Empowerment : Tips to find the strength to lose weight

How do we keep our heads in the game of weight loss?  Some people call motivation, some call it inspiration, desire, focus, affirmation, reminders or any number of things.  . I’m not sure I like any of those words. So we’re going to just say how do we keep our heads in the game during this long journey called weight loss.

It is really easy (easier) to keep your head in the game when you’re seeing losses on the scale. We are a very results oriented generation.  But what happens when the results are just not showing up quickly or at all? How do we stay focused on this journey during those tough moments.

There are so many things that can empower us to find the strength to push forward toward our goals. I personally have used a multitude of different ways over the years. By no means are my ways and tricks the only way. My methods may not work for someone else in fact,  they may not work for me now but they did at one time, and they may work again in the future. That said, this list is it in no way comprehensive.

1. Goal clothing.  I have personally used this methid in the past. I found a dress that had a vintage flair to it… I love 50s style dresses. I bought it, even though it did not fit. I hung that dress on my bedroom door so that every day I would see the dress and remember what I was working toward. I have heard lots of other people doing this, and it can be quite beneficial.
2. Accountability partners. Sometimes, knowing that someone else is waiting for your report is enough to keep our head in the game. It is easier to slip up and fall off the bandwagon when you know that no one is going to know about it or care about. And over the years I have use this quite a bit with various people. (Thank you Sherry, Julie, Donna and some others.). 
3. Sometimes just knowing that people are watching is enough to empower us enough to keep us on track! Tell people that you are on a mission to lose weight.  Knowing that people are watching me makes me ignore the snack table at work!
4. Weight loss meetings. I know there are different meetings out there. I have a friend that goes to a meeting at her church. They have motivational talks, a weigh in  and sometimes they exercise together. Her program is neat because if they gain they put money into a piggy bank… The money goes to missions project so it is a good cause. I personally went to Weight Watchers for quite a while. The meetings were instrumental in my first successful weight loss and the lessons I learned helped shape me and teach me so that I’m prepared for my current weight loss journey.  But the best part of Weight Watchers for me was the meetings.   There are a few different aspects of a weight-loss meeting that can come into play. The first is the fact that it offers accountability. Knowing that I was going  going each week kept me on track. A weight-loss meeting can also give us new ideas, encouragement andthe spark   needed to keep fighting for a healthier life.
5. Success stories. When I am working, focused and losing weight and happen to stumble upon a success story, I have always gobbled up the words.  It was an excellent reminder to me that weight loss is possible!  And yes, I said to myself each time, “if they can do it...so can I!” 
6. Pictures. Sometimes we can’t see our progress. Sometimes we can’t see ourselves what we really are. There have been a couple times in my life where I have had to see a picture of myself before I knew that I had to get myself on track! In Lori’s success story she talked about a picture that showed her the unhappy overweight girl. A picture that sparked her and got her  head into the game. On the opposite end of the spectrum though sometimes we can’t see our success either and when we see a picture it finally sinks in and empowers us. At the peak of my weight loss (the first go-round), I looked in the mirror and I still saw the fat Maryfran. And I had people close to me tell me that I was unrecognizable… My own dad saw me sitting on his porch while he and my mom drove up and he asked my mom who that was on his porch. But I still didn’t get it. There was one picture that cemented it for me and really helped me stay focused. My then husband one day was flipping through pictures on his computer and I happened to look over and see a picture of a woman posing for him. Immediately I got angry. Who in the world what is this Skinnywoman? (A natural reaction for someone that is in a failing marriage.). He started laughing immediately. The picture was me. 
7. Reward. Over the years I also set up reports for myself. I look forward to getting those rewards. Sometimes it was small things… A charm for my weight-loss bracelet, a new pair of shoes or something that. I wanted. For a bigger milestone losses I chose bigger. I bought a new camera for one of my large milestone weigh ins. And knowing that you will get something you want as a reward can be motivating.
8. Complements.  These are amazing when you get them and  go so far toward helping us feel empowered to push forward. I’ve had a few experiences that stick out in my mind...compliments that really meant a lot. You really don’t have much control over this one. But there is nothing like a complement on your success that motivates one to stay the course better. And it takes a while for people to notice your effort… But the compliments will help you keep up the effort. Just one word of caution, people are afraid to compliment so don’t be upset if you don’t hear the compliments!  I had people that were afraid to comment and complement me. One year for July 4 I saw friends of my parents for the first time in a year or so and they didn’t stay on the word even though I had lost about 100 pounds at that point.  The next day my mom called me and gave me the compliment over the phone. Their friends had called them to make sure that I wasn’t sick because I had lost so much weight when they found out that it was just hard work and pier effort they were profuse in there complement to my mother. There are also some people that won’t make comments simply because weight is such a taboo subject in our society. But you will get compliments, saver and treasure them.

As I said earlier, this list is in no way comprehensive.  There are so many ways and tricks to stay focused during this weight loss journey.   It is all dependent upon ones personality.  

Victory amidst the failure

I feel empowered today. I feel like I’m actually doing something for myself. It’s actually a really nice feeling. In saying I’m empowered I mean to say that I actually feel in control of my addiction this week. I’m not out of control. That’s not to say the week wasn’t without its slip ups and failures. But that said that doesn’t mean that my week is without victory.

When I first started thinking about this post, I was thinking of total failure except for one tiny little thing… But then I started to see the  sun  behind the clouds. There actually are victories within the failures. That is when I realized that we need to stop being so harsh on ourselves when we fall down. Not only are we learning lessons when we fall down, but sometimes there are still victories hidden within the pain of the failure.

Let’s start with a failure ....8000 steps a day. I nailed that goal on Monday. I got to work early enough to get that before work  walkaround the lake, and that was enough to add to my other break walks and allow me to easily make my goal.  Tuesday was rainy, but I did manage to walk inside the parking garage… And on one break when the rain cleared I even walked outside on the top deck of the parking garage. I even found a quarter, time, and Penny.



But even though I walked in the parking garage I only made it to about. 5000 steps. The sun was out on Wednesday and Thursday and I walked around 7000 steps both days. I walked ....I just didn’t make my step goal.  

Where is the victory in missing my goal? There’s a couple victories in there.  The first victory? On Tuesday when it rained, I still Walked. Do I like walking in the parking garage? Not exactly. But I made the best of it, and when I had a Wee little break in the rain drops I walked on the upper deck so I was close to cover should it start to pour!  I could have so easily given up, but I didn’t. I didn’t make my goal but I at least walked. In my book, that’s a victory.

There is another victory in my  step goal failure. So many times when I realize I’m not going to make my goal I give up. I throw my hands in the air and say I’ve already failed , why even try. I didn’t do that this week I kept walking even though I didn’t make my goal I kept walking. Can I say victory?

Time for another failure… My sweet treat eating criteria. I set a plan this week.  The plan was that I had certain to criteria that I had to meet before eating a sweet treat at night. One, my sweet treat could not take me over 1499 calories for the day and two, I had to walk  8000 steps for the day. On Monday I had no problem , I made the steps And I was under my calorie goal so the sweet treat went down the hatch, it felt great. Tuesday was that rainy day with 5k steps.  Failure alert!!!  I ate a piece of cake that night. I didn’t make my step goal on Wednesday either but I did not eat the cake and on Thursday I had a small cup of ice cream…even though I did not reach my step goal. Two of the four days were failures.

Victory alert… Two of those days were successes!

Another victory? On the days that I did indulge without earning, I chose smaller portions. End it even more important I did stay under that calorie goal on all four days.  Minor… Yes but a victory nonetheless.

The other victory amidst the failure? My weight...I’m down a pound from last week!

I have a three day weekend coming up...so I am worried about my weight this weekend...weekends are rough for me.   Hopefully we will be very active and I can keep my eating under control!!!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!

Empowered

First of all, the lemon strawberry mousse dessert is fabulous! Very easy to make, low points! I made it for a pot luck for my co-workers one Friday...that day I gave the recipe out to my 5 co-workers at their request. On Monday 3 of them came to work and told me that they made it over the weekend. It is that yummy, and can stand as it's own dessert without the fruit. You can find the recipe here!

That brings me to my next announcement. I've FINALLY decided to start posting recipes and yummy tips somewhere on the Internet! I had toyed with the idea of doing an actual web page. And while that idea still hasn't gone away, I am not a web-page designer....and I quickly got frustrated! (I'll pick it back up someday and conquer that challenge!). Well, I finally just decided to do it blog style. I've put about 8 entries or so on thus far. Most are recipes...one is just an idea/alternative. I have a few tips and I will not be adverse to putting products on there. Anything that the self proclaimed food junkie that I am, deems good stuff! :-) So feel free to check out my food blog! I've aptly named it Maryfrans Menu! :-) Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not a genius when it comes to creating names! I am not a fancy gourmet cook. I cook home style with more normal every day ingredients (hey what can I say, I come from a family that owned and operated a diner for YEARS). I have always gotten so disgusted when I open a 'healthy' cookbook and see all these fancy shamncy ingredients. There is a time and place for that......but what if you don't like those things? What if you are just an average every day ordinary person that is cooking for family, and one that has some picky eaters that won't eat tofu and mushrooms just to name a few things that seem to be in TONS of healthy recipes! (yeah, I'm the picky eater...my husband eats all that stuff!). This is my answer!

OK, on to the big issues of recent days. I feel very empowered. I made it through yesterday with flying colors! I did have a bit of a problem this morning. I did not exercise. I do however plan on doing that tonight. Todd won't be home until 8 or 9, so I'm planning on riding the exercise bike when I get home...BEFORE dinner! (which will also push dinner a bit later into the evening, which will mean less time for me to have to resist getting a snack!) I made my plan for lunch, taco's were on the menu. I know that without a plan, I will eat as many as 6 tacos (I would have stopped there today....that's half of the box....my 'portion'.....and by the time you put meat and cheese and all the good stuff on each taco, you're talking about 2-3 points per taco!) I made a taco salad instead....filling up on the lettuce, tomatoes and onions (beware co-workers...it's a good thing I'm working at the drive through window today.....glass between me and my customers!) and putting minimal meat and cheese on top! I am quite satisfied, I got the taste of taco and I didn't blow my points!

My weight......dropped today from 186.6 to 185.4. I was expecting it. Yesterday I started drinking my water religiously again. And round about 4 PM, my body finally decided to get rid of the water that it was holding on to for emergencies sake. Yes, I used the bathroom literally every 15-30 minutes from 4PM until about 9PM. At that point it slowed down....but I still got up to go to the bathroom about 5 times throughout the night (I usually do not have to go at all in the night!) But it's good...my body is being flushed out! :-)Tonight I'll be on my own for dinner. I believe I can do well on my own. I'll eat mostly fruits and veggies, so no problem there.