The Secret to Successful Weight Loss, my story

At least for the last 10 years of my life I've tried to lose weight and spent countless hours reading and researching various ways of eating or "diet" programs.  I'm almost embarrassed to say during this time I've spent a minimum of 10 hours per week reading, researching, searching for the perfect plan for me.  I've done them all too!  Some have been successful, for about a WEEK!  After losing 25 pounds in 10 weeks with my current program, it is clear to me why other approaches have not resulted in lasting change.  A few days ago I had an epiphany as to the secret to successful weight loss & I just have to share!

Let me start before the beginning, about 14 weeks ago, when my father was in the end stages cancer.  I had the opportunity to spend lots of time with my him in the last months of his life.  As difficult as it was, seeing my father, a very strong, hardworking man succumb to the ravages of cancer, I wouldn't trade the time with him for anything.  He taught me lessons about life, love, sacrifice, will, determination, strength, kindness and so much more.  His legacy will forever live on in the hearts and minds of his loved ones.  At the time I wasn't ready to begin this weight loss journey as God had a different plan for me.  He died on August 5th.  At the funeral not one but 2 different people approached me offering congratulations on my pregnancy and one seemed excited for me expecting twins.  Yes twins!!!  It wasn't bad enough to look pregnant when I was not, but to look like I was expecting twins!  I can say without hesitation this was my wake up call or "aha moment" as Oprah would say.  After the funeral I returned home to live life without Dad.

Around this same time I read the book, Reshaping It All, Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness, by Candace Cameron Bure.  She's a mother, actress, nationwide speaker about her faith in Christ, and wife to NHL star Valeri Bure. She says, "Embracing a healthier lifestyle begins by moving faith to the forefront, making some wise fundamental choices, and finding your worth in the eyes of God."  This was my starting point or cornerstone.  While I made better choices and grew closer to the Lord, several pieces of my weight loss success puzzle were missing.   I needed motivation to stick with my program, which is basically how Candace eats and exercises in real life, with a few tweaks. God was preparing me again, only giving me a piece of the puzzle at a time, for something amazing.

Several weeks passed as I floundered sometimes on track making wise choices and exercising frequently, sometimes not.  Then one day right before picking up my daughter at the bus stop, I received a friend request on Facebook from a friend I haven't seen in 15 years.  I hesitated briefly to accept the request because my life was so different when I knew him and we were very close friends.  Sometimes it's better to leave the past in the past, but this time was different as I was about to discover.  He told me he does radio and writes books now, so I checked out his website and radio shows.  I've listened to many of them, but one in particular stands out as extremely helpful for weight loss motivation, Failure To Launch.  After all we all need motivation to lose weight, but it was so much more than that.  It was a formula for success, with no room for failure or not reaching your dreams. I used his formula in conjunction with Candace Cameron Bure's book to formulate my plan for success.  It became another piece of the puzzle God was giving me in the journey to realize my dreams of a healthy body, mind, and spirit. 

I won't go into all of the details of what I do, but if you'd like to know please email or call me and I'll divulge all of my habits and tricks.  Are you wondering if I'll ever get to the secret of successful weight loss?  Well here is the bird's eye view:

1. You must be focused and driven and have the will to achieve your goal.
2. Must have a plan (nutrition, exercise, and spiritual) that resonates with your belief system. 
3. Discipline to carry out the plan.
4. Be aware of energy zappers and those that will sabotage your healthy efforts. Not everyone will embrace the new improved you.  Believe me.
5. Surround yourself with encouragers. You know, those that tell you, "You can do it.  You're beautiful.  You're awesome.  You're a rock star!"
6. This is the secret, the bomb, what I see consistently in myself and other successful dieters who have lost weight and maintained and continue to be successful.  If what you consider a cheat happens and it most definitely will happen, stop eating when satisfied, don't think you have to eat it all because tomorrow you'll start over again because a perfect tomorrow will never happen!  Let me repeat that, a perfect tomorrow will never happen!  I used to think, oh I'll have this half box of cookies because I'm starting my diet tomorrow, Monday, or whatever the case may be.  I thought when the diet started I would eat perfectly until I reached my goal weight, which never happened, leaving me in a vicious cycle.  So when a cheat happens eat only enough to satisfy, forgive yourself immediately, then immediately climb right back on that healthy eating, exercising, rock star lifestyle.  Any other mindset will end in failure. 

I think this post could have turned into a book (LOL), so I'll expound with more detail in subsequent posts. I was just so excited to share this with you tonight, so I wanted to at least get started.

Have a healthy, happy Monday everyone.

Take care,