Be REAL.

To weigh or not to weigh… that is the question.

Studies show that weighing yourself will likely produce better results in not only losing weight, but keeping it off; in my opinion experience, it’s a fine line.

The more I write these blogs, the more I want to divulge every in and out of my weight loss journey. There are so many layers. And I want to share each one. Sometimes for the simple fact that I feel it may help you. Sometimes because I sincerely hope you never make the same mistakes that I have.

This is one of those “honest-to-goodness” blogs that make me own up to one of my many stumbles.

As my weight loss progressed, people said things like: “I can’t even imagine you being that big.” or “You are such an inspiration.” or “I want to be just like you.”

Zoiks. That’s A LOT of pressure, people!

I guess it’s also  good accountability, though.

Anyway, I’ve written a bit about how we measure “success.” It’s important that you don’t get SO wrapped up and reliant on the scale and the numbers pop up after those few seconds that take forever. Yes, it is important that you aim for a certain weight (aka your BMI), but it’s also important that you are building/maintaining muscle, drinking enough fluids, and not becoming so driven by the numbers that you become irrational (aka  stop taking care of yourself).

In college, I bought a scale to “keep me in check.” It kept me a lot more than just “in check;” because of that dang scale, I was a slave to time, clothing, eating, and working out.

Please, dear friend:

Do your best to be at peace with the scale.

First things first. Remember that it took you some time to get to your current weight. And getting angry and depressed will not make change the number. Use it as motivation- healthy motivation– to keep trying rather than a torture device.

At one point in college… (gulp, here comes the raw honesty)… I was weighing myself 3 times a day at least, wearing the exact same outfit (I had to change a lot), having eaten the same thing, after exercising nearly the same amount.

I was a robot. I was trapped. It was awful.

Sometimes I would beat myself up for fluctuating- even 0.2 pounds. Let’s put this into perspective using a fewinteresting points: If you drank one liter of pop it would add about 0.10 pound if you didn’t burn it off. It would add over 2 pounds  with just the “liquid weight.” After using a bathroom, you might to down 1-1.5 pounds.

So let’s be real here. Big picture.

Concentrate on eating right and exercising, and staying within your healthy caloric range. If weighing yourself is a “must” to keep you on track, do it only one time a day, in the morning after using the bathroom and without clothes on. Remember that slight fluctuations are no need for panic. Just so the numbers keep generally and gradually heading a downward direction. I guarantee that freaking out isn’t going to change the scale.

And we all know that it’s important to include weight resistance in your workout routine, right? So important that you implement it, yes? True, building muscle may slow/halt the scale temporarily, but in the long run you are better off, as your body will burn more calories and operate more efficiently. (And your new found strength will make you feel more like a rockstar/superhero.)

No matter where you are in your weight loss/healthy living journey, consider each day a gift. You have the chance to start over or begin again today. You have the chance to overcome the negativity in your life that brings you down. Not only chances, but strength.

Believe in yourself and make it happen… one healthy step at a time.

And know that I’m with you… every step of the way!

Flat Top

When you start losing weight, especially when you have a lot to lose, it’s pretty easy (at least from my experience). If you change a few simple things (eat a little bit less, move a little bit more, eat a little bit better, keep moving more), you will more than likely lose something.

Over Thanksgiving, my sister and I were talking about the days when I was able to lose 5 pounds a week simply by eating 1/4 of a pizza instead of an entire large one, and walking one mile a day.

Times are much different now. I have to pay more attention to what I’m eating and stay diligent and persistent in my working out. I could look at it as a “Woe is me, who has to work out and eat healthy while my twig-shaped friends can inhale 4 cupcakes and seemingly breathe out the calories they just ingested,” or I can be thankful that I’m learning discipline. A treat is ok in moderation. In moderation. Not only that, but being in the habit of making good choices increases the likelihood of a better life down the road.

While I was losing weight, there were several times when I would hit a plateau. I mean WEEKS of NOTHING. It seemed like no matter what I did, the weight wouldn’t budge.

There is one very distinct time when I looked at my mom and told her nonchalantly that “I am done. I’m giving up. Clearly this isn’t working.” (I should probably add that at this point I had already lost 50 pounds.) After picking her jaw up off the floor and regaining color to her face (remember how many times she tried to get me to eat better and exercise in the past?), she calmly reminded me that I’ve already accomplished so much and giving up would be more or less ridiculously foolish. She was right. (Please don’t tell her I gave her credit for being right…) But she was.

When you are trying so hard to hit a goal it’s easy to tunnel vision to that end number, completely ignoring every little success along the way. There’s SO much more to losing weight than a number on a scale:

• How about the fact that you can finally climb those stairs without needing to stop 1/2 way through?
• You never used to eat anything green; now vegetables adorn your plate at almost every meal.
• You dropped a pants size. (When was the last time you fit into that smaller size? No joke, I think I was last my current size around the time I was 10 or 12 years old.)
• You were pre-diabetic or on other weight-related health issue medications; you are now scott-free of all of those things.
• Instead of sitting alone every night and eating a box of oatmeal creme pies you spend your time with friends and loved ones, laughing and creating memories.

It’s so important that you are taking inventory of these things. Remind yourself that you are not only worth a healthier life, but you are capable of getting there. One of my favorite reminders has been: “You didn’t get to that weight over night; don’t expect it to fall off that quickly, either.”

Enjoy the process….

…Wait. What?!

Yes. Enjoy it. Celebrate how brave you are for making these huge changes, how strong you are to break habits that have almost always been there, and how dedicated you are for keeping a promise to yourself that every day you will wake up and at least give it your best shot. If you have a moment of weakness, dust yourself off and move on having learned a lesson in the process.

When I first started Weight Watchers, I remember telling someone that I couldn’t wait to hit my goal weight so I could go back to eating whatever I wanted again. Then reality set in. But seriously… there is SO much more to life than Twinkies and ice cream.

Start exploring today! And if you find yourself on a flat top along the journey, take a few moments to look around and account for all that you’ve been missing… all that you’ve ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED.

Just. Don’t. Quit.

Umm… excuse me?

I feel like taking a trip down memory lane in this post.

Before I joined Weight Watchers, I fought the idea tooth and nail (what does that expression even mean?!). I figured it was a room of gossipy old women who’d go around town and tell other people that I was fat. And desperate. Not only that, but when I didn’t have a successful week, I was surethey would stare at me and spread that around, too.

Let me tell you what REALLY happened. From the moment I stepped into the first meeting, I felt  tremendous support. Every single person in that room had the same goal: a healthier lifestyle. We were a team. And no one was allowed to just sit on the bench. We held each other accountable, laughed and cried our way through struggles, and celebrated successes!

At one of the meetings, we were asked to write goals. I willingly admit that I’m hesitant to write goals down, because I tend to only say what I KNOW I can/will do. (I have a hard time letting people down.) But, it was part of the meeting, so I thought long and hard and wrote 2 things down:

1. end up on the cover of Weight Watchers magazine and
2. be at my “goal weight” by my high school graduation.

Although I wasn’t quite sure the first one was realistic, I needed something to strive for. After I told a few of the other members, it was no longer an “option,” it was a MUST.  While I’ll fast forward through several of the struggles/triumphs of the weight loss journey today for the sake of my time and yours, I promise I’ll share more down the road. (I know you’re excited about that!!) So, we’ll pick up at the last Monday meeting before my high school graduation ceremony.

I worked  hard to reach my goal weight. Really hard. And when I showed up to weigh in that night, I was confident that my efforts would pay off. I only had to lose 0.6 pounds.

I removed every last ounce of extra clothing I could… stepped on the scale…  and… ugh. It said I had lost 0.4. I.was.DEVASTED. I tried shifting my weight and completely eliminating the air from my body but the scale didn’t move.

Everyone in the room knew how much that night meant to me, and they could read the disappointment on my face. One of the women said honestly and frankly: “Go in the bathroom and get naked! We won’t look!” She wasn’t kidding. After she repeated herself, a few others chimed in with the same suggestion. They were so behind me that they were willing to let me get naked to help me reach my goals.

 

 

I didn’t get naked. That’s NOT my style. I did change into shorts and a tank top, and reached my goal that night. (By the way, that’s against the rules in WW. Once you weigh in, that’s it. I know this because I also worked for them. So if you’re in the program, you won’t be this fortunate.)

Anyway, when you find the right people to surround yourself with, it’s amazing to realize what you can do accomplish. A good support system can mean the difference between pushing yourself out of that “safe bubble” and into bigger and better things.

It can also make a boring and monotonous workout routine fun and exciting again. I find myself in a “rut” a few times a year that makes working out seem boring, unattractive, and nearly impossible. That’s usually my cue to start looking for workout buddies.

Do you have one? Do you know where you can find one?

If you answer no to both of those questions, ask me. I’ll try to help you out.

 “Gym time” is meant to be fun, energizing, and positive; not feared and dreaded. Make it happen!