Your Life is About Change

Sound dramatic?  Well, it is!  Not only are your eating habits going to change, think about it, your LIFE is going to change.  Your self esteem is going to go up.  Your motivation is going to increase and your waist is going to shrink. 

Sounds like a WIN, WIN, WIN proposition, right?  Well, it is.  You are going to move from a mental state of hopelessness to one of self-control and power.  You will begin to believe in your ability to take charge, and stop seeing yourself as a passive victim of your weight.

“LOOK OUT WORLD WE’RE COMING IN!!”

So, how are you going to do this you ask?  The first step is to believe you can become thin for life!

And, how are you going to do that, you say?  Well, you’ll be most likely able to do that by not going it alone and you’ve already started by coming here.  Most people who have lost weight and kept it off have turned to others for support; some on a regular basis, and others as needed, somewhere along their journey.  Weight control experts have determined that support from family, friends and maintenance support groups is associated with long term weight loss.

You can get individual support through counseling with a registered dietitian or psychologist, a weight loss program, a friend, a spouse, a relative or you can get it right HERE! 

The reason I started this blog is not only as a support system to give you assurance that you’re not alone, but to provide a place to exchange ideas.  It can also help with getting your problems in perspective and hopefully heighten your accountability to yourself. 

Some people need more support in the beginning while others need reinforcement for a longer period of time, maybe even forever.

What’s important is that you recognize that your need or desire for support is a sign of strength, not weakness.  Each time you feel discouraged remind yourself of at least one positive image or goal you have set.  Write this in your journal or add it to your collage!

When things get tough, focus on what you CAN have rather than on deprivation.  And, fortunately on the 17 Day Diet the “CAN” list is pretty long!  (Maybe you can add photos or pictures of your 17 Day Diet “CAN HAVE” foods to your collage!)

As W.C. Fields said, “I can resist anything except temptation!”

Oh and by the way, an upcoming blog entry is going to be about having a PERFECT DAY!  I’m going to ask everybody on the blog to make a goal of having ONE PERFECT 17 DAY DIET DAY with no cheating-eating!  You can sign up here or on Facebook!  More to come….

ALSO, GIVEAWAY COMING SOON!

DOING MAINTENANCE TODAY

Please stand by!  I’m doing some maintenance today so some of the links are missing.  I apologize.  Anyway, please check  back later or tomorrow and things should be in order and easier to find! 

Some menus are missing but I’ll get it put together HOPEFULLY by tonight.  The good news, I can’t EAT and TYPE at the same time!  (Well, I’m sure I COULD but no reason to work on developing THAT skill, right?)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So, tomorrows the  BIG DAY  to the start of a smaller you!  For many of you today is the end of unhealthy eating and is the most you’ll ever weigh again.  Sounds good, right? 

I know many of you have started the 17 Day Diet already, some are starting on Monday the 3^rd and some are starting tomorrow.  Where ever you are in the program I’m hoping the next 17 days you’ll commit or recommit to coming by here at least once a day to either get or offer support.

If you haven’t done it already (broken record here) it’s a great time to take your BEFORE PHOTOS. Front, back, right side, left side.  Wear something as “revealing” as possible.  Maybe the bikini that’s been in the drawer since grade school!  I know it’s painful.  I had to do mine and send them to a television show – so believe me, I KNOW. But, I was appreciative after I took the second set and could see improvements.

The holidays can be rough but do me a favor:  Don’t beat yourself up and stress over trying to avoid indulgences.  As previously discussed, whether the holidays, an anniversary weekend, a birthday party or your vacations…decide HOW to indulge. Have a plan going in.

Once you’ve lost the weight you can have it all – you just can’t have it all at once!  Maybe one day you’ll have a piece of pie. (Not an entire pie, please) The next day, bread with dinner (Not the entire basket, please) LOSING the weight is only temporary.  Will you be able to eat the way you always have?  Well, not if you want to keep the weight off…but, there is a happy medium.

Tonight I’m having red meat.  Something I haven’t had in, months!  (Okay, I guess it’s only been weeks but it feels like MONTHS)  I’m not eating a side of beef but I am having a small steak.  It’s my New Years dinner.  Then tomorrow, back to the program. 

Have you started your collage?  If not it’s a great time to start. Whether you’re 19 or 90, male or female, this is a tool that works and it works for a reason – especially if you’re a “visual” person.  It will keep you focused on the positive and allow you to look back on your discoveries, accomplishments and breakthroughs. (It will also keep your hands busy – you can’t “collage” with greasy hands) It can be a self portrait and I think it would be good to include your photo at least once every 17 days!  Especially for those who are completing more than one Cycle.

You might even take a journal and complete a page a day.  You don’t have time?  Well, think of all that time you’ll have not spent thinking about and eating food?!?!?  And, if you are thinking about food, COLLAGE it instead of eating it!

 Remember we need tools to help us maintain the weight loss, right?  Read the previous blog post on “Foundation for Recovery” if you need more information.  The answers to some of the questions below should be part of your collage!

QUESTIONS: 

Why do you overeat?

What are you going to do instead of eat?

How do you think your life would be different if you lost weight?  What would it look like?

What would you look like?

What’s been holding you back?

How did you get in the shape you’re in?

How does your environment reflect you?

Don’t know where to start?  Take a snapshot of your life today.  In may be a photo or journal entry or cutouts from magazines.  What are the uncensored details? 

I don’t know about you but I really struggle with photos.  I find I’m hiding because I don’t like what I see.  I’m going to try to change this – along with a lot of other things in the upcoming year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  And here’s to starting the journey to a HAPPIER NEW YOU!

Quick Note

On “our” Facebook page, under DISCUSSIONS there are two new topics.  One page, started by Debbie is for recipes (thanks Debbie).  Please read and feel free to add any recipes you have or come up with.  Also, any ideas for food can be added there (doesn’t have to be a formal recipe).

The other is a section where you can post your favorite EXERCISE SONGS and PLAYLISTS.  Mine are too long to post them all but every few days I’ll post a few songs I listened to that day.  You can do the same!  I dare you to listen to some of these songs and not move!  DARE YOU!!!

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=149&post=871&uid=154431391270315#!/pages/17-DAY-DIET/154431391270315

Foundation for Recovery

No Debbie, you’re not alone!  I’ve gained 3 pounds! (Read the comments sections to see the reference)  BUT the holidays will be over soon and it’s not the 5 or 6 pounds I usually would have gained.  Christmas Day and the day after I ate anything that didn’t eat me first…I think my mistake was going in with the “I’ll eat anything I want for that one meal” attitude.  NOT A GOOD STRATEGY. It’s amazing how much I could pack in over one two hour “meal.”  I would have been much better off eating an apple and vegetable soup prior to dinner at my aunt’s house where there was every food and elaborate dessert imaginable.

I know there are a couple of questions in the comments so please feel free to answer from your experience or if you have something that’s working for you, or not working for you, share it there!

Hopefully by next week you’ve taken your “BEFORE” photos. 

Also, and stick with me here, I think it’s helpful to start a collage. Yes, I know, we’re not in high school and it may sound silly but hey, what else are we going to do with our idle hands now that they aren’t busy putting food in our mouths?  I don’t care if you’re 18 or 80 if you’re working on losing weight and eating healthy you want to make a life change, right?  Have you made a collage like this before?  I bet not.  We’ve all been on diets before and it hasn’t worked or the weight hasn’t stayed off, right?  If it did we wouldn’t be here.  So please, give it a try, for me.

What I’d like you to do is work on a collage of what you’d like your life to look like.  Get out the scissors and paste.  You can make it a small page in your journal or poster size, whatever suits you.  No one has to know or you can paste it on the front door to your house…all that matters is once a day YOU can see it.  You might even do two, one with your BEFORE photo and one with room for your AFTER photo.

You see, losing the weight is only one battle in the war.  We’ve decided to use this particular diet, which I think is a great healthy way to lose weight, to take the weight off, but then what?  What’s going to keep it off? 

We need to make BIGGER changes. 

Just eating right and taking the weight off  is only one part of what we need to do.  What’s as important is developing a sense of who you are and what makes you truly happy.  This is what will keep the weight off. 

We need to build a foundation for recovery.  We don’t want to do all this work and have a temporary weight loss, right?  Been there, done that. 

Work on your collage and if inspired take a photo of it and send it to me.  I’ll post them. What inspires you just might inspire someone else, right?

And if you’ve been having trouble remember, tomorrow is a new day.  Don’t give up.  This isn’t about “a day” it’s about your life.

Overview of the 17 Day Diet

I thought it might be interested to get an idea of how much weight we want to lose!  Please only “vote” once!

If you look at the top of the page there is a new LINK  (Next to ABOUT ME)  to OVERVIEW OF THE 17 DAY DIET.  It includes a quick menu example for all the Cycles of the diet.

 If you’ve just found your way here because of the recent shows on Dr. Phil or The Doctors last week, WELCOME!  In addition to reading the blog posts please read the “COMMENTS” sections.  There’s lots of good information there and comments and suggestions from members who are on the diet.  Also, maybe someone has already asked, and answered, a question you may have.  Feel free to use the comments sections to ask any questions you may have

This is a good time to go back and catch up on some posts I’ve already written. 

GETTING STARTED:  

https://17daydiet.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/

EXERCISE:  

 https://17daydiet.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/

WHILE WAITING FOR THE BOOK:  

https://17daydiet.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/

TO WEIGH OR NOT TO WEIGH: 

https://17daydiet.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/

YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE A PLAN: 

https://17daydiet.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/

Setting Realistic Goals

It’s important to set up realistic goals that don’t set you up for failure. In other words if you hate fish, don’t go on the “All fish, All The Time Diet” even if it promises you that you’ll lose 10 pounds the first week! (Been there, done that!  Those type quick loss 10 lbs ended up adding 15 pounds to the scale and my waistline)

We’ve had enough failures in our lives – this is the time to PLAN SUCCESS.  Vague goals like “I’ll be thin by summer” or unrealistic goals such as, “I’ll never eat <insert favorite food here>” might be successful for a while but let’s face it they can’t be sustained.  This may even be why you’ve failed in the past.  I know some of you aren’t starting the diet until the first of the year so maybe until then you can start by:

• Basing your goals on where you are now, not on some unrealistic standard.  For instance, if you’ve been eating sweets three times a day, maybe it’s more realistic to cut back to once a day or three times a week than to assume you’ll never have another crème brulee.  Similarly if you never eat breakfast maybe you could start by eating something healthy in the morning just to get in the habit.

 

• Don’t set “never” or “always” goals.  These types of goals can’t be maintained for the long haul.  Instead of swearing off ice cream forever, make your goal to eat it only in controlled situations, like in a restaurant where the portions are pre-determined (In other words you don’t have an entire gallon of Rocky Road in the freezer!) and you can share with a friend.

 

• Instead of saying “I am going to eat healthier” or “I’m going to get in shape,” try to be specific.  “I’m going to eat fruit once a day”or“I’m going to walk on my lunch break.” 

 

• Be willing to change your goals.  If it’s not working for you – change it!  If having dessert three times a week isn’t working decide to have something every night but watch the portions. When possible only buy enough for that evening.  If it’s not there you can’t eat it.

 

• Give yourself praise even for the small accomplishments.  Whether it’s physical or food related any change in the right direction counts!

Sometimes, especially when you have 30 or more pounds to lose you might think, “What the heck, two cookies isn’t going to make a difference,” but if you set goals just for the day or even just for a particular meal you’re less likely to get caught in that trap.

My Secret Arsenal

I’m building a secret arsenal.  I mean let’s face it; a person can only eat so many chicken breasts and cans of tuna before going crazy, right?  Although I really don’t like to cook and don’t experiment much in the kitchen I am learning to spread my flabby wings, experiment a little bit and build an arsenal of “acceptable” foods. 

I don’t think I’m a picky eater but I do like things to taste a certain way.  One thing that’s really surprised me is sausage.  MADE FROM VEGETABLES! 

I know what you’re thinking! 

MEAT? 

Made from vegetables? 

You’ve got to be kidding!  

Thanks, but no thanks, right?

Usually I steer clear of that section of the grocery like the plague but after giving it a try I was pleasantly surprised to find out they weren’t bad.  In fact not only are they not bad, they are actually good!  They taste almost exactly like the “real” thing. 

For breakfast today I had an egg white omelet, a vegetable sausage patty and a couple of slices of canned peaches heated up.  I don’t know that I could have distinguished the difference in the vegetable patty and the “real” thing.  Really!  Trust me on this one.  It’s at least worth a try, right? 

I bet you could even fool your family into believing it was the real deal. (Just make sure you hide the packaging in the bottom of the trash can.)

For lunch I made tuna with low-fat mayo (Okay, I’m working towards the non-fat), Dijon mustard, celery, diced apple, red onion and a TINY BIT of dried cherries.  Better to leave the cherries off of course but I used a miniscule amount.  It was delicious.

Have you made the soup?  It’s good, filling and you can eat it anytime.  In fact before cooking a holiday meal for the family, before going out to dinner, before the holiday parties; anytime you think you might overeat…eat an apple and a bowl of the vegetable soup first.  It won’t be possible to do too much damage after that, you’ll just be too full!

In the next couple of days my writing might slow down a little bit due to the holidays but please use this time to go back and reread some of the posts and ESPECIALLY read the comments sections for the progress of some of our members and recipe ideas.  We really have a wonderful group of people here – smart, funny, honest and giving.  I’ve been fortunate to email with most of you at some point and I’m delighted to hear your stories – you all have so much to offer.  If you click on the calendar to the “right” and start on December 8^th you will be able to read the blog from beginning to end.

I WILL BE POSTING – just maybe not as much!  So please remember to check in regularly. 

Also, people have requested a message board and a place for recipes.  I’m looking into both.  For now use the comment section. 

Oh and yesterday I had a butter accident.  Yep.  I was sitting there, minding my own business, cooking a chicken sausage link (Also VERY GOOD, give them a try too) and the darn sausage wouldn’t brown and next thing I knew there, in the pan, right before my eyes was…A TINY BIT OF BUTTER!  It just sort of flew in there before I could grab my PAM…Which leads me to this….

…It’s a holiday week.  It’s going to be tough out there.  There’s going to be butter and sugar flying around all over the place!  It’s going to be sneaking around every corner and calling your name in the night!

But, if you’re like me, I might usually have gained anywhere between 2 and 5 pounds this week.  I feel like if I can maintain or maybe even lose a pound, I’m doing pretty darn good and so are you.  Don’t beat yourself up. 

Yes, you may slip…we all do.  It happens.  (I laughed while reading the comments about Sasha’s (“1 tini nibble of cookie dough”)

I suggest having a plan.  Use a smaller plate.  Take smaller portions.  Don’t weigh yourself the day after – instead get back on the program, drink your water and tea, give it a couple of days THEN weigh yourself.  The important thing is DON’T GIVE UP.  It’s only “a day.”  There will be plenty of them.  Your eating program is not going to be perfect every day.  You can’t be perfect every day.  We just need to start being better most days.

The motto of the week:

Do the best with what you’ve got and when you can, do better.

Thank you all for being here.  This has been a wonderful experience and I’m looking forward to starting the New Year with all the new friends I’ve made here.

I’m “here”….

I know this week might be difficult for some of you.  Regardless of whether you’ve started the diet or not the week before a holiday can be stressful.  And Stress = Food.  Well, at least for me it does.  Actually just about anything “can” equal food now that I think about it.  Happy = Food.  Unhappy = Food.  Stress = Food.  Relaxed = Food.  (Okay, maybe different kinds of food – remind me later to tell you about my recent trip to West Virginia to see my birth father, step-mother, sister and nieces  for the first time in almost 20 years – which was wonderful, btw – and all the fried green tomatoes and fried okra I ate, OMG)

Anyway, I’m working on a couple of posts for this week.  I don’t know that I’ll post one every day but “I’m here” everyday.  I check in, I read, I write, I work.  Sometimes a post takes me a few days (Hard to believe I put that much time into a post isn’t it?) And, other people are “here.”  PLEASE read the comments. There is some great information in there. Debbie has shared her PLAN for holiday eating and please feel free to share yours too!  I read every comment and I hope you do too.

If you have a recipe please share it!   

And now, an admission.  Quiet please.  Shhhhhhh….ahem, okay, I USE SPLENDA.  I know, I know, I know…I know what the book says.  I get it but seriously if I don’t have something sweet there’s going to be big trouble in little China – or something like that!   Debbie is looking for a sugar free fruit yogurt (is that right, Debbie?) and hasn’t found one.   If you notice non-fat yogurt is much higher in sugar than “regular” yogurt!  Crazy, huh?

Here’s what I do; I slice strawberries and mix them with Greek Style non-fat yogurt and use Splenda.  Also, Splenda has a brown sugar version.  You can slice your apple, put it in the microwave with a little water for a couple of minutes until it’s softened (some people tell me they put a little diet soda in instead of water – I haven’t tried that yet) sprinkle with brown sugar Splenda and cinnamon.  It’s delicious!

I’m working on the possibility of expanding the software here to offer more options.  Someone suggested we post our heights, weights and desired weight in our comments.  There’s no way I can do that from here but I think it’s a great idea!  Feel free to do it!

I am on this journey with you.  Have I successful lost some weight?  Yes, I have.  Do I need to lose more?   Yes, I do.  Is it easy for me, NO IT ISN’T.  Every day is a new struggle.  It never comes easy – at least not yet. 

I woke up this morning dreaming of being with friends looking at vacation photos I was in and was so embarrassed at the way I looked.  I could see myself in actual outfits I owned and I looked so terrible I was mortified.  This leads me back to “THE PHOTOS”.  I really think this is a secret tool.  I think we forget what we look like.  Just like age…Sometimes I look at a photo and think “Wow, what a terrible photo, I look SO OLD.”  Until I see about 10 more photos from the same time and realize, oh, wait, that’s what I really look like!

If you’re new here please go back and read the past entries.  There aren’t that many (If you go to the calendar to the right and start at 12/08/10, that’s the first entry) and please don’t forget to subscribe.  If you’ve been around for a week or two make sure you’ve read the comments.  There’s good information there and please feel free to add your comments!

REMINDERS…

While I’m working on the next post I just wanted to make a couple of quick reminders.

• Have you taken your photos yet?  Are you going to take your photos?  You are, right?  You better take those photos!  Don’t make me come over there. And there.  And there.  And over there!  Really, you’ll thank me for it later.  Also it really helps when you want to eat something if you look at those photos first and say out loud three times:  “A moment on my lips, a lifetime on my hips!” Actually I don’t know if that will help but it can’t hurt right?  And it sure makes you think about the REAL COST of that Twinkie.  For the show we had to take four photos – front, back, right side and left side view.  And remember, no one has to see the photos but you (well except in my case where I sent them to a NATIONAL TELECASTED TV SHOW – Holy Moly, what the heck was I thinking) If you’re very clever, unlike me, you can set the time up on your camera and you don’t even need a second person to take the photos.

 

• To subscribe to the blog just fill in the EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION button on the right side of the page.  This way you’ll automatically be advised anytime I put a new post up.  I’m really trying to put up at least 5 new posts a week but we’ll see how well I do!  I’m trying but with the holidays it’s getting tight!

 

• Have you taken your photos yet?  Just a little reminder.

 

• Finally, if you like the blog and think it might be helpful please give people you know (and preferably ones you like) the address.  I would like to get enough readers at some point to be able to give some gifts away but I need to average about 500 hits a day first. (We’ve had up to 325 already!)

 

• Also, have you started on your diet yet?  Are you waiting until the first of the year?  I’m working on some additional tools if you’re interested.  I noticed a couple of people have posted their stats in the comments area – GOOD FOR YOU!  You are all welcome to do that or if you prefer (let me know in the comments) you could send me your information and I could have some one put it together and post a pie chart.  For instance just generally telling us how many people here want to lose 10 pounds or 20 pounds or more.  I’m looking at some options that might do that for us in a “poll” form. 

 

• Thanks for sticking with me while I set up house here.

 

That’s all for now.