Fitness, Health & Weight Loss 2013 - Prepare for CVII

so i have been on WW since Monday of last week..i am down 4 lbs...so that is good. i really want to drop a bit more before i start exercising, easier on the knees...

 

Weight hasn't been going well for me. The problem is work, for the most part. I don't have time for regular hiking anymore. My job isn't active enough to burn calories there. I haven't had time to cook, and the easier foods are also the ones that aren't as good for you. Plus work brings in bagels every Friday morning.

I think I'm going to have to get a gym membership again. I didn't want to - I mostly use it for the treadmill, and you'd think I could manage to go running without one. But I don't, and it's even less likely as winter comes. It will be dark when I leave for work, dark when I get out... no outside exercise. At least with the gym I can go in the morning before work. That's what worked best for me in the past.

 

Sounds like a good plan!

 

Haven't visited these forums in quite awhile, but thought I'd poke my head in and see whazzup? I saw this thread updated recently & decided to offer up my $0.02 Republic Credits...

It's nice to see so many folks interested in improving their health and managing their weight, as it's definitely a subject near & dear to my heart. To keep it short and sweet (yeah, right...), here's what I'd say in regards to losing weight and feeling better:

1. Goal Setting: The 3 basic tenets are How much, By when, What for? So, ask yourself these questions:
"How much weight do I want to lose?"
"When do I want to lose this weight by?"
"WHY do I want to lose this weight?"

The first 2 are usually pretty easy, but the key to ALL 3 of them is to BE SPECIFIC. For example:

"I want to lose about 30-pounds..." or "I want to lose some weight..." or "I'd like to feel better..." These aren't very specific, and therefore will not drive you towards success. It's like the Broncos saying they'd "like to score some points". Specificity creates Accountability. It also creates a concrete target to shoot for. Think of it like the exhaust port on the Death Star. If your proton torpedoes just impact on the surface, the goal is not achieved, the Rebel Alliance gets creamed, the Empire never strikes back, etc....

Goals must be MEASURABLE.

"I would like to lose this weight this year...", or "I want to lose this weight in six-months" aren't very specific. Is "this year" referring to 2013? Is it in the next 12 calendar-months? If it's in 2013, then you have about 4-3/4 months left to git 'er done. Is that realistic and/or reasonable? Depends on your goal, right? When does "in six months" start? Does it start tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Be specific. If you literally mean six months from tomorrow, then go get your calendar, calculate EXACTLY six months from then & MARK it on the calendar: February 13, 2014. This process also allows you to then break the goal down into smaller, more manageable units. Say you want to lose 60 pounds in the next six-months. 60 pounds in and of itself can seem kinda daunting and perhaps even insurmountable, particularly if it's weight you've been carrying with you for a long time. However, if you break it down into smaller increments, it becomes more doable not only from a practicality standpoint, but also from a psychological perspective. 60 pounds in 6-months is really just 10-pounds a month. 10-pounds is a much more conceivable number for our psyches than 60-pounds is. 10-pounds in 1 month is also just 2-1/2 pounds per week. Now, just like that we've gone from 60-pounds to 2-1/2 pounds which, is a number much more easy to approach.

Goals must be MEANINGFUL

WHY do you want to lose this weight? This is generally the most challenging one for folks to commit to, and let's face it, that's really what prevents ALL of us from achieving ANY goal in life, right? Commitment. So, ask yourself SERIOUSLY WHY you want to lose the weight? The honest, in-your-face truth is that doing what you've been doing thus far is what got you into the condition your currently in, right? So, it only follows that in order to create a new you, you're also going to have to make some changes. Now, some of those changes may be pretty small and easy to do, but some of them may be a bit more challenging and require more concerted and conscious effort on your part in order to implement them and then to remain consistent with them. So, in determining your "WHY", it has to be something significant, and above all it has to be something EMOTIONAL. Only by forging an emotional connection with something can we then devote the necessary attention and focus to it. If you have an event or function coming up, like say a wedding, party, reunion, C-VII, etc., then these are specific not only in time frame but potentially in motivation as well.This is perhaps the single, greatest reason that people fail to achieve their goals in life. Their "WHY" isn't important enough to them. Your "WHY" must be motivational enough so that your goal goes from being "it would be nice to..." to becoming "No Matter WHAT!"

Example: "I want to lose 60-pounds in time for my brother's wedding on June 17, 2014 so I can look GREAT in my bridesmaid's dress!" Or, "I want to lose 50-pounds by December 31, 2013 so I can reduce my cholesterol and get off my meds." Or, "I want to lose 30-pounds by Thanksgiving this year so I can run in the Turkey Trot", etc.

I'll be chiming in from time to time with more helpful & simple tips and hints, as time permits. Of course, if anyone has any specific questions, feel free to shoot me a PM, or post them here in the thread if they fall within your comfort threshold for all to see and share.

Cheers, Kiddos!

 

Hey gang! Hope everyone is having a great summer! As a Coach, I'm often asked for tips or suggestions on how to stay motivated. This question relates a LOT to my previous post regarding Goal Setting. You can have the greatest goal in the world and the best plan on the planet, but if you're not motivated to implement and execute them, then you're chances of success will drop dramatically. As a Coach though, the plain and simple truth of the matter is that I can't actually motivate anyone to do anything. Motivation can only come from within ourselves. Sure, I can inspire people to action through words or deeds, but after that initial inspirational burst has waned, its up to the individual to reach within themselves to discover what their true source of motivation is.

If you think about anything you've ever achieved in life, it was only because you were amply motivated to do so. Inspiration may have been the spark, but motivation is what keeps the fire burning. We are no different. We are constantly inspired to do many things in life, but usually end up being truly motivated to see only a very few of those projects, etc. to completion.Bottom line: the only reason we've ever failed at anything is because weren't motivated enough to succeed. We didn't care about it enough. It didn't matter enough. Period. So, if better health and weight loss is a true goal of yours, be prepared to make it a priority. Make it mean something to you. Make it significant. Make it real.

The single greatest enemy of motivation is distraction. Life offers us up many forms of distractions every day. Distractions lead to excuses, and excuses lead to lack of motivation, and lack of motivation leads to failure. The single greatest friend of motivation is results. Typically, when we set out to accomplish something, and succeed in doing so, we are motivated to continue. Weight loss is a perfect example of this, and it is also why so many people do not succeed in achieving their goals. Focus can help block out distractions. By remaining focused on your goals, you can stay on your path and not get sidetracked along the way. This is also why your goals must be crystal clear. If your goals are too vague or ambiguous, then you won't be able to see them clearly enough in order to focus on them, and will ultimately lose your motivation. Blurry goals also make distractions that much easier to see and therefore be drawn off course by.

Visualization is perhaps the best tool in your possession to aid in motivation. By visualizing EXACTLY what you want to achieve, then your goal becomes crystal clear and you can hone in on it with a laser focus and easily avoid distractions and other pitfalls. A great way to help visualize your goals is simply to write them down. Again, as I talked about before, be very specific when you write your goals down. Be as descriptive as possible, so that your mind creates a 3-D HD image it can then recall later as needed. Using pictures to aid in visualization is another excellent way to manifest the intangibility of your goal. In the case of weight loss, go find a "Before" picture to help keep you motivated and on track. Now, the key here is that your "Before" picture should be painful for you to look at. It should make you VERY uncomfortable. It should be as unflattering as possible. You should literally HATE this picture. It should inspire an emotional response from you when you look at it, and honestly it should not be a positive one. Remember, this is a picture of how you DON'T want to look/feel/be, that is why it is your "Before" picture. Now, make copies of this picture and hang it EVERYWHERE that you are tempted to cheat. The fridge, the pantry, the snack drawer, anywhere that you are likely to try and sneak something you know you shouldn't. Some folks even tape this picture to their remote control, or even to the TV itself to remind them to get off the couch and get into action.

Now, in contrast to your uncomfortable "Before" picture you also want to get an "After" picture. This may seem odd, seeing as how you haven't actually achieved the "After" state yet, but its actually not. There are two ways to get your "After" picture. One, find an older picture of you when you looked/felt/weighed how you want to look/feel/weigh now. This may be a photo from your youth, or perhaps more recent. For some folks it may be when they were really young, say in their teens. For others, it may just be pre-pregnancy, or back when they were an athlete. It doesn't matter when the photo was taken, what you were wearing, your hairstyle, etc., just so long as when you look at that picture, it makes you happy to think of yourself as being that way again. The second way to get an "After" picture is simply to create one by finding a picture of someone else that has the body, fitness level, etc. that you want to possess. You can cut a picture out of a magazine, or simply find one online. You can get creative with it and tape your head onto someone else's body, or photoshop/cut & paste it digitally. Whatever works best for you and gives you a picture that will create the visualization in your mind's eye that will get and most importantly KEEP you motivated. Perhaps there are some aspiring Slave Leia's or Taylor Lawton's out there? Hang your "After" picture in several places that you frequent, so that it will constantly and continually be reminding you of what lies ahead, of what your future can and WILL look like. Put it on your bathroom mirror, next to your computer monitor, on your office desk, on the dash of your car, in your locker, on your closet door, any place that you frequent.

One creative client of mine created photos of her "After" picture stabbing her "Before" picture, and her "After" picture WWF'ing her "Before" Picture, and her "After" picture tossing her "Before" picture into a volcano. It may seem a little disturbing or goofy, but she was very serious about achieving her goals, and it made it more lighthearted for her. She went on to lose 53 pounds, 75-inches, and went from a size 16 down to a size 6. She's also no longer on her anti-depressants or asthma medications. Her life completely changed, and she credits much of her motivation to being able to continually see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Traveling with someone else is often not only more fun, but more productive than traveling alone. The same is true during your health and weight loss journey. Find a buddy that has a similar goal and undertake this experience together. This can be a huge plus for not only support, but more importantly accountability. Find someone who will lift you up but who will also not let you slack off either. They will be there with their shoulder to lean/cry on during the rough days, to hug and high-five during the great days, and to kick your butt into action during the unmotivated days. We are often much more successful in achieving our goals when someone else is counting on us. Its all too easy to slack off when its just ourselves that deal with the consequences, but when our actions (or lack thereof) directly affect someone else, we are much more likely to follow through and stay in action.This dynamic is especially true for couples. A couple that shares this journey together is not only much more likely to succeed, but their results typically happen faster, and they grow closer during the experience. Sadly, the opposite is also true when one member of a relationship is not supportive or non-participating, the experience for the other person is much more challenging.

Stay focused on how good you are going to look and feel once you have achieved your goals. Think about how much better you are going to feel, how much more energy you will have, how much better your clothes/costumes will fit, how much more active you will be able to be, how LESS likely you will be to get sick. Don't spend time and energy focusing on what you will be "giving up" in order to become the new you. Focus instead on the things that you will be gaining, the things you will have, the things you will be able to do. Frame your perception and your language in terms of positivity, not negativity. Instead of saying to yourself, "I don't want to be sick anymore", say "I want to be healthy". Instead of saying, "I don't want to be fat anymore", say "I want to be thin/lean/slender". Instead of, "I don't want to be tired", say "I want to have energy". Whatever we focus on will be manifested in our lives and returned to us ten-fold. So, if we focus on the negatives, guess we get back...more negativity. By focusing on the positives though, that is what we will be rewarded with.

Lastly, make sure you are doing this for yourself. We can only change/improve things about ourselves FOR ourselves. While those changes and improvements may benefit others as well, our primary concern should be to make such changes for ourselves, and for our own well-being. Its far more important that we like ourselves than that someone else would "like" us more were we different than we are. Interestingly enough, when we implement positive changes in our lives and undergo the resulting transformations, not only do we like ourselves more as a result but we find that we are much more likeable by others as well. Quite often, the things that we dislike in others are really just mirroring what we already don't like about ourselves.

Cheers!

 

anyway....

I am down 8 lbs in three weeks. not too bad! now if i can keep that up...

 

Thank you Stacy for all the words of advice and your wisdom=)

 

day 2 of the decaffeination road...it is not easy. I am down to one soda and one coffee...just want a pepsi one...*sob* but in the end i know it is for the best.

 

Do you still have Pepsi One in your stock?

 

I do..around 4 cases, so that is pretty good. it will last a bit longer...i mean if i am having ONE soda a day, it's going to be one i enjoy!

 

I am so on board with you! Since our wedding is set for April 20, 2014 and we are having it Star Wars style, of course, I don't look anything even CLOSE to Princess Leia's figure so it's time to get my butt, and everything else in high gear and get to looking better and above else, being healthier. Any tips or tricks are greatly appreciated!! I am a type 2 diabetic, so when I lose the pounds, maybe I will lose that too!!

 

as of yesterday...i am down 12 lbs. I am trying to look at it this way...it took me awhile to gain this, so it will be awhile to get it off.

 

GOOD LUCK! shoot me a PM if you like!!

 

so i started using myfitnesspal.com last week to track food...it's pretty awesome. it will give you 30 day reports of any type of nutrient intake, such as fat, fiber, sodium whatever. I like it thus far...best part...it's FREE! so yeah today i am 14.5 lbs down.. so i cannot complain too much!

 

ok...as of this morning it is a full 16 lb...the website is really awesome! there is an ap and you can scan the bar codes and it will add your it to your diary. It's really cool. LMK if you sign up!!!

 

I'm signed up and my user name is snaptrail. Can you look me up with that?

 

Done and done! and good job on your success thus far!

 

I love having you as a friend on MyfitnessPal, Melody. You're inspiring me! Anyone else, feel free to look me up and add me as a friend.

 

What are you under?

 

Snaptrail

 

Ok so besides SF, we are having a Star Wars themed wedding in April 2014 and Princess Leia was not short and round!! Short yes, she was only 5'2" but I am even shorter, 4'11" Mine isn't the diet, I do small portions and am diabetic, so I have to watch my sugar, but carbs are my enemy! I also travel for my work 2 weeks out of the month, so joining a gym seems a bit silly. Guess I need to just start with a lot of walking, any suggestions to not get bored with it ? Or does anyone know of a workout you can do in a hotel room (some of them don't have fitness centers)

 

I walk a lot (alone) while I work and I listen to lots of audiobooks and podcasts. The time seems to fly by when I focus on the sound of someone talking rather than the time I'm spending on my feet. I don't have any suggestions for hotel room workouts but my fiance LOVES her zumba classes. I'm sure there are DVDs available.


nnay, FF, and catz,
Gretchen did WW a few years ago and lost 40 lbs. She said that the meetings helped her a lot with a sense of community and support. Online tools helped her keep track through the week, but the meetings made the difference and really made the whole thing work.
Many RMFFers know that I was way too thin before I met her. (It was suggested more than once that I could fit into a C-3PO costume. And I don't mean that in a good way.) I gained enough weight in my first year with Gretchen that I finally felt like I had reached a healthy weight and size. Then I started to go over it. She started teaching me the WW point system about a year ago and I was fascinated to see (and experience) how that knowledge stays with you. We haven't discussed food points in a while now, but I still remember that an egg is 2 points, string cheese is either 1 or 2 points (depending on if it's considered "Lite" or not), 14 generic wheat thins equal 4 points, and so on. From what I've seen and experienced, WW is a great system. I think it totally works, and I hope anyone who is using WW achieves whatever goals they set.

Right now we are on a detox. We are doing something called the "Whole 30 Challenge". We're only eating what can be referred to as "whole" foods for 30 days. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I know that it basically means no dairy, no wheat, and no sugar. So we are eating only meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
We didn't do this to lose weight, but we both have lost about 10 pounds and we are on day 22. We both miss beer, and about a week ago I actually dreamt about fried chicken, while Gretchen had a dream about tortillas. But we both feel great. Our energy level is up (after an initial crash) and I have begun to really appreciate the taste of healthier snacks like oranges and peppers. Spaghetti squash is an amazing alternative to actual pasta, and I will never eat peanut butter on a sandwich again. Almond butter is SO much healthier and tastes pretty damn good!

I totally agree with what S_S said above about setting clear goals and breaking them up in to manageable sizes. He gave me a book a few years back called "The Beginners Guide to Natural Living". It has a lot of valuable (and often scary) information about the food we are most often exposed to. It's a quick read and very educational. I can't seem to manage an all natural diet, but knowing what you are putting in to your body can totally change your perspective and add to your motivation. Self preservation is a powerful instinct and once you know certain things, you can't unlearn them. (Sorry, Yoda.)

I'm happy to see people encouraging health in others and supporting changes that are not easy to make. May the force be with us all!

 

YEAH!!!!!! i like this! awesome for gretchen & yeah for you. I love WW...it's easy and maintainable! I am doing that with a mix of myfitnesspal.com

AS of today....i am official down 20 lbs. i am like HOLY CRAP! I started on august 5th...i still have a LONG way to go, but it is something and i am encouraged we are supporting each other.

 

Woot! Good Job!!
As the strawberry selling man said in Iron Man 2, "We believe in you!"

 

OK guys...FanForced & I are using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ everyday! it is a great FREE way to keep track of your food and exercise and i will tell you it's working for me!

in fact i have told one of my directors about it and he is starting to use it now. I just know for those of us who struggle, it's nice to have some accountability.



and i am down 25 lb so far.