Lose Weight and Keep It Off---Walk and Eat Well

There are millions of women and men--some right next door and some in my town and others around the world who have the same struggle I do . There is no cute way to show a weight loss journey.

I suppose I could make up untrue stories to put in this article to make it go global but that is not my goal. My goal is to share with every other woman or man who fights with unwanted poundage my personal journey. It just is not easy. There is no quick fix.. What is important is to make your weight loss journey work for YOU. I can ramble on and on about how I did this and I did that but that is not me----that is not who I am.

There are some questions you need to ask yourself ---

1. How serious am I about wanting to lose weight?
2. What is the reason behind my desire to lose weight?
3. Am I willing to exercise some as I begin this journey?
4. Am I ready to forego the junk food and mindless eating that has become a way of life?
5. Am I ready to make this a life changing moment for my life?

If you can honestly answer these questions ----most in the affirmative----then chances are you are ready to begin.

We---me included---are too often looking for a quick fix. Some program or prepared-for-us plan that will magically make pounds melt away would be great. Or maybe even surgery. Not me---I would like to have the last 40 gone---they are still here. I am working every day on trying to get them gone. I get frustrated because I tore my meniscus in late October or early November and I was not able to do any serious walking for about 2 months. It killed me. Even now I have a great deal of pain when I walk but I have learned to walk through the pain. I also have arthritis in one ankle and it makes walking challenging as well HOWEVER excuses do not help me to lose weight. I have managed to keep off the weight but have had to be super-vigilant about what I eat.

Indeed.. If you are the Momma or Daddy who prepares all of the food, chances are you also purchase most of what you prepare.

• Choosing to avoid junk foods will help make this journey a little less painful.
• Choose foods that will be satisfying and filling.
• Treating yourself to something that you think you cannot live without is okay but do so with caution.
• Be honest with yourself----if you buy that box of cookies will you really only have one and freeze the rest in baggies for another time?
• You and only you can answer that. Radical changes in eating habits for a family can cause great friction. Take it slowly at first.
• Gradually you can change from eating habits that were not healthy for any of you.
• And then---your children will eat what is around your home just like you do----so provide alternatives to junk. YOU are doing this for YOU.
• You want this to be a long term life change----not yo-yo dieting. Avoid calling it a 'diet'----this is your new reality----your new way of living.
• Some will disagree with me but here I go---weigh every day especially in the beginning. and weigh at the same time each day. Yes your weight does fluctuate but if you are honestly choosing a healthy food plan then pounds will fall off.
• Be vigilant and patient.

For some the E word will cause some to skedaddle to places unknown. Of course you know what E word to which I refer---EXERCISE.

The wonderful thing about exercise is that number one-----only a little bit makes you feel better. Find what works for you. You do not need to go to a gym---chances are there are exercise shows on your tv and there are many inexpensive dvds for all age groups that you can use. (I did go to our local gym for a while but truthfully I enjoy walking so much more and the cost went up.) Or you can do what I do----walk. Walk some every day until you get to blocks or mileage that make you feel euphoric and help your pounds to drop. Try to do some every day if possible. When you are shopping, park as far out in the lot as you can. Then walk to nearby stores in that shopping area rather than moving your car to a new spot. Every little bit adds up. Most important though is to make it work for YOU.

DRINK lots of water especially when you are exercising but also throughout the day. the "I do not like water' excuse won't fly---it is a huge part of being healthy as it flushes toxins from your body as well as helping you to feel not so hungry.

To me the real test of weight loss schemes or plans or suggestions is not just about losing the weight. The real test in my mind is if the weight stays off. It is three years later and I have lost 75 pounds altogether. It has not been easy. I have to walk at least five days a week ....I am one of those who cannot lose weight just by revising what I eat.I do eat differently than before. I do not really have any absolutely "NO" foods but refrain from keeping junk at my home...if it is not here I do not think about it.

I do eat about 5 to 6 times a day....three times are snacks of veggies and fruit or sometimes a smoothie or protein bar. I am certain that I will always have to consciously think about my body's weight ...I still want to lose 40 more pounds...and I feel it will happen...one step at a time.

My need to walk continues to be the focus of most days. I do walk 5 days a week now instead of 7 as I did when I began.

I have lost more weight doing this than I ever imagined...I now have 70 pounds gone. My measurements are not so different as I have ugly rolls that are a result of the stretched skin from being so overweight. (The reasons for being overweight are legit and many however no excuses now.) But I feel so much better. And my grandson, Jay, who is quite a bit taller and has a longer stride teases me...."Padi (yes, he often calls me Padi) for your little, short legs you can really move fast!!!"

It is true....I walk quickly now even when I am not out for one of my daily (twice daily) walks.

You CAN walk away unwanted weight and while you are doing so you can walk away stress....begin today..baby steps...and then gradually add to it.

Yes, my journey continues. I hope many of you have embarked on your own 'get real' journey whether you need to lose weight or just to give yourself a daily boost...it is amazing what the walking does...it is energizing and gives one time to ponder many things...it gives me personally time to hear God.

My weight loss to date is 64 pounds...and yes, I am feeling great.

Sometimes I do walk and listen to just the sounds of nature but that is when I am in a park where the sounds of city life are not ever present.

Most days when I walk I clip on my Scandisk mp3 player and tuck on one of my headsets and am off to another world. The Scandisk has been my player of choice for walking as it is easy to upload music and it is easy to navigate.

While I am not totally technologically challenged, neither am I an expert. So a device such as this that is 'friendly' makes me happy.

Almost one year to date, I began a new journey, a new friendship, a new relationship with my body. Since I only get once chance to walk this planet, it was time to take charge....so many factors played into how I became morbidly obese....and the fact of the matter is...none of that matters. What matters is that it is possible to turn it around.

It has not been easy...not at all to get up every day and walk. The getting out the door part is the difficult part though. Once I am out, it is a whole different story. All of what troubles me (and there are lots of things going on with my family that TRY to weigh heavily on me) washes away with each step and each jogging motion that I make.

So I am thrilled to report that I am now 56 pounds lighter....

I will continue this journey because I am an individual who cannot maintain a reasonable weight without exercise...it just ain't gonna' happen.

I eat healthy too....that does not mean that what I eat is bland or flavorless. It just means I choose foods that nourish my body, mind, and soul. For each of us that will be a different food choice. It means being honest with myself about what I eat....not explaining to anyone else why I eat what I do, but feeling well physically and not guilty about food choices.

So the journey continues......

I am more pumped now about this journey than I was in October when I began.

I can walk longer and swifter without feeling breathless.

My new weight is : 190....I am so excited...never thought I would be excited to be this heavy but I am so much lighter than when I began. My new clothes make me feel like a new me...I got rid of all of my old, fat clothing.

It makes me feel so humble when others comment on my weight loss. It has been many years since I have been complimented on how I look.

Of course, I have done this for ME but it is nice when others notice.

If you need to get in shape, I recommend walking...a bit at a time....take a serious look at what you eat and when you eat...

Best wishes to you on your journey.

We all have stressors in our lives...that obviously goes without saying.

Thankfully, the walking and some very light jogging along with it, keeps me sane and reduces the stress on my body.

When exercising my mind is washed, freed, of all of the stress that surrounds me at this time. I am so very thankful that I begin each day with a walk. It takes me totally to another place...a place of meditation and calm.

Please do yourself a favor and make room for some type of exercise each day.

My weight is at 194-195. My measurements remain the same pretty much as the last time I measured but my clothes fit much differently.

I am able to buy cute clothes now that are soooo much smaller than I was wearing.

And I feel so much better...emotionally and physically.

I walk in the morning mainly now so that means I leave home at first light usually about 6:15 am It is hot now and I just cannot walk in the heat. If I do ever walk in the evening now it is at 7:00p.m. when it has begun to cool down.

This is a thrilling experience. I have made new friends ..not who walk with me...but who see me walk and come up to me when I am in a store and strike up a conversation.

If you are not walking, get started. Take short walks at first

Truthfully if I were not walking I would not be able to navigate the waters that are swirling around me with my family right now.

For the first time in too many years, I tip the scales at 195...42 pounds lighter than when I embarked on this journey.

That number is still HUGE to me but compared to where I began, it is so much better

I feel so much better and am told that I look so much better (and secretly I think so too :D)...but part of me still sees the FAT person...gradually that will fade because even though I have a large number of pounds still to lose, I am now able to buy some new clothes, flattering clothes that verify the pounds are really gone!!

It is a journey..every day. I have arthritis in my right ankle (MAJOR) and have to really baby it and at the same time I baby my legs, hips, and other foot as well. I have begun to soak in a tub of very warm water at least once a week....not much on baths but silly me, I shower before soaking....

My measurements are pretty much the same...

Waist...43

Hips 45 (woo hoo)

Breast 44 (no change)

Did I say weight....195????!!!!

Keep on keeping on....that is my motto....and to you, if you have not yet begun to be good to your body, what are you waiting for???

Today I am thrilled.....I hope if you have embarked on a healthy living plan for your life that you are finding it as exhilarating as I am...

To review a bit:: on October 18, 2015 I began this journey....walking 8 miles a day and making wise food choices. I began to lose weight and to feel better physically and emotionally.

It was risky for me to share the 'numbers' ...the harsh ugly numbers that show how out of shape my body was (and still is...but it is improving.)

Beginning in December I began to go the gym on an irregular basis...and now I go at least four days a week...and continue to walk...

I am thrilled to announce....as of today I am 40 pounds down....wow, what a difference a few changes can make.

Best to you on your journey..if you need encouragement on your journey, feel free to email me...I am a good listener.

Four months later and here are the results...

weight.....tadaaa drum roll please.... 198 lbs. I am thrilled.....

bust....no change 44 inches

waist....43 1/2 inches

hips....47 inches

Still walking twice a day...feeling perpetually high from the exercise; I also go to the gym to work on areas that walking does not address.

It is a journey...one I am sooooo glad I began and am so thankful that God helps me to stick to...

Wow....time has flown...so much has happened since October 18th.

It is time to update my numbers....

today I reached a big goal...35 pounds are gone.....my weight is 200....still HUGE but my body is changing so that keeps me highly motivated.

Measurements:

Hips....48 1/2

Waist...44 1/2

Bust...44 (This is interesting..it appears there is NO change but I am one bra size and one cup size smaller so...)

My clothes are beginning to hang on me....and I am loving it...this is an exciting journey...hoping others are feeling motivated... here there are many who are cheering me on and beginning their own journey in their OWN way...which is so important.

I have added working out at the gym too but not to excess (which I mentioned in the video that was shared last month.)

I usually walk about one and one half miles and then do strength training at the gym before I walk the remainder of my 8 miles.

My plan is after I lost 50 pounds to walk less but we shall see.

Thanks for stopping to see what is happening.

Total weight lost....30 pounds. I can hardly believe it

Measurements...

Hips 49 (six inches gone!!!)

Waist 45 1/2

Breast 44

Still plugging along...

As I walk pretty much the same stretch of highway (down a 2 lane country road and then for a mile one way on a dirt road), I have gotten to know others who walk and we cheer each other on.

A whole new world of friends and acquaintances has opened up.

I wave at everyone who passes in a truck, car, bus, you name it...I wave.

And even when my back is to them, my hand is in the air, waving.

And I get lots of waves back and many many 'boops' on the horn as they pass....how cool is that. It makes me feel like I am not alone on the journey. Many of these passers by I see both in the morning and the afternoon. How cool is that.

Walking every day except when it is IMPOSSIBLE (such as I have to be out of town driving to the Airport or somewhere), or, other such rare occasions.

I am still walking 8 miles daily ...I try to walk 5 in the morning and 3 at night simply because I am a morning person.

My eating habits have changed as dramatically as my exercising and I will mention that at a later time.

To anyone embarking on this journey, check with your doctor as to your fitness and how to proceed.

One huge side effect of the walking is that I am perpetually high..no joking as I mentioned above. I know that exercising can cause this to happen but it is to a whole new level due to the intensity of the walks....it is a great panacea for whatever ails you... :D

Off to walk again, soon.

Thanks for cheering me on....

---November 27 Newest figures in on weight loss and inches lost:

Measurements..

Waist 46 (I forgot somehow to measure my waist at the onset so this is the baseline)

Hips 50 3/4

Bust 48

Weight...drum roll, please... ta da....213 that makes 22 pounds gone....woo hoo!!!

November 30---

Hips 49 ^3/4

Waist 46

Breast 46 ^3/4

December 4th

waist 46

hips 49 ^3/4

breast 46

Weight.....211!!!!

Weight loss to date.... 24 pounds...woo hoo.....

I posted measurements this week (the week of November 1st) but was unable to post weight loss as I only weigh at one location and it was unavailable until today.

New figures are in...down 5 more pounds....total to date....13 pounds.

It is worth every mile I walk...nothing....NOTHING can compare to the feeling of getting this weight off.

A few years back, I wrote that I was at Get Real Time in my life.

The truth is, I guess I was in Get Real Time in my mind or some alternate universe or something. It just did not happen.

I was not committed to what it takes to shed the pounds that have crept on for too many reasons.

I lacked the motivation. I plain and simply did not care enough.

Reason??

Yes indeed I had them

More than enough for me and to share with anyone else who needed them.

My first one was:

• I cannot afford healthy food. It costs too much.
• If I eat out, I want to eat of the decadent foods that jump off the menu to me.
• Exercise? O, yes, I get plenty of exercise, every day. I am very busy. I do not lead a sedentary life.
• My family members are sick. I do not have time to prepare healthy foods traveling back and forth to care for them.
• When I come home, I am tired. I do not feel like cooking. I will just grab this leftover whatever and call it wonderful.

And, on and on and on.

Get Real Fact....I was avoiding taking the bull by the horn and doing the work it takes to get the FAT off.

My experiences are my own I am not a nutritionist, exercise guru, or other such trained person.

I do reference Dr. Bendheim and Dr. Amen in my article but do not strictly adhere to what either says.

This is my journey. Use what you can and adjust to make it work for you.

If you have medical issues, by all means to not begin any new way of living without consulting your medical advisors.

The first time I said to someone, 'No, thank you, I can't take that cute top you are offering me because I am TOO FAT' the words resonated within my soul. It was devastating to me.

Who am I talking about? Me, FAT? Is that really how I think of myself? Is that how others see me?

And, yes, it is.

And I still am but there is a difference.

I have gotten REAL this time.

Excuses are gone. There is no good reason for me to remain obese. And that is what I am...and no one can fix this but me.

This was hard. No one wants to admit they have let things get out of control. I had.

It was time to own it.

As was mentioned above, a book helped me to begin my journey. The book, The Brian Training Revolution by Paul E. Benheim, M.D. actually was the impetus for my transformation.

It focuses on brain health but it really is a book about healthy living, healthy choices, a healthy mindset.

It is filled with so much that will help get you focused and ready to make changes. There is even a DVD which shows some of the exercises you can do to have a healthier brain and healthier body.

Go to your library and check it out...you will be glad that you did.

What changed?

One thing is that changed is that I began reading a book about brain health and how important nutrition and exercise are for our brains are for staving off Alzheimers and stroke.

As I turned page after page, it was like an epiphany I suppose.

Like, how many times does someone need to hit me over the head to remind me to get in shape physically and mentally?

From the first day I began reading the book, my life has changed. His suggestions have been used to some extent but I made this work for me.

I began walking two miles a day and by the end of the first week I was up to 8 miles a day. I do not recommend this for anyone who has any medical conditions. I do not recommend it for anyone who is as out of shape as I was. For me, it just happened and now I am comfortable with it. (Years ago I was walking 4 miles a day and I loved it so beginning was not so hard.)

I generally walk 5 miles in the morning and 3 in the evening because I am a morning person and like to do most of my walking in the morning.

On the day I found the BTR book I also found, Making a Good Brain Great. For days I have been reading both as I am trying to find answers that I need to know.

This second book devotes considerable time to explaining the brain and how it is divided and explains how these parts work for us. It is another one that is worth the time to read and soak in.

A third book is on the way...The Brain Fog Fix by Dr. Mike Dow. At this point I cannot explain much about it but as soon as my copy arrives I will fill in some details.

In his book, he has written a letter to our brain.

It is a very simple straightforward letter suggesting that working together we can have a brain that works properly and as we know when our brain is working well, we are in sync.

He goes on to list a number of promises that we as the home for the brain must ( must is my word not his) make to our brains. He begins, "I will----

• think about you every day so you can think properly
• care for you, so you will allow me to take god care of myself and those I love
• accept the fact that neither you nor I are perfect but we can be far better
• protect you from injury, toxins, and too much stress
• give you enough sleep
• feed you nutritious food, but not too much
• teach you new things so you continue to be excellent at learning
• exercise our heart and body to keep great blood supply flowing to you

This is a partial list of his suggestions. They are found on page 237 of his book.

Getting brain healthy is a total commitment to mind, body, soul.

Each morning when I rise I do a bit of yoga to warm up and to get in tune with the universe.

Then, I drink some water and have a bit of protein...a banana with peanut butter, a spoonful of peanut butter, an egg, something to give me sustenance for the walk.

I am walking seven days a week right now. I plan to cut back to 5 days at some point.

In the evening, I walk alone. When I walk alone, I listen to songs on my mp3 player...it keeps me pepped up and walking at a pace that causes me to burn those calories!!

This is not a quick fix. I have lost weight and inches.

This is a journey.

And unlike the last time, I will not remove this hub when I fail.

Because I will NOT fail this time!!

It took many years to get this weight on so I have to be patient and be willing to do the work it takes to transform this body into one that I love more.

I do love myself. I do.

But I do not LIKE the fat that hangs from my small frame.

And rather than whine, I have decided to do the work it takes to be healthy and to feel attractive. And it is WORK. After the workout or the walk, I feel AMAZING!!!

Besides walking I have made huge changes in my eating habits.

And as a result I have no cravings.

Sugar is one of my weaknesses. Candy and dessert including ice cream which I could slather on my arms and lick off would lead me astray if I let them.

NO, I have not cut them out altogether but I have purged them from my body. I had to go cold turkey on those foods to get the desire out of my system. I do not bring sweets home at all. If I feel I need a sweet treat, I will go out and order something at a restaurant.

On October 18th 2015 I began walking at weight 235*

On October 25 I weighed in at 227

My measurements on October 25 were:

chest....48 inches

hips....55 inches

On November 13th, I weighed in at 220.

It hurts my fingers to write this but seeing it keeps me focused.

November 13th .... measurements are:

chest ....still 48 inches

hips....drum roll please...52 inches....

I hope that some of you may decide it is Get Real Time for you as well.

Those of you who are already in the best of shape so your brain and body are functioning at optimal levels, excellent!!!

**I corrected my error (I had 225 and it was actually 235...so now it is fixed.)