I'm really frustrated. I keep hearing people say it is impossible to lose weight once we hit mid-life. Of course I hear it from people who have struggled with their weight...at least they have some reason to feel that way.
What makes me really mad is when I hear the media saying it.
We are overwhelmed with messages that indicate we are doomed to be fat once we hit forty.
I'm here to tell you, it is possible to be fit and fifty plus!
It starts with your mindset. You have to stop listening to all those experts who tell you it can't be done.
Just as important...and for me, personally, it was more important...you have to stop listening to yourself!
Stop telling yourself you can't do it. As long as you say that, you won't be able to have the weight loss success you are looking for. You must shift your mindset to get the results you want.
Today's homework is to find proof for yourself that it is possible to lose weight in middle age. How do you do that? Find one person who has lost weight after 40. There's your proof.
>>Hint<< You already found your proof by finding this site!
To YOUR healthy, energetic, slender body! I know you can have it. I know you deserve it! I know you will achieve it, once you change your thinking and adopt the mindset for weight loss!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Weight Loss Success: Happy Meals Will Go Toyless
Not by voluntary measures, but as a result of Santa Clara County's action, fast food restaurants there will no longer be able to include toys in meals targeted at children, if the meal is high in calories, fat or sugar.
This is the first ordinance of its kind in the nation--one that should be applauded by anyone concerned about the health of the next generation of Americans.
No doubt, the supervisors will be booed by some, but it won't be the first time. This health conscious county helped forge the path that led to fast-food chains being forced to post the calories of items on their menus.
Kids are easily influenced by the toys and prizes in the various meals. For parents it can be a challenge to steer a child to make healthy food choices without the added pressure of refusing a particular toy!
The law only affects restaurants in unincorporated parts of the county, but let's hope it is a growing trend!
Maybe one day even our fast food can be healthy food!
This is the first ordinance of its kind in the nation--one that should be applauded by anyone concerned about the health of the next generation of Americans.
No doubt, the supervisors will be booed by some, but it won't be the first time. This health conscious county helped forge the path that led to fast-food chains being forced to post the calories of items on their menus.
Kids are easily influenced by the toys and prizes in the various meals. For parents it can be a challenge to steer a child to make healthy food choices without the added pressure of refusing a particular toy!
The law only affects restaurants in unincorporated parts of the county, but let's hope it is a growing trend!
Maybe one day even our fast food can be healthy food!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Walking Outside After Many Rainy Days
After lots of gray weather and pouring rain it was such a pleasure to get out and walk this weekend outdoors. In fact, it was so great, I took extra walks just to enjoy the weather.
I had a couple great bonuses, besides the exercise and clean air. On Saturday a couple friends joined me and we went over to visit with the horses nearby. Their people had started to take them to higher pasture earlier this month but the weather put a stop to that...so there were still 9 horses left. We got a lot of good horse luvin' in!
On Sunday my walking buddy and I went to one of our favorite spots...called Devil's Backbone...named for the main rock feature that runs through the open space like...well, like a giant spine. It was a great day and wonderful walk.
One of the things I like about walking on trails is that because the surface is not perfectly level I work more and different muscles then if I were to walk the same distance on flat pavement...and even pavement on a hill. Plus, I like that the trail has less impact on my joints than sidewalks do.
After reaching the point where we decided to turn around (this particular trail goes for 17 miles...so you get to decide how far or short you want your trip to be), we were walking back down and a couple informed us they had seen rattlesnakes! So we were extra cautious, being sure to talk so we would not startle them, and to keep our eyes peeled.
Well, we stopped at one point having not seen hide nor hair of them (I guess since snakes have neither hide nor hair!) and of course, as soon as we stop, I hear them. Never saw them but could tell they were off to our right, not on the trail, so we started talking again quietly and slowly moved on down the trail.
I'm a nature lover, but I really don't want to encounter rattlesnakes any closer than that!
Of course we passed on the warning to others coming up the trail.
On a gentler note...when we were driving home we saw a herd of elk...quite a large herd, which was fun. Then as we were almost home we saw yet another herd! I don't think I've seen 2 large herds here in town before. Very exciting! The 2nd herd was right on the edge of the golf course near my home and made quite a lovely picture.
Guess I'd better start carrying a camera!
I had a couple great bonuses, besides the exercise and clean air. On Saturday a couple friends joined me and we went over to visit with the horses nearby. Their people had started to take them to higher pasture earlier this month but the weather put a stop to that...so there were still 9 horses left. We got a lot of good horse luvin' in!
On Sunday my walking buddy and I went to one of our favorite spots...called Devil's Backbone...named for the main rock feature that runs through the open space like...well, like a giant spine. It was a great day and wonderful walk.
One of the things I like about walking on trails is that because the surface is not perfectly level I work more and different muscles then if I were to walk the same distance on flat pavement...and even pavement on a hill. Plus, I like that the trail has less impact on my joints than sidewalks do.
After reaching the point where we decided to turn around (this particular trail goes for 17 miles...so you get to decide how far or short you want your trip to be), we were walking back down and a couple informed us they had seen rattlesnakes! So we were extra cautious, being sure to talk so we would not startle them, and to keep our eyes peeled.
Well, we stopped at one point having not seen hide nor hair of them (I guess since snakes have neither hide nor hair!) and of course, as soon as we stop, I hear them. Never saw them but could tell they were off to our right, not on the trail, so we started talking again quietly and slowly moved on down the trail.
I'm a nature lover, but I really don't want to encounter rattlesnakes any closer than that!
Of course we passed on the warning to others coming up the trail.
On a gentler note...when we were driving home we saw a herd of elk...quite a large herd, which was fun. Then as we were almost home we saw yet another herd! I don't think I've seen 2 large herds here in town before. Very exciting! The 2nd herd was right on the edge of the golf course near my home and made quite a lovely picture.
Guess I'd better start carrying a camera!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Plant It for the Planet and Lose Weight Naturally
We used to love getting in the dirt as kids. Now most of us hesitate to get our fingernails dirty. But getting down and dirty now and then can be good for the planet and our waistline!
If you have a yard and can plant a tree, some bushes, flowers, or vegetables not only will digging in the dirt give you some great exercise you will also be giving back to the environment. The plants naturally give off oxygen we need and help to filter the air.
Growing your own fruit or vegetables is one of the best ways you can help. Not only are you benefiting from the freshest possible food, you are reducing your reliance on produce that is trucked and flown in from around the globe. By growing your own you help reduce emissions and pollution, so you are helping your bottom line and keeping the planet healthy too.
But you don't have to have a yard to get the benefits of digging in the dirt. You can plant a small container garden on your patio or even inside. You might just plant some herbs, or maybe some tomatoes. Even if you don't plant anything to eat, you still get the health benefits of cleaner air. So take a deep breath! Good oxygen intake is an essential part of health and weight loss success.
By making one or two small changes we can definitely have a major impact on our health...we can lose weight naturally and help the planet, too!
If you have a yard and can plant a tree, some bushes, flowers, or vegetables not only will digging in the dirt give you some great exercise you will also be giving back to the environment. The plants naturally give off oxygen we need and help to filter the air.
Growing your own fruit or vegetables is one of the best ways you can help. Not only are you benefiting from the freshest possible food, you are reducing your reliance on produce that is trucked and flown in from around the globe. By growing your own you help reduce emissions and pollution, so you are helping your bottom line and keeping the planet healthy too.
But you don't have to have a yard to get the benefits of digging in the dirt. You can plant a small container garden on your patio or even inside. You might just plant some herbs, or maybe some tomatoes. Even if you don't plant anything to eat, you still get the health benefits of cleaner air. So take a deep breath! Good oxygen intake is an essential part of health and weight loss success.
By making one or two small changes we can definitely have a major impact on our health...we can lose weight naturally and help the planet, too!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Earth Day and Food: Movie Food, Inc
If you really want to help the Earth and learn where your food really comes from, check out the movie "Food, Inc"
You can see it on the internet at PBS tv
The movie is about 90 minutes long.
But hurry--the episode is set to expire April 30th...
FYI: some intense images that will have you wanting to change how you eat, this is a real eye-opener...if you are a parent of young kids I suggest you watch it first and determine if it is something you want your kids to see or not.
You can see it on the internet at PBS tv
The movie is about 90 minutes long.
But hurry--the episode is set to expire April 30th...
FYI: some intense images that will have you wanting to change how you eat, this is a real eye-opener...if you are a parent of young kids I suggest you watch it first and determine if it is something you want your kids to see or not.
Self Propelled: Earth Week Tip for Weight Loss Success
It seems we drive everywhere. I see parents driving their kids a couple blocks to school. We park as close as possible to the door of the gym where we go to work out. Here's a simple tip that will help you with your weight loss goals and help the earth too...just in time for earth week--get into "People Power."
By that I mean walk, pedal, skate...do something to get yourself from one place to another that is not dependent upon your car.
OK, I know we are busy and don't have a lot of time...but we are exercising to increase our health and lose weight...so how about 1 day a week your exercise is to walk (or bike or skateboard) to the store. If you live too far away or that seems like too much, try parking a couple blocks away. That saves the environment and gets you some exercise without taking up a ton of time.
Try walking the kids to school instead of driving...you might just start a healthy habit that will help curb the trend of ill health and obesity in our nations' children.
Not only are we building our muscles and improving our lungs, we are reducing our need for fossil fuels. So you save money and help clean the air at the same time!
By that I mean walk, pedal, skate...do something to get yourself from one place to another that is not dependent upon your car.
OK, I know we are busy and don't have a lot of time...but we are exercising to increase our health and lose weight...so how about 1 day a week your exercise is to walk (or bike or skateboard) to the store. If you live too far away or that seems like too much, try parking a couple blocks away. That saves the environment and gets you some exercise without taking up a ton of time.
Try walking the kids to school instead of driving...you might just start a healthy habit that will help curb the trend of ill health and obesity in our nations' children.
Not only are we building our muscles and improving our lungs, we are reducing our need for fossil fuels. So you save money and help clean the air at the same time!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Lose Weight Naturally Just in Time for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day! This is truly a great day to celebrate all the wonderful things that our planet does for us...and a day to remind us that we can all help take care of the only planet we have.
The key is to make small changes and incorporate them into our lives. Doing a big clean up of the local streams is an awesome project...but you can make just as big...or even bigger impact just by making some simple changes in your day to day living. And you can lose weight naturally and permanently in the process!
What could be better? Helping the planet and losing weight!
We don't tend to think of the meat we eat as being "produced"...but the truth is, the steak or chicken that is on your plate is just as much a product these days as the computer you are reading this blog on. And the way the food is produced is typically not environmentally friendly. The goal, like most business, is to make the product quickly and inexpensively.
This thought process may make a profit for the manufacturer, but unfortunately when it comes to food, it is not the healthiest method for either our planet or the humans who eat it.
That doesn't mean you have to go completely vegetarian in order to help. Instead, start small...one day a week, in honor of Mother Earth, go meatless.
Animal products are higher in fat than other protein sources and are harder for our bodies to digest. We eat more of them, get more calories then we need...and there can be other health implications for our bodies.
Think about eating "closer to the ground"...how many steps does the food go through before you eat it? We grow corn to feed to the animals...we can bypass that middle step and eat the corn and have less impact on the earth.
Look into some high protein grains...quinoa is my favorite because it is super easy to prepare and quick, too.
This can give you variety in your diet, help you lose weight, and help the earth. It is truly environmentally friendly eating! Oh...and it is cheaper, too!
The key is to make small changes and incorporate them into our lives. Doing a big clean up of the local streams is an awesome project...but you can make just as big...or even bigger impact just by making some simple changes in your day to day living. And you can lose weight naturally and permanently in the process!
What could be better? Helping the planet and losing weight!
We don't tend to think of the meat we eat as being "produced"...but the truth is, the steak or chicken that is on your plate is just as much a product these days as the computer you are reading this blog on. And the way the food is produced is typically not environmentally friendly. The goal, like most business, is to make the product quickly and inexpensively.
This thought process may make a profit for the manufacturer, but unfortunately when it comes to food, it is not the healthiest method for either our planet or the humans who eat it.
That doesn't mean you have to go completely vegetarian in order to help. Instead, start small...one day a week, in honor of Mother Earth, go meatless.
Animal products are higher in fat than other protein sources and are harder for our bodies to digest. We eat more of them, get more calories then we need...and there can be other health implications for our bodies.
Think about eating "closer to the ground"...how many steps does the food go through before you eat it? We grow corn to feed to the animals...we can bypass that middle step and eat the corn and have less impact on the earth.
Look into some high protein grains...quinoa is my favorite because it is super easy to prepare and quick, too.
This can give you variety in your diet, help you lose weight, and help the earth. It is truly environmentally friendly eating! Oh...and it is cheaper, too!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Honor Mother Earth and Have Weight Loss Success
This is Earth Week and as we turn our attention to what we can do to honor our Mother Earth, it is a good time to think about simple things we can do at home to help...not just the earth, but to lose weight, too!
These are things we can do every week, not just this week. Just like losing weight, it is by making small changes and absorbing them into our routine...making them our new habits...that we see big results!
One of the biggest things you can do for both the earth and your waist line is to eat fewer packaged foods. Less packaging is better for the environment.
You want to eat more fruits and vegetables...and think about how little packaging that entails! For most of them no package is required...or it comes built in! Whether it is something you can compost like the orange peel or something you eat, like yummy sugar snap pea...fruits and veggies give us great nutrition and what is left behind gives back to the earth!
The more packaging there is the more processing that food has been through. More processing typically means more of the good stuff is taken out and bad stuff has been put in. By buying fewer packaged foods you are pretty much guaranteeing you get more of the good and less of the bad!
Let's face it...sometimes we want packaged foods because of convenience. When that's the case select packaged foods with the earth and your health in mind. Read the labels for the contents so you know what you are eating, but also look at the label and see if the package is recyclable, made from recycled materials, printed with vegetable based inks, and uses vegetable based films. This all helps reduce our dependence on oil, supports our farms and keeps our land healthier.
It only takes a little effort to have a big impact on our environment. Making small changes like these will give you a big result...both for healthier you with weight loss success and a healthier planet, too!
These are things we can do every week, not just this week. Just like losing weight, it is by making small changes and absorbing them into our routine...making them our new habits...that we see big results!
One of the biggest things you can do for both the earth and your waist line is to eat fewer packaged foods. Less packaging is better for the environment.
You want to eat more fruits and vegetables...and think about how little packaging that entails! For most of them no package is required...or it comes built in! Whether it is something you can compost like the orange peel or something you eat, like yummy sugar snap pea...fruits and veggies give us great nutrition and what is left behind gives back to the earth!
The more packaging there is the more processing that food has been through. More processing typically means more of the good stuff is taken out and bad stuff has been put in. By buying fewer packaged foods you are pretty much guaranteeing you get more of the good and less of the bad!
Let's face it...sometimes we want packaged foods because of convenience. When that's the case select packaged foods with the earth and your health in mind. Read the labels for the contents so you know what you are eating, but also look at the label and see if the package is recyclable, made from recycled materials, printed with vegetable based inks, and uses vegetable based films. This all helps reduce our dependence on oil, supports our farms and keeps our land healthier.
It only takes a little effort to have a big impact on our environment. Making small changes like these will give you a big result...both for healthier you with weight loss success and a healthier planet, too!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Curbing Emotional Eating Starts By Recognizing It Is Happening
It is quite possible for us to put blinders on when it comes to our eating patterns. We might not recognize that we have fallen into an unhealthy eating pattern...and if we are challenged on our belief...if some confronts us with "evidence" that we aren't eating healthy we often become defensive or don't believe them.
This is because of two things...one is that we are really behaving in a way that is consistent with addictions...in other words, food is our drug of choice. We don't want to give up our narcotic that helps us get through our day any more than a cocaine user wants to give up that drug. The biggest difference, of course, is that the cocaine user doesn't literally have to use their drug in order to live...once they are off the drug, they can steer clear of it and never have to be around it. Hard? Yes. Challenging? Of course. Possible? Definitely.
Not so with a food addict. We must eat in order to live, so we must learn to deal with our addiction in a different way. But this is not necessarily a bad thing!
The cocaine addict could stop using cocaine and then merely substitute the narcotic for some other addiction...so rather than relapse with the same drug, they may begin to abuse alcohol or become a compulsive shopper.
The same is true with a person with a food addiction, of course, but because food is always around us and is relatively inexpensive, easy to get, and more or less socially acceptable, it is easy to see formerly fat people put it all back on again.
No matter what your addiction is, to really stop the behavior (and not substitute it with another addiction) you must address the core issue. What is the emotion that is triggering the eating?
In order to help determine that you must first recognize that the emotional eating is even happening! Rather than restricting your calories, take this as a first step--write down everything that you eat and drink for an entire week.
But don't stop there.
Write how you are feeling...before you ate, while you were eating and afterward.
Don't judge what you eat. Don't judge the emotions. Act as much like an independent observer as possible.
This is what I refer to as your "benchmark"...establishing where you are right now. This is the only way to truly make changes. Recognize where you are so you can consciously choose to change...but the conscious choices and changes is another step!
For the next week, carry a notebook or pad of paper with you. Write down EVERYTHING...every stick of gum, every handful of M&Ms...whatever...write it down. How much water you drink...how full you feel after you eat...what thoughts ran through your head as you ate. Don't censor, just write it down. This is the first step to stopping emotional eating--to figure out that it is actually happening...when, where, why.
This is because of two things...one is that we are really behaving in a way that is consistent with addictions...in other words, food is our drug of choice. We don't want to give up our narcotic that helps us get through our day any more than a cocaine user wants to give up that drug. The biggest difference, of course, is that the cocaine user doesn't literally have to use their drug in order to live...once they are off the drug, they can steer clear of it and never have to be around it. Hard? Yes. Challenging? Of course. Possible? Definitely.
Not so with a food addict. We must eat in order to live, so we must learn to deal with our addiction in a different way. But this is not necessarily a bad thing!
The cocaine addict could stop using cocaine and then merely substitute the narcotic for some other addiction...so rather than relapse with the same drug, they may begin to abuse alcohol or become a compulsive shopper.
The same is true with a person with a food addiction, of course, but because food is always around us and is relatively inexpensive, easy to get, and more or less socially acceptable, it is easy to see formerly fat people put it all back on again.
No matter what your addiction is, to really stop the behavior (and not substitute it with another addiction) you must address the core issue. What is the emotion that is triggering the eating?
In order to help determine that you must first recognize that the emotional eating is even happening! Rather than restricting your calories, take this as a first step--write down everything that you eat and drink for an entire week.
But don't stop there.
Write how you are feeling...before you ate, while you were eating and afterward.
Don't judge what you eat. Don't judge the emotions. Act as much like an independent observer as possible.
This is what I refer to as your "benchmark"...establishing where you are right now. This is the only way to truly make changes. Recognize where you are so you can consciously choose to change...but the conscious choices and changes is another step!
For the next week, carry a notebook or pad of paper with you. Write down EVERYTHING...every stick of gum, every handful of M&Ms...whatever...write it down. How much water you drink...how full you feel after you eat...what thoughts ran through your head as you ate. Don't censor, just write it down. This is the first step to stopping emotional eating--to figure out that it is actually happening...when, where, why.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Curbing Emotional Eating for Permanent Weight Loss
I don't agree with a lot of the tactics in the Biggest Loser television show...however, I don't believe there is any one right or wrong way to lose weight...as long as it is done in a healthy way giving permanent weight loss results.
One of the points that was brought up in last night's episode is how essential it is to get behind the reason behind getting to be obese in the first place. Sure, it is possible to overeat because we like the taste of food, because we don't know about nutrition...sure it is possible to be fat because of this lack of knowledge...but is it possible to become obese just out of this type of ignorance?
I don't think so...and apparently, neither do Bob and Jillian.
There are emotional reasons for overeating...to become obese we have to develop a pattern of eating past the point of no longer being hungry. We are eating to feed something beside our physical body...
Often we eat to the point of discomfort or even pain.
Think of Thanksgiving dinner...the "gotta unzip my pants because I ate too much" feeling...now imagine that stuffed feeling every day...possibly even every meal. It is not by having a couple meals like that a year that we become fat. It is by practicing this pattern over and over that we become overstuffed, literally, and wind up obese.
We must curb our emotional eating in order to achieve our desired result--PERMANENT weight loss. It doesn't do us any good to lose a bunch of weight only to gain it back. I know. I've done it.
We get all excited at our "new" bodies and declare we will NEVER get fat again. And yet we do. Why? Because we did not deal with the underlying issue (or issues) that allowed us to eat all that food in the first place.
Learning about nutrition and exercise are just tools...they are both excellent tools...but there are a lot of us who DO know what healthy eating entails, who DO exercise (or at least know how to) and yet still overeat to the point of obesity.
It may be that some traumatic event happened in your life that left you feeling out of control...for some of the contestants on the Biggest Loser it was the loss of a family member at an early age. It may not have been as traumatic as that, or it may have been something that you saw, such as the story related on "Ruby"...or it may have been something that someone did or said to you...
And these things may not seem big from an adult's standpoint...from our current perspective we may be able to shrug it off...but it probably didn't happen to you as an adult! And sometimes the littlest things make big impacts on us as kids.
One of the reasons I stress getting the proper mindset for weight loss is because it is our emotions and our thoughts that got us to be obese in the first place, and we must change that foundation in order to build the new healthy, energetic, slender body that we desire.
One of the points that was brought up in last night's episode is how essential it is to get behind the reason behind getting to be obese in the first place. Sure, it is possible to overeat because we like the taste of food, because we don't know about nutrition...sure it is possible to be fat because of this lack of knowledge...but is it possible to become obese just out of this type of ignorance?
I don't think so...and apparently, neither do Bob and Jillian.
There are emotional reasons for overeating...to become obese we have to develop a pattern of eating past the point of no longer being hungry. We are eating to feed something beside our physical body...
Often we eat to the point of discomfort or even pain.
Think of Thanksgiving dinner...the "gotta unzip my pants because I ate too much" feeling...now imagine that stuffed feeling every day...possibly even every meal. It is not by having a couple meals like that a year that we become fat. It is by practicing this pattern over and over that we become overstuffed, literally, and wind up obese.
We must curb our emotional eating in order to achieve our desired result--PERMANENT weight loss. It doesn't do us any good to lose a bunch of weight only to gain it back. I know. I've done it.
We get all excited at our "new" bodies and declare we will NEVER get fat again. And yet we do. Why? Because we did not deal with the underlying issue (or issues) that allowed us to eat all that food in the first place.
Learning about nutrition and exercise are just tools...they are both excellent tools...but there are a lot of us who DO know what healthy eating entails, who DO exercise (or at least know how to) and yet still overeat to the point of obesity.
It may be that some traumatic event happened in your life that left you feeling out of control...for some of the contestants on the Biggest Loser it was the loss of a family member at an early age. It may not have been as traumatic as that, or it may have been something that you saw, such as the story related on "Ruby"...or it may have been something that someone did or said to you...
And these things may not seem big from an adult's standpoint...from our current perspective we may be able to shrug it off...but it probably didn't happen to you as an adult! And sometimes the littlest things make big impacts on us as kids.
One of the reasons I stress getting the proper mindset for weight loss is because it is our emotions and our thoughts that got us to be obese in the first place, and we must change that foundation in order to build the new healthy, energetic, slender body that we desire.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Life and Loss: Does Our Weight Really Matter?
As I ponder the loss of a dear friend this week thoughts race across my mind and heart. Adding to the jumble was the news of the death of a fabulous local sculptor. The two losses combined and helped forge my feelings and thoughts on where our weight rates in the grand scheme of things.
I suppose the answer could be "not at all," but in truth, that is not accurate...
While the number on the scale is not important in and of itself, the idea or concept behind that number does indeed have some merit...if only as a measure of where we are relative to where we want to be.
My friend Faye moved away a couple of years ago due to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. We pledged visits that never came to pass and so Faye has not seen much of my physical transformation. She would be pleased at the result, not because of any aesthetic or societal reasons...although she was truly a Southern Lady and of quite a delicate build...but because she recognized that our physical body reflects the condition of our mind as well as her desire for ideal health for all her loved ones.
It would be easy for me to drown my sorrows in gallons of ice cream...and indeed I lifted a pint last night...but thankfully, the demon of food addiction seems to be tamed and I have awoken today quite satisfied and not needing, nor wanting, to start my day with sugar just because I ended yesterday that way. Not so long ago I would not have been able to say that.
The point behind today's ramble is that I recognize the purpose of life is to live it. Our weight only matters in how it allows us to, or prevents us from, living it to the best of our abilities.
When I was over 300 pounds I was so addicted to food that it consumed my life as much as I consumed it! It colored my world, invading my thoughts, affecting my vision both literally and figuratively.
Now that I am of "normal" weight and I am free of that prison I can see that other things can still keep me from living my best life if I allow it to happen. Whether it is watching television, working too hard, worrying about other people and not paying attention to myself...if these things keep me from experiencing joy and contributing to the best of my ability then these are not health activities either.
Just like we must eat to live, we must also make money to pay the bills and we must take care of our homes and our families. For many of us, we have pushed our own lives and feelings aside...or down...with food...smothering our fears with gravy, drowning our sadness with hot fudge, burying our worries with chips...
We deserve to break this cycle and emerge from the prison that we have created and learn to express our feelings and live our lives...which is more than paying bills and tending to others. First and foremost we must take care of ourselves...until we do that, we will not be able to give the greatest gift we can to our friends, our children, our spouses, our communities...and that gift is US.
Each of us is unique and that is a good thing. Let us remember to let our unique light shine in the world. No one else can glow in the same way we can...and we do not serve the world by trying to be just like another. So, let us lose weight not because we "should"...but because we truly desire to be our best selves and because we know we deserve to be healthy and energetic...
Don't worry about the number on the scale. Decide "where you want to go"...in other words, what do you want to be able to accomplish in this life that perhaps you cannot do right now because of your weight and health?
To your healthy, energetic, slender body--you deserve it!
I suppose the answer could be "not at all," but in truth, that is not accurate...
While the number on the scale is not important in and of itself, the idea or concept behind that number does indeed have some merit...if only as a measure of where we are relative to where we want to be.
My friend Faye moved away a couple of years ago due to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. We pledged visits that never came to pass and so Faye has not seen much of my physical transformation. She would be pleased at the result, not because of any aesthetic or societal reasons...although she was truly a Southern Lady and of quite a delicate build...but because she recognized that our physical body reflects the condition of our mind as well as her desire for ideal health for all her loved ones.
It would be easy for me to drown my sorrows in gallons of ice cream...and indeed I lifted a pint last night...but thankfully, the demon of food addiction seems to be tamed and I have awoken today quite satisfied and not needing, nor wanting, to start my day with sugar just because I ended yesterday that way. Not so long ago I would not have been able to say that.
The point behind today's ramble is that I recognize the purpose of life is to live it. Our weight only matters in how it allows us to, or prevents us from, living it to the best of our abilities.
When I was over 300 pounds I was so addicted to food that it consumed my life as much as I consumed it! It colored my world, invading my thoughts, affecting my vision both literally and figuratively.
Now that I am of "normal" weight and I am free of that prison I can see that other things can still keep me from living my best life if I allow it to happen. Whether it is watching television, working too hard, worrying about other people and not paying attention to myself...if these things keep me from experiencing joy and contributing to the best of my ability then these are not health activities either.
Just like we must eat to live, we must also make money to pay the bills and we must take care of our homes and our families. For many of us, we have pushed our own lives and feelings aside...or down...with food...smothering our fears with gravy, drowning our sadness with hot fudge, burying our worries with chips...
We deserve to break this cycle and emerge from the prison that we have created and learn to express our feelings and live our lives...which is more than paying bills and tending to others. First and foremost we must take care of ourselves...until we do that, we will not be able to give the greatest gift we can to our friends, our children, our spouses, our communities...and that gift is US.
Each of us is unique and that is a good thing. Let us remember to let our unique light shine in the world. No one else can glow in the same way we can...and we do not serve the world by trying to be just like another. So, let us lose weight not because we "should"...but because we truly desire to be our best selves and because we know we deserve to be healthy and energetic...
Don't worry about the number on the scale. Decide "where you want to go"...in other words, what do you want to be able to accomplish in this life that perhaps you cannot do right now because of your weight and health?
- Decide who you want to be
- Focus on that goal and become that person on the inside.
- See yourself doing those things you dream about.
- Take small steps to achieve that dream every day.
- If you fall short some days, remember that is just part of the journey.
To your healthy, energetic, slender body--you deserve it!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Weight Loss Success Overnight
I didn't become obese overnight...and I didn't drop 125 pounds overnight...but the key to successfully losing weight CAN happen in an instant and therefore your success will begin "overnight!"
You and I both know we didn't get to be overweight with just one thought, one meal, one extra snack. It took repeatedly practicing unhealthy thoughts and behaviors until they felt "normal"...and repeating them so frequently that they became second nature and you felt like you weren't choosing...that you actually had to eat that way...that you had no choice.
You do have a choice. Each of us does. We can choose to continue our old patterns. We can choose to make new ones.
The choice happens right now.
The practice happens right now.
Right now and right now and right now and right now. Over and over again.
It takes practice to climb out of the old rut and to carve a new path through the jungle.
But every day we can make that choice and practice small behaviors to make our lives massively better...and this can, and should be, a delicious journey of self-discovery, improved health and joy.
And soon, you will look back...as I have...and realize that you have a closet full of clothes that no longer fit...that haven't fit for a long, long time. It will feel like you got these results overnight because it will have been easy. No struggles. You wake up one morning and you have become the person that you envisioned yourself to be!
You and I both know we didn't get to be overweight with just one thought, one meal, one extra snack. It took repeatedly practicing unhealthy thoughts and behaviors until they felt "normal"...and repeating them so frequently that they became second nature and you felt like you weren't choosing...that you actually had to eat that way...that you had no choice.
You do have a choice. Each of us does. We can choose to continue our old patterns. We can choose to make new ones.
The choice happens right now.
The practice happens right now.
Right now and right now and right now and right now. Over and over again.
It takes practice to climb out of the old rut and to carve a new path through the jungle.
But every day we can make that choice and practice small behaviors to make our lives massively better...and this can, and should be, a delicious journey of self-discovery, improved health and joy.
And soon, you will look back...as I have...and realize that you have a closet full of clothes that no longer fit...that haven't fit for a long, long time. It will feel like you got these results overnight because it will have been easy. No struggles. You wake up one morning and you have become the person that you envisioned yourself to be!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
For Weight Loss Success Let Go of Control
We stuff our faces in an attempt to control our feelings. We arrange our days and our lives to control our environment and interactions with others. Then when other people don't follow our plan, we feel out of control...and when we feel out of control we eat.
It is ironic that our desire to be in control leads us to overeating and being overweight...and feeling like we are out of control! At least regarding food. We may feel in control about everything else in our lives, but weak when it comes to chocolate, ice cream, pasta...or whatever poison soothes the savage beast inside of us.
Because we become overweight others may seek to change us--to control our appearance or actions. It may be because our appearance is unpleasant to them, or because they are concerned for our health. Whether you are a model told by the industry you would look better and get more jobs if you just lost 10 pounds, or you are a stay-at-home mom being told by her doctor she needs to lose 100 lbs, it is no one else's business to tell you what you "should" do or who you should be. It is your business and yours alone to decide who you are and what you want in your life...
That being said there are times when we can you some help. When we have addictions (to food or anything else) our judgment can be clouded. In that case it can be helpful to seek input from others...but still, the decision is ultimately our own to make...it is our life, our choice, our decision.
Make the decision that you will no longer attempt to control the outside world. Face that you cannot control conditions and others. It will amaze you at how liberating that decision can be!
You only have to control our reactions to your feelings...with the goal of feeling good about yourself...your body, your life, your being.
It does not serve anyone...not you, not your family, not your employer, not the world...for you to suffer and be miserable in an attempt to reach a goal--whether that goal is self-inspired or imposed upon you by others.
Look down the road a bit. See yourself as the happy person you want to be. Focus on that feeling...every day and every moment. Focus on feeling good, feeling healthy and expect improvement...and you will receive and achieve it...without having to control anything!
Letting go of the need to control will actually be the ticket to freeing you to actually get what you want in the first place--a healthy, energetic and slender body!
It is ironic that our desire to be in control leads us to overeating and being overweight...and feeling like we are out of control! At least regarding food. We may feel in control about everything else in our lives, but weak when it comes to chocolate, ice cream, pasta...or whatever poison soothes the savage beast inside of us.
Because we become overweight others may seek to change us--to control our appearance or actions. It may be because our appearance is unpleasant to them, or because they are concerned for our health. Whether you are a model told by the industry you would look better and get more jobs if you just lost 10 pounds, or you are a stay-at-home mom being told by her doctor she needs to lose 100 lbs, it is no one else's business to tell you what you "should" do or who you should be. It is your business and yours alone to decide who you are and what you want in your life...
That being said there are times when we can you some help. When we have addictions (to food or anything else) our judgment can be clouded. In that case it can be helpful to seek input from others...but still, the decision is ultimately our own to make...it is our life, our choice, our decision.
Make the decision that you will no longer attempt to control the outside world. Face that you cannot control conditions and others. It will amaze you at how liberating that decision can be!
You only have to control our reactions to your feelings...with the goal of feeling good about yourself...your body, your life, your being.
It does not serve anyone...not you, not your family, not your employer, not the world...for you to suffer and be miserable in an attempt to reach a goal--whether that goal is self-inspired or imposed upon you by others.
Look down the road a bit. See yourself as the happy person you want to be. Focus on that feeling...every day and every moment. Focus on feeling good, feeling healthy and expect improvement...and you will receive and achieve it...without having to control anything!
Letting go of the need to control will actually be the ticket to freeing you to actually get what you want in the first place--a healthy, energetic and slender body!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Oprah Discovers Secret to Permanent Weight Loss
Since I Tivo just about everything I watch on television, it isn't often that I even watch a show the day that it airs. I am glad I watched yesterday because of the "humdinger follow up" on a woman named Katherine who had lost 175 pounds.
8 years ago Katherine was featured on the show and amidst all the applause she vowed she would never be fat again. Who among us who has dropped unwanted pounds has not made a similar pledge? I know I sure have.
Like me, Katherine did not keep that vow. In Katherine's case she gained almost all her weight back after keeping it off for 7 or 8 years. In my case, many years ago, I gained more weight than I had lost as I catapulted my "weigh" up higher and higher on the scale.
Katherine has once again lost a significant amount of weight--over 100 pounds. No mean feat, that. But what I found most interesting was that both she and Oprah could have been quoting from my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth, as they discussed coming to peace with food and their bodies.
Oprah, Katherine, and I all realize that it is about loving yourself as you are in this very moment that matters. You may be at the beginning of your weight loss journey or nearing your goal...no matter where you are it is imperative that you love yourself now rather than deciding you will be worthy of that love only when you are slender.
I write about this in depth in my book, and give you tools to help achieve this...because for most of us, it is a big challenge to love ourselves when we neither look nor feel our best. After all, we have loads of practice hating ourselves and berating our bodies.
As Katherine said, she used to look in the mirror and say negative things about herself. "You disgust me," for example is a phrase we often say, or "I hate my hips" or thighs or (insert detested body part here.)
I loved that Katherine was able to use the example of her not-so-tiny hips...and she said, "these hips birthed my children...these hips carry me around so that I can be with the people I love."
This is an excellent example of turning our thoughts around...finding the positive aspect of that body. We must begin to learn to shower our body with loving thoughts and energy if we truly want to have weight loss success...at least if we truly want permanent results.
It starts with loving ourselves. Without that, we doom ourselves to an unhealthy body and life. Oh, some people may lose weight, and like Katherine they may even be able to keep it off for years...but without that deep self-love and acceptance we will turn to destructive behaviors. It may be eating or it may take another form, but we cannot possibly live our lives to their fullest potential when we dislike ourselves. We will create something to really not like ourselves for...and then learning to love ourselves becomes even more of a challenge.
If you truly want permanent weight loss, start with your mind and loving yourself. That is more important (and works a lot better) than any diet, counting calories/carbs/fat grams or exercise program! So declare after me, "I REFUSE to diet" and watch those pounds melt away through the power of love!
8 years ago Katherine was featured on the show and amidst all the applause she vowed she would never be fat again. Who among us who has dropped unwanted pounds has not made a similar pledge? I know I sure have.
Like me, Katherine did not keep that vow. In Katherine's case she gained almost all her weight back after keeping it off for 7 or 8 years. In my case, many years ago, I gained more weight than I had lost as I catapulted my "weigh" up higher and higher on the scale.
Katherine has once again lost a significant amount of weight--over 100 pounds. No mean feat, that. But what I found most interesting was that both she and Oprah could have been quoting from my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth, as they discussed coming to peace with food and their bodies.
Oprah, Katherine, and I all realize that it is about loving yourself as you are in this very moment that matters. You may be at the beginning of your weight loss journey or nearing your goal...no matter where you are it is imperative that you love yourself now rather than deciding you will be worthy of that love only when you are slender.
I write about this in depth in my book, and give you tools to help achieve this...because for most of us, it is a big challenge to love ourselves when we neither look nor feel our best. After all, we have loads of practice hating ourselves and berating our bodies.
As Katherine said, she used to look in the mirror and say negative things about herself. "You disgust me," for example is a phrase we often say, or "I hate my hips" or thighs or (insert detested body part here.)
I loved that Katherine was able to use the example of her not-so-tiny hips...and she said, "these hips birthed my children...these hips carry me around so that I can be with the people I love."
This is an excellent example of turning our thoughts around...finding the positive aspect of that body. We must begin to learn to shower our body with loving thoughts and energy if we truly want to have weight loss success...at least if we truly want permanent results.
It starts with loving ourselves. Without that, we doom ourselves to an unhealthy body and life. Oh, some people may lose weight, and like Katherine they may even be able to keep it off for years...but without that deep self-love and acceptance we will turn to destructive behaviors. It may be eating or it may take another form, but we cannot possibly live our lives to their fullest potential when we dislike ourselves. We will create something to really not like ourselves for...and then learning to love ourselves becomes even more of a challenge.
If you truly want permanent weight loss, start with your mind and loving yourself. That is more important (and works a lot better) than any diet, counting calories/carbs/fat grams or exercise program! So declare after me, "I REFUSE to diet" and watch those pounds melt away through the power of love!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Weight Loss Success Beats All Comparisons
We must stop comparing ourselves to others in order to have weight loss success.
Really this is true whether we are talking about our weight, our size, appearance...or other things like our abilities, financial or social status, possessions, jobs, or anything else in life.
To lose weight successfully...or to do anything well and feel really good about it, you must focus on where you are and where you want to be. It is not your business to be concerned with where anyone else is...this is a big mindset shift for a lot of people...in our culture we are trained early on to "compare and contrast," to rate, to grade and be graded.
The truth is, comparisons only lead to a winner and a loser...and I don't mean losing as in dropping pounds! Sometimes you may feel "better than" the other person, but in my experience we more often suffer from comparisons...we end up on the short end. And truthfully, even if we don't come up short in the comparison, feeling or looking good only because we make someone else (comparatively) wrong or bad or less than does not truly build us up from the inside. We are trapped...victims of the next comparison.
This isn't a race or a competition...but if it were, there is only one person you are in competition with--yourself!
When you look at your weight loss success this way then winning simply means getting better more often than backsliding! Being better, happier, healthier...moment by moment...day by day...and that is something all of us can do!
Really this is true whether we are talking about our weight, our size, appearance...or other things like our abilities, financial or social status, possessions, jobs, or anything else in life.
To lose weight successfully...or to do anything well and feel really good about it, you must focus on where you are and where you want to be. It is not your business to be concerned with where anyone else is...this is a big mindset shift for a lot of people...in our culture we are trained early on to "compare and contrast," to rate, to grade and be graded.
The truth is, comparisons only lead to a winner and a loser...and I don't mean losing as in dropping pounds! Sometimes you may feel "better than" the other person, but in my experience we more often suffer from comparisons...we end up on the short end. And truthfully, even if we don't come up short in the comparison, feeling or looking good only because we make someone else (comparatively) wrong or bad or less than does not truly build us up from the inside. We are trapped...victims of the next comparison.
This isn't a race or a competition...but if it were, there is only one person you are in competition with--yourself!
When you look at your weight loss success this way then winning simply means getting better more often than backsliding! Being better, happier, healthier...moment by moment...day by day...and that is something all of us can do!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hormones and Weight Loss Success: No April Fool's Joke
Fluctuating hormones can have a HUGE impact on our weight loss success...and that is no April Fool's Day joke...although it sure can feel like a bad joke...
Sometimes we feel fat, bloated, ugly, and overly emotional...but the scale won't reflect a significant change. Other times the scale WILL agree with our feelings. Still other times, the scale will indicate that we have gained weight even though we don't feel like we have.
This is one reason that I don't weigh myself very often...the number on the scale just doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.
No matter what the scale says, it can be discouraging however to believe you have been doing everything you can to increase your health only to try on your jeans and have to suck in your stomach to get them on...or feel like they are cutting you in half when you sit down!
It is important to realize that women do have fluctuating hormones that will change how and where they retain water...and what we crave to eat...and our energy level and moods.
In the past, I would use sugar and caffeine to artificially boost my energy level when I felt the fatigue set in. Some days this was the afternoon energy dip (you know, about 3:30) but other times it was present all day long.
What I have learned on this weight loss journey...well, learned maybe isn't the right word...it is something I have discovered, but don't always remember!...is that the better I treat my body the more even my hormone levels are. And the more level they are, the less I feel the fatigue and emotional roller coaster.
That doesn't mean I never feel it! I only wish!!! This last week I have been really suffering...my joints were aching...I was feeling hugely fat...even my "fat jeans" were feeling tight...I was crying for no reason and I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw.
Instead of reaching for food to soothe my feelings, I focused on my mindset because I knew that was the key to losing 125 pounds in the first place!...here is what I did:
EVALUATION
I took a good look at what I was eating and drinking. Was I truly being conscious about my choices, or was I slipping into some old behaviors that were less healthy choices?
DECISION
I decided to succeed: I reaffirmed that I desire and deserve a healthy, energetic and slender body...and to do that I had to I would focus on my mind, my attitude, and loving myself
ACTION
Mixing up my exercise has been great...the weather is wonderful and so I have been walking in the fresh air with a buddy who helps me to keep up a good pace, while enjoying the beauty around me.
REST
Rather than pushing through or grabbing stimulants to make it through the day, I actually allowed myself to rest. Amazing concept...but for a person who has always tended to push through the pain no matter what this is STILL a big challenge for me...to recognize that maybe my body just needs a little rest. So yesterday afternoon I actually laid down for a nap--something I almost never do. I must have needed it, because what I thought would be 20 minutes turned into 3 hours! I went to bed early last night and slept until 6am. Like I said, I guess I needed it.
THE RESULT
After a few days of renewed awareness of my eating and a good rest yesterday, I woke up feeling 100% better and like I had lost 10 pounds over night. I didn't weigh myself before or after, but I put on my "skinny jeans" fresh out of the laundry and hurray--they fit & feel great!
THE LESSON
Be kind and loving to yourself.
Be willing to step back and reassess what you are doing.
Remain conscious about what you put in your mouth.
Recommit to your decision that you are worthy of health.
Rest when you are tired.
Don't stress about it--because if you do these things then "this to will pass!"
Sometimes we feel fat, bloated, ugly, and overly emotional...but the scale won't reflect a significant change. Other times the scale WILL agree with our feelings. Still other times, the scale will indicate that we have gained weight even though we don't feel like we have.
This is one reason that I don't weigh myself very often...the number on the scale just doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.
No matter what the scale says, it can be discouraging however to believe you have been doing everything you can to increase your health only to try on your jeans and have to suck in your stomach to get them on...or feel like they are cutting you in half when you sit down!
It is important to realize that women do have fluctuating hormones that will change how and where they retain water...and what we crave to eat...and our energy level and moods.
In the past, I would use sugar and caffeine to artificially boost my energy level when I felt the fatigue set in. Some days this was the afternoon energy dip (you know, about 3:30) but other times it was present all day long.
What I have learned on this weight loss journey...well, learned maybe isn't the right word...it is something I have discovered, but don't always remember!...is that the better I treat my body the more even my hormone levels are. And the more level they are, the less I feel the fatigue and emotional roller coaster.
That doesn't mean I never feel it! I only wish!!! This last week I have been really suffering...my joints were aching...I was feeling hugely fat...even my "fat jeans" were feeling tight...I was crying for no reason and I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw.
Instead of reaching for food to soothe my feelings, I focused on my mindset because I knew that was the key to losing 125 pounds in the first place!...here is what I did:
EVALUATION
I took a good look at what I was eating and drinking. Was I truly being conscious about my choices, or was I slipping into some old behaviors that were less healthy choices?
DECISION
I decided to succeed: I reaffirmed that I desire and deserve a healthy, energetic and slender body...and to do that I had to I would focus on my mind, my attitude, and loving myself
ACTION
Mixing up my exercise has been great...the weather is wonderful and so I have been walking in the fresh air with a buddy who helps me to keep up a good pace, while enjoying the beauty around me.
REST
Rather than pushing through or grabbing stimulants to make it through the day, I actually allowed myself to rest. Amazing concept...but for a person who has always tended to push through the pain no matter what this is STILL a big challenge for me...to recognize that maybe my body just needs a little rest. So yesterday afternoon I actually laid down for a nap--something I almost never do. I must have needed it, because what I thought would be 20 minutes turned into 3 hours! I went to bed early last night and slept until 6am. Like I said, I guess I needed it.
THE RESULT
After a few days of renewed awareness of my eating and a good rest yesterday, I woke up feeling 100% better and like I had lost 10 pounds over night. I didn't weigh myself before or after, but I put on my "skinny jeans" fresh out of the laundry and hurray--they fit & feel great!
THE LESSON
Be kind and loving to yourself.
Be willing to step back and reassess what you are doing.
Remain conscious about what you put in your mouth.
Recommit to your decision that you are worthy of health.
Rest when you are tired.
Don't stress about it--because if you do these things then "this to will pass!"
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