Remember When?

I was out for a run the other day and looked down at my feet. I noticed they were worn out and have holes in them. They are stained with dirt and only God knows what else. I love these shoes! I'm having a hard time parting with them because of the journey we've been on together. I remember when I used to buy running shoes and running in them was the last thing on my mind to do in those shoes. I purchased these shoes though with the intent on running the heck outta them! Do you ever think about that... Remember when? I think it's good to say to yourself, "Remember when I..." Remember when I never took the time to workout? Remember when I never got up off the park bench to play on the playground with my kids? Remember when I never said no to dessert? Remember when I couldn't get past 2 weeks of working towards losing weight? I do. It's so nice that it's just a memory! Wherever you're at in the process, it's nice to look back and see how far you've come. I remember the first time I turned on my first Jillian DVD to workout too. Oh my word! At one point we had to get into a plank position.. yeah, I couldn't. I would try and believe me, holding myself in that position was impossible. But after working at it and pushing myself, it's a cinch now! I don't say, "Oh yes! I can stop because I've come so far!" Nah, this is the point you just keep giving yourself opportunities to have "Remember Whens.." Maybe you've been working on this goal for a few weeks or maybe you've been living it as a lifestyle for a few years.. either way, I want to encourage you to look back and see how far you've come. And after you look back, set some new goals! Set some higher challenges for yourself. I can't tell you enough how strong and free I feel! This life is meant to be lived! Our running shoes are meant to be worn down!! Don't let this be another one of those times where you just quit. You don't want to have another, "Remember when I quit again." You really do have the ability to reach your goals!! Push yourself and don't quit!!

"I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it."
~Mary Lou Retton

Ready, Set, MAINTAIN!!!

If you're my friend you probably know that I have FINALLY hit my weight goal! Ahhh.. It feels great!! Seriously, it took me longer than I had originally hoped and expected. I figured it would take me about a year, 10 pounds a month seemed reasonable to me! But apparently, I needed longer. Now that I've gotten here and have taken a look back on the past few years (yes, it took me 2 years to get here) I now realize that 2 years to learn and adapt to a new lifestyle really is ok with me! It means a new lifestyle, longer life, healthier more active lives for my family and much more. I want this to stick. I NEVER want to go back to my old ways. The past few months I've been looking up articles and blogs on how to maintain. I've been talking to many that have lost weight and have kept it off. There are different laps in this race we call "weight loss" losing the weight being the first lap and now the lap of maintaining. I've heard and read about how it is easier losing the weight than maintaining. Now, I know I am just a beginner at maintaining, but I honestly don't know how it can be any harder than losing it. So of course, I have a plan :) It seems to me that there are a few key factors in maintaining. And I also believe that if you adapt these factors for losing, maintaining will be easier than what you might have read and heard. I believe the main key to live your weight loss out for a lifetime is to first lose weight or "diet" in a way you can live that way for the rest of your life. I am a huge fan of Weight Watchers, as I should be, but I don't believe it is the ONLY way to lose weight. I think the reason WW works is because it teaches you how to live it as a lifestyle. You are allowed to eat whatever you want (my favorite part of the program) and it teaches you portion control and overall healthy eating. I have found that my biggest prize hasn't been hitting my goal but it is learning all these things along the way. See, my biggest prize is that I'm going to be able to maintain this for the rest of my life. I believe staying connected to others, having accountability with people that have either walked with you through your weight loss or maybe have gone through what you've gone through. Continue to set goals, because let's face it.. when it's all said and done, it's up to you. So challenging yourself by setting small goals is a good way to keep you focused. How about setting some activity goals like running a 5K, 10K or something else. Setting a goal in, "I've kept my weight off for 6 months, now I'm going for 6 more months." I am a big believer in choosing a "diet" plan that works for you! If you are losing weight by drinking shakes, cutting out your favorite foods, or eating just grape fruit, you have to ask yourself, "Is this something I can do for the rest of my life?" If you're losing in a healthy way, a liveable way, you're learning how to maintain right now! It's not about how fast can you lose the weight (even though we all want it off like RIGHT NOW!!!) but it really comes down to giving yourself and your family the gift of a healthy life. I am so thankful for the process.. the long 2 year process! Those two years would've passed with or without me doing this.. so why not just do it?! I plan to continue to blog in the hopes that I can help others along the way. I just want to encourage you to never quit! However long it may take you, it's worth it! And give yourself the prize of doing it in a healthy liveable way. Don't cheat yourself out of letting the process become your lifestyle. It's not worth doing the work if you're not going to be able to maintain it. And allowing it to become your lifestyle is the greatest gift for maintaining. NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

"Live to eat, eat to live"

Live to eat.. this used to describe my way of life! Every activity I did, food was always present. I would plan my activities around what was going to be on the menu. Think about it, we go to a baseball game and before we even get there we are thinking about the hotdogs and nachos. We go to the movies and popcorn is on our mind! And don't even get me started on going to the fair.. it's all about the food! The food is the main event at all holidays and birthday parties! If a naturally thin person is reading this.. you might not understand this "live to eat" concept, but it is true! When I joined Weight Watchers my view started to change but it went to the other end of the spectrum..  "eat to live" I realized I was extreme on both sides. I went from thinking about what I was going to eat to being worried about what I was or wasn't going to eat. I wasn't really sad that I couldn't or wouldn't eat all my old foods.. but I would worry about what I put in my mouth. I was afraid it would make me gain weight and I didn't want that. I believe it's natural, though, for someone that has struggled with being overweight and have an obsession for food to then have an obsession on the other end of it. I think it's part of the process and one of the "inner" struggles you have to deal with in the process of getting healthy. You have to find a balance in it. The changes that take place inside are much more important than the changes on the outside. The outside changes are just a result of what has happened in your mind and habits. I am happy for the process. I am thankful for the ways it's changed me and the impact it's had on my life. Sometimes the process can be trying and difficult. You want to give up and walk away. But if you stick through it, it will change you forever! I have learned to have balance in my life in the area of my eating.. I no longer see food in one extreme or another. It is nice to be able to spend holidays not focusing on what I'm going to eat , but it's also nice planning for a beautiful night out in Chicago knowing I'm going to fill my belly with some delicious food! I have never felt more in control in this area and I know I've learned that in the process. So what do I say to end this post.. keep going :) The learning doesn't happen the second you hit your goal, the learning happens on your way to your goal. Learn to live in the process and be thankful for it!

Quitting is always an option..

I think I've told myself a billion times, "Quitting is NOT an option, Mel!!" But really, it is! We might not call it quitting, because that just sounds so bad! We might call it something else, but we know what we're really doing. I know I get to the point that I want to quit. I get tired! I get lazy! I get bored! The last few months have been the toughest months for me. I haven't quit, but I sure have been dragging my feet! So I was thinking, what would happen if I just gave up? Because I'm the boss over myself, I really can just give up! No one's going to say anything to me if I quit, I've come so far, right?! If I quit, I'm only telling myself, "Giving up is ok!" I'll know that when things get really challenging, all I have to do is quit, walk away, be done! If I quit I'll never be able to say I hit my goal. I'll be able to say, "I got super close, I even saw the finish line!! But I just stopped right before I ran through the finish line." When my kids ask me how I felt when I got to my goal, I'll never be able to tell them. I know my thinking can be a bit overboard and I can be a bit of an over thinker ;) but weighing quitting vs. sticking with it and seeing it ALL the way through was something I had to do. I had to stop dragging my feet and start moving ahead again. I totally understand the feeling of being tired and drained of the process. I also understand the feeling of wanting something sooo bad and knowing that you just have to dig deep down inside yourself to grab whatever you can to push yourself there. There are times when others words, inspiring quotes and stories, new recipes, a really great new workout routines or even praying won't work. There are times when the only thing that works is just going! Just making yourself move forward! Just reminding yourself why you started this and that you aren't done until you're done. I think in those times when quitting is a very close decision for you.. and you push through even when you don't wanna.. WOW! The character building, the inner strength you get, the fact that you didn't pick the quitting option.. there's a lot more going on inside you than just losing weight and getting healthy. I think about life beyond weight loss and how the perseverance I have will effect the other challenges I face and journeys I will be on. Because if we can do this, if we can conquer this.. I believe that we can do anything!

Invest into yourself!

You know how it works; you have to make a deposit in order to get a return. You know how it goes.. we do for everyone else before we do for ourselves. In many situations that's the reason we don't do for ourselves, because we're tired and drained. I was thinking about this.. and the fact is, this shows that we do have it within ourselves to invest into ourselves. Look, we've been doing it for others for so long. We invest time into our friendships, we invest perseverance into our kids goals we invest our hearts into our spouses dreams. So we have the ability to invest, within us. But why don't we do it for ourselves. You know, the best thing you can give those you love is a better, healthier, more active "YOU!" Why not take some time for yourself and see what a little investment can do! Over the past year and half I've made some great investments into my life. I've taken some time for myself and it has paid off! I've invested in myself by taking time to exercise. I take time to journal my food. I write it down as a means of accountability and also the fact after a long crazy day, I really can't remember what I've eaten that day, so it helps keep me on track. I plan meals, so when I'm busy I make sure I have good, healthy foods in the house so I have something to grab on the run. And I have my groceries ready to be prepared for a meal instead of running through drive thru's at the last minute (not saying I don't ever do this, because there are times I do) I try not to let my time be taken by things that, in the end, won't really matter.   It takes time, YES!! There will always be reasons why we "don't have the time" so you just have to make the time! It's tough in the beginning to make changes, for me it was. But once you make the investments where you need to make them and teach your family the new things you're going to be implementing in your own life and possibly in theirs.. it will make for a better YOU! I just want to encourage you to not wait any longer. Make some deposits into your own life!

Anchors..

An anchor can be defined as; a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability,or security; mainstay.  Recently during one of my Weight Watcher classes my leader talked about anchors and how they can be a great asset to us during our journeys. She was meaning an anchor in a way of something you can carry around with you or keep on your refrigerator, or maybe even a voice mail that you can listen to when you feel tired of the process.  I thought I'd share with you some of my anchors and hopefully it will encourage you to either continue to hold on to your anchors or figure out what keeps you "anchored" during your journey. I have a few :) and since the class discussion I've come up with a few more. I would say one of mine is definitely old pictures of myself. When I see them they are a reminder of where I was and how far I've come. And also reminds me that I don't want to go back to living my life that way. I have a few songs that I would consider an anchor when I work out. You know, that certain song that pushes you through when you feel like you can't push anymore. I have little stickers that I earn for every 5 pounds loss so I keep those around as little reminders too. Since these last 10 pounds are being such a pain in my butt to lose, I started wearing a little red yarn bracelet with two knots in it. Each knot represents 5 pounds, what I have left to lose to reach my final goal! I've also kept a few of my old clothes and once in a while I'll bring those out and try them on! That never gets old!! :) The other morning, I was getting out of the shower and put a towel around me and I thought to myself.. Ok, at what point was I able to wrap a towel around my whole body?! Seriously, I wasn't always able to do that!! So I made a mental note of that.. and will definitely hold on to that as an anchor for myself. I have many people in my life that have been anchors to me as well! The cheers and support they give me have been a huge help along the way. I think it is important to have some things in your life that you can look at or touch or hear, that when you need it, you can grab a hold of it. The journey gets tiring and you reach many points that you just wanna give up. But really, you can't :) Giving up is so easy to do and you get nothing from it. You have to set it in your mind, that you refuse to sink! 

Mind over matter..

A friend of mine recently sent me this quote, and I wanted to share it with you!


" Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing, you have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
-- George S. Patton


I cannot help but love these words! I can remember making this decision when I first decided to run, to make up my mind and go with it! To not allow my legs to dictate how far I would run, but allow my mind to push me to my goal. Really, it's in anything we do. In any goal we are going after. In any decision we've made that we don't want to go back on. I have learned so much over the past 19 months, and learning how to never give up has been one of the most valuable lessons!! I believe you have to make the decision to never ever give up and once you make that decision, stick with it! The reason we fail over and over and over.... is because we give up so easily. We convince ourselves that whatever we are chasing is impossible to reach. We blame others around us or our circumstances but in reality the responsibility is ours. If we keep making excuses as to why we CAN'T do this or that, then we'll always be in the same place.. never moving ahead. When is a better time to make up your mind to do something? If you want something bad enough, you'll go after it! You allow nothing to stand in your way. If you do, then I don't believe you want it bad enough. Harsh? I only say that because I remember buying weight loss books, diet cook books, heck.. I had even joined Weight Watchers two other times before. I tried different diets and faithfully watched Biggest Loser to gain encouragement from. None of it worked, because I didn't want to do the work. I didn't want to make the sacrifices needed. I didn't make up my mind to actually do it. I don't believe that there's such a thing as "this was just my time" because I believe you have to choose to make it your time. It doesn't just happen. I know that those that are reading this and might be struggling with making up your mind, really are strong enough to do it! You just have to make the decision to and not quit! 

It's unbelievable how strong our minds are!