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Weight Gain Confession

On a site where I have journaled about my weight loss adventures and posted tips on fitness topics, it feels really discouraging to have to admit that I recently gained weight and have not been able to effectively remove it. I know 8lbs might not be a big deal to many people, but it really is to me. For all the hours and work that I put into fitness; for the three years that I’ve been able to maintain a steady weight; for all the things I know about weight loss, I haven’t been able to come to grips with this quite yet.

I thought once one or two of these pounds came on, I would easily lose them like always and there would be nothing to talk about. But the 8 lbs came on suddenly three months ago, and they seem to be stuck. But I don’t want to gripe about them or keep them secret any longer. So, I’m setting up a game plan instead, because I’m just proactive like that. Ha! Here’s how I’m hoping to combat the creep:

1. I need to set up an appointment to rule out anything health-wise that might have caused this. Hopefully, some basic thyroid tests and such can rule that out. I did have one medical health change in October, and I’m now wondering if it may have had an effect.

2. Adding 1 more day per week to my exercise schedule. I met with a fitness expert who advised this step (even though she said I look slimmer–thank you!). I have a hard time hearing that I’m not doing enough (I already work out hard three days a week, walk to and from work some days, walk on my lunch breaks, have an astonishing amount of self-control, etc), but I am willing to try this out. Two concerns: one, finding the time when I already pack in the workouts and two, my level of soreness and burnout after a solid week of working out.

3. Minding my Peas and Cucumbers: I’ve found in the past that tracking my food is one of the most effective ways for me to combat weight creep. Just being aware of my calorie intake is enough to fend off weight gain. I like to do this only about a week at a time or it feels overwhelming. Which leads to my next step:

4. Set up an appointment with our dietitian at work. Perhaps she can look over my food intake and tell me what I can do better, because there’s always room for improvement.

5. De-stress. A job loss in our family also happened in October, which has led to a lot of stress in these last few months. This may have had an effect on my frame as well. I need to carve out time to deep breathe and dream until the situation changes. I also need to get my butt to bed a little earlier to decompress.

I’ll let you know how it goes…

What Have You Got to Lose?

Picture courtesy of Sunipix

A lot!

I was thinking about what might make someone motivated to lose weight when they’re sort of apathetic about their size…as in, their potentially-failing health, neutral body image, pleas from children, etc have not been enough of a push to get them to lose weight. These were some of my ideas:

1. Reproduction: Research shows that obesity is related to a host of reproductive problems. Planning to have a family–and a healthy one at that–can be a huge force toward leading a healthier lifestyle. I’ve also read that obese women are at higher risk for early and recurrent early miscarriages. It is highly advised that women get their weight under control to prevent this truly heartbreaking experience.

2. Insurance rates: I have seen instances where health insurance rates doubled as a result of health assessment reports. Talk about reason to lose weight!

3. Monetary incentives: Money, in general, is a good incentive for a lot of people to do anything. I see a lot of games popping up in area gyms and workplaces offering the “biggest loser” a pool of money or other great incentives. Perhaps stats on what they’d save money on if they’d lose weight such as grocery bills, clothing, airline seats (in some cases), gas, the obvious doctor bills and much more would assist in motivating.

4. Altruistic motives: How about encouragement to commit to running a race in honor of a friend with cancer or perhaps “dedicating” a few pounds to premature babies in the NICU (in the form of pledges per pound).

5: Success Stories: Motivational stories have always inspired me personally. When I see someone in my daily life begin to lose weight, I want to know everything about how they did it. It’s almost a stroke of jealousy that stirs up the desire in me. If someone larger than me (and whom I know personally or see in real life) can do it and look great, I want to!

6: I am also highly motivated to “show ’em” when people make rude comments or tease me about my weight or even another aspect of my life. When I came back to visit from my first semester in college, someone made a comment about my more-than-freshman-15 weight gain. That was a wake-up call. Someone else told me to revel in the weight I was at for my wedding because that was the lowest I’d ever be. Well, well, well. Today, after having a baby even, I weigh 15lbs less than I did the day I said my vows. I don’t appreciate being labeled, judged or pressed into a self-fulfilling prophesy of someone else’s. So there!

The New Charity “Race”

I just had a great idea for an invention I thought I’d share. Not so much a physical invention as an inventive idea. There are so many charity runs and only so many ways to switch those up (run a 5k night, taste beer along the way, etc). Why not do some sort of contest where you dedicate the pounds you intend to lose to a charity or worthy cause? You make some sort of pledge or solicit pledges for each pound lost. It would totally make sense to “donate your pounds” to premature babies in the ICU. This would be a great addition to a company wellness program or a gym promotion. Just a thought…

Nice Excuse

My foray as a backup hand model got me to thinking…ok, that sounds much more glamorous than it really is…But anyway, knowing that I could be called upon to put my digits on display, I keep a nail file, cuticle pusher and bottle of lotion within reach at my desk. Usually this is one of the first areas of my body to get neglected when time is at a premium. But this little modeling gig gives me a great excuse to keep those extremeties in presentable shape.

This got me to thinking of good excuses to get anything done. Lose 12 lbs, pen a fashion article, increase the amount in your emergency stash or teach your baby the ABC’s. A great way to get any of this done is to think ahead to an event or deadline that you want to make. Plan a vacation and think about what you want to wear on that vacation. Then, keep that mental wardrobe in mind every time your butt plants itself on the couch. Reunions, vacations, momentous birthdays, and style trends you’re dying to try make wonderful excuses to get off the couch. Writing contests or publishing calendars make wonderful motivators to sit down and finally polish off that manuscript. Milestone calendars provide a great push to help get your child to learn his alphabet. A hosted party is enough to get anyone’s home in tip-top shape (or at least the debris out of sight).

These clean fingernails sure are inspiring!

Diets Diets Everywhere

It’s kind of funny. Since I’ve climbed up the health hill, I’m much more apt to become annoyed when I hear people talk about diets. It seems almost silly, and I can tell when, like clockwork, they’ll totally ditch the plan in favor of all their previous indulgences. It’s really a tiresome process for everyone involved I think. I will be the first to applaud anyone’s weight loss and health goals, but it frustrates me when the “diet” (fad) followed isn’t sustainable, healthy, or taken very seriously.

Whenever a celeb or person we know loses weight, we all want to know what plan they followed. Then, we jump on the bandwagon only to fall off two weeks down the road. I think it helps to look at the big picture. Every infallible diet plan is based on some of the same basic diet principles. There’s no wand-waving, no juice or pill that will make everything better. And what does make everything better takes a whole lot of work. And it must be practiced for an entire lifetime.

Perhaps that’s what frustrates me most, when people think that they shouldn’t have to do much to watch the weight fall off. Or when they use every excuse ever devised. Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight the natural way and kept it off knows that it takes a damn lot of work! And when someone thinks it’s supposed to be easy, it’s rather insulting to the hours of planning and sweat we have worked through over the years. Us losers take pride in the accomplishments we have achieved and the raw effort it took to get here. And yes, some of us have kids, full-time jobs, hobbies, homes in need of attention, and so much more that we have to work against every day in order to be healthy.

Anyhow, enough ranting. I truly do wish everyone the best in their healthful endeavors. I just wish that we weren’t so hardwired to get caught in all of the hype. I even fall victim to that every once in awhile.

Witnessing a Success Story

Every once in awhile, you get to be a witness to a wicked transformation right before your eyes. A few months ago, a homely-looking couple at work began a weight loss program. Now, they’re both miniature replicas of their previous selves. Or should I say, better-dressed, taller-standing miniature versions of themselves. Suddenly, with their new haircuts and much brighter and closer-fitting clothing, they’ve become our stylish idols of change here at work. The swagger in both of their steps and the brighter smiles on their faces are highly motivating. It’s as though one positive change begins a snowball effect after with which confidence, style, poise and grace follow.

It’s just like when a girl gets a good haircut and style and thinks of all the places she needs to go that day just to get the most out of the great hair day and have it noticed by the most possible people. She suddenly injects a little swagger into her stride and perhaps stops off at the store to grab a bottle of potion to make her face look brighter within three days and a pair of sunglasses that perfectly frame her face. The effects of one positive change can be far-reaching.

These complete stunning changes only happen every once in a long while, so you just can’t help but stare.

Red Red Wine, Stay Close to Me

Well, speaking of red wine a few post’s ago, I just read about another study touting the benefits of my favorite poison. Not only did the Realage site mention that drinking 4-oz of wine with a meal increases HDL (good) cholesterol, a Reuters article suggests that there’s a strong correlation between women who drink red wine and a slimmer waistline.

Now this is a weight loss plan I wouldn’t mind trying. Cheers!