174.4 From Desperation To Inspiration

As I was thinking about what to blog about today, two words popped up. The words are desperation and inspiration.

When I finally acknowledged the desperation I was feeling about my weight (about 250 pounds - EEEK!) two and a half years ago, I knew that I had to quit living in that most favored state of Denial, and move into a new place. That new place would provide tools for weight loss as well as be a place that would provide inspiration. And as you know, I am filled with gratitude for all the help that Jennifer Scott has given me in finding myself in this new, much happier, healthier place called Awareness.

Desperation for me meant without hope, being really stuck and not seeing a way out. From that low point, I reached out for help and became inspired and filled with hope.

Out of desperation came this blog, a lot of self discovery, and change, and my hope that for others this journey may prove to be a source of inspiration.

188.4 Seeing Beyond The Weight Loss

I had an appointment with Jennifer Scott today, my inspiration and support for this weight loss program. Actually, she has become much more than that. She has become a spiritual coach helping me to grow and change throughout this weight loss process. Check out her website listed on the right.

Today she challenged me to begin to see beyond the weight loss. She reminded me that the more important changes that have been occurring along with the weight loss have been increased health and happiness, and self knowledge. Sometimes, in my myopic view of life, I focus way too much on how many pounds I've lost instead of what's going on in the bigger picture of my life.

So what will be next for me? Losing the weight has been a great thing, but like Peggy Lee sang, "Is That All There Is?". What will my life be like a year from now, five years from now? It's time to start widening my view and moving toward a new future with enthusiasm and joy.

195.2 So What's Going On?

I don't usually write that I liked a particular posting, but I did like yesterday's post. You know, when I sit down to write one of these posts for this blog, I often don't have any idea what I will write about. Oh, I knew that I would write about my first experience on the elliptical. And, I knew that I would write about my cankles. (Wow, that was a long time ago!) And I knew that I would write about reaching the 200 pound mark. But usually, I sit at the computer and ask my inner spirit to guide me, and then wait to see what my fingers type. It is very cool when it happens like that. That's what happened yesterday.

Today I know what I want to write about. It's that emotional piece that was driving most of my eating either too much food or junk food, unhealthy food. You've probably known people who are always taking weight off and then putting it back on. Yeah, I was one of those people for a large part of my life. Oprah is someone else that has publicly experienced that phenomenom. When I lost weight in the past, and I think they could build a life size replica of the Taj Mahal out of the the weight I have lost, I never did the work, the emotional work that would have helped me understand why I was eating out of control. My work with Jennifer has focused on that in a large part. If you have someone or can find someone to help you understand how your emotions play into what and how much you eat, I encourage to work with them. And if you aren't comfortable doing that, I encourage you to write, to journal everyday. Write about you and food: why you eat what you do, when do you eat, why are you eating, are you celebrating or dealing with stress and/or anxiety, what's going on in your life that's playing into your decisions around food. Basically think about the reasons that you use food that have nothing to do with nutrition. Once you get a clear picture of what is going on between you and food, you can then think about making changes. Try it and see what you learn about yourself. That knowledge should also really help keep the weight off once you have lost it. I am counting on that!

199.8 Happy New You!

When our son Ted was just learning to talk, instead of wishing a Happy New Year, he would say "Happy New You!" It's funny the things we remember, and this year especially I think Happy New You is a great way to start the new year off. Since most of those who are reading this blog are interested in weight loss, a new you is a great goal to have. Because weight loss isn't just about losing pounds or inches. It's really about self discovery and as I get older I realize that a very significant part of our life's journey is about self discovery which goes back to my often blogged about need for being conscious and aware. Until I recognized my behaviors around food and became tuned in to them, there was no way I was going to be able to change my habits and my thinking about food for the long haul. (Oh, I am so rambleling, but there is a theme here.)

Since we lived in Boston for so many years, Ellen Goodman became one of our favorite columnists in the Boston Globe. Today her last column was printed as she leaves the working world to join those of us in retirement. Here is the link to her column which is not just about retirement, but also about reinventing oneself, becoming a New You.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/01/letting_go_and_looking_ahead/?s_campaign=8315

So, in case you didn't notice, I've landed in the 100s as of today. Yes, you can laugh since I just squeaked under the wire, but for me it's a huge victory. And it's the beginning of a new challenge to reach the 170 mark when I will have lost 77 pounds! I can hardly wait to experience all of the other changes that I will encounter as I meet my new me.