It’s FRIDAY!!!! And, I thought I’d write another edition of “Ask Me” to kick off the weekend..
I honestly have had this email for about 2 weeks. Ugh… I know, that’s WAY too long. I struggled with how to respond, and with what exactly I wanted to say. When people reach out to me, I truly want to help… and if my words don’t flow properly, I don’t want to do them a disservice. You’ll know what I mean, when you read this awesome question I got.
So, here’s why today is the perfect day for me to respond to this email: I made this decision “to get started” exactly THREE years ago today. A decision that has truly changed my life in every possible way!
When you’re overweight, you think about it every single day. You think about it when you’re walking into your office, you think about it when your drying off after a shower, you think about it every time you pass by a reflective surface. You know that something needs to change. You feel like you “have to” do something.
And, then… another day passes, and life goes on. You busy yourself with everything else, and you don’t lose the weight. You struggle to carry the weight up flights of stairs and learn to fake a smile when people say you “have such a pretty face.”
So… how did I get started? I finally decided to CHOOSE CHANGE. I know this sounds like an oversimplification, but stay with me… I was triggered to admit that it was “time” when I saw a picture of myself that was very unflattering (and eye opening) and I realized it was time to stop hiding behind the weight.
As I thought of making a change, I mentally went back to my days of Weight Watchers and remembered one of my leaders telling me this…
I needed to do something different.
What I was doing clearly wasn’t working for me… so, I chose change.
I looked at what was going on, and realized that more than anything… I felt out of control. I felt like I could never say no to food, and that I had ZERO plan for getting it under control. Of the many, many choices of weight loss programs out there, I chose Jenny Craig, and I never looked back for a second.
Jenny Craig gave me structure that I was DYING to achieve, and she gave me results. I was seeing that 1-2 lb. weight loss that I heard accompanied a healthy diet. I was getting it done and eating delicious food along the way…
I took to my weight loss, as though my life depended on it. It was a prescription that I had to follow to regain my life. I purged my pantry of any temptations, and I made a weekly plan for what I wanted to eat from the Jenny Craig menu (and I stuck to it!)
The other thing that I found… was as soon as the weight started to fall off, I started to have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY. Part of it was energy of being physically lighter, and the other part was that I was actually mentally lighter – – I stopped kicking myself for just living with my obesity and started patting myself on the back for taking action.
For me to lose weight, I knew the secret to my success would be the food… so, that’s where I started.
I’ve written about it many times… I don’t love to workout. And, when you’re eating terribly, a workout is NOT going to counteract it. For example: If I walk 30 minutes on the treadmill, I burn about 150 calories. That’s about 1.5 100-calorie packs. That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the calories my average Chipotle burrito creation (840 calories.)
Gradually and when my stubborn self was ready, I started to incorporate activity. The activity that I do today is mostly for my mind, as a stress reliever, and to boost my strength. I am forever convinced, however, that my food management is what helped me lose the weight and keep it off.
I stopped thinking about what my next huge meal was going to be, and started focusing on what I was going to DO after I ate my Jenny Craig dinner. I worked on beginning to train my brain to EAT TO LIVE, and not LIVE TO EAT. Note: This is a lesson I revisit all the time…
My biggest advice to you is to CHOOSE CHANGE. Make a plan, a plan that you can live with. A plan you’ll stick with. A plan that will make you proud. Make modifications, and constantly re-assess your plan to make sure that it’s still working for you.
And, lastly… celebrate YOU every step of the way! Do the things that make you feel good. Buy a new lipstick, enjoy a walk amongst the fall leaves. Still meet your friends for coffee and laugh lots. Be kind to yourself, and allow yourself to re-commit to yourself as many times as you need to until you reach your goal.
CHOOSE CHANGE… It’s worth it every single time!
Ok… now it’s your turn to weigh in: How did you “get started” on your weight loss journey?
Note: Before starting any weight loss program, I recommend seeking advice of a medical professional to select the right program and medical advice. Please review my disclaimer here.