Start?

2012 begins in just a few hours.  I love a new year, it feels like there's magic in January 1st.  The truth is that there's magic in the way you think.  Do you plan to start being healthier in 2012?  Remember the only purpose of starting is to finish.  You might fail.  In fact you will.  Not all the time but more than you'd like.  We'll work together to learn from those very important failures, because the only real failure is giving up.

Will you start?  Come to your Weight Watchers meeting this week and you'll finish 2012 healthier and happier.  Come on - Start!!  (or just keep on going if you never gave up!!)

Normal

This time of year I begin longing for normal days.  With the fun, excitement and stress of the holidays - not to mention the treats - comes a bit of overload about now.  Soon you can get back to healthy habits and see the scale resume it's downward motion.

Remember the joy of normal days and prepare to use them to make your dreams come true!

The Answer

Last week a member mentioned that she had considered not coming to the meeting.  She'd had a rough week and didn't think the scale would be down.  After considering skipping "just one" meeting she said to herself, "That is not the answer".   She came to the meeting and the smile on her face reflected the power of that decision.

If we pay attention we'll learn from past patterns that didn't work for weight loss.  When the question is how can I lose weight and keep it off, the answer is go to a Weight Watcher meeting every week.  Keep working on change and never give up!

See you in the meeting room!

Today?

This time of year is so challenging for weight watcher members.  The best of intentions wither away in the face of all those goodies.  Exercise your power to control your destiny.  You decide what you want to do, even when it's hard.  How about tracking today?  Try simply filling today?  Move a little more today?  Say no to treats you didn't plan for today?

Prove what you're made of today - amaze yourself!!

Voices

I read about health, fitness and weight loss - a lot.  The more I study, the more I'm convinced that there is  great confusion about what to do.  To muddy up the waters, many "experts" are trying to sell us something.  It's no wonder people get frustrated and head for the nearest drive-thru!  After five years of helping people lose weight and having successfully maintained a 65 pound weight loss myself, I've learned a few things from experience.  Over the next few posts I'll share what I've found it takes to lose weight and more importantly have a healthy lifestyle.

I'll start with sugar.  There are voices out there saying that sugar is poison and the root of all our obesity issues.  We all know that sugar is not that great for our bodies but we also know that it makes treats taste delicious.  When we discuss a healthy lifestyle it includes some celebrations and sweet treats are a great way to celebrate.  It seems unrealistic to suggest that we will never have another cookie, brownie or piece of pie - that would leave no reason to live!  Just kidding, but many wonderful memories include food and I'm not willing to give that up.   The key is to limit sugar.

Here are a few suggestions:

1.  Keep it out of your environment except for planned special occasions.
2.  Limit portions - remove leftovers (see number 1)
3.  Only eat things you love - be discerning in your choices.
4.  Savour every bite - treats gobbled down with guilt are no treat at all.

Add your own experience and you'll have a plan that will allow you to enjoy treats and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Christmastime is a great time to practice your plan to manage sugar in a new way.  You decide what works for you - your voice is the only one that matters.

Plan?

Do you have a plan for this healthy day?  You've heard the old saying, "Fail to plan, plan to fail".  Without a plan days, then years go by without much progress toward your dreams.  It takes a minute to think it through but that minute can make a world of difference.  The problem with a plan is that often we fall short, which can lead to frustration and giving up.  Think about it though, if you carry out even a small portion of your plan you'll see progress.  Much more progress than if you had no plan at all.

Start today with a new habit of planning.  Choose a time that will work consistently.  Is it early morning just as the day begins or before you go to bed?  Plan aggresively - reach beyond your grasp and then get excited about any movement in that direction.  Keep perfectionism out of the process.  Sit down and chart your course and then move confidently in the direction of your dreams!  Today is the best time to start!

Focus

December is a time when many people postpone their efforts to eat healthy and exercise.  No doubt it is a busy time and there are special foods around every corner.  This can make it challenging to lose weight but it also offers the perfect opportunity to learn, change and yes, even lose weight!

If you're willing to focus, just a little, you can gain insights that aren't so clear at other times of the year.  For example, I went to a lovely dinner party last night.  I had a plan for the meal and thankfully the portions were reasonable and the food was delicious and healthy.  Even the dessert was light.  What I hadn't anticipated was the bowls that came out as we were sitting around the table relaxing after the meal.  I won't trigger you with the specifics, but the nuts and candies flowed freely.

My plan going forward is to abstain from after dinner treats.  I certainly wasn't hungry and the Points of those treats could easily have equaled the meal - not worth it.

Let's focus my friends.  Learn as you go and you'll have great tools to use in January when weight loss gets a lot easier.  What have you learned from December thus far?

Eat Vegetables- Lose Weight

Now that you've cleared the junk out of your house, it's time to take the next step and get some good stuff ready to go!

Will you?

If you want to lose weight you have to get the junk out of your house, car, desk etc.  I learned this (again) at Thanksgiving.  We had fudge stripe cookies in the house to make a little turkey table decoration that is traditional for our family.  I love these cookies - we ate through the first package so I had to buy another.  Knowing that I don't choose to control myself when they're around, I asked Dave to hide the second box of cookies - which he did.  At one point, like a crack addict I started looking for the cookies.  Thankfully he hid them well and the feeling passed but I was reminded that it's so important to keep junk food out of my life.

Now I know you want to encourage your children to have the same food issues that you struggle with (wink, wink) but if you're serious about losing weight, it starts here.  If you can't throw the junk away then at least put it somewhere out of sight.  I suggest taking it to the garage.  During the course of your day you'll learn what calls to you when you're tired or emotional or trying to put off an unpleasant task.  Notice I didn't say hungry?  Learn which foods are most dangerous and vow to keep them out of your shopping cart and out of your house.  If you're compelled to go to the garage and get a snack you can be sure that food is keeping you from a healthy life. 

Did I mention that weight loss takes hard work?  Yes you'll have to deal with life instead of manipulating feel good hormones with junk food.  It will be worth the effort.  Don't let junk rob you of what you want most.  Today make a change - Will you?

Refresh!

I had one of those moments this morning.  I stepped on the scale to check the Thanksgiving damage...  Immediately I began the negative - geesh Lanette!  Here we go again - why can't you control yourself!  As I moved closer to that ledge of self-deprecation a new thought came to mind.  Instead of being annoyed that I had yet another "slap in the face moment", I can be thrilled that I've got another chance to get back on track.  I can Refresh!! 

I found this ancient Chinese proverb yesterday:  "If you continue your current direction, you'll get where you're going."  Don't you love how life lines up to teach us lessons?  If you don't like your current direction, you can change it - refresh - back to the course that brings health, happiness and contentment.

Don't beat yourself up because you have to lose those same pounds again.  Be overjoyed that you have the power to change direction and that you're ready to do it.  The sooner you refresh, the better.  When you find that your direction is taking you where you don't want to go - refresh - back to the healthy lifestyle you love.  Do it again and again, you can't possibly refresh too much.  Every day - every hour - every minute provides a new chance to change the course of your life.  Won't you join me?  Refresh!!