Answering a question

Anonymous said...

Melissa,

How do you get back on track or better yet get started when you don't have the right mind set? What gets you there?

Anyonymous,

I thought I would respond here because you've asked a good question. Getting started for mehappened because I hit my breaking point with being fat. I had enough and realized there wasn't any chance of me losing weight by doing what I'd always done. I had to make a huge change and I did. Because the change I made was so drastic, there was no looking back for me. The decision to have lapband surgery was a decision to live a healthy life for the rest of it. It's not always easy and I do fall sometimes.

Basically it's a daily process of getting back up and dusting myself off. I have realized that I can be healthy, but it takes a constant effort and focus to keep on track. If one day is bad, then the next day has to be better. Sometimes I feel really strong and have several good days in a row. Doing challenges is better helping me to be on track.

But really, you have to see it as a life-long pursuit. There is no going on or off a diet. It's a change you make and it needs to be a permanent one.

I also pray a lot. I pray for strength and determination. It helps.

Hope those words were helpful.

Body For Life begins

We have started the Body For Life program. My sister and husband and I are all doing it together. We started on Monday. I'm thrilled with how this week has gone. I have lost 8 pounds somehow. I think there's definitely been some retained water that I've lost. My husband has stuck with it really well, too. He didn't actually weigh to start with, so I'm not sure what his weight has done.

We have entered a new world of weight lifting! Part of this program has you do weights, three times a week. We did two upper body and one lower body work out. We're like a couple of goofs in the gym trying to figure out which machines do what, looking at the pictures in our Body For Life book, and then trying to figure out what weights are best. I'm glad we live in a small town and have a really low-key gym because I don't really feel conspicuous here. It's really nice.

I really like the aerobics part of this program. You do three days a week of 20 minute aerobic workouts. You workout according to intensity level, scale of 1-10. Whatever fitness level you are at and whatever activity you're doing, will work with this program. You start with two minutes of an intensity level of 5. Then you do a minute each of levels 6-9. You repeat that three times, the last time you get to 9 and then the next minute you go all out and go to 10 for one minute. Then one minute of 5 cool down and you're done. I feel like I'm getting so much more done in a 20 minute workout than I was in 45-60 minutes at a slower pace.

We took before pictures, but didn't take measurements. I think we will probably do those this weekend so we have some way to gauge our progress besides the scale and looks.