Seven Habits of Highly Successful Losers...

In no particular order, here are seven habits of successful "losers":

1. Successful losers avoid sugar. Sugar does all sorts of things to sabotage weight loss, from adding calories to messing with your pancreas.

2. Successful losers avoid salt/sodium. The average person needs about 1200 mg of sodium per day;  you can get your entire day's worth in one Big Mac. There is a dish at P.F. Changs restaurant with nearly 8,000 mg. (Note: don't order the Double Pan Fried Noodles.)

3. Successful losers drink plenty of water. There are many reasons for drinking water, including improving liver function, reducing water retention, and eliminating excess sodium. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2 to determine how many ounces of water you should drink per day. A 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces per day.).

4. Successful losers exercise. There is a chart at the weight loss center that I went to that lists reasons to exercise... there must be a hundred, at least. Weight loss is aided by getting your heart rate up to about 75% of your max (220 minus your age is your max heart rate; roughly 75% of that number is where you want to be to burn fat).

5. Successful losers know what they eat, and how it affects their body. People who write down what they eat and track their calories are MUCH more successful at weight loss than those who don't. There are so many tools available with which to do this, from reading labels to the latest technology. I have become a huge fan of the website fatsecret.com and their very well-done phone app, Calorie Counter. You can simply scan the bar code on a product package, and it will automatically enter it into your food log. It will track your calories, fat, sodium, and all those other numbers that are so important. One button-click will sync it up with the website, from which you can print out your daily or weekly food journal. If you have a food that is not in their extensive database, you can add it.

6. Successful losers know how much they weigh. Some people weigh daily; some weigh weekly or bi-weekly. I've never seen a Biggest Loser contestant get on that scale for their starting weigh-in and say, "oh, I'm not as heavy as I thought I was." Unless they KNOW already, they are almost always shocked by how high the number has gotten.

7. Successful losers embrace a life-change, not a "diet". From shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, to just having that mental awareness that it takes to be committed, successful losers are in it for the long haul.

To those of you who are beginning (or resuming) a weight-loss journey, I am available anytime for advice, encouragement, tips, etc. I am willing to share with you what I learned during my own journey. I have promised PHC that I will not give away their weight loss plans, but they have no problem with me sharing the principles that I have learned from them (and that are freely available on the internet to anyone who does the research).

I hope 2011 brings you the change that you are looking for... be healthy!!!

Ed
 

Last Supper, And Looking Straight Ahead

Well, I normally recommend against "last suppers" before starting a weight loss regimen; why give yourself even more of a disadvantage before you start getting serious? But I did exactly that, because we had planned a chili dinner last night at a friend's house, and I decided that would be my last splurge before getting back into a strict routine. Chili, cheese, corn chips, sour cream, and hot dogs were on the menu, and I gave it one last "hurrah" before a serious weight-loss effort. It could have been done with a quasi-healthier twist (turkey instead of beef, low-fat cheese and sour cream, etc.), but I wasn't doing the cooking. So we ate, and I indulged in seconds, plus some chocolate afterward.

In spite of a really late bedtime last night (watched/listened to the Falcons lose their game), I set the alarm so that I was in the gym by 5:15 this morning. I was pleased to discover that after a half-mile warm-up, I was still able to crank out several minutes of running without too much effort. Running intervals and 15-degree incline walking made up my workout this morning.

As I write this, I am literally six inches away from a third of a chocolate pecan pie, and half of an apple cake, as well as assorted cookies, candies, etc. We set up a table in the dining room to handle all the desserts Brenda made, plus various candies, nuts, etc. that were gifts from other people. It sort of looks like a shrine to the "fat gods". But I'm done with them. I ate, I weighed, and I repented! I wrote my buddy Skip and told him about my holiday damage - he just wrote back and said that at least we know what to do about it.

The battle really does start with putting "blinders" on... I haven't looked it up, but I wonder how many times in scripture God told various people to turn "neither to the right nor to the left". There's a reason for that - to the right and to the left are temptations that will get us off track and cause us to stumble.

To all of you who are planning on starting after the first of the year - I'm not going to be critical. It's better to have a specific start date in mind than to NOT have one in mind, even if it means a couple of extra days of indulgence. But on the other hand, if you need to lose 40 pounds, why push it up to 45 before you start?

I'd love to hear what your plans are regarding your weight in the coming new year - drop me a line on facebook, or comment on this post. I will be posting more frequently, and will be refreshing some of the things I posted last year regarding diet, exercise, and motivation.

Do NOT Open email from me (besides this one)

Many of you may have received an email from me with weird subject lines. Someone sent me a suspicious email that I accidentally opened on my phone, and it may have emailed you. Just delete it without opening it, please. Hopefully there won't be any more!!!!

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Uh oh...

It's not been a good week since the end of my weekly visits at PHC. It's been a week of hot dogs, cookies, hot chocolate, and fast food on the run. Our outdoor Christmas spanned last Friday through Sunday, and the same schedule happens this weekend, as well. I haven't had to invest the long hours associated with our Christmas cantata, since we did not do one this year, but as always, there is more than enough work to fill (and exceed) the available time. The weight is up, the clothes are snug... those old, fat feelings are creeping back in on me.

 

I saw an online article on the Today Show's website called, "Where Are They Now"? They went through each season of The Biggest Loser, and, for those who would fess up, posted their starting weight, their finale weight, and their current weight. A few of them were within 10-12 pounds of their finale weight (some within 3 pounds), but on average, the men from seasons one through nine are up about 30 pounds. Very few are less than that away from their finale weight. I have been hovering around 12 pounds over my goal weight - 12 pounds that I desperately need to shed.

 

I start my days out ok, most of the time. My usual breakfast is a couple of eggs, a little cheese, and two strips of turkey bacon on a whole wheat 100-calorie bun. Sometimes I will add a piece of fruit to it, but that's how I start. Lunch is usually tuna, or a light sandwich, or salad. But I'm not eating frequently enough, or drinking enough right now, and without the pressure of the competition to keep me focused, I'm finding the holiday season this year much tougher to deal with. I guess the one difference is, I didn't really feel fat at 340 pounds; I feel wretched now at 220.

 

There's three weeks left in the holiday season... we shall see what happens. Stay tuned...