Weight loss 101

We hear good ideas all the time, good tips, healthy tidbits or magazine headlines that sound like they are good ideas--but the million dollar question is DO YOU APPLY THEM TO YOUR LIFE AND TAKE ACTION?

Recently, I did a daily thought discussing my observations about people using the motorized scooters at the mall, grocery store and other public areas and gave my opinion that some of the people seemed to have been "able" to walk, were overweight or obese and would benefit from walking, however few steps they might be able to do rather than scooter at all times.

I can't tell you how happy I am to report that at least one woman listened!

I was speaking with a client of mine tonight and I literally cried when I hung up the phone!

You see, she needs to lose 100 pounds and has struggled with it for years unsuccessfully.

After 3 weeks of working with her, she reported to me that "the week wasn't too good. She did something she shouldn't. She weighed--and the scale hadn't budged and she was discouraged."

OK. It happens, but after only 3 weeks and considering that ALL that we had implemented so far was only having her drink 1/2 her body weight in fluid ounces of water and just this past week having her add swimming in her, previously un-utilized, resistance swimming pool twice for 10 minutes--I hadn't really expected the scale to have made any significant movements--if any at all really--BUT she expected pounds to be shedding, after all, she was "dieting".

Or was she?

Upon further discussion, I discovered that this woman, who was ready to throw in the towel for lack of "progress", thought about the scooter comments I made and opted to WALK on two separate trips to Wal-Mart rather than use a scooter AND she walked all around another place in town and had a GREAT time when she would have otherwise used a scooter.

You see, she had an accident a few years ago, a few surgeries and was USED to using the scooter, it was a HABIT more than it was a NECESSITY--she used it without even considering that maybe she didn't NEED to anymore.

And, she also was out to dinner and only ate 1/2 of her entree, asking to bring the rest of it home because it was TOO MUCH and she wasn't hungry!

LACK of PROGRESS???!!

I think NOT!

I can't hope for a more progressive week for any erstwhile weight loss success story!

THAT IS change folks, THAT is progress! To realize that you can respond differently than you have in the past IS change, and it is a very good thing.

After my lecturing her and pointing out the very obvious progress that she made over the past week, she acknowledged that she "hadn't thought about it that way" until I pointed it out and that "she is so used to the scale and numbers telling her is she was successful that it didn't dawn on her to focus on all that she had done RIGHT!"

AND, she also noted that in the past, whenever she weighed that the number had always risen, this time, it didn't. Hey, in my twisted math, THAT is weight loss! If you normally gain, and you didn't...that is progress!

More weeks like the past one and this woman will reach her goal and be a scooter free woman, I am sure of that!

and you?

Carpe Diet!
Julia