2 to the Power of Do℠

The decision to lose weight had probably been building for several years. Unlike many people, I didn’t have a single revelation, or hit rock bottom, or had an “ah-ha” moment that pushed me into action. No, for me, I had to have all three before I finally got going and did something about my weight.

Along the way I learned that small changes can make big differences. Let me tell you my story.

Growing up, I was a normal weight child. Not too heavy, not too skinny. I wasn’t athletic, but I didn’t sit around either. I was active. I stayed a normal weight all throughout high school. In college, I gained the classic “freshman 15″ and it stuck with me pretty much all the way through my junior year. [Ok, now my junior year wasn't the usual three years after high school. I was working to "pay my own way" so it took me 8 years to get my degree...so this was about year six after high school].

While working and going to school, a friend talked me into joining a women’s health club. In fairly short order, I knocked off the 15 pounds and joined the fitness craze of the 1980’s. I held my weight at 125 pounds for the next 10 years.

Over the next 5 years, I would gain a little, lose a little, gain a little, lose a little…yep, though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was starting to yo-yo diet. Add to that the stresses of life, you know, job stress, family stress - oh, and lack of exercise, and poor diet…I started to gain. And gain. And gain.

Eventually I would find myself knocking on the door of 200 pounds. I don’t know if I ever opened that door and crossed that line. You see, somewhere around 190, I stopped weighing myself. That was close enough for me. At some point I probably did go over 200, but knowing I was close, I started trying to lose some of the weight. During this time I also started developing health problems. Rheumatoid arthritis, gall stones and an esophageal pre-cancer. I had surgery for the gall stones and pre-cancer. I chalked it up to getting older.

My “revelation” came in the oddest of ways. About four years ago, I was traveling for business and had committed myself to exercising during a three week assignment. I even packed my tapes and bands. I exercised exactly once.

On that trip and during a group social, a younger co-worker was telling a story and when he needed to describe the women in the story, he suddenly became tongue-tied.

He carefully searched for just the right words and eventually described her as “a middle-aged woman who had let herself go.” As fate would have it, our eyes met just as he said those words. It wasn’t at all like he [my co-worker] was speaking to me…no it was more like HE was speaking to me. That night I seriously looked at myself in the mirror…I had become a ‘middle-aged woman who had let herself go’. Sometimes the truth bites…hard.

“Rock bottom” happened at the doctor’s office shortly after returning from my trip. I weighed in at 196. My doctor and I were discussing changing my RA medicine. As I sat there reading the possible side effects, my heart sunk. I was seriously scared.

“Are there any other options?” I asked hopefully.

“Well,” he said. “There is one option, but no one ever takes it. It won’t cure you, but it may postpone for some time, your need to take these stronger drugs.”

I sighed and thought to myself, what could be so horrible no one does it? I had to ask, “so what is it?”

He simply said, “Exercise.” Then he added, “Losing some weight would help, too.” Yeah, right…now I know why no one does it. At the same time, I REALLY didn’t want to do the drugs. I decided to give it a try.

Over the next 8 weeks, I struggled and tried to watch what I ate. I tried to go all out with exercise. I was hungry and exhausted. I stepped on the scale…196. NOTHING, not even ONE pound. The diet and exercise plan said 20 pounds in eight weeks and I hadn’t lost a single pound. This was nuts!!

And then it hit me…my “ah-ha” moment. I found myself asking…

“Who made up the stupid rule you have to lose it all at once?”

Seriously. It had taken me years to get into THIS shape. What in the world ever made me think I could get back INTO shape in just a few months? DUH! This was my life, my future, my health for Pete’s sake!

So, I made some decisions…

1. I didn’t have to do it all at once. I could take it off over several years since that was the way I gained it. This was my life.
2. I had to come up with a diet that was sustainable. Something I could follow for the rest of my life. Not just a few weeks or months. This was my future.
3. Exercise had to fit my new life. It had to be something I could Do for the rest of my life. This was my health.

So, I set some goals…

1. I will lose 5 pounds by my next doctor appointment in 4 months.
2. I will eat 10% less food at every meal.
3. I will walk 5,000 steps every day.

So, I made a plan…

1. I would start slow. I would make changes only after I was comfortable and ready for the next change. Five pounds in four months was definitely doable.
2. I would start by simply eating less. Still eating the same foods I had always loved…just less of them. At every meal, at home or in restaurants, I ate about 10% less than my former portion.
3. I bought a pedometer and started walking. In the beginning I was doing 2-3 thousand steps a day. I was really out of shape. I had to work up to five thousand steps.

I was finally DOING something about my weight. I continued my plan for the next 4 months. That would take me to my 6 month follow-up with my doctor.

Now, doesn’t it always seem that when you start working on a goal; fate, destiny, luck…whatever you want to call it…steps in?

TO BE CONTINUED…