Day 261 Enjoying The Scenery Along The Way and Motivating By Example

Day 261

Enjoying The Scenery Along The Way and Motivating By Example

I did something today that I normally do not do, ever! I weighed in between official weigh days. I had to to get an accurate weight for the Summer Weight Loss Challenge. I weighed in at 332, down three pounds from last Wednesday's weigh in. I've decided that if my body has settled in to a 3 pound per week groove, then I have absolutely nothing to complain about. At that rate I'll be down to 229 by the third week in January 2010. That would be 276 pounds lost in 16 months. I'll take that. Or I'll take whatever pace I have, because like I've said many times, time doesn't matter on this journey. As long as I continue doing the right thing and making the good choices everyday then it really doesn't matter how long it takes to get to where I'm headed, because I'll get there. I've always been really impatient. I want it now! But I've learned that impatience can hamper our mood on a journey like this. It's much better to just sit back and enjoy the scenery along this beautiful road and before you know it we'll be there.

We made a rush trip to Wal-Mart this evening for some dinner items before Irene had to take off for work. On the way in to the store a very nice lady I met in the “Lose To Win” program said “Hello there Anderson family!” We were walking quickly past when I replied “Hi, how are you doing?” She said good, but I just kept walking. We had very little time to get done with the shopping and get back to the house. But still, I've been beating myself up for not taking a minute to stop and talk with her. I spent more time then that trying to decide what to do when we discovered they were sold out of Miracle Whip. (There was no way I was giving in to buying the high calorie full fledged mayo, no way) I wish I would have talked with her for a moment. She came up to me before one of the seminars a while back and told me that the talk I gave for the “Lose To Win” kick-off had inspired her to stick with it for the first time in a very long time. She told me that she just knew, like I had said, if I could do it, she could do it. I had touched her with that talk and she touched me by sharing her spirit and her story. I hope she reads this blog, because I sincerely care about how she's doing. Perhaps she'll send me a message. It's always better to slow down and fully appreciate the people around us, I usually do, but I guess tonight I was trying to set some kind of Wal-Mart trip speed record. If I ever run into her again at the store or anywhere, and I hear “Hello there Anderson Family!” I hope to get another chance to talk with her for a while.

After our family time it was workout time! We decided on the YMCA fitness center. Amber and Courtney hit the elliptical machines and I went straight for the treadmill for a wonderful 5K. If I remember right, it took 53 minutes the first time I completed a 5K on a treadmill, not anymore. Less than 45 minutes. That's right! And I could have gone a little faster, but I was focusing on keeping my heart rate in an optimal zone for burning fat. It was a really good workout!

A new reader, Michele, asked a question after reading the blog from last night and going back to read some of the archives: Hi Sean, I'm a relatively new reader of your blog, but I have read the last few weeks and your October 2008 archive and I just have to tell you that you have inspired me so much! I have tried before to lose weight and blog on a daily basis and usually hit a wall around 30 days or so. But you've inspired me to try again. I will continue to read through your archives, but I'm wondering if any of your family members were reluctant to get on board with you and whether you've had any success motivating them. I ask because my father, who is 57 years old and well over 300 pounds, has diabetes, high cholesterol and I'm sure is on the path to heart problems. His health scares me so much but I don't know how to motivate him to change, other than by trying to lose weight myself. Anyway, I want you to know that I appreciate your blog and am so super impressed with you and your journey so far. Keep on trucking!! Thank you Michele! I've found that the only way to motivate someone to change is by example. Inspiring them with your success is the most effective. I've been very lucky because Irene was losing weight well before I started and the girls have always wanted to do it as a family, so that part of my journey has been a real blessing. I can completely relate with your concerns. I've worried for so long about my mother and my aunt. They've read every blog I've ever written along this journey, in fact my mom has them printed out like a book! But even after reading every single blog every day, and after seeing my transformation right in front of their eyes and talking with me about what I do and how I do it on numerous occasions, they've just started to get on program really solid over the last few weeks. I'm thrilled that they too are experiencing so many wonderful epiphanies, the kind of epiphanies I've discussed along this road. Both of them have major health concerns, they are both doing something that will quiet possibly save their lives. I've told my mom that she has the power to decide to live an additional twenty years or more. Or she can choose to do nothing and perhaps pass within the next five to seven. But the dark and heavy truth doesn't always work. I can't tell you how many times I've had the “you're going to die young” speech from a doctor. I never really believed that speech until last year. None of us know for sure how long we have on this earth, but if we can do something that greatly increases the probability of a longer healthier life, shouldn't we give it everything we've got? By setting an example, by showing how losing weight and improving our health doesn't have to be complicated, by showing what wonderful results can be had with consistent effort, you'll eventually get the attention of the ones you love. It's funny, my mom and aunt just called. You think they sensed me writing about them? They're both happy to report that they are on track with their calorie budgets and they're both walking everyday despite medical conditions that make walking difficult. My mom has really bad feet and my aunt has severe lymphedema. What a fantastic blessing! A prayer answered for sure. In the first paragraph of this posting I talked about being impatient. I think I got that from my mom. She just said that she hopes she can do this in a year and a half at least. I told her to not worry about how long it takes to lose the weight. Just focus on being consistent and the results will come. You can't do great for a week then bad for a week, then wonderful for three days and horrible for five. Consistency is vital to your success. That's why this blog is titled “The Daily Diary of A Winning Loser” at losingweighteveryday dot blogspot dot com. It's not the “Every Now And Then I Do Well Diary of A Sometimes Winning Loser.” Consistency, very big element on this road. Michele, my advice would be to do something I'm sure you've done before...tell your father how much you're concerned for him and express your feelings, then explain to him what you're doing and ask him to do it with you. Get really dramatic with him. Then show him how it can be done. Best wishes to you and I thank you for reading.

I'm headed for bed and looking forward to a racquetball match with a certain confident talking co-worker that is about to be really surprised at my new found abilities. I'm planning a lunch meeting with him at the YMCA. The menu? A big helping of “making him eat his words” with a side of “you don't want any of this!” Your serve my friend.

I know I say it often, and I hope that the frequency of my gratitude doesn't dilute my sincerity. I sincerely appreciate your readership and comments along this journey. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean