Do I Look Fat In This?

Hello Friends!

It has been a long time since I updated this journal and in the past, that would mean that I have made the long walk of shame back after having failed miserably yet again.

I can’t say that is the case this time.  It has truly been a lack of opportunity and also being on an amazing journey through the successes of incredible people in my life.  As many of you know from my other online journal, I have recently had a breath-taking experience in returning home to my roots in Kentucky.  It was life altering in many ways, but one aspect of the trip that I did not include in that recap is the fact that it was also the next step in my weight loss progress.

I have maintained my weight loss for about a month now with no additional pounds slipping away.  I have been working on on a daily basis, or at least I was until I went away for nearly a week.  Since I came back, I have only exercised once and that was an hour of yoga to strengthen me up and stretch me out a bit.  I was thrilled to see how far I have progressed since I have not done the Suzanne Deason routine in months and have only relied on the Wii Fit Plus individual poses, primarily working with those that are strength-based rather than balance or stretching.

I did not work out while I was away (altough I did valiantly include my gym shoes and work out clothes when packing).  Time was just too short.

Since I got back a week ago, I have been trying to settle back into a routine and I am still working on that.  My body misses exercise and I will excitedly give it what it wants very soon.  For now, I’m still processing.

That’s not a handy excuse, but a bona fied reason.

While I was away, I spent time with two remarkable men (we should all be so lucky, I know) who have each had profound success with weight loss and fitness.  Both were approaching 50-years-old when they made their changes.  Both lost significant weight and increased their physical fitness levels dramatically.  Both were having considerable health and comfort issues as the result of their obesity.

I have invited each of them to share their stories here so you can read them as well and my hope is that they will be willing to do so.  Although they were not in contact with one another, both worked from the basic premise of “The Zone” diet of monitoring the glycemic indices of the foods they ate with a focus on lean proteins and whole fruits and vegetables.  Both men looked amazing.  Both men looked so joyful and at peace.  It was an honor to know them, much less learn from them.

This was sent to me as a sacred gift and I am so grateful.  While I was in Kentucky, I made a point – even though I was on vacation – to tighten up my “Zone” eating and found it extremely easy to do so even while eating out.  I ate often, but small servings just as I do at home.  I relied less on carbohydrates to give me energy and more on salads and proteins.  It was easy to find foods to fit into my eating plan since we did a lot of buffets. 

If you are interested in checking out The Zone diet by Dr. Barry Sears, the book to read is “Mastering The Zone,” not the first one.  Dr. Sears himself states that his research was still developing when he wrote his first book and that Mastering is the one to use.  I got the book in hard cover for $5 (including postage) via half.com.  Amazon Marketplace also has it cheaply.

Although I am blessed with ongoing guidance in my journey back to health, I feel this is likely a nutritional plan that is going to stick with me.  It is comfortable, does not feel restrictive and produces good results.

I lost a few pounds while on vacation (how often can we say that), but have not followed the diet as closely as I should since I returned due to some comfort eating over missing the people I love back home.  It has not been extreme and no ground as been lost, but none has been gained either.

I am confident that the resumption of exercise, the finalization of my period and the return to reducing eating will start the process again.  One of the gentlemen, Rick, told me something that meant a lot to me, even though it should be common sense.  He pointed out that our bodies need time to be in maintenance and get used to our new weight before moving on to lose more.  During the “plateaus,” we continue eating well and trust that when ready, our bodies will begin to release fat again.  If it goes longer than 3 weeks, we step up our game.  Otherwise, we just trust that our bodies know what to do and when.  His 125 pound weight loss took place over 3 years and several plateaus taught him this premise.

Since he’s where I want to be, I am listening.

There have been many exciting moments for me.  Of course, it was great for my family to tell me how good I looked compared to 6 years ago when they last saw me.  When I was dressing for Halloween, it was nice to see how many of my Queenly outfits were just too big for me now.  While on the airplane to go to Los Angeles in July, the short flight was extremely uncomfortable because my vanity would not allow for me to ask for an extender for the seatbelt and as a result, I could barely breathe.  This time, I could actually pull a few inches past the loosest setting to have it fit comfortably. 

Just before I left for Kentucky, I was in Wal*Mart and saw a pair of nice pumps that were marked down and remembered how much I used to enjoy wearing pretty shoes instead of functional shoes.  I wondered whether or not I’d lost enough to dare to even try on heels again.   These were only a couple of inches, but balancing so much weight on even that much of a heel had been impossible in July and resulted in extreme foot and back pain for me.  I slipped them on and surprisingly, felt OK.  Walked around a bit.  Felt OK.  Hmmm.

Yes, I bought those puppies, wore them most successfully and damn if they didn’t put a happy stride in my step!  I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of that one pair of shoes because they gave me exactly what I needed right when I needed it.  Had I not lost that 40 pounds and been willing to step out of what I knew to be true (“I can’t wear heels”), I never would have gotten that little ego boost of experience to know how far I’ve come.

This coupled with the grand gift from the Universe of sending me these glowing examples of success leave me completely determined to go the distance and find complete success.  I’ve lost 1/4 of the weigh I wanted to lose and I am so excited to be involved in the process.