Not even close.

It is very hard to be the author of this blog and to have failed at a very doable challenge. There are some good reasons why I was not able to make this happen in the time frame that was set. I changed two medications and I was in chronic pain from a neck issue. It was difficult to exercise because of both of the circumstances. Before I knew it, Thanksgiving happened as it always does at this time of year. By then I had already failed, so the incentive became, "Just don't gain weight!" I was able to achieve this alternate goal.

Then, I found myself thrown back into mourning for my youngest brother, who was my closest childhood friend:-(. I did not expect the flood of emotions that rolled over me. He has been gone for five years, but I still can't believe he is not in the world anymore. The grief, the shock, the tears ambush me sometimes, especially on or near the day of his death, the day before Thanksgiving, 2008. As he was younger than me, I did not expect to ever have to do without him.

I was, however, blessed by the presence of my next oldest brother, a mere eighteen months older than me. Despite his mobility issues, we were able to take in some of the sites of beautiful central Oregon, including a lava bed, several buttes, a bald eagle, Tumalo Falls, and Crater Lake. It was the first time in many years that we have shared the Thanksgiving festivities. It was our mom's favorite holiday:-), which brings back some good memories. Along with this dear brother, some of my favorite people sat around the table including, my husband, my daughter and son-in-law, and my thirteen-month-old granddaughter.

The holidays are, for me, a mine field at times. There has been so much loss over the years. So, instead of heading into Christmas and New Year's trying to lose weight, I am merely going to try to do what I did through Thanksgiving. I am going to try not to gain weight. With all the wonderful sweets and savory dishes, the special drinks and festive favorites, this will be an accomplishment. That's my goal until the end of the year. I encourage you to set a realistic goal for yourself. You can do it!

Reset

Fortunately, every day is a new day. We can all hit the reset button and start over. Over the last two weeks, I have been hounded by chronic pain in my neck and upper back. It was hard for me to concentrate on anything except the pain I was feeling. Throw on top of that some emotional struggles and I was not very consistent with my healthy diet or exercise. In fact, I took a break from everything. My neck and back are still troubling me, but I encouraged myself to reset. I need a little extra support right now, so I went to a program where there is some fellowship on this journey. I got some walking sticks since cycling seems to exacerbate the neck pain. I’ve walked two days in a row, and it is on my schedule today. I’m still taking baby steps after all these years. Still shooting for that ten pounds by Thanksgiving and on track. . . most of the time! How about joining me?

Setbacks

At some time on your weight-loss journey, you may encounter a setback or a bump in the road. Life happens, circumstances change, things interfere. Don’t despair, and don’t beat yourself up for being sick, hurt, in pain, in transition, or stressed. You are developing habits of healthy eating and movement, and that takes time. You may gain or lose a little while you are dealing with your crisis, but things will stabilize once you reintroduce your good behaviors. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! You don’t have to go backwards. Think of what's happening as bend in the road that will straighten out eventually. Keep going in the healthy direction.

When you are in pain, either emotionally or physically, it is normal to revert to what helped or comforted you at one time. But survival or coping skills that kick in automatically are the result of  well-worn paths in your brain, ruts so to speak. You have been working yourself out of a rut, and it will be easier than you think to get back to your healthy behaviors. Remember, you are in for the long haul. Recommit yourself to doing what is good for you!

It may help to do some benign things that will show you just how difficult it is to change an entrenched behavior. Wear your watch on the opposite wrist. Park your car in a different spot. Part your hair on the other side. Re-arrange the furniture in a room. Hang some pictures in different locations. What does this have to do with weight-loss? It will show you how weirdly uncomfortable it is to change something that you have always done the same way. Lifestyle change is dramatic. It is worth it, though! Just you wait and see!

There are numbers, and then, there are numbers!

When consciously trying to lose weight, it is normal to get hung up on the number on the scale every morning. However, If the number does not go down from the day before, or seems to be going down by ounces rather than pounds, try not to get discouraged. The scale is only one measure. One thing to notice is the way your clothes are fitting/feeling. If you are losing inches, you may feel that things are fitting better, feeling looser. If you did not measure yourself in inches before starting this challenge, do it today. Write the numbers down as a reference point for yourself. A sewing tape measure works best. Measure in inches.

Bust (around upper body, under arms, across nipples)
Upper Arm (largest part)
Waist (at the natural waistline/narrowest part)
Stomach/Belly (a couple inches below the waist)
Hips (largest part)
Thighs (largest part)
Calves (largest part)

Today is October 3. Don't measure yourself again until November 3. If you are eating healthily and exercising more, these numbers will go down. On November 3, I will post the inches I have lost, not the pounds! Carry on!

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Most of you are familiar with the ancient story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare goes fast, doubles back, takes shortcuts that lead nowhere, runs out of gas, forgets his (her) goal, and, in the end, loses what should have been an easy victory. The Tortoise is slow and steady, takes his (or her) time, does things right the first time, doesn't take short cuts, bears the ridicule of the Hare, and eventually wins the race.

The kind of weight-loss most of us want takes time and commitment. That is not to say that we don't get distracted. On that road trip, we may stop for a burger and order the milkshake because we NEVER get the milkshake and it tastes soooo good. Or, after eating healthily for the whole day, tracking our food, drinking our water, and getting a few minutes in for exercise, we are thrown one little disappointment, so we finish the day off with two plates of nachos and a half bottle of wine.

My tummy hurts just thinking about it. The promise of reward or comfort is just a shiny object that is not worth the price.

We are not perfect and we don't pretend to be. But, we are steady. Get up the next day and start over. No shame in that. Don't beat yourself up. It never helps. Wash your face, brush your teeth, dry your tears, have something comforting for breakfast like oatmeal with brown sugar and almond milk, track, and stay the course.

Every day is a new day.

Gleaning from Various Programs

After I started exercising regularly, I decided to take a look at all of the weight-loss programs I had done. I had learned something different about myself and what motivates me from each one and wanted to take a closer look. I'm not going to name the programs. Like I said before, they all work if you set your mind to stick with them, and I am not advising anyone on what is best for them. So, here's what I learned from the various programs:

I learned to track my food intake. I find that if I don't track, I can really go over what I need to live, let alone what I need to eat if I want to lose weight. (Almost all of the weight-loss programs say you should track! ) There are free apps for your smart phone!

Eat more protein than carbohydrates. They burn slower and feed your muscles.

Eat/and drink less animal protein. We get too much in the U.S.

If you are burning a lot of calories, like, say on a long bike ride, you need carbohydrates, too! Just get these from fresh fruits and whole foods. 

Portion control. This goes with tracking.

Drink water. Your body needs to detox and to hydrate!

Don't eat fake food. A lot of things are disguised as nutrition.

Eat vegetables! Green, leafy, orange, root! They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber!

Eat fruit. Berries are best. Packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants!

Wine is not a fruit. What?

Sugar, the white kind, is from the devil! Honey, however, is from the gods!

Gluten (in anything made with wheat), in excess, causes inflamation at the cellular level. It makes people sick. We eat too much here in the U.S. Use other grains besides wheat.

Low-fat and fat-free just means they have added something else that is not good for you.

There are healthy fats! Just limit them and count them.

Eat a cup of yogurt a day.

Fresh is best.

Whole is best.

Get some exercise in each day. Even a fifteen-minute walk at lunch counts!

I like structure.

If you need the structure of a program, go for it. What you need right now is what you need to listen to right now!

If healthy food tastes bad at first, hang in there. Your taste buds have been conditioned to like junk food. They will adjust so that what is good for you tastes good, too. But there is a learning curve.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Get Moving!

The first thing I did on my l-o-n-g journey was join a gym. Not just any gym, though. I joined a women’s only gym that had a 30-minute circuit workout. I knew the recommendation for weight-loss and overall health was 60-minutes of moderate exercise each day, but I could not fit that into my schedule. 

 If you are already active and intentional about your exercise, a 30-minute workout, which is really only 15-minutes of weight resistance and 15-minutes of cardio, is not sufficient. But, if you are introducing exercise into your routine, it is a great way to start! 

It is safe. The trainers on the floor will teach you how to use the machines and watch to make sure that you do things correctly.  Start slow. The last thing you need is an injury that may interfere with your ability to exercise. 

I did this workout at least five times a week. I set up my schedule to go to the gym right after work. If I went home before I went to the gym, I did not go back out. 

Not a Mystery

It is not magic; it is not a secret; it is not rocket science. It is hard work and easily accessible science. You have to be motivated. You know how they always say that if someone is not motivated to change, like an alcoholic or a smoker, you cannot do anything to help them? Weight-loss is the same. If you are not ready to do this for yourself, no program, pill, or plan is going to work for you. This may sound cold and hard, but it is truth, and I believe truth is the only path to freedom!

When I graduated from high school, I weighed 105. When I graduated from college, I weighed 115. After the birth of my first child, I was able to get back to 125. After my second child, I got back down to 135. I gained and lost, gained and lost through the years until I reached an all-time high of 210. By this time I had developed high blood pressure, had many female problems, and took medication for high cholesterol. I also struggled with depression, insomnia, and panic attacks. I was on more than one medication for my mental/emotional health. The weight did not cause these issues, but it did not help.

I wish I could tell you that I was motivated to lose the weight, finally, because I wanted to be healthier, mentally and physically. I did want to be healthier, but that did not motivate me to lose weight. I could not bear to look at the photographs of my daughter’s graduation from college, from my alma mater. This is what pushed me towards permanent change.

I looked at those pictures and cried. I felt hopeless and helpless, embarrassed and stupid. I had taken fat blockers and tried all the various diet programs with some degree of success. I found that as soon as I stopped eating the program foods or counting calories or points, I put that weight, plus additional pounds, back on. If you have ever lost weight and gained it back, you know how frustrating this can be. I knew that I had to make some radical lifestyle changes. I stopped making excuses.

All of the diet programs say that you must make lifestyle change. They will all work if you stay with them and keep working their programs! But, I had to figure out how to do this in a way that was doable for me. The un-mysterious truth is that you must eat less and move more.

This week, look in the mirror. Imagine yourself the way you would like to look and feel. Think about beginning a journey. Are you ready? Be honest with yourself. If you are not ready, ask yourself what it may take to get you there. Set a short-term goal such as,  “I want to lose five/ten pounds by Thanksgiving.” Today is September 16, that gives you a little over two months. This is doableJ

Next installment, I’ll share my first steps!