Greetings friends after a VERY long hiatus!
I have been slowly traveling a slippery slope.  To be transparent and honest with you, I've been able to stay at/under/near goal for 8 years. Last year I was 5 pounds over and this year I'm 10 over.  It's time to pay serious attention!   So went back to review my old posts to help propel me to a good frame of mind regarding healthy eating.  I came upon this post from 2008 and thought it was a good place to start. After revisiting this post I've prepared a shopping list and am heading to the grocery store this afternoon with renewed purpose. 

Anyone want to join me?  
We can do this together!
Hugs,
Patti
    

Sunday, October 19, 2008
They said the day would come...
They said the day would come that staying at goal weight would become a challenge. I am sad to say my friends that after 2 years at goal that day has come. I am officially 2.4 pounds over my goal. I am 10 pounds heavier than I was a year ago. This is not good and does not make me feel good.

I was thinking about it this afternoon and I came to the conclusion that I can do as I've done in the past and just ignore it and see what happens OR I can set my mind to doing something to make a change.

Option #1 - Ignore it and see what happens - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm experience has proven time and again that when I just ignore it, "IT" does not go away. The problem gets worse and I become very unhappy with myself.

Option #2 - Set my mind to doing something to make a change - Not the easy route by any means; but the best route nonetheless. This has to be my choice. In fact, there is no choice in my mind. I also listened when they said to give away all my larger clothes. I cannot change size or I'll have nothing to wear.

The tough part...how to put my plan into action. Here's what I decided to do:
Get back to following the CORE food plan with a fervor.
Go grocery shopping and buy healthy food that supports my efforts. I allowed NOTHING in my cart that would compromise my efforts. (Ask Thorsten, he tried really hard and even tried "pouting" but I would not give in!)
Cook up a big pot of beef barley and veggie soup. This will give me plenty of easy, healthy lunches or fast suppers this week so I don't fall into the "I'm tired, hurried, etc. trap"
Cook up a pot of homemade chili. (reference above)
Prep veggies - clean and cut them for easy munching.
Make sure I get my water in each day.
I decided these were the items I will focus on this week. I will exercise, but it won't be in the written plan until next week.

As a friend/family how can you best support me in my efforts?
Ask me how it's going - it's okay to acknowledge this is a time of struggle for me.
Don't suggest or ask if I'd like to have a cookie, ice cream or pizza. I'm weak right now and if I give in I will regret it later. Trust me.
Ask if I'd like to go for a walk or do something that gets me out and moving.
Ask if I'd like to see a movie.
Celebrate with me when I succeed! Without food :)

They told me this day would come.

I'm Upset!

I'm upset.  Today I was shopping and as I passed through the various clothing departments I noticed in the section of the store with the larger sized clothing for women they had mini displays of chocolate bars, caramel corn and other sweets ready for the easy grab.  The more I think about it, the more it upsets me.

In the past when I was heavier I'd go to buy new jeans or slacks, would grab "my" size from the rack, and head to the fitting room where they'd be too tight. What followed were feelings of frustration and disgust with myself for having gained weight. Sometimes I'd say, "forget the new pants" and whether I bought pants or not I would inevitably head toward the purchase of some type of comfort food.  A candy bar, a big soft pretzel, or something with ooey, gooey goodness.  Naturally this only made the problem worse.

Walking through the mall today I recognized the trigger to want something sweet.  Just like I've conditioned myself to for years, right? (Scary that after 9 years I still have that trigger!) I was already feeling this pull from the trigger and then I saw the displays. I passed by.  I didn't purchase anything, so yay me!  However, someone needs to sit that store manager down and explain that what they are doing is cruel.  Simply cruel.  That's not marketing!  It's preying on someone's weakness and feels like a form of bullying.

I'm upset.     

A New Day

Today is a new day.

It doesn't matter that in June I told myself, "It's time for a new start.  I can do this."  .... and then I did very little.  I guess I wasn't ready to make the changes necessary.

Today is a new day.

Yesterday I decided it was time to make necessary changes.  Yesterday went very well.  Today has been going really well.

I don't have to change everything at once.  Just one thing at a time.  My bad habits didn't all come back at once.  They edged back into my life slowly...one at a time.

Today is a new day.  Are you ready? 

Filling the Emptiness

Today is Easter Sunday and it was a very good day.  Church, family, friends, a walk in the sunshine.  It was a good day.  Pastor Greg was talking this morning about the empty tomb and that often we try to fill the emptiness in our lives with "stuff".  Alcohol, shopping, drugs, etc.   As he was saying those words, my friend who was sitting next to me and I looked at each other and smiled, because for both of us, it's food.  And we both know it.

I've always said that knowledge is power.  So does knowing that food is my crutch, my so-called drug, my sometime frienemy, make it any easier not to use it as such?  Sometimes.  To be completely honest, sometimes knowing helps and sometimes it doesn't make a smidge of difference.  At least that's been the case in the past.

I'd like to think that recognizing what I'm doing and facing it WILL make a difference in the future.  This is the first that I've been this brutally honest about it, and I think it will make a difference in the future.  I have to face the issues that are really causing the feelings of emptiness and learn to deal with those.  Then the rest should fall into place.

I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime I ran 18 miles yesterday training for the upcoming Cellcom Marathon.  It went better than I anticipated, but I was glad when we finished.  Only a little over a month until the event - it'll be here before I know.  I think we have two 20 mile training runs and a couple scaled back runs between now and then.

Bacher out.

 

Be Prepared!

I am extremely busy this week and see my good and wonderful eating habits falling to the wayside.  What's with that!?!  Reminder to self:

My body needs excellent fuel and adequate rest right now in order to perform in the manner I need it to.


Okay - I've been reminded.  Now I'm off to eat a healthy breakfast and pack a nutritional lunch so I can do the things efficiently that I need to do.

Bacher out.

Is it going to be easy?

As we are learning a new way of eating - a new lifestyle - we could smile and say, "it's easy" but we'd be lying to ourselves and to everyone else. It will be easy at times.... but there will be times that it will feel downright hard! For inspiration, let me share the story of Admiral Jim Stockdale.

Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking officer in the "Hanoi Hilton" POW camp from 1965 to 1973. He was deprived of his rights under the Geneva Convention, tortured over twenty times, and often wondered if he would ever see his family again. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins quotes Admiral Stockdale as saying, "I never lost faith in the end of the story." And when Collins asked "Who didn't make it out?" Stockdale replied, "Oh, that's easy. The optimists." "The optimists," Collins said, "I don't understand." To which the Admiral replied, "The optimists were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be."

I think his story is a really powerful one and fits many hardships in life... including our weight loss journey. It won't always be easy, but if we are convinced that:
1) This is not the last chapter in our life (basic optimism) and
2) That we are honest with ourselves that yes, we will suffer, however it will get better.

Thank God everyday you didn't have to live this concept the way he did.

In all struggles in life hold tight to the fact that next chapter is an awesome one!

Sometimes 60 feels easier than 10

Okay my friends - true confession time. I've been "trying" all summer to drop 10 pounds. Last November I was 10 under goal then it "inched" up through the spring. So I thought, "I liked being at that weight...I'm going to lose it again." Well, I will tell you...it hasn't been easy! I've been messing around, playing games and basically....maintaining. I bumped up against goal now and again which put the fear of God in me and I'd back off seriously for a few days. But then a fun event would spring up and FUN I'd have. So, the past 2 weeks I've taken the WW challenge, Lose for Good, seriously and I'm now feeling that I'm back in the mindset it takes. (Afterall if WW will donate $10 to world hunger for me losing 10 pounds, I'm doing it!)

Okay, so the operative part you may have caught up above was that this summer I was playing games. My mind (and desire) really wasn't into it. That was the whole difference.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that it was actually easier for me to lose 60 pounds. Believe it or not.

Next time you see me, ask how that 10 is going. Keep me accountable - please!

Fall Is Here - Do Your Jeans Fit?

Hi Gang!

I had a member join a meeting yesterday who said she went to put on her jeans yesterday for the first time in months and they were TIGHT! AHHHH! She looked at the clock and had a half hour to get to the meeting, so in she came. It was really nice to see her smiling face again, and I"m glad she shared that experience with me. You know in the spring we prepare for "shorts season" and watch our weight; and now here it is "jeans season" and we have to make sure they still fit too!

This is the second fall I've pulled out my jeans and had them fit well. I didn't truly appreciate that fact until I was reminded yesterday that it wasn't always that way for me. ( I have been know to lay on the bed and use a plyers to pull up the zipper on my jeans. Yes, my friends, it wasn't pretty.) So this morning when I pulled out a pair of jeans and slipped them on I had a brand new appreciation for the way they fit. Yay me - I maintained for another summer! WOW.

So, what I hear you all saying is that THIS IS A LIFESTYLE. Healthy eating, moving more, and thinking before we pop stupid, useless calories into our face. This truly is a journey as we learn the balance of eating and moving in a manner that keeps us feeling good and fitting into our clothes.

If you didn't maintain or lose this summer - get your butts into a meeting room. (Mine are at 4:00 and 5:30 at Green Bay West; I also lead a Fruits & The Spirit class at New Hope United Methodist Church in De Pere on Mondays at 12 noon which focuses on healthy eating, exercise and prayer.) Do whatever it takes to get back on track - being healthy and feeling good is important!

After a busy summer and not very many posts.... I'm back so be sure to check often!

What street are you walking down?

• A man walked down the street and fell in a hole. He really had to struggle to get out, but he finally did.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole and fell in again. He thought, "I've been here before I know what to do." He got out after struggling, but it was easier than the first time.
• The next day he walked down the same street. He saw the hole and fell in again. This time he thought, "I've been here before - this is my fault." He got out one more time.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole, remembered what it was like to fall in and walked around it.
• The next day he walked down a different street where there was no hole.

What street are YOU walking down?

Praying for Help

I found this article on the Weight Watchers website and I love it! I am in awe of her and want to share her story with you.

In her video on the website she refers to the 3 - P's that kept her going:
Prayer, Program and Perseverance.

Praying For Help

After

Before Name Jane Age 52 Height 5'4" Was 282 lbs Lost 147 lbs* Weight 135 lbs As of 2/23/2008 *Results Not Typical "One day I went out for my daily walk, and as I was striding along I had an unbelievable epiphany

Having once tipped the scales at 282 pounds, Jane is convinced that without her faith—and the Weight Watchers plan—she wouldn't be wearing a size 6 today.

In August 2001 my sister got married, and I was her matron of honor. Later, when I saw the pictures from the wedding, I was absolutely horrified. I just cried because I couldn't believe I looked like that. And the video—the video was even worse. It made me feel so depressed. I thought, "I don't want to live like this; I hate the way I look." I was carrying 282 pounds, and I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall.

While I was crying, I got down on my knees and prayed. I said, "God, I can't do this on my own. I need you to help me." I had prayed for help before, but this time I gave it over to God. I acknowledged that I couldn't do it on my own.

My dad, who passed away when I was 17, really instilled the importance of faith in me. My husband and I have been part of a wonderful church for the last 20 years, and, in addition to our two grown kids, our congregation is like our family, so praying was nothing new for me. But this prayer was different. It was a desperate plea for help.

I've battled my weight my whole life. I went on my first diet when I was 9 years old, and I've tried just about everything that's come along since—the grapefruit diet, high-protein diets, liquid diets, even Fen-Phen, the drug combination that was taken off the market in 1997 because it caused heart valve problems in some people. I'd lose 5 or 10 pounds, then gain 20, lose 20, and gain 40. Even though my weight-loss attempts were a losing battle, hardly a day has gone by that I haven't worried about my weight or tried to watch what I eat.

I was never one of those people who overate regularly. Sure, I overate at times and I ate fattening foods— I love ice cream—but I also have a terrible metabolism. It's not an excuse. It's reality. I'd eat the same slice of cake that everyone else ate, but it would make me gain weight. It was enormously frustrating.

In 1999, I was diagnosed with an under-active thyroid, which can cause a slow metabolism, and I went on medication to increase my thyroid function. That helped a little; I didn't seem to gain weight quite as easily after that. But by then I was so heavy, it didn't make much difference.

I tried to convince myself that being fat was OK—some people are just heavier than others—but in my heart I knew I could never be happy as a fat person. I'd cry when I couldn't find things to wear and I hated to go shopping. I never looked at my body in the mirror, because I didn't want to see how big I was. I'm a nurse and I am the vice president of my company's home-care division. I felt as if I was in control of my life and successful in every aspect except for my weight. It was awful.

After seeing the pictures from the wedding and asking for God's help, I joined Weight Watchers on September 8, 2001. My goal was to get down to 155 pounds. A part of me didn't believe I would ever get there because I'd failed so many times before. But I developed a routine that I still do to this day: I started to get up at 4:30 a.m. for quiet time—Bible reading and prayer. I'd say verse 13 of Philippians, chapter 4: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Then I'd go for a fast two-mile walk. I always hated exercise—hated thinking about it, hated doing it. But I made up my mind that I was going to do everything I could to make this effort work.

I wish I could say the weight loss was easy, but it wasn't. There were plenty of upsetting setbacks. I remember going to a meeting after what I thought was a really good week, and the scale told me I was up 4 pounds. I was so upset; I couldn't stay through the meeting. At that point, I still had more than 100 pounds to lose, and I thought, "I'll never get there at this rate. I'll be 100 years old by the time I reach goal."

When I got home, I went into my bedroom and got on my knees. I said, "Okay, God. I'm really feeling discouraged. I need help." And then it came to me that God was trying to teach me a lesson. I needed to learn to accept setbacks and to keep believing in myself through them. I had many, many bad days after that, but because I saw them as lessons, they fueled my determination. When I'd gain a pound or two, I'd tell myself, "I'm not going to let this defeat me."

One day, I went out for my daily morning walk, and as I was striding along I had an unbelievable epiphany: I was enjoying it. Not only did I like walking, but I felt really good. I was eating healthy food and I liked it. The compulsion to eat foods that made me fat was just gone. It may sound hokey, but I think God took it away because every time I felt as if I was losing control, I would say that verse from Philippians, and a sense of peace would come over me. In any case, during that walk I realized that I was cured, healed. Somehow, I just knew that this time—for the first time ever—the weight loss was going to stick. And I knew it was because God was helping me.

I reached my initial goal in February 2006, and then lost another 22 pounds by July.* I've weighed 133 pounds ever since. Recently at work I heard someone describe me as "the tiny little woman over there." I thought, "What? They can't possibly be talking about me." But they were. When I think about the last six years, I realize it hasn't been so much a weight-loss journey as a journey of faith. I'm proud of myself and proud of my effort. But without God's help, I wouldn't be wearing a size 6 today.

A Person Of Faith

A Person Of Faith

"Being a person of faith doesn’t mean you’re not also a person of suffering, a person of fear, a person of anger. It just means you have someone to hang onto, and to hang on to you while you cry, or yell, or hurt. It just means you don’t suffer alone.

And somehow, that makes it just a bit easier to get through." -Karen Ebert

The above quote is from my dear friend Karen Ebert, Pastor of Wausau's 1st United Methodist Church. I really like it and I think it's very helpful for the emotional struggles we go through and we all know that our struggle with weight is connected in some way to our daily struggles.

Perception and Stress

This post came from a Sales Training organization in town and I thought it held some points that may be helpful if applied to stress overall because we all know stress affects our eating habits and weight....

Problem:
Mike is "burned out." He feels under stress a great deal of the time. His response to this pressure is learned helplessness, the giving-up reaction. This quitting response seems to have followed his perception that he has no control over his situation. He blames "bad karma" and the unfairness of life as the chief nemesis.

Diagnosis:
All experiences are filtered through our personal perception and our bias will distort them to fit our entrenched beliefs. So, much of our stress is not from the situation we face but rather our perception of it.

Prescription:
12 ideas about worrying wisely and changing our perceptions:

1. Look to be proactive.
2. Solve situations that are in your control.
3. Cope with things that are beyond your control.
4. Exercise with a friend.
5. 95% of our stress is in response to trivial vs. important.
6. Keep responsibility where it belongs.
7. Choose your battles wisely.
8. Use down time to be creative.
9. Do not run your engine at a breakneck pace all the time.
10. Do something for someone with no reciprocal agreement.
11. Re-Humanize yourself. Work is only a part of life vs. life itself.
12. If you had one month to live, how would this effect your perception?

What's Causing Your Plateau?

Article By: WeightWatchers. com

Different situations potentially contribute to a slowdown in weight loss. The first step to overcome the plateau is understanding what's causing it.

"Weight loss revolves around all aspects of your lifestyle — sleep, stress, even mood," says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, the director of sports medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "And if you're neglecting one of these, you may be sabotaging your success."

Whether you're a Flex Plan or Core Plan® user, here are the common reasons for plateaus with strategies to get your weight-loss efforts back on track.

"I haven't been focusing on portion sizes as much."

If you're on the Flex Plan, refocus on using visual cues to estimate portion sizes. Make sure you're using the correct POINTS® values for the portion you're eating. Check out the Portion Primer for a pictorial guide to common portion sizes.

"I've been eating past my Comfort Zone."

If you're a Core Plan user and you haven't been paying attention to your Comfort Zone lately, make a commitment to start listening to your body's cues for feeling satisfied. Read Discover Your Comfort Zone to learn more about gauging your hunger and how to stop when you feel full.

"I haven't been working out much lately."

Commit to earning at least 1 activity POINTS value (preferably 2 or 3) per day.

If time is an issue, consider increasing the intensity of your workout rather than the length of it. For instance, instead of walking for 15 minutes, try jogging.

Exercise helps lower stress. Many people avoid the gym when they're anxious or overloaded, thinking they don't have time. Kelli Calabrese, MS, an exercise physiologist and editor of Personal Fitness Professional magazine, points out that, "Exercise is one of the best things you can do to bring your stress level down." And since stress is often linked to overeating, reducing it will help you stick to good eating habits.

"I've been taking a new medication recently."

Check with your pharmacist or physician to see if the medication you're taking can cause weight gain. If it does, ask if there's an alternative.

If you're taking an over-the-counter medication, check the label for added calories. If your medication does have calories, compare labels of other products to see if there is an alternative with less or no calories.

Have you been tossing and turning all night long? "If you don't sleep enough, your body looks for another way to find energy," says Bonci. "More often than not, that means you end up overeating just to stay awake." Plus, she adds, when you're exhausted you're less inclined to make smart food choices. Aim for seven to nine hours of shut-eye a night.

"I'm a Flex Plan user, but I haven't been keeping track of my POINTS values regularly."

If you don't have time to write down details, you can use ExpressTrack feature of the POINTS Tracker to enter your own food and POINTS values.

Looking for a way to make tracking more exciting? Reward yourself (with something other than food!) each week you keep track. Buy a new CD or a small kitchen gadget that will remind you of your tracking success.

Wondering if you should switch your food plan? Switching food plans is one strategy for breaking through a plateau. But Weight Watchers recommends that you stay with whatever food plan you've chosen for at least one week. Once you've lived with the plan you started on for a while, you'll have a much better understanding of how good a fit that food plan is for you. The Switch Guide will help guide you through the decision to change to the other food plan if and when you're ready.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

At times we can be so creative with excuses for not following program.

It's cold outside.
It's hot outside.
I forget to follow plan.
It's too difficult with a family.
It's too difficult because it's just me.
I eat when I'm upset.
I eat when I'm happy.
I eat when I'm sad.
I eat to celebrate.
I eat to drown my sorrows.
I can track in my head.
I don't have to measure - I know what a portion size is.
I don't like vegetables.
I don't like fruit.
No matter what I do; I can't lose weight.
I can't because....

We can think of any excuse. However, to be successful in this journey, we MUST set our mind to it and decide it's what we want and know that we CAN succeed. We can't be afraid to just do it. It's a mindset and perseverance is key. Set your mind to it. Follow program. One day at a time. Step by step. Before you know it you'll be heading down the path to success and then it gets easier.

Don't Quit!!!

I got the following poem at one of my meetings while I was losing and stuck it on the fridge. It's a great reminder!

DON'T QUIT

When you've eaten too much and can't write it down
And you feel like the biggest failure in town:
When you want to give up just because you gave in
And forget all about being healthy and thin:
so What! You went over your Points or Comfort Zone a bit:
It's you next move that counts..
So don't you quit!!
It's a moment of truth, It's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range:
It's telling yourself "You've done great up till now:
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow!
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still going to make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace
if you summon the will to get back in the race.
But often the strugglers when losing their grip just throw in the towel and continue to slip
And learn too late when the damage is done
That the race wasn't over and they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be can be awkward and slow.
But facing each challenge will help you to grow:
Success is failure turned inside out.
It's the silver lining in the cloud of self-doubt. When you are pushed to the brink, just refuse to submit:
If you bite it JUST write it.. But don't you QUIT!
Author unknown

Frustration!!!

Some days we get so frustrated with ourselves. We doubt our abilities and our willpower fades away. We doubt if we have the knowledge to do what we need to do. We eat because we are bored, scared, frustrated, tired, lonely or any variety of reason we really don't want to actually acknowledge or face.

What to do... what to do!?!

When this happens we need to get centered. Back to the basics. Call in the calvary and any other providers of support and strength we can call on. This is NOT A DIET! This is a lifestyle change and that doesn't mean we throw everything that makes our bodies healthy and feel good to the wayside. NO!

• Call a friend
• Get up and move
• Force yourself to concentrate on something positive
• Make a plan - plan for meals, plan for shopping, plan for exercise
• Pick something - anything - however small and get it DONE. Get the feeling of accomplishment and success so you can feel good about it.
• Move on and start over - the next minute is a brand new minute - no need to wait until tomorrow.
• Pray - fall to your knees and pray.

A dear friend of mine wrote the following prayer and it's awesome:

“O God, you accept and love my prayers

the kind that are like a florist’s arrangement

of perfect cut flowers

each word and sentence chosen and scripted.

But today my prayer is no such bouquet.

But you O God accept and love my prayers

perhaps even more so

the kind that are not prettily arranged and comfortable to see

but are like a single plant violently yanked

by its roots from its bed

and with tears plunked down on your altar

roots, dirt, stem, leaves, blossom, buds and all.

Today my prayer is in sobs and one word sentences

and repetition of the same questions

that cannot be answered.”



Always remember there is a strength within you that waits patiently for you to call upon it.
Be strong my friends.