Don’t Weight!

I think I’m pretty much an expert on this subject, since I’ve been dealing with weight issues since birth. My two siblings and I were all born at over nine pounds. Although I was the smallest, I was the one who struggled with weight. I didn’t eat anything different than my family did – we grew up in the sixties – you ate what was on your plate or you didn’t eat. We didn’t eat between meals and we certainly didn’t have junk food in the house growing up. We weren’t poor, but we certainly weren’t rich. We had everything we needed, and a lot of the things we wanted, but there wasn’t a whole lot of extra. So, how does one kid end up fat and the others don’t?

I struggled with that for a long time. I was embarrassed. I also felt like I was being punished for something that was completely out of my control. When the rest of the family would have ice cream after dinner, I had to have sugar-free jello. I was grounded for a week when I was caught eating M&Ms brought over by my friend. I know now that my mother was trying to nip something in the bud while I was young so that I wouldn’t have to deal with weight issues like she did when I was an adult.

Too bad it doesn’t work that way. I can remember growing up thinking that when I am on my own, I’m going to fill my house with all the things that I wasn’t allowed to eat. So, while it wasn’t my fault that I started out overweight, it certainly was only my issue once I was on my own and making the purchasing/cooking/eating decisions.

I’ve tried just about every diet under the sun. Weight Watchers, Nutri-Systems, low-fat, low-carb, juice cleanses, Jenny Craig, cabbage soup, starvation…I’ve done just about everything. So, which one works best? Actually, they ALL work. I do believe that some diets work best for different body types, but the best diet is one that isn’t a diet – it’s something that becomes a lifestyle for you…something you can actually stick to.

If I could give some advice to anyone starting on this journey to a smaller waistline it would be the following:

1. Accept yourself as you are – no matter what your weight is. This is my #1 tip. Imagine for a moment that you will stay your current weight for the rest of your life. I know – you’re horrified at the thought. But, seriously, what would you do? The same thing you would do if, say, you had a car accident and lost a limb…I know that sounds so drastic, but I’m saying this to make a point – we can adapt to anything. You make adjustments. So, if you’re going to be fat for the rest of your life – you make adjustments. You wear nice clothes. You take care of yourself. Your make-up and hair looks good. You STOP blaming yourself. Acceptance doesn’t mean you CAN’T change something – it just means that you are okay until you change.

2. Ditch the scale! I get it – you want to know where you started to know how you’re progressing. Okay, fine. Weigh yourself and then put the scale in the closet. I belong to several weight loss support groups on Facebook. Everyone is obsessed with the scale. They weigh every day and wonder why the scale hasn’t moved. They’ve been on a diet for two weeks and want an astounding weight loss after years of bad eating. If we were on the scale everyday our whole lives, we probably wouldn’t be on diets now. You weren’t concerned with the scale when you were heading to Dairy Queen – so put it away now. Focus on taking care of yourself and loving yourself no matter what you weigh!

3. Start slow. Every January, the restaurants are empty and the gyms are full. Everyone is starving themselves and working out like triathletes. By February, everything is back to normal and doesn’t start up again until swimsuit season approaches. We burn ourselves out on diet and exercise regimens that are not sustainable. Instead why not try…

4. Before you CUT anything out of your diet – why not ADD something in? Add in another glass of water or serving of vegetables. I cannot impress upon you enough how important water is – not just to your diet – but to your body and your survival. At least 8 glasses a day…but make 100 ounces your goal. Adding water and vegetables will fill you up and you may feel less of a need to overeat.

5. Move your body…just a little! Don’t get off your couch and run a marathon – you will hurt yourself! Do try to put in a little walk after dinner. You don’t have to sprint or jog or even walk at a fast pace. Get up from the table and go for a walk around the block. Take a friend and have a nice chat as you both walk, or throw your headphones on and listen to some music or a book. When you get home you’ll probably have a second wind that you wouldn’t have if you’d sunk into the sofa and thrown on the television. If your schedule permits, try to squeeze in a short walk after lunch, too!

6. When you’ve got the suggestions above mastered, maybe now might be the time to tweak your diet a bit. Maybe you can replace that afternoon bag of chips with some cucumber slices and ranch dressing – or even an apple. Maybe at dinner you replace the mashed potatoes with some mashed cauliflower or zucchini noodles. Small changes made over time are barely even noticeable.

7. Learn BALANCE…life is all about balance. It’s not realistic to think “I’m never going to eat ice cream again” – Or “No more pizza until I lose 100 pounds!”. Doesn’t it always figure that when you start a diet, you get invited to all these cool events, or everyone decides to have a birthday? Don’t deprive yourself. A great suggestion that I learned from one of my bosses years ago (he was a professional hockey player and an avid Iron Man triathlete!) was that he told me that he “eats for fuel” during the work week and then when he goes out on the weekend with his wife to try a new trendy restaurant in the city, he enjoys himself. I think this is great advice – when you have a routine – you work everyday…eat for fuel. Even on the weekends – if you have nothing going on, stay on your plan…then you don’t have to feel guilty when you have pizza with friends, or feel deprived when they’re eating pizza and you’re having a stupid salad.

8. Get rest! Sleep is the best thing that you can do for your body. It’s the time when the body tries to heal from everything we put it through during the day. If you’re tired and dragging, you will make the easy (and sometimes not the right) choices when it comes to food and movement. Try going to bed a half hour earlier or sleeping in a little bit. You’ll be surprised how much it helps.

9. Be kind to yourself. We are human – we are perfectly imperfect. You will have days when you have the pizza AND the ice cream…and it’s OKAY. Enjoy it and get back on your plan tomorrow – don’t berate yourself “for cheating” Talk to yourself as you would to your best friend. You wouldn’t beat them down and chastise them for slipping up. You would most likely encourage them and build them up…do the same for yourself.

Whatever your weight loss journey is, I hope you find these words helpful and encouraging. I would also love to know what works for you! Please feel free to post below.

Until next time….

Go Happy Yourself!!