heavier than they were the last time they dieted. That was certainly my experience for over 20 years of failed dieting attempts. I never got to my goal weight - never got even close - but the beginning of each dieting cycle found me heavier and feeling more defeated. I blamed my failure on my lack of willpower and discipline.
What I didn't understand then, and what most people who start a diet fail to understand, is that diets don't work. A dieting mindset is a short-term mindset, a mindset that says "I'll do this for a while to lose weight." A dieting mindset doesn't have a focus on a long-term solution.
That's what makes our program different! Most of you are in the first phase of the Take Shape for Life/Medifast program, the 5&1 weight loss phase. But 5&1 isn't the entire program. Transition is part of the program, followed by the MOST important phase: Maintenance.
So when my friend commented that I was still thin, my response was, "That's the point of our program! We teach people the healthy habits they need to get to their goal and maintain a healthy lifestyle for the rest of our lives. This isn't a diet."
I'm so glad it's NOT a diet, because if it was, statistics indicate that I'd be right back where I started. But I'm not, and I never will be, because along the way this program taught me the healthy habits I need to maintain the rest of my life. Those healthy habits were hard-wired into my lifestyle one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. That's how they'll be hard-wired into your lifestyle, too. Choose wisely :-)
Monday, September 26, 2011
Getting What We Expect
According to author John Maxwell, "sooner or later we get just what we expect." In his book, "Failing Forward," Maxwell follows that statement by wondering if the reader views this statement as optimistic or pessimistic, stating that our attitude determines our outlook. If we're an optimist, we expect things to turn out OK and they usually do. If we're a pessimist, we expect things to fall apart and assume that if anything bad can happen, it will.
So what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy? Simply this: do we expect to be successful or do we expect to ultimately fail? That may sound like a foolish question, but I think it's worth asking. In your heart of hearts, being totally honest with yourself, do you expect to reach your goal? Do you envision yourself at a healthy weight, looking and feeling wonderful? Or are you convinced, deep down, that this program will work for everyone BUT you?
Now the good news is that you don't have to believe the program works, because it works whether you believe it or not :-). If you stay on plan and make the daily choice to follow the protocols of this program, you WILL lose weight and you WILL reach your goal. That's a fact.
The challenge is that if we don't believe deep down that the program will work, if we don't believe that we'll ever really reach goal, the expectation of eventual failure can wreak havoc with our determination to stay on plan. If the vision of ourselves reaching goal is clouded or perhaps missing entirely, we will be more vulnerable to the temptations that surround us.
Our attitude can not only impact our outcome in the long run, but it also affects our outlook in the the mean time. If we're optimistic that we will reach out goal, then we are much more likely to take in stride the maddening fluctuations that we see on the scale. We know we're in this for the long haul and we're optimistic that we'll eventually get there. If we're pessimistic, those scale fluctuations may rattle us and we will allow them to reinforce our belief that we won't reach our goal.
But what happens if we're not optimistic by nature? Whether it's through nature or nurture, some of us just naturally see the glass as half-empty. Maxwell says that we can cultivate optimism in our lives by learning the secret of contentment. Contentment doesn't mean that we've settled for where we're at, but Maxwell says it comes from choosing a positive attitude that:
- expects the best in everything, not the worst
- remains upbeat, even when we get beat up
- sees solutions in every problem, not problems in every solution
- believes we can do it, even when others think we've failed
- holds on to hope
Hmmm . . . it sounds like we can choose our attitude, perhaps even choose to be optimistic. If that's true (and I believe it is, as does John Maxwell in his book), and if our attitude really does impact the outcome - if sooner or later we really do get just what we expect - then we have some choices to make today. These choices go far beyond which Medifast meals we're going to eat or what we're going to have for our lean and green. We also get to choose the attitude we're going to carry with us through this day.
Have a great day, and choose wisely :-)
So what does this have to do with losing weight and getting healthy? Simply this: do we expect to be successful or do we expect to ultimately fail? That may sound like a foolish question, but I think it's worth asking. In your heart of hearts, being totally honest with yourself, do you expect to reach your goal? Do you envision yourself at a healthy weight, looking and feeling wonderful? Or are you convinced, deep down, that this program will work for everyone BUT you?
Now the good news is that you don't have to believe the program works, because it works whether you believe it or not :-). If you stay on plan and make the daily choice to follow the protocols of this program, you WILL lose weight and you WILL reach your goal. That's a fact.
The challenge is that if we don't believe deep down that the program will work, if we don't believe that we'll ever really reach goal, the expectation of eventual failure can wreak havoc with our determination to stay on plan. If the vision of ourselves reaching goal is clouded or perhaps missing entirely, we will be more vulnerable to the temptations that surround us.
Our attitude can not only impact our outcome in the long run, but it also affects our outlook in the the mean time. If we're optimistic that we will reach out goal, then we are much more likely to take in stride the maddening fluctuations that we see on the scale. We know we're in this for the long haul and we're optimistic that we'll eventually get there. If we're pessimistic, those scale fluctuations may rattle us and we will allow them to reinforce our belief that we won't reach our goal.
But what happens if we're not optimistic by nature? Whether it's through nature or nurture, some of us just naturally see the glass as half-empty. Maxwell says that we can cultivate optimism in our lives by learning the secret of contentment. Contentment doesn't mean that we've settled for where we're at, but Maxwell says it comes from choosing a positive attitude that:
- expects the best in everything, not the worst
- remains upbeat, even when we get beat up
- sees solutions in every problem, not problems in every solution
- believes we can do it, even when others think we've failed
- holds on to hope
Hmmm . . . it sounds like we can choose our attitude, perhaps even choose to be optimistic. If that's true (and I believe it is, as does John Maxwell in his book), and if our attitude really does impact the outcome - if sooner or later we really do get just what we expect - then we have some choices to make today. These choices go far beyond which Medifast meals we're going to eat or what we're going to have for our lean and green. We also get to choose the attitude we're going to carry with us through this day.
Have a great day, and choose wisely :-)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Avoiding Ditches
Here's an interesting fact: for every mile of road, there are two miles of ditches. That's not necessarily a comforting thought, to be honest. Because I have repeatedly referred to my own weight loss experience and beyond as a journey, any metaphor that relates to a journey - like a road - catches my attention. Being aware that there are twice as many miles of ditches as there is road, the question is, how do we stay on the road and not end up in the ditch?
Some roads are broad and smooth and we can easily put ourselves on cruise control and travel a good distance without giving it much thought. When traveling down these roads, we're almost oblivious to the ditches because there's a good margin on both sides and we never veer near the edge. There are times when staying on plan is easy - you feel great, the scale is moving nicely, and you may feel like you're on cruise control because you're making great progress and don't have to think about what you're doing. You just aren't tempted to stray and you feel like you could do 5&1 indefinitely. It's a good place to be!
It's those other roads that are scary to navigate - narrow, bumpy roads that keep us gripping the steering wheel and fighting to stay away from the ditches that loom on either side. Those bumpy roads often show up unexpectedly and can stretch on for what seems like endless miles. Perhaps it's a busy schedule or stress that makes the road bumpy, or maybe it's something else. Maybe the scale gets stuck at the same time that life throws us a curve or two. Regardless of what finds us on a bumpy, narrow road, our challenge is to keep moving forward.
How do we do that? Simply, it's by keeping our focus straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel. (I said it's simple, not easy!) When things are difficult, that's when it's most difficult to keep focused on where we're going and not allow other things to distract us. That's also when we're most prone to veer straight for a ditch. Knowing where we want to go and keeping our eyes fixed on our destination is key to staying out of ditches. Gripping both hands on the steering wheel is also critical, and this requires full attention and determination. Sometimes it's just plain hard and the effort required to stay focused is exhausting. What I know is that as exhausting as it is to keep going when it's hard, that is far easier than trying to get ourselves out of a ditch. It is ALWAYS easier to stay on plan than it is to restart again - and again - after spending time in a ditch.
Staying on course when the road is bumpy comes down to the choices we make. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Keep your eyes on the road, keep gripping the steering wheel, and choose wisely :-).
Some roads are broad and smooth and we can easily put ourselves on cruise control and travel a good distance without giving it much thought. When traveling down these roads, we're almost oblivious to the ditches because there's a good margin on both sides and we never veer near the edge. There are times when staying on plan is easy - you feel great, the scale is moving nicely, and you may feel like you're on cruise control because you're making great progress and don't have to think about what you're doing. You just aren't tempted to stray and you feel like you could do 5&1 indefinitely. It's a good place to be!
It's those other roads that are scary to navigate - narrow, bumpy roads that keep us gripping the steering wheel and fighting to stay away from the ditches that loom on either side. Those bumpy roads often show up unexpectedly and can stretch on for what seems like endless miles. Perhaps it's a busy schedule or stress that makes the road bumpy, or maybe it's something else. Maybe the scale gets stuck at the same time that life throws us a curve or two. Regardless of what finds us on a bumpy, narrow road, our challenge is to keep moving forward.
How do we do that? Simply, it's by keeping our focus straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel. (I said it's simple, not easy!) When things are difficult, that's when it's most difficult to keep focused on where we're going and not allow other things to distract us. That's also when we're most prone to veer straight for a ditch. Knowing where we want to go and keeping our eyes fixed on our destination is key to staying out of ditches. Gripping both hands on the steering wheel is also critical, and this requires full attention and determination. Sometimes it's just plain hard and the effort required to stay focused is exhausting. What I know is that as exhausting as it is to keep going when it's hard, that is far easier than trying to get ourselves out of a ditch. It is ALWAYS easier to stay on plan than it is to restart again - and again - after spending time in a ditch.
Staying on course when the road is bumpy comes down to the choices we make. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Keep your eyes on the road, keep gripping the steering wheel, and choose wisely :-).
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Building a Strong Infrastructure
About four hours north of where I live in Michigan, the Mackinac Bridge links the upper and lower peninsula of our state. The Discovery Channel's program, "Dirty Jobs," did a story a while back about a man who is an industrial painter on the Mackinac Bridge. He paints the inside of the bridge, a job that nobody sees - a job that doesn't at first glance appear to be very important.
However, this man understands the importance of what he does because the paint he carefully applies to the inside of the bridge ensures that the steel of this wonderful suspended bridge won't rust from the inside out, which would compromise the integrity and safety of the structure.
It's hard to do something, day after day, when the results may not always be visible. The scale doesn't always move as fast or as often as we'd like. People may not notice that we've lost weight. It can get discouraging! There were weeks when I only lost a pound, and I had several weeks when I didn't lose anything, even though I stayed on plan. It wasn't until I'd lost 30 pounds that a co-worker finally commented that my face looked a little thinner; after losing 60 pounds, a couple of people wanted to know if I'd changed my hairstyle. Finally, after losing close to 100 pounds, everybody finally starting commenting that it looked like I'd lost some weight :-). Feedback, either from the scale or others, just wasn't always there for me, and it may not always be there for you, either.
Moral of story? Hang in there! Stay on plan and do it, even if the scale is temporarily stuck (I say "temporarily stuck" because it WILL move, I promise). Stay on plan and do it, even if nobody notices. Eventually they will (I promise). As you're waiting for the affirmation you want (from the scale and others), you're building a strong infrastructure that won't rust out on you!
And while you're waiting, choose wisely :-)
However, this man understands the importance of what he does because the paint he carefully applies to the inside of the bridge ensures that the steel of this wonderful suspended bridge won't rust from the inside out, which would compromise the integrity and safety of the structure.
It's hard to do something, day after day, when the results may not always be visible. The scale doesn't always move as fast or as often as we'd like. People may not notice that we've lost weight. It can get discouraging! There were weeks when I only lost a pound, and I had several weeks when I didn't lose anything, even though I stayed on plan. It wasn't until I'd lost 30 pounds that a co-worker finally commented that my face looked a little thinner; after losing 60 pounds, a couple of people wanted to know if I'd changed my hairstyle. Finally, after losing close to 100 pounds, everybody finally starting commenting that it looked like I'd lost some weight :-). Feedback, either from the scale or others, just wasn't always there for me, and it may not always be there for you, either.
Moral of story? Hang in there! Stay on plan and do it, even if the scale is temporarily stuck (I say "temporarily stuck" because it WILL move, I promise). Stay on plan and do it, even if nobody notices. Eventually they will (I promise). As you're waiting for the affirmation you want (from the scale and others), you're building a strong infrastructure that won't rust out on you!
And while you're waiting, choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Biggest Loser
Last night was the season premier of "The Biggest Loser." Once again a group of morbidly obese individuals have embarked on an adventure that will hopefully bring all of them to their goal, and one lucky person will leave with some extra money in the bank.
I used to watch "The Biggest Loser" when I weighed 260 pounds, and the program always filled me with a mixture of hope and despair. As I watched individuals who were as heavy as me shrink week by week, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for me to drop weight like that, and it left me hopeful that it was possible. Unfortunately, watching the program also brought a lot of despair because I figured the only way to ever lose the better part of 130 pounds, short of surgery, was to put my life on hold and head to the Biggest Loser ranch. I had a bad knee so I knew that I could never do the level of exercise required by the TBL contestants. I also figured that the possibility that I'd ever be a contestant was less than "zero." Also, I couldn't imagine being on national TV wearing clothing that emphasized every bulge and roll, let alone step on an oversize scale for all the world to see. Honestly, a lot of times I'd end up eating cookies or chips while I watch "The Biggest Loser" - how sad is that?
While I'm now happy to see anybody lose weight, just about regardless of how they do it, I am so happy that WE have a MUCH better program right here than what we see on "The Biggest Loser." Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a medically safe, clinically proven program with over 30 years of experience behind it, and it has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians. "The Biggest Loser" can't even come close to that! We are also losing weight while living our real lives, so we're learning how to do this in the same environment we'll live in after we reach our goal. Many of TBL contestants really struggle with their weight once they leave the ranch and return to their real lives, because they lost weight in a completely artificial environment. Again, I'm always happy to see them lose and I'm cheering them on every step of the way. The difference is that I know that Take Shape for Life/Medifast is the real deal and will work for everyone, regardless of how much or how little they can exercise (and remember, we aren't even supposed to exercise more than 45 minutes a day while on 5&1).
Almost 3-1/2 years after reaching my goal, I'm still watching "The Biggest Loser" and thankful that I AM a biggest loser - all 126 pounds of it! I didn't win $250,000 in the process, but I got much more than that. I got my life and my health back, and I have the tools to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. That sure feels like a winner to me!
Who else plans to be a biggest loser? You'll do it one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
I used to watch "The Biggest Loser" when I weighed 260 pounds, and the program always filled me with a mixture of hope and despair. As I watched individuals who were as heavy as me shrink week by week, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for me to drop weight like that, and it left me hopeful that it was possible. Unfortunately, watching the program also brought a lot of despair because I figured the only way to ever lose the better part of 130 pounds, short of surgery, was to put my life on hold and head to the Biggest Loser ranch. I had a bad knee so I knew that I could never do the level of exercise required by the TBL contestants. I also figured that the possibility that I'd ever be a contestant was less than "zero." Also, I couldn't imagine being on national TV wearing clothing that emphasized every bulge and roll, let alone step on an oversize scale for all the world to see. Honestly, a lot of times I'd end up eating cookies or chips while I watch "The Biggest Loser" - how sad is that?
While I'm now happy to see anybody lose weight, just about regardless of how they do it, I am so happy that WE have a MUCH better program right here than what we see on "The Biggest Loser." Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a medically safe, clinically proven program with over 30 years of experience behind it, and it has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians. "The Biggest Loser" can't even come close to that! We are also losing weight while living our real lives, so we're learning how to do this in the same environment we'll live in after we reach our goal. Many of TBL contestants really struggle with their weight once they leave the ranch and return to their real lives, because they lost weight in a completely artificial environment. Again, I'm always happy to see them lose and I'm cheering them on every step of the way. The difference is that I know that Take Shape for Life/Medifast is the real deal and will work for everyone, regardless of how much or how little they can exercise (and remember, we aren't even supposed to exercise more than 45 minutes a day while on 5&1).
Almost 3-1/2 years after reaching my goal, I'm still watching "The Biggest Loser" and thankful that I AM a biggest loser - all 126 pounds of it! I didn't win $250,000 in the process, but I got much more than that. I got my life and my health back, and I have the tools to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. That sure feels like a winner to me!
Who else plans to be a biggest loser? You'll do it one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Another Compelling Reason
If anyone is struggling to find a reason to lose weight and get healthy once and for all, perhaps this will help. There was an article posted on CNN.com yesterday that said diabetes doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Doubles! Being overweight is a leading factor in development of Type 2 diabetes, and as the obesity rate in the United States continues to climb, the percentage of individuals with Type 2 diabetes continues to climb as well.
According to the CNN.com article, "Diabetes could contribute to dementia in several ways, which researchers are still sorting out. Insulin resistance, which causes high blood sugar and in some cases leads to type 2 diabetes, may interfere with the body's ability to break down a protein (amyloid) that forms brain plaques that have been linked to Alzheimer's. High blood sugar (glucose) also produces certain oxygen-containing molecules that can damage cells, in a process known as oxidative stress.
The good news is that being at a healthy weight reduces our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The other good news is that eating six small, low-glycemic meals a day helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
By following this program, eating six small meals a day and getting to a healthy weight, we can reduce our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or, for those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, can help to better manage the disease. My own weight loss and my continued habit of eating small, frequent meals has kept my own blood sugar readings at normal levels for over 4 years, which is very exciting for me!
I write a lot about focusing on what we want, not on what we don't want. What I want is to not only be physically healthy as long as I can, but also mentally sharp. The CNN.com article gives me hope that maintaining a healthy weight and managing my blood sugar will increase the likelihood that I'll be able to do both.
The choices we're making today will have short-term results (if we're staying on plan, we'll be at our goal in a matter of weeks or months!), but there are also long-term ramifications. Making new, healthy choices now and permanently incorporating them into our lifestyle will impact our lives for decades to come. For the short-term AND for the long-term, choose wisely :-).
***
If you'd like to read the entire CNN.com article, here's a link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/19/health/diabetes-doubles-alzheimers/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6
According to the CNN.com article, "Diabetes could contribute to dementia in several ways, which researchers are still sorting out. Insulin resistance, which causes high blood sugar and in some cases leads to type 2 diabetes, may interfere with the body's ability to break down a protein (amyloid) that forms brain plaques that have been linked to Alzheimer's. High blood sugar (glucose) also produces certain oxygen-containing molecules that can damage cells, in a process known as oxidative stress.
In addition, high blood sugar -- along with high cholesterol -- plays a role in the hardening and narrowing of arteries in the brain. This condition, known as atherosclerosis, can bring about vascular dementia, which occurs when artery blockages (including strokes) kill brain tissue.
"Having high glucose is a stressor to the nervous system and to the blood vessels," says David Geldmacher, M.D., a professor of neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "The emerging information on Alzheimer's disease and glucose shows us that we do need to remain vigilant on blood sugar levels as we get older."
The good news is that being at a healthy weight reduces our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The other good news is that eating six small, low-glycemic meals a day helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
By following this program, eating six small meals a day and getting to a healthy weight, we can reduce our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or, for those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, can help to better manage the disease. My own weight loss and my continued habit of eating small, frequent meals has kept my own blood sugar readings at normal levels for over 4 years, which is very exciting for me!
I write a lot about focusing on what we want, not on what we don't want. What I want is to not only be physically healthy as long as I can, but also mentally sharp. The CNN.com article gives me hope that maintaining a healthy weight and managing my blood sugar will increase the likelihood that I'll be able to do both.
The choices we're making today will have short-term results (if we're staying on plan, we'll be at our goal in a matter of weeks or months!), but there are also long-term ramifications. Making new, healthy choices now and permanently incorporating them into our lifestyle will impact our lives for decades to come. For the short-term AND for the long-term, choose wisely :-).
***
If you'd like to read the entire CNN.com article, here's a link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/19/health/diabetes-doubles-alzheimers/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6
Monday, September 19, 2011
Getting Off the Slippery Slope
It's about as predictable as puddles after a rain storm. Mondays are filled with individuals who, for one reason or another, went off plan over the weekend and woke up on Monday morning filled with regret and frustration.
Before starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I never stayed on any plan for very long. I always started each weight loss plan, however sound or crazy the plan was, with the best of intention and the highest of hopes. The problem was that I was always trying to fix a problem - my weight and my size - and I wanted to fix it as fast as possible. Never mind that it had taken time to get into the mess I was in, I wanted it fixed overnight (well, almost overnight . . . ). Of course, the fix was never fast enough for me and I quickly lost interest in the program I was on. It didn't help that the weight loss was slow and that I usually felt pretty iffy - hungry, low energy, cranky and deprived.
That's generally not the case on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, however. Individuals on this program lose weight fast - there is no safer way to lose weight as quickly as we lose it. Once we get into the fat-burning stage (3-4 days), we also generally feel pretty good with low hunger and lots of energy.
So what gives? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we so prone to sabotage ourselves? I'm not a trained counselor, so I'm not offering professional advice here, just my opinion :-).
Assuming that weight loss is steady and that hunger isn't really an issue, I'm guessing that something else causes a person to make the decision to go off plan. And it is a decision, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Nobody accidentally goes off plan and eats off-plan foods unless you aren't aware that the food is truly off plan (an example would be someone who didn't read the Quick Start Guide and ate carrots because they didn't realize that this vegetable isn't part of the weight loss portion of this plan). Eating nachos and cheese doesn't count as "accidentally" eating off plan - it's a choice, period. But the question is, why do so many make those choices over and over again, especially when the choice is followed by almost universal regret?
If we keep our focus on what we're trying to move away from, the further away we get from the problem that prompted us to start on plan, the less motivated we are to continue. Once the acute pain is lessened, we start to feel like we can give ourselves a bit of slack. I've seen this over and over again - someone loses some weight, feels happy about their weight loss and decides they deserve to take a break and have a "treat." They may be far from a healthy weight, but they decide to prematurely celebrate their progress, and the celebration includes off-plan food.
Unfortunately, this is often a slippery slope. Once someone goes off plan, then gets back on (and getting back on is a good thing!), they may then tell themselves that going off plan is no big deal - that they can take the weekend off and get right back on. That may work once or twice, perhaps three or four times, but the more often a person makes the decision to go off plan and "take a break," the less likely it is that they will reach their goal. For those who do eventually reach their goal, it's almost always because they finally decide to get serious and commit to staying on plan until goal and stop taking "breaks."
Changing this oscillating pattern requires a focus shift from what we're trying to move away from to what we're moving towards. When our eyes are focused on what we want, when we have a clear vision of what it is, we are more likely to be single-minded in our pursuit of getting to goal.
If you ended up off plan over the weekend, today is a new day and we have the opportunity to make choices that will either move us towards or away from our goal. Choose wisely :-)
Before starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, I never stayed on any plan for very long. I always started each weight loss plan, however sound or crazy the plan was, with the best of intention and the highest of hopes. The problem was that I was always trying to fix a problem - my weight and my size - and I wanted to fix it as fast as possible. Never mind that it had taken time to get into the mess I was in, I wanted it fixed overnight (well, almost overnight . . . ). Of course, the fix was never fast enough for me and I quickly lost interest in the program I was on. It didn't help that the weight loss was slow and that I usually felt pretty iffy - hungry, low energy, cranky and deprived.
That's generally not the case on Take Shape for Life/Medifast, however. Individuals on this program lose weight fast - there is no safer way to lose weight as quickly as we lose it. Once we get into the fat-burning stage (3-4 days), we also generally feel pretty good with low hunger and lots of energy.
So what gives? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we so prone to sabotage ourselves? I'm not a trained counselor, so I'm not offering professional advice here, just my opinion :-).
Assuming that weight loss is steady and that hunger isn't really an issue, I'm guessing that something else causes a person to make the decision to go off plan. And it is a decision, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Nobody accidentally goes off plan and eats off-plan foods unless you aren't aware that the food is truly off plan (an example would be someone who didn't read the Quick Start Guide and ate carrots because they didn't realize that this vegetable isn't part of the weight loss portion of this plan). Eating nachos and cheese doesn't count as "accidentally" eating off plan - it's a choice, period. But the question is, why do so many make those choices over and over again, especially when the choice is followed by almost universal regret?
If we keep our focus on what we're trying to move away from, the further away we get from the problem that prompted us to start on plan, the less motivated we are to continue. Once the acute pain is lessened, we start to feel like we can give ourselves a bit of slack. I've seen this over and over again - someone loses some weight, feels happy about their weight loss and decides they deserve to take a break and have a "treat." They may be far from a healthy weight, but they decide to prematurely celebrate their progress, and the celebration includes off-plan food.
Unfortunately, this is often a slippery slope. Once someone goes off plan, then gets back on (and getting back on is a good thing!), they may then tell themselves that going off plan is no big deal - that they can take the weekend off and get right back on. That may work once or twice, perhaps three or four times, but the more often a person makes the decision to go off plan and "take a break," the less likely it is that they will reach their goal. For those who do eventually reach their goal, it's almost always because they finally decide to get serious and commit to staying on plan until goal and stop taking "breaks."
Changing this oscillating pattern requires a focus shift from what we're trying to move away from to what we're moving towards. When our eyes are focused on what we want, when we have a clear vision of what it is, we are more likely to be single-minded in our pursuit of getting to goal.
If you ended up off plan over the weekend, today is a new day and we have the opportunity to make choices that will either move us towards or away from our goal. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Outside In or Inside Out?
I have a question for you this morning. Are you losing weight from the outside in or from the inside out? How you answer this question may ultimately be the determining factor in whether this is just another diet or the program that will permanently put you on a healthy path.
If we only lose weight on the outside and don't deal with our internal weight, we're likely to stay in an oscillating pattern of gain-lose-gain. I don't know about you, but that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life!
I talk about internal weight because I'm guessing that many of us showed up on our first day of this program with a fair amount of emotional baggage. I was an emotional eater and became an expert in burying my feelings under plates of food. I did a pretty good job hiding the emotional pain I experienced due to my morbid obesity; in fact, my closest friends and even some of my family members were flabbergasted when I finally began to share how awful I felt for so many years. I guess I should have been nominated for an Academy Award, because I gave a pretty good performance, acting like my weight was no big deal and didn't impede me in the slightest. Of course, inside I was miserable and spent over two decades feeling pretty disgusted with myself and so very defeated.
Dealing with that pain, and then going even deeper and dealing with the things that happened in my life that caused me to escape into food initially caused more pain. I'd made the decision to stay on plan, so turning to food to numb myself emotionally was no longer an option. But as I allowed God to gently begin to peel back the pain, one layer at a time, healing finally began to happen. That healing has made all the difference in not only enabling me to get to my goal, but to continue to maintain in my goal range for over 3 years.
So, are you losing weight from the inside out today? It's not an easy process, but it happens one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
If we only lose weight on the outside and don't deal with our internal weight, we're likely to stay in an oscillating pattern of gain-lose-gain. I don't know about you, but that's not what I want to do for the rest of my life!
I talk about internal weight because I'm guessing that many of us showed up on our first day of this program with a fair amount of emotional baggage. I was an emotional eater and became an expert in burying my feelings under plates of food. I did a pretty good job hiding the emotional pain I experienced due to my morbid obesity; in fact, my closest friends and even some of my family members were flabbergasted when I finally began to share how awful I felt for so many years. I guess I should have been nominated for an Academy Award, because I gave a pretty good performance, acting like my weight was no big deal and didn't impede me in the slightest. Of course, inside I was miserable and spent over two decades feeling pretty disgusted with myself and so very defeated.
Dealing with that pain, and then going even deeper and dealing with the things that happened in my life that caused me to escape into food initially caused more pain. I'd made the decision to stay on plan, so turning to food to numb myself emotionally was no longer an option. But as I allowed God to gently begin to peel back the pain, one layer at a time, healing finally began to happen. That healing has made all the difference in not only enabling me to get to my goal, but to continue to maintain in my goal range for over 3 years.
So, are you losing weight from the inside out today? It's not an easy process, but it happens one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Thriving, Not Just Surviving
Welcome to the weekend! It's been a busy week for me - good, but really busy. As I continue to recover from my knee replacement surgery, it feels good to be busy again :-). I'm so thankful that healthy habits have become part of my lifestyle, because in my obese past, a busy week would have been a lost week for me in terms of doing anything healthy. In my obese past, a busy week would be one where I went into what I called my "survival mode," which meant "don't even think about trying to make any changes, just get through it" mindset. "Survival mode" for me meant eating whatever I wanted, because so-called comfort food was an integral part of my survival. Any week that included a lot of extra activity automatically triggered my "survival mode" mentality.
The funny thing is that I spent an awful lot of my time in a "survival mode", but I was barely surviving, and actually THRIVING was not even on my radar. What was happening was that I kept gaining weight and getting into a less and less healthy state, ending up diabetic and on medication for several different things. I kept thinking that when things slowed down, I'd try to make some lifestyle changes. When things weren't so busy, I just knew that I'd finally have time to focus on losing weight and getting healthy. The problem was, of course, that things never really slowed down and every week was filled with things that, in my thinking, mandated yet another "survival mode" week.
What a difference Take Shape for Life has made in my life! I have not only gone from surviving to really, truly thriving, but this healthy lifestyle now fits perfectly into even the busiest of days or weeks. In fact, when I'm really busy I tend to eat more Medifast meals just because they are SO convenient and inexpensive. I just grab and go and don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat or when - I don't even think about it. Instead of going into a "survival mode" and eating a lot of high-sugar, high-fat empty carbs that used to drain me of all energy, I now have high-nutrition mini-meals that provide the energy I need to keep going.
One of the things I've learned is that there will always be 101 excuses to not make healthy choices. Life is busy and life has a lot of built-in stresses, so if we are looking for excuses, we don't have to look far. However, if we really WANT to get healthy, if our eyes are fixed on what we really want, it's amazing how quickly those excuses evaporate.
Once we're focused on what we really want, we figure out how to make it happen. I heard someone recently say that if your dream is big enough, the facts don't matter. If your dream is to get to a healthy weight and live a life that truly exemplifies optimal health, then the "facts" don't matter: the fact that things are stressful, the fact that life is incredibly busy, the fact that you have twenty social events this month and all of them will involve food, the fact that your kids are making you crazy and your dog threw up and your boss makes Mr. Scrooge look like boss of the year, etc. etc.
I'm really not trying to sound insensitive to all of the issues that many of you are facing, and I really do understand that life can be incredibly difficult. What I have come to understand is that NOT taking care of ourselves won't make any of those things better or easier, and eating the wrong kind of food won't help, either. There may be a lot of things in your life that you can't control right now- but whether or not you stay on plan is something that you CAN control.
I hope that today is a wonderful, stress-free day and that you will have a wonderful, stress-free weekend, but even if it's going to be a crazy day and a crazy weekend, I hope it will be an on-plan crazy day and weekend! It's your choice, so choose wisely :-)
The funny thing is that I spent an awful lot of my time in a "survival mode", but I was barely surviving, and actually THRIVING was not even on my radar. What was happening was that I kept gaining weight and getting into a less and less healthy state, ending up diabetic and on medication for several different things. I kept thinking that when things slowed down, I'd try to make some lifestyle changes. When things weren't so busy, I just knew that I'd finally have time to focus on losing weight and getting healthy. The problem was, of course, that things never really slowed down and every week was filled with things that, in my thinking, mandated yet another "survival mode" week.
What a difference Take Shape for Life has made in my life! I have not only gone from surviving to really, truly thriving, but this healthy lifestyle now fits perfectly into even the busiest of days or weeks. In fact, when I'm really busy I tend to eat more Medifast meals just because they are SO convenient and inexpensive. I just grab and go and don't have to worry about what I'm going to eat or when - I don't even think about it. Instead of going into a "survival mode" and eating a lot of high-sugar, high-fat empty carbs that used to drain me of all energy, I now have high-nutrition mini-meals that provide the energy I need to keep going.
One of the things I've learned is that there will always be 101 excuses to not make healthy choices. Life is busy and life has a lot of built-in stresses, so if we are looking for excuses, we don't have to look far. However, if we really WANT to get healthy, if our eyes are fixed on what we really want, it's amazing how quickly those excuses evaporate.
Once we're focused on what we really want, we figure out how to make it happen. I heard someone recently say that if your dream is big enough, the facts don't matter. If your dream is to get to a healthy weight and live a life that truly exemplifies optimal health, then the "facts" don't matter: the fact that things are stressful, the fact that life is incredibly busy, the fact that you have twenty social events this month and all of them will involve food, the fact that your kids are making you crazy and your dog threw up and your boss makes Mr. Scrooge look like boss of the year, etc. etc.
I'm really not trying to sound insensitive to all of the issues that many of you are facing, and I really do understand that life can be incredibly difficult. What I have come to understand is that NOT taking care of ourselves won't make any of those things better or easier, and eating the wrong kind of food won't help, either. There may be a lot of things in your life that you can't control right now- but whether or not you stay on plan is something that you CAN control.
I hope that today is a wonderful, stress-free day and that you will have a wonderful, stress-free weekend, but even if it's going to be a crazy day and a crazy weekend, I hope it will be an on-plan crazy day and weekend! It's your choice, so choose wisely :-)
Friday, September 16, 2011
Navigating the Minefield of Maintenance
Well, last night was certainly an interesting night in the food department! One of the challenges I face in Maintenance is deciding when I'm going to throw caution to the wind for a meal and when I'm not, and there are often several factors that I have to take into consideration.
On the one hand, I'm diligent about eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. I never, NEVER will go back to my former morbidly obese weight of 268 and risk reintroducing diabetes and a host of health issues into my life. As a result, I'm pretty picky about where and how I'll spend my calories. It really needs to be spectacular for me to spend those extra calories!
On the other hand, I don't always want to come across as the person who won't eat anything "fun" because I want other people to know that they can be "normal" once they reach a healthy weight. I want to be a good example of what balanced eating is all about, and sometimes that includes splurging on calories.
Last night was the fall kickoff for the women's ministries at my church. The announcement in the bulletin stated that dinner would be served at this kickoff. Because I am careful about what I eat, I e-mailed our church secretary and asked what was on the menu. She said that the theme was "Back to School" so the dinner menu would be a typical school lunch: sloppy joes, tater tots, jello with fruit cocktail, carrot sticks with ranch dressing, and pudding cups for dessert. YIKES!!! My first thought was, "no wonder our kids are getting fatter and fatter!"
I decided that I would eat at home (lean meat & a veggie!) and go for the fun and fellowship, not the food. I knew that the food would be really deficient in nutrition and frankly not that good - certainly not worth spending lots of calories on! My mom went with me and she also ate dinner at home, so we just sat and chatted while the others ate. Interestingly enough, nobody seemed to pay the least bit of attention to the fact that we weren't eating. Had anyone commented, I planned to simply say that I ate dinner at home and wasn't hungry - I certainly wouldn't have gone into a spiel about healthy versus unhealthy eating :-).
What I did determine before I went to the kickoff last night was that I wasn't going to eat that meal just to "fit in" with everyone else. I also knew that I've reached a point where I don't feel the need to justify or explain my choices to anyone else. Being comfortable with the choices I make is a wonderful - and very freeing - thing! I've learned to ask ahead of time what's on the menu so I know how to plan. Again, sometimes I'll make the decision to eat what's served and other times I'll opt out, as I did last night.
I'm sharing this today to let you know that Maintenance has its share of challenges and choices, and sometimes those choices are easier than others. Establishing healthy eating habits now and becoming confident in the choices you make now will serve you well as you reach your goal and begin the rest of your thin, healthy life. You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Begin now to choose wisely :-)
On the one hand, I'm diligent about eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. I never, NEVER will go back to my former morbidly obese weight of 268 and risk reintroducing diabetes and a host of health issues into my life. As a result, I'm pretty picky about where and how I'll spend my calories. It really needs to be spectacular for me to spend those extra calories!
On the other hand, I don't always want to come across as the person who won't eat anything "fun" because I want other people to know that they can be "normal" once they reach a healthy weight. I want to be a good example of what balanced eating is all about, and sometimes that includes splurging on calories.
Last night was the fall kickoff for the women's ministries at my church. The announcement in the bulletin stated that dinner would be served at this kickoff. Because I am careful about what I eat, I e-mailed our church secretary and asked what was on the menu. She said that the theme was "Back to School" so the dinner menu would be a typical school lunch: sloppy joes, tater tots, jello with fruit cocktail, carrot sticks with ranch dressing, and pudding cups for dessert. YIKES!!! My first thought was, "no wonder our kids are getting fatter and fatter!"
I decided that I would eat at home (lean meat & a veggie!) and go for the fun and fellowship, not the food. I knew that the food would be really deficient in nutrition and frankly not that good - certainly not worth spending lots of calories on! My mom went with me and she also ate dinner at home, so we just sat and chatted while the others ate. Interestingly enough, nobody seemed to pay the least bit of attention to the fact that we weren't eating. Had anyone commented, I planned to simply say that I ate dinner at home and wasn't hungry - I certainly wouldn't have gone into a spiel about healthy versus unhealthy eating :-).
What I did determine before I went to the kickoff last night was that I wasn't going to eat that meal just to "fit in" with everyone else. I also knew that I've reached a point where I don't feel the need to justify or explain my choices to anyone else. Being comfortable with the choices I make is a wonderful - and very freeing - thing! I've learned to ask ahead of time what's on the menu so I know how to plan. Again, sometimes I'll make the decision to eat what's served and other times I'll opt out, as I did last night.
I'm sharing this today to let you know that Maintenance has its share of challenges and choices, and sometimes those choices are easier than others. Establishing healthy eating habits now and becoming confident in the choices you make now will serve you well as you reach your goal and begin the rest of your thin, healthy life. You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Begin now to choose wisely :-)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Facing the Facts
According to a story posted yesterday on CNN.com, the world's heaviest woman (she's in the Guinness Book of World Records and weighs almost 700 pounds) now wants help to lose weight. That's incredibly good news, as she is a walking time bomb at her present weight. Her knees hurt all of the time and she is concerned that she will soon be dealing with serious health issues. In the video interview posted, she believes genetics has played a part in her obesity because her father weighs close to 600 pounds, her mother is nearly 400 pounds and several of her siblings weigh over 300 pounds. She stated that she's not blaming genetics, although she believes they are a factor, because she admits she has a sweet tooth.
The truth is that unless there is an underlying genetic endocrine disorder, her obesity and the obesity of her family members has nothing to do with genetics. And no matter how many of our own family members are overweight or obese, our weight issues have nothing to do with genetics either.
According to the latest America's Health RankingsTM report, which has tracked the health of the nation for over 20 years, "the average obesity rate for the United States is 26.9 percent of the adult population, up from 26.6 percent of the population in the 2009 Edition, 23.2 percent in the 2005 Edition, 19.6 percent in the 2000 Edition and substantially more than double the rate of 11.6 percent of the population in the 1990 Edition. In the United States, this means that more than one-in-four are obese - that is about 60 million adults with a body mass index of 30.0 or higher. If the population of the United States could return to the weight status of 1990, there would be 26 million fewer obese individuals - more than the entire population of the second most populous U.S. state, Texas."
In my own state, Michigan, the obesity rate grew from 14.1% in 1990 to 29.5% in 2009 and to 30.3% in 2010. In Mississippi, which ranked 50th, from 1990 to 2009 the obesity rate grew from 15.0% to 33.3% and increased to 35.3% in 2010. The fact that obesity more than doubled in twenty years in not only these two states, but many others as well, has ZERO to do with genetics and everything to do with lifestyle. There simply could not be enough change in the genetic makeup of the U.S. population in a short twenty years to account for this growing - and I do mean growing - epidemic.
I remember being at a family gathering several years ago and sitting at a table with several of my great aunts. They were all discussing how heavy almost everyone in the family was and wondered if it was genetics. In the middle of the discussion, someone announced that a family member had arrived and brought a certain dessert. This was a potluck and despite the fact that my aunts (and I) already had eaten our meal, including dessert, I immediately got up to get a piece of this newest addition to the meal and several of my aunts asked me to get a piece for them, too. Even at the time as I was struggling with my own obesity, I found it ironic that my dear aunts seemed to think we were all genetically predisposed to obesity when the answer was clearly found in our appetites and food choices.
At the conference I attended in Des Moines last weekend, Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, stated that studies have shown that we emulate the physical, emotional and mental health of our five closest friends. I think that's probably even more true of our family members. If our family members are overweight, we are much more likely to be overweight, too, because our habits and lifestyle choices tend to mirror what's around us. But it's not genetics!
Because it's not genetics, we aren't doomed to remain overweight. People who have been overweight for much or all of their lives are getting to a healthy weight on this program, sometimes reaching a healthy weight for the very first time in their lives. It's not that they changed or overcame their genetics - they changed their lifestyle. What's really exciting and amazing is that some of their family members decided to join them and they lost weight, too.
One of my friends and her husband went on Take Shape for Life's 5&1 program a year ago and they have each lost just about 100 pounds. They son and his wife started on the program a couple of months later and they have each lost over 100 pounds, which has now inspired another family member to start her own journey. This entire family is changing their health future and laying a healthy legacy for future generations - what a truly fabulous transformation!
My own family has experienced the same thing. I lost 126 pounds, my husband lost 50, my parents have each lost over 30 pounds (and my mom's Type 2 diabetes is now better managed), my son lost 60, my son-in-law lost 60, and my sister is now on the program and has lost over 30 pounds so far. Several of my good friends have also lost a significant amount of weight and the circle of health continues to expand to their own family members and friends.
It's not genetics, it's our choices. As we make healthier choices, we will not only improve our own health and get to a healthy weight, we will also be a positive influence in our own circle of influence. The blame for our obesity isn't in our genes, it's in what's been on our plates. How encouraging to know that we aren't trapped by a set of faulty genes, and how exciting to know that we can radically change the future of our health by continuing on a different, healthier path. We will do so one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
The truth is that unless there is an underlying genetic endocrine disorder, her obesity and the obesity of her family members has nothing to do with genetics. And no matter how many of our own family members are overweight or obese, our weight issues have nothing to do with genetics either.
According to the latest America's Health RankingsTM report, which has tracked the health of the nation for over 20 years, "the average obesity rate for the United States is 26.9 percent of the adult population, up from 26.6 percent of the population in the 2009 Edition, 23.2 percent in the 2005 Edition, 19.6 percent in the 2000 Edition and substantially more than double the rate of 11.6 percent of the population in the 1990 Edition. In the United States, this means that more than one-in-four are obese - that is about 60 million adults with a body mass index of 30.0 or higher. If the population of the United States could return to the weight status of 1990, there would be 26 million fewer obese individuals - more than the entire population of the second most populous U.S. state, Texas."
In my own state, Michigan, the obesity rate grew from 14.1% in 1990 to 29.5% in 2009 and to 30.3% in 2010. In Mississippi, which ranked 50th, from 1990 to 2009 the obesity rate grew from 15.0% to 33.3% and increased to 35.3% in 2010. The fact that obesity more than doubled in twenty years in not only these two states, but many others as well, has ZERO to do with genetics and everything to do with lifestyle. There simply could not be enough change in the genetic makeup of the U.S. population in a short twenty years to account for this growing - and I do mean growing - epidemic.
I remember being at a family gathering several years ago and sitting at a table with several of my great aunts. They were all discussing how heavy almost everyone in the family was and wondered if it was genetics. In the middle of the discussion, someone announced that a family member had arrived and brought a certain dessert. This was a potluck and despite the fact that my aunts (and I) already had eaten our meal, including dessert, I immediately got up to get a piece of this newest addition to the meal and several of my aunts asked me to get a piece for them, too. Even at the time as I was struggling with my own obesity, I found it ironic that my dear aunts seemed to think we were all genetically predisposed to obesity when the answer was clearly found in our appetites and food choices.
At the conference I attended in Des Moines last weekend, Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, stated that studies have shown that we emulate the physical, emotional and mental health of our five closest friends. I think that's probably even more true of our family members. If our family members are overweight, we are much more likely to be overweight, too, because our habits and lifestyle choices tend to mirror what's around us. But it's not genetics!
Because it's not genetics, we aren't doomed to remain overweight. People who have been overweight for much or all of their lives are getting to a healthy weight on this program, sometimes reaching a healthy weight for the very first time in their lives. It's not that they changed or overcame their genetics - they changed their lifestyle. What's really exciting and amazing is that some of their family members decided to join them and they lost weight, too.
One of my friends and her husband went on Take Shape for Life's 5&1 program a year ago and they have each lost just about 100 pounds. They son and his wife started on the program a couple of months later and they have each lost over 100 pounds, which has now inspired another family member to start her own journey. This entire family is changing their health future and laying a healthy legacy for future generations - what a truly fabulous transformation!
My own family has experienced the same thing. I lost 126 pounds, my husband lost 50, my parents have each lost over 30 pounds (and my mom's Type 2 diabetes is now better managed), my son lost 60, my son-in-law lost 60, and my sister is now on the program and has lost over 30 pounds so far. Several of my good friends have also lost a significant amount of weight and the circle of health continues to expand to their own family members and friends.
It's not genetics, it's our choices. As we make healthier choices, we will not only improve our own health and get to a healthy weight, we will also be a positive influence in our own circle of influence. The blame for our obesity isn't in our genes, it's in what's been on our plates. How encouraging to know that we aren't trapped by a set of faulty genes, and how exciting to know that we can radically change the future of our health by continuing on a different, healthier path. We will do so one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Confident Hope
One of the things that I love doing is spending time with people who are on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan. It's amazing to watch the transformation, not just physically as they lose weight, but emotionally and mentally as they begin to realize that they really WILL reach their goal. They move into the zone that I call "confident hope."
I blogged about "confident hope" back in November of 2007. I had been on plan for five months, had lost sixty pounds (and just gotten through Thanksgiving on plan!), and was just a day away from leaving the 200's behind forever. Here's what I wrote on that November day almost four years ago:
There is something powerful about the moment when the reality washes over someone that they really WILL reach their goal. So many of us have struggled for years and had all but lost hope of ever reaching a healthy weight. Then we found this program, decided to give it a try, and wonderful things began to happen. As the scale begins to move down and we start to drop sizes, our skepticism finally gives way, first to a tentative hope, and then to confident hope.
Are you there yet? If not, just keep doing what you're doing and stay on plan, because it WILL come. One of the powerful things that comes along with that confident hope is that once you know you're going to reach goal, once that is clearly fixed in your sight, you won't let anything stand in your way. Once I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WOULD reach my goal, I wanted to get there as fast as I safely could. At that point, I viewed off-plan food as obstacles that would only get in the way of where I wanted to go, and eating off plan no longer even tempted me.
It's all about focusing on where you're going and knowing exactly what you want. You may not yet believe that the program will really work, but keep working it anyway :-). There WILL be a morning when you wake up and it will hit you that this really is "it", and it's a moment to savor and celebrate.
You'll reach that moment, just like you'll reach your goal, one on-plan day and one choice at a time! Choose wisely :-)
I blogged about "confident hope" back in November of 2007. I had been on plan for five months, had lost sixty pounds (and just gotten through Thanksgiving on plan!), and was just a day away from leaving the 200's behind forever. Here's what I wrote on that November day almost four years ago:
One of the things I have gained over these past five months on Medifast is a confident hope. I say "confident hope" because we all hope for things, some of which are unlikely to ever actually happen. I usually send in my Publisher's Clearing House entry and I always hope that I'll win the grand prize, but I'm realistic enough to know that it probably won't happen. I hope that I can travel to Europe sometime before I die, and that may or may not happen.
But then there is confident hope, and that's an entirely different kind of hope. In terms of my weight loss, I have replaced the long-held "I hope I can someday get down to a normal weight again" kind of hope with a new, confident hope because I know that it is finally within my reach. I am almost half-way there! This isn't the "probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be nice?" hope. This is hope that is firmly planted in reality - it is tangible. And as I wait for the scale to drop that all-important pound that will put me below 200 for the first time in over 18 years, I wait in hope because I know it will happen, and I know that I will see the scale continue to drop.
So, the cost of a month of Medifast is approximately $300. But the added benefit of confident hope? Priceless!!
But then there is confident hope, and that's an entirely different kind of hope. In terms of my weight loss, I have replaced the long-held "I hope I can someday get down to a normal weight again" kind of hope with a new, confident hope because I know that it is finally within my reach. I am almost half-way there! This isn't the "probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be nice?" hope. This is hope that is firmly planted in reality - it is tangible. And as I wait for the scale to drop that all-important pound that will put me below 200 for the first time in over 18 years, I wait in hope because I know it will happen, and I know that I will see the scale continue to drop.
So, the cost of a month of Medifast is approximately $300. But the added benefit of confident hope? Priceless!!
There is something powerful about the moment when the reality washes over someone that they really WILL reach their goal. So many of us have struggled for years and had all but lost hope of ever reaching a healthy weight. Then we found this program, decided to give it a try, and wonderful things began to happen. As the scale begins to move down and we start to drop sizes, our skepticism finally gives way, first to a tentative hope, and then to confident hope.
Are you there yet? If not, just keep doing what you're doing and stay on plan, because it WILL come. One of the powerful things that comes along with that confident hope is that once you know you're going to reach goal, once that is clearly fixed in your sight, you won't let anything stand in your way. Once I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WOULD reach my goal, I wanted to get there as fast as I safely could. At that point, I viewed off-plan food as obstacles that would only get in the way of where I wanted to go, and eating off plan no longer even tempted me.
It's all about focusing on where you're going and knowing exactly what you want. You may not yet believe that the program will really work, but keep working it anyway :-). There WILL be a morning when you wake up and it will hit you that this really is "it", and it's a moment to savor and celebrate.
You'll reach that moment, just like you'll reach your goal, one on-plan day and one choice at a time! Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dream Big
So often we think that what makes someone successful is determination or commitment or self-discipline. If we think that we just don't have that same level of commitment or self-discipline, we may end up deciding that we just can't be successful. But what if the key to success is something entirely different?
One of the things I've heard over and over again is "the most powerful force that drives people to success is the quality of their dream." What do you think about that? Do you agree with this statement? Is it possible that whether or not we're successful has less to do with our level of self-discipline and more to do with the quality of our dreams?
We often talk about reaching our goal, but do we really envision what that is going to look like? When you think about your goal, is it a fuzzy, nebulous thing out there, or have you fleshed it out in your dreams? If it's fuzzy, it's not very compelling and you may be more vulnerable to the lure of immediate gratification. On the other hand, if you are focused on a clear goal, it's much easier to stay on track because you know exactly where you're going.
How would you rate the quality of your dreams when it comes to reaching a healthy weight? Are you clear on where you're going? I'm not just talking about what the scale will say - I'm also talking about where you're headed in terms of how you will feel. What will it feel like physically to be at your goal? What will you be able to do and enjoy? What will it feel like mentally to have the struggle to lose weight finally over? How will you feel emotionally when you are no longer defined by your weight?
If your dream is powerful, it will become a driving force that will keep you moving toward your goal. If your dream is powerful enough, your choices will be clear because you will make the choices necessary to support that dream. So dream big, then choose wisely :-)
One of the things I've heard over and over again is "the most powerful force that drives people to success is the quality of their dream." What do you think about that? Do you agree with this statement? Is it possible that whether or not we're successful has less to do with our level of self-discipline and more to do with the quality of our dreams?
We often talk about reaching our goal, but do we really envision what that is going to look like? When you think about your goal, is it a fuzzy, nebulous thing out there, or have you fleshed it out in your dreams? If it's fuzzy, it's not very compelling and you may be more vulnerable to the lure of immediate gratification. On the other hand, if you are focused on a clear goal, it's much easier to stay on track because you know exactly where you're going.
How would you rate the quality of your dreams when it comes to reaching a healthy weight? Are you clear on where you're going? I'm not just talking about what the scale will say - I'm also talking about where you're headed in terms of how you will feel. What will it feel like physically to be at your goal? What will you be able to do and enjoy? What will it feel like mentally to have the struggle to lose weight finally over? How will you feel emotionally when you are no longer defined by your weight?
If your dream is powerful, it will become a driving force that will keep you moving toward your goal. If your dream is powerful enough, your choices will be clear because you will make the choices necessary to support that dream. So dream big, then choose wisely :-)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Training for a Marathon
I read a story that I thought had great application for all of us (myself included!) who are committed to making changes in our lives. So often we have great intentions but get sidetracked - and sidelined - because we're so worried about what others might think of what we're doing. Here's the story:
Ready . . . set . . . go! There are choices to be made today, so choose wisely :-)
*****
I'm leaving tomorrow morning and driving to Des Moines, Iowa for a weekend conference. I will have limited access to the internet while I'm gone, so won't blog until I return home. Have a great rest of the week and a good weekend, and keep making wise choices!
Recently, when my wife and I wanted to meet our sons and their families for a quick bite to eat, we decided that, with everyone’s busy schedules, it would be easiest to meet at a nearby fast-food joint. When I called my son Joe to suggest the plan, his response was, “Well, I can meet you there, but I can’t eat that stuff. I’m training for a marathon.”
. . . Joe had a goal in mind—the successful completion of the marathon. He knew that reaching the goal was going to require months of disciplined choices, like waking up early to run longer and longer distances. And it meant that he would need to carefully guard and consider everything that he took into his body. Each meal—in fact, each snack—became an opportunity to choose to nourish and energize his body toward a successful marathon run.
One of the things that impressed me about this story was how matter of fact and unapologetic Joe was, and how accepting his family was of his statement that he would join them at the fast-food restaurant but not eat the food.
It's funny, but if a marathoner turns down food because they're training for a race, absolutely everybody understands and supports the decision, and most people won't try to undermine the decision. It's universally understood that you don't mess with an athlete in training, and people training for a marathon (or other athletic activity) are amazingly disciplined because they are focused on the ultimate reward.
Why are we so often reluctant to make the same declaration? We are in training, too, only this isn't just a race, this is our lives and our health. Yet we find ourselves apologetic when we're in social situations if we don't eat what everyone else is eating, or we cave in because we don't want to offend anyone.
Today my challenge to you is to think and act like a marathoner - be focused on the ultimate outcome and be bold! This is the marathon of your life, and you are in training - learning new healthy habits that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
*****
I'm leaving tomorrow morning and driving to Des Moines, Iowa for a weekend conference. I will have limited access to the internet while I'm gone, so won't blog until I return home. Have a great rest of the week and a good weekend, and keep making wise choices!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Choices We Make
Every blog I write addresses, in one way or another, the opportunity we have every day to make choices that move us in one direction or another. I emphasize choices because I don't want any of us to ever lose sight of the fact that we don't have to be victims of our circumstances, and to also encourage you to be an active participant in making your future what you want it to be. We always have a choice.
So many of us have felt stuck for a long time, maybe trapped is even a better description. For me, I felt trapped inside a body that I hated. I hated how I looked and I hated how I felt. I hated the size I was in and resented the fact that designers seemed to think that plus-size women liked to dress in awful colors and patterns. For a long time I felt helpless to change my situation, but I kept trying - and failing. This seemingly endless cycle of trying and failing further fueled my despair and my belief that I couldn't change. It was a difficult situation to be in - hating where I was yet feeling powerless to change. I blamed my failure on being weak and undisciplined and I beat myself up mentally and emotionally on a regular basis.
When I was seriously considering weight loss surgery, and contemplating taking out a second mortgage to pay for it, I realized that I had somehow turned a corner in my thinking. I had reached a level of desperation with my weight that I hadn't experienced before, and that's when I was finally ready - finally - to change. Finally ready to admit that I couldn't do this on my own. Before mortgaging our home and our future, I decided to give Take Shape for Life/Medifast a try.
So my first choice on my journey was to order a month's worth of product. That first month was amazing for me because I not only saw weight beginning to melt and saw my blood sugar return to normal, but I also did something I'd never done before - I followed the plan as written and didn't cheat. Every day that I was on plan empowered me and propelled me forward to the next day. I'd heard that it takes 21 days to make a new habit or break an old habit, so I made the choice to stay on plan for 21 days to see if it really would be possible to break old habits and begin to establish new ones.
I had no idea that those choices would set in motion a series of other choices that would finally bring me to my goal, and that the new habits that grew from those choices would keep me in my goal range more than two years later. The choices we get not only have their own set of consequences, but they beget other choices.
Do you want your future to include a healthier you? Choose to be an active participant in creating that future, because it's there if you want it. As always, choose wisely :-)
So many of us have felt stuck for a long time, maybe trapped is even a better description. For me, I felt trapped inside a body that I hated. I hated how I looked and I hated how I felt. I hated the size I was in and resented the fact that designers seemed to think that plus-size women liked to dress in awful colors and patterns. For a long time I felt helpless to change my situation, but I kept trying - and failing. This seemingly endless cycle of trying and failing further fueled my despair and my belief that I couldn't change. It was a difficult situation to be in - hating where I was yet feeling powerless to change. I blamed my failure on being weak and undisciplined and I beat myself up mentally and emotionally on a regular basis.
When I was seriously considering weight loss surgery, and contemplating taking out a second mortgage to pay for it, I realized that I had somehow turned a corner in my thinking. I had reached a level of desperation with my weight that I hadn't experienced before, and that's when I was finally ready - finally - to change. Finally ready to admit that I couldn't do this on my own. Before mortgaging our home and our future, I decided to give Take Shape for Life/Medifast a try.
So my first choice on my journey was to order a month's worth of product. That first month was amazing for me because I not only saw weight beginning to melt and saw my blood sugar return to normal, but I also did something I'd never done before - I followed the plan as written and didn't cheat. Every day that I was on plan empowered me and propelled me forward to the next day. I'd heard that it takes 21 days to make a new habit or break an old habit, so I made the choice to stay on plan for 21 days to see if it really would be possible to break old habits and begin to establish new ones.
I had no idea that those choices would set in motion a series of other choices that would finally bring me to my goal, and that the new habits that grew from those choices would keep me in my goal range more than two years later. The choices we get not only have their own set of consequences, but they beget other choices.
Do you want your future to include a healthier you? Choose to be an active participant in creating that future, because it's there if you want it. As always, choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Choosing a New Direction
As little children, many of us were encouraged to believe we could do anything we wanted to do. Once I became a parent, I tried hard to instill in my children the belief and confidence that, with God's help, they could become whatever they wanted to be. I read my children a fair number of Dr. Seuss books, where they not only learned that they just might like green eggs and ham, but they also learned other things like: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."
But what happens to us when we become adults? We may have brains in our head and (most of the time!) we have feet in our shoes, but we often shift from believing that we can decide where to go to thinking that we're trapped where we are. The disappointments many of us gather along the way to becoming adults, and the failures we experience as adults slowly drain away that "can do" attitude we had as children and we allow other things, people and circumstances, to decide where we'll go and who we will be.
But the reality is that we still have brains in our head and feet in our shoes and we can still steer ourselves in any direction we choose. We just have to choose.
We may have to shake off those concepts we've accumulated over the years, and that's not always easy to do, but we are never really trapped. We can begin to move in a different direction the moment we decide to do so.
For many or most of us here, we may have felt trapped for year inside of a body we didn't want and some of you, like me, may have felt pretty hopeless at one point. Repeated failure as losing weight had worn me down and reinforced my concept that I couldn't do this. Part of me just wanted to throw in the towel and stop trying because every attempt ended in failure and a deeper sense of frustration and despair.
I'm so thankful that there was another part of me that kept trying, that refused to accept that I would live out my life in a 260+ pound body. As health issues related to my obesity began to emerge, I finally realized that my obesity threatened to shorten my life. That reality gave me the focus I needed to make the choices necessary to go in a new, healthy direction.
The good news is that my experience isn't unique - I've seen countless others make the fundamental decision to get healthy and then turn around years, even decades, of unhealthy habits. The same can be true for everyone here. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Choose wisely :-)
But what happens to us when we become adults? We may have brains in our head and (most of the time!) we have feet in our shoes, but we often shift from believing that we can decide where to go to thinking that we're trapped where we are. The disappointments many of us gather along the way to becoming adults, and the failures we experience as adults slowly drain away that "can do" attitude we had as children and we allow other things, people and circumstances, to decide where we'll go and who we will be.
But the reality is that we still have brains in our head and feet in our shoes and we can still steer ourselves in any direction we choose. We just have to choose.
We may have to shake off those concepts we've accumulated over the years, and that's not always easy to do, but we are never really trapped. We can begin to move in a different direction the moment we decide to do so.
For many or most of us here, we may have felt trapped for year inside of a body we didn't want and some of you, like me, may have felt pretty hopeless at one point. Repeated failure as losing weight had worn me down and reinforced my concept that I couldn't do this. Part of me just wanted to throw in the towel and stop trying because every attempt ended in failure and a deeper sense of frustration and despair.
I'm so thankful that there was another part of me that kept trying, that refused to accept that I would live out my life in a 260+ pound body. As health issues related to my obesity began to emerge, I finally realized that my obesity threatened to shorten my life. That reality gave me the focus I needed to make the choices necessary to go in a new, healthy direction.
The good news is that my experience isn't unique - I've seen countless others make the fundamental decision to get healthy and then turn around years, even decades, of unhealthy habits. The same can be true for everyone here. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Choose wisely :-)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
It is unbelievable that summer is winding down and we are now kicking off Labor Day weekend! For many, this weekend includes cookouts and get-togethers with family members and friends.
In the midst of whatever plans you have this weekend, don't lose sight of your goal! Cookouts can include grilled chicken breasts or a lean steak or piece of fish - add a fresh salad or grilled veggies and you'll have a delicious and on-plan meal. If the cookout is at someone else's house, bring along a crunch bar (or make a Medifast brownie and bring it with you) so you'll have your own "dessert." Medifast pretzels, cheese puffs or one of the new bites (BBQ or cheese pizza) are great options if you find yourself tempted by potato chips or nachos.
Pre-planning will make all the difference. Know this: if you plan carefully and work your plan, you won't be regretting your decisions on Tuesday morning! Before you head out for your weekend activities, spend some time focusing on why you want to reach your goal. Write down your reasons. Write a short paragraph describing what it will be like when you reach your goal - how will you look? how will you feel? Focusing on your goal will make it much easier to stay on plan when you face those inevitable food temptations this weekend. Being focused on what you really want will enable you to recognize those food temptations for what they really are: obstacles.
One of the things I learned on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan was to focus on the people and the fun, not the food. By doing so, I was able to have a great time at all of the social events I attended (and I went to a lot of social events!) and still stay on plan.
There may be a lot of reasons to go off plan this weekend, but if you know what you really want, you'll have the only reason you'll need to stay on plan. The choice, of course, is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
In the midst of whatever plans you have this weekend, don't lose sight of your goal! Cookouts can include grilled chicken breasts or a lean steak or piece of fish - add a fresh salad or grilled veggies and you'll have a delicious and on-plan meal. If the cookout is at someone else's house, bring along a crunch bar (or make a Medifast brownie and bring it with you) so you'll have your own "dessert." Medifast pretzels, cheese puffs or one of the new bites (BBQ or cheese pizza) are great options if you find yourself tempted by potato chips or nachos.
Pre-planning will make all the difference. Know this: if you plan carefully and work your plan, you won't be regretting your decisions on Tuesday morning! Before you head out for your weekend activities, spend some time focusing on why you want to reach your goal. Write down your reasons. Write a short paragraph describing what it will be like when you reach your goal - how will you look? how will you feel? Focusing on your goal will make it much easier to stay on plan when you face those inevitable food temptations this weekend. Being focused on what you really want will enable you to recognize those food temptations for what they really are: obstacles.
One of the things I learned on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan was to focus on the people and the fun, not the food. By doing so, I was able to have a great time at all of the social events I attended (and I went to a lot of social events!) and still stay on plan.
There may be a lot of reasons to go off plan this weekend, but if you know what you really want, you'll have the only reason you'll need to stay on plan. The choice, of course, is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Time to Take Stock
Welcome to September! I am in disbelief that it's September, even as I type the word!
September is a great time to take stock of where we're at. Remember those New Year's resolutions we last January? How are you doing? Do you even remember most of them?
I'm guessing that one of the resolutions you made was to lose weight and get healthy, right? For the over 20 years that I spent being obese, losing weight was ALWAYS on my list of New Year's resolutions. No surprise that each September inevitably found me no closer to my goal than I was when I made that resolution. That all changed, of course, when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007. 2009 was the first year in over two decades that didn't include "losing weight" as one of my resolutions (I reached my goal in May of 2008).
If you're continuing to make steady progress towards your goal, keep up the great work! Even if you aren't where you wanted to be, look at how far you've come and celebrate that. You're on track to end 2011 strong, so pat yourself on the back and keep your eyes on the prize.
If you've been struggling, especially over the summer, now is a perfect time to get back on plan and back on track. There are four months left in this year, plenty of time to make real progress towards (or maybe even to reach!) your goal.
Time is going to pass, whether you're on plan or not. The question is, where do you want to be four months from today when we ring in 2012? Getting where you want to be starts with the choices you'll make today. Choose wisely :-)
September is a great time to take stock of where we're at. Remember those New Year's resolutions we last January? How are you doing? Do you even remember most of them?
I'm guessing that one of the resolutions you made was to lose weight and get healthy, right? For the over 20 years that I spent being obese, losing weight was ALWAYS on my list of New Year's resolutions. No surprise that each September inevitably found me no closer to my goal than I was when I made that resolution. That all changed, of course, when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast in June of 2007. 2009 was the first year in over two decades that didn't include "losing weight" as one of my resolutions (I reached my goal in May of 2008).
If you're continuing to make steady progress towards your goal, keep up the great work! Even if you aren't where you wanted to be, look at how far you've come and celebrate that. You're on track to end 2011 strong, so pat yourself on the back and keep your eyes on the prize.
If you've been struggling, especially over the summer, now is a perfect time to get back on plan and back on track. There are four months left in this year, plenty of time to make real progress towards (or maybe even to reach!) your goal.
Time is going to pass, whether you're on plan or not. The question is, where do you want to be four months from today when we ring in 2012? Getting where you want to be starts with the choices you'll make today. Choose wisely :-)
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