181.2 On The Road Again

Heading back to see family on the east coast including the wee little Zuzu. Check in now and then but for sure I'll be back at it on the 15th of September. I'll be weighing everyday and watching those carbs. How can I fail?

174.8 Comments on Comments

Even though I don't often comment on comments that I get from readers, but I do want to say that I love getting comments. When I blog, I am writing to individuals in my mind, people I know who read my blog, and I'm writing to all those potential readers who may stumble onto this blog about weight loss.

Yesterday I really appreciated both the comments I received. My daughter gently reminded me that I had just written about The Little Engine That Could and that I should remember the phrase, "I think I can, I think I can". Since she was raised on that story, it made me feel great that it had resonated with her and her pointing out the fact that I had written about determination really hit home. And my sister Priscilla also wrote to encourage me. She's done so well managing the maintenance piece of weight loss over many, many years and her corroboration that this is a continual undertaking helps me put it in to perspective and to get on with it.

So I'm back at it, will keep at it, and know that there is no other option for me but to stay aware, weigh myself everyday, and eat wisely and with consciousness. Onward and downward!

174.8 Excuses, Fears, Frustration

Yikes, my weight is continuing to go up and I am filled with lots of excuses, fears, and frustration. Let's start with the excuses! I love to blame the weather which is such a wimpy excuse. We have better weather out here in Scottsdale than most places in the country at this time of year. And I have access to two gyms. This excuse is not going to hold up. Oh, and then there's my cock-eyed pelvis which has put the kibosh on some activities like long walks or jogging in the water. But it hasn't pulled the plug on the elliptical, or the bike.

On to my fears...obviously I am scared that I am on the verge of regaining all of my weight. With my history of regaining after losing a lot, these are not unfounded fears. However, this time I have been weighing myself everyday which may be the most significant difference. I know where I am everyday. Well, at least I know how much I weigh even if I'm not sure where the hell I am :).

And then there's the frustration of not being free from concerns about my weight. I really want to just live and not worry about it. Maybe worry is the wrong word, but I am pretty consumed by that number everyday. I was hoping that I wouldn't be consumed, concerned with my weight anymore. I think that was a false assumption.

So, I continue to challenge myself to go back to the drawing board, get in the zone of using all that I've learned through this process so that I can take control again and be where I want to be.

172.2 A Dear Bob Letter

Today I received a note from a friend who asked me to share my diet with him. This is probably way more than he expected, but it forced me to clarify how I did lose these 80 pounds by responding to his request. Here's my post weight loss view of how I did it.

"Dear Bob, It was great to hear from you! I'd love to share some basic ideas with you. My success was not based on a quick weight loss diet or special products. I had to figure out why I was overeating and I learned to change a lot of my behaviors around food. So, if you're still with me, here we go!

First of all, don't view this as a diet. To be successful over time (especially at our ages) this is a life style change that will be yours for the rest of your life. Once you reach your goal weight, you can ease up a bit, but you will never want to return to your old ways, because you are going to feel so much better and look better.

Okay, so where do you start?

Start by eating one-half the amount you now eat. In other words, don't cut out all of your favorite foods and then feel deprived, just eat less. Serve yourself the half amount and then no second helpings.

Consciously eat much more slowly so that your plate isn't cleaned while Dorli still has lots left to eat. Try to eat more slowly than she does so that doesn't happen. Also, by eating more slowly, you will begin to enjoy your food more, the tastes, the textures, etc., and you'll give your body and brain a chance to get into sync about feeling satisfied.

Learn, if you don't already know, what a healthy list of foods consists of. So, when you do feel hungry, you turn to something on that list to stave off hunger pains. For example, always have raw carrots, apples, berries, sugarless gum (a big favorite of mine for night hunger), etc., so that you don't have to go around feeling hungry. And drink lots of water...between 50 and 70 ounces a day in addition to coffee, etc.

And now the biggie...think about cutting back on the alcohol. I ended up not drinking at all during the period of weight loss. I was drinking about 18 - 20 oz. of wine most nights. What I learned was that if I drank at all, it weakened my resolve and I'd give into more wine and then eat what ever and all I wanted to eat. I'm sure that lots of folks could just cut back and stay in control of their food choices and food intake.

And, there are some foods you really have to think about cutting way back on and those include cheese (oh, I hate to say it, but it is so full of fat), beef, and starchy veges at night - potatoes and corn.

Push fish, chicken, salad with little bits of dressing, and non-starchy veges. I would eat 2 or more servings of green veges at dinner time as insurance against feeling hungry before bed. And yes, put a little butter on those veges, make things taste good, but stay AWARE of all that you eat. Aware is the big word in all of this.

Maybe you didn't expect this long note, but I really want to share my ideas with you. I think you'll find that once you break the habits that aren't healthy, and find new foods you really enjoy (mine was/is spinach - who knew?), you'll enjoy your meals and have success.

Oh, one more thing that is hard and not usually recommended, but that is to weigh yourself at the same time everyday wearing the same thing (your birthday suit is perfect). Yes, your weight naturally fluctuates, but staying aware of where you are everyday will be motivating and give you information. As my wt. loss therapist always said the weigh in process is not judgmental, it's for information. And when you see that you've lost you will feel great and motivated to stay aware during the coming day. And if you see that you've gained, you will be motivated to stick with it so that you can experience the joy of success when you see your weight go down a bit.

If you have any questions about any of this let me know, and if you like, we could stay in email conversation as you move forward.

Love and best wishes for success."

171.2 A Good Habit

It's warming up so I think I'll be out walking tomorrow and in the (heated) pool by mid week. I know, it's tough, but somebody's got to do it and I've volunteered. I think upping the exercise with the Wii Fit Plus yesterday really did help, and I have stopped gorging before bed. What got into me? Nuts, peanut butter, all sorts of crazy things got into me before bed. I was hungry at bedtime last night, but I stood my ground after eating an apple and fell asleep. It felt great to get up and see that my weight is heading back down.

I am so glad that I trained myself to get on the scale every morning. It's habitual now, and one of the best habits I've ever had. Just like the weight loss, the maintenance is hinging on weighing myself everyday.

171.0 Actions Have Consequences (duh)

When I first started this weight loss adventure and Jennifer suggested - I think insisted is a better word - that I weigh myself everyday, I fought it. Doctors, weight loss gurus, everyone knew that you should weigh yourself once a week. Hello..!

But, as this blog attests, I did weigh myself everyday. And today I didn't like what I saw, but I knew it would be up. I could give all the reasons for this upward blip, but all I need to do is get myself back into my more disciplined place. I can't just eat whatever without consequences. That old cliche that actions have consequences plays into weight loss perfectly. So the consequences were staring up at me from my Walgreen's special scale this morning and I'm glad that I saw that 171.0. What if I'd waited a week and being oblivious, I probably would have seen a much greater jump and then would have felt so discouraged. Yes, it's been fun, but gaining weight is not worth the few minutes of yumminess I experienced eating sweets and other carbs.

192.0 The Secret!

Yesterday I went shopping! I was in a down mood but was trying to get my mind focused on some positives so off I went. When the sales gal asked me if I was looking for something in particular, I told her that I had lost 60 pounds and my closet was bare! I was ready to try anything on that appealed to me. I did find several things and in spite of my recent weight gain, could still fit into size 14 pants, so I was happy.

As she was ringing up the sale she told me that a couple of years ago she had lost quite a bit of weight. And, she went on, the secret to keeping it off was that she weighs herself everyday! Music to my ears ~ something I do now, and something I know I will do to maintain my weight loss. We parted best of friends.

Happy Easter! Happy Sunshine! Happy Spring!