This Week's Topic

One of the fun — and actually necessary parts – about achieving milestones is to reward yourself! Whether it is a 50 pound or a one pound loss, or even the fact that you maintained your weight over a specific time…it is important to employ positive reinforcement. Sometimes we take ourselves for granted and think that a little self-indulgence is just that…indulgence. Well…it’s OK to give yourself a little love when you do something good.

Right now I’m still weighing myself every week…every Friday morning. If I go 2 weeks with a consistent loss, I get a manicure. A small thing but it makes me feel great…and the primping is just the type of reward that I think is appropriate. I don’t want to reward myself with food…like a hefty order of onion rings…because that will take away from what I’ve achieved and make it harder to see a loss the next week. Manicures are a great solution for me–pedicures too! I’m waiting to drop another size before I start getting some clothes as a reward for fear (and hope) that they would be too big very soon.

Because I’m a mother with two small children…an hour at a bookstore or coffee shop alone would also be a wonderful reward for me.

I would love to hear how you all out there treat yourself when you reach a milestone! Please share your thoughts–I would love some good ideas and I’m sure we all would want to understand how our fellow achievers share the love.

Is it possible to go to our favorite restaurants and remain on a healthy eating plan without feeling deprived? Do we have to curb our social life and eat home constantly to maintain reasonable portions? As a confirmed restaurant lover I’m asking all of you readers to give us your opinions and advice. What do you think? Does the thought of going out to eat spell trouble for your self control or do you feel like a kid in a candy store, wanting it all, just in case it’s your last supper?

Before January 1, 2007, most of my meals were eaten outside of the home. No matter how many times my husband and I promised each other to save money and have more meals at home, we still tended to spend way too much on restaurant eating. At the same time, ordering off a menu was a constant motivation for me to “eat whatever I wanted”. Before going on the Best Life program that often meant french fries, rich dishes, appetizers. I had a 6′ 5″ wrestler’s appetite trapped in a 5′2″ woman’s body. People sometimes looked at me in wonder at how much food I could consume. A former boss called it “being a scratch eater”. And no matter how full I was, there was always room for dessert.

One of the changes I made along with going on this program was not going out to eat very often. For the first time in my life most of my meals, and all my snacks come out of my kitchen, or at least my pantry. My husband and I are eating much healthier along with saving lots of dough on diners. On the few occassions we do go out to a restaurant, I’ve found that my meal choices are much more in line with my new eating habits. High fiber, lean protein, and lots of flavor. I’m a big lover of ethnic cuisine, because Thai, Italian, Greek, Latin, etc. is very flavorful food. I would rather have a little of food that is very flavorful and not “diet food” than a lot of bland, not-so-flavorful food. I’m also a big fan of SPICY food. Some do like it HOT!!

There are a few things that do seem to help me feel more easily satisfied now that I’m not ordering the most decadent menu items: having SOUP before my entree and ordering LOTS OF VEGETABLES instead of potatoes if it’s an option. (I almost forgot–really limiting the bread basket portions, too!) If I really want dessert, I mean REALLY want it, I share it with everyone at the table. So far, so good. Lastly, never underestimate the value of the doggie bag. If the portions are way out of line I can divide them myself and take the overage home. It really does feel better not to want to lay down and die from overstuffing myself. Keeping track of the hunger scale ( by eating slowly the 20 minutes it takes to feel full can register) is another good tool.

In many ways I personally find it most difficult to be alone at home with nothing but the TV for company. Boredom still is my #1 challenge in eating well and stopping when I’m full. When out in a social situation, I can focus more easily on the conversation and the people I’m with. Usually–not always.

I would love to hear what you gals think about the subject. Do you find it harder to eat out or at home and stay on your plan? What challenges do you find the hardest to overcome? Or at least to manage? 

Okay ladies, I think we need more input on how we should handle ourselves on vacations or business travel during this journey to Thinville!! We have now finished Phase I and Phase II, so I think we should all agree that we all KNOW what we have to do to stay on track, but now how are we going to handle it in the real world moving forward?

Spring and summer are near so that means… VACATION TIME!! The good thing about incorporating a new healthy lifestyle, is that you can take it with you during vacations too… I’m planning a trip in April to Mexico and one of my major goals is relaxation!! However, while I’m searching for a good hotel/resort, not only am I looking for a pool and beach, but I’m also checking out their fitness facilities! I’m also plan to still take my eating habits with me: Eat 3 meals a day, plus 2 snacks, watch my portions, etc. etc. Easy Peasy!! But I know that thinking and DOING are two different things, so I have to stay strong and focused and be sure I don’t give in during my next trip out of town!

So, I’m sure there are lots of you lovely readers out there that can share some traveling tips? Business women? Women with children and families? Women with significant others? Anyone, anyone? How do you handle traveling for business meetings? How do you incorporate exercise and fitness? What about family vacations? Do you find that the food options during your sunny holidays are too tempting to pass up? How can we move forward in rewarding ourselves with a vacation without rewarding ourselves with love handles or a spare tire, or a food baby? Hmmmmm? C’mon ladies, share your tips and stories with us, HUNGRY MINDS WANT TO KNOW!!

~ Cecilia

In my 9th week of the Best Life Diet, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that being realistic is critical to achieving any long-term success in weight loss. Though it seems against our nature as dieters (optimism is a huge driver to begin a weight loss program)…it is the key to longevity in any program.

I am happy that I’ve lost 10 pounds but honestly, I thought (at the beginning of the program) I would have lost more by now and would have about 15 pounds off by the end the 2nd month. Even though Bob Greene and all the experts say to expect about a pound loss per week for the beginning stages, I thought those rules really didn’t apply to MY body and I would show everyone how I did better than the average. Well…I actually did about average. No big deal. But why is there a teeny shred of disappointment in me right now? Because I set my targets too high…and was not as mentally and emotionally realistic as I needed to be.

So if there is one piece of advice I’d give after experiencing 2 months of the Best Life Diet, and drawing upon my life-long career of dieting, it would be that as soon as you are honest with yourself and what is really attainable and sustainable, you will stay in the vicious diet spiral.

I’m looking forward to more weight loss…but I will take what I can get when it happens!  

  This is the nineth week of The Best Life Diet - which means three more weeks till the rest of my life.   I don’t know exactly how much weight I have lost, but I could see a huge difference in my clothes so far.  I couldn’t tell you the exact pound because I am not judging myself and my success by that.   I know I feel great, but lately I feel a bit sluggish and want to roll off track.  I have been VERY stressed out lately and I really really really want to indulge into something very very fattening!  I know myself and I know that if I do, I will feel very guilty and want to give up on it all.  I have come too far for something like that to happen.  My physical appearance is a bit more livelier - meaning that I do not look like a walking zombie anymore.  I wake up early now instead of wanting to sleep in.  The only thing is that since I have been stressed out I have been tossing and turning in my sleep and I just cannot seem to relax.  Anyway, I sit and wonder to myself will I continue this regimine after the 12 weeks?  I know myself and I know that sometimes I could get lazy and not want to do anything.  I also know that it will be VERY hard without any of the other girls there to do it with me.  I just have to think positive.  I have to keep my mindset on whats important in life - my health.

   I also have three more months until vacation.  I could set that as my new goal.  Another 12 weeks.  I think I am going to start from phase one all over again.  I seemed to feel the most success during phase one than any of the other phases.  The best thing that came out of all of this (besides making new friends) was not that I lost a few pounds, but that I feel like I WANT to work out ALL the time.  I make it a routine and which I feel guilty if I do not go to the gym.  I rather work out with a partner, but since I am past the part of feeling self conscious at the gym, I know I could do it on my own.  For those that do not have a partner at the gym (like Kimberly that left a comment on my previous journal entry) - all you have to say is “who cares”.  You are actually attempting to go.  You got off of your butt and stepped on a tredmill - BUT going to the gym and actually working out are two different things!  You have to break out a sweat and get that heart pumping again….. you will feel great either way - with or without a partner.

 I guess thats what I gained from this experience.  Making things a routine.  If I make going to the gym and eating regularly and healthy a routine, then following The Best Life Diet for the rest of my life should be a piece of cake…. MmmMMmm Cake, maybe I should have used a better phrase….

It’s now weeks 8-9 of our Best Life Diet and in some ways I feel like I’m being set adrift. Will I sink or swim?

I’ve lost a total of 9 1/2 pounds. Changed habits that were set in stone for a long time (eating at night–all night; eating regularly; eating when hungry–not just bored, etc.). What concerns me most? Exercising as consistently and vigorously as I have for the past 9 weeks.

Why am I concerned?  We are now in a stage called maintenance. Until last Sunday we worked out with a trainer and the hardest part for me was just showing up. Yes, the workouts were tough, but once I was dressed, in my car, at the gym, on the treadmill, I knew I would be there for 1 whole hour. I would get through it and feel great afterwards. No turning back. There was an expert, our trainer Greg, or one of his associates, making sure that our workout was complete. They would push me past my discomfort and I’d do it! Ever single time. For 9 whole weeks.

Today was the first day I had to push myself. No one was counting on me to be there. No one planned out my workout. I’m not a member of a gym but do have a workout room in my building. Small but efficient. So I went downstairs and got on the treadmill. I decided to do cardio first. One minute of running at 5.5 mph followed by 30 seconds of rest. I repeated this for 20 minutes. The only companion I had with me was Justin Timberlake. Thanks, Justin. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Next, I knew I had to do some weight resistance. There’s a small weight machine with various stations and weight plates. I set the weights at a level that would be difficult but do-able and pushed myself past the comfort zone. Was I as tough on myself as Greg? No, not quite–but I did push myself.

But I’m still nervous. I have to keep up what I started nine weeks ago or I’ll be back where I was before I started. That’s reality. And there’s only one person that can make that happen now. Guess who?

Mary Ellen’s journal entry really resonated with me. Keeping motivated now is necessary but not as easy because we’re close to graduation. We’ve all been working towards this and now we have to take what we’ve learned and do it forever. I’m being pushed out of the nest so I can fly. I know I can but I do feel some resistance. Any suggestions? 

Losing 10 pounds is great. Truly, I’m very happy. As I’m embarking on the second half of Phase II…I’ve really managed controlling my eating (check); raised my activity level appropriately (check); cut out the 6 additional elements since Phase I (check)…so now I’m pretty much….well, coasting. There won’t be anything truly “new” for me for awhile…just staying the course and methodically losing more weight. 

I have about 20 more pounds I want to lose — I feel like I’m in mile 10 of a marathon…I made it a great distance but I still have far to go. And in marathons…a lot of fans are at the start and toward the end of the marathon trail cheering you on and rallying you home…the middle portion of the path typically has a lighter crowd (I’ve never run a marathon, mind you, but this is what my marathoner friends have confirmed)…so I feel like I’m in that middle part where I need to find more resolve to keep myself “high” on my successes. Not to keep myself actually DOING the program, but to continue with the mental excitement that I’ve had for the past two months. Losing that, I fear, will make me weaker.

I am going to have to call on my sisters in the program…the five wonderful women who are doing this with me to keep me going. We’ve had our ups and downs and if anyone can give me a good whipping into mental shape it is them. Also, you all out there who are doing this too–how are you staying on your high? Please let me know your secrets. In the meantime, I’ll keep plugging away and trying to revive that adrenaline that has kept me going so well so far!

And the saga continues…

The phrase “emotional eating” always scared me and I never wanted to blame my weight gain to that… Emotional eating to me meant that you’re eating over your limit because you’re a basket case, you had a tough childhood, you’ve gone through or are going through some crazy traumatic experience, or you’ve got some deep-seated issues that only food satisfies… And that may be the case for a lot of women that are obese or overweight and I completely understand that… But I’ve slowly come to realize that “emotional eating” is much more common & much more simpler than I thought… at least that is what I’ve finally understood about myself…

During Phase II I noticed 3 major reasons that have triggered my cheatin’, my eatin’ and my self-esteem beatin’ and because of this revelation (it truely is a revelation, because it’s like WOW and DUH, cecilia!) I can move forward as a stronger woman in pursuit of her Best Life…

STRESS // These past few weeks I have been stressed out at work trying to figure out these new accounts that I’m responsible for… trying to learn more about my role… trying to understand the nature of the business… trying to deal with co-workers that I’ve never worked or met before… trying to absorb all the challenges I am faced with on a daily basis… just trying to keep my head above water… so what keeps my head above water? CHOCOLATE!! POTATO CHIPS!! PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING UNDER $1 IN THE VENDING MACHINE!! Argh!! I eat because emotionally I’m frustrated, upset, feel helpless or extremely challenged and indulging in foods takes my mind off of things for a moment…

I’M NOT SMOKING ANYMORE // This is huge… I never really thought about it until now (yes, at times I am extremely slow to the obvious)… but now that I’m not smoking (yay for me)… I find myself focusing on food more often than usual… I used to hear that people were afraid to quit smoking because they didn’t want to lose weight… I didn’t really understand that because for me, I already ate like a pig when I was smoking and the ciggie was my dessert? Smoking didn’t take the place of eating, it topped off my meals instead!! LOL that’s pretty sad… But now after I eat, I don’t have anything to top it off with, so then I just focus on my next meal… Or actually have a real dessert instead!

PMS & ME // PMS and having my period every 28 days is probably the BEST excuse for me and any woman to eat whatever we want! Our hormones are out of whack, we are about to BLEED for 5 days for Pete’s sake, we experience “water retention,” we are cranky, we are irritable, we crave sweets, our backs ache, we get these awful indescribable cramps, our mood swings more than a 5 year old in a playground, we are in tears to the sound of any cheesy lovesong on the radio and we are screaming at the top of our lungs at the idiot driver who just cut us off… We can eat whatever the heck we want during this time, dag nab it!! LOL!! I am on an emotional roller coaster right now and those glazed donuts are the only things that will stabilize me right now, so get out of my way!!

Having acknowledged these 3 major and obvious reasons for my own emotional eating these past couple of weeks, I take full responsibility in the fact that the scale hasn’t really moved from 159… at least it won’t until this “period” is over… I talked to Janis about the whole period episode and asked how it affects weight… She has advised that it is normal for a woman to gain 3-5 lbs during their period… 3-5 pounds!! of what??!! Is this what is meant by water retention?? Again, for most of you readers, I am sure this is obvious but for ME, I never really weighed myself that often to even realize that I’ve gained a few pounds during that horrid week?? It’s news to ME!!

And I know I have to work on my crazy snacking… My plan of attack: Choose Fruit instead!! I will be more mindful of what I choose to take my stress out with at work… And I’ve stocked my fridge, freezer and pantry up this week with healthy choices of foods to chow down on That always helps!!

So now, I understand that I haven’t lost weight this time around and I’m okay with it… And I also know that I’ve been working out so much I can be in my own at home workout video, so part of the reason why I haven’t lost weight is because my muscles are working and getting pumped up   The good thing is, I haven’t GAINED more weight This is what we all have to realize my dear and beautiful readers… The Best Life Diet isn’t a race… it isn’t the who-can-be-the-best-at-losing-weight-in-12-weeks program… It’s a great introduction on how to better your health, your state of mind, your entire outlook on life… it really is a GREAT start to finding out the positives about yourself that you never thought you had in you… it’s about LIVING and GIVING to yourself and to your loved ones… Living and Giving the Best of YOU

’til tuesday…

~ cecilia

I’ve lost about 10 pounds and I’m very excited. Some of my old clothes are starting to fit again–yay. I’m familiar with this feeling, fortunately and unfortunately, as I have been gaining and losing the same 30 pounds my whole life. But something is definitely different this time. This time, my body shape is transforming–it’s different. My hips are getting narrower and my legs more muscular….I don’t feel flabby still–I actually feel fit. My body is stronger and I’m firmer–even though I still have about 20 pounds to lose. There is no mystery here…it’s the exercise that is doing it!

I have had a pear shaped body my whole life with a strong emphasis on the lower pear. With the increased exercise in tandem with the diet, I’m starting to become more proportional. Yes, I’m losing it in the same areas first as before (my waist, bust)…but my hips are not necessarily going to be the last ones to the party this time…I’m seeing results earlier and my clothes are fitting in a better way. I’m one of those girls who has always had to buy pants 2 sizes too big in the waist to account for the disproportionate area in the hips (sisters unite on this one…I know there are a ton of us out there who do this)…but I *think* and *hope* that maybe I will be changing this scenario going forward with my new body…maybe I’ll only have to go up one size. I can’t change my bone structure, but I can help mitigate disproportion by building muscle. We’re not talking body building here…please! But by building muscle in my legs, they will get smaller–burning the fat away and looking like they should look, vs. how they have looked.

Oh, how I wish I had incorporated this amount of exercise in my life much much earlier on…maybe I would not have had to lose this weight…or at least so much of it. I can’t shout to the hills loud enough how exercise has propelled the Best Life Diet into action–you cannot have one without the other and see results. Even in Phase III which focuses on maintenance…the activity doesn’t go away.

One thing Bob Greene told me last week was to not start any exercise that I wasn’t prepared to continue for the rest of my life…so truly, find what works for you and don’t be scared off if you are not physically agile. It doesn’t have to be an hour–20 hard minutes of any activity (stairs, treadmill, jumprope) is a great way to begin.

Whoa.  I am telling you going to work day after day and having to dress up is a pain in the neck.  It’s even more of a pain when you have to keep that top button undone so that you dont feel like you are going to burst when you sit down!  It’s the same feeling as if you were to bend down and then you hear that riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppp; you immediately stand up and see if anyone is around to witness that you just split your pants in half and that your days of the week underwear are Friday’s on Tuesday! Yea, that never happened to me before, but YES I do have days of the week underwear! Just Kidding!

Anyway, working hard on loosing weight is finally paying off!  Its all about the clothes for me (yes and the self-esteem too, but you cant have self-esteem if you look like you are wearing 12 year old’s pants!) - I actually could button that top button on my pants again.  I don’t know about you, but that is HUGE for me.  They are actually pretty loose around my butt as well.  That could be just because I stretched the heck out of them, but I’d like to think its cause of loosing lbs.

That boosted my confidence level from a 5 to a 8!  I am actually going to attempt to go out with my friends on Saturday.  I really haven’t been doing that because of the whole tight-clothes and not feeling comfortable with myself thing.  I am going to go out with a positive attitude and try not to tug on my clothes too much to check the “fat areas” that hang over my pants.  I keep telling myself that the whole confidence thing is all mental.  The first thing I have to do is think positive and then mentally I will feel better about myself.  Regaining cofidence starts with your mind, then your heart, and then the rest shall follow (like the way you walk in a room and the way you talk with your head up).  I am at the mind part, now I just have to believe in myself more.

I know I have gotton off path for a moment, but I want to hear about any embarrassing stories about your clothes not fitting…. Don’t be afraid to share because we are all loosing weight together…

My ONE embarrassing story was that I was at work one day (to those who read this that I work with now…this didn’t happen anytime soon ) - I was wearing a skirt and it was so tight around my waist, I had to wear the ankle length skirt under my breasts so that it would fit and it was now a skirt that was knee length .   I was wearing a button up Top that I think was my dad’s cause I mine were getting pretty tight….. I was at an outside work picnic on a windy day and my shirt sorta blew up and everyone saw how high my waist was on the skirt.  It was embarressing because I was known by Urkle (the nerdy boy that wore his pants close to his neck and red suspenders) for about a month!  I took it like a champ though and smiled and laughed, but I was mortified!  

So I just publicly told my embarrassing story and people where I work with now will probably read this and call me urkle, but I don’t care… I got it out in the open!  So tell me yours!

I’ve often thought that rules were made to be broken. Right? Sometimes. But one rule in the Best Life Diet that is better not to break is weighing yourself no more than once per week. Believe me, I know. I know because I keep breaking this rule and it bites me in my own (slowly shrinking) behind more often than not. Because if that number doesn’t go down, or at least stay the same, I feel like crap!

Yes, I’ve often voiced the righteous reality that the scale only reflects a number. Weight IS only a number. It’s a relative measurement. It can’t separate the fat you’ve lost from the muscle you’ve gained. It’s JUST A NUMBER!!! Yet I’ve fallen victim to checking out that number more than 4 times this past week. Geez–I really can’t stand hypocrites!!!

If there is a thing called “scale karma” I’ve definitely gotten my payback. That blissful 9 pounds I saw just the other day bounced up to what looked like a 2 pound gain. In just 1 day!!! How is that possible??? Now I know the true meaning of “ignorance is bliss”.

How many of us are falling victim to the tyranny of the scale? To a number? We’re women—flesh, blood and heart. Brilliance, wit and wondrously complex beings. And so many of us let a NUMBER on a simple piece of equipment, and not a very interesting one at that, determine how we feel that day. How we feel about ourselves, our bodies, our spirits.

I’d like to think that I’m not going to allow this flat metal machine with a number fetish make or break my day anymore. But I’m a realist. Living nearly a half- century under a scale dictatorship is not going to change overnight. So I’ll do what I can…Weighing myself once a week is more than enough!

Thinking about whether or not I’m really hungry and how hungry (on a scale of 1 to 10), is kind of a new thing for me. Although eating has often been a means to enjoyment, avoiding an activity or project I wanted not to deal with, or a distraction against boredom, eating just because I’m hungry enough to warrant nourishment has not been my main goal. Not until now.

These days when I get to that hunger level of 2 or 3, a red danger sign flashes. Eat!!! Eat something soon and something wise or fall prey to the evil Cravings Monster!!! Yes it’s true, my life used to be ruled by one craving after another. Much like the local pusher beckons the addict, I was enticed to spend my good money and probably my good health on fast, fried and fabricated food. Food, if you can call it such, that I barely tasted. Because I was rarely really hungry, I was rarely ever full. So I ate too much and either too often or not often enough until I was so far beyond full that I swore I’d never eat again. Until the next time…

Isn’t it ironic? Now, I eat only when I’m hungry, which seems to happen naturally every 3 or so hours. I usually eat a reasonable portion of protein with a complex carb (whole grain), fruit or/and vegetable. And I try to wait at least 20 minutes before stuffing myself with more, because it takes a while for the “not hungry anymore” ques to catch up with the stomach. The cravings are smaller, more easily satisfied and less frequent. Much less “scary”. Yes, sometimes I do indulge in a really indulgent treat. But I’m finding if I’m eating for my health, energy and to satisfy my hunger, I often don’t really want or choose not to eat something just because it’s there or everyone else is eating it. Imagine that!!!

Oh, there’s one other thing…there is a time when it’s “Best” NOT to feed your hunger–2 hours before bedtime. This is one of the most significant changes I’ve made in my eating habits. Because I used to stay up ’til all hours much of the time, of course I’d get hungry and start to eat. Since I’ve been following the ”no eating at least 2 hours before bedtime” rule, I tend to go to bed at a more reasonable time (if nothing else to avoid eating). And I’ve lost weight. Nine pounds as of yesterday. Imagine that…  

At the beginning of the program I was probably the most scale obsessed of the ladies.  I weighed myself daily and sometimes twice per day.  I have to admit I was neurotic. The scale had always been my barometer of how bad my eating was going that day.  When I was thinner, I would hop on the scale and depending on the number I would eat more or less the next day. I am not sure how scientific it was, but for me it seemed to work.  Until baby number 3.   Then, my weight seemed to take on a life of it’s own.  I would eat, drink and exercise and nothing seemed to change those numbers on the scale.  None of my clothes fit.  I was lost.  I started this program, still numbers obsessed.  I started working out more regularly and monitoring my food intake.  I initially saw a 6lb loss the first month.  Everyday I was dying to jump on the scale always ready to see some sort of change.

So I weighed myself this weekend and the tally is up to 9 pounds that I’ve lost on the Best Life Diet. Wanting to lose 30 to 35 pounds, it is nice to know that I’m close to 30% to my goal…after less than 2 months. Not bad!

You know, we all think weight loss is so hard. Have you every looked at what a pound of fat looks like? At my last job, there was a weight loss program’s storefront business near my office, and they had this big blob of yellow mass that actually looked like a brain on a scale in the window. The scale read 1 pound. I remember thinking how large that mass looked, and more importantly, how 30 extra of those one-pound-brain-lookalikes currently reside in my body and how gross that made me feel (great marketing tactic!). HOWEVER…it was a huge mass. And I have literally been losing one of those a week on average since I started the Best Life Diet. The body can actually lose a lot of mass very quickly…the word “one pound” almost minimizes this impact…and I don’t think the human body really gets the credit it deserves sometimes!

I encourage you to do an online image search to see what a pound of fat looks like–somewhere I’m sure someone has recorded this digitally. And as you go through the Best Life Diet or your other weight loss program, you should really be in awe about how a body responds to you. If you give it what it needs, it will do what you want it to do.

I’m rejoicing in the 9 pounds the Best Life Diet took from me and look forward to the next 25. Stay with me!

I had a minor setback last Wednesday–I pulled a muscle during a workout. There is an official name for the muscle that I pulled but I can’t remember it…I’ll make it easy and just say it is in the groin area…and the discomfort is not very fun. It’s the first time I have had an injury related to exercise.

What’s kind of ridiculous is that my first thought as the injury was actually happening and I felt the first pains shooting down my leg was not about anything to do with my health…it was an immediate recognition and disappointment that I would no doubt have a hiatus for lower body activity…my guess is a week. I can still work out my upper body and plan to do so, but I am now in fear of not burning as many calories or keeping my metabolism as high due to this injury. I have to be bullet-proof on the eating…no room for error!

It would be so easy to get depressed and resort to an old habit of zero activity while I heal…but I will definitely be staying on the Phase II plan and working out what body parts I can work out–even if only my pinkie were able to exercise. I have to treat this as if it were a mere annoyance, and not let it get me down. Our (women’s) mental states regarding exercise are so fragile…it takes only a pin prick to pop the enthusiasm surrounding exercise…to get someone to change their mind or not leave the house. Why is that the case? I have to mentally muster up so much strength to get myself to move, and s___ happens and I’m sabotaged. But that is life. Get over it, right?

I and some of the girls have already signed up for an 8K run near the end of the first 3 months of the program (in late March) as a celebration of our new fitness levels…so I’ve got to make sure I heal correctly. The trainer I’m working with is fantastic and his quick handling of my injury with ice and stretching has mitigated some severe pain today…I am actually functioning pretty well.

This week I will be all about the upper-body workouts, and hopefully I’ll be back on the treadmill by this coming Wednesday. If not, I’ll survive….think about people who have real physical disabilities who manage to keep themselves in shape. I’m no one to even complain. Chin up and bring on the bicep curls!

I have found that with my increased activity level with all of m workouts my body is calling out for more food more often. As a result I find myself eating more smaller meals throughout the day…this has been a good coping strategy for me. Nevertheless, I still find myself craving more…especially on workout days.

It seems like this approach is something that I can live with which, I guess, is the true measure of overall success for this program. We will see. Stay tuned.

Okay I thought I was hungry all the time before I started the Best Life Diet but it’s like I’m hungry allllllll the time!  Like I said before, my increase in appetite is no doubt the result of an increase in physical activity, breast feeding, and the vitamin supplements.  But I think that there is a psychological component to it as well.  Yes, it is true, I do like food, food tastes good, and therefore I like it.  It seems so simple but the problem is determining if I am really hungry or not.   Having to rate my hunger on a scale is interesting because what’s a10 and what’s a 0?  Yesterday I decided to drink water when I thought I felt hungry and that seemed to work.  What I’m finding out is that I mistake being hungry for actually being thirsty.  Perhaps I’ll try a carrying a water bottle with me more often and just stay hydrated.  I’m sure this will produce more milk for the baby and maybe burn more calories.  I don’t know but we’ll see.

Writing this journal twice a week is the first time I’ve really reflected on ONE subject for such a long time. Really reflected on it. It’s been 7 weeks since we started the Best Life Program. As of last Friday, I’d lost a total of 4 pounds. Down 6. Up 2. Four weeks of Phase I. Three weeks (already?!) of Phase II.

Phase I was really significant for me. I started eating on schedule–3 times a day, 2 snacks. Working out consistently and hard 3 times a week. Stopped eating at least 2 hours before bedtime. Am conscious about getting lean protein, whole grains and complex carbs. More conscious about eating enough, not too many, calories–per meal, per day. About carrying good snacks and water so I don’t spend money on eating out or eating junk (and paying for it in more ways than one). I’ve become more aware of how when I eat and what I eat affects how hungry I get and what I crave later in the day, or night. I’ve really noticed how much sleep or the lack of it affects how hungry I am and what types of food I reach for.  I’ve experienced anew how my fatiqued, undisciplined body responds within just a few weeks, to being pushed way beyond what I thought it could do exercise-wise. Muscles that cramped up after just a few squats now carry me across a very large room and back 2, sometimes 3 times. After a whole hour of “boot camp” I used to leave the gym quivering and exhausted. Now, I feel energized and strong. And I’ve learned to say the word “NO” (thank you) when offered food or drink that I don’t REALLY want, or if I’m not really hungry.

Have I followed the “Best” behaviors listed above for all 7 weeks? Do pigs fly? Do cows yodel? No way. But taking stock of where I am now and where I was 7 weeks ago, I’ve come a long, long way. This does seem to be a really slow boat to a really far away land, however. And it seems I’m kind of wandering around Phase I, still.

In Phase II, we’re supposed to up the ante exercise-wise. Increase our workouts to 5 cardio on top of the 3 weight training circuits. I can’t say that I’ve done that more than one week’s worth. But I’m still going 3 times a week to one of the toughest workouts I’ve ever done. And missed only 2 days due to a bad cold. Not bad.

And considering my hunger level before and after I eat is a real eye opener.  I’m even going to bed hungry most nights, knowing that it’s good to be hungry when I wake up the next morning.

Then there were the graham crackers. I never thought I’d lose control over a package of graham crackers. I’m ashamed to admit it but it’s true. But I used to eat several bowlfuls of real ice cream. The super-high butterfat kind. The kind that leaves an oil slick in your mouth your next meal slips off of. And hot fudge sundaes, french fries (my personal choice for “last meal on earth”) and portions fit for a 6′ 5″ pro wrestler. By eating more often, more wisely MUCH of the time, these slip ups are much less frequent and MUCH less over-the-top. MUCH LESS! But I do slip up. Those 2 returning pounds don’t lie. Do I feel guilty. Nah! I’m not really the “feeling guilty” type.

When does eating auto-pilot happen? As my past journal entries remind me, when I’m bored, sitting in front of the tv, bored, waiting too long between meals, bored, tired and sleep deprived, bored…Oh, yeah, and when I’m bored. I’m sure that I’ll come up with other challenging situations in the days, weeks, months ahead.

But so far, no matter how often I’ve fallen off this very slow moving wagon, I’ve seemed to climb back on. Maybe I’ve been able to do that because it IS going so slowly… 

Phase I of the Best Life Diet wasn’t that hard for me to master, aside from the working out that is!  My eating habits for the last several years, in general, has pretty much been absent of carbonated sodas and anything white –   white flour, white sugar, white potatoes, white pasta, etc.  But I have to admit, getting in the habit of eating a large breakfast and having meals at set times was, and continues to be, somewhat of a struggle. 

However, now that phase II has begun, I’m beginning to have cravings for things that I usually don’t eat, like doughnuts and cheeseburgers.  I don’t know what’s gotten into me?  I think I’m hungrier because of the vitamin supplements, the working out, and the nursing. but why can’t I crave watercress or Brussels sprouts?

The other day I weighed myself and after all this food deprivation and masochistic workouts the scale showed that I lost a whopping 2 pounds.  Boy was I mad! And discouraged to say the least.  So when I came back from working out my mind started to wonder off, ‘man I would love to have a thick crust pizza with all the toppings and extra cheese. . . no!  There’s a fast food place right over there at the next exit.  I’ll just stop and get a junior cheese burger.’  So I exit the freeway pull up to the drive thru window and just as I am about to order, my guilty conscience kicks in.  I felt like I was an alcoholic about to order a drink at the bar on my way home.  Boy was that a low moment.  So I ordered a fish filet with no tarter sauce and thru away the bun (okay I kept the side of the bun that the cheese was stuck to).  By the time my next workout came around, two days later, my conscience was seared!  I didn’t even wait until after the workout, I drove straight to the doughnut shop and got a chocolate glazed doughnut.  I couldn’t wait to taste it.  But wouldn’t you know it. . .  it wasn’t even that good!  I was sooo mad.  If I was going to thoroughly blow my diet at least let the crime be enjoyable.  I guess I deserved it.  Next time, however, I got a cinnamon role, and it was good too.  But the guilt was overwhelming so I stopped by the health food store on my way back home from the gym to buy organic soup.  I ate a serving when I got home and to be honest, it tasted better than the cinnamon roll and I felt a whole lot better about myself. 

It’s not that I don’t have healthy snacks at home to munch on when I have a craving.  It’s just for some odd reason I’m craving things that I wouldn’t ordinarily even consider. Hmmm I’ll have to give this some thought.  This isn’t a habit but it is something to think about.

Last week, I spoke with our fitness consultant. I told him of my eating habits. My trying to follow the Best Life Diet. Most specifically, I spoke of my exercise regime. I work full time and have three active, busy kids. So, personally I feel great when I get to the thrice-weekly workouts with the girls. I have tried to throw in 1 or 2 extra days of cardio. Maybe some kickboxing or step with a home video while the kids are eating dinner. I thought that was great. My clothes are fitting better, but the scale is not as forgiving. I was told, given my level of fitness, in order to “step it up”, I should increase my cardio. Not just increase it, but to five days per week, in addition to the 3 weight training sessions.!!!

Alright, raise your hand and tell the teacher… Cecilia has cheated on her Best Life Diet… again, kinda sorta…

Let’s see, I think I’m into week 2 of Phase II and so far I’ve eaten french fries as a side dish to my chicken salad, fried calamari as an appetizer to my chicken lettuce wraps, went through a fast-food drive through for a breakfast combo meal and now I belong in the principal’s office.

How did it happen? It’s called cravings & when you’ve been without something for a while, you just want a little piece of it. Well it seems I wanted a little piece of everything this past week. I was good about the salad, but the fries were just calling my name! The crunch, the warmth, the saltiness of those little sticks of goodness. I just had to have them. And they tasted sooooooooooooo good!! And then the fried calamari! Oh my goodness, who could resist? And what’s one of our six foods that we are avoiding for Phase II? Yep. Fried foods. The breakfast bit included FRIED hash browns. These hash browns are the best in my world. I could eat FIVE in one sitting… but I didn’t .  I woke up late and couldn’t eat a proper breakfast at home, but I was starving. I needed something good to eat and it wasn’t going to be oatmeal. I sat in the car and chowed down like I was dining in a 5-star restaurant. It was more than delicious.

I like to blame the momentarily bits of fried food insanity on my business trip: Oh Seattle totally threw me off course! Oh I’m just getting back and gotta get back in the groove! But really I have to just blame myself. I thought, I craved, I ate.

Honestly, there are times that I’m thinking I’m so tired of this diet and thinking of when to workout and thinking of what I’m eating and thinking of the stresses of work and thinking of my road rage and driving and thinking wow, I’ve been on the patch for about a month now. I’ve been thinking so darn much these days about EVERYTHING, my brain is fried. So fried I can eat it.

So where’s the GUILT? Oh, the guilt is lounging around in my belly, staring up at me and laughing. But honestly, it’s only momentarily. I feel guilty when I’m writing in my food journal and sending it to Janis to review and count up calories. The guilt comes in when she replies and comments that 2800 calories is not the daily amount we want to take in for this diet. LOL. GUILTY!! But again, I learn to forgive myself and keep going. If everyone wrote down every morsel that they ate each day for someone else to even just read, I think they’d be a bit embarrassed. We put so much garbage into our systems, it’s ridiculous. BUT SO GOOD!! And we pay for it when we decide that elastic-waisted pants are better than jeans.

So now, I’ve decided that falling off the wagon isn’t THAT bad and I’ll only suffer a few bruises, but not shed any blood. At the end of the day, I’m still focusing and I’m still aware of what I put into my body. And I’m taking full responsibility for it. And I move on.

What I’ve learned is that as much as I love telling myself (and other people) how perfect I am (ha ha, wink, wink), I know that I’m not (no kidding!). I know that I’ve accomplished so much in the past two months, things I’ve never thought I’d be able to do & I am proud of myself! And I also know that it’s a-okay to treat myself to a little bit of the not-so-good-for-you foods. And that cheating, slipping and falling of the healthy wagon will just make me work HARDER in focusing on the Best Life Diet and make it work for me. Baby steps. This is a life-style change that I’m aiming for and I know I can’t do a 360 in 6 weeks. Some people can, and that’s AWESOME! But I know myself well enough to know that this all takes time.

‘Til Tuesday my friends

~ cecilia

Feelingsssssss…nothing but those feelingsssss… haha I couldn’t resist.  I don’t even know where that song comes from! Does anyone?  Anyway, feelings and emotions have a lot to do with eating habits.  My eating habits to be exact.  Put it this way…. Chicago + Cold + Snow + Old Apartment = Frozen Busted Pipes and a collapsed ceiling!!!  I have been dealing with all of that mumbo jumbo for the past week.  There was nothing more than I wanted to do than to eat eat eat.  This is how I gained weight in the first place…by feeling horrible about myself, so I would turn to a donut for comfort.   Fortunately for myself, I thought about the rest of the girls and all the work we have been doing, so I stayed strong.  Instead, I would pick up a weight and do little weight exercises in my house. 

What do any of you do when you get stressed? Or what do you do instead of stress-eating to keep yourself busy?

Now that things are toned down at my apartment, I could actually relax again.  I LOVE BEING A COUCH POTATO!  When I get home, i do not want to move from the couch!  I used to grab a bag of chips, or ice cream, but now I would grab a bad of popcorn (the healthy kind). 

The only thing is, since I started The Best Life Diet I have been putting a lot of emphasis on food.  I never in my life payed such attention to eating.  I just ate and ate, never really caring about nutrion facts.  My whole “comfort” thing was to sit on my couch and eat junk…. I come to a realization that my body cannot handle that anymore or I could gain and gain……but I feel like I am getting lazy… I feel like I could crack at anytime, but what I have on my mind is everyone that is doing this with me and then i stay on track.  I have to. 

Last night I went to a party by my friend Mary’s house.  It was a jewlery and other great accessory demonstration.  About almost every woman I know was there…you know that women can not resist jewels!  Anyway, I was getting comments left and right how I looked like I lost some weight.  Not everyone knows what I am doing, they just think that I am dieting - so they aren’t just telling me to make me feel good.  The comments made me feel REAL great because if other people can see my body changing, then something that I am doing must be right.

Being at the party meant that there was tons of food!  Again, I found myself at a dilemma about a party and food.  I did select some food out of the bunch that I decided to make healthy!  Fried Chick again…. you know that the skin is the best part, but yet again I took off the skin and threw it out.  There was also an antipasto salad, which is a bed of lettuce with different kinds of italian meat and cheeses on it.  I ate some of that, but picked and chose which meats I ate.  The portions were small and I really wasn’t hungry anyway.  I am finding that the smaller portions I eat in Phase II, I seem to be satisfied. I drank water with lemons and one glass of lemonade. There were all sorts of dips.  Some were store bought, but some were made as well.  I was reading the sides of the containers and found out that some of the dips weren’t that bad.  I had a veggie dip (which 2 TBS were 15 calories).  My friend’s mom gave me celery sticks so I had some celery with veggie dip (instead of chips that were there calling my name). After about an hour, dessert was put out.  My friend’s favorite cake is a “tres leche” cake that she gets from a bakery.  There were other items as well, but I had my eyes set out on that cake.  Unlike my nephew’s birthday party, I did not sit in the corner and hoard the cake, I stayed strong and said NO!

I really did want a sweet, so my friend’s mom gave me a low-fat jello with a fat free whipped cream on top.  It was delicious! I felt pretty good at this point because I lasted through the whole party WITHOUT caving in.

Not only through Phase I and Phase II, I learned how to eat correctly,how to decipher the exersice I should be doing, but now I learned how to control my urges.  I could have easily picked up a piece of cake, but instead I ate a low fat jello. 

The stronger my body grows the stronger my will power grows, and that is another step closer in reaching my “bikini”

I’m having trouble eating enough. Funny as that sounds, I am not hitting my 1550 calorie mark (the “weight loss mode” allowance) every day. I know that I “can” eat the calories and “should” eat the calories, but there is something in my subconscious that feels seductively good if I stay one or two hundred under my daily allowance…in hopes to lose weight more quickly. Why am I like that? Am I alone in this sick pleasure? Well…it’s backfiring and I’m going to get back to eating more (but staying at the right amount). What is happening is that I’m running out of steam or starving before a meal (even though I would have a snack a couple hours prior). AND, on the days of my workouts I’m having a hard time keeping up with some of the other girls. This is all my fault so I’ve got to change course.

Janis Jibrin, our fabulous nutritionist and co-author of The Best Life Diet, brought this to my attention when she analyzed my food intake last week. When you see the data on paper and realize you are literally not fueling yourself properly (leading to binges almost always)…it makes you think! I would never drive across the country without filling up my gas tank first…so what is my deal? Why do I not treat my body with the same respect as my SUV?

So today, I had an afternoon workout and made sure I ate a very healthy and hearty lunch. Through some funny miscommunication at the gym, I accidentally worked out HARD for 90 minutes instead of 60 and I made it through just fine. Amazing what you can do when you have proper fuel.

So don’t do what I did…yeah, maybe I won’t lose that extra .25 of a pound per week but I also won’t make bigger mistake later. Doing this right is what is important and I have to remember that cheating (either in underrage or overrage of calories) will surely get you somewhere down the line.  

Here I am at home for the third day in a row, nursing a cold and feeling out of the loop. I missed my Wednesday night workout, and opportunity to touch base with the rest of the girls, my Best Life teammates, and tonight I’m bowing out again. I plan on being back (”I’LL BE BACK!”) for the usual killer workout on Sunday morning. I really miss just seeing the other gals. This whole time-out is giving me pause to reflect on what works for me, what I need to work on and how individual each of our experiences is regarding losing weight, getting in shape and just plain progressing with our (my) goals.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that right now at this moment in my life, I thrive in a group environment that includes accountability and sharing. Not to the extent of constant checking in, just periodically “being there”.  I suspected I needed this before, but now, being isolated temporarily at home, I’m very clear how important it is to me. It’s kind of a reality check with a bit of social interaction. Sometimes it’s more than that. Last Sunday, Anna brought me a gift: a colossal jar of hot giardinera, because she knew I loved it. How sweet (& HOTTTT!!!!!) is that!?! Another week Lakita gave me a whole pack of vanilla yogurt. Again, she knew I liked it. The thought really did count. Thank you again, girls…

In reading the other girls’ journals I’m reminded that what may resonate with me is not the case with others. For example, Lakita mentioned that she finds working out alone to be more effective for her. Looking at how different each of our lives is may be a key. I am often alone. I never had children and my husband and I worked different schedules on and off for many, many years. Since November I’ve worked in a small design studio with only one or two other people. A far cry from a buzzing office or retail environment. The only time I’m surrounded by lots of people is during a trade show or trunk show where I deal with the public and buyers. This is very sporadic–not a day-to-day occurance. During these heavily-social events I do prefer solitude for my off-hours. Lakita is a new mother with the constant demands of a baby. I’ll bet if I were in her (workout) shoes I’d relish time alone to workout too! I do feel for you L, and know that you feel for me and the rest of us too! I believe that each of us must be true to what works for us. And surround ourselves with people that support us in achieving it.

In Phase II of the Best Life program, Bob Greene talks about ”Eliminating Emotional Eating Step By Step”. This week, we are supposed to be tuning in to our hunger levels, from 1-starving to 10-nauseatingly full, both before and after we eat. Mary Ellen explained this very eloquently in her last journal entry. Well, feeling the feeling in my stomach/physical being is one thing. Separating my true hunger ques from my emotional feelings is another! Being home with little else to do should make it easier, right? Wrong!!! All the tasks I often wish I had the time to do are staring me in the face. Now I have the time to do them and all I want to do is sleep or eat. Is it possible to always be at a “3″ (uncomfortable-your stomach is rumbling)? Or is that just my subconscious telling me to be productive? I won’t know until I actually am productive, will I? Bob also mentions that it may take time before we feel that engaging in other things is as pleasurable as eating…

Well, as soon as I get up from the computer I’m going to start one of my aforementioned dreaded projects: decluttering. I think I’ll start with 15 minutes of it. Then I’ll check my emotional and physical hunger scale. I hope I’m at a “6″ –perfectly satisfied.

I’m probably dating myself with the Righteous Brothers reference but who can forget Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in that smokin’ scene…

In my life there have been as many shades of “full” as there are shades of “white” at the paint store (those into home repair know EXACTLY what I mean). The main contenders: 1) the “gross-full”, where you seriously can’t put one more morsel in your mouth without expelling the entire meal (”better get a bucket”); 2) the “pretty darn full” where you groan aand physically push yourself away from the table to emphasize to others around you what is going on inside you; and 3) the most-often-seen ”regular full” where you have that thick heavy feeling in your stomach and your inner voice is saying to you “hey pig, you did it again”. I have fine-tuned my “full” scale over the years so I know exactly how much guilt to pile on myself after any meal.

Now, thanks to the Best Life Diet, I get to say goodbye to you, my “full-o-meter”. In Phase II, I am fine-tuning not my full scale, but my “hunger” scale. What a novel idea…to eat when you are hungry. By cutting out six key ingredients (see Cecilia’s awesome post on what they are and how she has done it)…without all that sugar and white flour and soda, my “innerds” (a.k.a. insulin levels) are becoming normalized and I’m actually starting to feel hunger….and eating when I’m hungry. Cool, but it gets harder. Now the tricky part–I need to eat when I am hungry (but not too hungry) and stop at a level that is neither hunger nor fullness. Um, ok…HARD! 

The Best Life Diet has a hunger scale from 1 to 10 (1 being most hungry, 10 being most full) and our goal in Phase II is to try to eat when our hunger is at a level 2 or 3, and stop at a 5 (for dieting) or 6 (for maintenance). This will definitely take weeks for me to figure out how different I feel from a level 5 to 6…but can we also ponder how hard it will be to stop eating when you have only moved 3 notches on the hunger scale? Yeah. Tell me about it.

So this is my quest for this month. Tonight I had some wheat ravioli with arrabiata sauce (careful on the sauces–make sure you are around 70 cals for a serving) and shredded chicken and a little wheat baguette (about 140 cals on the bread–pretty much the carb limit). It was about 550 calories but I was above a 5 when I was done…so it was hard for me to know that I could have all those calories and do fine in the diet, but not eat all of them because I actually approached the satiety required before I finished. So it will be a constant trial and potential error–tonight it was a close call. I won’t go to bed beating myself up about a calorie overrage because it wasn’t–more so that I knew I didn’t have to finish my calories but I did. If it isn’t one thing, it’s the other.

I’ll keep plugging away–this is a critical skill to master in order to stay fit after I lose the weight, so I’m really going to work hard at it. I will not be perfect for a long time, but that is ok. This is a journey!

Two weeks ago I lost 6 pounds. Last Friday I was up 1/2 pound. Now my Valentine’s gift to myself is a nice runny nose, sore throat and hacking cough! I basically feel like crap and even though I told myself I wouldn’t get sick I did. Greg, our trainer said that I shouldn’t work out today because my body needs to heal itself–keep warm, stay inside, lots of liquids…So now it’s getting tricky, better known as a setback. It’s really hard to avoid overeating, and not eating out of boredom when I’m home feeling rotten. Those graham crackers are calling me from the cupboard and what to eat is more of a choice challenge than normal. Not having anyone around to lend support or encouragement probably doesn’t help and I don’t want to spread my germs or my delightful attitude anyway.

So the question is “what is the best thing to do when we have a setback”? I know the importance of getting right back on the program when we “fall off”.  When we travel, or when something unexpected comes up the need to make the time to exercise and choose food wisely. But when we’re sick, how do we handle the physical and mental malaise of feeling plain lousy? Of not being able to get quality rest because of disruptive coughing or restlessness. Of being ”stuck” without a sense of moving forward. Any suggestions?

When my general health is good I have noticed some changes in how I handle my family and friends when it comes to what or where we eat and exercise. Although I’ve always stated my opinion if I had a taste for a certain type of food when we were planning on a restaurant or meal, I’m more assertive now to guarantee meal choices that fit into my new lifestyle. Most of my friends live pretty healthy lives and like good, fresh, delicious and nutritious food. My husband has always been a more consistently healthy eater than I. On the occassion where others have indulged in less desireable choices, desserts or rich entrees, I’ve been fairly successful at finding a better substitute, like asking for an apple and a bit of peanut butter (2 tsp) with herbal tea rather than cookies, etc. Thankfully, I don’t have trouble asking for, insisting on if necessary, what I want. If I dealt with someone who was very uncooperative I don’t think I’d have a problem walking away. It’s my responsibility to take care of myself. I’m probably my own biggest challenge in going astray.

I have noticed that my ability to exert self control and keep my portions and food choices in line is very dependent on eating 3 regular meals and 2 snacks a day–ON TIME.  If I go without eating or don’t eat a balanced meal  (protein, complex carb, a little fat, vegetables and/or fruit) I’m very likely to lose control in the evening. The plan listed in the book The Best Life Diet really works for me, if I follow it.

One thing I really have to look more closely at is how my reaction to certain situations affects my eating habits. I know boredom and avoidance are eating triggers. Big ones. When I’m “in the flow”–fully engaged in whatever I’m doing, not conscious of time–I forget about eating or anything else but what I’m doing. I’ve read that the happiest people are those that are in this flow state on a daily or very regular basis. HMMMM!!!

Veronica wrote that she feels a whole lot better and that she is fitting into some clothes that she hasn’t fit into in a while, and I can say amen to that!  My sentiments exactly because I’ve been feeling the same way – this week.  Last week however, everyone commented that they had lost more that 5 pounds each while I lost a whopping zero.  Initially I was disappointed but I knew that would be the case because I know my body and up until that point I knew there wasn’t going to be much change because I know what it takes to produce change in my physique.  One of the other girls commented that she loses weight more readily when she’s part of a group.  I don’t know but I seem to do better when I’m doing it alone for some reason.  I know for sure that there are women that can ‘feel me’ out there on the web.  Take what works for you and modify everything else until you find what works for you.  Talking to Bob Green was a blessing because he confirmed what I knew what I needed to do.  Just those few minutes on the phone really set me on a path that’s going to work for me.  I’m starting to do 2-3 extra days of cardio a week on top of my regular workouts.  With this I know I’ll start to see some changes.  Now I really feel confident about the Best Life Diet.  Though my initial goal has already been achieved which was increased energy and strength, I know that I really can’t fully experience it without the weight loss because it’s the extra weight that has been draining me.   

Being on the Best Life Diet has changed some of my daily routines like eating and particularly my workout.  Before I started I really didn’t eat until the late morning because I have never really been a breakfast person.  Something about eating a heavy meal first thing in the morning was never a habit although breakfast is my favorite food.  I usually ate my heaviest meal for lunch and being a stay at home mom that was usually breakfast.  Now, instead of grabbing a piece of fruit, I have to adjust my nursing schedule to create a space to make myself an entire meal.   As far as what I eat that hasn’t posed any challenges because their wasn’t anything crazy in my kitchen to begin with.

My workout schedule is an entirely different story.  My neighbors, husband and girlfriends are all involved in the childcare aspect of my going to the gym.  I work out three times a week, and each of these times my husband, my retired neighbors, or a girlfriend baby sits for me.  Asking them to look after my little bundle of joy was a big step because I’m never more than 5 minutes out of his presence at a time.  But now that I’m secure about his welfare I have to now deal with the, ‘so how’s the diet going?’  What can I say?  It’s another point of accountability and yet another point of not wanting to discuss it.  I guess when I start seeing bigger results in the mirror or any reduction on the scale I’ll feel different.   

Lakita

So, this weekend was really cool.  As the other ladies have already states we had the opportunity to meet with Janis and discuss just about any and all nutrition questions we had.  She is very patient and understanding.  We also spoke briefly with Bob Greene.  It appears as though my biggest challenge would be fitting in additional exercise.  I haven’t decided how to finagle it, but I guess you have to do what you have to do.
It has been stated that those who lose weight I a group tend to lose more weight than those who try it alone.  That has definitely been true for myself.  I am now consistently seeing a change in my clothes and the way they fit.  I know that the progress I have seen is due in large part to my “sisters in the struggle”.  They are there to provide support and encouragement to me when I most need it.  They understand my weakness to chocolate (really most desserts) and have helped me find alternatives.  When I am fading at the gym, they urge me to continue and remind me why we are there.  We all are very different, but in many ways the same.  I ame truly blessed to have happened upon such a great group of ladies.
 
When we are not together, it has really been helpful for me to read the other ladies postings.  From Cece’s determination and strong will to quit smoking to Marna’s simple sensibilities… I can truly say that I am drawing from each of their strengths and wisdom to help me reach my goal.   I know that I am only beginning on a life long journey to be fit and healthy. It feels great to have my friends there with me all the way.

So Phase I is over and I joyously have managed to get rid of 6 lbs of me… not to mention getting rid of almost 18 years of smoking! Well, not entirely getting rid of nicotene, but at least getting rid of paying a ridiculous amount of money for cigarettes, getting rid of inhaling junk and exhaling my life away… So now that I KNOW I have the ability to lose weight (hooray!), I am now motivated to keep the ball rolling and it’s rolling me into Phase II…

Essentially, Phase II consists of eliminating 6 foods from your diet. So easy. C’mon, SIX foods? How hard could that be? Well, considering that my favorite foods were FRIED or ordered through a drive-through, it’s a bit complicated but certainly not impossible   Remember, I am now a Master of My Life, so I, Super Cecilia, can do anything!!

So what are we getting rid of for Phase II besides another 6 lbs??

1. Soda, or what I know it as, POP. That’s easy for me, considering I really don’t drink it as often as I thought I did. Any carbonated drink really is part of the elimination. I was addicted to a particular brand of a carbonated energy drink, but now that I’ve quit smoking, I no longer drink it. I miss them (both the energy drink and my cigarettes were my morning combo meal) but apparently… I can live without it. Although there are times when I do dream and crave for that cold, bubbling beverage on ice… running down my throat like an icy river… I can just envision it in my head (advertising REALLY does work because I’m replaying a commercial in my head)… I can do without it, or at least for for the duration of Phase II. I will now consider pop a TREAT for myself

2. Foods that contain TRANS FATS. What are trans fats? “Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil, a process that solidifies the oil and makes it more stable.  This process is called partial hydrogenation & partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the ingredients on the label that’s going to tell you whether or not a food contains trans fats.” Ok, I didn’t know exactly myself, so I referred to the good ole BLD book.  Wow, well pretty much everything I ate pretty much fell under this category. Ramen noodles? Hello, those are cheap and tasty and remind me of my childhood! Chips? What else am I going to use my change for besides toll and laundry? The vending machine was my best friend… it never commented me on what I ate. Dang. So, fotunately enough, food manufacturers are now changing ingredients and am marketing their products to note “0 Trans Fats” - it’s apparently the new black this season.

3. Fried Foods.  Are you kidding me? I love fried chicken (especially the breading, it’s like candy), fried calamari, fried shrimp, french fries, chicken fried steak, fried apple pies (which the golden arches do not make anymore, but they still do in the U.K.!), fried bacon (oh my weakness), fried fish (ok, I don’t really dig fish all that much but if it’s breaded and fried, I’ll take it), fried vegetables (tempura, yum!)… you get the gist… pretty much throw breading batter on anything and fry that bad boy up in hot vegetable oil and I’ll eat it!! But now… the key words are “grilled” or “baked.” Boring, boring, boring!! BUT… I am graciously learning to like them. I find that turkey bacon as an alternative to the REAL THING, is really good (not the best, but the best for now!), grilled chicken is just as tasty as fried and a baked apple pie is the way to go! And I feel better after eating them… not so heavy and bogged down like it is with fried foods… but man talk about instant gratification… Anything Fried and a big red circle and slash on it should be on a shirt… Hmmmm… in fact…

4. White Bread. Ho-hum. There is nothing like freshly baked white bread. Or even freshly bought white bread that sits on the grocery shelf. There’s nothing like it. Soft, tasty and it reminds me of growing up. Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread does not register on my memory list.  But apparently, white bread is evil and should be avoided at all costs. I don’t mind whole wheat bread at all. In fact, I embrace it now, considering there are about 1,000 varieties of whole wheat bread on the market. Have it multi-grain, with oats, sugar-free, with uber fiber, you name it, they’ve got it. But my problem is, I can never finish a whole loaf! I’ll buy it, eat about 6-8 slices and then it sits there. It doesn’t call me to it, I have to learn to like it. Where as white bread… shoot, I can finish that loaf in two days! So, I don’t buy it at the grocery store too often, but I definitely opt for it when I go out for lunch or dinner.

5. Regular Pasta. Ok, this ties in with the white bread concept and for me, being Filipina, this includes white rice. I was RAISED on white rice. White rice is like family to me. It’s the Filipino equivilant to white bread or regular pasta. It’s the best thing that I can cook!! We eat white rice with just about everything! So this will be a challenge for me when I go to my mom’s house or when I go to family parties.  So I guess I will have to throw my own whole wheat bread loaf in my purse next time I go to a family function. LOL. Brown rice is the alternative and it’s not that bad… it’s NOT the same as it’s esteemed famous rival, white rice… but it will do! Now about pasta… I LOVE pasta so now when I do go out and pasta is on the menu, I’ll be sure to inquire about whole wheat pasta as an option.  Whole wheat pasta really isn’t that bad. I’ve made it once or twice at home and it tastes just as divine.

6. High-fat Dairy Products. Again, everything stems back to how I was raised. We always drank 2% milk and I thought that was fine… oh so fine. We rarely drank the “red” stuff, because 2% seemed much more healthier. Well apparently, it’s not! I mean I know we aren’t going to die from it, but compare 122 calories to 83 calories and I’ll take what’s behind the baby blue door, thankyouverymuch. And I love it. I switched to SKIM milk (also, it rhymes with SLIM - wink, wink) and I love it. Not bad at all.

Portion control is also part of the second phase. I’m already aware of this. I try to not eat with my eyes anymore and try to eat with my mind. I actually try to think “ahead” when I’m preparing foods or getting ready to order something. I think, “Do I really need THAT much? How am I going to feel afterwards? Am I going to finish the whole thing?” Yes, I talk to myself, sometimes out loud, and I try to reason with myself. I even use a smaller plate when I’m at home. A few people have suggested that to me and it works! Ah, it’s all in our heads people… all in our heads…

So those are the goals for Phase II. I’ve already started on some of them but am now more conscious about everything moving forward.  I’ve already eliminated fried foods (ok, except for that one night when I had tempura shrimp), I don’t drink pop (even though that mental image makes me salivate), I switched to skim milk (so good, so good!), I’m opting for whole wheat breads (it’s not on a daily basis though, I’m working on that) & white rice and pasta are the enemy (even though in secret, they are my best friends) and I’m armed with a slimmer and healthier mentality. Bam. All said and done. My Best Life is just around the corner from me.

Til Tuesday…

~ cecilia

This weekend we were fortunate to have a grocery shopping extravaganza with Janis Jibrin, co-author of The Best Life Diet and our celebrity nutritionist. Janis took all six of us to grocery stores–both “normal” and “high end”– to demonstrate how you can make good choices in nutrition no matter where you shop. It was an amazing way to spend the day and I left thinking–why doesn’t EVERYONE have access to this information in this manner? To have a one-on-one (well, one-on-six) session with an expert was so practical, allowed for real questions and was as informative and inspiring as you could get. And don’t think it was “health nut” speak…for instance, she told us which ice cream sandwiches she liked better than others and how to sneak in a veggie serving by having a veggie burger instead of a vegetable for those of us who are not as veggie friendly (read: me) …we’re talking real solutions, real food for real people.

So I left with the epiphany that I would always have a nutritionist as a part of my life…when this program is over, that will not be the last time I interact with a nutritionist. It’s hard to imagine when I’ll need more counseling–whether in a maintenance check-up or a new challenge, but for instance, when my children hit puberty and their bodies change, I will definitely have the family meet with a nutritionist to help them understand how important nutrition (and maybe specific nutrients at that time) is at this stage of their life…especially when they may not like to listen to mom and dad around that time. Hearing it from an expert could help the entire family. When I go through menopause, that will be another time I would definitely engage with a nutritionist, as well as my doctors…there will be many times where I think it may be critical in my life to ensure nutrition is re-addressed.

Can I also share my (newfound) rage that healthplans should account for nutritionist consultations to stem off the amazing dollars spent on caring for health issues related to obesity? Seriously…this is preventative care! I could go on for days about this –why not treat the problem vs. the symptoms? If I knew that, through my healthplan (or even Employee Assistance Program) that I could get one or two nutritionist counseling sessions per year–I would absolutely do it…and who knows, maybe my health would have been better earlier on. This has GOT to be a priority with the obesity rate at 30% in this country…including an outrageous childhood obesity rate. Educate the parents on how to feed their families well and prevent countless maladies in the future.

OK..I’m off the soapbox. It’s amazing what a little education can do to you. The GREAT thing about Janis is that her words of wisdom are indeed accessible to the masses through the Best Life Diet book. The Bob Greene/Janis Jabrin combination is amazing…we are all seeing the results with more than 30 collective pounds lost in one month! I can’t say enough good things about Janis and Bob–only that you certainly would not regret learning from them.

Nutrition is underrated and understated–believe me when I say it is now the front page headline in my household! Thank you Janis!

Well I’ve completed five weeks of the program and I am feeling really good. I’ve really got my body moving and the diet is getting under control. Slowly but surely I am starting to see progress. While my weight has not changed significantly, I am starting to see results. I put a pair of pants on yesterday that I had not worn in eons; they fit me nicely. I retook a few of my measurements and found that I have been success.

The toughest thing thus far is still dessert. I work hard and look forward to rewarding myself with a little something. I see this is my Achilles heal and will continue to be so for me. As I reflect back to when I was younger, my fondest memories all seem to include some sort of dessert. Today I look(ed) forward to the days when m husband would stop of at The Cheesecake Factory for a couple slices. We always share them and have leftovers for a second day! As I progress, I won’t give up dessert. I just can’t. Instead I am going to try and limit the decadence to once or twice a month. And for my more regular, everyday desserts, I am starting to eat them earlier in the evening rather than just a couple of hours before I go to bed.

Friday is weighday. First thing this morning weighed myself. The news is neither good nor bad in the grand scheme of things. I gained 1/2 pound since last Friday which puts me at 5 1/2 down since the first week in January. I am not surprised, since last weekend was pretty loosey goosey and so far tonight will be my third workout–no added cardio on off days. Plus, I have been short on sleep and I really think it makes a difference in my day to day clarity, performance, hunger ques and motivation. How could I have done better? Planning. Making sure that my daily priorites always included enough sleep, exercise, planned meals and snacks. Also eating on schedule. Long gaps of not eating definitely affect my ability to control my food portions as well as what I choose to eat. Getting too hungry is dangerous ground for me. It’s easy to carry snacks: sliced apple and peanut or almond butter, clementines, nuts, string cheese. A nice crisp granny smith apple with nut butter or a little cheese will keep my hunger at bay for at least 2 hours. One of the girls suggested Fiber One bars which provide 9 grams of fiber. Good recommendation.  And I always try to remember to have one or two bottles of water on hand.

Noticing and being consistently aware of how different foods, habits and schedules affect my wellbeing is very different than living the random, less than conscious lifestyle I used to. I still have some tweaking to do but my deliberate choosing of what, when and how much to eat is a conscious decision most of the time. No, not all the time. But knowing where I need to improve and relating it to my whole lifestyle (i.e. realizing that lack of sleep makes me hungrier) allows me to tackle the problem, not just the symptom. Reducing my portions and making healthy choices is much more difficult, almost impossible, if my body is trying to overcome an energy deficit because I’m just plain tired.

This newly developed awareness is empowering. Just 2 months ago, I was unmotivated, unfocused and confused. And overwhelmed. We’re constantly bombarded by conflicting images and messages. On tv, in movies, advertising, print and fashion. We admire the thin, at the same time being told to eat this, beauty only looks like that…Don’t be too fat, don’t be too thin. Clothing manufacturers make sample sizes for runway models that often look like 12 year old boys, not women. Current beauty trends tell us that we should look like Barbie dolls, bodies with proportions that are so out of touch with nature that we’re set up to never feel good about ourselves. No wonder I was confused, as I imagine a lot of you are.

I have gained a lot from the Best Life program in just 5 weeks. I move better, eat better, feel better, look better. I’ve lost weight. And I will continue to do so because by living this way–no gimmicks, no procrastination, no confusion–I know that I’m achieving balance and wellbeing that lasts. Reaching my goal, is much less of a focus than enjoying the