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The Gift of Health this Thanksgiving
It is November and autumn loveliness rests upon the land that I
love. As I drove across the interstate bridge that connects my
state of Washington to Oregon, I witnessed morning happen.
Golden rays of sunshine emerged behind the shadowed mountains to
the east. The mighty Columbia River rolled on below as geese and
ducks flew in formation across the sky. It was a purple mountain
majesty kind of morning. We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is
a season for all things, a purpose/time for every activity under
heaven.” It is the season of change and a season to be thankful.
I have a Thanksgiving heart as I write this message to you.
Exactly one year ago I weighed 188 pounds and had been on my
getting healthy program for about 16 weeks. (I weighed 258
pounds when I started on July 16th, 2003.) Last year on November
10th I had lost 70 pounds since my starting weight and I was
feeling so-o-o good. I was determined to stick with my healthy
regime of slurping shakes every 3-4 hours and to avoid eating
"The Thanksgiving Dinner". I shopped for and prepared the family
Thanksgiving meal and discovered that the meal wasn’t as
important as the people sitting around the table. They were the
reason for my decision to get healthy. I love my family and want
to spend as many years with them as the Lord allows. In July
2003 my husband Terry and I made a decision to get healthy and
to stay healthy for the rest of our days together.
Take Shape for Life featuring Medifast has made it possible for
us to do just that. Terry lost 60 pounds in 16 weeks. He is off
of medication for gastric reflux disease. He no longer takes
medication for high cholesterol and he does not snore – well,
rarely. (Boy, howdy! Now That’s True Value, Folks! If nothing
else changed but the size of his belly and the reduction of his
snoring, our weight loss program was worth it all. Let me tell
ya, that man’s former snores could break the sound barrier).
Terry is such a cute and very kind guy. BTW, did I tell ya he
has been on a hunting trip? Yup, he read in my September
Newsletter how I longed for a pair of red leather pants and he
has been hunting for them ever since. Alas, no red leather pants
are to be found but he DID buy me a pair of black leather pants
and he also gave me a beautiful fitted red leather jacket for my
55th birthday in October. Nope, I don’t look like a biker chick!
Anyhoo…back to the topic for this Newsletter:
Surviving and Thriving During the Holidays
People often ask me HOW did I lose 130 pounds – how did I stick
with the plan, especially during holidays or special occasions
and how do I maintain my goal weight?
How'd I do it?
I was on the full fast for most of the seven months of my weight
loss journey, using the modified plan only on occasion. For me,
I needed to have the fewest food choices possible, as I had made
so many wrong food choices in the past. I ate the wrong things,
at the wrong times and in the wrong amounts. Thus, the full fast
seemed like a good choice for me because I especially liked the
idea of portion control. Some people ask me, “well, isn’t that
rather rigid”? Yep, it is – but not as rigid as rigor mortis.
Not as rigid as a heart stent or as rigid as a metal rod and
ball to replace a hip or knee joint. I know me best. A backless
paper gown is not my best look, Folks. I needed a specific,
purposeful outline of what to eat, when to eat it and how much
and how often to eat in order for me to be successful.
(Please note: Of course I had checked with my primary care
physician. She was not familiar with Medifast but she was happy
to be my health monitor throughout my weight loss journey.
Whenever anyone makes any changes in their health or exercise
routine, we recommend that they do so under the supervision of
their physician or health care provider. I told my doctor that I
wanted an accountability relationship with her so that once I
reached my weight goal, I could check in with her every three
months to help keep me focused on staying healthy.)
I decided that I could do anything for a season. A season lasts
three months. I selected a short term goal of three months on
which to focus. Folks, I had a LOT of weight to lose – an entire
person. I lost half my body weight. Had I started my health plan
focusing on 130 pounds, it would have been too much for me to
take in. So I chose to look at my getting healthy journey one
season at a time.
I did not miss eating Thanksgiving dinner 2002 because I had
already previously eaten 53 Thanksgiving dinners (or more!) over
my lifetime. Thanksgiving is but ONE day. It is usually but ONE
meal a year, depending of course upon how many leftovers there
are after the main Thanksgiving meal! I reminded myself that I
had eaten pumpkin and pecan pie, biscuits, gravy and smashed
potatoes, turkey and dressing last year. Thanksgiving dinner
will come again next year. Food is merely fuel. I chose to focus
on my family and friends, not on the grub.
I do not have super human strength or an extra measure of
willpower. I was able to stick to the plan because Medifast
works and I was not hungry and did not crave foods. Notice that
I did NOT say that I did not WANT food. I did not NEED food
other than my Medifast meals. Over time, I have learned that
food is merely fuel. I do not NEED a lot of fuel to operate my
bod. We are God-fashioned in such a unique way that our bodies
utilize fuel efficiently when we eat what we need, when we eat
it in appropriate amounts and at appropriate intervals. When we
fail to eat 5-6 times a day and we overeat portion-wise and we
eat the wrong foods, we become overweight and obesity develops.
Remember…we choose the party we attend.
If we choose the healthy way, we become healthy. If we choose to
go the unhealthy route, we attend the unhealthy party. I wanna
party long and prosper! My party clothes are a size 4-6, with
leopard trim and my party food is Medifast! I AM Leopard Woman,
hear me roar!
This year, Thanksgiving Dinner 2003, I will eat moderately,
taste anything I want, BECAUSE I CAN. I will eat breakfast like
I do everyday, I will eat Medifast meals every three hours and I
will not overeat during the Thanksgiving Dinner. I know that
Nothing Tastes as good as thin feels.
I am already planning what I will prepare – I’ll be the hostess
so I will prepare foods in the healthiest ways possible with
minimal fat. I will prepare only the amount of food that I
believe our family will be able to eat. When we prepare excess
food, we feel guilty if we throw it away so we eat it. Didn’t
you strive to be a member of The Clean Plate Club when you were
growing up? That’s one of the reasons why I not only grew up to
be strong but I grew out!
During Thanksgiving Dinner 2003 I will have appropriate portion
sizes and will focus on the good time I’ll be having with my
family. I will drink plenty of water and tea throughout the
meal, eat slowly and really enjoy the flavors and textures.
When supper is over, we’ll make “To Go” packages for everyone –
that’s right, get that leftover grub outta here! If it lingers
in the refer or cupboards, you can bet it’ll also linger on the
hips because it will lie in the darkened refrigerator and call
my name later in the evening. I do not wanna succumb to the call
of the carbs in the night!
Transition
Once I reached my goal weight, it was time for transition. There
is a prescribed plan and I urge you to follow it to the letter.
I worked hard to reach my goal of a healthy and appropriate
weight. I intended to stay there longer than five minutes so I
made a commitment to follow the prescribed transition plan. I’ve
stayed there eight months now and so can you.
We do not provide you with a diet because as Dr. Wayne Andersen
says, “Diets don’t work.” We are determined to help you to reach
and maintain your appropriate weight and to optimize your health
for a lifetime. We’ll provide the tools, education and support
necessary along the way.
Once you reach your goal, it is NOT “Gorging Gangbusters! Pizza
Buffet here I come!” In a nano-second your scales will twang
right back up to an unhealthy weight and you will feel miserable
and BE miserable. Don’tcha dare do it.
Reach your goal weight before you begin to transition. Yes, you
may lose more weight during transition, but it is best to
actually reach your goal. I found that my weight fluctuated
considerably as I was going through transition. Increased
carbohydrates and sodium may cause fluid retention so be sure to
continue to drink 8 – 10 glasses of water per day (Do this for
life!). It takes a while for the body to adjust to regular foods
again and that excess fluid WILL be eliminated and weight will
become stable.
If you have not yet begun to exercise -- and if not, why not?
Shame on you! Tsk. Tsk. Studies show that exercise is a vital
component in permanent weight maintenance. Are you packing those
bags yet and going on a guilt trip? Upon reaching your goal
weight, regular exercise will be important to reduce the chance
of weight gain and helps us to reduce tension and can curtail
our eating impulses.
During the weight loss portion of our plan, our body processes
slow down and exercise can help to increase our basal metabolic
rate (BMR). Gosh, before my weight loss, I must have had the BMR
of a sleeping slug! Since our metabolism slows down if you are
on the weight loss program for several months (or longer like I
was), it may then take several months for your metabolism to
return to its normal range. Therefore it is really truly
pock-a-dooly important to gradually return to regular foods.
One can plan to incorporate regular foods back into the daily
eating plan over a course of several weeks. I chose to
reintroduce a new food each week. It is VERY IMPORTANT to not
pork out, especially after having been on the full fast. If you
over do it – i.e. have a load of rich, fatty food, you can cause
major havoc to your digestive system and cause your gall bladder
to twang. Slow is the way to go. Small portions with low fat.
Think LIFETIME. If you do it right and keep on doing it right,
this is the LAST TIME you’ll ever have to diet.
Your digestive processes have been on hiatus when on the weight
loss portion of the program. In a sense, it has been in
hibernation so slow is the way to go when reintroducing foods –
choose wisely what you put in your mouth. I know how often to
eat (every three-four hours), how much to eat, what to eat (low
fat, balanced meals), how to eat (slowly) accompanied by plenty
of water and exercise most every day. If you cannot prepare or
eat a healthy meal, replace it with a Medifast meal.
Trust me, nutritional intervention is a whole lot better and is
much safer (and cheaper) than pharmaceutical or surgical
intervention!
Permanent weight control requires eating breakfast daily, eating
five to six meals daily, planning ahead, exercising most days,
weighing weekly (I weigh daily) and having support – that can
mean joining an accountability group, emailing, telephoning, a
cyber forum, regular medical check ups, whatever will work for
you. Get healthy and stay healthy by eating healthy and
exercising.
Although I have transitioned back to eating regular foods, I use
three - four Medifast meals every day. Without fail I have a
shake or a serving of oatmeal for breakfast. Long term weight
management requires eating breakfast every day. If I can’t have
a healthy lunch meal of regular food, I have a packet of soup or
a shake everyday along with a small salad or veggies of some
sort. Often I have a Fast Soup and Multi-Grain Crackers or a bar
for a snack.
The following is an excerpt found on page 142 from the terrific
book, Success in a Shaker Jar by Linda Spangle, RN, MA and
outlines HOW to transition from the ‘Full Meal Deal’ (my name
for the full fast) back to regular foods. If you have not
already done so, ya gotta order this book. It’s on sale this
month for $17.95 – that’s a $3 savings, Kids!
Linda Spangle divides food into six sections: meat, green salad,
vegetables, fruit, dairy products and grain products. She says
to do each section for three to four days before adding the next
section. Each section is cumulative.
Section 1 of Transition
5 Medifast packets a day PLUS 3-4 ounces of LEAN meat. Initially
eat 1 to 2 ounces of meat then increase up to 4 ounces. I did
this for a week.
Section 2
5 Medifast packets a day plus 1-2 cups Green Salad. The green
salad is added to the above meat serving. The salad may include
up to ¼ cup of raw salad vegetables and one to two tablespoons
of low-fat or reduced calorie dressing. I did this for one week.
Every Saturday morning I tend the houseplants and was involved
in the care and feeding of my 19 violets. After I started adding
meat and salad to my eating plan, I noticed some rumblies in my
tummy. While tending my violets, I detected some gurgling and
lower stomach action and thought it was just some growling and
perhaps some gas forming in the chute. I remember smiling a bit,
thinking that my stomach was slowly coming awake after having
been virtually asleep for seven months. To my chagrin and
surprise, it was MORE than just a stomach snore, it was not
merely a southerly breeze – it was no ordinary ‘toot,’ if ya get
my drift. I had a blowout right there in our parlor!
Warning! Beep! Beep! Back away from the buffet table for your
first real live food meal. Carefully follow the transition
plan – begin on a weekend or when you have a few days of
freedom. Your experience may not be like mine but I write this
to you as a suggestion: Be very near a sandbox. You may have to
do the diarrhea dash like I did!
Section 3
(Note: If you have been on the Modified Plan which includes one
meal of regular food all along, then you begin here at Section
3.)
4 Medifast packets a day - 1 serving of vegetables
You will continue to eat the servings of meat and salad begun in
the previous two sections and add ½ to 1 cup of cooked
vegetables. Notice that one Medifast packet has been eliminated.
I did this for one week.
Section 4
4 Medifast packets a day - 1 serving of fruit
In addition to the previously mentioned foods, add one serving
of fruit. This can be a whole fruit such as an apple or a peach
or a 1 cup serving of fresh or canned fruit. I did this for one
week and I loved eating raspberries, blackberries and apples.
Section 5
3 Medifast packets a day - 1 serving of dairy products
Continue eating the above foods plus one dairy serving of 1 cup
of low-fat milk (blech!) or ½ cup of yogurt or cottage cheese. I
did this for one week. I had low fat cottage cheese, non-fat
yogurt and low-fat buttermilk with fresh ground pepper – yum!
Section 6
3 Medifast packets a day - 1 serving of Grain products
In addition to all of the above foods, add a serving of grain
products, such as one slice of bread, a small potato, or ½ cup
of cereal or pasta. Woo Hoo! I had whole grain bread from the
bakery down the street! Why would anyone want to WASTE calories
or their palate on ½ cup of some groady boxed cereal when they
can eat our great Vanilla Berry Oatmeal or hearty Apple Cinnamon
Oatmeal? Huh? For my grain serving, give me a piece of whole
grain bread or a small serving of potatoes! Terry, Unca and I
love steamed baby reds with parsley and onions or oven roasted
Yukon ‘taters, puny-sized, of course!
Successful weight management depends upon gradually increasing
daily caloric intake levels, exercise most days for 20 to 30
minutes, eat breakfast every day, carefully monitor weight (I
leap on the scales every day, others do fine by weighing
weekly.), plan meals ahead, eat 5-6 small meals a day of
appropriate size portions so that meals are spaced at regular
three hour intervals and be accountable to someone! You NEED a
support person/group.
I like to tell you, my people, that Terry, Unca and I are like
your girdle or your fanny hose – we are here to support you, to
help hold you together so you don’t get outta control! You also
need someone or something else to help keep you accountable for
your healthy eating plan and to maintain a healthy weight for
life. Remember, our goal is to provide the tools, education and
support to help you to achieve and to maintain optimal health
for a lifetime and the MakeMeThinner gang stands at the helm
ready to help you.
I weigh and record my weight daily. I use two - three packets of
Medifast every day because they are healthy, low-fat and have
the great soy protein that my body needs and loves. It helps me
to fuel my body with good nutrition and to control my portions.
It is convenient and well, I just love how I feel when I eat it!
Why mess with a great thing?
I wear clothing that fits my body – absolutely no stretchy
waistbands for me. My skirts and slacks all have buttons and
zippers. I wear cool belts, no bulky sweaters or sweatshirts for
me. It would be too easy to grow into and fit those “hugely
baggies” (That is a phrase from one of our great Forum writers,
Mike.) Wear appropriate sized clothing.
I speak once-twice a week and stand before large groups of
people that are scrutinizing me closely – the groups of people
are made up of up folks just like you – folks that want to see a
real live formerly fat lady that lost 130 pounds, they want to
see me up close and personal so they can get hope for
themselves. I am accountable to you.
I check in with my doctor every three months just to leap on the
doc’s scales and to have my BP checked.
I have a pair of size 4 black leather pants that fit like a
glove. I wear them BECAUSE I CAN! If I get outta control, I
won’t be able to wear them or to sit in ‘em and I will not let
that happen!
Become a part of a support group or start your own! Read
everything you can about good nutrition.
Keep a food journal. If you bite it, write it!
Plan ahead – your meals, where you will go if you are going to a
restaurant, what you will eat, plan what to say to family and
friends that try to sabotage you – practice out loud what you
will say to them!
You choose the party you attend. Don’t allow yourself to get out
of control – keep in contact with your girdle, er…with us, your
support!
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