175.2 More Unexpected Riches

Yesterday I entitled my post Unexpected Riches. I've been thinking about that idea ever since these words popped out of my fingers unto the computer. I don't know if/why my life seems so full of unexpected riches right now. My hunch is that it has a lot to do with how I am viewing my life these days, rather than any actual change in my life experience. I wish that I could have had this point of view, this attitude, during much more of my life. I think I was pretty overwhelmed with the minutiae of everyday living raising my three wonderful children, working, dealing with my back issues, etc. I've had a great life but I don't think I appreciated so many aspects of it, especially the little things that really do make up the fabric of our lives.

So I'm going to keep experiencing my life as a trove of unexpected riches. It simply feels right! And I hope you'll experience some unexpected riches as you live your lives.

We're leaving tomorrow for a trip and so will probably not blog until next Tuesday.

169.6 Decisions, Decisions

I just made a decision. So what you say? Big deal! Sometimes it is a big deal for me to make a decision. Recently I read that most decisions should be made in about 30 seconds. I've barely gone through the list of pros much less the list of cons in 30 seconds. But it does feel good to quit dithering and just go for it.

I'm very conscious of talking about weight loss now. I don't bring it up to others, but so many folks have seen the transformation, and they start talking to me about it. Don't get me wrong - I like talking about it. It's similar to telling friends about a recent trip or encounter that you just had. But I don't like to be the instigator of the topic. Anyway, what I hear is a lot of indecision about whether they really want to lose weight, and if they could really do it. So, my take on this is that each person has to have a very clear reason for wanting to lose weight. And as long as the reason is theirs and not put on them by others I think that works. The most powerful reasons are health related, especially among those of us who are in our 60's plus, but among younger people there's always the motivation of doing it earlier rather than later and in the process saving a lot of wear and tear on their bodies.

I wish there was a way for everyone to understand that you can be happy with less food. A small portion of something yummy is just as enjoyable as a big portion as long as you stay aware of all of the goodness as you are taking small bites and really paying attention while you are eating that wonderful something.

As I'm adding some old favorites back into my food choices, I'm amazed and so relieved that I don't want a big serving of anything. But it is fun to be able to have a small amount and really enjoy it. I'm hanging in there with maintenance and it just isn't that hard, thank goodness, thanks to hypnosis, thanks to changed habits, and thanks to change attitudes. And, a big thank you to Jennifer Scott for her help in making all of these changes a reality for me.

180.2 "Don't Ever Change!"

I still haven't found my senior class year book, but I have been looking at my sophomore class yearbook and reading all the handwritten messages left by classmates. The first obvious feature of those written messages (by girls) is the hearts dotting the i's, and the big, fat exclamation marks! The second is the common thread of "don't ever change", fat exclamation mark.

Why, when we were in high school was it so important to never change? Can you imagine the world populated with folks, no matter what their age, who never changed after they turned 15? I remember listening to the valedictorian's speech at one of my daughter's high school graduations and the theme was...don't change!

Hello! Life is all about change! Physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual change is what life is all about. When I think of my life since I was 15 or 17, it is all about change. And, when I think about the past two years, CHANGE has been huge in my life. And, it has made my life richer, fuller, more fun, definitely more challenging, and it's been a remarkable time.

So when I arrive at this reunion, I am ready to be surrounded by changed people. I can hardly wait!

179.2 In Nine More Pounds...

Today I went to see Jennifer. I've been working with her for a long time on lots of things including the weight loss. This morning she talked about all of the changes that have occurred since we first met about 2 1/2 years ago. You know, it's funny when you are the person making changes in your appearance, unless you are constantly looking in the mirror you don't see yourself as much as the people around you see you. Even though I'm the one who has done the work, I just don't see it as much as others do. So this morning when she said that I am 15 - 20 years younger in how I am, my vitality, I loved hearing it but it's hard for me to see. I know I have more energy and can certainly move more easily, and I definitely know there is a lot less of me :), but that much younger? Then I thought to myself, OMG, how old was I looking and acting when I first met her?

But it isn't just about the change in my appearance that we talked about this morning. My connection with this inner spirit, my inner voice, has also grown and has played into my changed attitudes. She has been encouraging me to develop this guidance more so that as I move into the maintenance period of this weight loss, I will have that inner compass to guide me, keep me conscious of what I am doing and feeling and to help me deal with all sorts of life issues in the future.

And, we talked about the future. Jennifer is working on a book about spirituality, and I have plans to develop this blog into a book, and we have all sorts of ideas of ways we can work together. So rather than thinking of this adventure as ending, in nine more pounds, new adventures will begin.

So here we go! Nine more pounds!

183.4 More About Voices

Ever since I posted yesterday's note about my use of hypnosis to get rid of those unwelcome, detrimental voices from the past, I've been thinking about ways to do it without hypnosis. And, I've come up with one idea that I think will work for those of you who want to tackle this.

My sister Priscilla wrote that she has started to write down the negative voices/messages from her past that she hears and confronts them rather than trying to ignore them. My suggestion takes it one step further and that involves taking a negative message and changing it so that it becomes positive. For example, if the message about not wasting food plagues you and you want to feel free to eat less than your serving, tell yourself that you can eat only what you want and that you will send a donation to a charity that supports child hunger programs (and do it) if that will make you feel better about not cleaning your plate. If you hear a voice telling you that you are so overweight it doesn't matter what you eat (one of the near and not so dear voices from my past) you can change that to I want to lose weight so every bite of food I put in my mouth matters, and I can control it.

I hope this is helpful and makes sense. There are lots of ways to make changes so that you will get to where we want to be. You may have better ideas of how to take charge of the negative and make it positive. Go for it, and let me know what you find is helpful.

183.8 Getting Untangled

It's been fun, as I wrote yesterday, to see the weight dropping off after having been stuck so long between 188 and 185 pounds. I've written that maybe it was all about not eating before bed, and upping my exercise, both of which have been changes I've made. What I didn't talk about was a real change in attitude that has also been taking place within me. That change of attitude finally took hold even though I have been thinking about it, reading about it, and wanting it for quite awhile now. You know how sometimes you get all tangled up in your own stuff so you can't begin to move forward? That's where I've been, and I was so frustrated that I turned this lack of weight loss over such a long period of time into some mammoth issue.

So I took a deep breath, and a leap of faith that I could do this, that losing 15 pounds wasn't a big deal, and that by believing I could, I would, and look what happened. Letting go of excuses and embracing the power of believing in myself has been freeing and getting the results I wanted.

Hope you are having a great weekend. Ours just got better because the air conditioning repairman just left and cool air is once again moving through our house. Since it will be getting up above 100 degrees today, this is a good thing! Getting untangled has been a good thing, too.

185.0 More Mindlessness!

I don't think I have ever copied a comment that I received for a particular post, but yesterday's post prompted a comment from a co-researcher of the author of Mindless Eating and I wanted to share it with you in case you are interested. No, I am not promoting his line of Thinware, although I think it is a great idea. Here's the comment:

"My team works with Dr. Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Besides the fact that Brian is a truly nice and funny man, he developed a line of "Thinware" which are dish sets created to Dr. Wansink's specific instruction for measurement and design to encourage less and better eating. There are a lot of cool gadgets and cues on the site as well that are fun and MINDLESS!

https://www.mindlessproducts.com/mindless-products/thinware

Watch the man himself in some short videos and see the products that we promote. It will be worth the time!"

So check it out if you are interested in learning more about the author and his products. I figure we can use all the help we can get as we change our thoughts, our minds, and, as importantly, our habits as we travel on this weight loss journey.

186.0 Changing Views

I have been thinking about how my view of myself has changed during this weight loss process or journey. When I started and was weighing in at a grand 247.7 pounds, my life was based on what I couldn't do. I couldn't walk far, I couldn't stand for long, I couldn't exercise, I couldn't travel with ease, I couldn't climb, I couldn't...well, you get the point. Back issues exacerbated by the weight played into how I viewed myself on a moment to moment basis. Life was pretty boring, limiting, flat, unexciting, and I had my share of self pity going on, also.

When I started working with Jennifer Scott (www.JScottHypnosis.com) to lose the weight, and had the back surgery that allowed me to move with less pain, I started changing the definition of myself. I became more like the "Little Engine That Could". I was more about I think I can... and as I lost more weight and took more chances on trying new things, to do things that I hadn't thought I could do, it became all about I can!

Now I am realizing that I am at a new point in my view of myself. I am ready to take on new challenges, an unknown future that will be limited only by my imagination. There's a certain glee about being 67 and writing this. I am not shutting down! I am more alive and open to possibilities than I have ever been. How cool is that!

189.6 Changing Tastes, Changing Choices

As you can see, I'm slowly but surely getting rid of the Vegas weight, as I've named it. I didn't go crazy all the time with eating there. In fact, much of the time I was pretty aware of what I was eating and how much. It was just hard to find obvious healthy things to order much of the time. One of the best eating moments we had was at the Aria Hotel where we stopped for lunch at the Todd English Pub. He had opened one of his first Figs Restaurants in Wellesley, MA where we used to live, so it was a bit of home in the wild and wonderful world of Vegas. After studying the menu that was filled with half pound meat orders, and fries, fat and skinny (I got so excited about skinny fries until Miranda and Alee told me that was all about how the potatoes were sliced, not cooked), and no salads with meat or poultry unless I wanted the 1/2 pound portion added, I ordered the tomato and onion salad and prime rib chili. Both were absolutely divine. I ate about half the chili and about half of the salad and shared the rest.

Often, it is hard to find the perfect healthy choice on many menus. And, to be honest, I never would have ordered the tomato and red onion salad in the past. With the oregano, parsley and, yes, thyme sprinkled on it, it was perfect. I'm still learning, still changing.

191.4 Reactions and Strategies

A funny thing happened this morning. As Linda and I started our walk we both agreed it was way too cold and windy to go very far, so we walked to the golf course and ordered breakfast at the cantina there. I always order two scrambled eggs and one pancake, knowing I will eat only half of each item. Without thinking I poured regular syrup on my pancake. You would have thought that I poured gasoline on it. I was horrified and immediately scraped off the syrup and lifted the startled pancake up off of my plate. The waitress, noticing my distress, brought me a new plate and the sugar free variety of syrup. What's important here is my reaction. In the old days I would have blown off the error and gone ahead and eaten the pancake with full strength syrup. I liked my reaction! It proves that my mind has changed and I don't want that sugar in my body. Now some might think that sugar free syrup isn't exactly a great thing to be eating, but it works for me. It's a way for eating something I love without stirring up old cravings and associated problems. And, in the end I did only eat half.

Last night we went to a great steakhouse and I ordered halibut. It was so delicious. And, I ordered two veges, again knowing I would only eat half. For me, it's like buying insurance when we eat out. I don't want to overeat the higher calories things that often come with the entree because I might not be satisfied, so I cover my bases and have plenty of good veges available. Tonight I don't have to cook anything. I brought home half my fish, and have wonderful mushrooms and broccoli ready to be reheated. It's all about the strategies!

195.0 What’s Hypnosis Got to Do With It?

I've frequently talked about the fact that I have worked with Clinical Hypnotherapist Jennifer Scott, and that I credit hypnosis with being one of the most important tools that I've used to lose weight. Rather than me trying to explain what hypnosis is, I’ll let Jennifer. If you go to Jennifer’s website you’ll see that you have the opportunity to download a MP3 option in which she explains what hypnosis is and gives you a chance to experience it. Here's her website address: http://jscotthypnosis.com/. If you look on the right side of her home page you'll see how to get the MP3 download.

So how do I use hypnosis? I listen to CDs that she has made for me that put me in a hypnotic state and then reinforce the ways I manage food in order to lose weight - for example, that I eat half of a normal portion, that I eat food that helps me become healthier, and that I love to exercise. The CDs also help me envision the outcome of the weight loss - for example, that I feel younger, more agile, more slender, and happier. They also reinforce the idea that I want to and can lose more weight.

And, I've also learned how to hypnotize myself. This is very powerful and enables me to remind myself of those ideas I want to reinforce for myself. In this state I can also connect with my inner spirit, as I call it, to be with me, to give me courage and guidance and stay involved with me on this journey.

I encourage you to learn more about hypnosis. Obviously, I believe that it has changed my life.

195.6 Change and Gratitude

Last night's blog brought about a comment that simply stated, "Wowee"! I think it is even more appropriate for today since I am down another 6 ounces! And last night I had butternut nut squash soup with a delicious fig and mascapone toasted ravioli floating in it, beef tenderloin, and asparagus instead of risotto (all I did was ask, and no problem was the answer). It was a wonderful, delicious meal in an extraordinarily beautiful setting.

So how is it I lost 6 more ounces? I think I have stopped fighting with myself about all the reasons I couldn't make drastic changes. Well, I thought of them as drastic but in reality they really weren't that drastic. It just hasn't been that hard. Planning my food for the day first thing in the morning instead of waiting as time for a meal approached and then eating whatever, is not that hard. Doing more and varied exercise in one day is not that hard. Not eating three meals everyday is not that hard. What's hard for me is to figure out what I was afraid of, what was it that I didn't want to give up, why didn't I embrace these ideas as they were suggested to me instead of putting up mental road blocks.

I have definitely become more conscious of the fact that losing a large amount of weight has meant that I had to give up some things in order to make the changes. I had to give up the notion that I was disabled. I had to give up the notion that food was so important to me that I couldn't imagine being happy eating less and indulging myself less with food. I had to give up the notion that I couldn't do it because I couldn't exercise. I had to give up the old me, and you know, what has taken the place of that 247 pound disabled gal is a person that feels younger, is more agile, loves exercise and is beginning to take pride in how she looks and moves and lives. And, being conscious, being aware of the wonder of life within me and around me is such a gift and so much fun. I am filled with gratitude and wonder that I have actually lost 52 pounds. Furthermore, I am very aware of the need and desire to lose about, let's see, I believe we are now looking at only 25 more! Wowee!

202.4 Viva Las Vegas!

Well, maybe it was just the salt, or at least I can blame some of the weight gain yesterday on the salt since I was down a pound this morning! I am munching on a delicious apple right now. We had breakfast at our favorite breakfast place after we dropped our dog off at the pet sitter. I had my standard spinach and feta omelette and one pancake and then didn't have lunch so now I am hungry. Also, it is an hour earlier here in Las Vegas than in AZ, so a lot of time has gone by since I ate.

I am laughing to myself about our room situation. Our room at the Bellagio is free because we got a special offer based on the fact I had a recent birthday. We have the room for two nights and it is beautiful. But, there is a but! When we checked in, the only non-smoking room that was available (read for free) was located in the new Spa Tower which is several miles by foot from the lobby.:) In the past I would have been ticked off about this, but now, with my change of mind, I am just looking at it as a great source of exercise. And, it is a lot further from all of the gambling activity than the rooms in the main building here, so that is probably a good thing, too.

So we are off to go get some dinner and then see Andrea Bocelli. I wonder if he has to worry about what he eats! Just as I am finishing this, a bell man just brought us a complimentary box of eight truffles! Oh, my!