It's been several months since I posted anything, and I have been asked on more than one occasion (Mom) when I'm going to start posting again. My internal answer was, "Never!" After all, the only thing I saw in the mirror was the failure of my start a diet, stop a diet pattern. But things are just a bit different right now.
First, in September I gained permission to start a Prism Weight Loss Program at our church. My family has done the Prism program before and frankly, we were all successful at losing weight. Did I keep it off? Well that's another story. I am an emotional eater. I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm sad, and worst of all...I eat when I'm stressed. I could make all sorts of excuses for my past failures, but the truth is I simply didn't put my heart into it. I would cheat or not lose weight as I thought I should and then would give myself permission to go down the path that most overeaters take - the path of well I've already screwed up my food for today, may as well enjoy it. I'll start over tomorrow. The problem is we either make these mistakes daily, or tomorrow never really comes.
I've been on the Prism program for nine weeks now and I've learned a few things about myself. First, I maked mistakes - like eating a piece of wedding cake at my cousins wedding over this past weekend. Second, that I actually prefer the taste of and the feeling after I eat more healthy foods. Third, that if I do a program with a great group of people (like my current Prism group) and if I have the buy in of my family (who I spend a lot of time with), then I can be successful. I don't sabotage myself by surrounding myself with people who will constantly try to feed me things that are not in my best interest. Fourth, although I wouldn't have admitted it before - I am addicted to the scale. I don't need and really shouldn't weight myself daily - or even weekly. If I expect a certain number on the scale and don't see it, my first instinct is self sabotage. How could that possibly be a good thing? So therefore, the scale needs to be a tool used only ever few weeks (every six weeks to be exact if you're taking into account the Prism program guidelines). Fifth, I really need to keep my hands busy. If I'm sitting and watching TV, that's fine, but if my hands are full with yarn and a crochet needle or if I'm working on my laptop, I'm less likely to get up and go to the kitchen to see what is available to alleviate my boredom. Sixth, take personal ownership of my own choices. Don't eat something because my husband his (hope you liked the chocolate cream pie honey), and if I do choose to eat something I shouldn't - figure out why.
We all know that the food that is not the best for us seems to have the best flavor. Duh! Who doesn't love a big bowl of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, or a nice plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. And hey, don't forget the nachos! But the truth is, would I rather please my palette for about two minutes (the amount of time it would take me to inhale any of the above-mentioned foods), or please my body for the rest of my life? Wouldn't I rather feel better? Wouldn't I rather have the energy to play soccer with my kids or go on a shopping adventure like I did in my twenties without being worn out after the second store?
All in all the point is this - I need to be faithful to the commitment I've made to this program and my group of wonderfully supportive people. I need to take ownership when I do make mistakes, and be conscious of them so I don't continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. I need to recognize that I'm human and that I can only truely succeed if I change my lifestyle choices, and rely on God's help on the days that I just can't stand it. I need to choose life in the long run rather than the instant gratification of my former friendly foods. And finally, I need to remind myself over and over that I am worth a better life and a better future.
Guess it's like I've always known...this is a one day at a time, one meal at a time, one bite at a time journey and I need to be ready for the long haul.
Oh, and by the way...so far it's been worth it.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
I Nearly Gave Up Today
I woke up this morning wondering why I'm putting myself through this weight loss (or non-loss) roller coaster yet again. I've been working out regularly, I've changed a lot of what I eat, but I'm not losing anything. All of the progress I made last year is gone. I step on the scale nearly every day afraid to look for fear I will see that horrible number show up again - the one that made me feel like I was already being sucked into the black hole of obesity forever.
I'm so tired all of the time. I'm worn out and this weight issue is not helping. I have just over two months before I step onto that airplane for New Orleans. Where do I go from here? What do I do?
So it happened again. I come home after a long day of work, still fighting with my inner self as I contemplate coming up with some excuse to avoid the gym tonight and stuff myself with a cupcake loaded with buttercream icing. I think about every comfort food I love and try to figure out ways to convince my family that our dinner plans should include one or more of these beloved foods. But now the irony sets in.
I turn on my faithful friend, the television, and pick up the computer ready to drown my sorrows in an electronic frenzy. What do I see first? The DVR has recorded another episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples from a season or two ago. Do you know the one? The one with Mike and Ron, father and son - two of my favorite contestants to ever be on the show. It's the episode of the finale and they show recaps of the marathon run the last four contestants. I still get choked up with tears as I watch the emotion on Mike's face as he waits at the finish line for his dad to break through that tape. His emotion wasn't for anything but the pride he felt in seeing his father accomplish such a life changing goal.
Hallie laughs at me this evening, knowing that as with every other episode of The Biggest Loser, I will cry. I guess I'm just a big mush ball at heart.
So what are my goals for today? Not much different than before. I think it's time for me to go back to the beginning. It's time to start doing this one day at a time, one meal at a time, one workout at a time. It's not about the goal of losing 10 pounds. It's about the goal of staying on track.
I'm so tired all of the time. I'm worn out and this weight issue is not helping. I have just over two months before I step onto that airplane for New Orleans. Where do I go from here? What do I do?
So it happened again. I come home after a long day of work, still fighting with my inner self as I contemplate coming up with some excuse to avoid the gym tonight and stuff myself with a cupcake loaded with buttercream icing. I think about every comfort food I love and try to figure out ways to convince my family that our dinner plans should include one or more of these beloved foods. But now the irony sets in.
I turn on my faithful friend, the television, and pick up the computer ready to drown my sorrows in an electronic frenzy. What do I see first? The DVR has recorded another episode of The Biggest Loser: Couples from a season or two ago. Do you know the one? The one with Mike and Ron, father and son - two of my favorite contestants to ever be on the show. It's the episode of the finale and they show recaps of the marathon run the last four contestants. I still get choked up with tears as I watch the emotion on Mike's face as he waits at the finish line for his dad to break through that tape. His emotion wasn't for anything but the pride he felt in seeing his father accomplish such a life changing goal.
Hallie laughs at me this evening, knowing that as with every other episode of The Biggest Loser, I will cry. I guess I'm just a big mush ball at heart.
So what are my goals for today? Not much different than before. I think it's time for me to go back to the beginning. It's time to start doing this one day at a time, one meal at a time, one workout at a time. It's not about the goal of losing 10 pounds. It's about the goal of staying on track.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
How Do You Overcome Temptation?
This question came to me just a few moments ago. But before I give you the answer I came up with, let me recap the day for you.
I started off this morning with the best of intentions, feeling pretty good about my 85 minutes on the treadmill from the night before. Like any other Tuesday morning, I woke up at 6 a.m. and started about my morning routine - which includes a visit to my bathroom scale.
I've become a slave to the scale these past few months, weighing every morning right before the shower. Just last week I finally lost weight, 3.4 pounds. So what did I do, I weighed the next morning to discover I gained nearly a pound. It only goes to prove that weighing every day is not a help to me, but a defeat. So, on the advice and support of my very insightful sister, I stopped weighing. I set a new focus...do everything I could do to lose weight in anticipation of my weigh-in this morning.
So the morning comes, and I visit my friend, the scale. It read 295.4...and I think for a moment...I didn't lose anything. I'm disappointed, and even depressed. I worked out, I tried to eat right, and I lost nothing. Let's be honest...I not only lost nothing, but I gained 0.4 pounds.
I took a hard look at myself today, recounting the previous week. What did I do wrong? Well I let the food control me some days. Even on days where I chose good food, I let my portion control fly out the window as I constantly justified extra food.
So fast forward to this evening. Michael just called, on his way home. His meeting ran late and I've already determined that I'm not going to the gym tonight. We hang up the phone and I wait just a moment before picking up the phone again. I start dialing the number, knowing that when he answers I'm going to ask him to do me a favor. Get me a hamburger - I have a craving. I was four numbers into the dialing when I moved my finger to the right to press the red button. End the call. Stop the sabbotage. My husband is wonderful, but he's an enabler. I take advantage of his desire to make me happy and convince him to bring me food I know is not the best for me.
Now, to answer the question. How do you overcome temptation? My answer is simple...one step at a time. For me, tonight it was one button push at a time. It took four pushes of that red button to erase Michael's phone number and resist the temptation I had to ask for a cheeseburger.
Tomorrow I will resist the temptation to jump on that scale. Tomorrow I'm sure I will have to resist the desire for a cheeseburger (by the way - turkey burgers from Costco are fabulous!). I will avoid the peppermint patties in my bosses' office, and I will happily eat the health food I bring for lunch because it makes me feel better in the end.
I will overcome this life of temptation one step at a time, and realize that I'm only human and it will take time. Oh yeah, and I will stop setting myself up for sabbotage by preying on the generous spirit of my husband. I will do better, and I'll allow myself to be proud of the choice I made tonight.
I started off this morning with the best of intentions, feeling pretty good about my 85 minutes on the treadmill from the night before. Like any other Tuesday morning, I woke up at 6 a.m. and started about my morning routine - which includes a visit to my bathroom scale.
I've become a slave to the scale these past few months, weighing every morning right before the shower. Just last week I finally lost weight, 3.4 pounds. So what did I do, I weighed the next morning to discover I gained nearly a pound. It only goes to prove that weighing every day is not a help to me, but a defeat. So, on the advice and support of my very insightful sister, I stopped weighing. I set a new focus...do everything I could do to lose weight in anticipation of my weigh-in this morning.
So the morning comes, and I visit my friend, the scale. It read 295.4...and I think for a moment...I didn't lose anything. I'm disappointed, and even depressed. I worked out, I tried to eat right, and I lost nothing. Let's be honest...I not only lost nothing, but I gained 0.4 pounds.
I took a hard look at myself today, recounting the previous week. What did I do wrong? Well I let the food control me some days. Even on days where I chose good food, I let my portion control fly out the window as I constantly justified extra food.
So fast forward to this evening. Michael just called, on his way home. His meeting ran late and I've already determined that I'm not going to the gym tonight. We hang up the phone and I wait just a moment before picking up the phone again. I start dialing the number, knowing that when he answers I'm going to ask him to do me a favor. Get me a hamburger - I have a craving. I was four numbers into the dialing when I moved my finger to the right to press the red button. End the call. Stop the sabbotage. My husband is wonderful, but he's an enabler. I take advantage of his desire to make me happy and convince him to bring me food I know is not the best for me.
Now, to answer the question. How do you overcome temptation? My answer is simple...one step at a time. For me, tonight it was one button push at a time. It took four pushes of that red button to erase Michael's phone number and resist the temptation I had to ask for a cheeseburger.
Tomorrow I will resist the temptation to jump on that scale. Tomorrow I'm sure I will have to resist the desire for a cheeseburger (by the way - turkey burgers from Costco are fabulous!). I will avoid the peppermint patties in my bosses' office, and I will happily eat the health food I bring for lunch because it makes me feel better in the end.
I will overcome this life of temptation one step at a time, and realize that I'm only human and it will take time. Oh yeah, and I will stop setting myself up for sabbotage by preying on the generous spirit of my husband. I will do better, and I'll allow myself to be proud of the choice I made tonight.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What Inspires You?
I felt great on Tuesday! It was my weigh in day and I discovered that I had finally lost 3.4 pounds. True to form, on Tuesday night, I ate. I didn't make bad choices, I just ate way to much of the good choices. Lesson to all: if you eat a ton of something, you've still eaten a ton. Moderation is always the key, but sometimes we let our tastebuds or our emotions run the show rather than the determination of our mind.
I justified myself these past two days with the excuse of "at least I made better choices". Justifiction, excuses...these are bad words for me...just like the word "approximately". If I give myself an inch - I'll take a mile.
So all of this got me to thinking. Several seasons ago there was a gal on The Biggest Loser (my favorite TV show). Her name was Suzy Peston and she was one of the final three players for that particular season. Once she got home for the final portion of the game, she too found herself in the same situation I just described. She was addicted to fudgecicles. She finally realized that she was eating several fudgecicles a day. She would get stressed, she went for a fudgecicle. So what did she do? She threw the box away. That story inspires me. Suzy realized that her good choice was only good when she had control over it. I'm learning more and more every day that I need to have the control over what goes into my mouth, both good and bad.
My husband, Michael, was so excited when we decided to join the local gym. He's wanted to join a gym for the last several years, but I'm tight with money (on certain things) and with the absence of something close by, I felt it would be like the other times we had joined a gym - we would go for a couple of weeks, and then fall of the wagon (so to speak). But guess what...he goes nearly every day. He not only goes regularly, he goes at 4:00 in the morning. He's dedicated himself to the commitment he made to work out and he really seems to be enjoying it. That inspires me.
My sister-in-law, Kirsten, started this journey with me last year. Kirsten has always been the type of person to see a challenge and meet it head on. She worked out religiously, tracked her points regularly, and changed her lifestyle. As a result, she's lost a tremendous amount of weight and has kept it off. What's more, she has continually exceeded her own expectation and pushed herself to a new level of activity. She holds herself accountable, and works every day to make the right choices. Sure there are days that she thinks a choice could have been different, but she is determined and focused and is a true success story in my opinion. She inspires me.
These are only a few examples of what inspires me. I'm inspired in so many aspects of my life, and these are only the tip of the iceburg for what inspires me to lose weight. My best inspiration is the two beautiful girls that live in my house who tell me almost daily, "you can do this mommy." They stand beside me while I do a simple workout on the Wii, running the lap or marching to the Wii band (that is fun). They get on my balance ball (whom they have affectionately named Mrs. Peanut) and bounce around to show me the types of things that can be done on it (I think they are miniature versions of Jillian Michaels). They even try to give me goals to reach and tempt me with rewards (Mom, we can go on a bike ride if you do this....). I love that they have embraced the idea of a healthy life, and that they push me to keep my focus on making better choices.
As I've said before, today is a new day, and so is tomorrow. I'm ready for the gym tonight and plan to continue on the track to a healthy life. This week, I have a goal. I want to lose weight and feel better. It only takes one pound at a time.
I justified myself these past two days with the excuse of "at least I made better choices". Justifiction, excuses...these are bad words for me...just like the word "approximately". If I give myself an inch - I'll take a mile.
So all of this got me to thinking. Several seasons ago there was a gal on The Biggest Loser (my favorite TV show). Her name was Suzy Peston and she was one of the final three players for that particular season. Once she got home for the final portion of the game, she too found herself in the same situation I just described. She was addicted to fudgecicles. She finally realized that she was eating several fudgecicles a day. She would get stressed, she went for a fudgecicle. So what did she do? She threw the box away. That story inspires me. Suzy realized that her good choice was only good when she had control over it. I'm learning more and more every day that I need to have the control over what goes into my mouth, both good and bad.
My sister-in-law, Kirsten, started this journey with me last year. Kirsten has always been the type of person to see a challenge and meet it head on. She worked out religiously, tracked her points regularly, and changed her lifestyle. As a result, she's lost a tremendous amount of weight and has kept it off. What's more, she has continually exceeded her own expectation and pushed herself to a new level of activity. She holds herself accountable, and works every day to make the right choices. Sure there are days that she thinks a choice could have been different, but she is determined and focused and is a true success story in my opinion. She inspires me.
As I've said before, today is a new day, and so is tomorrow. I'm ready for the gym tonight and plan to continue on the track to a healthy life. This week, I have a goal. I want to lose weight and feel better. It only takes one pound at a time.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Back in the Saddle
Have you ever felt like your life was like the song Back in the Saddle? You know the one I mean, right?
Seems like so many of my posts lately have to do with starting over. But each day is a new day I guess.
I spent the last week or two eating everything in sight and still not feeling satisfied. If I had something salty, I wanted something sweet. I ate emotionally. I ate when I was stressed (which these days seems to be all of the time with the chaos of work).
So, after a weekend of ice cream sundae left over from Hallie's birthday party, I made a new commitment, and today I actually stuck to it. I stayed within my Weight Watcher points even though we went out to dinner, and went to work out even though I was exhausted. I didn't work out as long as I would've liked to since my knee wasn't happy with me, but I still did it and even broke a sweat (or as my mom would say, I glistened).
What's even better, I didn't run to the kitchen the moment I got home to gorge myself with the mental excuse being that I had just worked out and needed some energy - some fuel for my body. My body has an over abundance of stored up fuel. I can take a break every now and then.
So this week my goal is simple - lose at least an ounce.
Seems like so many of my posts lately have to do with starting over. But each day is a new day I guess.
I spent the last week or two eating everything in sight and still not feeling satisfied. If I had something salty, I wanted something sweet. I ate emotionally. I ate when I was stressed (which these days seems to be all of the time with the chaos of work).
So, after a weekend of ice cream sundae left over from Hallie's birthday party, I made a new commitment, and today I actually stuck to it. I stayed within my Weight Watcher points even though we went out to dinner, and went to work out even though I was exhausted. I didn't work out as long as I would've liked to since my knee wasn't happy with me, but I still did it and even broke a sweat (or as my mom would say, I glistened).
What's even better, I didn't run to the kitchen the moment I got home to gorge myself with the mental excuse being that I had just worked out and needed some energy - some fuel for my body. My body has an over abundance of stored up fuel. I can take a break every now and then.
So this week my goal is simple - lose at least an ounce.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Setting Attainable Goals
I started this year with a huge plan. I have to get on an airplane in May for a business trip and I was determined to lose 50 pounds before boarding that plane. I've realized recently that I'm thinking of goals in a way that seems to be overwhelming, which ultimately makes me feel like they are unattainable.
Take this past weekend for instance. I went to a scrapbook conference with one of my favorite people in the world (love you Kirsten). I had this vision of me in my workout garb running around the block a dozen times working off the very healthy lunch mind mind had fixed for my consumption. With this new found commitment of the year, I was sure that I was going to be the weight loss angel. Yeah right! Will power - not one of my strong suits. About half way on the drive to Portland, I realized my dream of a perfect guilt free weekend would not be possible and quite frankly wasn't realistic. So, with the help of Kirsten, I retrained my mind. I set small goals and did things one at a time.
First, breakfast. Big surprise, I hadn't eaten anything to start my day and knew that the drive thru was our only choice given the time we had to get to Portland to take our first scrapbooking class. Goal number one, make a good choice for breakfast. I'm happy to say, goal number one accomplished. We went to McD's and I opted for the egg mcmuffin (for you WW buddies - 7 points) and the water I had brought. Lunch was another story. The chicken strips and fries were screaming my name, but it was time to set another goal. Goal number two, make a good choice for lunch. I chose the turkey sandwich on rye, no mayo. I added a Starbucks Vanilla Bean Cream, but ordered without the whipped cream and discovered they make it with nonfat milk - SCORE! I could go on and on about the goals, but I think you get the picture.
I learned a few things this weekend that I wanted to share.
* You don't have to give up the fun you've had in your "past life" before you counted calories and avoided processed foods. You just have to make different choices.
* Pizza is good whether you get stuffed crust cheesy loaded grease dripping Pizza Hut, or the Chicken Bacon Artichoke Delight pizza from Papa Murphy's. Let me tell you friend, that is one good pizza with a fraction of the fat grams and calories. You can practically eat half a pizza for the number of points I usually save for dinner.
* Dessert doesn't need to be a chocolate brownie covered in fudge and loaded with peanut butter. It can be a low sugar yellow cake mix baked with nothing more added than a can of diet cream soda and topped with a lowfat (or no fat) frozen yogurt (the tart kind is awesome - thanks for the introduction to it Michele).
* It is not a human requirement to eat popcorn or greasy potato chips while watching a movie. Keep your hands busy and your mouth will get over it. Crochet or cross stitch. Besides then you have something else to keep your eyes on during the gross parts of the horror flick you're watching.
So, I've decided to set a couple of goals this week that are smaller and more attainable than the overwhelming 50 pounds before May. Maybe if I achieve enough of these, I'll actually make those 50 pounds.
1) Get my new WW code to get the online program started again. Let's face it, I know what to eat, but portion control is not my strong suit right now.
2) Build up my courage to run 30 seconds on the treadmill at the gym. It doesn't matter what jiggles or how long it takes to stop, if I never try it, I will never conquer it.
3) Make sure my rewards are appropriate and not food related. If I lose an ounce, I'm not entitled to a new outfit, nor should I run out and eat a hot fudge sundae.
4) If I skip a day at the gym, either make it up on an off day or do something mobile at home to get my heart rate up.
These are the goals I need to start with. Maybe next week I'll be ready for more.
Take this past weekend for instance. I went to a scrapbook conference with one of my favorite people in the world (love you Kirsten). I had this vision of me in my workout garb running around the block a dozen times working off the very healthy lunch mind mind had fixed for my consumption. With this new found commitment of the year, I was sure that I was going to be the weight loss angel. Yeah right! Will power - not one of my strong suits. About half way on the drive to Portland, I realized my dream of a perfect guilt free weekend would not be possible and quite frankly wasn't realistic. So, with the help of Kirsten, I retrained my mind. I set small goals and did things one at a time.
First, breakfast. Big surprise, I hadn't eaten anything to start my day and knew that the drive thru was our only choice given the time we had to get to Portland to take our first scrapbooking class. Goal number one, make a good choice for breakfast. I'm happy to say, goal number one accomplished. We went to McD's and I opted for the egg mcmuffin (for you WW buddies - 7 points) and the water I had brought. Lunch was another story. The chicken strips and fries were screaming my name, but it was time to set another goal. Goal number two, make a good choice for lunch. I chose the turkey sandwich on rye, no mayo. I added a Starbucks Vanilla Bean Cream, but ordered without the whipped cream and discovered they make it with nonfat milk - SCORE! I could go on and on about the goals, but I think you get the picture.
I learned a few things this weekend that I wanted to share.
* You don't have to give up the fun you've had in your "past life" before you counted calories and avoided processed foods. You just have to make different choices.
* Pizza is good whether you get stuffed crust cheesy loaded grease dripping Pizza Hut, or the Chicken Bacon Artichoke Delight pizza from Papa Murphy's. Let me tell you friend, that is one good pizza with a fraction of the fat grams and calories. You can practically eat half a pizza for the number of points I usually save for dinner.
* Dessert doesn't need to be a chocolate brownie covered in fudge and loaded with peanut butter. It can be a low sugar yellow cake mix baked with nothing more added than a can of diet cream soda and topped with a lowfat (or no fat) frozen yogurt (the tart kind is awesome - thanks for the introduction to it Michele).
* It is not a human requirement to eat popcorn or greasy potato chips while watching a movie. Keep your hands busy and your mouth will get over it. Crochet or cross stitch. Besides then you have something else to keep your eyes on during the gross parts of the horror flick you're watching.
So, I've decided to set a couple of goals this week that are smaller and more attainable than the overwhelming 50 pounds before May. Maybe if I achieve enough of these, I'll actually make those 50 pounds.
1) Get my new WW code to get the online program started again. Let's face it, I know what to eat, but portion control is not my strong suit right now.
2) Build up my courage to run 30 seconds on the treadmill at the gym. It doesn't matter what jiggles or how long it takes to stop, if I never try it, I will never conquer it.
3) Make sure my rewards are appropriate and not food related. If I lose an ounce, I'm not entitled to a new outfit, nor should I run out and eat a hot fudge sundae.
4) If I skip a day at the gym, either make it up on an off day or do something mobile at home to get my heart rate up.
These are the goals I need to start with. Maybe next week I'll be ready for more.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
More Lists
Days like today are the ones where you just want to go home and curl up in the chair with a cozy blanket and a half-gallon of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. That might have been the way I would handle things a month ago, but not the choice I made today. I can't help but be proud of myself as I think about what could have been, and what was. Instead of diving head first into that chocolate peanut butter goodness, I cooked a broccoli beef stir fry and low fat "fried" rice for my family. I sat with my girls and had a great dinner and then proceeded to make plans to go to the gym with my friend for later this evening.
While I know my post yesterday was all about excuses, today is all about the positive. Here are a few things I've learned on this journey that seemed to be restarted over and over again...
1) I can only walk this road one day at a time. Today is all that matters, not the mistakes of yesterday or the challenges of tomorrow.
2) I won't enjoy the blessings I have if I am a physical wreck. I have a purpose to this journey and I need to remember that with each step on the treadmill.
3) The elliptical machine was probably not made in hell and it's a mountain I can climb and shout from the top "look at me world - I am a conqueror."
4) If I want to give advice on health, I need to actually live a healthy lifestyle. I may have all the knowledge in the world about getting into shape and finding health, but if I don't practice what I preach, I'm nothing more than the emptiness of my words.
5) There's nothing more encouraging on a journey like this than the supportive words of family and friends. I will never tire of hearing the words "I'm proud of you."
6) With every pound lost and every inch that is gone, my smile just gets bigger and bigger. Now I have a great excuse to show off those pearly whites.
7) Although the battles are mine to fight alone, it's nice to know that I have friends who walk beside me, hold my hand, and cheer me on as I kick the fat-meister in the butt. Thank you Kirsten, Deana, Mom, Christina, Michael, Pam, Marilyn and the many others who love me for who I am and see me for who I can become.
While I know my post yesterday was all about excuses, today is all about the positive. Here are a few things I've learned on this journey that seemed to be restarted over and over again...
1) I can only walk this road one day at a time. Today is all that matters, not the mistakes of yesterday or the challenges of tomorrow.
2) I won't enjoy the blessings I have if I am a physical wreck. I have a purpose to this journey and I need to remember that with each step on the treadmill.
3) The elliptical machine was probably not made in hell and it's a mountain I can climb and shout from the top "look at me world - I am a conqueror."
4) If I want to give advice on health, I need to actually live a healthy lifestyle. I may have all the knowledge in the world about getting into shape and finding health, but if I don't practice what I preach, I'm nothing more than the emptiness of my words.
5) There's nothing more encouraging on a journey like this than the supportive words of family and friends. I will never tire of hearing the words "I'm proud of you."
6) With every pound lost and every inch that is gone, my smile just gets bigger and bigger. Now I have a great excuse to show off those pearly whites.
7) Although the battles are mine to fight alone, it's nice to know that I have friends who walk beside me, hold my hand, and cheer me on as I kick the fat-meister in the butt. Thank you Kirsten, Deana, Mom, Christina, Michael, Pam, Marilyn and the many others who love me for who I am and see me for who I can become.
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