(*warning: sorry this is long. I've been wanting to write in for a while, so I guess I saved up all my thoughts for now. I'm going to use this opportunity to share my story
because reading all the other stories since I've joined this group has been extremely helpful to me. Please stop here if you don't want to read a long post today. ;)
Dear Struggling, last week someone else asked for success stories. Perhaps my story will help inspire you at work and on
the weekends. These stories, and my own little tangible steps I take and achieve,
these are what I focus on as I live each day, and they keep me plodding along, slowly, perhaps, but definitely surely. I am a homeschooloing
mom of 7, and I have lost weight in all the ways possible, and have been successful in all those ways, too, but never successful in getting my body back
to its ideal weight, and then keeping it there. I will say that weight watchers, low-carb, low-fat, small frequent meals, they all work. BUT they
only work continually if you keep them on as a lifestyle, continually. That seems like a simplistic elementary concept, but obviously it eludes
many, as folks continue to diet to lose weight.
I realized just this year that I needed to completely change my mindset and make
a decision that whatever method I choose needs to be a lifestyle permanent change. Then I had to really ponder. Which way could I choose
to stick with for the rest of my life? All the other methods had one thing in common. They forced me to think about food all day long. Every
meal had me planning, cooking for me and cooking for the rest of the family, taking little baggies everywhere, weighing, measuring, counting
every calorie or every gram of carb. Instead of getting a better handle, the other methods made me incredibly consumed with food. It was sheer
bondage. When I found Fast 5, and spent a couple weeks with it, I found one big change for me, and that was the liberty in fasting. Who would have
thought it? So back in March I completed a month (lost 8 lbs as well), and despite my setback until July, I knew that this was the way I could
live and eat longterm.
I found Fast 5 (on a great group called www.welltellme.com)
Began March 1st or so, but April 1 I went out of town, and used that as an excuse to 'take a break'. Huge mistake.
It took me until the 1st of July to get back on Fast 5, feeling guilty the whole time I was off as I realized and knew that this was the lifestyle
that would help me to heal my body and free me from the fat. I started back with a vengeance after seeing a friend's major success on Fast 5,
I was in fact shocked when I saw her, and had to smack myself because she and I had both begun in March, but she stuck with it. (and I am the one
who told her about it! Ugh, I thought, but I just picked myself up and began again)
Then to my sheer nervousness, July 19, we went on a 10 day family to the ocean with all of my 7 kids. Yikes, had to prepare to keep Fast 5 as my lifestyle.
We stayed in a friend's beach house, so we had the advantage of having healthy
meals in a home environment. This time I planned how I would handle the change in schedule, and made a decision to skip breakfast everyday,
and most lunches allowing myself to eat a few extra meals with the family, but overall I stayed true. During the 10 days away, I didn't lose any
weight, but to my happiness, I did not gain. That was success for me, as well as having control to make pancakes and cook for the family during fasting.
I also prepared, which I think is really crucial for moms with a family to cook for, and I had dinners that I had pre-cooked before
vacation that we warmed up. I bought several rotisserie chickens as well for them to slice up for sandwiches. Also, can I insert a Yahoo
here now? This 10 day trip proved to me that I had truly found the way that I could live with successfully, tweaking it as needed for the little changes in life.
My family had gotten used to me eating this way, and were supportive because I demanded it. My success helps to insure their success because a
healthy wife and mommy is happier, much more fun, more able to keep up with them, and there present for their needs.
A few weeks after vacation, I had my visit with my endocrinologist. I have been dealing with 2 types of thyroid cancer for the last 2.5 years, had the thyroid
out, but have had two radioactive iodine treatments thus far, but I have at least two more to go. She had been on me the last two visits to lose weight and to
perhaps begin some meds for the elevated blood pressure I was dealing with. Got weighed, got blood pressure done, and when she walked in the room, she
was amazed. My blood pressure is now perfectly normal. At that time, I was down 16lbs and went down 2 points on the bmi chart (body mass index) I was
a bit worried to tell her about Fast 5, thinking she'd give me the speech about eating breakfast, fasting each day for 19 hrs, but she was elated to hear
about it and said she needed to research for herself. And she said, "I've been tracking you for two and a half yrs, and this is awesome success. This sounds
like a sound way to eat. Keep on." I left that office on cloud 9. Losing my thyroid was a blow, not only because of the shock of cancer but because the thyroid
is the organ you need for metabolism. I felt devastated that my issues with my weight would only get more magnified as the years went on. Starting Fast 5
and changing from all the other weight loss methods was the way to make me on a more level playing field with those who have thyroids.
Another success is with my right foot. I had surgery Oct 9, 2009 and while it was necessary it showed worse arthritis and the swelling would not go down. The joint
below the big toe joint was 30% or more larger than the left, and I was preparing for a joint replacement. Last Monday, I was at the podiatrist with my son, and
he asked to see my foot, and to talk about the next surgery. All of a sudden I realized, "hey, the swelling has really gone down," and as he looked at my two feet,
side by side, he was as amazed as my endocrinologist had been. When he asked what the heck I had done, because the sort of problems I had been having
in his experience, is only fixed by surgery. I told him about Fast 5 and the now 21 lbs I've lost. He immediately remembered research he'd read about fasting
being instrumental in healing the body and reducing inflammation. We decided that this may not mean no surgery for me in the future, but it is certainly helping
and that we will reevaluate my foot in another month. That day, these types of 'wins' get stored up in my brain and I pull them out if ever I feel discouraged,
critical of myself, or tempted.
For those who are struggling, you need something tangible to hold onto. For me, I need a whole lot of somethings tangible. I tell myself many things daily:
I will succeed as long as I don't quit. I don't even need to lose weight each week. As long as I don't gain, I am succeeding.
Fast 5 is not a respecter of persons. If others have done it, I can too. I will too.
I am healthier now. I am not consumed with food all day long. I have liberty when I eat without guilt and without beating myself up over the foods I choose.
Fast 5 has made me more conscious and I eat twice as many vegetables as I used to eat. I have more energy. Losing this first amount of weight has
encouraged me to exercise more to enhance my fasting. I am so much stronger now! Not weaker. Many people think that fasting makes you weak.
Fasting makes me strong.
I tell myself these sorts of things ALL DAY LONG.
For those struggling, you need things to replace the times you used to spend eating with positive things. You need to replace the negative thoughts
with positive ones. You must stop feeling that you are in a deficit because you are
not eating in the same way others eat. The way others eat is what got you to the place where you are now. It is as if you are a diabetic and you feel sorry for
yourself everyday because you can't eat cotton candy and snickers bars. Feel happy that you are saving yourself from the devastating effects
of losing your toes and your vision to diabetes one day. When you feel a craving coming on, go brush your teeth. It will distract
you. Make a cup of tea. Adding in lemon juice does something to help hold off my appetite. If you use black or green tea, you have the added benefit of increasing
your metabolism. I quilt and knit, and I use the extra time I have gained from not eating to complete more projects. I have listened to 4 audio books since I've
begun Fast 5. It keeps my mind really active. You can put audio books on your laptop, blackberry or iPod and listen to them on your breaks at work, they will
truly carry you away.
I will share with you that my positivity has rubbed off on others. My success. It's hard to believe that I can say, "my success", and that is
just another encourager to me. I feel honored that I have been able to impact others now even though I still have 20 more
pounds to lose to reach my goal. I made a decision that I would not campaign with Fast 5, but if people ask me, I will share. I decided that because there are many
lifestyles that work for many people. Fast 5 is not the only answer, but for me, it is. I don't want to convince anyone that this is the only way to live and eat, because
truly, one has to arrive at that place independently. So far, 5 others have begun and all 5 are experiencing their own victories. My 21 yr old daughter, Jade, is an exercise
freak, she rides her own horse a couple times/week, she runs, she lifts, and she loves being physical, but despite all that, she had fat around her middle and her arms
that would not budge. It was very disheartening to her because she monitors everything she puts in her mouth, refuses fast foods, eats organic, grinds her own wheat
often, etc, etc. After beginning Fast 5 six weeks ago, she is finally seeing inches coming off. She's gone down to a size 8 now, and was excited to tell me
last night that when she sees her Dr today, she'll tell him that she stopped taking the acid reflux pills 3 weeks ago, because she's completely healed of that acid issue. She laughed
when I asked had she read the Fast 5 book yet. She said,. "mom, I know I should read it, but when you explained to me in one paragraph what to do, I just picked
my window, and did it. What else do I need to know? It works." She takes pleasure in popping home and seeing that I've cooked up a batch of pancakes, or made some
chinese. She said in the past, she would get a plate and dig in but now she has control and she bags it up for her lunch the next day. She has not lost any amounts
of energy with her running, riding or lifting weights. My 13 yr old has also begun and she found herself amazed at the large amounts of calories she had been consuming
and how fine she is with skipping eating the first half of the day. Another friend, an online friend, say me make a comment a few weeks back and has now lost 9lbs.
She too is really happy with her energy level and told me she finally knows what it means to be hungry.
Dear Struggling, please find hope in my words. I do not share all of this to brag. Every few days, I get elated all over again, because my drug of choice has been food for
so long, and unlike heroin or nicotine, I couldn't just stop eating. Food has become my friend, not my enemy. I can barely believe that I have control over my life in this way now.
2 weeks ago I went and bought 5 new pairs of jeans/pants, and I did a happy dance in the dressing room when I could button every pair in my smaller size. This week I bought
new underwear and chucked all the old bigger and now baggier ones. I know I sound like a sappy little hallmark card, but if you are really going to do this, to change something
as huge as your entire way of eating, you've got to grab the bull by the horns, and open the gate. Find whatever little silly motivator you need and just fly with it. Here's one
cool thing I did, I bought a couple of the next size down underwear. I can't wait to wear those in a couple months. I have photos of women in outfits I will wear next spring taped up
on my bathroom wall. I treat myself to one chipotle taco at least twice each week, filling it with rice and beans as well as the meat. It's only $2.30 but it's so cool that I am totally
full after one taco, and that I can have the chips too if I so desire them.
My husband heard a story from a speaker last week and he recounted an olympians experience. He was a rifleman and before his first olympics, someone asked him how he
felt about 2 billion people who were getting ready to view him. He freaked and lost. After that, he went around and decided to interview the successful olympians to see what set them
apart from them. The answer he found helped him to make the turnaround he needed. The one thing all the others had alike, no matter what the sport, was that they NEVER saw
themselves failing. They only envisioned success. They didn't think on the plans they'd need if they went home with a 3rd or 4th place. They imagined only victory. So this is what
I have also adopted. I do not think of how I may suffer or crave when my husband and I go away next month for a trip alone. I do not think, "poor me" as I begin to plan my Thanksgiving
menu. I see myself smaller and thinner by Christmas, in fact, my recurring vision is that I will wrap myself in tons of ribbon and give myself to ME for Christmas. I am giving myself
a good blood pressure, a lighter happier me, a me that can go up 4 flights now without major suffering, a me that can play killer frisbee with my family and a me that next summertime
will sit poolside when my kids play and not feel embarrassed about my thighs or have my 8 yr old count my rolls!
Be encouraged. You are the only one who can change you. Today can be a new start and you don't even have to hate yourself for the past. Just open your new door, or window,
and sally forth.
~anna, wife of 1 hunky carpenter, mom to 7 home-educated genuises, lover of Jesus and of great books, folk artist, quilt instructor, cottage gardener, writer and taxi driver to the future for my kids.
http://bohemiancotton.blogspot.com/
http://community.webshots.com/user/annafogg?vhost=community
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