Day 205 Nearly Thirty-Two Hundred Pounds and Never Giving Up

Day 205

Nearly Thirty-Two Hundred Pounds and Never Giving Up

Today was a wonderful day. All afternoon the staff at the “Lose To Win” headquarters tallied up the collective pounds lost. With 507 out of 757 weighing in at the one month mark, it was an exciting number for sure. So far the participants in the program have lost 3,193.6 pounds! Over a ton and a half in a month! That's simply amazing. More numbers: 91% lost weight. Average number of pounds per person: 6.3. This is simply incredible. Everyone involved should be so proud, I'm thrilled for everybody.

I do want to say something to someone, anyone who might be struggling. Perhaps when you stepped on the scale it showed a weight gain. But you were there, and that shows you haven't given up. Don't ever give up. If you're eating smaller portions and working out, staying away from empty calories, and drinking plenty of water, and you still gained weight, I would consult with your doctor. I'm not qualified in any way to offer advice or consultation on the topic of unexplained weight gain. From experience I do know that we can retain a bunch of water weight at times. I know that thyroid conditions can hamper weight loss, as can certain medications. All I can say is, hang in there, don't give up, and consult your doctor. If on the other hand, you know you haven't done everything you could have so far, then whatever you do from this point forward, don't beat yourself up! Put it behind you and move forward. Have a long talk with yourself, re-evaluate your motivating thoughts, assess your self-honesty, and most importantly---Do not make things difficult. Don't allow this task to intimidate you. Break it down in simple terms. Eat less, exercise, and be completely honest with yourself about everything you put in your body. Feed your mind with positive things, not negative, and never lose sight of why you want and need to lose the weight. Always remind yourself of your reasons for staying committed. I've failed so many times at losing weight, I feel like I'm an expert on the topic, I've been there many times. A couple of things I've learned to remember: You couldn't possibly eat so much in one day that you've “ruined everything.” So if you have a bad day, write down how you felt and what you feel triggered the binge, read it and try to understand it as you take full responsibility for your actions, then put it behind you immediately and erase it from your memory. And remember, if you give a consistent positive effort, then you'll more than likely get the results you're after. Consistency, either positive or negative, will generate positive or negative consequences. Stay positive!

Registered Dietitian Sandy Gifford gave a wonderful presentation tonight on nutrition for life. Her presentation was informative and entertaining and most importantly easy to understand. Understanding the fundamentals of proper nutrition is key to life long results and healthy living. She had some wonderful handouts that can be really helpful to understanding and getting to a place where better nutrition and good choices become part of our everyday behavior. I really appreciate her guidance and expertise.

After the seminar we decided to have dinner out. We settled in to one of our favorite places and was lucky enough to get our favorite table. I scanned the room and discovered Mayor Nicholson in a booth across the restaurant. I had the “Lose To Win” statistics in my back pocket, ready for air in the morning, so I just couldn't resist sharing the good news with our city leader. He was amazed and excited. He too understands what a positive impact so many people losing weight and feeling great can have on our community. Positive actions lead to positive results. And like I've experienced, it's not just about losing weight and looking better. This journey impacts positively everything in a person's life. It's very cool that hundreds of people around here are experiencing this positive uplifting at the same time!

I've developed a few little tricks while dining out that not only save calories but make it much more affordable. I always order water with extra lemons. I then squeeze the lemons into the water and sweeten it with a sugar substitute, and walla lemonade! I immediately start scanning the menu for a smaller portions section. I've found that many restaurants will allow you to order the smaller senior and sometimes kids portions if you tell them you're counting calories. Again, cheaper both calorie wise and money wise. I opted for a plain chopped steak and a serving of mashed potatoes with the gravy on the side. I also had a small portion of corn. The entire meal was right at around 500 calories, well within my calorie budget this evening. If you run into a restaurant without smaller portions as an option, consider splitting a meal with someone in your party. Irene and I have done this many times and never left unsatisfied.

The future looks incredibly wonderful as I approach the 150 pounds lost mark. I got a haircut today at Snip and Clip and the stylist suggested I go with a completely new look. I told her maybe when I get below 300. But I doubt it, I kind of like my hair. But I appreciated the suggestion. And who knows, maybe when I get below 300 I'll get a wild hair and let her have at it, that is if my buddy approves of course. I've been getting my hair cut at Snip N Clip for a very long time. I like what they do there. It doesn't cost a fortune and they do good work every time. Another thing I like about going there so consistently, I can now feel how much easier it is to fit in the chairs. I always worried before about breaking an expensive stylist chair, lucky for me I never did, and more than likely I never will. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean