Skating Uphill

Weight Loss the Hard Way

Do not be put off by the title of this article. Read on and be inspired-as I have been by each little success-and come to feel empowered, as you become the new you. Sometimes the search for a new you may feel like skating uphill, but when you get to the top, the view is fantastic!

Before anyone starts a weight loss program, there are many steps to be taken. It is not about a diet or a weight loss plan or even about the "healthy" right way to achieve goals. I have been losing weight for nearly a year now, and believe me, I have learned more than I ever thought possible. Things like health, willpower, goal setting, and even how to successfully trump that person who will not leave you alone until you have eaten the last bit of her famous nacho dip.

I am not a nutrition expert, but I am a person who has gained and lost in excess of 50 pounds four times in the last six years. I have been on pretty much every diet you can think of, and I can tell you honestly that all diets work. I can also tell you that no diet works. Both of these statements are true, and I think if you are like me, you know that. What does work is really difficult: long term solutions, education, and a new way of thinking about yourself. Let's get started:

Step one is a long soul search. According to Dr. Phil and others, if you do not honestly feel that you are ready to commit, you will doom yourself to yet another failure.

Ask yourself these questions before you even think about exchanging that dish of ice cream for a piece of celery.

1. Am I ready to eat differently even if others do not choose to help me, and in fact are hostile and put down or attempt to sabotage my efforts? This could be anything from a husband or boyfriend who "likes you just the way you are" to your mom who tells you not to look too thin. You cannot let others rule your efforts. This is a true statement about life too, not just weight loss.

2. Can I live with the fact that I have failed in the past and own that? The fact that you have failed in the past has nothing to do with the future. Know that!

3. Am I willing to look HONESTLY at my behavior patterns? Can I not lie to myself or try to fool myself? I think we all know what this means.

4. Can I look at plans that I make myself or plans that I adopt and know that they are not temporary? Your plans must be what you can live with on a long-term basis or you should not even start.

5. Am I ready to throw away/donate to charity any clothing that no longer fits me and purchase new items that suit the new me? This is a big question and not meant to be sarcastic. I gave a pair of $95 pants to Hospice Thrift and it nearly broke my heart, but they were size 18, and I now wear a size 8P. When I thought about that, I did not feel nearly so bad.

6. Can I commit to an exercise plan? Notice I said an exercise plan, not "the" exercise plan. Devise a plan of your own that suits you, your time schedule, and your lifestyle, or I can promise that you will not stick with it. A plan from a gym or a plan devised by a diet company or even a personal trainer may not fit you well enough to be a keeper. Stick to what you think you can make your own.

7. Do I really want to change? Women are overweight, and even obese, for reasons that may have nothing to do with eating. Be sure before you start that you have addressed any emotional hang-ups that may have sabotaged you in the past. A friend of mine had lost and regained literally hundreds of pounds in her life, and finally decided to try therapy before she started/failed yet again. After three months of time spent with a good counselor, she discovered the reasons for her desperate try/fail/try/fail rut, and lost 150 pounds and has not regained the weight five years later.

8. Finally, ask yourself: Am I actually at the end of my rope health and lifestyle wise? I asked myself these questions and my answer was yes. I do not know your health issues or ways in which your weight is holding you back from the person you could be, but this is not an easy thing to do, and if it is not really and honestly worth it to you, things will not change.

To me the two keys to success have been education and personalization. In the 10 months it took me to reach the goal I set for myself (with my doctor), I probably read 2,000 pages. I read Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Dr. McDougal, Prevention Magazine, any fitness article I could find in any magazine, and much of the online information available, too. I went, and still go, to www.sparkpeople.com every day. I will share many other tools as we go on this journey.

So, are you ready to start? Tune in next month for common sense suggestions, tips that work, and menus that do not have exotic ingredients. Also, come back for pantry/kitchen ideas, exercise options, and my favorite section- I call it ALWAYS and NEVER! Most importantly remember.your success is exactly that.YOURS!

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