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!

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!

You’ve Got To Have a Plan

I guess it’s time to start thinking about  getting through the holidays.

Look, I think it’s completely up to you to decide if you want to tell people you’re on a diet.  Only you know if you’ll be around the type of people who will support you or the type of people who, if you don’t sabotage yourself, will gladly do it for you!  And, don’t get me wrong. Some of the best saboteurs are the ones who love you the most! Yes, they will love the fat right past your lips and onto your hips.

The important thing for you to do, regardless of what your decisions are going to be, is to think about them in advance.  Have a plan.

Maybe your plan is not to lose weight but to maintain.  That’s okay.  Maintaining your current weight is an achievement when there’s dip and candy and pie seemingly falling from the sky.  Maybe you’re going on a cruise and your plan is to ONLY gain 5 pounds.  That’s okay too.

It’s important to have a plan.  You should have a plan.  YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN!

You may want to include things in your plan like trying to eat slowly.  See if you can be the last person to have food left of their plate – of the first serving of course!

You definitely shouldn’t allow yourself to get too hungry.  Take a bite of things or small portions so you’re not feeling deprived.  I know you’re worried that if you pass up that special dessert mom makes only once a year you’ll crave it and dream about it for the next 364 days so have some of it!  Maybe your plan can include having “three bites of everything!”  That’s okay too.

Remember, God willing, this will not be the last pumpkin pie you ever eat.  You don’t need to eat a huge piece.  If you MUST have some have a bite, cut a tiny sliver.  Don’t let other people serve you if you can help it. Do it yourself.  Don’t let them decide what a portion is.  YOU know what a portion is!  We all do.  We’re diet experts, right?

If the festivities are on your turf make sure your grocery list includes a vegetable tray and DUMP THE RANCH DRESSING.  Throw it away.  It’s poison. 

Eat celery and carrots, drink water and green tea all day long!  It will keep you full so even if you do slip there won’t be room for too much.

Up the exercise.  The day before, the day of and the day after.  Even an extra 10 minutes is something although you’d be my hero if you up it 30 minutes or more.

EAT APPLES.  Apples are great. They are good for you. They come in all different colors and flavors. You can have hard ones, soft ones, sweet ones, sour ones. (Unfortunately my favorite, “Pippin’s”, are almost impossible to find but I find the “Jazz” are pretty good). 

Apples are also filling.  If you’re in the 1^st Cycle of the 17 Day Diet you shouldn’t eat apples all day long but right now if a couple of apples on a holiday keep you from eating an entire cheesecake then the trade-off is pretty good, right?

 If you eat an apple and drink a glass of water before a meal you will not be able to overeat.  I guarantee it!  It’s almost impossible.

 AND, my personal, number one, best tip for not gaining weight over the holidays!?!?!?

 NO ELASTIC WAISTS.

Honestly, I think elastic waists and stretch materials are extremely dangerous and very hazardous to your health and to your new lifestyle. Elastic waists should come with warning labels “DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD!”

In fact, do yourself a favor and eliminate as many elastic waists from your wardrobe as as fast as you can.  No good can come from them.  Trust me on this one.  You’ll be better off wearing something that “reminds” you, even though uncomfortably, you’re full.  You’ve had enough.

Most importantly before you get into a situation where you might over eat, yep, that’s right, you got it, make a plan.  Think of it as a map you want to follow into this new territory.  Maybe your plan includes some extra calories. That’s okay.  If you’ve prepared for that you’re much less likely to get depressed and beat yourself up afterwards and much more likely to get right back on track.

We’ll talk more about this in the upcoming week.

Oh and if you haven’t already don’t forget to subscribe. I will be doing some giveaways soon and you don’t want to miss out!