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Monday, December 5, 2016

Commitments Renewed

It's been three weeks since I have been to a TOPS meeting. Too long. I have learned during my time away from that group that I need them. I need their acceptance, their encouragement, and their honesty. The accountability that accompanies belonging to an organization such as this, helps to keep me focused on my weight loss goal.

I go to a meeting tomorrow and it's a good thing.


Friday, November 18, 2016

Water, Water, More Water.

Really? Did I hear that right? Surely not. I don't think I could ever drink that much water. Those were my initial thoughts. However, recently I decided to give it a try and see if it makes a difference.

You see a couple of years ago a nutritionist told me that every day I should drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of my body weight. Ok. At my current weight that's a lot of water.

About a week ago I finally got a container large enough to hold my daily allowance of water. Ok. It's lass than a gallon, but still an incredible amount of water to drink every day. My goal it to drink the entire bottle of water every day, and I get pretty close.

Pros: being fully hydrated makes me feel better. I like taking a drink of water first thing in the morning, because it helps to wake me up. My digestive system is operating more smoothly and regularly.

Cons: I make frequent trips to the bathroom. Frequent. At this point drinking this much water has not aided in any weight loss. However, I remain hopeful.

Because of the 'pros' and in spite of the 'cons', I will continue to drink, drink, and drink more water. I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

When Losing Weight Every Bite Matters

When I'm not losing weight, I'm gaining weight. That has been my history.  I'm either all in, or I'm completely out. No middle ground. No moderation.

When I am not working to control my weight, I tend to let myself believe that some bites are not important. The bites I take to 'test' the flavor of whatever I'm cooking don't matter. The bites I take as I'm clearing leftovers from the table don't matter. The bites I take just even out the cutting on the cake or pie to make it look nice don't matter. Just another illusion in the state of denial.

The truth is that all those bites I mentioned above contain calories and therefore, matter. Period. I know this. Yes, I do.  However, making myself not take those bites is very difficult, probably one of the hardest habits for me to establish and the easiest to break.

Another important truth is that refraining from taking those bites is a measure and indicator of the level of my commitment to my weight loss goal. How am I doing right now? Well, I'm not there yet, but every day is better than the day before.

Perhaps I need to focus on progress, not perfection.

Monday, November 14, 2016

If You Say No, Are You Also Saying Yes?

Is it possible to say yes and no at the same time? To the same question?

 I was thinking a couple of days ago about the times when I want to eat something that I don't need. An extra handful of chips. A snack when I'm not hungry. A large serving of beef brisket when a moderate serving will do. I generally think of these moments as a time when I need to say, "No". "No, I will not eat. No. No. No.  Every time I say no to eating extra calories, the more strength I have to say no the next time I am tempted. Essentially every no makes the next no easier.

However, it also orrurred to me that every time I say no to extra unneeded food, I am at the same time saying yes to better health for me! Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm saying yes to avoiding the complications of diabetes. I'm saying yes to having a lower blood pressure. I'm saying yes to perhaps avoiding another knee surgery.

Yes and no. At the same time!

Friday, November 11, 2016

Success at the Restaurant!

My definition of success when I'm eating out? Being able to stop eating before my meal is gone.

My husband and I ate out today. We went to a cafeteria where I was a wide variety of food. Though the food I selected were not the best choices for weight loss, I could have certainly done much worse.

The first things we did was ask for carry outs.  Wise decision. Because the carry out was already on our table, I was able to eat what I thought was wise and put the rest in the carry out. Now I have food for lunch tomorrow!

BTW. I was down 3 pounds at my last TOPS weigh in. Woooohooo!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

I Can't Out Exercise a Bad Diet

I first heard that statement on an episode of Biggest Loser. It immediately sank deeply into my heart and mind. Yes, I can exercise. Yes, I can diet, but unless I'm doing the diet well, the exercise willl be of little to no benefit.

Soooooo spending an hour on the elliptical then eating a large meal, will not result in weight loss. Well, ok. So be it. I'll just spend the hour on the elliptical and then come home and eat a SMALL meal!

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Ok. Here I am. Sitting on the couch eating popcorn. Low fat popcorn, but that's not important. Not really. What is important is the reason why I'm eating. I'm eating to settle down my emotions. Without giving too many details, I found myself feeling very stressed. Once the source of stress was gone, I could not relax until I got something to eat. Grrrrrr.

Yep. I still have eating issues, and as long as I do, I will have weight issues. I know what the solution is. I must find a replacement activity to do to relieve stress that does not involve food. Hmmmmm. What to do?

Saturday, November 5, 2016

The Secret to Real Weight Loss Is ..........

The secret is that there are no weight loss secrets. There are no shortcuts. There are no quick and easy weight loss diets that will give real and permanent weight loss.

Real and permanent weight loss comes when we eat fewer calories than our bodies use. Period. End of story.

This is actually a very positive concept.  Once we accept this fact as true, then we can cut out the weight loss clutter and just focus on what really works.  We can then set our minds on eating the right  kinds of calories in the right amounts. We can begin to use more calories by exercising and being active.

Permanent weight loss is attained by being consistent in doing what is best for our bodies day after day.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Dealing With Setbacks and Disappointments

Oh yea, that happens. Weight loss is not always linear. Sometimes you get on the scales and you're sure that the scales must be broken, or need a new battery or something. Today was one of those days.  I went to my TOPS meeting and weighed in at two pounds higher! Not fair! I was completely caught off guard. 

Well, what's important here is not the fact that I gained weight. What's important is my reaction and what I do next. Initially I was shocked, but quickly that reaction morphed into resolve. Resolve that will translate into a stronger commitment. 

Additionally, an evaluation is in order. What do I need to be doing better? What do I need to not be doing at all? Hmmm. More thoughts on these questions tomorrow. 

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Am I REALLY Committed to My Decision to Lose Weight?

Ok. That's a question with varying degrees of difficulty. There are days where I am on "on the path" and my commitment to losing weight is strong. Nope. You can't get me to eat anything extra on those days.

Then there are other days when an extra slice of bread, a handful of chips, or a small slice of cake are all temptations. Sometimes big temptations. My commitment is weak on those days.

I have thought about why my commitment level varies from day to day and reached one conclusion. Losing focus and allowing my goals and reasons for desiring those weight loss goals to become less clear.

I know. I know. I know that my success in reaching my weight loss goal is completely dependent on doing what is necessary to keep my focus clear on a daily basis. I must consistently have a strong unwavering commitment to becoming lean and healthy!

Friday, October 28, 2016

First Comes the Decision, Next Comes Commitment

Losing weight begins with a decision. Nothing more, nothing less. I have never had significant weight loss without first making a decision to do so. It rarely happens by accident unless other health issues are involved.  However critical making a decision is, it is only the first step.

After the decision is made, making a commitment to staying the course, no matter what, is crucial. If my commitment to my weight loss decision is not strong, then I can (and have been) easily led astray by any and every excuse possible. I'll lose focus on the clarity of my once razor sharp goal and it becomes hazy. In no time at all, I'm no longer on the path toward my weight loss goal. Nope. I'm headed through the field, making a u-turn back to the land of my weight wilderness.

So what about now? How strong is my commitment to my weight loss decision? I'll discuss that in my next post

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What Will I Gain By Losing Weight?

What's in it for me? Losing weight is a lot of work. It's hard. It's sometimes slow. Sometimes it's not fun. All true.

However, there are many benefits, many things we gain by being a loser of the extra poundage we carry around. What are some of the things I will gain when I reach my goal?

* I will be able to keep my left knee longer.  I had my right knee replaced about a year and a half ago, and it is doing quite well. However, I would really like to hang on to my left one for as long as possible. My physical therapist told me that every pound I lose takes 4 pounds of pressure of my knees.  That's motivation!

* I will be able to keep up with my young grandson longer. We have a great time together, but I know that when I lose weight, I'll gain the ability to have even more fun with him.

There are many other things I'll gain, and I'll share them from time to time.

Next post : commitment

BTW I went to TOPS today and weight in with a loss of 1.5 pounds!  Yea!!!

Monday, October 24, 2016

Is It Necessary to Have a Why?

Major projects are not easy. They are seldom accomplished in one sitting. They require commitment, and focus. The first and, I think the most essential requirement, is a clear and concise reason for doing the project in the first place. Why do I need to do all this work? Major projects that go from conception to completion have a definite reason, a definite 'why'.

Losing weight is definitely a major project. To take this project all the way to completion, to stay the course, and to not get distracted along the way, requires clear and concise reasons. These reasons, these 'whys' must be strong and compelling because they will be one of the 'tools' that will help keep us moving towards our weight loss goal.

Here are my 'whys':
* my overall health and wellbeing - I know I will feel better and be more productive and active if I lose weight. That will make me a better grandmother.
* my diabetes and other health conditions will stay under control and perhaps go away if I lose weight.
*

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Why? What Do I Get Out of All This Work?

One of the things required during the process of losing weight is focus. I can be easily distracted by a bag of chips (I'm only going to eat a handful!), or an extra large bowl of popcorn! Sugar is still a problem for me, but because of my diabetes diagnosis, I seldom eat anything with refined white sugar.

When those moments of distraction come, and I've eaten too much of something, or I've mindlessly eaten a bite here or there while I'm cooking or putting away leftovers after a meal, it's because I've lost focus. My why's and what's have moved out of my tunnel vision, and food has taken its place.

In my next post, I'll write about my why's and what's.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

I'm Still Here

It has been over 3 years since I have posted anything to this blog. Oh my. Well, in the last 3 years my life has changed in many expected and unexpected ways. My husband and I have retired and moved to a large city. We expected to retire and move, but never expected to live in a large city. We have always considered ourselves to be small town folk.

We have also become grandparents. That was also unexpected, but very very welcomed. Our world truly began to spin on a different axis the moment we found out that we were going to have a grandchild.

One of the things that has not changed is the issues I have had with my weight. However I have started on a new path and I want to continue to share that journey with you.

I have become a member of TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, which is a weight loss organization that has been around since 1948.  I remember my grandmother being a member when I was a kid.

So check back frequently. I will share some of the things I have learned, am learning, and will learn as I work towards my goal of being health in every way. After all I now have a grandchild that needs the presence, influence, and love of his grandparents for as long as possible in his life.