Are you surviving or thriving right now? Losing weight and letting
go of unhealthy habits isn't easy and sometimes it might feel like
you're hanging on by a thread with the goal of just surviving another
day on plan. I completely understand that feeling, and there were
days when I was on the 5&1 weight loss phase of Take Shape for
Life's program when I felt the same way.
But my goal is no longer to survive, it's to THRIVE - to bloom wherever
I'm planted and find joy along the journey and not just hope there's
some joy at my destination. That doesn't mean that I've adopted an
unrealistic, sugar-sweetened view of life, because the journey itself is
difficult - LIFE is difficult! When you add the challenge of losing
weight to the other challenges you're facing in your life, it can seem
like it's too much sometimes, unless you've embraced a "thrive, not just
survive" attitude.
This weight loss journey can be one of the most important journeys of
your life, if you'll let it. While I was losing my 126 pounds, I saw a
lot of things change for me internally. How I thought about food
changed, how I reacted to the stuff of life changed, how I felt about
myself changed, and most important, my relationship with my Heavenly
Father grew.
Several months into my journey, somewhere in the fall of 2007, I told
my husband that I had a sense that this journey was about a lot more
than just me losing weight. I told my husband that I felt like God was
somehow going to use this in my life for more than just getting me to a
healthy weight. I had no idea what that might be, but I knew (and I
know) that God doesn't waste any of the experiences in our lives, if we
allow Him to work in and through them (and us). So I had an attitude
of expectation as I continued moving towards my goal and really
embraced the idea of looking for joy along the way.
I set a lot of mini-goals to keep me excited about the journey, and I
celebrated as I reached each one. I didn't attach a date to the
mini-goals, because I knew that I had no control over how long it would
take my body to drop the weight - I could only control whether or not I
stayed on plan. Reaching each mini-goal recharged my batteries just a
bit and propelled me on towards my next mini-goal. Along the way I
looked for and celebrated all of the non-scale victories (like
realizing that my thighs no longer touched when I walked!), and I
continued to commit my journey to the Lord.
What I didn't realize was the way that my own journey would encourage
so many of my family members and friends to begin their own weight loss
journey. I've seen my husband, my son, my son-in-law, both my
parents, my sister and some of my closest friends lose weight and get
healthy. It's so exciting! That excitement continues as I talk to
people every day who are now losing weight and getting excited and
optimistic about their life.
My encouragement to you today is not only to stay on plan, but to
THRIVE in the process! Look for joy on the journey, and don't be
surprised at the changes that will happen in and to you along the way -
watch for them :-). Those changes will happen one day, one meal, and
one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Beyond Tomorrow
"If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." ~ George Burns
The late George Burns, who lived just past his 100th birthday, often joked about his age. While the above quote was said in jest, I think there is much truth in the statement.
Most of us are busy living our lives today, trying to keep up with demanding schedules and busy families. We spend very little time, if any, thinking about longevity. You may or may not aspire to reach 100, but what if you do? What do you want your life to look like when you're in your 80's, 90's or beyond? That may seems like an irrelevant question to ask right now, particularly if you're younger than 50. The 80's seem a hundred years away, so why worry about them now?
The answer to that question, of course, is that they will be here sooner than you realize :-). The choices we're making today will directly impact not only the length of our life, but also the quality of our latter years. That's good news, because the younger you are, the more you can change the health trajectory of your future! So many of the diseases that can compromise the quality of our lives, or even shorten them, are directly related to obesity. By getting to a healthy weight now and incorporating healthy habits, we can move into the latter decades of our lives healthy and with the ability to live life at its fullest.
I would like to someday celebrate my 100th birthday, providing I can do so with a decent measure of both physical and mental health. I'm making choices today to improve my chances of reaching that milestone. My life is in God's hands and I don't know the number of my days, but if the Lord allows me to reach 100, I want to celebrate that day as healthy as I can possibly be.
The choices we make today will not only impact us next month and next year, but they will impact our health decades from now. More than ever, it's important that we choose wisely :-)
The late George Burns, who lived just past his 100th birthday, often joked about his age. While the above quote was said in jest, I think there is much truth in the statement.
Most of us are busy living our lives today, trying to keep up with demanding schedules and busy families. We spend very little time, if any, thinking about longevity. You may or may not aspire to reach 100, but what if you do? What do you want your life to look like when you're in your 80's, 90's or beyond? That may seems like an irrelevant question to ask right now, particularly if you're younger than 50. The 80's seem a hundred years away, so why worry about them now?
The answer to that question, of course, is that they will be here sooner than you realize :-). The choices we're making today will directly impact not only the length of our life, but also the quality of our latter years. That's good news, because the younger you are, the more you can change the health trajectory of your future! So many of the diseases that can compromise the quality of our lives, or even shorten them, are directly related to obesity. By getting to a healthy weight now and incorporating healthy habits, we can move into the latter decades of our lives healthy and with the ability to live life at its fullest.
I would like to someday celebrate my 100th birthday, providing I can do so with a decent measure of both physical and mental health. I'm making choices today to improve my chances of reaching that milestone. My life is in God's hands and I don't know the number of my days, but if the Lord allows me to reach 100, I want to celebrate that day as healthy as I can possibly be.
The choices we make today will not only impact us next month and next year, but they will impact our health decades from now. More than ever, it's important that we choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Raining Worms
A friend of mine once commented that "God cares for the birds, but He doesn't rain worms." What does that
mean? To me, it says that God has given birds all of the tools they
need to provide for themselves. He designed their bodies with the beaks
and claws they need to search for and gather food; He equipped them
with the instincts required to go after the food they need. But birds
have to search out and dig for their own worms - they have to feed
themselves.
I love that, and I think it is SO applicable to our journey to get healthy. I believe that if God wanted to, He could instantly make us thin and healthy. He could "rain worms" for us -- but He won't. What He HAS done is provide everything we need to become healthy, but we have to do the work - He won't do it for us.
We have to take the responsibility - every day - of recommitting to the task before us. It's always our choice! If we choose to not do the work, we can't expect that somehow the weight will just drop off on its own. No matter how much we may wish it at times, the reality is that it will never rain worms. But when we're willing to do our part, God provides the grace and strength we need. Drawing on that strength and grace, making the decisions we need to make . . . those choices are ours. Choose wisely :-).
I love that, and I think it is SO applicable to our journey to get healthy. I believe that if God wanted to, He could instantly make us thin and healthy. He could "rain worms" for us -- but He won't. What He HAS done is provide everything we need to become healthy, but we have to do the work - He won't do it for us.
We have to take the responsibility - every day - of recommitting to the task before us. It's always our choice! If we choose to not do the work, we can't expect that somehow the weight will just drop off on its own. No matter how much we may wish it at times, the reality is that it will never rain worms. But when we're willing to do our part, God provides the grace and strength we need. Drawing on that strength and grace, making the decisions we need to make . . . those choices are ours. Choose wisely :-).
Monday, July 9, 2012
Taking the Scenic Route or the Autobahn?
My husband and I do a lot of traveling these days - both because of
our business and just for fun (although we love what we do, so all of
our travel is really for fun!). Sometimes we fly due to time
constraints or distance, but whenever possible we like to drive because
we love road trips. When we have time, we stay off the interstate and
are on the lookout for all of the hidden treasures we miss when we're
on cruise control at 70 miles per hour. We love to stop and take
pictures along the way, talk to people, and try fun, local
restaurants. We don't always have time for a leisurely drive, but it's
fun when we can.
There are other times, of course, when we are focused on getting where we need to be and set our GPS to get us there as quickly as possible. The route we take depends on how fast we want/need to get to our destination.
I don't know about you, but once I finally decided (REALLY decided) to lose weight, I wanted to reach my goal as quickly as possible. I wasn't interested in taking the scenic route - I wanted the autobahn. I'd done the "count points" program three different times, none of them particularly successfully, and the thought of doing a lot of work and getting maybe a half-pound loss per week for the effort didn't appeal to me at all.
I didn't want a "make it up as I go along" plan, either - I'd done that a zillion times. You know - the "I'll just eat less, watch my portions and make better choices" plan, completely unstructured and for me, completely unsuccessful.
This last and final time (thank the Lord, it really WAS the last time!) that I decided to lose weight, I wanted a proven system. I wanted something that was fast AND safe, and I wanted something that would not just get me thinner, but also healthier. Take Shape for Life totally met the criteria and then some!
When we're going on a trip and time is of the essence, we study a map and find the shortest route from Point A to Point B, or we plug the destination into our GPS and select the "shortest route" option. Once we have our route in place, we stick to the route and ignore the signs that advertise attractions ten miles off an exit en route. It's not that the attractions aren't interesting, but we have a destination to get to and we're focused on getting there as soon as we can.
Those off-plan foods are the attractions ten miles off the exit . . . if we veer off course and take the side-trip, we're going to waste a lot of time and delay getting to our destination. When it comes to getting to a healthy weight, we need to stay in the express lane with no exits between the time we get on and our goal.
Are you on the autobahn today or are you taking a leisurely route to get to your goal? The choices you make determine the route you take. Choose wisely :-)
There are other times, of course, when we are focused on getting where we need to be and set our GPS to get us there as quickly as possible. The route we take depends on how fast we want/need to get to our destination.
I don't know about you, but once I finally decided (REALLY decided) to lose weight, I wanted to reach my goal as quickly as possible. I wasn't interested in taking the scenic route - I wanted the autobahn. I'd done the "count points" program three different times, none of them particularly successfully, and the thought of doing a lot of work and getting maybe a half-pound loss per week for the effort didn't appeal to me at all.
I didn't want a "make it up as I go along" plan, either - I'd done that a zillion times. You know - the "I'll just eat less, watch my portions and make better choices" plan, completely unstructured and for me, completely unsuccessful.
This last and final time (thank the Lord, it really WAS the last time!) that I decided to lose weight, I wanted a proven system. I wanted something that was fast AND safe, and I wanted something that would not just get me thinner, but also healthier. Take Shape for Life totally met the criteria and then some!
When we're going on a trip and time is of the essence, we study a map and find the shortest route from Point A to Point B, or we plug the destination into our GPS and select the "shortest route" option. Once we have our route in place, we stick to the route and ignore the signs that advertise attractions ten miles off an exit en route. It's not that the attractions aren't interesting, but we have a destination to get to and we're focused on getting there as soon as we can.
Those off-plan foods are the attractions ten miles off the exit . . . if we veer off course and take the side-trip, we're going to waste a lot of time and delay getting to our destination. When it comes to getting to a healthy weight, we need to stay in the express lane with no exits between the time we get on and our goal.
Are you on the autobahn today or are you taking a leisurely route to get to your goal? The choices you make determine the route you take. Choose wisely :-)
Friday, July 6, 2012
My Newest "Why"
I have a whole new "why" as of yesterday :-). Our newest grandson, Tyler Jacob, was born yesterday morning (photo is attached)! He is our sixth grandchild and we have two more (twin girls) coming in a few weeks (our oldest daughter's SECOND set of twins!!). These little girls will be two more "whys" for me!
I am turning 60 in just over a week and as I held Tyler yesterday, I realized that by the time he is 20, I will be 80. That takes my breath away! More than ever, the choices I make today will determine the quality of life I have at 80. Do I want to be as active and vibrant at 80 as possible? My answer is an obvious "yes!" I know I can only be that vibrant, active 80-year old IF, and it is a big IF, I continue to make healthy choices.
That's not as easy as it sounds, nor is it as easy as I wish it was. Even more than four years after reaching my goal, consistently doing what I need to do is a challenge. The operative word here is "consistently." As I have shared in the past, my "fat girl tastebuds" are still alive and kicking and I find myself often challenged to stay the course with what I know is best. An occasional "not stellar choice" meal is certainly OK, but sometimes a few of those get strung a bit too close together and the scale and my clothes remind me of that.
Dr. Andersen says, both in person and in his book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health," that eating a cheeseburger today doesn't make any difference today, but over time it makes all the difference between being on an unhealthy path and being optimally healthy.
Looking into the face of my newest grandbaby, I know I want to see him grow up and I would like to be his fun, vibrant grandmother out on the dance floor at his wedding. Another reason for me to choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Food to Die For
I
love food. There are very few things I don't like. One of my
friends has challenged herself to only say "love" when
referring to God or people and talks about "enjoying" food instead of
"loving" it. I think that's a great attitude and I aspire to truly
think that way, but when I'm honest with myself, there are a lot of
foods that I love to eat. There have been times when something is so
over-the-top delicious that I've said, or I've heard someone else say,
"that is to DIE for!" What we mean, of course, is that the food is
beyond-description yummy.
Because I've described food as "to die for" on numerous occasions in my life, I was interested to see an article posted on the internet a while back with the title "7 Foods to Die For." Naturally I had to check them out! The seven foods were an assortment of some of the latest menu offerings at national chain restaurants, including a milkshake that is over 2,000 calories! The foods listed weren't in the article because they were delicious beyond description "to die for," they were listed because these are the types of foods that are literally killing us. Another menu option on the list of "to die for" foods was a huge hamburger with all of the fixings nestled between TWO grilled cheese sandwiches (the sandwiches took the place of the bun). The food industry seems intent on finding new ways to help us put on weight, clog our arteries, and raise our blood pressure and blood sugar, and far too many people are lining up and shelling out money to do just that.
At a time when more people are obese than at any other time in history - HISTORY!! - and when excess is celebrated in so many circles, those of us on Take Shape for Life are truly doing something counter-cultural. We are lowering calories, temporarily limiting options, and learning the difference between full and satisfied. We are also learning what it means to make new and better choices by staying focused on what we want - a healthy, thin body.
There are a number of things I would die for - my faith and my family are at the top of that list. There are also things I'm not willing to die for, and food is at the top of THAT list! After losing 126 pounds on this program and maintaining my weight loss for over four years (thank you, Jesus!), I know that I am no longer digging my grave with my fork. I enjoy food, and I may even kind of sort of love it (sometimes), but die for it? Never!
There are so many food choices out there, and some are literally to die for. It's up to each of us to decide for ourselves what we'll choose, and the choices we make are based on what we decide is most important to us. Choose wisely :-)
Because I've described food as "to die for" on numerous occasions in my life, I was interested to see an article posted on the internet a while back with the title "7 Foods to Die For." Naturally I had to check them out! The seven foods were an assortment of some of the latest menu offerings at national chain restaurants, including a milkshake that is over 2,000 calories! The foods listed weren't in the article because they were delicious beyond description "to die for," they were listed because these are the types of foods that are literally killing us. Another menu option on the list of "to die for" foods was a huge hamburger with all of the fixings nestled between TWO grilled cheese sandwiches (the sandwiches took the place of the bun). The food industry seems intent on finding new ways to help us put on weight, clog our arteries, and raise our blood pressure and blood sugar, and far too many people are lining up and shelling out money to do just that.
At a time when more people are obese than at any other time in history - HISTORY!! - and when excess is celebrated in so many circles, those of us on Take Shape for Life are truly doing something counter-cultural. We are lowering calories, temporarily limiting options, and learning the difference between full and satisfied. We are also learning what it means to make new and better choices by staying focused on what we want - a healthy, thin body.
There are a number of things I would die for - my faith and my family are at the top of that list. There are also things I'm not willing to die for, and food is at the top of THAT list! After losing 126 pounds on this program and maintaining my weight loss for over four years (thank you, Jesus!), I know that I am no longer digging my grave with my fork. I enjoy food, and I may even kind of sort of love it (sometimes), but die for it? Never!
There are so many food choices out there, and some are literally to die for. It's up to each of us to decide for ourselves what we'll choose, and the choices we make are based on what we decide is most important to us. Choose wisely :-)
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mid-Year Check
Happy July! I can hardly believe we just turned over another page
on the calendar, and even more unbelievable is that we are now half-way
through the year!
I'm a planner, a list maker and a goal setter, and since I always make New Year's resolutions, the beginning of July is the time for reassessment of those goals and resolutions. It's a time to see if I'm on track for the year or if I need to make some readjustments if I want to accomplish the things I listed on New Year's Day, or I may determine that other priorities have pushed one of those resolutions off the table for this year.
Some of you may have started on 5&1 (or restarted) right after the first of the year, vowing that THIS is the year to finally lose the weight and get healthy. January is the time when many Americans, bloated from the holidays, make resolutions to lose weight - it's one of the top resolutions people make. The health clubs and gyms see a spike in attendance and the air is filled with good intentions and resolve.
Six months later, most people haven't kept up with their resolution and are back to the same old habits, waiting until the next January 1 rolls around to make yet another resolution. It's not that they wouldn't like to lose weight and get in shape, but it's a desire, not a commitment. If they could wake up one morning and have the weight gone, they would be thrilled (wouldn't we all?), but they aren't willing to put in the time and effort required to get there.
Because you're reading this, I know that you have committed time, effort, and some of your finances, towards getting healthy. You've gone far beyond making a nominal resolution - good for you!
My question to you is: are you on track to reach the goals you've set for yourself? Some of you are rocking this plan - you're committed to staying on plan and you figure out each day exactly how to do it. It's not always easy, but you're keeping your eye on the prize and not letting anything get in your way.
Others of you struggle. You want to lose the weight, but you find yourselves stepping off plan over and over again, to your own frustration. This blog is really for you today!
We are half-way through the year - it's half-time, time to regroup, review our game plan, then get back into the game! Don't allow any failures from the first half of the year to keep you from reaching your goal in the second half of the year!
Write down all of the reasons you want to lose weight. It doesn't matter if it's a big reason or a little reason - write it down! Then spend some time thinking about why you go off plan. If you tend to go off at the same time every day, or when you're around the same people, zero in on that and figure out why, then make an adjustment. Write a description of what you will look like and feel like when you're at your goal weight - be descriptive and put in as much detail as possible. Don't be afraid to dream big about being small! What kinds of things do you want to do when you reach your goal, perhaps things you're not able to do now? What size will you be in? Make your WHY bigger than any obstacles you face.
Once you have done this, commit to staying on plan for 5 days straight, no matter what! That will ensure that you're back into the fat-burning state, and that's where the magic happens :-). Once you're into the fat-burning state, your hunger drops and your energy goes up and your body begins to target the areas where you store fat to get the energy you need. It's a beautiful thing and it's exactly how the plan is designed to work.
Stay connected to the support available here, stay on plan, and you'll have to figure out a new resolution for next New Year's, because losing weight won't be one of them!
You can do it, and reaching your goal is worth it! You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
I'm a planner, a list maker and a goal setter, and since I always make New Year's resolutions, the beginning of July is the time for reassessment of those goals and resolutions. It's a time to see if I'm on track for the year or if I need to make some readjustments if I want to accomplish the things I listed on New Year's Day, or I may determine that other priorities have pushed one of those resolutions off the table for this year.
Some of you may have started on 5&1 (or restarted) right after the first of the year, vowing that THIS is the year to finally lose the weight and get healthy. January is the time when many Americans, bloated from the holidays, make resolutions to lose weight - it's one of the top resolutions people make. The health clubs and gyms see a spike in attendance and the air is filled with good intentions and resolve.
Six months later, most people haven't kept up with their resolution and are back to the same old habits, waiting until the next January 1 rolls around to make yet another resolution. It's not that they wouldn't like to lose weight and get in shape, but it's a desire, not a commitment. If they could wake up one morning and have the weight gone, they would be thrilled (wouldn't we all?), but they aren't willing to put in the time and effort required to get there.
Because you're reading this, I know that you have committed time, effort, and some of your finances, towards getting healthy. You've gone far beyond making a nominal resolution - good for you!
My question to you is: are you on track to reach the goals you've set for yourself? Some of you are rocking this plan - you're committed to staying on plan and you figure out each day exactly how to do it. It's not always easy, but you're keeping your eye on the prize and not letting anything get in your way.
Others of you struggle. You want to lose the weight, but you find yourselves stepping off plan over and over again, to your own frustration. This blog is really for you today!
We are half-way through the year - it's half-time, time to regroup, review our game plan, then get back into the game! Don't allow any failures from the first half of the year to keep you from reaching your goal in the second half of the year!
Write down all of the reasons you want to lose weight. It doesn't matter if it's a big reason or a little reason - write it down! Then spend some time thinking about why you go off plan. If you tend to go off at the same time every day, or when you're around the same people, zero in on that and figure out why, then make an adjustment. Write a description of what you will look like and feel like when you're at your goal weight - be descriptive and put in as much detail as possible. Don't be afraid to dream big about being small! What kinds of things do you want to do when you reach your goal, perhaps things you're not able to do now? What size will you be in? Make your WHY bigger than any obstacles you face.
Once you have done this, commit to staying on plan for 5 days straight, no matter what! That will ensure that you're back into the fat-burning state, and that's where the magic happens :-). Once you're into the fat-burning state, your hunger drops and your energy goes up and your body begins to target the areas where you store fat to get the energy you need. It's a beautiful thing and it's exactly how the plan is designed to work.
Stay connected to the support available here, stay on plan, and you'll have to figure out a new resolution for next New Year's, because losing weight won't be one of them!
You can do it, and reaching your goal is worth it! You'll get there one day, one meal, and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
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