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 process of getting there day by day. This is a real powerful realization, because the reason I gained back the weight so many times before is because I stopped enjoying that process. Sure, there are times (plenty) I don’t want to exercise; I want to eat every french fry on earth…

But I’m learning the tools to counteract that destructive behavior. Or at least to limit it. I’m living this new lifestyle every day, slipping up less and less. That means I’m already successful.  And so are all of you who are in the process of improving your lifestyle, your health, your self image.  

I have sorta been going through some dilemmas for Phase II.  You have to lower your calories a little and give up certain items like soda, fried foods, regular pasta, trans fat…etc and then turn up your activity level a notch.  Here is where my dilemmas comes into play…..

In Phase I…my total calorie intake was about 1200 per day.  This is low.  I did not do it on purpose, but I did get full through out the day.  1200 is already too low so how could I make it even lower in Phase II?  I can’t.

Giving up Soda must have been one of the hardest things in the world for me to do because if you know me, you know that I drink it ALL the time.  I used to average to about 2 liters a day, but in Phase I I gave it up cold turkey!  I also stopped everything fried and sorta stayed away from Pasta (Being Italian and growing up on pasta made this a little hard). I already did this in Phase I, so what am I suppose to do for Phase II?

Turning up my activity level one more notch for Phase II would make me pass out.  Three times a week we all meet up to have group workouts and Twice I go to the gym on my own in Phase I.  I made time during the week to go 5 times a week, I just cannot afford to go 6!

What am I suppose to do? Move backwards and add more calories?  What I have been doing for Phase I worked for me.  I lost 7 lbs in 4 weeks.  That’s 1.75lbs a week!  That’s great!  Janis (our wonderful nutrionist) suggested that I add 200 calories through out the day so that my intake wouldn’t be so low.  This gives me a mentality that I am gonna gain weight cause I am eating more! This is not the mentality I want.

We all had the Pleasure to speak with Bob Greene today on the phone.  He talked to us about what we need to do in order to succeed.  We had to add more cardio to the three times we do during the week (um…hello! I do! so now what?).  He also said that in my case just to “beef up my breakfast” so that I could add more calories and still have time to burn them off in the day.  He mentioned that I was doing a great job so I shouldn’t worry about these dilemmas I am having.  What I am doing is working for me, so if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it.  He is the expert, so I am just gonna continue to do what I am doing and see how far this will get me!

I also have something else to work for besides regaining my self esteem and confidence…….. I am planning a trip in May to someplace warm so……..  I NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIT INTO MY CLOTHES AGAIN! I HAVE TO!!

In the first phase of my Best Life Diet I didn’t have to make any drastic changes to what I ate.  As a matter of fact I didn’t make any significant changes to what I was eating but when was.  I did have to put myself on a regular meal schedule and having a big breakfast was perhaps the most challenging because I usually don’t eat and entire breakfast in the morning.  Usually I eat a piece of fruit or some yogurt and save the real meal for late morning or lunch time.  But changing my eating time in the morning was and still is a challenge.  Stopping the night time eating two hours before I go to sleep was cake, however.  But it allowed me to snack at later times because I usually don’t go to bed until late.  Before I started the diet I stopped eating before 7:00 as a rule but this new one just gave me license to have a later snack.  Even after all of this schedule shifting I was still hungry and some days hungrier than before.  I know this was because I started working out after being completely sedentary for a year during my pregnancy not to mention that I’m nursing an infant.  I also think that my nursing contributed to not only being hungry all the time but perhaps my body is resisting any weight loss.  Most of my girlfriends lost significant ‘poundage’ while they were nursing.  I mean so much so that they were the thinnest I had ever seen them.  A few of them on the other hand didn’t lose anything until they stopped.  Of course this would probably me.

I’m feeling discouraged right now but I will continue to ‘press on toward the mark.’ I’m going to have to make a few drastic changes myself because I know how my body is from past experiences.  For one I’m going to ramp up my workouts on my off days.  I have been doing the elliptical machine sporadically but now I’m going to strap myself to one.  Cutting down my portion sizes are another.  I don’t think I eat a lot but the scale obviously says something else.  What I’m going to eat differently is a mystery.  My husband and I went through our kitchen last night and he commented that he couldn’t remember the last time he saw white bread, pasta, rice, or white potatoes in the house.  I simply don’t buy them and we rarely eat out anymore since the baby was born.  Fried food has been a no no for both of us since before we got married and we look at every label before we buy to make sure it has no Trans fats.  As a matter of fact I bought my first loaf of bread (it was 12 grain whole wheat) since the beginning of last summer only because I needed the fiber.  High fat foods like ice cream and cakes haven’t seen the inside of my kitchen in over a year, and it’s not because they aren’t welcome, trust me! So for phase II, changing my food choices is a little tricky, cutting back on the amounts may be the only change.

How great was Anna’s post “What’s in My shopping Cart?”….talk about making it tangible for all of us! How many times have you gone to the grocery store, dilly-dallied in the aisles to jog your memory if you needed this or that…only to get in the checkout lane (that usually takes twice as long as the shopping itself–don’t get me started)…and you look at the conveyor belt full of food and think…geez, how come I don’t buy anything “real”? What’s wrong with me? Processed this, packaged that, imitation whatever….where is the artist formerly known as food?

So Anna, thank you. Thank you for telling us what to buy. And what did I do today? I bought…I went to my local supermarket, which is not so super by the way, and spent some quality time reading labels, lingering in produce and meat aisles, whizzing quickly by the salty snack row (though I do love me a baked chip)…and was extremely proud of the $116 worth of “real” food for the week that I bought.

What prompted this Thursday afternoon adventure? My husband was craving pizza for dinner (yikes, help) so after a 5 minute sweat and panic,  I thought I’d get in front of this ambush…deal with it, and control it. Why don’t I make the pizza, I thought.,,and I can have less fattening stuff on my section and be able to manage my calorie intake. OK…well, a 3 year old could have thought of that but of course it was an epiphany for me. SO…off I go. I bought a whole wheat thin crust (pre-made that you top yourself - 150 cals per serving…which was 1/5 of the pie) and made a turkey pepperoni pizza, light on the mozz. Doctored up with spices and it was pretty darn delicious and I stayed within about 500 cals on dinner–and got to enjoy pizza with my guy. He really liked it (I added low fat sausage on his portion) and he started to ask questions on how I made it, blah blah. Victory is mine.

So I highly recommend this as a substitute for intense calorie-laden take-out…I bought some extra crusts to have on hand for an emergency…seriously, this is the category I’ve assigned them. One other thing that I discovered as a result of a similar panic is the amazing ease of a pre-made rotisserie chicken you buy at the store. It’s already cooked and usually under $10, and you can repurpose that chicken in a million ways. Take the skin off and it’s pretty darn healthy. We’ve made chicken tacos (corn tortillas); chicken chili, chicken panini, etc. It’s so great to have it already cooked–saves about 1.5 hours end to end for the meal.

I’ll share other tidbits as I discover them. Thanks again Anna…after reading your post I realized there are a lot of little details we can all share that are extremely actionable–immediately. I encourage everyone reading to share yours as well–the more we do the better off we will all be!

It’s week 5. Phase I is done. I was just starting to feel comfortable with 3 meals plus 2 snacks a day of real food. Exercising 3 times a week at “The House of Pain” and not eating 2 hours before bedtime. How do I feel now compared to how I felt just 5 weeks ago? What a difference!!!

Let’s start with working out. Just 5 weeks ago walking up 3 flights of stairs left me winded and fatiqued. My legs ached with the effort. Now I’m actually running on the treadmill–30 seconds in a run, 30 seconds resting–several times in a row. This is amazing considering I was never a runner. Doing squats across the room and back (a room as long as a city block) felt like a death sentence. My thighs burned and I thought I’d fall over. Now, I can make it back and forth faster and much more easily. The entire weight resistance/cardio circuit (1 full hour of it) leaves me feeling energized but relaxed and strong. Not crampy and exhausted. I can honestly say that this amazing feeling is worth more than all the turtle sundaes in the world. I never want to feel the 24/7 couch potato blues again.

I don’t think I would have the energy and drive to work out this way if I was eating the way I used to. I remember always feeling too full. Not really being hungry or even considering whether or not I was hungry–I was too busy eating. Now I think about what would be not only satisfying but what food groups would balance out my day. Have I had my veggies, fruit, whole grains. And my tastes have changed enough to actually want these foods, rather than french fries, hamburgers, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I plan on having these things some time, but it’s just not a constant craving and choice.

What is my biggest challenge? Number one is portion size. I do get really hungry, but I try to be reasonable with my servings. Not always successfully but I’m certainly conscious of it which is a big improvement. Eating enough of the right foods, at the right time provides the energy to work out hard.

The second biggest challenge is still the weekend or downtime when I’m at home alone. There is always plenty to do and I suspect I want to eat to avoid doing things I prefer not to do. I never seem to have this problem when I’m out and about. I’m trying the technique of just promising myself to spend only 5 minutes doing these tasks (I can spend longer if I choose). Hopefully I’ll get more done and think about eating less.

I also find that not being able to eat until I’m way too hungry (too high on the hunger scale) is asking for trouble. Overeating is almost inevitable. Regular meals and snacks every 3 hours or so seems to prevent this from happening. So, carrying a Fiber One bar, apple or other suggested snack is a real preventative measure. And I almost always have a bottle or two of water on hand.

Oh, I almost forgot…A really big hurdle in my life is getting enough sleep. I still have to work on this one. When I get enough rest I feel like a different person, and working out demands that I get more. Not that I always do. I understand that not sleeping enough can increase the appetite as well. This is definitely a work in progress. Falling asleep early is something I’ve rarely known. I’m kind of envious of people that do this naturally.

Finally, I have to achnowledge how key my teammates are in my successfully starting and sticking with this program. Could I have done it on my own? Probably, but with great difficulty. The proof is in how long I “sat on the couch” before actually doing something about my eating and fitness habits. Living the struggles and successes of the Best Life Diet along with Veronica, Anna, Mary Ellen, Lakita and Cecilia amplifies the experience. It’s pretty weird that most of us lost the same amount of weight (exactly?!?) at the 30 day mark. And whenever I doubt the progress I’m making, I’ll see the other gals at the gym and can see the very visible results on them. I must be succeeding too. How exciting to share such positive, health-affirming lifestyle changes with this group of women.

All in all, I recommend every last bit of this program. From soup to nuts. Eating to working out. Pain to pleasure. From trying to solve my neverending battle of body and mind alone to having a group and team of supporters to share it with.

Go Team!!!

Well….. After the Gym last night, I realized that I ran out of “lunch supplies” so I went to the store.   I usually buy unnecessary items when I go shopping by myself and spend outrageous money on junk….like Candy Bars that I will never eat and IceCream that will sit in the freezer and get freezer-burned or chips that I will open and eat once then they get stale.  That was the OLD me.  Now the NEW me starting Phase II is a bit more aware of what to buy and what to eat…well atleast stuff that has worked for me!  I lost 7 lbs in Phase I and am inticipating loosing more in Phase II! 

Anyway, I went shopping and here are some of the things I bought …

   *General Mills Multigrain Cheerios and 1% Milk (in Phase One, I was having 2% Milk and Honey Nut Cheerios, but Phase II calls for a little healthier change). 1 1/2 cups of Cheerios every morning with a half cup of milk.

   *Clemetine Oranges.  I love Citrus fruit.  I eat two of those with my breakfast and two for lunch.  They fill me up and are very tasty…not to mention EASY to peel and no seeds!

   *100% Whole Wheat Bread.  I buy the bread with the actual wheat grains on top.  I find that it is much tastier than regular bread.  From eating the wheat, this not only gives you fiber, but also gives you a better tasting sandwich!

   *Lunch Meat (Cold Cuts).  In Phase I,  I was going to an actual deli and getting my meat cut (I have connections at an Italian Deli, so I got really good meats! ).  I never really knew how many calories were in those meats, but in Phase II I will be buying the already packaged meats that are leaner so I could keep track of my calorie intake.  I bought Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, and Bolied Ham.  For lunch I would make that sandwich with 4 pieces of meat, two pieces of wheat bread, mustard (0 calories) or LITE mayo (One Tablespoon), with some lettuce and one piece of LITE American.

   *Prepackaged Lettuce Mixture.  I buy that because its easier for me just to take it out of the bag instead of making my own salad.  I usually buy the Spring Mixture because it has snow peas, broccolli, and carrots in the mix.  I bring a side salad for lunch with a spray italian vingarette. The Spray allows me to control the dressing to my taste).

   *Tuna.  I buy the prepackaged tuna in the bags, because it has a lot of different flavors so you do not have to put mayo in the mix.  Very good with whole grain crackers. I bought the Lemon Pepper, the hickory Smoked, and the Garlic and herb! Delicious!

    *Frozen Dinners.  Well, I do live on my own and sometimes do not have time to cook.  I buy some healtier frozen dinners that cover the meat, and veggie and a little desert.  The calories might be low, but you have to watch the sodium….some could be too high.

    *Whipped Cheese.  There are many flavors of these whipped cheeses.  Calories are really low too if you get the lite ones.  I have these for a snack…. There are a few flavors that are AWESOME!  Garlic and herb, Sundried tomato and Basil, and Spinach and Artichoke. MMMmmMM.  Two Tablespoons are like 50 calories and put it on a few whole grain crackers, you got yourself a filling healthy snack!

   *100 Calorie Packs.  I know this is pretty dumb cause you could count out 100 calories in chips or cookies, but this is done for me and the companies do make them taste a little different.  They cut out a lot of bad stuff.  Not all, cause they are chips and stuff, but its enough to get by.  In Phase II I am gonna cut those out completely, but They were on Sale!

   *Pickle Halves.  I LOVE PICKLES!  Especially Garlic ones!  Come on, I am Italian, I could eat Cloves of Garlic!  Anyway, at lunch I usually bring one Half of a pickle.  It is 80 calories of goodness.

   *Gram Crackers.  The ones that come in full sheets.  If you take One full sheet or a half and crumble them up in your Yogurt, it makes a wonderful dessert!  I usually have the Yoplait Cherry Orchid Yogurt and the Gram crackers… it makes me think I am eating a Cherry Pie!

I bought some other things that have nothing to do with my diet so I dont have to put those down….just know that I am a magazine junkie!  I spent like $20 on magazines!  What could I say, I love the Hollywood gossip!   Oh I did buy a fitness magazine cause I plan on stepping up my Activity Level because in Phase II it mentions this is what you need to do.  In those magazines, it shows you how to do simple things at home with household items! 

I hope I could give you some ideas on choices on what to eat.  Please…. if you have some ideas, tell us!  I am always looking for some good things to add to my diet! 

Well, I weighed myself last weekend like the other girls in my group, and the magic number seems to be the number 6, as in 6 pounds lost by each woman.  However, after working out hard and eating more scheduled meals I have lost a whopping 0 pounds!  That’s right nada, nunca, zero, zip, nothing.  Yes I am discouraged to say the least but I know it hasn’t been in vain.  My husband has noticed that I’ve shrunk and I have even noticed that my clothes actually do fit a looser.  As far as my eating goes, I pretty much eat healthy anyway; no white bread, white rice, white potatoes, coffee, alcohol or smoking.  The bummer is, phase II is to cut out all the stuff I don’t eat in the first place, so what now.  I’m sure we’re going to have to cut our portions back and maybe that will do the trick. 

Knowing that the others in my group are successfully losing weight is both encouraging and discouraging.  It’s good to know that ‘we doing it!’  But it’s discouraging after all of my working out and close attention to food choices that the scale hasn’t moved.  Scale or no scale, however, I know that I have obtained some physical goals like increased strength and lost inches.  I know that I have gained muscle mass, and I usually gain it rapidly which probably accounts for no change on the scale because muscle weighs more than fat.  It would have been nice to see some lower numbers on that scale though.  At least I’m in good company; there are some Super Bowl champions who weigh in at my same size.

What am I doing?  I ask myself this question daily.  I am exercising almost daily.  I am restricting my calories.  I rarely eat out anymore.  I am scared to eat anything with fat for fear it will end up on my hips.  Why don’t I just quit and enjoy a nice slice of cheesecake?  I’m not really that unhealthy.  Am I?

 
As those thoughts fly through my mind,  I catch myself.  No, I am not gasping for breath with every step and my cholesterol is not sky high….yet.  But, for the first time in my life, I know what a muffin top is.  Worse yet, I know how uncomfortable it feels.   Well, at least I have a new handy, dandy cup holder. J

 
 I would really like to get this under control while it is manageable and without many health risks.  Research states the larger your waist size, the more at risk you are for heart disease.  Overweight teens are coming down with hypertension, a disease once reserved for middle age.   For these reasons (among others) I feel like I had to make this change in my life.  For my health and my family’s health.   

 
Still most days are tough.  Convincing myself to exercise is the quintessential battle of good vs. evil.  I can think a thousand reasons not to exercise.  Some of them are really good.  Though lately, I have found myself exercising more than not.  It is just a little easier when you know you will be with friends and they will push and motivate you.

 
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  ~Victor Frankl

I have mastered Phase One of the Best Life Diet….I’m hydrated, working out, increasing my fiber, reducing my calories and lo and behold, lost 6 pounds in the first month and feel like a rock star. Six seems to be the magic number of pounds lost among most of us girls for the first month, and by golly, I’ll take that six and raise you 8 for Phase Two. Seriously..that is my goal.

Phase Two is here and though I’m not scared, I’ve develped a routine in Phase One that I’m almost afraid to change. I figured out what works well for me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during Phase One. I am a bit hard-headed and can eat the same thing every day for years and never think twice. HOWEVER, now I’m going to be integrating my family into the meal cycle and giving up some of my core favorites as part of Phase 2 (soda for one, even though it is diet soda)…that means I’ll have to change things up a bit. In addition, my husband has a different palate than me, and variety for him is key…it will take some rigging to figure out what works for both of us. Though I do think my fitness regime is rubbing off on him…he used our treadmill this weekend for the first time in 2 years and even though he was in his pajamas and slippers, I’m not complaining! From an acorn grows a mighty oak…

So my goal for this next month is to add variety to my diet–change it up. Realistically, if I can set a goal to cook at least 3 times a week…we are good for leftovers a couple of days and we always order out one day a week (usually Thai and it is pretty easy to do Thai healthily–steamed chicken and brown rice is my usual or Tom Yum soup is also brothy, spicy and good)…I’ll feel like I’m succeeding. There are some awesome recipes I’m going to try in the Best Life Diet book as well as other low-fat recipe sites…you’d be amazed what is out there. For me this will be a huge feat–a year ago the most cooking I did was pushing the “start” button on the microwave.

Good luck this week everyone. For Phase Two we can weigh every week so Fridays are my days to weigh..hopefully I’ll average 2 pounds a week for this month. But I won’t crawl into a hole if I don’t…just staying on the losing path is good enough.

Super bowl Sunday is quite a day for fans everywhere. The city is buzzing with excitement. Everyone is preparing for parties and hours of vegging out in front of the tv. I don’t really care for football, but I love cirque du soleil (pregame) and Prince will be smoking (halftime). My biggest concern is the food. Football and especially super bowl means food and lots of it.

Because of this I am preparing myself early. I am going to working out (right after this post)… hopefully, I will rev up my system enough to combat those extra calories.

I also plan to get ahead of my hunger. I find that high fiber cereals (>9g fiber/serving) help. I put blueberries of strawberries or both on it with some soymilk. Then, I plan my snacks before I get hungry. I have them waiting for me and when I get to a hunger scale of 4* I eat them. If I wait longer, my choices are guaranteed to be worse.

Like Marna, prior to going to a party or event I try to eat soup or a small salad first. It helps keep me from eating everything at the party, because I am not starved and can make smarter choices.

I am bringing the guacamole!!. The low fat guac. I substitute half of the avocado for low fat cottage cheese. Blend it in the food processor. Then add tomatoes and onions. Add lime and season to taste. It’s awesome and no one will know.

Good luck and Go Bears!!!

Veronica

*- Ok, so what is this hunger scale… Bob Greene formulated a way for us to figure out how hungry we are and when we should eat and when we should push away. I am still learning it and at times forget to adhere to it. Simply put, it is a scale from 1 to 10. 1 is starving about to pass out and 10 is so full full you could vomit. Ok, so stay away from extremes. You should eat at 3-4 (slight hunger-tummy rumbling) and stop at 6 (when you are comfortable.) Easier said than done. This obviously takes some practice.

Today, I am completing Phase One. I am not really sure how I feel. When I first began I was obsessed with the scale. I was counting the weeks, days, hours, and minutes until I weighed myself. Now, I am not sure if I care. Of course, I want to lose weight and fit into clothes that have been long abandoned in my closet. I also don’t want to be too obsessed with numbers. I know that I am exercising and becoming more fit.

Well who would have thought that quitting smoking, limiting your alcohol in-take to almost null, writing down every morsel of food & drink that enters your body into a journal, not eating fast food on a daily or weekly basis, avoiding pop or any other type of carbonated drinks, eating 3 square meals a day and healthy snacks, a good, consistent workout schedule, support from friends and family, motivation, discipline and desire could actually help you lose weight? Easey Peasey!! I mean, who was the brain behind that magic & why aren’t we all hot supermodels?

Seriously, the only ways that I ever experienced losing weight before was:

1)  I got off birth control and lost 10 lbs… then gained it back within a few weeks

2)  I chose to let another man stomp on my heart for a moment, decided that food was getting in the way of my crying spells and lost 10 lbs… and then gained it back when I realized what a loser he was!! Jeesh! Ha ha…

But now… a new dawn is here… After 4 weeks of starting the Best Life Diet (and 2 weeks of being smoke-free, thankyouverymuch), I finally grabbed the scale from under my bed Friday morning, dusted it off and stood on it (naked) and could barely believe my eyes… In fact, I was on the phone with my best friend Michaelene and I said “I can’t really see (I had my glasses on) but I swear to you, it looks like I lost 6 lbs!” Holy Crap, I lost 6 lbs! The little red needle was right behind the mark of 160. I am now (well, as of Friday morning), 159 lbs and I feel fantabulous about it!! Part of me was really feeling discouraged because I didn’t feel like I’ve lost ANY weight.

Though the girls in the group said I looked thinner, I sure as heck didn’t feel thinner… Mainly because the beer gut is still there… I know it’s the hardest thing to rid of, but it’s the first thing you want to go! I also feel like the belly doesn’t get smaller because I’m sucking it in all the time and nobody can tell what the belly actually looks like except for my alter ego in the mirror every morning when I decide let it loose… it’s kind of like when you’ve got a dog on a leash and then finally you take the leash off and let it run around the park… that’s my belly in the mornings…

So that was Friday and today is Sunday and I’m in Seattle on business, and haven’t stepped foot on the scale since… I travelled all day Friday, worked, had lunch-dinner (I like to call it “linner”) and then went to the Bulls vs. Supersonics basketball game! It was awesome! So great to be among the 15 Chicago Bulls fan in the entire arena! I LOVED IT! And I deserved those 3 lite beers that I drank! I sure did! LOL. Saturday morning comes and we have breakfast and lunch and I ate like a vulcher (because there is food around all the time) and felt like a cow afterwards. But I DID watch my portions (so I like to believe) and kept myself hydrated with loads of water… yay Me!

I then recruited one of my lovely co-workers, Dena, to schedule a workout date this morning at 545am at the hotel’s fitness center. Now mind you, I can BARELY make it to work on time at 9am when I’m at home… for me to go to bed at a decent hour and WAKE up at the crazy crack of dawn to EXERCISE… this is DEFINITELY A FIRST in my 32 years of life to ever do this… I was SO PROUD of myself Dena and I worked out for 46 minutes, concentrating on cardio! It was awesome. I felt great!! I swear to you, it is SO WONDERFUL to have a workout buddy! I had not doubt that she was going to sleep-in, so I knew I had to be there!! Today was the longest work day, and I made sure I ate And eat I did! I had breakfast, a banana for a snack, drank water all day, had a nice lunch, a granola bar for a snack and then chowed down for dinner. And then I went back to the hotel and worked out AGAIN! I am getting addicted, it’s crazy!

I just don’t want to slip this week while I’m not at home and away from the group and my family and friends (my support systems), so I am relying on myself to be mindful of what I eat, and to be sure to incorporate fitness into my day, at least 20 minutes of cardio - don’t think I’m doing crazy weight reps, or running miles on the treadmill… Just 20 minutes of a good speed and incline, and I’m good to go !!

So, now I am more than ready for Phase II of the Best Life Diet! Ok, so not really more than ready, I have to make time to re-read the chapter on Phase II, but from what I remember, it’s about boosting up my activity level (check), paying more attention to calories (working on check, because numbers are intimidating and I hate reading labels), and understanding the nature of the beast called my hunger (check)… I am getting ready, baby!!

Life is good this week… I’ve lost 6 lbs and there is no way I am gaining those suckers back! No refunds, no exchanges, no re-gifting! My dear friends, if I can LOSE this bit of weight in just a few weeks time, YOU CAN TOO!! But it really does take a lot of work… but anything worth having is definitely worth fighting for… I know you all are WORTH your BEST LIFE… you just have to go out there and FIGHT for it!! (Rocky theme song is blaring in the background… LOL)

Ok, I’ve written enough… but I’m so excited

‘Til Tuesday my friends…

~ cecilia

This morning I woke up and got on the scale. I was excited. Even though we weren’t supposed to weigh ourselves for 30 days, since January 2, I cheated once. No weight loss according to the scale on that cheat. That probably served me right! Was I surprised that this morning showed a 6 lb. loss. I never expected it and promised myself I wouldn’t be disappointed if my weight stayed the same. The truth is, I felt much happier seeing the loss! I feel secure in knowing that the 6 lbs. was lost 1 day, 1 workout, 1 wise meal choice at a time. Over time. It only makes sense that the 6 lbs. won’t be gained back by eating 1 fattening meal or missing 1 workout either. Being consistent in my improved lifestyle and habits is what got me here. And if I want to stay on this same weight loss trend, I’ve got to keep being consistent about wise food intake and exercise.

My clothes are fitting better, if not looser. But most powerful of all is how much stronger, more energetic I felt during tonight’s workout. In past sessions I thought I would keel over with fatigue. Tonight was MUCH easier, though still challenging. No comparison. So this is what the process of succeeding feels like.

I also know that I’ll get wherever I want to go. I’m learning and living the habits that work toward getting and keeping a slimmer, healthier body. Feeling good is a real motivator. Living like a couch potato feels like a past life. I’m going to keep all of these signs of success in mind. The number on the scale is just one measurement of success in this program. My increased sense of well-being and stamina are less tangible but very real signs of success too.

How are you fellow bloggers doing?     

I’m so excited–we all get to weigh ourselves on Friday after not having been able to do so for the whole first phase of the Best Life Diet…4 weeks. It’s been a great four weeks…I feel better physically, emotionally and I do think I look smaller…I am dying to know how much I’ve lost (hoping I’ve lost!).  

It’s funny, prior to starting the Best Life Diet, I thought the hardest thing about Phase One would be giving up alcohol. I’m a wine lover and, as an example of my enthusiasm for this libation, I easily went through 50 bottles on my 8-week maternity leave….a bottle a day practically (my husband helped…but still). That’s love….or just wrong. But surprisingly, I don’t miss it that much. It’s like when I was pregnant and couldn’t have it, it just didn’t really matter….I feel the same way now. I feel like I really own my body, and therefore, I am going to be very picky about what is allowed to enter it.

One bummer is that I still am wearing the larger sizes in my wardrobe…this will be a slow process–it’s only been a month and that is not long at all–but I’ll do this as long as it takes. One day I’ll get up and those middle sizes are going to fit…then the small ones.

I look forward to my weigh in tomorrow but even more toward starting Phase Two and kicking this diet up a notch! I hope you all are excited too! The fun is just beginning.

Here I am after 4 weeks of breaking through the pain threshold at the gym, being conscious of what I’m eating, when I’m eating and what will make me feel the best after I eat it. This is the furthest I’ve gotten in a long time to taking care of my nutrition and fitness needs. Is it easy now? Sometimes. When I’m really involved in something else. Sometimes it’s a real challenge not acting on a whim and eating nonstop like I did for so long. And exercise is part of my routine now. I don’t want to start over and go through the initial discomfort of being so sedentary ever again. I’m going to remind myself of that discomfort every time I try to put off exercising. It really is much easier to just go and get through it, then get on with my day or relax for the  evening. Giving in to not doing it because I just don’t feel like it (or letting other arbitrary plans get in the way of doing it) is a slippery slope for me. It gets easier and easier to not go. Everyone, please remind me of these words!!!

How do I feel? Pretty doggone good. I have more stamina. I feel more confident because I’m keeping promises to myself (even though it takes the accountability of my group buddies and all of you to keep me honest). And I’ll be darned, I didn’t think my body had changed sizewise but I swear my clothes look and feel a little better this week! My middle is not so Pillsbury doughboyish. I don’t know what the scale says and though I would be a bit disappointed if I didn’t show any decrease in the numbers, I have to achnowledge that I do feel more contented in general. Could it be…?

How are the rest of you doing?

Tonight we were at the gym having a group work-out.  Things were stepped up a notch like we gratuated from beginner to novice.  Some things were quite difficult to do (like doing lunges while doing arm raises with 10lbs weight in your hand), but it was do-able. 

If we would compare our very first work-out with tonight’s workout, I think we would laugh.  I mean come on, I fainted the very first workout, now Im like a Mack Truck. 

I know we are all suceeding because I could see it in all of our faces.  We all look refreshed and determined and Do not make excuses why we can’t do a specific exercise.  There were only four of us today at the group workout because the other two ladies went earlier that day.  Cecilia was on the eliptical like she was climbing Mount Everest!  Lakita was on the tredmill like she was Forrest Gump..just running and running and running.  Mary Ellen was doing squats like she was dodging fireballs being thrown at her and I was doing sit-ups like someone was holding a $1,000 bill at my knees. (I hope you like my analogies I know they are pretty cheesy! haha - but I’m trying to make you visualize on how determined we all are!)  Marna and Veronica weren’t there with us today, but I have seen how hard those two ladies work, and I could assure you that there is a dumb analogy for them too!

Dedication and Hardwork will pay off in the end.  That not only goes to following The Best Life Diet , but that is a good value in life as well.

Keep up the Awesome work everyone!

Well… we are all talking about getting on that scale to see if all the hard work paid off…we are just anticipating to see if that little needle moved left instead of right, but the truth of it all is that that number that we are gonna see is just that.  A number and nothing else.  No matter if I lost a few pounds or none at all, I FEEL GREAT! I have more energy and a lot more strength.  We may have gained muscle mass and lost some fat which means the pounds are probably gonna stay the same.  That’s fine by me.  I could feel that my pants are fitting a little better; I mean my work pants could be buttoned all the way now instead of me leaving that top button undone.  My “side fat” (your waist that hangs over your pants that when you pick up your bottoms - you give yourself a wedgie cause your pants are so high so you could cover it) is getting minimal.  I’m totally not saying that its gone because that is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from gone, but it is shrinking.

The success of Phase 1 is measured by me and the way I feel, not by how much weight I lost. I know how hard I’m working and I see how hard the other girls are working, so I know that this whole Phase One is not a waste of time. 

For all of you lovely ladies out there about to complete Phase One of the Best Life Diet -  DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED IF THE SCALE STAYS THE SAME.  Ask yourself these questions….  Do you feel great and lively?  Do you feel you have more energy than before?  Do you have a little more self-confidence in yourself because you got off of your butt and is doing something about your health?  If you answered YES to all or some of those, then you know that this is working.

Being in shape and being healthy takes time, so do not be discouraged if that silly little number isn’t what you expected.

Okay, I’m going to weigh myself for the first time in a month this weekend.  Phase I is ending and it wasn’t as bad as thought it would be.  I got moving after a year of a completely sedentary life, most of it pregnant and on bed rest.  During this phase I was encouraged to know that my food choices were 90% good; however, my food portions were too big.  My girlfriends and I had a discussion last weekend about finding the root emotional cause as to why we gained wait.  I know a few of them may have found some deep psychological reason, but what can I say, I just like food!  It’s exacerbated by the fact that I’m home all day bored and nursing a baby with an increased appetite. 

So far, so good, as far as following the program.  I must confess that I had a few bad food days and missed one of my scheduled workouts.  To be honest I don’t think the numbers on the scale are going to be any numerically different when I weigh myself this weekend.  I don’t feel the numbers will be representative of my progress because the scale can’t measure what I’m experiencing; an increase in strength, muscle mass, and energy.  Even if the scale groans the dreadful words, ‘get off of me,’ I know I am doing great and this is what matters most.  I believe I’m off to a great start.

Okay this is my 4^th week on the program and not being allowed to get on the scale leaves me with mixed emotions – really.  On the one hand it’s a relief not having to look at the numbers on the scale and be totally discouraged and frustrated, but then again on the other hand I’m really anxious to know just how much weight I’ve lost.  Chances are I haven’t lost anything because I’ve been working out heavily and increasing my muscle mass.  I know this is because my muscles are extremely sore and I can feel my limbs getting firmer.  I haven’t noticed any other physical changes like my clothes fitting looser because my clothes always fit loose.  I never wear tight clothes and as a matter of fact I’m still wearing my maternity clothes because I don’t want to have to spend any money on buying anything that I won’t be able to wear in the very near future.  Other than that I feel much better than I did before I started the program.  I have to admit this was not the case 3 weeks ago at the onset.  My body was so sore and the restructuring of my food intake left me feeling hungry ALL of the time.  Now I feel less sore after each respective workout and I have more energy throughout the day. 

Psychologically, it feels great to begin the New Year with a new lifestyle and I hope this will be a permanent change.  I look forward to seeing some tangible results next time I step on the scale.  However, there are times when I feel like I haven’t seen enough progress and I’m tempted to just give up because I have really put in some hard work and sacrifice thus far.  During those times I just have to keep saying to myself, ‘It is in you to continue.’

In our society we are motivated by dramatics…reality shows are huge because they feature extreme circumstances where humans must overcome enormous obstacles. This is great theater (which is why these shows get great ratings) and we have become conditioned to be inspired by these over-the-top wins or losses.

So what is so “dramatic” about my dream to lose 30 pounds? Welll…not much. 30 pounds isn’t something you’d write to a newspaper about or be fodder for a talk show. If (when) I succeed…I’ll have some new clothes and my friends and family will remark about my improved look, and I’ll feel great and be healthier. Good news, but ”great theater”? Hmmmm. And what’s even more boring…it isn’t one challenging task that will get me there. It’s a million little choices along the way that add up to getting me there. Epic adventure with no violence…won’t sell a ticket.

So how do we become inspired to keep up the fight when we won’t make headlines or the majority of what we are doing isn’t even newsworthy? (Like, when someone won’t even notice if I’ve lost 5 pounds and they were the hardest 5 pounds to lose in my life?)

Because it’s the little things that count, I try to take a more focused, granular approach. To me, every day is my own labyrinth…choices that I must skillfully make, obstacles that I must overcome, to make it to my next phase (the next day). Some days I need to get past ”potato chip pit,” or cross “fiber field” to make it to ”hydration station”…etc. As in a video game, occasionally I’ll make a mistake, use up one of my lives, and have to start anew in that same day. But…my points don’t go away and I’m still in the game…maybe I could even be the top scorer.

I am trying to treat my mini-miracles (such as my resisting home made brownies this weekend) as top stories…and I occasionally jot them down in a notebook to remind myself that I’ve had some remarkable victories…even if I’m the only one that thinks so or I’m too embarrassed to tell anyone else.

I’d love to know how everyone out there stays motivated if no one is really watching or you have a goal that you either don’t share with others or won’t be necessarily noticed. It can be difficult without the drama. I would love your advice.

I grew up in California. Southern California. Huntington Beach to be exact. Land of sun, surf, surfers and beautiful people. Beautiful bodies. Or what my subconscious and the world around me considered beautiful. How unfortunate that our culture then, as now, has such a narrow image of what beauty should look like.

Let’s just say that I did not fit that image. Not as a child, subteen, teenager, early twenty-something. I remember the tender years when boys, no zits, having a “perfect” body and being popular was the most important thing in the world. I used to wish that I would turn 18 and suddenly, I would be pretty and thin. I would fit in. Belong in that sunny, beachy, bikini-ready postcard of a life. I began planning for that event by going on my first “diet” somewhere between the ages of nine and twelve. Sure, I was successful. Many, many times. Those were the days long before real fitness or being in shape was more than just being thin. Before anyone ever heard of an aerobics shoe. You did a few calisthenics, situps, and ate very few calories and, voila, you were thin. For about a day and a half.

Around the age of 20, I went on my most “successful” diet–one meal a day. After a month or so I was much smaller. My shape was no different–just smaller. But suddenly, I was getting much more attention. Not really the kind of attention I would welcome now. Heck, my boyfriend of the time said I looked like a Playboy bunny. What a loser!!! And I bought into it. I kept buying into it until my husband and I became a couple at the ripe old age of 22. From then on, impressing boys was a thing of the past. What took it’s place? Well, for one I remember a comment from a co-worker, “When are you due?”  She thought I was pregnant!!! I never enjoyed sniping back at someone as much as I did then–”I’m not expecting–I’m just fat!!!” She was embarrassed and I went on another “diet”. Another successful diet. Followed by more successful weight gain.

The only time I ever lost weight healthfully was around seven years ago. The weight loss was accompanied by a lot of muscle gain. I worked out regularly, doing cardio, weights and various flexibility training. I ate reasonably and nutritiously with plenty of fiber, water, fruits and vegetables and lean protein. You know the routine. I looked great and felt great. My fitness routine was a priority, as much as bathing and brushing my teeth. The difference is I kept bathing and brushing my teeth. Somewhere along the way eating reasonably and working out stopped being a necessity. I could say it was a change of jobs or change of life, but underneath it all it was really a change of heart. My heart just wasn’t in it anymore. Because the reason I was doing it was to look good on the outside. I really hadn’t internalized that looking good on the outside has much more to do with feeling good on the inside. And I just didn’t care enough about myself underneath the surface to keep my priorities straight.

 I’ve considered all the possible reasons I “fell off the fitness wagon” throughout my life: a bigger body kept me safe from too much male attention, my innate laziness got the best of me, fast food and TV are a lot more fun than slow food and fast exercise. I do remember sneaking BBQ potato chips under my bedcovers and reading by flashlight and not wanting to be discovered. I just don’t remember why.

Well, here goes. Why I didn’t keep the weight off doesn’t really matter. Not now. What does matter is that now this is it…Being at my best weight just feels good. If I feel good I look better. And isn’t feeling good and looking better something I should give myself, no one else. So I can in turn give my best to everyone else. ‘Nuff said! 

This week I have noticed I have a lot of little bad habits.  I don’t know why I bothered to notice or maybe I am starting to realize they may contribute to weight gain.   For me it is some sort of bonus when I get the first parking spot at the mall.  Well, this week I tried to park further and walk .  I have to admit when it is cold and I have kids that are screaming  “pick me up”; the closest parking spot is more than a bonus…. It is like  hitting the lottery.

 
 
Also, I did well with my eating this week.  I didn’t splurge too much.  I did eat some birthday cake.  One piece onlyJ  I did have to catch myself, though.  I like the thin layer of  cake that comes of the  bottom and sticks to the serving plate.  For some reason, it is softer and for me irresistible.  Well, my norm would be to grab a handful of it after all the cake is served.  Well, yesterday I reached for it and as I did a strange feeling came over me.  It was as if someone slapped on the wrist.  I could no longer eat it and after that did not want it.

 
These awakenings have been very interesting and enlightening to me.  It is as if I live in some sort of auto-pilot. Just doing things, because I always have.  Well, it is time for me to take control of the wheel and start righting this ship.

I remember when I was in my 20’s.  Losing weight was not a problem. But then again did I really need to lose weight?    I remember saying to myself, ‘I will never let myself get any heavier than 130lbs.’  I look back now and laugh at the thought of 130lbs as being ‘heavy.’  But then again in my 20’s, gaining weight wasn’t easy.  There were nights I could eat a whole medium sized pizza and a liter of pop, go to bed and not have to worry about getting fat.  Of course that was then and now in my 30’s I could chew a piece of gum and ‘blow up.’  Life, moreover, was different all around – I was younger, single, less responsibility, and more ‘me’ time.  Today is a different time – older, responsibilities of wife and mother, and no more ‘me’ time.  What can I say, life happens, and this calculation only adds up to a less responsive body, slower metabolism, and as a result, we gain weight.

Last weekend, for the first time in 18 months, I hosted a gathering of some of my friends in my home and discovered that being overweight is like being in prison. Though there were less than a dozen girlfriends over, it felt like I had put out the same energy in planning my wedding.   And I realized that being overweight , out of shape, and no energy was like being in prison because:

1. When you’re overweight, you don’t want to leave your house.  You just want to lock behind closed doors, pull down the shades, blackout all the mirrors and hide.  This is not just because you don’t want others to see how you’ve blown up but for the more practical reason – I don’t have a thing to wear.
2. When you’re physically out of shape you can only dream about ‘some day,’ because ‘some day’ you’re going to be free to do the things you’ve dreamed about.  In my case I don’t dream of being free from a prison but free from 65 lbs that tires me out.  Maybe I’m the only woman in America who buys miscellaneous objects (clothing, party dishes, etc,) for some future function that you plan on having but never get around to.  Hey, ‘some day’ I’ll get around to doing it, right?
3. When you have no energy you simply just don’t have the will to do what it takes to engage anybody if you really don’t have to.  I mean, I barely have enough energy to take care of my daily obligations of wife and mother let alone host a gathering of friends.  Therefore just like prison you have few visitors and hopelessness abounds. 

Until now all I’ve had energy for was to only dream about losing weight but now it’s a goal.  After all a dream is just that, a dream.  But a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.

My whole life I always fluctuated with my weight.  Sometimes, I was a bit too skinny or a bit too chunky - I never really maintained a specific weight.  I always had my own remedies to loose weight as well, such as skipping meals or eating too small of portions that still made me hungry where I felt like I was starving myself.  I was also always athletic one way or another.  I played a few sports like Volleyball and Softball, or even Rollerbladed all the time.  When I did that, I would go and eat a huge cheese burger with an extra large fry and a super-sized coke after.  I thought that since I was atleast being somewhat active, the calories would balance eachother out. NOPE! It doesn’t work that way! 

These last few years I didn’t pick up a single Volleyball, swing a baseball bat or even attempt to put on a Rollerblade.  I found myself gaining and gaining weight, but yet I STILL did nothing about it.  I might have been afraid to embrace reality of me being the largest I have ever been in my life or I might have been too occupied to even notice that I have been putting on weight.  Whatever the case may have been, I am just soooooooo relieved that something is being done now.  I did attempt to go to the gym on my own a few times, but I tell you…it was very hard for me to cope that I couldn’t last THREE minutes on the eliptical machine.  THREE MINUTES!!! That’s how long it took me to eat those loaded cheeseburgers, but I couldn’t even take that same time to last in a workout.  So that really got me discouraged.  More time went by and then I thought I was at my rock bottom.

Participating with the other girls in following the Best Life Diet has made me more aware of what I am doing with myself.  I now eat three full meals a day with a couple of small snacks in between and I feel more alive than I did when I was a teenager (yes, Im not that old, but I do feel that way).  I also find myself reading the sides of the boxes or packages to see the nutrition facts.  I have become addicted to the gym where I CANT WAIT to go.  All of us ladies try to meet three times a week to work out, but I also go on my own on the other days. I can’t say that I have ever been happier with myself than now.  Loosing weight is a total challenge, but these last three weeks made me up for it.

I am sure that one day I will be in the same boat again, where I stop everything and gain the weight again, but now I could embrace the future because I have learned how to change and understand my eating habits and how to exercise where loosing weight isn’t so big of a deal - it’s just the effort I have to put forth.

The battle (is what I like to call weight-gain) will go round and round again like a merri-go-round, but atleast I will be prepared for it and stop the weight gain in it’s tracks.

 If some of you out there feel hopeless or discouraged - GET OVER IT!  There are ways to begin living your life again.  LIVING is the key word there - don’t sit on the side-lines and watch the days go by.  Take a walk around the block or sign-up for a gym (it’s the beginning of the year, there are membership sales everywhere) and get your butt there. Don’t stop at fast food places three times a day - take your time to go to the Market and pick up supplies to make yourself something wonderful.  YOU be in control of your weight issues, don’t let the issues be in control of you! I know that’s the road we all are taking - take that same one with us!  

Ahhhh… it is truly amazing how major life-changing decisions… really do change your life!! I feel like I don’t even know myself ever since I’ve started the Best Life Diet. It’s truly INCREDIBLE!!

The conscious mind works wonders… As of Monday, January 22, 2007, I QUIT SMOKING and have started on the nicotene patch!! I’ve been smoking ever since I was 15 (for shame, for shame, I know) and it has taken me nearly 18 years to finally decide I want to live my life… I am now ending DAY 4 of a smoke-free world!! And it’s the strangest feeling ever. But it feels great… Don’t get me wrong, I do have my cravings, and I am going through withdrawal (daily headaches - urgh) but the patch really does help. I stick it on my forearm just so I can see it all the time… I show it off like a little kid… I’ve let all my loved ones know that I’ve finally taken this step and their support and feedback have been wonderful! This has definitely been the most challenging decision I’ve ever made in my life and I’m so glad I finally did it!! I’ve just started, so I’m  hoping in due time I will kick the patch and finally be smoke and nicotene free FOR GOOD! What I love about the Best Life Diet program, is that they do address us smokers at the beginning. Bob Greene says that this program is about attaining your  BEST life and that means your HEALTHIEST life, so it really doesn’t make sense to get going if you haven’t put your number one health concern behind you first. So I’m a little late, I was born late, but I’m here now and I’ve finally decided to put it past me! I’ve always said I’d quit when I was ready… And I am so ready! YES! SCORE 1 FOR ME!!

I am conscious about everything these days… especially what I eat… so I slipped, big deal… I’ve forgiven myself and am moving forward. I’m working on incorporating more fruits and vegetables now… Lately I’ve been focusing on breakfast cereals, switched to skim milk, and have this obssession with Yoplait fruit smoothies (they are SO GOOD, seriously!) and granola and oats (granola bar, trail mix bars, oatmeal)… but after speaking with Janis, I know I’m not eating enough vegetables and real fruit. So now the goal for this week is exactly that - Eat an apple, banana or orange as a snack. Eat more salads (I am not a huge salad fan, but am starting to like them)! Or just incorporate vegetables into my meal; as a side dish, into soups, etc. I just have to focus, make time to make the trip to the store and pick the right foods. Voila!

Next hurdle: Traveling… I have to go out of town for a whole week on business! There is always food everywhere! So I definitely have to watch what I eat, when I eat, how I eat… Does anyone have any great suggestions on eating while away on business or vacation?  And working out - I am now accustomed to staying active! I plan on walking as much as I can and using the hotel’s fitness center… for the first time ever! I’ve travelled many times and have stayed in countless hotels but have NEVER frequented them… not even a peek… in fact, I ignore them! Not this time I’m determined to remain focused on these new changes… And I’m totally loving it!!

I was once told by someone that I was a Jack of All Trades, but a Master of Nothing…

Well now… I am a Master of My Life.

‘Til Tuesday… Stay your BEST!!

~ cecilia

We all know that the REAL “reward” for following a healthier lifestyle is your healthier body, feeling better, looking fitter, among countless other benefits.  I, however, do admit to having a shallow side, and can also be swayed by more girlie, tangible rewards–such as a manicure after a good 3 and 1/3 weeks of eating. Am I obvious in the fact that I’m trying to justify the manicure I’m about to get later this afternoon? Of course. Does it really matter? No.

You all have been watching our posts on our challenges, dreams, goals, successes, etc. following the Best Life Diet. I am empowering all of us to ALSO show ourselves a little love…in a non-food way. Almost a full month of eating well (or eating pretty well) is reason to celebrate…and setting small rewards in advance can be motivating. For instance, I have decided that for every pound I lose following the Best Life Diet, I’m setting aside $20 per pound toward a new wardrobe. We get to weigh ourselves in another week and I’ll venture a guess that I’ve lost about 7 pounds so far….$140 goes to the kitty!

In addition, every month that I consistently lose more pounds I plan to treat myself to a manicure. It just feels good and a $15 manicure can do amazing things for your psyche…you look and feel great. $15 is one lunch out of the office…spend it on something with a longer shelf life (though a manicure is typically not much longer!).

Some people may want to reward themselves in other ways (one hour alone reading a book at a coffee shop is high on the list for me)…so think about it. Write it down. Then set it as a goal. You deserve it. So many times in life we use food as a reward…this is a chance to end that cycle and have a good time doing it. Remember…you are achieving these results…you are only reaping what you sow.

Peace, happiness, and rewards to you! Have a great weekend.

To this point, I feel I have done well.  I have followed Bob Greene’s book to the tee.  I have increased my activity level. I have eaten three meals a day. I have refrained rorm alcohol.   I have even got my husband and daughter exercising regularly.  As I continue to peruse the book, I seem to have missed the chapter on birthday party eating and most specifically birthday cake eating.
As I have said before, I love dessert.  Maybe I have not been clear.  I loooove dessert.  I would rather eat dessert than anything else.  If given the option, I would eat a 1500 cal slice of turtle cheesecake and fast the rest of the day without regret. (ok, that is not healthy, so usually I eat that and everything else).  
I love dessert so much I went to cooking school to become a pastry chef.  Not for a career, but to make the prettiest and most tasty desserts possible.  I can make just about any dessert known to man.  It is a form of relaxation to me.  This is all great, but my downfall is the tasting.  I have never made a cookie, cake or brownie that I have not tasted prior to it leaving my hands. 
Friday is my son’s birthday and he wants one of “mommy’s special cakes”.  I am pleased and honored that my desserts are treasured by others as much as by me.  My one thought is how to make this cake without having a slice.   It has been three weeks without straying from the diet.  To this point, I have been able to hold temptation at bay.  One side of me thinks I should not have even one bite.  The other side of me is figuring out the calories and how long on the treadmill it will take to burn them. 
I need some help.  What should I do?
Veronica

Well, it finally happened–the excitement of being on a new program, new routine, going after positive goals, is 2 weeks behind me and I “fell off the wagon”.

Sunday started with a great workout. Hard enough to be really fatiqued, but not so hard it was totally over my head. There are certain behaviors we’re supposed to be practicing this first month: eating a good, well-balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner along with 2 snacks. Not eating at least 2 hours before bedtime. Drinking plenty of water. Ok. No problem. But gosh, I’m really hungry all the time. I know that portions are an issue for me. I’d gotten used to eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it–including all evening long. That won’t work if I want to see results from my hard workouts and move forward towards my “Best Life”. 

I’ve been reasonable without being deprived foodwise for the past couple of weeks. Then came Sunday (yesterday). I was really looking forward to having a day to myself after my workout. No plans, just relaxation, idle bliss. The joyous feeling of having a satisflyingly unplanned Sunday became…a nagging, totally unsatisfying struggle of wanting to eat, and eat and eat. It got to the point of no return.  I lost touch completely with anything else. I ate. Unreasonably. What I ate is less important than the uncontrollable compulsion to eat, shutting everything else out. I don’t think it’s any accident that I was in front of the TV, without being fully engaged in it, most of the day. Even though there were other things I really needed to do since I had the time. Things that would possibly have kept my mind off chronic feeding and left me with a feeling of accomplishment.

I know this scenario will come up again. I want to learn how to manage it so I can move forward. Discussing the experience with a very wise individual may have uncovered some keys to getting through this craziness:

First of all, he asked, what is the real reason I want to get in shape, improve my eating habits, lose weight, attain my “best life”. THE REAL REASON IS BECAUSE I WANT THAT REAL SENSE OF TRUE ALIVENESS, that joy, that simple sense of everything being ok because it comes from inside. We often look for that feeling outside of ourselves–being in love, having more money, a perfect job. And somehow there is a dichotomy of acheiving internal, real satisfaction by working on the body, looking and feeling better through external means.

And yet, from experience I do know that feeling tired, not sleeping well, struggling with what to wear and thinking too much about food is not living life to the fullest. It’s not feeling the kind of aliveness that makes every moment full and complete.

 Fully aware and fully alive. That’s what I want more than anything else. Losing weight just happens to be a vehicle to get there. There’s no question that I feel more confident when my body is in shape. That I’m more alert, more enthusiastic, more positive more playful. More alive. And that has a very profound effect on how well everything else in my life works.

So the question is: how do I keep that sense of aliveness where I can see it, feel it, want it–more than giving in to whatever compulsion comes along at that moment? Feeling guilty doesn’t do it for me. I’m just not the “feeling guilty” type. Can I use visualization-picturing myself feeling great-to stay in touch with my goal. Meditation, or maybe getting in touch with my feelings (what is going on that’s triggering the desire to veer off track?).

I’d like to find out. I’m going to try both of these suggestions. I know that changing my habits and how I look on the outside is going to be an inside job. I just have to remember to practice these technigues at the time of the “attack”.  

Do any of you have any suggestions, experiences, successes or stories to relate to this?

I’ve had a life-long love affair with structure. When there are rules, guidelines, plans, parameters, goals, etc…I respond instantly, positively and with gusto. It feels rewarding to know I’ve stayed within a boundary or obeyed a rule…that makes me happy. My left brain and I are BFF.

So…freestyling is a challenge. What I mean by freestyling in this context is–I’m out all day without access to to my regular “approved” meals or snacks…how do I (can I?) make good judgement calls regarding food on a day where I happen to eat out all 3 meals and had not scoped options in advance? Is it even possible without going on a wild goose chase or making my family think I have OCD about food? My overall goal through this program is to have a more healthy lifestyle–and be normal at the same time.   

This weekend my husband and I took our 3 year old ice skating for the first time. We wanted to arrive as early as possible to avoid the downtown crowds and risk our little darling being run over on the ice. My 6-month old came along as well–full family outing. Our day did NOT go as planned due to various meltdowns, wet socks, spit ups and stroller failure. We were downtown almost the entire day and one of the additional stresses I had on my mind as I cradled my screaming child was “where am I going to feed may family and not blow it myself?” I dared not mention this in front of my husband due to the seemingly inconsequentialness of that paranoia…but it was real to me.

Well, I ended up doing just fine…tomato soup and a simple half turkey sandwich isn’t going to kill anyone and I was surprisingly able to resist the tempting ice creams or yummy hot chocolates that everyone else deserved after such a trying day. (Cappucino did the job fine, thanks). And the fact that I didn’t WANT to pig out led to me making decent choices…I knew I didn’t want to hate myself afterward and I actually remembered that BEFORE I ordered my food. So I did ok…and I’m happy because that is how I want it to be from now on. We will rarely ever eat out 3 meals in one day again, but it’s nice to know I can survive it once in a while. Well…survive the food…we are still getting over the ice skating!

Did anyone else have a good freestyling success? Share it because we all want to know!

From Monday - Friday I think I’m okay… I’m focused on work, am more conscious of eating, working out, etc… Come Friday night after working out, it all goes downhill from there… I didn’t eat much during the day (seems to always fall on Fridays, where I forget to eat properly) and then we go to dinner… And I forget all that Janis suggests… I forget what I’m not supposed to eat and just devour my food like a savage!! We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant and I ended up ordering a huge meal to include teriyaki chicken, white rice, 5 pieces of california roll, and SHRIMP & VEGETABLE TEMPURA… and ate all of it (give or take a few pieces of chicken!)!! Urgh, it was the tempura that got me! I love anything fried! But hey, I drank water all with my meal LOL… I went to bed feeling guilty, but I considered it my TREAT of the week!!

Then Saturday came along… Breakfast was fine, had a bowl of cereal (with SKIM milk! and it wasn’t bad at all!! so that’s a good switch!). For lunch I had soup and crackers… eh, not too exciting but it did the job… For a snack I had a granola bar… Good, good… then for dinner… Forget it! Went to my friend’s kids’ birthday party and didn’t even really have the Best Life Diet on my mind… in fact, I just ate like I was meant to eat! I had mostacolli, potato salad (hey, there were a variety of veggies in there), bread with asparagus dip - and white french bread to boot, potatoe chips, cheese curls… oh the works… It was as if I couldn’t stop?!! I just kept eating, and eating and eating! BUT, I did manage to drink water all night, avoided BEER, even though it was right there in front of me, calling my name!! Ok, ok, how many treats of the week can I have? Exactly! I need to stop eating like a rock star…

Today wasn’t soooo bad… I’m now used to eating breakfast (cereal, so yum), am incorporating snacks and lunch… We went out to dinner at a thai restaurant the servings weren’t huge, so I felt good about what I ate… But I think it was the guilt from the last two dinners that were getting to me… This is what I don’t want to happen though… I don’t want to feel bad for eating or slipping… it’s going to happen, so I shouldn’t feel bad about it… So now I’m done feeling guilty, I can’t take back what I ate, I can’t undo anything (If I could, I wouldn’t feel the need to lose weight now would I? LOL), so I’m going to move forward with my head up high, stomach in, shoulders back… Ready for anything that comes my way!! Oh, and a vow to not eat anything fried for a long time…

ONE LAST NOTE:  Besides slipping on my eating habits… this weekend’s plus includes a new purchase… I FINALLY BOUGHT THE PATCH to help me quit smoking! Yes! I smoked my last one this evening and am now going to stop writing so I can read the details and start using it!! Let’s just hope I don’t get addicted to nicotene patches… then I’ll really be in trouble

Thanks for your support… til tuesday…

 During the week I am on a schedule and it runs like clock-work. Monday thru Friday I get up and get ready to go to work.  I eat breakfast right when I get there around 8:30am (on a good day because of morning traffic).  I work then take my lunch at 12:30ish.  Work some more for a few hours and then have my snack.  Work some more until its quitting time, go directly to the gym and then eat dinner.  That is my set itenerary. 

Weekends for me are like mini-vacations.  I sleep late, relax, and just expect nothing.  Sometimes I sleep past breakfast and then am not hungry for lunch and then just pig out for dinner.  I usually have nothing in the house although I try to keep up on the groceries, but I am only one person that could eat so much - by the time I am ready to eat something, it is already spoiled!  Lately, when I wake up, I do atleast eat breakfast.  It may not be the most fantastic thing, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  When lunch comes, I don’t eat cause I’m not hungry.  It’s like my body knows that two days out of the week are my down time.

For example…this is what I did today:  I woke up at 11:00am and wasn’t really hungry so I skipped breakfast.  I took a shower and laid on the couch and fell back asleep till about 2:00.  I wasn’t hungry.  I watched like three movies (none which were good) and did not move from the couch until about 6:15 pm.  I then went by my parents house and ate dinner (which consisted of a bowl of spaghetti and a side salad).  I laid on their couch and watched a few movies.  I decided to go home at 11:00 pm and here I am typing my blog.  Yes, a pretty non-productive day I must say.

I am trying to eat the expected meals, but how can you eat when you aren’t even hungry?  And does anyone have any suggestions for me about my weekends and how I could stay on track?  I guess I don’t know what I am asking, but I just feel like for me, the weekend are a big hurdle for me in following The Best Life Diet - three meals a day and at least one snack.

Pleaaaaaaaaaaaase help!

You have really got to watch those hidden calories when eating out.  I love sandwiches especially from those places with really good, freshly baked bread.  Normally, when you choose a deli sandwich you think you are sacrificing or “being good” by not going to a typical “fast food joint”.  Well, think again.  Some of those sandwches can be 8 or 900 calories.  That will definitely break the calorie bank.  I couldn’t believe it.  If I am going to eat that I might as well eat a big juicy burger and know I am eating all those calories and not “sacrifice”. 

After a really intense workout with my girlfriends, we went out to eat.  We decided on Japanese food.   Prior to going, I spoke with Janis.  Janis indicated that the sushi was a safe bet and generally low in calories.  Lucky for me.  I love sushi !! It was fun to get together after a tough workout to talk and eat good, hopefully, low fat food. 

I believe the workouts are getting better.  The afterburn is gone.  They are still tough.  No pain, no gain (or in this case, no lose:).   

Veronica 

P.S.  I went to the doctor today-physical time.  I was so excited (I was going to sneak and accidently look at the scale:).  I didn’t.  I stood on the scale backwards and told the lady not to tell me. (as I am still in phase I of the best Life Diet).

One thing this program has gotten going for me is consistent, whole-body exercise. This has been a real struggle–just getting started–for some time, a couple of years, maybe much longer. The last time I remember being really consistent about total exercise (cardio, strength, flexibility) is around 7 years ago. 

At the time, I worked very early mornings at a gym near my full-time job and got a free membership to work out, so I started working out. It’s the first time I ever used weights and really worked at it–along with regular cardio. I liked biking. In a few months I looked better and was fitter than I was at 20. The funny thing is, all I focused on was each workout. Little by little I got slimmer and my muscles got more defined until I was in better shape than I ever was. It was almost a surprise since I literally just did what I had to do–one day at a time.

During that time I remember never letting my emotions or anything else get in the way of my workout schedule (within reason, of course). I remember describing it to a friend who had gained a lot of weight and asked how I did it as, “I still bathe and brush my teeth whether I feel like it or not”. Very simply, I just did it! No excuses.

Well, that was then.  The past few years I found neither the desire nor whatever it is that made me “do it, no excuses”. Each day stretched into a week, a month, a year, 2 years…My tiredness and lack of motivation got worse and worse. What snapped me to action? A photo and all my pants feeling tight.  Way too tight.  I couldn’t hide “the roll” anymore. And the opportunity to be a part of this group, this blog, with the support and honest self examination that could make a more balanced, healthier life permanent.

I’m not surprised by the soreness. The RIGHT kind of soreness is, I’m told, those hibernating muscles being told to “wake up and grow so you can burn more calories and lift this poor woman up if she’s falling out a window hanging from her hands”! After all, you never know what adventures you might find yourself in.

I AM surprised by how quickly my endurance is improving. And how “at peace” I feel because I’m keeping a big, important promise to myself: I’M EXERCISING.

Is that cool or what!?!

This is my second week of working out and I have to say that all around I feel so much better in every aspect – mentally and physically.  I believe that the Law of Static Friction states, it takes more energy to put a body in motion that it is to stay in motion, and boy is this true.  It was rough getting started and I don’t just mean physically.  I literally had to psych myself up for weeks before the New Year just to muster up enough motivation to begin exercising.  Let me tell you it didn’t get easier after the first workout either because after feeling sore for the first time it only confirmed all of the anticipated dread.  Every reason why I hated working out came to my mind – and my aching body.  But having done this before I knew that the worst thing I could do was to avoid working out again because that would only prolong the agony.  Working out when you’re sore actually burns of the lactic acid that makes you feel sore in the first place.  Today, however, after doing the same workout routine over these past two weeks, I barely feel sore and I’ve noticed that I have more energy and I sleep better at night – whatever that means when you have a 4 month old.  

My work out routine is 3 times a week and after the first week my biggest challenge now is finding reliable and trustworthy childcare – welcome to the world of motherhood.  Anyway, I was too tired last week to be able to workout in between scheduled workout sessions but I think next week I’m going to attempt to either do a video workout or walk on my ‘off’ days.  I already have a pedometer and from past experience, walking 10,000 steps a day really does the job in burning off a pound a week.  There’s snow on the ground right where I live right now, but thank God my wonderful husband bought me an elliptical machine for Christmas!  If I can just stay motivated I know I can do it.

My husband says that he has noticed a difference in my physical appearance but I just think he’s saying that to encourage me because I haven’t noticed any difference. I’m sure the scale would agree with me but I know that’s because I’m building muscle and of course you know what they say, ‘muscle weighs more than fat.’  I can’t wait to notice a significant difference, and this will come none too soon either.  I have almost resolved after being large for so long that I will always be this big and hopelessness is not a good feeling.

So, I’m looking for my energy… where has it gone? I thought that when you become more active and eat more, you’ll have more energy? But since I’ve started this journey, I feel like all I ever want to do is sleep!! Is it because I’m more active? Is my body still in shock with all this motion? Maybe it’s because I’m eating all the time, I mean I really feel like I’m eating ALL the time… breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner… water, water, water!! Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!! Yes, tonight I’m feeling like a whiner… I don’t know, but I’ve been hauling trucks trying to get up in the morning… Eh, I guess or I hope my body will catch up eventually…

This is the heaviest I’ve been all my life… although it’s been a steady ride for maybe the past 3-4 years… I haven’t really “done” anything real to change it… and now I am and I’m already getting tired… My brain is working overtime being so darn “conscious” of EVERY LITTLE THING that I do… I mean, I am parking further from the front door of my job, just to get some walking in… I am conscious of time and food… what time is it? is it too early for a snack from breakfast? Is it too early for lunch? OMG, it’s 9pm and I’m eating cereal?!! I’m standing in front of the vending machine at work, trying to think if there’s ANYTHING in there that is even close to being relatively healthy and realizing that all I can really get out of there are crackers… simple, salted 30 cent crackers… What’s happening to me?! It’s kind of driving me crazy and it’s only been 2 weeks!!

Urgh… but I do have some short-term goals… and I’m slowly kind of just picking them up as I find them… One of them is to run an annual 8K run or 5k fitness run at the end of March… Yes, at the end of March!! Those marathon running type of things have always intimidated me, I would always say that I’d participate… but in the audience, cheering everyone else on! But now, my friend Chrissy encouraged me to join her… And as intimidating as it may be, I decided to register! There’s no time like the present, aye?? So what if it may take me 3 hours to run 5 miles, I’m already proud of the fact the I signed up! And the cool thing? I’ve sent out an e-mail to my family and friends letting them know that I’m doing this run and have encouraged them to sign up too! And a handful of people have or are already registered!! How cool is that?!! Sharing is Caring… Awh, it really is though!! I can’t stress it enough, but once you share your thoughts and goals with those that you love, the feedback will amaze you! The support and simple words of encouragement are the best! My friend Cleo texts me every other morning just to tell me that I can reach my goal! My friend Eddie e-mails me to tell me to get the cigarette out of my mouth! That’s the great thing about texting… it’s a simple electronic thought from someone And it really helps you stay on track when someone is reminding you of your goal… gotta love it!

So now, all these conscious thoughts and movements have a purpose… and now I will move forward in my daily life with a new goal to reach!! Yes!! And so it continues… The Evolution of a Thinner Me

OK..being on the Best Life Diet for two weeks, it was highly recommended at the beginning of the plan for my activity level to increase while following the plan. Hmmm…how many more things in life need to point to me needing to exercise? Staggering obesity rates in the U.S.? Staggering early-onset diabetes rates? The increase of stress-induced illnesses in our society? There is not one non-healthy benefit to exercise and it helps to prevent a multitude of ailments, relieve stress, increase libido, etc. So why is it SO HARD to be motivated to do it?

My theory…I truly believe that “working out” as an activity has originated from of history of being considered “vanity”…in the old days it was just body builders…hard core and considered vain by many. Now that stigma still is in the air. You know what I’m talking about–the looks you get at the office if you leave on time to go work out, or have a little later of a lunch to get your workout in, if you schedule a meeting around your workout, etc….people are naturally inclined to have a specific judgement about that…and more often a negative one if they are not on the exercise bandwagon. Even at home with all the chaos…workouts are consistently not prioritized over children, caring for family, etc.

Here is a way to shake that up: If you had a disability or injury and had to undergo physical therapy to make yourself healthier, would anyone question it? NO. Would taking care of yourself in effect help everyone in your family and contribute to your job positively (you living longer, being more fit, less stressed, etc.?) YES. You need to see exercise as important as this.

How do you do it? Ask. I had a talk with my husband and colleagues that I was trying to be healthier and that I really needed their support. You know what? It totally worked…and even better…I’m more motivated because I don’t want my husband or co-workers to see me eating poorly or slacking on exercise…I’ve asked for their support so I can’t let them down either.

When you finally get on the bandwagon you realize the only one truly keeping exercise from happening is you. Take an hour for yourself this week and focus on making yourself better physically–whether it is working out or walking with your dog…YOU are a top priority. I’m so glad that the Best Life Diet promotes this as well and I’m even more inclined to stay focused.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Earlier this week I must admit I had some challenging moments. I found myself hungrier much of the time, I felt a bit lonely and I wanted to feel comfortable and happy. I also was very curious if I was getting results yet. Alright, let’s see how I handled these feelings…Now even though I advised my fellow teammates to not weigh themselves, what did I do? My pants felts less tight so…I weighed myself! Nothing like “walking the talk”. And lo and behold, the same number popped up on the scale that I started with. Not down, but not up. I knew better, but I did it anyway. And it didn’t make me feel any better. Maybe I should listen more to the experts. I will not weigh myself again for 3 or so weeks per recommendations. 

I fared better with the loneliness. I called Cecelia, one of my teammates. We talked for a few minutes and just knowing she could relate and I could share my concerns with her was a big help. That’s what support looks like, something I wouldn’t have if I were going it alone. There is no question in my mind that my success will be a result of the success and support of the rest of my team, Mary Ellen, Cecilia, Lakita, Anna and Veronica. Somehow our different personalities, backgrounds, ages…it all just works and feels very easy being part of this group. I wonder if the Monkees felt this sense of community? (Am I dating myself?) And all of you who have taken the time to write and share yourselves…your support and relatedness is a huge boost. Thank you and I hope our program is a big help to you too!

The hunger…no, it hasn’t gone away. But I’m making sure I’m eating a really good breakfast and including my 2 snacks. And lots of fiber and water to fill me up. I’d forgotten how an apple can take the edge off between meals. And I learned something interesting from one of the trainers at the gym. When I’m working hard and building muscle I will get hungrier. It’s my metabolism speeding up and I need to fuel it with the best fuel for my body. And regularly (not just one or two meals a day or late at night).

A last thought. The only way I got the support I needed from my teammate and the info about hunger from the trainer, is by being honest about it. And communicating it. We all need each other, particularly when we’re feeling tired, unmotivated, lost, disappointed, uncomfortable…And sometimes by just putting it out there, another person, friend, teammate, expert, may say the perfect something to get us back on track. It certainly worked for me.

Marna 

Another work-out went by today. Another tough day for me.  My heart felt like it was running a marathon and wouldn’t stop!  It just kept racing!  When I finally caught my breath, it was onto the next exercise.  Although I really wanted to give up and go plop my butt on the mat, I just took a deep breath, looked up, and saw Lakita, Veronica, Mary Ellen, and Cecilia (Marna worked out in the morning so she wasn’t able to join us) were all panting just the same as I was, but the only difference was that they all kept on going.  I wanted to quit, but they kept on going.  I couldn’t be a punk! I had to keep on going too! 

I always worked out by myself and I always did a half-way job.  I would give up easily because I could. Because at that time, the only one I was working out for was myself.  I did not have anyone there with me to say, “Anna, you could do it!” or “Anna, nice job!” Now is totally different. I constantly hear “come on girl, you could do it”, or “Good thing you didn’t pass out this time!” - Im totally kidding about the last one, but its seriously true!   Anyway,  this time is different because I have 5 other amazing women there with me, going through the same aches and pains, the same panting and sweating as I am.  And believe it or not, I want to suceed for YOU!  Whomever is following our struggles and our successes, I am doing it for them as well as myself!  We all know that eating right and  exercising is a hard concept to grasp, but IT IS POSSIBLE. So Grasp it!

Here are some suggestions for a workout and eating right that has worked so far for me:

              1. Have a buddy or multiple buddies to work out with and constantly praise them on how a great job he or she is doing.  It feels great to say it as well as hearing it!

              2. Don’t over exert yourself on a workout.  Loosing weight is not a quick process if doing it correctly.  Start off slow at the gym and gradually build yourself up to a level that is challenging.

              3.  WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU EAT!  Keep a journal!  Seriously, I thought it was pretty nerdy, but it is helping me soooooooo much.  Who honestly wants to write down that they had two pieces of cake! (I just can’t let that one go!  IF you are lost, read my previous journal entry and you will understand )

              4. Make your own lunch - don’t buy fast food.  What you may think is healthy, its truly not.  You could control your portions and actual selection.

Finally -   5. DO NOT FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO QUIT.  I should take my own advice cause there are times I just want to stop, but I don’t give into that little bad guy dressed in red on your left shoulder, I give into the good guy in white on your right!

Those are just some little things that I found are helpful.  If anyone has any questions for me, please feel free to ask cause WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! I’m sure you are sick of reading me say that, but it’s true and i cannot stress that enough!

Stay strong and don’t punk out! - Anna  

Ok, I must be crazy.  I am just starting Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet (a little over 2 weeks in).  I had a great idea.  “Let’s take the kids to the new indoor waterpark”.  My husband and kids were estatic and so was I, until my daughter asked if I was coming in the water. (here’s to being a positive role model and instilling a positive body image).

Don’t get me wrong, I love to swim and in a former life was very good at it.  It’s just that three kids and several decadent desserts later,  putting on a swimsuit was not an exciting idea to me.  I’d rather pluck out all the hairs on my body one by one.  So, I did.  Well, actually, the one’s on my eyebrows

Ok,  I got over the fact that my body is not in the shape I would llike it to be and put on  a one-piece (I’m not crazy).  I figure I am a work in progress.  I strutted out there with my kids and had one of the best times of my life.  I ran up and down the various water features, squirted the kids with waterhoses, went down all the slides and finally relaxed in the hot tub.  I had a great day and didn’t let my weight hold me back.  I’m not perfect, but here’s to a great first step.

So it’s been just over a week on the Best Life Diet and I really do feel great. I’m not every really hungry (love the snacks on the diet–especially the chocolate/strawberry smoothie)…and if I am not hallucinating, I do think I’m getting smaller. It’s a bit frightening doing this plan and changing my life “on stage”–in front of millions of internet users. I had better do well, right? No messing up! I feel a bit like the weight of the world is on my shoulders…or my thighs…or better yet, coming off my thighs! I hope you will all hang in there and be patient if I stumble…Rome wasn’t built in a day. Please let me know if you also have a bad moment–no judging, no questions–just “I’ve been there” and let’s make it better.

No hiccups this week but that in itself is a danger zone. I’m the type that when I blow it a teeny bit, then I bring out the huge cheesecake and devour the whole thing because, well….the day was ruined anyway, right? So I’m holding tight so far but at any moment it can all go out of control. I’ll be writing to you all if I get in that situation so you can save me from myself.

As I’ve said before, I perform better in front of an audience but there is nothing like being on a great team and I don’t want to let anyone else down. And as we change our lives forever on this plan, we’ll leave with a “patchwork quilt” of experiences, friends, anecdotes and collective support to get us through any roadblocks in the future. I hope all women out there know that all six of us here are here to support you too–that is why we are here!

Have a great eating week everyone….Mary Ellen

I don’t even know where this “quit cold turkey” phrase even originated from, but it’s just not for me… This weekend was probably the hardest for a lot of things - drinking, smoking, eating, lounging…  I understand that I can’t change all my habits in just a week or two… but in due time, something’s gotta give… I know things are changing at a very slow pace…

Gregg was right… you need FUEL to burn energy!! I learned that the hard way on Friday… All I ate throughout the day was 2 cereal bars… and maybe a half bottle of water… It’s hard when work gets in the way of eating… It’s pretty pathetic that I haven’t even made the time to TAKE THE LUNCH THAT I DESERVE but instead work through it! What, am I crazy?? So, this week, my goal is to leave work behind and indulge in whatever I have for lunch and not even THINK about work!! Last Friday’s workout was a bit of a struggle… No food = hardly any energy, and so I felt I had to work twice as hard… And pant three times as hard… and yes, I still smoked after the workout!! URGH!!! So as soon as I got home, I ate (ok, more like I inhaled) a salad with grilled chicken, a yogurt with granola bits and water (I’m loving water these days)… And felt great afterwards… very satisfied!

Later that night, we went to a bar to see a show… I didn’t smoke on the way to the bar… but I did smoke once I got there… and I had a BEER!! Urgh, I couldn’t help it, I needed something else in my hand besides the cigarette… and it was SO GOOD… and I ordered a light beer instead of my usual… and I had JUST the one beer… after that we went to shoot some pool and just ordered ice water… we were there for a while and I was okay not ordering any more alcohol, so I think that the one beer per outing rule will keep me happy for now… After talking with Janis, the Best Life Diet nutritionist, about my teeny weeny hiccup of beer, she re-assured me that it was “ok” as long as one beer didn’t beget another, and another, etc.  So THAT made me feel much better, and really took the pressure & the guilt off… I know I can’t just axe it out entirely, some people can and that’s GREAT!! But for me… all in moderation…

I even worked out a bit Saturday morning! Not as hard as Friday, but enough… and then my friend Eddie and I walked for 2 miles!  It was great, I felt awesome afterwards! It is so nice to walk with a buddy, I definitely encourage everyone to do so!!  You have time to chit chat, laugh, talk about life, it’s awesome! I never knew that having a workout buddy would be so much fun… I’m always used to doing everything independently, I guess!! Then I got home and was SO TIRED… I had to nap for a while before I went out to dinner… I really think all of this working out has really put my body into shock… It’s not used to all this moving and sweating and PAIN!! But my body WILL get used to it all and pretty soon it will be part of my life’s routine!! It’s definitely getting harder though… Sunday morning’s workout nearly killed me!! I thought I was going to have a heart attack, I was doing so much!! Sprint within 40 seconds! Do lunges & hold for 3 counts while holding this 6.6 lb weight ball over your head! Are they insane?! But I’m loving it, really! All I know is, I better at least get some rocking thighs in a few weeks, all those painful lunges!!

It’s getting harder, but I can already feel my body changing… or maybe just aching, but whatever it is… It actually feels kind of good… Even if I do workout with my stomach sucked in all the time, I know it’s getting me somewhere!! And it’s making me truly believe in myself, believe that I really DO have the power to change things in my life, as long as I stay focused and keep realistic goals… I AM INVINCIBLE!! Ha ha!!

So to re-cap, this week’s goal is to: MAKE TIME FOR LUNCH, BECAUSE I DESERVE IT & MY BODY NEEDS IT!!

In 2007, I’m on a quest.  A quest for the best life I can create for myself. With a little help from my family, friends, employer, yoplaitbikini team, team advisors, coordinators and everyone else involved in some way with me right now. And any physical discomfort I’m feeling whether it’s in the thighs or need to budget better is a good indication of how out of whack things are. They say growth only comes from pain. And if that’s the case a lot of growin’s goin’ on!

I had my second workout this morning, and on my way to the gym I really didn’t know how I could get through even one squat without falling over. I could barely get up or down from the sofa. (So THAT’S how you cut down on watching TV!) Well, I did get through it and I’ll be darned, I felt better even immediately afterwards. Tonight, the soreness is much less.

 I encourage you to get a workout partner or team of your own together if you’re having as much trouble as I was getting started on a fitness regimen. I put it off for a couple of years. If you’re the type of person who prefers to do it alone or doesn’t need the accountability of something or someone, that’s great. I was not one of those people. Accountablility is HUGE for me. If you feel the same way, why not try creating a situation that keeps you accountable. It can be blogging with us about your goals and progress. Or set up a team of friends or coworkers to embark on a fitness journey with. May I suggest including someone who’ll push you harder (safely) than you might push yourself. A while back I walked with a friend of mine and she’s a runner and real athlete. I walked faster and worked much harder on our walks than I ever did alone. Also, there’s no way I could work this hard without the pressure of knowing I HAVE to get results. (Or look like a fool to all of you!) 

Another thing I realize I’m doing differently is having lots of dinners at home with very dear friends of ours. Since my husband and I don’t have children, there’s a real sense of family preparing a meal and sitting down to enjoy it together. We have great conversation, it’s more economical and nutritious, since my friends are very health conscious. And my husband is turning into quite a chef! Sure beats sitting in front of the TV and unconsciously eating all evening.

2006 was a very difficult year for my husband and myself (and I know we’re not alone in this).  We both lost our jobs and our dear sister-in-law.  Well, 2007 has started out with a bang! No, all of the resulting challenges aren’t solved. But we both feel much better equipped to deal with things. Getting back in shape is one of the areas I DO have control over and I can’t tell you how uplifting it feels to be in action-mode to achieve it. Start NOW, if you haven’t already and we’ll all look and feel terrific by the time we pull out our summer wardrobe.

I was in the gym this morning working out and it was rough, though I must say that this time was not as hard as before.  Greg, the trainer, said it shouldn’t be too bad considering that I was once in great athletic shape.  He said, ‘don’t worry muscles have memory.’  Whatever, my thighs must have amnesia because they have forgotten just about everything they ever knew.  As a matter of fact, I almost fell of the curb the other day because they couldn’t remember how to walk down some steps.  The only consolation is knowing that in a few months I’ll be looking fit and fabulous again.

 My girlfriends at the gym today were so peppy today. . . I wasn’t.  I mean I almost felt guilty because I wasn’t excited about working out, but then again I never have been, not even when I used to model for Nike and Reebok.  I remember dreadding ever step on the treadmill and every pound of iron pumped.  I absolutely hated it, but I totally loved the results.  So, to stop my procrastination I used to sleep in my workout sweats and socks, with my shoes next to my bed, so all I had to do in the morning was just ‘roll out.’  It actually worked as evidenced by the 35-22-35 figure I sported.  I would result to this tactic again but I don’t think my husband would appreciate the sweats in bed thing. 

I took measurements this morning and had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I measured my waist.  Good Lord!  My waist blew up from a 22 to a 36.  Congratulations, my waist has exceeded what were once my bust and hip size.  I wanted to get in my car at that moment and just drive home, but I took a long pause and thought of all the women who are in the same situation as I am but have no encouragement what so ever.  So I sucked it up and got on the treadmill because I thought to myself, dude, I need to step up and be a role model for other women like me.  I might feel horrible right now but I know I’d feel worse if I didn’t take advantage of the community of ‘losers’ (that’s weight losers) in my midst.  So ladies, for all of you who deesire to get into whatever bikini you desire, but hate working out — I’mm feeling you.  No really, I really feel it, especially in my butt and thighs.

Well… Tonight I went to my nephew’s 6th birthday party.   When you are six years old, you want all the junk food or fast food - you don’t want whole wheat bread and salads or tuna - you want Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Hot Dogs…basically everything you have to cut back on.  As I was sitting there just stairing at all the food, I did not see one nutrious thing on the table, so I ate some fried chicken (but I did take off the skin, which is the BEST part), and I had a little pasta and Italian sasauge (with no bread).  I thought I did pretty well.  NOPE.  I CAVED IN!  I had another two pieces of fried chicken WITH the skin, some chips and salsa and a scoop of Spinach dip.  I stopped there.  I was feeling pretty horrible.  Im sure this is not bad because I dont do this all the time, but then……. IT WAS CAKE TIME!!!!  All the kids were jumping and screaming with excitement and here I am just mesmerized by the icy frosting - so….I passed out the cake.  One piece went by, then there were three pieces that went by….then…..It was MY piece! and I ATE IT!  Not one, but TWO pieces of cake!  Ahhhhhhhhhhh!  Ive been doing soooooooooo well, but Im not gonna let this stop me!  I will be at the gym tomorrow working extra hard!

Temptation is horrible.  Does that make me weak that I caved in?  Does this happen to anyone else?  

Well, Im no quitter and Im sure not weak, but oh boy, do i feel guilty!  I’m not gonna do that anymore!  Im gonna stick to eating healthy, but how could you pass up a piece of cake at kid’s birthday while everyone else is eating it?  I just couldn’t!

I  am finally finding me.   I am for once taking time for myself…even if it is just to workout.  I have gone from constant pain and muscle cramps to feeling invigorated and less frequent soreness.   I am starting to look forward to my daily workouts.  It is nice to see the ladies and to share the sweat, pain and soon the triumph.  I understand why it has been said that group exercise yields the best results. 
The diet is finally kicking in for me.  I love exploring the recipes in the Best life Diet.  The recipes are quick and easy, which is great for an active and busy family.  Best of all, my kids will eat the meals without much complaint. 
The biggest hurdle for me is my love of dessert.  I love to bake and create new and interesting desserts for my family.  When  I was pregnant, at my request,  my loving and supportive husband, brought me frequent decadent cakes and pies.    I don’t even miss those empty calories… I started eating Yoplait’s Cheesecake and chocolate mousse Whip yogurts.  I consider myself a dessert “sommelier” and these yogurts are unbelievable.
 
 
Ok, I am doing everything by the book.  I am exercising,  I am eating 3 meals a day.  No alcohol.  No eating 2 hours before going to sleep…..Can I weigh myself?   Just kidding.
 
I was talking to my dad today.  He is incredibly fit and active.  He eats well and exercises daily.  He also beats every year in our local 10K. This year I will win:)  He even wears the same clothes he did in high school.  I think he still has some to prove it  He states he does not weigh himself (only for annual physicals).  He just notices how his clothes fit and adjusts accordingly.
Alright,  I want to send shouts out to Lakita, Marna, Anna and Cecelia who are probably lunging as I type.  I also want to send a shout out to Mary Ellen who was my “rock” this morning and kept me going.
Thanks Ya’ll,

Veronica

This past week really made me realize why I am doing the Best Life program.  I had a trade show in New York and had to pack for 4 days.  I’m in the fashion business and had to look it, plus be comfortable enough to focus on business, looking and feeling good.  Well, the amount of time it took to find things to wear that were comfortable, weren’t too tight and made me look great…Let’s just say that I didn’t get much sleep the night I packed.  This is stupid!  I have plenty of clothes in plenty of sizes and nothing to wear?  And let’s face it, if I’m not comfortable and focusing on potential clients because my pants are riding up where the sun don’t shine…What a waste of time, sleep, money and effort. 

Another motivator for me is if I’m comfortable and not trying to camouflage a body part, I can focus on the person or persons I’m with (or activity I’m doing) 100%. Imagine that–being in the moment and not having to think about “sucking it in” or pulling down my shirt so my muffin top doesn’t show.  

And let’s talk about fashion.  Dressing is a creative form of expressing myself.  It would be fun to dress more like I feel and not be as limited to certain shapes and proportions. That doesn’t mean following trends as much as being more of who I am.  And I really don’t think of myself as fat.  Yep, I’m using the word “fat” rather than being politically correct ’cause that’s what it is. Although I accept myself and others at any size I just don’t feel at home in this current body. It’s not athletic and well-maintained enough for me. It really is about looking and feeling more like myself.  This body reflects my lack of self care.  And I don’t want to be forced to change by a health crisis either. 

These gals are the best group of teammates I could ask for.  They’re funny and enthusiastic and very committed to all of our success.  Although we’re so different, I sometimes feel like I’m hearing or reading my own thoughts when they share theirs.  We’re more alike than different. Have the same insecurities. And we’ll all share the joy when we reach our goals because there’s so much support and joy now, at the very beginning of this 3 month experience.

I’m so thankful for all of you–Lakita, Anna, Mary Ellen, Veronica, Cecilia–and all of you joining us in this Best Life extravaganza.  United we lose–and win at the same time.  Divided, I would just sit in front of the TV, eat, and get fatter.  

Tomorrow night I have my first workout with the group. I hope I don’t have to hire someone to type in my next journal entry or answer your comments because my arms are numb.  Or worse. 

Good luck to all of you.  And a good night. 

Well, this is it, a new year and a new me.  I’m going to my third workout tonight and I’m still sore from the first one last Monday.  To be honest, I really didn’t want to go at first because I was so tired from the holidays, but after I went I felt so much better.  That first step.  That first workout is always the hardest one to make but it feels great once it’s made.  I feel like I have some momentum behind me now and each time it will get easier and easier.  Moreover, it becomes easier when you have a posse like mine cheering you on when you’re working out.  My new girlfreinds were that extra shot of adrenaline that I needed last night when I walkied into the gym.  ‘You can do it. . . you go girl. . . come on, just one more time!’  All of them are great. What I like about this group of women the most is that most of us don’t view this as a competition, but a collaboration.  The only people we are competing against is ourselves and we encourage each other to be our best selves.  I suppose this is why it’s called the best life diet program. We colaborate by providing an encouraging and optimistic environment where we can strive and thrive to be our best not the best.

I weighed myself earlier this week for the last time until next month and believe me I have no problem not stepping on a scale.  There will be no temptation on my part to take a peak at those numbers.  Hopefully they will be numbers I will never see again in this lifetime.  With all of this working out I know we will all be building lots of muscle, and of course muscle weighs more than fat.  This is good to know.  It would be very discouraging to torture ouselves only to step on a scale and be disappointed.  So it’s good that we won’t be weighing-in until February.  I wasn’t excited at first but with each meeting, or workout ,the excitement builds.  So if there are any of you out there right now who are feeling discouraged about your current situation, know that your best life is but the next step away, and another step, and another step.  Let me be just one more person to cheer you on to fit into whatever ‘bikini’ you’re striving to , because ‘it is in you to continue!’

One of my big challenges in the fitness arena has been with my hatred of most vegetables. Perhaps it was they way things were prepared when I was growing up or my “texture issues” with certain foods (does anyone have that too?)…but in my life, most bitter green vegetables cannot make it past my lips without severe consequences. SO…I was a bit nervous meeting our nutritionist this past weekend. Janis developed the meal plans and recipes in collaboration with Bob Greene for the Best Life Diet –so she is about as expert as you can get and I was prepared for a demoralizing lecture on how I’m a bad, bad eater.

Not so! Janis was so wonderful and did not treat me like a freak when I told her I had issues with vegetables. She asked me which ones I liked–and I was surprised to figure out that, when I sat down to think about it, there were actually many vegetables I did like and three of them were green (green beans, peas and mixed greens). She quickly wrote some recipes for me on the spot on how to incorporate all of those vegetables into my diet in a subtle way…working them in slowly. I also was thrilled to find out that pureed soups can count as a vegetable serving–DONE! No texture issues in soup…and there are so many great organic soups out there that pack a punch of nutrients.

I and the rest of the girls are so fortunate to learn from a professional, expert nutritionist with a wonderful food-side manner! Go Janis!

Well… All I have to say is WOW and OUCH!  I am sooooo sore from workout #1 on Sunday, that today was even harder! Those Squats KILLED me! I am so out of shape that five minutes on the tredmill nearly made me faint!  Seriously though, I actually almost did! Am I that really out of shape?  Have I been letting myself go without any activity for so long?  That answer is YESS!  I NEED TO KEEP GOING!  I need to keep up with the other ladies - they are so amazing!

 For a long time I haven’t been feeling myself.  I have been feeling tired and unmotivated and even a bit lazy.  I actually thought it was health problems, but when I went to the doctor just to be sure, I found out I was as healthy as can be.  This got me thinking…Im 25 and out of shape and cannot keep up with any of the other girls!  I need to change my attitude and get my head out of the gutter.  Im no longer gonna feel sorry for myself because I cant fit into any of my clothes, Im gonna get off my butt and get going!  

Today was workout #2.  It was definately a better day for me.  I actually made it through the whole hour without trying to cut corners and take the easy route out.  The only thing that kept me going was seeing how hard the rest of the girls were working. We were all panting and sweating and wish we all were relaxing on the couch, but knowing what we are working for, a healthier life, is motivating enough.  I am so proud of the girls and myself.  We know that together, we all could get through the Best Life Diet and so could all of you that are following our journey.  If we could do it, so can you all because one way or another, one of you out there relates to one of us which makes this your journey as well.

   Some progress with myself is that Sunday was our group workout, Monday I went to the gym on my own, and Today was our group workout -but in being active these past days, I feel like I could do anything!  Please please please DO NOT feel like you don’t want to work out or even go for a walk because you are too tired - go that extra step and do something active!  I PROMISE you that you will feel better about yourself on the inside as well as the outside.   My whole “bikini” is to get back my self-confidence/esteem - I feel like I am taking the first step to the new me in just trying to take better care of my health.

  Can’t you all tell that I am soooooooo pumped up right now!  YESS!!! We all are gonna do it - including you!  I could just feel it! 

 Good Luck all you ladies out there who are starting their first workout…. Word of advice:  Your limbs are going to feel like they are falling off, but keep in mind how much hotter you all are going to look when you reached your goal! Keep going keep going keep going!

seriously… lunges are KILLER! and it seems like everybody at the gym does them! with weights, without weights… then we had to do squats with a workout ball against the wall - have you done that? OMG again, it looks SO EASY and relaxing, but it’s KILLER!! everything is KILLER tonight!!

jeesh… but workout number two wasn’t THAT bad… SECOND NOTE TO SELF: quit smoking for real… that’s definitely been my biggest drawback even though we’re just at workout number two… my stamina is shot… but i’m getting there! s l o w l y   b u t   s u r e l y!

what i’ve learned since sunday, which most of you probably already know… the best way to heal a sore body is to keep it moving!! last night my good friend dana came over and we walked 2 miles around the track! in the cold! bundled up like eskimos! but it was great! rejuvenating! and my muscles didn’t feel that sore! it was like magic! although i did still had to rub myself down with some pain relieving cream (i love that stuff)… our trainer, greg, advises that the first 2 weeks are the roughest and once we get over that we’ll be fine… shoot, i better!! i haven’t worked this hard in a long time… tonight’s hour was really quite long… but it’s just something i have to get used to and i will! but i actually don’t feel as sore as i did two days ago so i take that as a good sign!!

Keeping it short, my dear friends… And again, thank you ALL for your support!! And just remember that I’m supporting all of you that are your own journey as well! By summer, we’ll all be wearing bikinis with NO SHAME!! NO SHAME, LADIES!

Happy New Year!  It’s 2007 and of course my new year’s resolution is to shed these extra pounds and get back into the swing of things – If I could only get out of bed.  If I thought I didn’t have energy before I am now exhausted and sore.  I had my first workout last Sunday and my legs feel like mud.  I have had harder workouts in my lifetime but this just tells me how out of shape I am.  My trainer tried to encourage me by sharing the fact that muscles have memory, well if this is true then my muscles need some Ginkgo Baloba because they have must have amnesia. I know it’s going to get easier as the girls and I frequent the gym but my body is not feeling all that great right now.  On the bright side, I did slept like a baby last night;  slept for two hours woke up and cried, fell asleep for two hours then woke up and cried – just kidding.  Although I’m soar, I did sleep quite soundly and I know that, thankfully, this will be a much welcomed benefit of working out.   I woke up this morning and wasn’t the least bit sleepy.  I just can’t wait to be able to walk without wincing.

A girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen since I got married called me the other day and invited me to go to a dance class with her.  I had to laugh out loud because I could just envision myself passing out on the studio floor.  I know I’m in the yoplaitbikini program, but like my web intro states, ‘that’s not me.’  You wouldn’t catch me dead in a pair of leotards and tights.  Needless to say I turned her offer down and took a rain check, but hopefully I will have the last laugh after I master this Best Life Diet. 

Another good thing about not having energy after a workout is, I’m too tired to cook anything.  However, I have increased my water intake and I can already hear my stomache sloshing around as I waddle through the house with the baby.  I was already drinking a lot of liquids because I was nursing and now I feel water logged. 

Today is a great day and I can’t wait for my muscles to begin responding.  I know that there is a whole other woman buried underneath all this extra weight just waiting to get out – if she can just muster up enough energy.

It was awesome to exercise with ya’ll on sunday.  It is much better to exercise in a group.  I probably would have stopped 10x during the hour had I been by myself or at home.  I am feeling more fit already (or is that just soreness from being out of shape). I can’t wait to do it again.  That is after I muster the strength to climb the 3 flights of stairs.

 Ok, why must I weigh myself daily?  I feel like I must monitor all of the crazy fluctuations.   I have been following The Best Life diet and have not weighed myself since friday, but I sooo want to.   Does anyone else have this problem?  

Veronica

Our first workout as a group was both exciting (love the girls) and challenging (how many lunges are actually possible in one hour?). This was Sunday and now on Tuesday morning I’m just starting to get the feeling back in my thighs. The workout was robust in that we challenged all the areas of our body in a “circuit training” fashion…however, the little things like making sure you ate before the workout or had enough water during the hour are the ones that will get you in the end. Though the exercises looked easy when our fabulous trainer did them (what, only a 5 lb weight? No problem!)…the repetition was killer. I laughed at the beginning when our trainer said “when you leave here don’t forget to hold onto the handrail down the stairs.” I was not laughing at the end when I had to use two hands on that rail.

The endorphins kicked in as I got in the car and I felt amazing the rest of the day. I have to try to remember how great I feel after I work out…why can’t I remember this when I really need to inspire myself to get into my workout clothes? Does anybody out there have any good advice on how to propel yourself into working out when you don’t feel like it?

Seeing as how my intro video and photos make me look like a fat pregnant pig, I was very much looking forward to today’s first group workout. I haven’t worked out in MONTHS, so I knew I was in for it. Being 5 minutes late, I already felt behind the group. It’s a bit difficult to train with 4 other girls when we aren’t at the same pace… Note to self: ARRIVE ON TIME FROM NOW ON!! After 12 minutes on the treadmill, I stepped off and was nearly floating in space my legs were so wobbly… and lightheaded to boot… but I guess that’s normal if you haven’t treaded a mill in quite some time… then we had to do these lunge walks… It looks SOOOOO easy when other people are doing it but after maybe 20 lunge steps, I felt the burn… the burn that reminds me why I hate working out!! lunge, lunge, lunge… STOP… OMG I am going to die… but after while I was excited for the next step - weight machines and such… not so bad really… I was actually kind of sad that the hour was already over (exhausted, legs are going to drop off, arms are going to melt)! But now I’m looking forward to the next workout! I’ll be ready to go!! Second note to self: STOP SMOKING, FOR REAL!!

The good thing about today: Working out with the girls was cool… It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who felt they were catching their breath or dying… strength in numbers, people!!

This group is something special to me. By nature I am a very loyal and dedicated person. I am also very disciplined and focused, especially when I have a goal in front of me. The fact that these ladies all share the same goal with me will drive me to succeed even more. Knowing these ladies makes me even more committed to succeeding. Failure is not an option. If they are anything like me (and I think they are) we will hopefully push each other. As far as visitors, I hope I can inspire you too…if even one person can achieve a goal because of me, that will make this all worthwhile.

I feel like I just got recruited or something and it’s time to go to camp with the team. I’m really excited to work with my ‘teammates’ and our coaches in reaching our common goal, or at least mine – Dreamgirls! Beyoncé look out! Now I really have to perform because “mama-an-nem” will be logging on to see my progress so I must become a woman on a mission. I hope I will be able to work as a team player but it’s kind of hard right now with a newborn in a city where you have no friends or family as backup support when I need a mommy break to go work out. I simply refuse to leave my baby with someone I don’t know. To further complicate matters I’ve recently had some health issues that were pregnancy induced and have ended up in the emergency room 3 times since the baby was born. I thought I was having a heart attack until they correctly diagnosed me with gall stones. I haven’t even started the program yet and I am thoroughly exhausted! Hopefully I can find support among the other 5 women in my group but I’ve already missed out on a pre-Christmas dinner they had because of lack of childcare and a crisis that took place that night. A good friend, whose wedding I was in, was doing a routine roadside check with his partner when he was shot five times by an assailant who is still at large. I helped as best as I could but it’s in God’s hand now. I know just how important it is to have friends who support you in your time of need.

 
Making a personal commitment to this project is complicated on many levels. For one, I am generally a self-motivated person who doesn’t need a pat on the back, a word of encouragement, or a happy face – although a cookie would suffice. However, since this is a weight loss program, cookies are probably not in the equation. But it seems these days that I have no energy. My get up and go, has got up and went, so it seems that I am left to depend on the encouragement of others. Committing to the group, however, is another issue that has pluses and minuses. Often we will do for others what we won’t do for ourselves because when we are in need, we are more willing to handle disappointment in our own failures than those of others. Eighteen months ago as a single woman, I wouldn’t have given a second thought about making a commitment and fulfilling it. But now after marriage and a baby there are others who must be considered before committing and greater disappointment if those obligations are not fulfilled. Overall, I think that the relationships with these women will be a good thing considering I have only a few in my new city with whom I am acquainted, and I hope to learn a lot about them, and from them. I’m sure there will be many personal revelations shared amongst us. Truly the whole point of vulnerability is allowing people to see the real you, but the words “Internet” and “intimate” are usually an oxymoron and shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. However, I believe in this case things might be a little different because I know that people often share their deepest thoughts and feelings via the web but that’s only because people can’t see them. There is little anonymity here, I’m not a shy person, and therefore, this is going to be interesting.

 
There are a whole lot of women out there just like me who have made new year’s resolutions in the past to battle the bulge and did it alone. So I’m sucking it up, kicking it in, and letting it all hang out! Truly, I have no other choice because my girdle doesn’t fit anymore. Day one of the yoplaitbikini.com diet program was the last time my scale will groan, “get off of me!” Hopefully soon I won’t be “thick around the waist and taking up space!”

I believe there is strength in numbers, and I’ve always performed better when someone was watching. I’m thrilled that there are so many diverse women in our group with similarities and differences in our approach to weight management—we have a common thread but at the same time we can all learn from each other. Women are the best—we can talk about our struggles for hours with each other and be sympathetic and inspire confidence in each other…and not get tired doing it. My husband (love the guy) can only take about 10 seconds of discussing weight struggles. I’m so glad I will have this support system of women that knows how hard this can be and shares my goals on this journey. I know there are many women out there who may share in my struggle—and if we can do this together, all the better! I want to hear from you! I know that if you have about 30 to 35 pounds to lose, like me, people like us aren’t making headlines and there are not any role models out there—it isn’t exactly fodder for a reality program. And for someone like me, who carries weight well (people don’t notice if I fluctuate within 10 pounds…I hide it well)…this has been a private struggle for so long. Let’s shed some light here! Let’s exult in a 1.7 pound loss as progress! It’s all good and it is all good for us. I think and hope the Web site audience and I will be as close with me as I am to my group. Plus—the wonderful thing about the Web site community is the degree of anonymity—you can talk about things that you may not share with your loved ones—your anxieties, your failures, your secret hopes, your little wins that may not seem noteworthy to those in your life. That is what is so wonderful about our online community—let’s get real and at the same time, get down to business. Let’s do this thing for once and for all and make some real connections along the way. I’m looking forward to sharing my feelings with five other women, because these feelings define me. I have been in this struggle my whole life…it has made me who I am. I have a lot of wonderful, supportive people in my life, and the people I know personally represent only a tiny percentage of the wonderful people in the world who share my struggle. My five colleagues in this program are already like sisters and I know we will be seeing each other at our best and worst, and exhibiting the raw emotion that drives us to be successful in the program. I will be sharing those moments with everyone in the community and I hope that more people can connect with us and each other through our experiences. Our life is going to be an open book…I hope everyone will be inspired reading it!

I need to be healthier but also to set an example for my husband and kids….it’s not about me anymore. With 2 small children who will be developing and learning their eating habits from the home (from a career dieter, no less), and in an environment rampant with a culture that fosters childhood obesity…I have to take control of my family’s nutrition now instead of sleepwalking through this critical crossroad in my children’s lives. I know that there will be many ways I as a parent will dramatically influence my children—getting the food relationship right (for all of us) will be one of the best gifts I can give and set the stage for them to grow into healthy adults.

Have you ever had a hobby that you’ve done for a good part of your life? Are you an avid reader? A swimmer? Have a love for football? I can honestly say that managing my weight has been my second job for the past 30 years…longer than anything else I’ve ever done. I have always had a love/hate relationship with my body, and have been dieting since childhood. (My expertise is in deprivation techniques.) However—what I WANT…and is completely in my power to have through the Best Life Diet, is a new way of eating that is inclusive and normalizes food…where food is celebrated and creative…it is just chosen more carefully. This is the only way to sustain a lifestyle of healthy eating—making it normal.

Just two months ago I was in the process of taking out an extra life insurance policy since our family has grown. Since I am 38 years old, the requirements included a medical questionnaire and exam, blood test, the works. I’d always just had insurance through my jobs so this was a bit new to me. As I was going through the questionnaire with the agent on the phone and we got to the “weight” question, after I had given my weight the agent got quiet. He told me in a very unsympathetic and monotone voice (anyone overweight has high emotion when discussing their weight—so I was already getting worked up) that in the eyes of the insurance company, I was considered a significant “health risk”…therefore my premiums were going to be very high. I tried to explain that I had just had a baby and yes, I wasn’t back at my normal weight yet, but I would lose it soon, etc….it didn’t matter. What’s more is that even after I lost my baby weight, the insurance company would still consider me 12 pounds overweight. My “good” weight really wasn’t a “good weight”!  This was my wakeup call. A company that leverages people’s health risks for a living called ME a significant risk…at 38. And to add insult to injury, I have to pay more to be unhealthy! Though my husband and I have talked in general terms about being “healthier” for our kids—we hadn’t yet made changes that would make an impact. It all begins now—before it’s too late. 

I am not very happy with my body (surprise surprise)…my body is not very familiar to me right now—it’s fleshy, untoned and like a lump of clay. As any mother knows, the post-partum proportion your body takes after birth could make you cry every day if you let it (but you don’t because you let the raging hormones make you cry instead.). I remember having a meltdown recently in a store dressing room as the sales associate brought me every pair of pants they carried in the largest size they had…and kept asking me through the door “How’s it going? You doing ok?” and in my depressed, choked up delirium since nothing fit, I was only hearing “Everything ok, you BIG FRIGGIN COW?” Making this change will make me so much more confident as a mother and wife…I will feel that I’m in control of my health and that will benefit both me and my children. I will look better and feel beautiful. Oh yeah, and I’ll also get my life insurance policy fee adjusted too!

I love the accountability and support being part of our group provides. These are all great gals with different stories and motivations to share, yet we have one big common goal. It feels very reassuring to know this support system is already in place ’cause I know I’ll need it. Accountability is very important to me…I tend to put things off if I’m not in the mood. My being accountable to all the women who visit our website will also help keep me focused and honest. My commitment feels very solid and this sense of commitment will ensure that I’m successful in reaching my goals. If my experiences and thoughts can support anyone else in reaching her goals…nothing would be more gratifying. Let’s keep the lines of communication open.

My goal is to create a body and life that projects vitality, ageless beauty and good health. To be more attractive, happier and more alive than ever, regardless of my age. That getting older can mean being healthier and more open to life’s possibilities than ever. My age is a number. Nothing more. 2007 feels like a new beginning. 

Whenever I would master my plan in my head to lose weight and get fit, it’s always been a well thought out, brilliant and perfect program that I would execute and achieve on my OWN… I figured I can lose weight without telling anyone that I’m even trying and then BA-BAM!! Instant, hot, thin, fit, new Cecilia back on the scene!! Of course, the seed has been planted for so long, it’s never actually grown… And that’s because seeds need sunlight, water, love and nurturing to grow… and someone else to enjoy them… which is why I realize that I can’t do this alone and that having these other women with me on this journey to better myself will absolutely help! Being part of a team or support group just helps me keep myself on track… I don’t want to fall behind the other girls and feel like I’m not committing myself to this program 100% and I certainly don’t want to be the only one who loses only 2 pounds within 3 months… Nor do I want to fail our readers… I feel like I’m the fattest girl in the group and also the biggest procrastinator, therefore, leaving me to feel like I’m going to have the most challenges with motivation and energy… I’m also the only smoker in the group, so I feel like there’s a double-whammy that I’m up against… But I truly believe that each of us has our own demons and hurdles to face and by sharing them, we can help one another by offering comfort, advice and motivation to keep moving on!!
 
I don’t mind sharing my feelings with the group or writing them down for all the world to read… if it sparks someone to smile, laugh or think “what the heck is she thinking,” then that’s great!! There’s nothing else like reading about other people’s problems , I say! The number one thing that I can say about sharing feelings about our bodies and our worries is that we all can UNDERSTAND in one way or another!
 
Good, Better, Best… Never let it rest until your Good is Better and your Better is BEST. And my goal is to achieve the Best Life for Me

My ultimate goal is to really just get rid of my beer gut. It’s intimidating, it’s frightening and it’s pretty damn heavy… I can deal with the man arms and I actually enjoy a plump bottom, but this mid-section has got to go!! I’ve been meaning to change my lifestyle and behavior for the longest time… but it has become such a part of me, the selfish person within feels like I wouldn’t be me if I changed it… I drink beer, I smoke cigarettes and I eat like it’s nobody’s business… And exercise on a regular basis? What’s that? How does that work? I am a walking bad habit but in reality… I am really just shortening my chances to a longer and fulfilling life… and I’d like to live until I’m 95 but I can’t do that if I continue to live my life the way I’ve been for the last 32 years.
 

I’ve even dreamt about being thinner and healthier again… one morning, I woke up with a kick-ass 6-pack!! I was thinner, had a toned body with gorgeous arms and oh so sexy legs!! And then I woke up from the dream that I woke up with a 6-pack & this fabulous new body but it felt so real!! I look in the mirror, I look at photos of me and I think… What the heck happened to you, woman??!! If and WHEN I do get rid of the beer gut, I’m going to invest in more color in my wardrobe… even though black is slimming, can be sexy and elegant… it really is a bit boring when you wear it just about every single day! I really just can’t wait to incorporate these phrases: “I’m going to the gym today” or “I’m going for a RUN” on a daily or weekly basis… That will be truly monumental…

The journey to wellness is a hard journey to take and doing it alone is even harder. There is always a fork in the road with no one to guide you or show you the correct path to take. The fork could represent many things, such as the temptation of food or even the constant excuses being made up in order to not diet or exercise. It’s kind of like the angel and devil on your shoulder telling you what to do and you really don’t know what is right. I said plenty of times to myself, “Oh, I’ll start tomorrow or the next day or next day,” but never really actually begin. Being with people facing the same “forks in the road” as I am is actually a kind of a relief. There are people there with you to give you motivation and to understand what a hard journey losing weight is. Beginning the “Best Life Diet” with Marna, Cecilia, Lakita, Mary Ellen, and Veronica is very exciting to me. We all are different ages with different problems, but yet we all understand each other – we are so different, but yet the same. Doing an online journal could help not only motivate each other, and ourselves but also motivate women from all over. We could each identify with a different type of woman out there; from single working women, to married women with children, or even housewives. Knowing that there is one woman or many women out there following my journey really makes me want to work even harder in fighting the battle of weight loss. I want to show the world that if I could do it, then the world could do it too! I’m not saying that I will not run into obstacles, but at least I know that I am not alone and neither are the women that visit the site.

Naming my weekly journal is quite hard, but I know it isn’t going to be called a specific name like Pete or Jane. It’s more of a description of what I am trying to achieve. So, on that note, it’s going to be called OPERATION FABULOUS! This is how I want to see myself in the mirror and it’s even kinda catchy! This is what every woman, including myself, would like to feel when she steps into her closet and sees a little black dress that’s buried so far back you would think it’s in another zip code – but knows it still fits. Or when you are walking down the street wearing clothes that looked like you found them rolled up under the bed (not that I actually wear clothes that I found under the bed, but it’s just an example )) and not care what people say because you know that you are fabulous. It’s all about getting that self-esteem and confidence back. That is my ultimate goal.

I am a single 25 year-old woman that lives in the downtown area of Chicago. And yes, I still like going out to bars and nightclubs with my friends. It used to be where I would go out every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but now I am lucky if I see my friends once a month. Ever since I put on some weight, I do not have the energy or the patience to try on 40 outfits to find the perfect one that doesn’t seem too tight. I get easily discouraged and then I eventually give up. I try on clothes that I know I gained too much weight to fit into, but then I walk in front of the mirror anyway just to see if the clothes look as tight as they feel to reassure myself. I then get upset and run right to the kitchen to grab the first comfort food to make myself feel better.

I really want my self-confidence and esteem back so that I could regain my social life and my closet! When I do actually go out with my friends, I feel as if everyone is looking at me and talking about me. I also know that I get on my friends’ nerves because I am so unsure of myself; I have to keep asking, “do I look fat?” “does this make me look big?” “does my butt look like if I sit on water I would float?” – I’m just kidding about the last one, I don’t ask my friend’s that. The point is, I want to go out in public and not tug on my clothes all night just to make sure that my waist is not hanging over my pants. I also REFUSE to keep buying the next biggest size because of 2 reasons. 1. I just don’t have that kind of money to keep buying clothes and 2. I do not want to come to that realization of gaining so much weight that I have to buy another bigger size.

That actually wasn’t the time I realized I did need to loose weight, but it was when I got home from work one day and just wanted to relax. I work two jobs, so I never have time for “me time.” The fist time in a long time, I was able to come home and not have to run out to the next job until 11:00 at night. So anyway, I went to change into my comfort clothes, which I call my “fat pants.” They are those oversized clothes that you wouldn’t ever wear in public because you are too embarrassed to show anyone. Now I know that every time I put on these clothes (which wasn’t often) they were getting tighter and tighter. At the time, I was just blaming the tightness on my messing up the laundry. Well, when I put those cotton pants on, I don’t think I could even sit down because I was afraid I was going to split them in half! My comfort clothes were no longer comfortable – they felt like my circulation was being cut off! At that particular moment, I knew. I knew that I had to get off of my butt and do something about my weight gain because I am so sick of hiding out in my house away from everyone.

My goal is to get back to my pre-children physique but to do so by adopting healthy living principles. This goal is important to me because I see this as a way for me to be a positive role model for my family, especially my daughter. Moreover, accomplishing this end via healthy living principles (versus fad diets) is something that we can hopefully sustain for the rest of our lives.

I decided to change my lifestyle because the me I see is not me. I want to feel great about the me I see. This has been a goal for the past 18 months since my younger son was born. I know what foods are healthy and I enjoy exercising. I just need that extra push that will help me with my goals. Also, I hope to learn quick and tasty meals that my family will enjoy.

I thoroughly read the book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, when I was pregnant but nobody told me I’d still look pregnant 3 months after delivery! I heard about postpartum depression and was looking for any sign of it, but the postpartum fat just snuck up on me – from behind of course. Needless to say I am depressed about my fat. I got pregnant a year ago, and it was the pregnancy from Hades – morning sickness for 6 months, carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, sciatic nerve pain in both hips and a condition that caused me to itch uncontrollably without relief. All fantasies of being one of those pregnant women who work out up until delivery were gone. Week after week I just sat painfully watching my body get bigger and bigger while the scale numbers went higher and higher. When I went into the hospital 2 weeks overdue to be induced, I couldn’t wait to have this baby, because I saw numbers on the scale I thought I’d never see in this lifetime – tipping the scale at a whopping 213 lbs! Looking in the mirror it is hard to believe that I am the same woman who at one time modeled for some of the largest athletic apparel companies in the world, won the swimsuit competition in a national pageant, and fully expected to stay in shape – at least until after menopause. Moreover, the labor and delivery was even worse than the pregnancy and I am just now recuperating from the emergency C-section. Needless to say, I am completely out of shape and overweight. The discouragement increases as I sit and watch my husband watch Monday Night Football each week as I recuperate from the C-section because I look at the stats on the screen and ‘lo-and-behold’ I’m a running back for the Chicago Bears!

 
I have always been a physically active person. Growing up the youngest and the only girl I was destined to be athletic. I’m not trying to return to the 26 year old rock body of yesteryear, however, I really want to get back to a healthy weight and have the energy I once had. If I’m tired now with a 3 month old, I’m hating to see how tired I’m going to be when he starts running around the house. My doctor commented at my last physical, before I got married in 2005, that I had all the makings of a world class athlete, but today I couldn’t win a race in the geriatric ward of a convalescent home. My desire is to be like my mom when I was a kid. She played college basketball and taught my brothers how to play. Several of them played in college, one on a full-ride scholarship. Up until a few years ago, my mom would on occasion be found playing a pick up game in our front yard with the 12 and 13 year old boys in the neighborhood. Today I don’t think I could beat my 70-something year old mother in a game of pick-up-sticks. This is pitiful. But of course, life happens, you get married, have a baby, your metabolism slows down, not to mention age, and here I am; 38 years old and 180 pounds. I can’t even believe I’m reading those numbers, but now is the time for me to do something about it. I know I will feel so much better physically, emotionally, and spiritually if I can just get back into shape, lose the weight, and gain more energy.