I am the queen of good intentions - really I am. Over the years I've found that my follow-through often falls apart, but wow, my intentions are SO good and so sincere!
A while back I finally tackled a long-ignored pile of papers that was in the bottom drawer of my desk. This pile accumulated over several months as I would throw papers in there (usually just before somebody came over in an attempt to quickly straighten up my office), always promising myself that I would get to the paper pile "soon." Then things would get busy and soon more papers would be added to the growing pile.
As I finally got through that pile of papers, interestingly, one of the things buried in my paper pile was a book entitled (and I'm not kidding!), "100 Ways to Simplify Your Life." When I bought the book, I obviously had good intentions at the time about getting more organized and simplifying things!
The problem is that good intentions or even the right tools (like my book) aren't enough. Without follow through, good intentions pile up like the papers in my desk drawer. Tools that remain used are useless, or worse, add to our guilt because they remind us of what we intended to do but never quite got around to doing.
Everyone who started on this program began with good intentions - the BEST intentions. This was IT - it was time to lose weight and get healthy once and for all. This program comes with a variety of tools for us to use, and with the tools available and the ease of the meal replacements, there really isn't any reason why everyone doesn't reach goal, right? Or ???
The missing ingredient to success for many is the follow through. We get off plan for one reason or another (the reasons don't matter), and we mean to get back on, really we do. We have good intentions . . . but our follow through is lacking. Sometimes we sabotage ourselves for a variety of reasons, and sometimes we're too quick to settle for less than what we really want because we're distracted by the lure of immediate gratification.
We have the right program, we have the right tools, and we have good intentions. The only thing we need to be successful is follow through. That is the choice facing us today . . . choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Celebrating Obesity
There is a new program premiering on TLC tonight, "Big Sexy." The promotional clips for it are concerning, because they appear to be promoting obesity as fun and viable lifestyle choice.
Because I was morbidly obese for over twenty years, I am painfully aware of the prejudice obese individuals face. I am also aware of the need to accept ourselves where we are - self-loathing is damaging on so many levels. Regardless of our weight, we are valuable people who are loved by God and we deserve the love and respect of the people around us.
However, this program looks like it goes far beyond acceptance to celebration, and being morbidly obese wasn't something I ever wanted to celebrate. The promotional clips show obese women having fun and strutting their style and several women seemed to dismiss the idea of ever being thin. They are obese and proud of it and fully intend to stay that way.
I've only seen the promotional clips, so I don't know how the show will play out, but in the clips all of the women are young. They are having fun and celebrating, perhaps even flaunting, their plus sizes, definitely living in the moment.
What disturbs me about the clips I've seen is that the emphasis seems to be on obesity as an acceptable - and fun - lifestyle. What won't be shown is the long-term effects of this obesity. These young women who are out partying and living an excessive lifestyle now haven't yet encountered the almost-inevitable health consequences of their obesity.
Obesity greatly increases the chances that someone will end up with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, joint problems, and obesity is linked as a risk factor for several types of cancer. Obesity is about far more than what size we wear or how we look in a swimsuit - obesity impacts our health. Those health risks may be in the background for someone in their 20's or 30's, but they will eventually catch up with the majority of overweight and obese individuals.
What would be interesting to know is how many of the women on this new show have tried and failed so many times to lose weight that they've given up and lost hope. How many of them secretly long to be at a healthy weight but have opted for a tough, in-your-face attitude about their obesity to hide the pain and despair they feel?
My heart goes out to these women because I know life is challenging for them at their weight. I also know that many of them are facing serious health issues in the future if they don't make changes to their lifestyle. They may have given up hope, but we know there IS hope, and we know what it is :-).
Many of us had just about given up ourselves and had very little hope that we could ever turn things around until, one way or another, we found our way to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. One day at a time, one meal at a time, things began to turn around for us and we ended up getting our lives - and our health - back, and some of us ended up with an entirely new life. I'm so thankful for the ways this program has changed my life and it's exciting to see the way it's changing others' lives, too. Those changes happen with the individual choices we make, so choose wisely :-)
Because I was morbidly obese for over twenty years, I am painfully aware of the prejudice obese individuals face. I am also aware of the need to accept ourselves where we are - self-loathing is damaging on so many levels. Regardless of our weight, we are valuable people who are loved by God and we deserve the love and respect of the people around us.
However, this program looks like it goes far beyond acceptance to celebration, and being morbidly obese wasn't something I ever wanted to celebrate. The promotional clips show obese women having fun and strutting their style and several women seemed to dismiss the idea of ever being thin. They are obese and proud of it and fully intend to stay that way.
I've only seen the promotional clips, so I don't know how the show will play out, but in the clips all of the women are young. They are having fun and celebrating, perhaps even flaunting, their plus sizes, definitely living in the moment.
What disturbs me about the clips I've seen is that the emphasis seems to be on obesity as an acceptable - and fun - lifestyle. What won't be shown is the long-term effects of this obesity. These young women who are out partying and living an excessive lifestyle now haven't yet encountered the almost-inevitable health consequences of their obesity.
Obesity greatly increases the chances that someone will end up with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, joint problems, and obesity is linked as a risk factor for several types of cancer. Obesity is about far more than what size we wear or how we look in a swimsuit - obesity impacts our health. Those health risks may be in the background for someone in their 20's or 30's, but they will eventually catch up with the majority of overweight and obese individuals.
What would be interesting to know is how many of the women on this new show have tried and failed so many times to lose weight that they've given up and lost hope. How many of them secretly long to be at a healthy weight but have opted for a tough, in-your-face attitude about their obesity to hide the pain and despair they feel?
My heart goes out to these women because I know life is challenging for them at their weight. I also know that many of them are facing serious health issues in the future if they don't make changes to their lifestyle. They may have given up hope, but we know there IS hope, and we know what it is :-).
Many of us had just about given up ourselves and had very little hope that we could ever turn things around until, one way or another, we found our way to Take Shape for Life/Medifast. One day at a time, one meal at a time, things began to turn around for us and we ended up getting our lives - and our health - back, and some of us ended up with an entirely new life. I'm so thankful for the ways this program has changed my life and it's exciting to see the way it's changing others' lives, too. Those changes happen with the individual choices we make, so choose wisely :-)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Self-Sabotage
Recently I've had several conversations with friends who are struggling to stay on plan. These individuals shared, with great frustration, about the way they seem to self-sabotage themselves over and over again without really understanding why.
I completely understand where these friends are coming from because that was exactly where I was for a long time with every other program I ever tried. It's a miserable place to be, that feeling of being driven by triggers and emotions that we don't quite understand and finding ourselves defeated over and over again.
I'm not an expert in human behavior by ANY stretch of the imagination, so all I could do with these friends was share what worked for me when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan. I was motivated to stay on plan because I couldn't justify spending the money on this program unless I was actually doing it, and that motivation prompted me to set myself up for success rather than failure.
One thing I did was to leave all of my money and my debit card (and credit card) at home when I went to work every day. I had with me the Medifast meals I needed for the day, so when it was time to eat, I didn't have another option besides what I'd brought with me. That strategy served me well on more than one occasion when I frankly didn't feel like having a Medifast meal. Had I had money or my debit card with me, it would have been really easy to hop in my car and drive through a fast-food place for something that definitely wouldn't have been on plan. Not having that option forced me to stick with the plan whether I felt like it or not! The funny thing was that once I had my Medifast meal, I was glad that I hadn't cheated :-).
I also set up my environment for success and got rid of any and all food temptations. I cleaned out my desk drawer at the office and cleared out cabinets and my refrigerator at home. (Because it was just my husband and myself at home and because he was incredibly supportive of me, I was able to purge my house - a real blessing!)
Another thing I did was adopt a Stop-Challenge-Choose approach to temptation. When I found myself craving something off plan (and yes, I most certainly DID have those cravings from time to time!), I would first look at the time to see if I was craving something because I was truly hungry and it was time to eat. If that was the case, I had my next Medifast meal ready to go. If I looked at the clock and realized that I'd eaten just an hour or so before, I understood right away that what I was experiencing wasn't physical hunger. I'd drink a large glass of water (since thirst can often masquerade as hunger) and then ask myself what was going on - why was I suddenly craving something? By stopping a minute and challenging my feeling, I was usually able to identify was was driving the craving. Perhaps I was tired or frustrated or perhaps just looking for a way to postpone doing something I didn't feel like doing . . . it usually didn't take much detective work to zero in on what was going on. Once I understood what was behind the craving, I was back in control and able to choose the response that supported what I REALLY wanted - getting to a healthy weight. As I've shared in the past, once I identified the real issue, I often shot up a quick "help me, Lord!" prayer, too :-).
We sabotage ourselves for a variety of different reasons, and some individuals need the help of a professional to help work through some of those issues. My purpose in writing today isn't to figure out WHY someone sabotages, but rather to offer up a couple of strategies to make it more difficult for you to follow through when you're tempted. My experience was that every time I successfully resisted the temptation to sabotage myself, I felt a huge sense of relief when the temptation was over. That sense of relief was an indication to me that, on some level or another, I really DID want to be successful in getting to a healthy weight. That sense of relief also prompted me to begin to probe at the underlying reasons why I seemed at times so bent on sabotage. In the end, a lot of emotional and spiritual growth happened along the way to losing 126 pounds.
The reality is that we are NOT helpless victims, held captive by our whims and vulnerable to every temptation that comes our way. Every temptation has a window of time in which we can choose our response. Stop, challenge, and choose wisely :-)
I completely understand where these friends are coming from because that was exactly where I was for a long time with every other program I ever tried. It's a miserable place to be, that feeling of being driven by triggers and emotions that we don't quite understand and finding ourselves defeated over and over again.
I'm not an expert in human behavior by ANY stretch of the imagination, so all I could do with these friends was share what worked for me when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast's 5&1 plan. I was motivated to stay on plan because I couldn't justify spending the money on this program unless I was actually doing it, and that motivation prompted me to set myself up for success rather than failure.
One thing I did was to leave all of my money and my debit card (and credit card) at home when I went to work every day. I had with me the Medifast meals I needed for the day, so when it was time to eat, I didn't have another option besides what I'd brought with me. That strategy served me well on more than one occasion when I frankly didn't feel like having a Medifast meal. Had I had money or my debit card with me, it would have been really easy to hop in my car and drive through a fast-food place for something that definitely wouldn't have been on plan. Not having that option forced me to stick with the plan whether I felt like it or not! The funny thing was that once I had my Medifast meal, I was glad that I hadn't cheated :-).
I also set up my environment for success and got rid of any and all food temptations. I cleaned out my desk drawer at the office and cleared out cabinets and my refrigerator at home. (Because it was just my husband and myself at home and because he was incredibly supportive of me, I was able to purge my house - a real blessing!)
Another thing I did was adopt a Stop-Challenge-Choose approach to temptation. When I found myself craving something off plan (and yes, I most certainly DID have those cravings from time to time!), I would first look at the time to see if I was craving something because I was truly hungry and it was time to eat. If that was the case, I had my next Medifast meal ready to go. If I looked at the clock and realized that I'd eaten just an hour or so before, I understood right away that what I was experiencing wasn't physical hunger. I'd drink a large glass of water (since thirst can often masquerade as hunger) and then ask myself what was going on - why was I suddenly craving something? By stopping a minute and challenging my feeling, I was usually able to identify was was driving the craving. Perhaps I was tired or frustrated or perhaps just looking for a way to postpone doing something I didn't feel like doing . . . it usually didn't take much detective work to zero in on what was going on. Once I understood what was behind the craving, I was back in control and able to choose the response that supported what I REALLY wanted - getting to a healthy weight. As I've shared in the past, once I identified the real issue, I often shot up a quick "help me, Lord!" prayer, too :-).
We sabotage ourselves for a variety of different reasons, and some individuals need the help of a professional to help work through some of those issues. My purpose in writing today isn't to figure out WHY someone sabotages, but rather to offer up a couple of strategies to make it more difficult for you to follow through when you're tempted. My experience was that every time I successfully resisted the temptation to sabotage myself, I felt a huge sense of relief when the temptation was over. That sense of relief was an indication to me that, on some level or another, I really DID want to be successful in getting to a healthy weight. That sense of relief also prompted me to begin to probe at the underlying reasons why I seemed at times so bent on sabotage. In the end, a lot of emotional and spiritual growth happened along the way to losing 126 pounds.
The reality is that we are NOT helpless victims, held captive by our whims and vulnerable to every temptation that comes our way. Every temptation has a window of time in which we can choose our response. Stop, challenge, and choose wisely :-)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hate the Process . . . Love the Result
Hate the process . . . love the result. That often describes me! Whether it's cleaning out a closet or doing some other "needs to be done" project, I often find that I really don't enjoy the process, but I love the result. That is certainly true of the process I'm currently in - recovering from my total knee replacement. Three and a half weeks into this and I'm honestly not loving the process - it's slow, frustrating, and I'm tired of the whole thing. But I'm hanging in there and maintaining a fairly good attitude because I know that the end result will be worth it.
The truth is, sometimes there is joy in the journey and sometimes there's not. Thankfully, most of my weight loss journey was pretty joyful because it was exciting to watch my body shrink and transform. I felt great, wasn't hungry, and I loved watching the scale and my clothing size go down. However, there were times when I was definitely NOT having fun and despising the process.
What kept me going on those days was wanting to be done with the weight loss portion of the program so that I could get on with the rest of my life. On more than one occasion while I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, my husband heard me muttering to myself (or saying it out loud), "This is NOT the rest of my life . . . " I reminded myself of that periodically because while the almost-year went fast, there were some really LONG days. On those long days, getting from one Medifast meal to another was hard, and on those days I wasn't particularly excited that the next meal I would have would be yet another Medifast meal. Resolute would pretty much describe my mindset on those days, just as resolute best describes my mindset right now as I work through this recovery period. Then and now, it was a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to move forward, whether I felt like it or not.
On those days, it really helps to have a clear vision of where you want to end up. Moving away from the problem only works up to a point, because once the situation begins to improve, the pressure is off and it's hard to maintain momentum. Momentum is better sustained when you've moving forward towards something you want.
I know I write about this a lot, but that's because I think it makes all the difference between whether you view this program as another diet or whether you view this as a new, healthy lifestyle. Diets don't work - 85% of people who go on diets regain their weight, plus more, within two years. Diets are designed to fix a problem, not create health. By embracing the healthy habits you're learning now (eating six small meals a day, drinking lots of water, getting regular exercise, watching portion sizes, etc.), you will establish a healthy lifestyle that will keep you moving in the direction of optimal health - well beyond just reaching your weight loss goal.
I hope you're having a great, joy-filled and on-plan day, but even if your day is less than joyful, I hope it's still an on-plan day. You may not be enjoying the process today, but I can promise you that you're gonna love the results! Regardless of how you feel today, there are still choices to be made . . . choose wisely :-)
The truth is, sometimes there is joy in the journey and sometimes there's not. Thankfully, most of my weight loss journey was pretty joyful because it was exciting to watch my body shrink and transform. I felt great, wasn't hungry, and I loved watching the scale and my clothing size go down. However, there were times when I was definitely NOT having fun and despising the process.
What kept me going on those days was wanting to be done with the weight loss portion of the program so that I could get on with the rest of my life. On more than one occasion while I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1, my husband heard me muttering to myself (or saying it out loud), "This is NOT the rest of my life . . . " I reminded myself of that periodically because while the almost-year went fast, there were some really LONG days. On those long days, getting from one Medifast meal to another was hard, and on those days I wasn't particularly excited that the next meal I would have would be yet another Medifast meal. Resolute would pretty much describe my mindset on those days, just as resolute best describes my mindset right now as I work through this recovery period. Then and now, it was a matter of just putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to move forward, whether I felt like it or not.
On those days, it really helps to have a clear vision of where you want to end up. Moving away from the problem only works up to a point, because once the situation begins to improve, the pressure is off and it's hard to maintain momentum. Momentum is better sustained when you've moving forward towards something you want.
I know I write about this a lot, but that's because I think it makes all the difference between whether you view this program as another diet or whether you view this as a new, healthy lifestyle. Diets don't work - 85% of people who go on diets regain their weight, plus more, within two years. Diets are designed to fix a problem, not create health. By embracing the healthy habits you're learning now (eating six small meals a day, drinking lots of water, getting regular exercise, watching portion sizes, etc.), you will establish a healthy lifestyle that will keep you moving in the direction of optimal health - well beyond just reaching your weight loss goal.
I hope you're having a great, joy-filled and on-plan day, but even if your day is less than joyful, I hope it's still an on-plan day. You may not be enjoying the process today, but I can promise you that you're gonna love the results! Regardless of how you feel today, there are still choices to be made . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, August 26, 2011
Freedom!
I'm not somebody who is naturally inclined to follow the rules. I don't know if it's that I'm a bit of a free spirit or if I just have a real rebellious streak (or perhaps a bit of both), but I tend to want to color outside the lines and look for tinges of gray rather than black and white.
Because of that, I found a recent story rather interesting. This story was part of a devotional that I read, and the author wrote that "Long ago my wife decided that driving within the speed limit gives her a wonderful sense of freedom. She tells me, 'I don't ever need a radar detector. And I never have to slow down when I see a state patrol car or worry about paying a fine for speeding.'"
I tend to drive 5-8 miles over the speed limit and I have often felt a catch in my throat when I see a cruiser on the side of the road. I take my foot off the gas and nervously glance in the rear view mirror to make sure the patrol car hasn't taken off after me. (NOTE: I've only had two speeding tickets in my life and it's been close to 20 years since my last ticket.) I'm not the car speeding down the highway going 20 miles over the speed limit, but I'm also not usually in the right-hand lane with my cruise control set at the speed limit, either. And that does, on occasion, create moments of tension for me.
Reading the story about the woman who found freedom by following the rules - as written - got me thinking :-). So often we think the rules are restrictive and limit our freedom when they really have the ability to GIVE us freedom. Seems ironic, doesn't it?
That is certainly true when it comes to following the rules on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. Staying on such a strict regime with no wiggle room can feel restrictive sometimes and there is a tendency for some of us to want to find a gray area. We may find it frustrating that there IS no gray area with this program - no options for coloring outside the lines. The truth is that there is great freedom by following the protocols of this program, because they are designed to make it easy. The 5&1 program couldn't be more simple - no counting calories, carbs, fat grams or points. All we have to do is stay inside the lines and it works! There is great freedom in not having to figure things out every day, and that's one of the things that made this program work for me. I loved not having to think about it!
Following the program as written also brings freedom because we don't have to feel guilty about what we're eating. A friend of mine told me that she loves not feeling guilty about food any more. On past weight loss programs, I'd cheat and feel guilty even while I was eating the off-plan food (kind of like speeding and seeing a patrol car!). There was never much true pleasure in eating the off-plan food because I felt so guilty doing it, and as soon as the food was gone I almost always felt regret, disgust, etc. That's not freedom!
Lastly, following this program as written brings the long-term freedom of living life at a healthy weight - not only feeling and looking great, but also having the freedom to enjoy food in moderation and in proper portions.
How are you going to define freedom today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Because of that, I found a recent story rather interesting. This story was part of a devotional that I read, and the author wrote that "Long ago my wife decided that driving within the speed limit gives her a wonderful sense of freedom. She tells me, 'I don't ever need a radar detector. And I never have to slow down when I see a state patrol car or worry about paying a fine for speeding.'"
I tend to drive 5-8 miles over the speed limit and I have often felt a catch in my throat when I see a cruiser on the side of the road. I take my foot off the gas and nervously glance in the rear view mirror to make sure the patrol car hasn't taken off after me. (NOTE: I've only had two speeding tickets in my life and it's been close to 20 years since my last ticket.) I'm not the car speeding down the highway going 20 miles over the speed limit, but I'm also not usually in the right-hand lane with my cruise control set at the speed limit, either. And that does, on occasion, create moments of tension for me.
Reading the story about the woman who found freedom by following the rules - as written - got me thinking :-). So often we think the rules are restrictive and limit our freedom when they really have the ability to GIVE us freedom. Seems ironic, doesn't it?
That is certainly true when it comes to following the rules on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1. Staying on such a strict regime with no wiggle room can feel restrictive sometimes and there is a tendency for some of us to want to find a gray area. We may find it frustrating that there IS no gray area with this program - no options for coloring outside the lines. The truth is that there is great freedom by following the protocols of this program, because they are designed to make it easy. The 5&1 program couldn't be more simple - no counting calories, carbs, fat grams or points. All we have to do is stay inside the lines and it works! There is great freedom in not having to figure things out every day, and that's one of the things that made this program work for me. I loved not having to think about it!
Following the program as written also brings freedom because we don't have to feel guilty about what we're eating. A friend of mine told me that she loves not feeling guilty about food any more. On past weight loss programs, I'd cheat and feel guilty even while I was eating the off-plan food (kind of like speeding and seeing a patrol car!). There was never much true pleasure in eating the off-plan food because I felt so guilty doing it, and as soon as the food was gone I almost always felt regret, disgust, etc. That's not freedom!
Lastly, following this program as written brings the long-term freedom of living life at a healthy weight - not only feeling and looking great, but also having the freedom to enjoy food in moderation and in proper portions.
How are you going to define freedom today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Enbracing the Season
Even though the calendar says it's still summer, there are signs that fall is just around the corner. In many parts of the country, children are now back in school (Michigan children return to school the day after Labor Day) and families are settling into a routine after a busy summer. Outside my window, I'm seeing the first signs of leaves changing colors, which gives me really mixed feelings. On the one hand, I love the beauty of a West Michigan autumn - the colors are spectacular and there are many lovely scenic drives available within just an hour or two of my house. On the other hand, a beautiful West Michigan autumn sets the stage for the next season, which often stretches into the better part of five (or six) months of cold, snow and mostly gray skies. Sigh . . .
This time of year, I find myself facing the choice of embracing the season at hand and enjoying the unique beauty it brings, or I can miss the beauty of each day because I'm focused on what's coming next - cold and snow. I used to miss much of the autumn beauty because I'd be busy settling into my winter funk (might as well get a head start on it, you know!). My weight would invariably start to climb this time of year, just as my spirits would begin to droop, and I would pretty much eat my way through the fall and winter, only emerging from my food-induced coma sometime in mid to late April.
Not any more! Part of what I learned on my own weight loss journey was to embrace the season I'm in right now and look for the unique beauty that it brings. And guess what? I'm not just taking about the seasons on the calendar - I'm talking about the seasons in my life.
I viewed my almost-year of weight loss as a season in my life that I'd set aside to get to a healthy weight. I really took the viewpoint that being on 5&1 was NOT the rest of my life, just one short season in what I hoped would be (and still hope will be) the rest of my long and healthy life.
Like the seasons on a calendar, my weight loss "season" had it's good days and it's not-so-great days. Some days during this "season" felt like the best of a summer day - airy and bright, while other days felt like the depths of winter - long, cold and grey, but I knew that it was only one short "season" of my life. I've shared before, but I'll say it again: I did NOT wake up joyful every day that I got to be on plan that day; I did NOT wake up every single day happy about facing another 5 Medifast meals. Thankfully, most days I WAS pretty positive about all of the changes I was seeing and it helped that I really liked (and continue to like) almost all of the Medifast meals. Joyful or not, I did view this as a season in my life and I was determined to make it as short of a season as possible :-).
Since reaching my goal over three years ago, I look back on my "lose weight and get healthy" season as a VERY short season in my life - just under a year. It is a season that I will never regret, because I learned so much about how to eat, I learned so much about myself and how I related to food, and I grew a lot emotionally and spiritually, even as my body shrank. The best part is that this season is past and I'm in an entirely new season of life - HEALTHY. I'm at a healthy weight, in a size I never in a million years thought I'd be in (size 6 slacks and 4 dresses), I have energy to keep up with a very busy schedule (and 4 very busy little grandchildren), and I have an entirely new career helping people achieve the kind of success that I've been blessed with on this program.
I really encourage you today to embrace this "season" in your life. It really will go fast, and the season that follows may well be the very best season of your life. I also encourage you to make this "season" as short as possible, and you can do that by choosing to staying on plan, one day at a time. The choice is yours today . . . choose wisely :-)
This time of year, I find myself facing the choice of embracing the season at hand and enjoying the unique beauty it brings, or I can miss the beauty of each day because I'm focused on what's coming next - cold and snow. I used to miss much of the autumn beauty because I'd be busy settling into my winter funk (might as well get a head start on it, you know!). My weight would invariably start to climb this time of year, just as my spirits would begin to droop, and I would pretty much eat my way through the fall and winter, only emerging from my food-induced coma sometime in mid to late April.
Not any more! Part of what I learned on my own weight loss journey was to embrace the season I'm in right now and look for the unique beauty that it brings. And guess what? I'm not just taking about the seasons on the calendar - I'm talking about the seasons in my life.
I viewed my almost-year of weight loss as a season in my life that I'd set aside to get to a healthy weight. I really took the viewpoint that being on 5&1 was NOT the rest of my life, just one short season in what I hoped would be (and still hope will be) the rest of my long and healthy life.
Like the seasons on a calendar, my weight loss "season" had it's good days and it's not-so-great days. Some days during this "season" felt like the best of a summer day - airy and bright, while other days felt like the depths of winter - long, cold and grey, but I knew that it was only one short "season" of my life. I've shared before, but I'll say it again: I did NOT wake up joyful every day that I got to be on plan that day; I did NOT wake up every single day happy about facing another 5 Medifast meals. Thankfully, most days I WAS pretty positive about all of the changes I was seeing and it helped that I really liked (and continue to like) almost all of the Medifast meals. Joyful or not, I did view this as a season in my life and I was determined to make it as short of a season as possible :-).
Since reaching my goal over three years ago, I look back on my "lose weight and get healthy" season as a VERY short season in my life - just under a year. It is a season that I will never regret, because I learned so much about how to eat, I learned so much about myself and how I related to food, and I grew a lot emotionally and spiritually, even as my body shrank. The best part is that this season is past and I'm in an entirely new season of life - HEALTHY. I'm at a healthy weight, in a size I never in a million years thought I'd be in (size 6 slacks and 4 dresses), I have energy to keep up with a very busy schedule (and 4 very busy little grandchildren), and I have an entirely new career helping people achieve the kind of success that I've been blessed with on this program.
I really encourage you today to embrace this "season" in your life. It really will go fast, and the season that follows may well be the very best season of your life. I also encourage you to make this "season" as short as possible, and you can do that by choosing to staying on plan, one day at a time. The choice is yours today . . . choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I Can't
I kind of like acronyms because they can help me to remember things - at least if I can remember what each letter stands for! I came across an acronym that initially made me wince, but the more I think about it, the more I like it: I CAN'T
I
Certainly
Am
Not
Trying
As I said, my first reaction was frankly pretty negative. I think this probably stemmed from the fact that I have said, "I can't" on numerous occasions - and thought it even more often. So many times when I've faced a challenge, my knee-jerk reaction is to think (or say), "I can't." Of course, the minute I decide I can't, I can't - and I don't. Why bother trying if you already know that you can't do it, that you can't succeed? Why should I set myself up for failure when I've already decided that it can't be done?
I've known several people who desperately need to lose weight but who refuse to try Take Shape for Life for even a month because they are so sure that they can't lose weight, or they believe that they can't keep it off. Rather than risk failure, they decide to not even try. Their "I can't" may be the result of multiple failed attempts at losing weight, causing them to believe that any effort, no matter how valiant, will only end in failure and disappointment.
Most of the time when we say or think "I can't", the truth is "I don't want to." People may say "I can't stay on plan on the weekends because we eat out", but what they mean is "I don't want to stay on plan on the weekends" or, perhaps most accurately, "I choose to not stay on plan on weekends." Other "I can'ts" may include things like "I can't stay on plan because I cook for a family" or "I can't stay on plan because I travel, or I'm going on vacation."
The reality is that we all have a long lists of "I can'ts" that run around inside our heads, and the "I can'ts" go far beyond staying on plan. Saying "I can't" keeps us thinking we are helpless victims of circumstances beyond our control. Believing we can't keeps us stuck where we we are.
It's amazing what we CAN do when we decide that's what we WANT to do! It's amazing what we CAN do when we try, even when we're sure we can't. It really comes down to what we choose to do. Choose wisely :-)
I
Certainly
Am
Not
Trying
As I said, my first reaction was frankly pretty negative. I think this probably stemmed from the fact that I have said, "I can't" on numerous occasions - and thought it even more often. So many times when I've faced a challenge, my knee-jerk reaction is to think (or say), "I can't." Of course, the minute I decide I can't, I can't - and I don't. Why bother trying if you already know that you can't do it, that you can't succeed? Why should I set myself up for failure when I've already decided that it can't be done?
I've known several people who desperately need to lose weight but who refuse to try Take Shape for Life for even a month because they are so sure that they can't lose weight, or they believe that they can't keep it off. Rather than risk failure, they decide to not even try. Their "I can't" may be the result of multiple failed attempts at losing weight, causing them to believe that any effort, no matter how valiant, will only end in failure and disappointment.
Most of the time when we say or think "I can't", the truth is "I don't want to." People may say "I can't stay on plan on the weekends because we eat out", but what they mean is "I don't want to stay on plan on the weekends" or, perhaps most accurately, "I choose to not stay on plan on weekends." Other "I can'ts" may include things like "I can't stay on plan because I cook for a family" or "I can't stay on plan because I travel, or I'm going on vacation."
The reality is that we all have a long lists of "I can'ts" that run around inside our heads, and the "I can'ts" go far beyond staying on plan. Saying "I can't" keeps us thinking we are helpless victims of circumstances beyond our control. Believing we can't keeps us stuck where we we are.
It's amazing what we CAN do when we decide that's what we WANT to do! It's amazing what we CAN do when we try, even when we're sure we can't. It really comes down to what we choose to do. Choose wisely :-)
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