Choose Life or Choose Death

Not to be melodramatic, but so many of our choices every day are influencing our life or our death.   Every empty calorie, harsh chemical (in my case, Diet Coke), unmoved body, over-eaten calorie is a vote for death.  Every healthy food eaten, eating only when hungry, eliminating empty calories, moving our bodies is a vote for life.  The amazing thing is that the more decisions we make to choose life,  the more we feel like LIVING life!  

I used to tell my Weight Watchers members that you can feel healthy or unhealthy, fat or thin at pretty much any weight solely based on how you are treating your body.  When you eat healthy food, you feel healthy, when you eat junk food, you feel like junk.  Pay attention to these decisions you are making and notice how they are really making you feel.  Of course chocolate makes you feel good when you are eating it, but how do you really feel afterwards?  Are you regretting the calories?  Does your blood sugar feel high and the drop low?  Do you feel like exercising?

We need to think of our eating and activity choices beyond the moment.  Make choices that make you feel good in the present and the future.  Easier said than done, but so worth it.  I never "feel" like running, but I love being outside, the air feels great, my mind gets clear, my stress level decreases and when I am done, I feel amazing and it is easier to eat healthy foods.  Knowing this still does not make me "feel" like running, I have to choose to every day and I never regret it.  

So, what is it going to be?  Life or death?

Weight is a Battlefield

If you struggle with weight management like I do, you know how much of a psychological battlefield it is.  It is the definition of an emotional roller coaster. It can make you feel proud, excited, happy, sad, frustrated, encouraged, discouraged, angry...you get the idea.  How do we get through life like a "normal person" with all of these conflicting emotions running through us.  My poor husband!!

The important thing to remember, and this is key, is to break down your weight loss/management goals into smaller, achievable segments.  Have you ever set out in the morning determined to eat healthily, exercise, not eat junk food, only to forget about all of these things by lunch?  I certainly have!  So, how do we stay focused?  

We have to constantly remind ourselves to be working towards our healthy lifestyle or we absolutely will be making choices that will be working against it.  It can be a viscous cycle and discouraging beyond belief.  What can you do today, this hour, this minute to support a healthier life?  Step by step, choice by choice, minute by minute is how we win this war.  Remember, your weight is the byproduct of your life style - so focus on your life style choices; not the number on the scale.  Start now and start again as many times as it takes.  Be diligent and forgiving.  I'm rooting for you; root for me too!

Weight - You Sneaky Bastard

Why is what we weigh so important to so many of us?  It's not like we ever tell anyone how much we weigh...only our doctors know the truth in a given moment in time.  Although those of you who are as scale obsessed as me know that you can weigh 5 pounds more in the evening than you did in the morning, that clothing can affect your weight by a few pounds, that a salty dinner the night before can make you weigh more the next morning and that going the bathroom can take off a few ounces.  Our weight is always fluctuating and many of us have that magic number we would like to be, but again, why do we care so much about that number?

I have to say that the day that the weight on my drivers license was actually true was a great day.  It was like "wow, I've been lying for 20 plus years, but now I am finally telling the truth".  Flash to a few months ago when I was getting my drivers license renewed and the DMV guy asks me "is there any information on here (gesturing to the weight area of my license) that you would like to change"?  Yep, my ever fluctuating weight has been trending up for more years than I would like to admit.  

So, this is how weight is a sneaky bastard - the abridged version.  I got married, I gained weight, I got pregnant, I gained weight, I had a baby the weight stayed for 18 months.  I got to the point where I couldn't say or justify my weight by saying "I just had a baby" as my toddler was running around...  I joined Weight Watchers and 6 months later I had lost 55 pounds, I was so over-the-moon in love with Weight Watchers, I started working for the company.  I kept my weight off and stayed pretty steady for a couple of years and quickly got back to my goal weight after my 2nd child was born.  I was near the bottom of my weight range which is, for those of you who don't know, about 30 pounds and is based on your BMI (Body Mass Index).  As the years went quickly by, my weight gradually went up - I wasn't where I wanted to be, but I was still within my weight range.  

Eight years of working for Weight Watchers was enough for me and when I quit, I was at the top of my weight range and then just to make sure I really knew how to gain weight, I added 10 more pounds.  So, there you have it, for the first time since I joined Weight Watchers over 10 years ago, I am overweight.  Oh, how I hate that word.  So, what am I doing about it?  I am exercising almost every day and more importantly I am eating less by tracking my PointsPlus values.  Go back to what you know, it's not always easy, but it is doable.  I am happy to report that after just a couple of weeks I am 4 pounds away from the top of my healthy weight range.  It is going to feel great to get there and even better when I hit my magic number!    

The Biggest Loser

"The Biggest Loser" is a show that sucks me in.  I have not watched it every season, but when I have, I always get something positive out of it.  

As a Weight Watchers leader, I have had mixed feelings about the show as the amount of weight these contestants lose each week is unrealistic in the "real world" and it not considered a healthy weight loss rate.  But, how can you not be inspired by these people.  Yet, I wonder out of all of the contestants they have had, how many of them were able to sustain their weight loss?  See?  Conflicted.  Weight management is a lifelong journey.  I know first hand that I will never be cured and I will never be finished with my weight management efforts until I am well, you know... done, done.  

So, here are a few tidbits that I have picked up this season on "The Biggest Loser" that I hope will speak to you as well.  The doctor on the show was telling one of the contestants that she has diabetes.  She was surprised and looked devastated and then he said "if I told you that you had cancer, would you find the time in your day to get chemotherapy?"  She nodded "yes".   Then, he said that "you need to take this disease just as seriously and find the time in your day to exercise and make better eating choices". I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist.  That was a light bulb moment for me, we can find time to do so many different things in our day and it is so easy to have exercise not be one of them and it is slowly killing us.  Our bodies are meant to move!  So, let's do it!  I'm game, are you?

Another quote that I love from the show comes from the contestant who was voted off this week.  She has the sweetest personality and seems like one of those people who do things for everyone else, but not for themselves.  Sound familiar?  Many people, especially women, are like that.  Anyway, she said that she has been in a rut for many years, but after being sent home she knew that she could do it on her own...and she is.  She said "what did I do with that rut I was in?  I ran over it!" I love that.  She is training for a marathon.  Speaking of which, I have my first half marathon of the year in 11 short weeks, so I'm off to hit the pavement; how are you going to move your body today?   Good health is not a chore; it's a gift!  

Holiday Baking; I can't quit you!

Less than a week until Christmas and I've been baking up a frenzy!  Oh, how I love making all of these holiday treats, but now what to do with them.  I don't want to eat them and  it doesn't feel right to pass them on to others who probably don't need/want to eat them either.  So, the dilemma, why do I feel compelled to make them?  These holiday traditions are powerful.  I make them because I have "always" made them.  

I am known for my caramels - they really are the best caramels in the world.  The recipe came from a friend of my Mom who used to make them for us when I was little.  Then, she stopped making them for us (they take a lot of time and are kind of a pain to make) so I got the recipe and took over the annual tradition.  It took a few years to perfect them - they either turned out too hard and had the potential to break a tooth or too soft and stuck to the wrapper.  Now, thanks to years of practice and with the help of a digital candy thermometer - they are perfect.  My friends and family love them and the list of recipients has grown over the years.  This year, I gave them to over 60 people - that was a record.  But healthy?  Not so much...

So, what is my point you ask?  It is frickin' hard to eat healthily during the holidays!  We combat traditions, emotions, stress, busy schedules, parties, treats from co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, and did I mention family and all the weird dynamics they come with??  Sure I love fruits and vegetables, but they aren't exactly calling my name when I have fudge in the refrigerator!!!  It isn't the apple in my fruit bowl that is asking me to eat it at 10pm!  Come on January 1, get here!  Good luck y'all, we're almost there!  Stay strong-ish!!

The days we have left

So my cousin's fiancé died unexpectedly this past weekend.  After a normal day; he went to sleep and didn't wake up.  He was 41.  This, as you can imagine, has thrown my family into a tailspin - especially my cousin and his children.  We all know that we are going to die, but I think many of us in our heart of hearts don't think it is going to happen to us.  That we are somehow going to be the exception to the rule... or is that just me?

I think we are all a bit fearful of death and as I mother, I can't even go there when it comes to my children.  Yet, it is so hard to not take life for granted.  To truly appreciate each day and use our time wisely.  To treat our bodies and minds with respect, care, and love.  I have a feeling that I am someday going to regret spending so many hours watching TV, drinking too much Diet Coke, eating too many unhealthy foods, not appreciating my body and all that it can do.  Change is so challenging.  Especially long term changes.

I am making a conscious effort to focus on the positive things in my life, to do things that make me and my loved ones happy, to be there for my friends and family, to let go of hurt and anger, to work on accomplishing things that are important to me with the time I have left.  Easier said than done, but I already feel a little lighter just writing this.  Set goals, write them down, work towards them every day, that's the key.  The only thing that truly matters to me are the people in my life.  I have to remember that.

"Carrying around resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die".  I love that quote - I don't know who said it, but he or she gets it!

Move it - It will make you feel good!!

Exercise...our bodies need it, our minds crave it and yet it can be one of the hardest things to make ourselves do!  Often, tHe first thing to go fro ous schedules when we get busy is exercise.  This time of year is especially challenging - it gets dark early, it's cold, rainy, cloudy, we're busy, stressed, let's see, how many more excuses/reasons can I come up with - you name it, we'll justify it!

One of the best things I've done for myself from about the age 15 is that I have exercised.  I started out doing aerobics with my mom and running with my friend Shannon and have been more or less consistent ever since.  Sometimes it is more less than more, but hey, that's life.  It is the one thing that simultaneously helps my body and mind.  I am a nicer, calmer, better person when exercise - if you aren't consistently moving your body - try it! The hardest part is getting started!  And I promise, you will never regret it!

Through the years, I have done many different types of exercise - boot camp classes, triathlon classes, half marathons, dance classes, Body  Pump, Pilates, yoga, spinning, you name it, I've probably tried it and I do love variety.  And yet, I don't consider myself an athlete and I would venture to say that I don't look like an athlete.  Why do I do it?  Because I can eat more, I feel better, I'm more positive, I eat better, I have muscle tone, it sets a good example for my kids, and finally to not exercise is not an option for me.   Here are some things that I do to keep myself motivated:

- Exercise with friends/family,  there is always someone who will want to do what you are doing - walking, running, hiking, biking taking a class, etc.

- Find what works for you - I find that belonging to a gym does to work for me; it is too easy not to go, there is no accountability, it's smelly, there are often old naked women walking around in the locker room, I prefer exercising outdoors.

- Variety is key, it is hard to stick with something you are bored with, plus it is better for your body to mix up your routine as well.

- Sign up for an event - fun run, race, walk, triathlon, cycling event, etc. - it will help you stay motivated and will push you to get ready for it.

- Classes work better than gyms; if I want to try something new or mix up my routine, a class at the local community center is the way to go.  For some reason it is easier to go to a class that is on a specific day/time for a certain amount of weeks than going to the gym.   I don't know why that is true, but it is.

Get out there and move! Use those muscles, protect your bones, increase your metabolism, there really is no downside.  Move it or lose it people!   I'm off for a run myself!