Although when speaking to Jennifer Hudson about her weight loss success Oprah claimed she didn't want her to reveal anything she wasn't comfortable with, the legendary interviewer persisted to badger the celebrity to reveal the precised number of pounds she has lost on her recent weight loss journey.
Clearly torn between her own wish not to talk about pounds and her desire to respond to and please Oprah, Jennifer caved --to a standing ovation from the studio audience.
Jennifer Hudson is indeed a weight loss inspiration. She looks great and says she feels like she is better than she ever has been in her life. So why did Oprah have to know how many pounds Jennifer has lost? Because Oprah still clings to the idea that a number indicates success or failure when it comes to measuring weight loss success. This is surprising coming from a woman who comes from "spirit" and defies common success measures in so many other aspects of her life.
Would the singer's weight loss be any less inspiring if she'd "only" lost 60 pounds? Would it have been more amazing if she'd lost 100 pounds? Not to me. Oprah mentioned that she couldn't relate to the Jennifer being a size 6 and neither could most people. I can't relate to a size 6 either, but I find the logic faulty. I wish Jennifer had stuck to her guns and not revealed numbers--either pounds or dress sizes.
Announcing these numbers automatically starts us calculating and comparing--which I believe Jennifer and her Weight Watchers coach were trying to avoid. It isn't about whether you have 20 pounds to lose or 200. It is about how you feel about yourself. We can all see the phenomenal results that Jennifer has achieved on this journey--and the difference in her attitude and appearance should be enough to inspire us no matter how many pounds she has lost.
Telling the world the number of pounds we've lost is less about an internal celebration and satisfaction and more about external recognition. We all deserve to feel good about our accomplishments--whether or not others congratulate us with words, pats on the back or standing ovations on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Of course it can be encouraging for people to hear about pounds lost. And it feels great to have other people congratulate us on our success. But I believe completely that if we are to have permanent weight loss success then we must lose the weight for ourselves and take satisfaction in our own results. I also believe that our best "advertisement" about our weight loss is our own image--in person and in the form of before and after pictures--and that this is also the best inspiration we can give to others. Happy, smiling faces and energetic bodies show the benefit of losing weight, whereas pounds loss are just numbers.
Showing posts with label weight loss inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss inspiration. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Groundhog Day Lesson: Don't Repeat Weight Loss Failures
Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day? It was a funny, thought-provoking movie from 1993 starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. In the movie, Bill Murray's character, "Phil", has to relive the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over and over and over. How often do we do that, reliving our weight loss failures over and over and over?
Fortunately he is given the opportunity to revise his day: Phil is not doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over.
This is the most important lesson we can learn from the movie. Even though we won't live Feb. 2, 2011 (or thankfully 1993 either) over again, we can choose to live essentially the same days repeatedly. Or, we can choose to change our lives and get out of our ruts and live the lives we want.
In order to have weight loss success rather than failure we must decide to take control of our lives and steer our days in a different direction.
What we have right now...our current weight for example...are results of our decisions in the past. We will continue to wake to the same result until we choose to take different actions.
Fortunately we don't have to make huge changes. Nor do we have to make all the changes in one day, or even one year.
We didn't become overweight because we ate too much food one time. We became overweight because of the accumulation of lots of small actions--eating instead of expressing our feelings, eating without thinking about it, not making healthy food choices, eating too much sugar, not moving our bodies--over a period of years. For some of us this period has been our entire lives.
We can become weight loss success stories! By making small changes consistently we will improve our health. It MUST improve, it cannot NOT improve!
The only way we are failures is to give up. We give up when we try to do too much all at once and we get overwhelmed or frustrated because we are not seeing immediate results.
Do yourself a favor and start now...start small, but start. Then just keep putting one foot in front of the other on the path of your choosing. You'll get out of the rut and find yourself with a whole new script for a healthy, happy life!
Fortunately he is given the opportunity to revise his day: Phil is not doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over.
This is the most important lesson we can learn from the movie. Even though we won't live Feb. 2, 2011 (or thankfully 1993 either) over again, we can choose to live essentially the same days repeatedly. Or, we can choose to change our lives and get out of our ruts and live the lives we want.
In order to have weight loss success rather than failure we must decide to take control of our lives and steer our days in a different direction.
What we have right now...our current weight for example...are results of our decisions in the past. We will continue to wake to the same result until we choose to take different actions.
Fortunately we don't have to make huge changes. Nor do we have to make all the changes in one day, or even one year.
We didn't become overweight because we ate too much food one time. We became overweight because of the accumulation of lots of small actions--eating instead of expressing our feelings, eating without thinking about it, not making healthy food choices, eating too much sugar, not moving our bodies--over a period of years. For some of us this period has been our entire lives.
We can become weight loss success stories! By making small changes consistently we will improve our health. It MUST improve, it cannot NOT improve!
The only way we are failures is to give up. We give up when we try to do too much all at once and we get overwhelmed or frustrated because we are not seeing immediate results.
Do yourself a favor and start now...start small, but start. Then just keep putting one foot in front of the other on the path of your choosing. You'll get out of the rut and find yourself with a whole new script for a healthy, happy life!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tap Tap Tap for Weight Loss Success
Being a stone sculptor, I LOVE this quote...the analogy is so appropriate for weight loss success.
We must keep chipping away at our efforts even though sometimes we don't see any results, knowing that our weight loss success will come as a result of all our activities. Sometimes we will see a big result, like the rock splitting in two, only after repeatedly taking what seems to be the tiniest of actions.
It is not a big blow that creates a sculpture, it is a series of little ones. A big blow creates a fracture in the stone and will not result in the desired outcome. A big blow is like a crash diet...it just won't give us the result we want in the long run.
Using the correct tools is a critical part to this. I can beat my bare fist against a rock every minute of every day for the rest of my life and it will not become a sculpture. However when I put a chisel in one hand and hammer in the other I can create a work of art.
The same is true with our bodies. With simple tools, used repeatedly we can create our healthy, energetic and slender bodies. Our tools are our minds, our mouths (nutrition), and moving our bodies.
I wasn't born knowing how to sculpt, how to use the tools. Similarly we may not know how to pick out the tools for our weight loss success. We will have more rapid success if we learn from someone who has already been there. I didn't learn to sculpt by studying with a painter. I didn't learn to be healthy by studying with a junk food eater. We must surround ourselves with teachers and compatriots who have the experience and shared goal in order to maximize our results.
When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
~Jacob Riis, Danish born American b 1849
We must keep chipping away at our efforts even though sometimes we don't see any results, knowing that our weight loss success will come as a result of all our activities. Sometimes we will see a big result, like the rock splitting in two, only after repeatedly taking what seems to be the tiniest of actions.
It is not a big blow that creates a sculpture, it is a series of little ones. A big blow creates a fracture in the stone and will not result in the desired outcome. A big blow is like a crash diet...it just won't give us the result we want in the long run.
Using the correct tools is a critical part to this. I can beat my bare fist against a rock every minute of every day for the rest of my life and it will not become a sculpture. However when I put a chisel in one hand and hammer in the other I can create a work of art.
The same is true with our bodies. With simple tools, used repeatedly we can create our healthy, energetic and slender bodies. Our tools are our minds, our mouths (nutrition), and moving our bodies.
I wasn't born knowing how to sculpt, how to use the tools. Similarly we may not know how to pick out the tools for our weight loss success. We will have more rapid success if we learn from someone who has already been there. I didn't learn to sculpt by studying with a painter. I didn't learn to be healthy by studying with a junk food eater. We must surround ourselves with teachers and compatriots who have the experience and shared goal in order to maximize our results.
Monday, January 24, 2011
RIP Weight Loss Inspiration Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne has died at age 96.
This one remarkable man did more for health and fitness than countless others combined. He proved that anyone could change their body. He demonstrated that we are not doomed to be unfit merely because the calendar marches on.
One of my favorite memories of LaLanne's "stunts"--events he held to further health and fitness-- was watching him pull boats while swimming...he did this stunt numerous times to celebrate different events in history. (See a list of his feats)
While I never was into body building, nor can I claim to be nearly the fitness fanatic that Jack was, he certainly was an inspiration to me. In fact I remember one time while in college when some friends and I went out to the lake on a boat...when the boat died what did I do? I swam it in to shore. Granted, it was 1 boat with only 5 people aboard...but I felt pretty buff doing it!
Thanks Jack for the inspiration and the memories.
This one remarkable man did more for health and fitness than countless others combined. He proved that anyone could change their body. He demonstrated that we are not doomed to be unfit merely because the calendar marches on.
One of my favorite memories of LaLanne's "stunts"--events he held to further health and fitness-- was watching him pull boats while swimming...he did this stunt numerous times to celebrate different events in history. (See a list of his feats)
While I never was into body building, nor can I claim to be nearly the fitness fanatic that Jack was, he certainly was an inspiration to me. In fact I remember one time while in college when some friends and I went out to the lake on a boat...when the boat died what did I do? I swam it in to shore. Granted, it was 1 boat with only 5 people aboard...but I felt pretty buff doing it!
Thanks Jack for the inspiration and the memories.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Weight Loss Tools on Sale for the Holidays
Wanted to share the news--Hay House is having a sale on their Holiday Gift Catalog--items are as low as $1.
This sale is ONLY good online and through Dec 11 so don't wait too long to take advantage of awesome products from some of the biggest names of the day.
Some of products I use and highly recommend:
Brand New Items that I am excited to be ordering at a big savings:
Just click on the banner and you'll be taken directly to the catalog where you can get all these and so much more--but remember, these prices are only good through Dec 11!
This sale is ONLY good online and through Dec 11 so don't wait too long to take advantage of awesome products from some of the biggest names of the day.
Some of products I use and highly recommend:
Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life--The Movie (2 DVD expanded Edition), normally $29.95, sale price $10
Abraham-Hicks, Law of Attraction series, set of 12 (including 2 brand new DVDs) $125, a savings of more than $100!!!
Brand New Items that I am excited to be ordering at a big savings:
Marianne Williamson's brand new "A Course in Weight Loss", book lists for $24.95, get it here for only $16.22 (CDs also available if you'd rather, list $29.95, only $19)Other teachers that I love with books, CDs, DVDs, music, meditation, fun, personal development...for adults and kids, you or as for gifts (too many to list them all!!!)
Louise Hay's "Experience Your Good Now!" $12.56 --that's 30% off for this hardcover with CD
Abraham-Hicks "Getting Into The Vortex" guided meditation (book and CD), list $24.95, here only $17.46
Deepak Chopra
Doreen Virtue
Wayne Dyer
Dr. Christiane Northrup
Dr. Brian L. Weiss
Sylvia Browne
Byron Katie
Jorge Cruise
Joan Borysenko
Just click on the banner and you'll be taken directly to the catalog where you can get all these and so much more--but remember, these prices are only good through Dec 11!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Weight Loss is a Process...Thanks...Tips on Exercise for Losing Weight
I want to thank the folks who take the time to read my blog and let me know their thoughts and feelings about what I write, their questions and what is working for them.
For example I got a very nice email today from "Bonnie" today...who was thanking me for a post I wrote back in September...about how weight loss is not a straight line...
First--congrats on the 11 miles on the bike yesterday...I hope it was a fun and exhilarating experience and that you will continue to have fun moving your body.
Second--I am so glad you will be gentle on yourself for not working out today. If perhaps you were a bit sore from yesterday's ride and that's why you didn't work out today, then remember to stretch before the ride, and maybe make the ride a tad shorter next time!
I have found that why I try something new, or that I haven't done in a long time, it helps me to do the same exercise two days in a row.That may seem a bit odd, but maybe it is because the muscles are sore and tend to tighten up...so now you stretch them again. The BEST exercise for losing weight is any exercise...that you keep doing...whether it is the same exercise or different one...it is just about moving more...and if you hurt too much you are apt to not want to keep it up!
Celebrate your accomplishments...and keep making small steps in the direction you want to end up at and you will get there.
Does 11 miles seem like too much to you? That's okay...do what YOU can do easily and then just a tad more...even if that is walking to the mailbox.
It isn't about keeping up with Bonnie, or me, or your spouse, colleagues, or kids...it is about being the best YOU that you can...and to do that you have to start where you are right now!
It is easy to think about what we want to do, or what we used to do...and that can be a great place to start...as long as we keep it in our minds in a positive way and then use that to catapult us to taking an action that will get us where we want to be. Weight loss starts with our minds...not our mouths!
Thanks to Bonnie and to my other readers for keeping in touch and helping to inspire me every day!
My New Year's toast to you:
For example I got a very nice email today from "Bonnie" today...who was thanking me for a post I wrote back in September...about how weight loss is not a straight line...
...it reminds me its ok to have a detour but get back on track... I enjoyed reading it and I was reminded not to be hard on myself as I didn't work out today...I will move forward and remember I did 11 miles on the bike yesterday which was a first for me.
First--congrats on the 11 miles on the bike yesterday...I hope it was a fun and exhilarating experience and that you will continue to have fun moving your body.
Second--I am so glad you will be gentle on yourself for not working out today. If perhaps you were a bit sore from yesterday's ride and that's why you didn't work out today, then remember to stretch before the ride, and maybe make the ride a tad shorter next time!
I have found that why I try something new, or that I haven't done in a long time, it helps me to do the same exercise two days in a row.That may seem a bit odd, but maybe it is because the muscles are sore and tend to tighten up...so now you stretch them again. The BEST exercise for losing weight is any exercise...that you keep doing...whether it is the same exercise or different one...it is just about moving more...and if you hurt too much you are apt to not want to keep it up!
Celebrate your accomplishments...and keep making small steps in the direction you want to end up at and you will get there.
Does 11 miles seem like too much to you? That's okay...do what YOU can do easily and then just a tad more...even if that is walking to the mailbox.
It isn't about keeping up with Bonnie, or me, or your spouse, colleagues, or kids...it is about being the best YOU that you can...and to do that you have to start where you are right now!
It is easy to think about what we want to do, or what we used to do...and that can be a great place to start...as long as we keep it in our minds in a positive way and then use that to catapult us to taking an action that will get us where we want to be. Weight loss starts with our minds...not our mouths!
Thanks to Bonnie and to my other readers for keeping in touch and helping to inspire me every day!
My New Year's toast to you:
To your healthy, energetic, slender body--You deserve it!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Biggest Loser: Congrats Danny
Congratulations to Danny, the winner of this season's The Biggest Loser television show.
This finale show was a fantastic summary of a long journey...a journey where people begin a new life...and one that is really just the beginning.
There were so many incredible weight loss stories this season and it came down to two Goliaths--Danny and Rudy. Both men lost well over 200 pounds and are barely recognizable as the same person.
This is something that is quite a feat, and ALL the participants are to be congratulated. Some people had less weight to lose and the chance of them "winning" the competition was pretty slim...but they have all proven they are winners...they have what it takes--they are all weight loss success stories!
We can all learn from them. It doesn't matter if we are 20 years old or grandmothers...we CAN lose weight if we make our health a priority and change our mindset.
You don't have to make drastic changes...you can make smaller changes and be just as effective in the long run.
Let these folks be your weight loss inspiration...let them inspire YOU to take control of your life. One of the most impactful moments for me was when the show physician spoke about how Shay and Daniel have literally added decades to their lives because of their weight loss success!
To YOUR healthy, energetic, slender body--you can have it--and you deserve it!
This finale show was a fantastic summary of a long journey...a journey where people begin a new life...and one that is really just the beginning.
There were so many incredible weight loss stories this season and it came down to two Goliaths--Danny and Rudy. Both men lost well over 200 pounds and are barely recognizable as the same person.
This is something that is quite a feat, and ALL the participants are to be congratulated. Some people had less weight to lose and the chance of them "winning" the competition was pretty slim...but they have all proven they are winners...they have what it takes--they are all weight loss success stories!
We can all learn from them. It doesn't matter if we are 20 years old or grandmothers...we CAN lose weight if we make our health a priority and change our mindset.
You don't have to make drastic changes...you can make smaller changes and be just as effective in the long run.
Let these folks be your weight loss inspiration...let them inspire YOU to take control of your life. One of the most impactful moments for me was when the show physician spoke about how Shay and Daniel have literally added decades to their lives because of their weight loss success!
To YOUR healthy, energetic, slender body--you can have it--and you deserve it!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Biggest Loser Weight Loss Inspiration
Rudy faced a big mental break through on the Biggest Loser television show this week...I wrote about that yesterday...but there were a couple other moments that I also found inspiring...and important to point out.
Rebecca was the big inspiration to me...not because of what she did while on the show, but because of what she has accomplished since going home! She is showing the drive and determination to succeed and achieve her health goals...and to help overweight kids to become healthy and I applaud that!
The spotlight is still on her...and will be for a long time, especially in her hometown...and I hope that she is able to reflect that light to shine a beacon of hope for many, many people...kids and adults alike.
One of the biggest lessons I got from TBL this week, was that even with all the exercising and access to coaches, weight loss is not a consistent, predictable event.
Weight loss is not a simple math equation. Two women "only" lost 3 pounds...while that would be an excellent weight loss at home, 3 pounds at the ranch is surprisingly low. You could see the disbelief on the faces of everyone. Not just this week, but in other weeks when a participant didn't lose much weight.
The truth is, it happens. It doesn't mean the person ate more than the others or exercised any less. Sometimes weight just hangs on...I don't know why...but I know from personal experience it does!
Then sometimes you will have a HUGE weight drop even though you are doing the same things as the week before. This was exemplified by Amanda's weight loss success this week.
The three women all weigh about the same amount. Amanda and Rebecca are similar in age, and appear to workout at a similar intensity...so why did one have a 3 pound weight loss and the other lose 9 pounds?
The take-away here is not that one of them was better or luckier than the other. It is that this does happen. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Take the steps towards your health and you will get there. It might take you months or even years...but as long as you continue to take the steps you will get closer and closer and ultimately achieve your goal.
Use this to inspire you to your own weight loss success!
What did you think about this week's show? What part moved you the most? Was there a message you resonated with...that you can apply to your life?
Rebecca was the big inspiration to me...not because of what she did while on the show, but because of what she has accomplished since going home! She is showing the drive and determination to succeed and achieve her health goals...and to help overweight kids to become healthy and I applaud that!
The spotlight is still on her...and will be for a long time, especially in her hometown...and I hope that she is able to reflect that light to shine a beacon of hope for many, many people...kids and adults alike.
One of the biggest lessons I got from TBL this week, was that even with all the exercising and access to coaches, weight loss is not a consistent, predictable event.
Weight loss is not a simple math equation. Two women "only" lost 3 pounds...while that would be an excellent weight loss at home, 3 pounds at the ranch is surprisingly low. You could see the disbelief on the faces of everyone. Not just this week, but in other weeks when a participant didn't lose much weight.
The truth is, it happens. It doesn't mean the person ate more than the others or exercised any less. Sometimes weight just hangs on...I don't know why...but I know from personal experience it does!
Then sometimes you will have a HUGE weight drop even though you are doing the same things as the week before. This was exemplified by Amanda's weight loss success this week.
The three women all weigh about the same amount. Amanda and Rebecca are similar in age, and appear to workout at a similar intensity...so why did one have a 3 pound weight loss and the other lose 9 pounds?
The take-away here is not that one of them was better or luckier than the other. It is that this does happen. Don't beat yourself up over it.
Take the steps towards your health and you will get there. It might take you months or even years...but as long as you continue to take the steps you will get closer and closer and ultimately achieve your goal.
Use this to inspire you to your own weight loss success!
What did you think about this week's show? What part moved you the most? Was there a message you resonated with...that you can apply to your life?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Weight Loss Inspiration on Biggest Loser This Week
If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that the Biggest Loser television show (TBL) is not my idea of the perfect way to lose weight...
While I don't think that any one way to achieve your health goes is perfect for everyone, I'm also open to the idea that most ways are good for some people.
This week on TBL a couple things came up that really had me apologizing to Jillian, Bob and TBL...at least mentally. Hmmm, maybe I'd better send them a apology tweet, too.
Why the change of tune? First I got to see how Jillian was with Rudy and to actually hear her say that unless he faces the emotions behind WHY he got to be obese he won't have real, permanent success. That was huge...and to see her push him to get to the answer was very important...for Rudy and the viewers at home.
While Rudy's success has been stellar...one of my concerns all along (for all contestants, not just Rudy) is will they be able to keep it off? Once they are away from the ranch...working on their own...back to their families and their lives...will they have success.
I am hopeful that this signals in Rudy an awareness...because it is by being aware of when we are eating and why that we can actually make some changes! It is about conscious eating choices, not reactive eating.
For most of us, there is an underlying reason why we packed on the pounds. Rudy faced abandonment issues, Liz put everyone else first and stuffed down her needs...whether you had a traumatic experience or just allowed life to overwhelm you, it is possible to overcome this pattern and achieve your weight loss and health goals.
Another point that I want to commend Jillian and Bob on...one that you don't see too often...was how they were supportive of Allen when he didn't post a huge weight loss number. You could hear them telling Allen that he is healthy, it is a good number. They reminded him more than once this week that it isn't about the show...it isn't about playing the game...it isn't about winning the title...it is about getting healthy.
Check back tomorrow and see what else inspired me from this show this week.
While I don't think that any one way to achieve your health goes is perfect for everyone, I'm also open to the idea that most ways are good for some people.
This week on TBL a couple things came up that really had me apologizing to Jillian, Bob and TBL...at least mentally. Hmmm, maybe I'd better send them a apology tweet, too.
Why the change of tune? First I got to see how Jillian was with Rudy and to actually hear her say that unless he faces the emotions behind WHY he got to be obese he won't have real, permanent success. That was huge...and to see her push him to get to the answer was very important...for Rudy and the viewers at home.
While Rudy's success has been stellar...one of my concerns all along (for all contestants, not just Rudy) is will they be able to keep it off? Once they are away from the ranch...working on their own...back to their families and their lives...will they have success.
I am hopeful that this signals in Rudy an awareness...because it is by being aware of when we are eating and why that we can actually make some changes! It is about conscious eating choices, not reactive eating.
For most of us, there is an underlying reason why we packed on the pounds. Rudy faced abandonment issues, Liz put everyone else first and stuffed down her needs...whether you had a traumatic experience or just allowed life to overwhelm you, it is possible to overcome this pattern and achieve your weight loss and health goals.
Another point that I want to commend Jillian and Bob on...one that you don't see too often...was how they were supportive of Allen when he didn't post a huge weight loss number. You could hear them telling Allen that he is healthy, it is a good number. They reminded him more than once this week that it isn't about the show...it isn't about playing the game...it isn't about winning the title...it is about getting healthy.
Check back tomorrow and see what else inspired me from this show this week.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Celebrity Weight Loss Week: It's a Wrap with a Little Ham and Cheese
This has been a fun week looking at various celebrities and their weight loss successes and challenges. Big & beautiful Mo'Nique, Kirstie Alley's poised for her new show, Kate Winslet avoiding excessive dieting and exercise, and the big winner Abby...we have been able to learn something from all these amazing women.
In the past I've also blogged about other celebs and their weight loss, or position on dieting...recently Taylor Swift declared she refuses to diet, Valerie Bertinelli revealed her new slender bod on the Oprah show, Star Jones talked about her weight loss surgery, and Marie Osmond discussed her healthy "large" size 2/4 body....
Clearly, having money and fame does not guarantee you a healthy and fit body. Nor does it guarantee that if you do get fat you will have weight loss success. Women like Kirstie and Oprah can afford trainers and chefs, and still they struggle with their weight.
But we can also see that weight loss success is possible when we approach for our selves our health--not for our network...whether that netowrk is CBS, NBC or Family&Friends. If takes a shift in mindset!
Each of these women who have successfully dropped excess fat has said it...it isn't about going on a "diet"...it is about changing your thinking and making small changes in your life.
These people have DONE it differently...wrapped the mindset up with different tools...maybe a diet coach or an exercise coach...but before they could do that work they had to change who they were BEing on the inside.
I hope I'm wrong in my concers about Kirsties. I want her to succeed...permanently. I don't want to see her not lose weight, nor do I want to see her gain it all back...but she hasn't revealed to me the mindset shift yet. Until she does, I fear she will only have short-term results at best.
To these other fantastic women--keep doing what you are doing. Your weight loss success inspries us, helps us remember beauty comes in packages of all shapes and sizes. You help us know we too can have a healthy, energetic, beautiful body.
What did you think about this week's theme?
Did any of the celebrites speak to you? Did you identify with any of them?
In the past I've also blogged about other celebs and their weight loss, or position on dieting...recently Taylor Swift declared she refuses to diet, Valerie Bertinelli revealed her new slender bod on the Oprah show, Star Jones talked about her weight loss surgery, and Marie Osmond discussed her healthy "large" size 2/4 body....
Clearly, having money and fame does not guarantee you a healthy and fit body. Nor does it guarantee that if you do get fat you will have weight loss success. Women like Kirstie and Oprah can afford trainers and chefs, and still they struggle with their weight.
But we can also see that weight loss success is possible when we approach for our selves our health--not for our network...whether that netowrk is CBS, NBC or Family&Friends. If takes a shift in mindset!
Each of these women who have successfully dropped excess fat has said it...it isn't about going on a "diet"...it is about changing your thinking and making small changes in your life.
These people have DONE it differently...wrapped the mindset up with different tools...maybe a diet coach or an exercise coach...but before they could do that work they had to change who they were BEing on the inside.
I hope I'm wrong in my concers about Kirsties. I want her to succeed...permanently. I don't want to see her not lose weight, nor do I want to see her gain it all back...but she hasn't revealed to me the mindset shift yet. Until she does, I fear she will only have short-term results at best.
To these other fantastic women--keep doing what you are doing. Your weight loss success inspries us, helps us remember beauty comes in packages of all shapes and sizes. You help us know we too can have a healthy, energetic, beautiful body.
What did you think about this week's theme?
Did any of the celebrites speak to you? Did you identify with any of them?
- Mo'Nique: Bid and beautiful: dropping weight for health and longevity
- Kirstie: Putting her health on hold: are you waiting for the perfect moment to start
- Kate: No Slave to the gym: balancing her health with a your family and career
- Abby: Releasing the pain gain: removing the insulating layer, willing to feel and live again
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Celebrity Weight Loss Week: Abby's a Big Winner
I'm not a big fan of the Biggest Loser television show...I've written about some of my concerns before, in Biggest Loser Biggest Lie?
This time however, I have to admit that I am extremely touched by the success of one of the folks who was recently voted off...that would be Abby.
If anyone has a reason to bury her feelings, Abby sure did. Losing her husband, young daughter, and baby (just weeks after delivery)--all gone in a horrible car accident. I don't know if I would have had the strength she did to live...I hope to God I never have to find out.
Three years later, she is on TBL show and that experience has helped to bring her from living to back to life! Abby has lost over 80 pounds and true to TBL format, has lost it very quickly. Back home, she has continued her weight loss success and she is now speaking publicly...inspiring others with her story.
"You never know what's coming for you," as is often said in my favorite film, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." When life throws you a major curve ball, you may pack on some pounds. If you do, or have, know that you too can drop them off.
Like Abby, you have to face what's eating you, what feelings you are stuffing down. When you do that, you can have success.
You may not have Bob and Jillian and the Ranch...but you don't need them. And frankly, their style doesn't work for everyone. Empower yourself! Take control! Choose not only to be alive but to truly live...seek out the joy that is to be had in life.
Cry when you are sad, rail when you are angry, laugh when you are tickled...get your emotions out and make healthy, small changes that you can live with and you will see results.
TBL is a television show...yes it can be inspiring, but remember weight loss isn't about competition...it isn't about 6 weeks, or 6 months. It is about your health--and that's a lifetime.
If you want to read more about Abby and what she is up to now, you can find out on the BL site.
You go, Abby! We are so happy for you! Keep up your positive mindset and you will continue to have that healthy life that you so desperately want--and deserve!
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the final post in our celebrity weight loss week!
This time however, I have to admit that I am extremely touched by the success of one of the folks who was recently voted off...that would be Abby.
If anyone has a reason to bury her feelings, Abby sure did. Losing her husband, young daughter, and baby (just weeks after delivery)--all gone in a horrible car accident. I don't know if I would have had the strength she did to live...I hope to God I never have to find out.
Three years later, she is on TBL show and that experience has helped to bring her from living to back to life! Abby has lost over 80 pounds and true to TBL format, has lost it very quickly. Back home, she has continued her weight loss success and she is now speaking publicly...inspiring others with her story.
"You never know what's coming for you," as is often said in my favorite film, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." When life throws you a major curve ball, you may pack on some pounds. If you do, or have, know that you too can drop them off.
Like Abby, you have to face what's eating you, what feelings you are stuffing down. When you do that, you can have success.
You may not have Bob and Jillian and the Ranch...but you don't need them. And frankly, their style doesn't work for everyone. Empower yourself! Take control! Choose not only to be alive but to truly live...seek out the joy that is to be had in life.
Cry when you are sad, rail when you are angry, laugh when you are tickled...get your emotions out and make healthy, small changes that you can live with and you will see results.
TBL is a television show...yes it can be inspiring, but remember weight loss isn't about competition...it isn't about 6 weeks, or 6 months. It is about your health--and that's a lifetime.
If you want to read more about Abby and what she is up to now, you can find out on the BL site.
You go, Abby! We are so happy for you! Keep up your positive mindset and you will continue to have that healthy life that you so desperately want--and deserve!
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the final post in our celebrity weight loss week!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Celebrity Weight Loss Week: Kate Winslet Slim With No Gym
So far in our celebrity weight loss week we have seen comedian Mo'Nique drop 40+ pounds and pondered Kirstie Alley's claim she's back on the path.
Kate Winslet to my knowledge has never ballooned to the proportions of either of these stars, but she certainly represents a very common struggle for women today--how do you juggle your life, family, work, and health. And she does it under the Hollywood microscope...where most roles go to young and slender actors, and every bump is photographed and evaluted...is she pregnant, fat, or both?
What stands Kate apart is her adamate claims that she doesn't diet or exercise. In fact, Kate recently sued a tabloid for running stories that claimed she lied about exercising...and Kate won!
For Kate who has long criticized excessive dieting, this is her second win against tabloids. In 2007 a British rag wrote a story that she went to see a diet doctor...
What I love about Kate is that she wants women to accept themselves...Kate is beautiful and shapely. Is is not her natural body at 33 years old, and mother of two, to look like a stick...if it ever was. Sure, some women do...but not her...and I, for one, am glad there are Hollywood starts who look like real people of all shapes and sizes.
Exercising for hours on end is how some stars stay trim...but that isn't realistic for most of us. Who amongst us has the amount of time and money to devote to that. I don't...but then I don't have the desire, either!
That is why it is so refreshing and inspiring to read about a beautiful actress who claims she dosn't workout excessively...and that she would actually sue the tabloids who accuse her of being a liar.
Look, I will never be as delicate as Kate Winslet...as Mo'Nique said on the Ellen Show recently, "I'll never be a little girl...look at this head...it isn't a little head."
What I found so inspiring ist hat we can be OUR best selves and we don't have to slave at the gym or starve ourselves to get there.
Thanks Kate, for being an example that real women with real lives can emulate...and thanks for being YOU.
So, just to be "fair" tomorrow I'll talk about another weight loss success story--someone who chose to exercise a lot to get her results...because it isn't about NOT exercising...it about empowering you to do what is right for you...it is about your health and your mindset for achieving permanent results.
Kate Winslet to my knowledge has never ballooned to the proportions of either of these stars, but she certainly represents a very common struggle for women today--how do you juggle your life, family, work, and health. And she does it under the Hollywood microscope...where most roles go to young and slender actors, and every bump is photographed and evaluted...is she pregnant, fat, or both?
What stands Kate apart is her adamate claims that she doesn't diet or exercise. In fact, Kate recently sued a tabloid for running stories that claimed she lied about exercising...and Kate won!
For Kate who has long criticized excessive dieting, this is her second win against tabloids. In 2007 a British rag wrote a story that she went to see a diet doctor...
What I love about Kate is that she wants women to accept themselves...Kate is beautiful and shapely. Is is not her natural body at 33 years old, and mother of two, to look like a stick...if it ever was. Sure, some women do...but not her...and I, for one, am glad there are Hollywood starts who look like real people of all shapes and sizes.
Exercising for hours on end is how some stars stay trim...but that isn't realistic for most of us. Who amongst us has the amount of time and money to devote to that. I don't...but then I don't have the desire, either!
That is why it is so refreshing and inspiring to read about a beautiful actress who claims she dosn't workout excessively...and that she would actually sue the tabloids who accuse her of being a liar.
Look, I will never be as delicate as Kate Winslet...as Mo'Nique said on the Ellen Show recently, "I'll never be a little girl...look at this head...it isn't a little head."
What I found so inspiring ist hat we can be OUR best selves and we don't have to slave at the gym or starve ourselves to get there.
Thanks Kate, for being an example that real women with real lives can emulate...and thanks for being YOU.
So, just to be "fair" tomorrow I'll talk about another weight loss success story--someone who chose to exercise a lot to get her results...because it isn't about NOT exercising...it about empowering you to do what is right for you...it is about your health and your mindset for achieving permanent results.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Celebrity Weight Loss Week: Kirstie Alley, Another Roller Coaster Ride Ahead?
Continuing the celebrity weight loss week theme, we are coming back to a familiar face--Kirstie Alley. Anyone who has struggled with weight can identify with Kirstie's very public battles. My question is this--has Kirstie put her health at risk by putting her weight loss success on hold? Or will her plan for televised weight loss be a big inspiration and success?
In April, Kirstie Alley was on the Oprah Winfrey Show claiming she had discovered the secret to weight loss success--and that by Novemeber, she would be back on the show wearing a bikini. (She appeared on the show along with Micheal Hebrenko who also famously yo-yo dieted.)
Well, it is November...Kirstie was back and jokingly had a bikini on over her clothes...as it does not appear that her body has changed much, if at all.
She still believes she has the secret to weight loss success--so what gives? She claims that she had proposed a television show to document her weight loss progress and the networks told her to stop losing weight because that's what they would be paying for. Theoretically the deal was signed just the night before her return visit to Oprah's set.
What do you think? Will she succeed? Will she have success at losing weight? At her show? At both?
People love to see inside glimpses of a celebrity's life...and they love to see that they are human, with foibles and weaknesses, just like "real" people. Given that, and the success of other celebrity reality shows, she has a good chance of a show success.
Is her chance of weight loss success as good? Statistically, no. However, being followed around by cameras all the time might do it...although I hear that after a while you get used to them and don't even "see" them...as hard as I find that to believe, I suppose that is possible. If it is, then the cameras themselves won't be much deterrent or encouragement.
Public accountability for some people is huge...and maybe that is what will be the key for Kirstie's success (I truly hope she has success, in case you aren't sure)...but I am concerned. Get your weight loss inspiration however you can...whatever works for you, as long as it is healthy.
I believe Kirstie CAN lose weight...I know we all can. My concern is that she is setting herself up for another roller coaster ride because she is insisting that it be "fast and fun"...from my experience permanent weight loss can be fun...but it isn't necessarily fast...because you have to make permanent changes to achieve permanent results!
I'm also concerned because Kirstie was willing to put her health (and goals) on hold until a network decided they would cover her progress. To me this doesn't bode well. It sounds like the classic, "hey, I'll start tomorrow because today is (fill in the blank.")
Even Oprah seemed skeptical, "you can't lose weight for a network!" Absolutely! We can all be inspired to take control of our lives, to be healthy, and to drop excess fat...for US.
Kirstie waited 7 months for a network. What are you waiting for? What "network" is stopping you from your health and weight loss success? When will you decide that you deserve health, that you CAN have it? Change your mindset--it is the first step to permanent health and weight loss success!
Check in tomorrow when another beautiful star speaks out against diet and exercise...
In April, Kirstie Alley was on the Oprah Winfrey Show claiming she had discovered the secret to weight loss success--and that by Novemeber, she would be back on the show wearing a bikini. (She appeared on the show along with Micheal Hebrenko who also famously yo-yo dieted.)
Well, it is November...Kirstie was back and jokingly had a bikini on over her clothes...as it does not appear that her body has changed much, if at all.
She still believes she has the secret to weight loss success--so what gives? She claims that she had proposed a television show to document her weight loss progress and the networks told her to stop losing weight because that's what they would be paying for. Theoretically the deal was signed just the night before her return visit to Oprah's set.
What do you think? Will she succeed? Will she have success at losing weight? At her show? At both?
People love to see inside glimpses of a celebrity's life...and they love to see that they are human, with foibles and weaknesses, just like "real" people. Given that, and the success of other celebrity reality shows, she has a good chance of a show success.
Is her chance of weight loss success as good? Statistically, no. However, being followed around by cameras all the time might do it...although I hear that after a while you get used to them and don't even "see" them...as hard as I find that to believe, I suppose that is possible. If it is, then the cameras themselves won't be much deterrent or encouragement.
Public accountability for some people is huge...and maybe that is what will be the key for Kirstie's success (I truly hope she has success, in case you aren't sure)...but I am concerned. Get your weight loss inspiration however you can...whatever works for you, as long as it is healthy.
I believe Kirstie CAN lose weight...I know we all can. My concern is that she is setting herself up for another roller coaster ride because she is insisting that it be "fast and fun"...from my experience permanent weight loss can be fun...but it isn't necessarily fast...because you have to make permanent changes to achieve permanent results!
I'm also concerned because Kirstie was willing to put her health (and goals) on hold until a network decided they would cover her progress. To me this doesn't bode well. It sounds like the classic, "hey, I'll start tomorrow because today is (fill in the blank.")
Even Oprah seemed skeptical, "you can't lose weight for a network!" Absolutely! We can all be inspired to take control of our lives, to be healthy, and to drop excess fat...for US.
Kirstie waited 7 months for a network. What are you waiting for? What "network" is stopping you from your health and weight loss success? When will you decide that you deserve health, that you CAN have it? Change your mindset--it is the first step to permanent health and weight loss success!
Check in tomorrow when another beautiful star speaks out against diet and exercise...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Celebrity Weight Loss Week: Inspirational Mo'Nique
This week's theme is celebrity weight loss...successes, inspirations, and thought-provoking. There has been so much in the news lately about this topic...we can definitely learn from all of it!
Comedian Mo'Nique was on both the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. She was promoting her new movie, Precious, but another big topic was her recent weight loss success. Seeing the clip from the movie and then her in real life now you couldn't NOT see the difference.
The reason I find Mo'Nique to be a weight loss inspiration is her attitude. She was very happy with her appearance at 262 pounds...she say a "big sex kitten" when she looked in the mirror. Her husband gave her the health wakeup call however. He loved her as she was...and was concerned for her health...so he said to her 262 was too much, adding, "I want you around forever."
She could have gotten pissed off, taken this comment to mean he didn't really love her, or didn't find her attractive...she could have chosen to allow his comment to alter her perception of herself as a big sex kitten. She chose instead to hear the love in his words, and to do something about it. She is still an ample woman...a big and beautiful woman...who is now considerably healthier.
Mo'Nique took some flack from some of her fans...they liked her large. I love that she looks them in the eye (albeit through the camera lens) and asks them if they would like her dead!
We can all take a cue from this weight loss inspiration...be comfortable in our body, no matter our size. See the beauty that we all have in us, and still go for improved health.
Congratulations Mo'Nique. Not only are you a funny woman, now you are a healthy role-model for others...thanks, from the bottom of my healthy heart!
Celebrity Weight Loss Week continues tomorrow...with more lessons we can learn from a "larger-than-life" star!
Comedian Mo'Nique was on both the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Ellen DeGeneres Show last week. She was promoting her new movie, Precious, but another big topic was her recent weight loss success. Seeing the clip from the movie and then her in real life now you couldn't NOT see the difference.
The reason I find Mo'Nique to be a weight loss inspiration is her attitude. She was very happy with her appearance at 262 pounds...she say a "big sex kitten" when she looked in the mirror. Her husband gave her the health wakeup call however. He loved her as she was...and was concerned for her health...so he said to her 262 was too much, adding, "I want you around forever."
She could have gotten pissed off, taken this comment to mean he didn't really love her, or didn't find her attractive...she could have chosen to allow his comment to alter her perception of herself as a big sex kitten. She chose instead to hear the love in his words, and to do something about it. She is still an ample woman...a big and beautiful woman...who is now considerably healthier.
Mo'Nique took some flack from some of her fans...they liked her large. I love that she looks them in the eye (albeit through the camera lens) and asks them if they would like her dead!
We can all take a cue from this weight loss inspiration...be comfortable in our body, no matter our size. See the beauty that we all have in us, and still go for improved health.
Congratulations Mo'Nique. Not only are you a funny woman, now you are a healthy role-model for others...thanks, from the bottom of my healthy heart!
Celebrity Weight Loss Week continues tomorrow...with more lessons we can learn from a "larger-than-life" star!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
When Clothes Are Too Big Because of Weight Loss Success
So what do you do when your clothes get too big because you have been successfully losing weight?
A "Twitter friend" yesterday sent out a Tweet that she had given away 119 pieces of clothing that are now too big for her. That is so fantastic! She felt really great for her weight loss of course, but she also felt fantastic that because she has been losing weight some other people are benefiting also! She is a great weight loss inspiration--I love that she was willing to give away clothes and that she is willing to help inspire others to succeed and give as well. (Thanks, Stacy--you rock!)
I know it is tempting to hang on to your "big" clothes. We've all been through the ups and downs of yo-yo dieting. When you are dieting you really want to hang onto clothes because you have proven to yourself that you will gain weight back.
That is why it is important to NOT diet. Your weight loss success will be long-term if you refuse to diet, as opposed to the short-lived successes we achieve with diets.
So keep one of your "big" outfits. Just one. Save it for days when you are feeling fat even after you have lost weight. You will be amazed at how good you will feel when you put on that pair of pants that used to be tight...and wow!...there are inches between the pant and you now...or they are falling around your knees!
Use them as a tool to help you remember your success...and take the classic "after" photo of the new you in those old pants--holding out the waistband!
As for the rest of the clothes...divide them into 2 piles.
The second pile--THROW AWAY!
OK, I'm not big into tossing things into the landfill if you can use it. But it is important you don't hang on to these things as clothes...so if you absolutely can't bear to just throw them away then cut (or rip) them up.
In the old days there would have been a "Rag Man" who would collect cotton and linen scraps. I don't think these guys exist any longer, but you can keep some pieces for rags instead of buying cleaning cloths or in place of paper towels.
Or if you are crafty, or a sewer, you might make some quilts or other projects out of them. Use them in a way to celebrate your weight loss success, so every time you look at that piece you bring joy and a sense of victory and accomplishment to mind. Or see if there is a quilting club in your town...you never know, they may be creating quilts for a cause and would be thrilled to receive your squares...
But don't hold onto them "just in case"...that part of your life is behind you. Look ahead to your new, healthy, energetic life.
Congratulations! You deserve it!
- Do you hang on to them, "just in case?"
- Do you throw them away? Burn them? Tear them into rags?
- Or do you give them away?
A "Twitter friend" yesterday sent out a Tweet that she had given away 119 pieces of clothing that are now too big for her. That is so fantastic! She felt really great for her weight loss of course, but she also felt fantastic that because she has been losing weight some other people are benefiting also! She is a great weight loss inspiration--I love that she was willing to give away clothes and that she is willing to help inspire others to succeed and give as well. (Thanks, Stacy--you rock!)
I know it is tempting to hang on to your "big" clothes. We've all been through the ups and downs of yo-yo dieting. When you are dieting you really want to hang onto clothes because you have proven to yourself that you will gain weight back.
That is why it is important to NOT diet. Your weight loss success will be long-term if you refuse to diet, as opposed to the short-lived successes we achieve with diets.
So keep one of your "big" outfits. Just one. Save it for days when you are feeling fat even after you have lost weight. You will be amazed at how good you will feel when you put on that pair of pants that used to be tight...and wow!...there are inches between the pant and you now...or they are falling around your knees!
Use them as a tool to help you remember your success...and take the classic "after" photo of the new you in those old pants--holding out the waistband!
As for the rest of the clothes...divide them into 2 piles.
- Anything in good condition
- Everything else
The second pile--THROW AWAY!
OK, I'm not big into tossing things into the landfill if you can use it. But it is important you don't hang on to these things as clothes...so if you absolutely can't bear to just throw them away then cut (or rip) them up.
In the old days there would have been a "Rag Man" who would collect cotton and linen scraps. I don't think these guys exist any longer, but you can keep some pieces for rags instead of buying cleaning cloths or in place of paper towels.
Or if you are crafty, or a sewer, you might make some quilts or other projects out of them. Use them in a way to celebrate your weight loss success, so every time you look at that piece you bring joy and a sense of victory and accomplishment to mind. Or see if there is a quilting club in your town...you never know, they may be creating quilts for a cause and would be thrilled to receive your squares...
But don't hold onto them "just in case"...that part of your life is behind you. Look ahead to your new, healthy, energetic life.
Congratulations! You deserve it!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Weight Loss Tip: Drink Water
Okay, I know you've heard this before...from me (Dec 2008, Oct 2008, and Aug 2008) and from loads of other folks...but it really is true.
Water does a lot of good for our bodies, including keeping our skin more supple and helping us to feel more full without feeling stuffed.
Not everyone finds drinking water to be an easy habit to adopt...it can be especially hard if you are used to drinking things with loads of flavor or sugar. If that is the case you can ease into drinking more water by trying some herbal teas. Let them steep for a long time so you get loads of flavor.
Amanda Wicker, a fellow Lovelander, a weight loss inspiration and success story (she has lost 130lbs) wrote recently that she had a hard time getting enough water and felt it was a chore. I thought it would be good to share her perspective on drinking water.
Amanda points out some more benefits to drinking water:
Water can be one of your best health and weight loss tools...but there is the ongoing debate over tap versus bottled water. Most tap water has a lot of chlorine in it...it will test "safe" but I don't like the way it smells or tastes. You might not even be aware of it--but that in itself may keep you from drinking enough water. Water should not have an odor or taste. Buying bottles of water can be expensive and it results in lots of little plastic bottles around which is not good for our environment. I recommend filtering your water rather than buying those expensive bottles...you get the same clean water without all the plastic.
So drink up! To your health and the health of our planet!
Water does a lot of good for our bodies, including keeping our skin more supple and helping us to feel more full without feeling stuffed.
Not everyone finds drinking water to be an easy habit to adopt...it can be especially hard if you are used to drinking things with loads of flavor or sugar. If that is the case you can ease into drinking more water by trying some herbal teas. Let them steep for a long time so you get loads of flavor.
Amanda Wicker, a fellow Lovelander, a weight loss inspiration and success story (she has lost 130lbs) wrote recently that she had a hard time getting enough water and felt it was a chore. I thought it would be good to share her perspective on drinking water.
"I found that I had to change my mind-set about it. When I started thinking about water as the conductor to flush fat and toxins out of my body, I was actually excited to drink my daily water."This is an important point--we must change our mindset in order to lose weight. If we continue to think about them in the same way, we will have the same results.
Amanda points out some more benefits to drinking water:
- Helps control hunger and cravings
- Enhances fat loss
- Boosts metabolism
- Helps us look younger
- Flushes toxins from our bodies
- Key to disease prevention
- Have a water bottle for home, car and work
- Add a piece of fruit or mint to your water for a splash of flavor
- Drink from a straw, it helps you drink more in a shorter amount of time
- Drink a glass of water before each meal, it will curb hunger and increase hydration
- Order water instead of soda at a restaurant
"We are literally exposed to hundreds of harmful substances daily. Our air, our foods and everything we touch has traces of harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, we can't keep toxins from getting into our bodies, but we can help our bodies get rid of them with water. Most of the degenerative diseases are the result of toxins building up in the body."Tap water vs Bottled water
Water can be one of your best health and weight loss tools...but there is the ongoing debate over tap versus bottled water. Most tap water has a lot of chlorine in it...it will test "safe" but I don't like the way it smells or tastes. You might not even be aware of it--but that in itself may keep you from drinking enough water. Water should not have an odor or taste. Buying bottles of water can be expensive and it results in lots of little plastic bottles around which is not good for our environment. I recommend filtering your water rather than buying those expensive bottles...you get the same clean water without all the plastic.
So drink up! To your health and the health of our planet!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Self Acceptance Key for Weight Loss
I am really enjoying being on Twitter. If you haven't already gotten an account, go out to Twitter and sign up now. (If you have questions about how to get started let me know--but relax, it is really easy!)
One of the reasons I like Twitter is that I have been able to meet some fantastic people from around the world--people I would never have had the chance to cross paths with otherwise.
One of the great "Tweeps" I have met is Karen Anderson. Her thoughts about weight loss and fitness are fantastic and I want to share them with you. Following is a snippet from a blog post that she wrote that I thought was exceptional. At the end of the "teaser" I've included a link so you can read more that this wise woman wrote (OK, it should be has written but I like the way this sounds!)
Karen's blog is Why Weight: One Woman’s Journey From Struggle To Acceptance
This specific post was written as a guest post to another great blog FitWoman.com, you can read the entire post by clicking HERE.
One of the things that resonates with me about this post is how Karen realized that her emotions were her biggest stumbling block to her weight success. I love how she finally accepted that she had fears and was willing to move forward anyway. How many times have I faced these fears and allowed them to be stronger than my desire for health? It is something we have all done...all of us who are on this journey to health!
I also appreciate her willingness to state that she KNEW what to do already but hadn't been actually DOING it. That is a boat we frequently find ourselves in. Finding the motivation to do what we know is best for us is so frequently the key to our ultimate success!
Thanks Karen for sharing your words and wisdom with me and the world. I know I am better off for having met you...
BTW, you can follow me on Twitter, my handle is Laurie_Tossy. I look forward to hearing from you.
Tweet ya later!
One of the reasons I like Twitter is that I have been able to meet some fantastic people from around the world--people I would never have had the chance to cross paths with otherwise.
One of the great "Tweeps" I have met is Karen Anderson. Her thoughts about weight loss and fitness are fantastic and I want to share them with you. Following is a snippet from a blog post that she wrote that I thought was exceptional. At the end of the "teaser" I've included a link so you can read more that this wise woman wrote (OK, it should be has written but I like the way this sounds!)
In Quest for Health, Self-Acceptance Comes First
...as 2008 came to a close, I was in a pretty bad place. Deep down inside I knew that more than anything, more than a diet or a magic pill, what I needed was to love and accept myself.Then I heard about a class being offered by a local registered nurse and holistic health counselor. Called “Living Lighter: A Holistic Approach to Weight Loss,” the 12-week class was described this way: “get motivated and find inspiration to keep you on track; leave with tools to help you through your week, including menus, logs, and reminders; learn how to keep your metabolism on all day; let go of the emotional blocks that stand in your way; learn self hypnosis techniques to get your subconscious mind in line with, and supportive of, what you really want; and get started on some physical movement, including isotonic exercises, tai chi, hula-hooping and more.”
My first reaction was, “But I know all of that already! I know how to count calories. I know what healthy food is. I don’t need menus, and I exercise at least five times a week.”
My second reaction was, “yeah, I know all that, but I don’t want to do it.” So the idea of being able to let go of emotional blocks and get my subconscious mind in line with what I really want, attracted me.
I signed up for the class, but many of my old fears surfaced: I was afraid to set a goal and I was afraid it wouldn’t work. I was, at the same time, accepting of practical advice, but also resistant to it. I was not, however, afraid of doing the emotional work. In fact, doing the emotional work resulted in my blog – Why Weight: One Woman’s Journey From Struggle To Acceptance.
Karen's blog is Why Weight: One Woman’s Journey From Struggle To Acceptance
This specific post was written as a guest post to another great blog FitWoman.com, you can read the entire post by clicking HERE.
One of the things that resonates with me about this post is how Karen realized that her emotions were her biggest stumbling block to her weight success. I love how she finally accepted that she had fears and was willing to move forward anyway. How many times have I faced these fears and allowed them to be stronger than my desire for health? It is something we have all done...all of us who are on this journey to health!
I also appreciate her willingness to state that she KNEW what to do already but hadn't been actually DOING it. That is a boat we frequently find ourselves in. Finding the motivation to do what we know is best for us is so frequently the key to our ultimate success!
Thanks Karen for sharing your words and wisdom with me and the world. I know I am better off for having met you...
BTW, you can follow me on Twitter, my handle is Laurie_Tossy. I look forward to hearing from you.
Tweet ya later!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Weight Loss Success Demands You Set Your Own Pace
It is important that you set your own pace when working on weight loss—or any other kind of self-improvement for that matter!
Don’t try to keep up with someone who is further along the path than you are. This person may be in a different condition than you which allows them to seem to be more advanced.
Whether we are talking about physical condition or mental or emotional it really is the same. We are all at different levels. We have different skills now, different aptitudes and different interests.
Let people who seem to be better at something inspire you. You don’t have to match them step for step. It is great to have people who are ahead of you—it gives you the proof that you can do it, too! These are our role-models…people who are where we aspire to be.
The great news about not having to match our role-models is that it allows us to be inspired by more people. These folks may be bigger or smaller than we are currently. They may be more active, or less active. They may think positively or not. Some will have several traits we admire while others may only have one thing that we want to mirror. And some will serve us by pointing out a quality we no longer wish to have and so we more clearly see what we do want.
When you find that person (or that thing in that person) who inspires you, write it down in a special place. I suggest a gratitude journal. Fill that journal with lots of small entries. You don’t have to write reams about each thing/person/trait. Just write it down and feel the gratitude for being shown that it is possible.
Review this journal periodically and you will be amazed to see how much you have grown to be a composite of all those wonderful traits that you admired in others.
Now that is something to write about!
Don’t try to keep up with someone who is further along the path than you are. This person may be in a different condition than you which allows them to seem to be more advanced.
Whether we are talking about physical condition or mental or emotional it really is the same. We are all at different levels. We have different skills now, different aptitudes and different interests.
Let people who seem to be better at something inspire you. You don’t have to match them step for step. It is great to have people who are ahead of you—it gives you the proof that you can do it, too! These are our role-models…people who are where we aspire to be.
The great news about not having to match our role-models is that it allows us to be inspired by more people. These folks may be bigger or smaller than we are currently. They may be more active, or less active. They may think positively or not. Some will have several traits we admire while others may only have one thing that we want to mirror. And some will serve us by pointing out a quality we no longer wish to have and so we more clearly see what we do want.
When you find that person (or that thing in that person) who inspires you, write it down in a special place. I suggest a gratitude journal. Fill that journal with lots of small entries. You don’t have to write reams about each thing/person/trait. Just write it down and feel the gratitude for being shown that it is possible.
Review this journal periodically and you will be amazed to see how much you have grown to be a composite of all those wonderful traits that you admired in others.
Now that is something to write about!
Monday, May 4, 2009
1000lb Yo-Yo Diet
On the Oprah show last week Kirstie Alley was on discussing her "falling off the wagon" and regaining the weight she had so publicly lost a few years ago.
Also on the show was a store about a gentleman named Michael Hebranko from NY who had lost almost 1000lbs (yes, that is 3 zeroes!) and then regained all of that weight and more.
For our health--physical, mental, emotional--we all deserve to stop the yo-yo dieting syndrome.
We've all been on that roller coaster...up 10, down 15, up 20...it is not a battle you can win by dieting.
The way we win is by changing our mind...changing our thinking about ourselves, our bodies and food.
By changing our thinking we set ourselves free. That is when we truly can eat what we want--in part because what we want changes!!!
Stop the yo-yo dieting...
Read more about Michael's story
My personal yo-yo story is not quite so dramatic...but I yo-yo'd starting with 20lbs up and down, then 60lbs up and down.
That is why I know from personal experience that THIS time...with my mind in the right place and my slower and steady progress...proving to myself that I am truly changing on the INSIDE, which then leads to changes on the outside...THIS time I will succeed and be healthy for the rest of my life!
Also on the show was a store about a gentleman named Michael Hebranko from NY who had lost almost 1000lbs (yes, that is 3 zeroes!) and then regained all of that weight and more.
For our health--physical, mental, emotional--we all deserve to stop the yo-yo dieting syndrome.
We've all been on that roller coaster...up 10, down 15, up 20...it is not a battle you can win by dieting.
The way we win is by changing our mind...changing our thinking about ourselves, our bodies and food.
By changing our thinking we set ourselves free. That is when we truly can eat what we want--in part because what we want changes!!!
Stop the yo-yo dieting...
Read more about Michael's story
My personal yo-yo story is not quite so dramatic...but I yo-yo'd starting with 20lbs up and down, then 60lbs up and down.
That is why I know from personal experience that THIS time...with my mind in the right place and my slower and steady progress...proving to myself that I am truly changing on the INSIDE, which then leads to changes on the outside...THIS time I will succeed and be healthy for the rest of my life!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Quick Weight Loss: Inspiration or Deception?
Stories of people who have lost 30, 40, 50, 100 pounds and more are pretty darned inspiring! When I hear stories about people who have lost that much in an extremely short period of time it has a different effect.
Maybe it is just me. Maybe it is because I have done it. And maybe, because I have done it and gained it all back (and more)and seen lots of other people have similar results...just maybe that is the reason red flags shoot up whenever I hear about these amazingly fast results.
I think on the one hand hearing these kinds of stories may make it possible for some folks to say, "Wow, if they can do it, then I can too!" On the other hand, it could seem like a Herculean effort (like in the Biggest Loser) that is beyond most of us mere mortals.
Can I say on the other hand again? I mean, how many hands do I get? Well, on the other hand, if you do work hard and don't achieve massive results fast it can easily lead to thoughts of doubt, shame, guilt and worthlessness...hopelessness. That can't be a good thing for anyone!
The fast results are often more deception than anything else. A deception in that we have not changed our thinking about food and our bodies...and when that is revealed we will not be able to maintain the weight loss.
I realize it is not as "sexy" to lose weight over time...but like a lot of other goals, when we take small steps on a consistent basis we WILL get results. And truth be told, we will have the results faster in the long run because we keep plugging away at it--and we have made the changes that are necessary to sustain our new bodies--and those changes start with our minds, not our mouths!
Maybe it is just me. Maybe it is because I have done it. And maybe, because I have done it and gained it all back (and more)and seen lots of other people have similar results...just maybe that is the reason red flags shoot up whenever I hear about these amazingly fast results.
I think on the one hand hearing these kinds of stories may make it possible for some folks to say, "Wow, if they can do it, then I can too!" On the other hand, it could seem like a Herculean effort (like in the Biggest Loser) that is beyond most of us mere mortals.
Can I say on the other hand again? I mean, how many hands do I get? Well, on the other hand, if you do work hard and don't achieve massive results fast it can easily lead to thoughts of doubt, shame, guilt and worthlessness...hopelessness. That can't be a good thing for anyone!
The fast results are often more deception than anything else. A deception in that we have not changed our thinking about food and our bodies...and when that is revealed we will not be able to maintain the weight loss.
I realize it is not as "sexy" to lose weight over time...but like a lot of other goals, when we take small steps on a consistent basis we WILL get results. And truth be told, we will have the results faster in the long run because we keep plugging away at it--and we have made the changes that are necessary to sustain our new bodies--and those changes start with our minds, not our mouths!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
