This journey has been a long one…more than thirty years in the making.  I will often get angry wondering why I always have to watch everything I put into my mouth, exercise more than most, and avoid certain foods because they trigger me to overeat. But this anger does no good and does not help me move forward.  What helps me make positive changes are the many tools, tricks, and strategies I have learned along the way.

            People often ask me how I have taken off the weight.  This is a difficult question to answer, because, as my blog title suggests, I have had many influences over the years to move me in the right direction.  Because I have had so many positive influences, I will be breaking this topic down into a few separate blogs.

Here is Part I: Body by Weight Watchers

            My oldest and most consistent diet companion has been Weight Watchers.  I really feel that WW is the foundation for all the healthy food choices I currently make.  From WW I learned the importance of tracking all the foods you eat everyday, but more importantly, I learned the true nutritional values of those foods.  Through the weekly meetings I found creative ways to add fruits and vegetables to each meal so I can feel satisfied and not deprived.  I do not love tracking my food, but I find when I am struggling with keeping my eating under control, going back to tracking will often put me on the right track in no time.

            Another trick I learned from WW is that if you start your meal with a light soup, like their vegetable soup, or a healthy salad, it will fill you up enough so that you are more likely to eat a reasonable meal portion.  Too often I come home starving and will eat my dinner so quickly that I am full before my brain even registers this feeling of fullness.  This healthy salad or soup will not only take away the edge on my hunger, but it slows me down enough for my stomach to register that I am not about to die from starvation.

            Because WW has been around for so long, they also are the source for many delicious and easy to make recipes.  One of my favorite lunch recipes uses leftover brown rice, some canned black beans, light shredded cheese (whatever kind you like), and as much salsa as you want. Combine these together in an airtight container and it is the perfect lunchbox meal: easy to make, only requires a microwave for heating, and provides energy to make it through to dinner.  The WW recipes can be very clever---who would have thought you could combine any cake mix and a can of diet soda to make a yummy low calorie cake option.  If you have friends on WW, just ask them to share some of their recipes and tips with you.

            One of the main resources I continue to use is my Weight Watcher Magazine. I look forward to each new edition because it is filled with amazing recipes, inspirational stories, and tips for just about any obstacle you will face on your journey.  I am truly grateful for this resource because it was their walk to run plan that first inspired me to become a runner.  I am certain that without this resource, I would not be where I am today…one day away from running half-marathon #6.

            So today, instead of beating yourself up about all the “diets” that have not been successful, focus on all that you have learned along the way and use those tools and resources to build the new, healthier you.

       Last Sunday, I ran the most difficult race to date.  I had been told that I needed to prepare for hills, but for some reason I had not pictured the almost continual up and downhill course.  Little did I know that I had brought everything I needed to succeed in my car… my friend Mary and my Team In Training Coach Brian.

            For the first five miles or so the three of us ran side-by-side at a steady pace through the beautiful streets of Redlands.  Now both Brian and Mary can run faster than me, but they knew I had a different goal for this race.  I wasn’t running for time…my goal was to make it up all hills without walking.  It was at about the 5-mile mark that we hit a huge hill.  As far up as I could see runners appeared to be running straight into the horizon.  I got about halfway up the hill when I just felt like I couldn’t go one step further.  I told Brian to run ahead because I know he is training for a marathon in June, and he couldn’t continue to run at my pace and have a good training run. I started to slow down when Mary turned around and came back to push me forward.  She would not leave my side and she continued to remind me that I could do it and that the next flatter area was just around the bend.  That support pushed me forward and allowed me to continue up the hill despite what my head was telling me.

        Because of that one little push, I was able to make it pretty easily to about mile 12 when once again that little voice in my head started to tell me I couldn’t go on.  It was then that Mary said, “See that girl in the black (way off in the distance), we’re going to finish with her.” Once we reached that target she pointed out our next victim, “See that girl in the green, we’re going to finish with her.”  This continued until we finally crossed the finish line after passing several runners in the distance. This little game which she calls picking off runners appealed to my completely competitive side, and even when I was at my lowest mentally, Mary was able to push me forward with just a little support.

        This experience got me thinking about the importance of support as I make my journey from flabby to flabulous. I began to realize that much of my success is due directly to the support I have received from my family and friends. Sometimes this support comes in the form of notes of encouragement on Facebook, friends remembering to not tempt me with unhealthy food, or even honks of support as I run down the street.  At other times the support is bigger like when my husband Sean and my friend Mary run with me at 5am despite the fact that neither of them is a morning person. With this kind of support I feel like I can conquer any obstacle, no matter how big it is.

        As you go through your day, think about the people in your life who support you in both large and small ways, and remember to thank them for being that person in your life that moves you forward in your journey to a better you.

      As I was sitting having coffee with my friend this morning, it suddenly occurred to me how very hard we are on ourselves when it comes to weight loss and making positive changes toward a healthier lifestyle.  Despite the fact that it takes courage to make changes, most of us are very quick to point out the negatives and our slip-ups without acknowledging how truly brave we are to start on such a difficult journey.  It is then that it finally hit me, if we can change our perspective to a more positive one, maybe we can finally succeed in our quest for a new and healthier self.   Here is a list of changes I would like to suggest in order to move us in the right direction:

1. I know we have all heard this one before, but I really think we should take the word diet out of our vocabulary.  When I think of diet, it brings up images of deprivation, bland, boring food, and an endless history of failure.  I am tired of dieting and I propose we replace it with the phrase healthy living.  First of all, diet has the word die in it, which, in my opinion, is reason enough for us to take this word out of the English language.  If we focus on living, it will remind us of why it is essential for us to make healthier choices a part of our lifestyles.  Also, diet brings up the image of short term for most people.  If we are to make these changes a permanent part of our lives, we must focus on lifelong strategies to reach and maintain our flabulous selves.
2. Cheat is another word I would like to suggest that we discontinue using.  As my blog suggests, I am on a journey from flabby to flabulous.  Instead of beating myself up over small slip-ups, I like to think of them as detours.  When Sean and I took a road trip across the country to see relatives in Indiana and North Carolina, there were many unexpected side trips off the road: potty breaks for a just trained toddler, routes around traffic and bad weather, stops for food and drinks.  Despite this we never once thought that we should turn around and head back to California.  Why is that…because we had the end in mind and knew that it would be worth the extra time spent on the road.  Any good trip is bound to have detours, and I feel that we should look at our journey to healthy living in the same way.
3. My final change is actually one that I borrowed from Joy Bauer.  Even though I actually enjoy running, there are mornings that it is difficult to get out of bed at 5 am to get my exercise in before work.  Joy’s suggestion is that we change the way we look at exercise.  Instead of thinking, “Why do I have to get up and run,” we should be saying to ourselves, “I am lucky that I get to run this morning.”  So often we will do anything for others, but we hesitate to take time for ourselves.  I propose that we plan our workouts like dates so we get to work out on a regular basis.

       So to all my friends that are on their own journeys to healthy living, be kind to yourself.  There will be detours, but know that all you have to do is get right back on the next on-ramp, and you will once again be on the road to the new and flabulous you.

       Last Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to have breakfast with my two biggest inspirations.  As I sat watching the two of them interact together, I was once again amazed that the two of them are even here, able to eat, talk, and laugh together.  I began to think back to that awful year…

        About two years after I went from 231 pounds to about 180 on the liquid diet, I found out I was pregnant.  Now many people may think this was an “accident.” Actually, we had always wanted three children, but it was just very difficult for us to conceive.  It was, however, such a surprise that for three months I thought I had back-to-back viruses until two of my colleagues finally pointed out that maybe I could be expecting.  This saved me from appearing on an episode of “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.”

        From the beginning it was not an easy pregnancy.  At nine weeks I was sure I was once again having a miscarriage.  The doctor basically told me to go home and let nature take its course, but an amazing ultrasound technician told me not to give up hope.  She gave me a print of the ultrasound and told me the baby’s heartbeat was strong, and that I might want to do everything I could to give it a chance. It makes me cry, even now, to think how close I came to losing Eoin that day.

        One of the most memorable days of my pregnancy was when my family piled into the doctor’s office to see the ultrasound of their future sibling and inadvertently discovered his sex, which we had hoped to keep a surprise. Niall, almost 17, and Siobhan, 11, both sat nervously awaiting their first real view of the new baby.  Eoin, true to character, showed off for his siblings, including a perfect shot of all parts that would prove he was definitely of the male persuasion.

        On the way home I knew there was one person that should hear the exciting news first…my best friend. I called and called and was surprised that she did not answer.  This day was to become memorable for another reason.  The next morning I found out that my friend had been in a horrific accident with a semi-truck.  She was in the hospital clinging to life in a medically induced coma where doctors had little hope for her recovery.

        The next weeks were probably the most stressful of my entire life.  Between going to the hospital and visiting my friend, I had many bouts with preterm labor that threatened my precious little baby’s existence. Every Sunday I went to church and prayed that He would spare the lives of my two precious angels.  Every week the news that came back seemed more and more hopeless, but for some reason, in my heart, I knew differently.  I knew that beyond all reason they would both survive.

        Miraculously, after 8 weeks in a coma, my dear friend finally woke up.  It has been a long road for her since then, but her quality of life is amazing.  For me, just a few months later, and after a month on bed rest, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy…17 years and one day after the birth of my oldest child.  One of my biggest joys was watching my friend hold Eoin for the first time.  Every time I see them together I thank God for every day that He has given us to spend with these two precious miracles.  And on those days when life seems particularly difficult, I think back to the struggles my two angels endured, and it reminds me that nothing I am going through will ever be as challenging as what they endured.