Here's my creation:
My good friend Lisa-Marie has lost over 95 pounds by dieting and exercising. I am so proud of her! Instead of shying away from cameras, she was all about getting her picture taken at her 25th birthday party last month. I am posting this pic with her permission.
My sister and two good friends have lost a significant amount of weight through gastric bypass surgery. I have always said that losing weight is like religion. It doesn't matter what method you take to get there, whether it be Weight Watchers, Atkins, gastric bypass (or Baptist, Mormon, Baha'i), if your chosen method gets you where you need to be, I'm all for it. I'm proud of my sister and Monique and Emily for taking a huge step towards improving their health and well-being.
Some of you know about my transformation as well, but many of you didn't know me when I was at my heaviest. I never weighed myself at my heaviest, but the last time I weighed myself as a heavy person, I was over 200 pounds. I gained weight after that, but I was so disconnected from my body, I'm not sure how much more I weighed at my heaviest.
I was a size 18 in 1996. A few weeks ago, I bought my first size 8. Weight loss and fitness are a lifelong journey. I've found it's been harder to maintain weight loss than it was to lose the initial weight. I don't know what to say when people ask me how long it took. It's as if they think there's a finish line, a point when you can stop working out and eating right and just remain slender. Maybe it's what helps them get started... if they can visualize themselves thin in a year, they can commit to at least a few months.
Anyone who's dieted and experienced significant weight loss knows that there is no stopping point if you want to stay healthy and fit. Someone can eat salads for two years and lose lots of weight. If they get to the point when they think they're slender, they think they can go "off the diet" and resume eating McDonald's and chocolate. I guess we call these people "yo-yo dieters", because they quickly regain fat. If you starved yourself thin, you also lost a lot of muscle. And in doing that, the weight you regain will leave you with a higher percentage of overall bodyfat. Not cute.
I've found it's also an internal journey. We can't lose weight for anyone but ourselves. And you can't truly lose weight without truly wanting it. Sure, everyone WANTS to lose a few pounds, but unless you are no longer willing to accept the weight you're at, permanent weight loss will always be elusive. I truly think if someone is mentally ready and prepared, weight loss can be easy. We all know the tools to use. Eat less, move more. The details, like, "Which diet, what exercise"? are very individual, and to me, like religion in that whatever gets you where you need to be, great. But if we're not ready, the details bog us down and discourage us before we even get started. Once we're ready, the details become less important and we focus on ourselves and how we will change.
People who are really doing it don't talk about it much. We don't hear these people discussing how many cups of cottage cheese they ate this morning, or what they will have for lunch. People who do that are wrapped up in the details, and not focused on themselves and the inner change that occurs. When they stop talking about turkey sandwiches, we know they've gone back to McDonald's. Maybe a daily commentary on their diet helps keep them accountable to the public. People who are doing it are accountable to themselves.
Permanent weight loss is a lifelong journey, and not an easy one. But it is worth it. I'm happy that some of my friends and family are going against the typical American grain and taking charge of their health. It's partially selfish of me, because it may mean they'll be around longer for me to enjoy! For everyone else, part of the journey is getting started and getting ready to get started. If you're thinking about it and wanting it to be a part of your life at some point, you are on your way.
Good health and sexy bodies for 2006!
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