Last 30 Pounds

Summer is usually a really great time to take off weight–plenty of sunshine to be able to get outdoors and move, etc.  However, the longer I do this, the more I realize, that regardless of season there is no perfect time to lose weight.  Summer also provides endless opportunities for overeating: barbecues and cookouts, trips to the ice cream stand, hot dog stand, etc, etc, etc. 

At our house, having over-indulged a bit recently in the summer eating festivities, we have decided to use the rest of the summer to get on track with our health conscious lifestyle.  This means getting more physically active again, and getting our eating in check. 

As we were weeding our flower garden on Sunday, I was thinking a lot about the similarities between maintaining a garden, and maintaining a healthy body.  I do not particularly enjoy weeding the garden, and often times wait so long to do so that it is overgrown with weeds.  This makes the task undoubtedly more difficult and takes much longer than if I would more consistently work at it.  I feel the same right now about my weight loss efforts.  Having lost over 100 pounds feels so good.  But to get to this point took a lot of time, energy, concentration and hard work–on a consistent basis.  So that is my goal for this month.  Not to be perfect–just consistent.  Taking care of myself and “weeding my garden” one day at a time.  Will try to update again soon.

Wow!! This blog is long overdue for an update!!

The good news is that I lost 10 pounds–the not so good news is that I gained it–then lost it again–then gained it again.  And so, after over 100 pounds lost, and a year of new lifestyle habits,  I am changing course in my weight loss journey.  I’m actually really excited to try something new–growing and learning is all about change!

I have decided to go back to Weight Watchers.  I’m not sure that this would have been the right move for me 100 pounds ago, but at this point, I think it is exactly what I need to continue to develop healthy lifestyle habits for myself and my family.  I know that the loss is generally slower for me on a program like this, but that’s okay.  I am in no hurry at this point.  In the past I have had some success with Weight Watchers–but never enough for the amount of weight I needed to lose.  Also–I am very encouraged by their new “Momentum” plan–which is a philosophical departure for Weight Watchers in some ways.  This plan encourages using the majority of one’s points on “filling foods”–the very foods I have come to find help me stay on track: vegetables and fruits, lean protein, low-fat dairy & whole grains.  In the past on WW I didn’t always use my points wisely (ie. saving all my points for ice cream or french fries!), but I think their new emphasis on eating foods that keep you satisfied longer will help a lot.  I also hope it will help my family lean to do the same.

Trying to get back on track with fitness too.  Chloe and I did Yoga together the other day.  I’m trying to find fitness activities that we can do together as a family.  Any suggestions, anyone?

Maybe we should be eating more like our ancestors–cavemen? http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100237691&Gt1=31036 The diet listed–lean protein, fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc.  is what works for me when I am losing…Interesting.

We have had a Biggest Loser competition going on at work (or as it was called last time around–”Smallest Winner”) for the past few months.  Although my weight loss has slowed quite a bit recently I managed to come in second place! I lost a little more than 6% of my body weight since January.  Hooray!! And congrats to the winner–Pam–who did an incredible job!! Guess it’s time to pick out a new spring outfit with my winning$. 

I am always looking for new sites that are motivating, supportive or interesting.  I recently discovered www.3fatchicks.com, a website that was originally started by 3 sisters losing weight together, and has grown into an on-line support forum for others.  This site appears to have lots of great info/tools, but my favorite part is the on-line forum, which allow people to post about relevant issues and receive information/support from other users.  There are some great topics at this site that members are talking about.  Check it out when you get a chance!!

It may sound a little funny, but two of the things that I find help me tremendously with my weight loss are hot tea and sugarless gum.  There could not be a more perfect beverage than tea in my opinion.  0 calories, but still warm and satisfying, and actually quite healthy also.  My favorite tea right now is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea–discovered at Bigby Coffee–soooo good. 

And when I have the urge to put something in my mouth, I have taken to chewing sugarless gum–Trident orange is my preferred gum for the moment.  My husband and I literally go through several packs a week when we are battling the urge to eat–it really helps.  Sometimes just having something to chew on or to sip can make all the difference for us.  Okay–off to boil some water!!!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of starting on my weight loss journey.  One year ago I began down a path that has led me to places I didn’t imagine I could go!! I was so nervous and excited to start the program at GLWW–I’m so glad I did.  Sometimes it is just about taking the first step toward a healthier lifestyle–it can be intimidating and overwhelming to make a big life change, so thinking of it in small steps is easier.  When I first started, I honestly did not know where this would lead.  I felt determined to do something healthy for myself, and made a commitment to try my best, and the rest is history.  A year later I feel renewed and re-energized, ready to finish what I started–no matter how long it takes me.  One step at a time, one day at a time!

I have compared my weight loss during the past year to a journey.  And every journey is full of twists and turns, and bumps in the road–those are the times that we learn the most! During the past few weeks I have had a difficult time staying on track, but am so glad that this week has been the beginning of a turn around.  I had put on some weight in a very short time, but am glad to report that as of this morning the scales are moving in the right direction–down 2 pounds. 

 A real key to getting back on track is fitness–when I excercise, I feel better. When I feel better, I eat better.  The eliptical and treadmill combined with a little Stevie Wonder have helped me to start moving in the right direction again!!

This has been a somewhat eventful week for our family.  Our daughter had surgery (tonsils/adenoids/tubes), and although that is somewhat routine, of course I was still a very anxious mommy!! It is amazing to me how quickly I returned to old, unhealthy eating habits during this stressful time.  No matter how much weight I lose, or how much I think I’m “cured” of disordered eating habits, it is a good reminder to me that this is something that I will struggle with for my whole life. 

Back at it today!!!!!

The following post fits so nicely–thank you to Melissa Thomas, Coordinator of the Great Lakes Weight and Wellness program (the program that I started with last April).  Thanks so much Melissa for sharing your thoughts!!!

DEVELOPING WEIGHT LOSS MOTIVATION

 Most dieters will have some degree of motivation as they have already decided to take action. The problem for many is keeping the levels high enough to prevent any relapse. Work through some of the following ideas and see if these can increase your desire for success!

 

LEARN TO ACCEPT SELF:

  The most common reason people lose interest in exercise / dieting is due to unrealistic goals. Some see the images in the media or television and this coveys the message of how we are supposed to look, adverts enforce these images with false promises like “you too can have a body like this!”, and we believe it! When the desired goals aren’t reached we’re made to believe we have failed. We need to put these images into prospective and realize that most of the population just does not have the genetic predisposition to look like the models in the magazines, plus most images are now adjusted by computers to look better than they actually are.

Learn to love yourself for who you are, not who you wish to be. Acknowledge that you need to improve your health or weight, but believe that you will do what you can to be the best you can possibly be. The constant pressure and stress of trying to turn yourself into someone you physically cannot be will stop, and it’ll be an enormous weight off the shoulders. You will be surprised at how good it will make you feel and how this can help drive your motivation to make realistic improvements. When we understand and appreciate our bodies, we are able to work with them, not against them!

   

FOCUS ON POSITIVES NOT NEGATIVES:

  Many of us have a tendency to look at our bad points, however, once you start to accept yourself it will be easier to focus on the positive side more. To make it easier, try writing a list of all the good things you’ve done or what you like about your physical self. Practice running these positives through your mind regularly, it may take time but its surprising what you can believe if it is said enough times –

 

·         if you don’t reach a goal when you want, just focus on the fact that you will get there in time

·         remember how far you’ve come, not how far you need to go

·         if you miss a workout one day don’t worry, just go back with more vigor to improve

·         remind yourself that a worthwhile pay-off lies ahead in an improved you

·         remember that exercise is improving your health and fitness and will help increase longevity, even if you don’t see results immediately

·         remember exercise has many psychological benefits including renewed confidence and improved self esteem

·         any type of action always drives motivation

 

·         SET GOALS:

 

Setting goals has the advantage of focusing on what you intend to achieve.  A goal acts as a form of mental contract with yourself.  Your degree of motivation will drive you to complete that contract. If the goal is too hard to achieve it can affect your success, so set realistic goals. The subconscious mind does not distinguish between big or little, it only knows success or failure. If you set a goal of four training sessions each week but only complete three then the mind sees this as a failure. For this reason you must set small, reachable goals. When you attain each goal it gives momentum to increase the level of motivation further.

Try these tips:

·         write down your goals

·         set easy goals often so you create a habit of success in the mind

·         set measurable goals – I will lose 2-4 pounds each week. This gives you something to go for

·         tell friends and family about your goals for motivational support

·         make any routine fun and exciting to help maintain interest

·         try new challenging goals to stop your normal routine from becoming a chore

·         reward your success on reaching a goal

·         think positively, replace thoughts like “I can’t” with “I can” and “I will”

·         don’t set goals that are too much too soon

 

The longest journey begins with a single step!

It has been a whole week since my last post–so sorry to those who were looking for updates this week! Life has been a little crazy, and very busy.  One of the things I have been thinking about a lot during this fast-paced week is the importance of setting health concious goals.  Long-term goals, short-term goals, etc. help me to stay focused.  This week I decided to set a realistic goal for myself to maintain my current weight loss until life settles down a bit–hopefully in a few weeks.  Too often I think “dieters” set unrealistic, unattainable goals.  When we don’t attain these goals we are quick to feel frustrated, disappointed, and to we inevitably sabotage ourselves and return to old habits.  

 

For right now a weight-maintenance goal is the plan.  Typically during very stressful times in my life I turn to food for support and end up gaining weight.  So continuing to stay the same for the next few weeks would be a huge success for me.  

Some examples of setting non-weight related goals are below:

*increasing fitness a specific # of times per week

*increasing water intake

*developing a meal plan for the week and sticking to it

*keeping a complete food journal

Here’s an article about Setting Realistic Weightloss Goals