HOPE

As I continue my journey along the Dr. Oz Highway of Health, I sometimes lose a little steam - a little "hope," if you will. When I think about the big picture of how much weight I need to lose, it can be overwhelming. And that's when I lose hope. Because it seems like such an impossible task. And because, like most people, I want results now.

I've always been pretty impatient about things. Actually, that is probably an understatement - just ask my parents and anyone who knew me as a child. I'm still pretty impatient most of the time. And so the whole "slow" weight loss thing is kind of a thorn in my side. That's probably the reason I've never given any diet more than a couple months.

Given the fact that I had been complaining about how my weight loss was moving along much slower than I thought it should, my pal Loriana decided I needed a pep talk. It was exactly what I needed. She reminded me that it's not going to happen overnight and that I have to just keep moving forward and continue to build on the good habits I've developed. This is a life program - not a quick fix. And that I WILL see results, but not to expect too much in a short amount of time. And most importantly - not to compare my results to anyone else's. This could possibly have been the best advice she gave me. It's hard not to get caught up with the quick results you see on "Biggest Loser." It almost brainwashes you into believing if you're not losing 5-10 pounds per week, you aren't doing something right. Loriana made me realize that it truly is a marathon, not a sprint.

And so what if my results are small - they are still going in the right direction. As long as I continue going in the right direction, it's all good.

After my mini "kick in the pants," I took my measurements and was surprised to find I did better than I thought. The scale said I lost 10 pounds, but the tape measure gave me even better news: a total loss of 7 1/2 inches (1/2 inch off my neck, 3 inches off my chest, 2 inches of my waist, and 2 inches off my hips).

So thanks, Loriana, for reminding me of what is important. Suffice it to say my hope has been renewed.


“Hope never abandons you; you abandon it.”
George Weinberg

Back on the wagon.....

Well, it certainly has been a while since I've blogged. The best of intentions, the poorest of follow through.

But, I have a reason to be back - I've started doing the Dr. Oz diet (based on the program in his book "YOU On a Diet") along with several of my co-workers, and thought I'd blog about my progress. I started the diet back in December right before the holidays, and so far, so good. Although I really shouldn't call it a diet, since I'm really trying to change my eating habits and improve the quality of the foods I'm eating.

In a nutshell, Dr. Oz promotes eating more "whole foods" - no processed junk and packaged foods that contain ingredients you can't pronounce. And as my good friend (and fearless leader of our group) Loriana always tells me, if you can't pronounce it, your body doesn't know what to do with it and you have no business eating it. It's been an eye-opening experience to say the least. I never really paid much attention to the ingredients of the foods I ate, but I certainly do now.

The biggest offenders were the "diet" foods I was eating - fat-free yogurt, low-fat cookies, frozen "diet" entrees, packaged cereals - pretty much anything that comes out of a box. I also had no concept of how much sodium I was taking in on a daily basis. All those packaged foods are loaded with sodium, along with extremely long lists of ingredients that are not pronounceable and look a lot like chemical names.

I have to say, I'm feeling a lot better since I've changed my "diet." The downside is that convenience is something that does not go hand in hand with this. So, I spend a lot of time preparing my meals. But in the end I know it will all be worth it.

And I can't say enough of how much I love the fact my little lunch group is also doing the Dr. Oz program - it is so much easier to stay on track when everyone around you is eating the same. Plus we share a lot of ideas on foods and strategies and will soon start doing some workouts together. So I'm sending a shout-out to Christina, Leigh, and Patrick, who (along with Loriana) keep me honest.

Loriana featured several of us in one of her health stories as we kicked off the plan. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/5dt4er

Stay tuned for updates!