BL'ing!

Yep. It's Tuesday. Which means it's all about Biggest Loser'ing. Can I just say...UGH???!!!!!!

Now, I guarantee you that if I was on the losing team (or the winning team, for that matter!), I'd be the first one raising my hand, waving my arm, and demanding that they ship my tired butt, deaf ears (do Bob and Jillian always have to be yelling?), and sweat-stained self home. But why oh why do we have to endure another week of whiners, nasties and not-so-big-losers while the ones we really like go home?

I know, it makes for better TV to have the despicable ones left on the show. But, really. There's only a couple people left that I hope win. I don't know if I'll keep watching if they get sent home.

Which brings me to another thought about tonight. I really don't like the idea of a one-on-one competition. Too much stress. Wrong motives. Not good for anyone. Probably good for ratings though. (I know you can't see me rolling my eyes right now...but please know that I am.) Team work is good. In fact, excellent. Competing against your own set goals. That's good, too. But when you start thinking of it being you against someone else, it changes the basis for the action. And, it's really easy to get lost in that and end up defeating all the progress you've made for the right reasons.

'While we're talking about good and bad, how would you react to a trainer yelling at you? Would you keep that trainer? Does negativity inspire you to a positive result?

It's not my style. Wasn't when I was a trainer. Wasn't what worked for me when I was a student. Still doesn't work for me - either on the giving or receiving end.

If someone treated me like that - even if they try to convince me it was for my own good - I'd tell them to kiss my shiny, white...ummm, you know. Bling!

Well-Connected...Or Not

Guess what I'm doing this weekend? I'm turning off my cell phone. ALL weekend.

We spend our lives at so many people's beck-and-call. Remember the days when you could go away all day and not care about who called you? If you had something to do, you could focus on that one thing - do it, enjoy it, complete it, live it without a phone ringing and interrupting your concentration on whatever it was you were or weren't doing!

Well, I'm turning back the clock this weekend. I'm going to un-connect.

What about you? What would your friends - the ones you're with - think if you didn't answer the phone once while you were out with them? Or your family? How cool would it be for your kids if you could have your attention totally uninterrupted? What about your mind? Think it could use a break from all the noise?

Join me in my cell phone free splendor. Even if only for a day. Take back what is yours...your time.

When Eating Out Is GREAT!

Today in Greenville, SC, several restaurants have participated in "Dine Out for Mom". No, it's not Mother's Day. Nor is it Father's Day. But rest assured that in these parts, it's Family Day.

If you've never heard of "Let There Be Mom", you need to. LTBM is a local organization that helps make memories for kids whose parents have life-threatening illnesses. When a family is selected for LTBM, permanent reminders of the ill parent are made.

Things like a silver medallion/pendant with the parent's fingerprint impressed in it. Mugs and vases with a hand print of the parent interlocking the hand print of the child. Quilts made from the child's and parent's clothing, all sewn together to tell a story that is meaningful to the child and will always be a remembrance of the times shared with the parent should the parent not recover. There are beautiful photo albums and scrapbooks created. In short, the children are given several individually made objects that will forever serve as a tangible reminder of the love of the parent and the times shared.

Let There Be Mom is a wonderful organization doing wonderful things.

I hope they are an inspiration to you. If you have a family in such a crisis in your community, use these folks as an inspiration to do something for the kids. In turn, you'll also be doing something for the well parent. And, you'll also help assure the ill parent that not only will they not be forgotten, they will be thought of and celebrated every day of the child's life.

If you live in this area, it's not too late to have a great meal and help the families, too!

I'm proud of you, Greenville. This is exactly the type of thing that makes our town so special.

Yikes! A Three-Way!!!

O-M-G! Here I was, feeling pretty good about my recent steady weight loss. And what happens? I walked into a dressing room this afternoon...straight into view of a three-way mirror.

Today was officially the last time I wore my old favorite jeans. Yikes! They looked horrible! Part of the problem was that they have become a bit too big in the tush area. In fact, I've had to roll them up one hem-length because they started dragging on the ground. (Apparently Zumba is good for the butt!)

But the even bigger problem was that they looked dirty and were just not at all flattering. I've seen Stacey & Clinton point to women's washed-out, light blue colored jeans dozens and dozens of times and very clearly identify almost identical jeans to the ones I used to have as what not to wear. I've poo-poo'ed their comments, figuring that they must have stock in dark-wash jeans somewhere.

Well...holy-faded-looking-most-unflattering cow! They are absolutely right!! Those jeans hit the rag bag as soon as I walked through my bedroom door.

Maybe I'll pay a bit more attention to what they have to say this week. (Of course, that means that I can't ditch the cable just yet! As Gilda Radner so famously observed, it's always something!!)

Here's a challenge for you - grab your favorite outfit and make a visit to a local store. Have your own three-way moment of enlightenment. If you like what you see, EXCELLENT! If you don't, get rid of the offending outfit. You'll thank me later.

Stranger In A Familiar Land

Being a stranger in a strange land is not nearly as disconcerting as being a stranger in a familiar land. Just as the Black Team on this week's Biggest Loser.

They went home for a week. The only problem (and the great thing) was that they were not the same people who had left home 6 weeks earlier. For the most part, their friends and family were. So, trips out to restaurants, family picnics, etc brought with them a certain set of familiar expectations that were no longer true for the Biggest Losers.

I remember this feeling. When I'd lost weight and saw friends for the first time in a long time (and it seems that those gatherings were almost always at a restaurant, btw), they'd often order appetizers for the table or finish the meal with the community dessert. Fine by me. Eat all you want. But, I'd choose not to eat the "treat".

"Aw, c'mon. You haven't had it in so long. Just this once won't hurt."

"No one gets fat eating one Buffalo wing. Try one. They're really good." (For the record, I've never eaten just one wing. Wings are meant to be eaten by the half-dozens...aren't they?)

"It's not going to hurt you to skip the workout and go with us to the mall."

No one says these things with any malice. (Although I gotta tell you, when Tracey said tonight that she hoped the members of the Black Team had eaten lots of cake when they were home, I was really hoping for the Universe to take care of her tonight. But, looks like we'll have to wait at least another week for that to happen.) They are just doing and saying and thinking what they've always done and said and thought. They haven't changed! The person who has lost the weight is the one who has changed.

The trick is to not let anything (a wing or a cupcake) or anyone (even the best-meaning family and friends) change you to something you don't want to be. Again.

Hang tough and before long the "new you" will be the familiar person in the familiar land. What folks will eventually deem strange is when you grab that chip and swipe it through the cheese dip!

Attitude is Everything!

This was one of those days that could drive a gal to ice cream or pizza or onion rings...or all of the above. In the past, that's where you might have found me today. But, despite some disappointment, I stuck to my plan, ate what I knew was healthy and would lead me down the path to my ultimate goals, and didn't give in to eating myself (temporarily) happy.

Now that the day has progressed and I'm further away from the disappointment, I am happy. I am proud of myself for sticking to my guns and doing the right thing for me. I know that things work out the way they should in the Universe so today's disappointment only means that greater things lay ahead.

Right now, I'm definitely celebrating what I do have and not spending another minute mourning what I don't! I hope all of you are celebrating your life too!!

A Sunday According To John

Raise your hands...how many of you know John Prine's song Spanish Pipedream? Yeah? Good, then you'll know what I'm talking about. No? Well, all you need to know to understand this topic is the first 4 words of the chorus.

Blow up your TV

Okay, I have to admit that I didn't actually blow it up. But, I turned it off. I've had enough of reality. I've had enough of fake (ie. Balloon Boy). I've had enough sports and news and pundits and...well, I've had enough TV.

I've been trying to decide if I should give up cable. I'm just not sure that I can suffer Food Network withdrawal. And, more and more, I'm finding that I'm turning to the cable channels that run the reruns of old shows. Like MASH and Andy Griffith. So, I've not convinced myself to cut the chord just yet.

But, I sure have enjoyed a day of peace. By peace, I don't necessarily mean quiet. I've played all my favorite music. And I danced around the house while doing things that I probably wouldn't have gotten done if I'd gotten sucked into some crumby TV show that I didn't care about but couldn't turn off.

The other thing I've done today is go through my inbox and unsubscribe to about 2 dozen emails, newsletters, etc. All they were doing was stressing me because when I didn't take the time to read them, I'd feel like I was leaving something unfinished. The next day, there be another email update. I was falling farther and farther behind. So, today I unsubbed and deleted all the unread things that obviously weren't that important to my every day (or every week) existence. Phew! Load off my electronic mind!!

So tell me, if you've cut the cable, how long did the withdrawal last? Are you glad you did it or are you considering cabling up again?

I'm definitely going to Turn off the TV on a regular basis going forward. And who knows, one day maybe I will Blow up the TV as John suggests...or at least donate it to a reality-, fake-, sports-, news-, pundit-needy home.

That's NOT How I Roll!

Okay - this might tick some folks off but hear me out. (Please.)

I had to go to the store this morning to pick up a few things. Now, I do my best to avoid grocery stores on Saturday morning. And, I especially make a point to avoid WalMart on any weekend day. But, I found myself having to get a few things. And, against my better judgement, I headed to WalMart to get them.

I had made it to the second aisle when my cart got front-ended...by a person on an electric scooter throwing it into reverse without so much as a glance. Within 5 minutes, I counted 7 - SEVEN - motorized scooters on the grocery side of the store. Every one of them was a WalMart-provided scooter. And in every case, the person riding them was obese.

Now, before you think that I'm another person hating on fat people, understand that I am overweight. I've got another 80 pounds to lose. At one time, I had lost over 140 pounds. But, I wasn't smart enough to keep the weight off. Now, I'm on that journey down the scale again. I've worked with overweight/obese people. I fully understand their situation. Perhaps better than most of the people they will encounter throughout their lives.

However, I also fully understand that riding around a grocery store on a motorized scooter is not doing anything to improve their situation! IF you truly need a scooter for any reason other than you weigh too much and that makes it tiring for you to get around a store, you will own your own scooter! You will need it all the time. Not just when a store provides it to you. There are many, many, many legitimate reasons for using a scooter/wheelchair. Being fat is not one of them.

"But my knees..." Yeah, well let me tell you about knees. I had knee surgery for a torn cartilage. I was 100+ pounds overweight. AND, I was taking a medicine that was causing problems with my legs. I could barely get around. The pain was unbelievable. But I never used a scooter. I'd go to the store and walk as much as I could while leaning on a grocery cart. When I couldn't go any further, I'd sit down and then either continue shopping or pay and head home. Every day, I could walk a little farther. And each time I did, I'd feel so good about myself that the strength of my spirit added to the strength of my legs.

"But my back..." Yeah, well in order to make your back stronger, you need to make your legs and abdominal muscles stronger. Riding around on a scooter accomplishes neither of the things that will improve your mobility.

"But I get out of breath..." Yeah, well the only thing that is going to improve your lung capacity and ease your breathing is if you get up and move. I'm not saying you need to run a race through the store. (However, some of you drive the scooters like there's a prize at the end!) But walk at a steady pace using a cart for additional support. Increase the amount of time/distance you walk on every trip.

"But I get so tired..." Yeah, and how are you increasing your endurance by not pushing yourself to do something? You know why the muscles shrink while in a cast? It's because they are protected and not used. If you are riding a scooter and not at least trying to walk, your fat is acting like a cast on your muscles. You'll never get stronger or be more able to carry your weight if you don't start doing it!

"But..." But = BUTT. There's the equation for the day, folks.

Again, if you need a scooter and have one prescribed to you by a doctor, I'm not talking to you. But if you think you need one and that WalMart is providing the scooter to you (as opposed to providing them for injured folks or elderly folks who need a scooter but, I'm sure, have trouble finding them available), I'm talking to you.

Get up, get moving. You'll gain pride and strength every time you do. And along the way, I bet you even lose some weight.

So, how do you CHOOSE to roll? Remember, it's a choice of a lifetime. It will, in the end, define who you are and what you can do.

I choose to roll on the power of my own two feet...not that of an electric scooter.

Persistent, Consistent, and Diligent

Another month, another Activate Upstate weigh-in. My parents and I all participate in the program. And, according to the official weigher at the Life Center where we weigh in, we are the only three folks who still weigh in every month. The dozens and dozens of others who started at our weigh-in station have all dropped off the edge of the scale.

The lady said she knew we would show up today. She said we are very persistent, consistent, and diligent in our efforts. That's the nicest thing anybody said to me this week.

Once I make up my mind to something - really make up my mind - I am indeed persistent, consistent, and diligent! And, I reach my goal. Always.

I made up my mind to lose the rest of my extra pounds three weeks ago. Since then, I've lost 14 pounds. And, nothing is going to stop me from losing all of it! (Compare that to the BetterU program where I intended to lose 25 pounds over 12 weeks. I only lost 17 pounds during those 12 weeks. See, I had the intention of doing it. I just didn't commit 100% to actually doing it!)

The only way to reach a goal is through persistence, consistency, and diligence.

I have 3 main goals right now...lose all of this weight, find a freakin' job and get my books published. Hang tight folks, the job and books will happen before I reach my goal weight. But, all of those goals will be reached sooner rather than later.

Onward and upward...except for the scale, that will continue heading downward.

Fat Taxing

I just heard a TV commentator talk about the new "should fat people pay more for insurance?" debate as a "fat tax". That was a new take on it. I thought the fat tax was on sugared drinks. No?

I'll tell ya something that is fat-beyond-fat and should be taxed. Actually, two somethings. Have you seen the ads for the burger value meal that includes a taco? Ay carumba! Are you kidding me? Let's see...I'll have a super-sized burger, give me the largest order of fries ya got, a 64 oz soda...and oh yeah, throw in a taco. In my family, we refer to Jack-in-the-Box as the "big-headed guy's". Maybe we've got the wrong end tagged as big!

So - not in the mood for a taco with your burger? That's okay. Drive a few yards down and grab yourself a humungo burger...topped with shaved roast beef! Have you ever heard of a more nauseating idea? Heck, I could handle a taco on the side long before I could handle roast beef on top of my burger!

I wonder what the folks in the brainstorming sessions are thinking when they come up with these ideas. Do you suppose some guy is checking his stock in Slim-Fast and Jenny Craig and trying to figure out how to make more money?

And just as confusing, what are people thinking that actually order these meals? I can see someone buying big-headed guy's combo and dividing it up between three kids. But, my guess is that that's not how most of the burger-taco-fry-gallon-o-soda meals sold are eaten.

No wonder fat is taxing our hearts and knees and every other body part. Lunch for three has become a lunch-for-one option in today's world.

I'm not even going to get into the insurance debate. Yet.

Lighten Up!

I feel soooo gooooood! Tomorrow is "shred day". I love shred day. You see, a couple times a year, the local Chamber of Commerce brings in this big shredding truck - and they shred all the crap that I've got sitting on top of my shredder!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could actually use my little shredder for something other than a crap-that-needs-shredding holder. But that takes time and makes a huge mess on the floor around the shredder. It's much easier and cleaner to just toss it all in paper bags and then toss it in the big shredder.

I've been doing a lot of lightening of the load lately. I think it's inspired by all those TV shows. You know, Clean House, Hoarders, Oprah. Now I don't have nearly the stuff that those folks do. Not even close. Not even close to being close. But, every time I see one of those shows (and they seem to always be on!), I absolutely have to clean up an area in my house even if it's only a small drawer. I am quickly making work of becoming a neat-nik!

What about you? Got a bunch of cancelled checks from 1987 sitting around the house? (Yeah? Well, I won't after tomorrow!) Or a closet full of perfectly good clothes that you never wear - and probably never will? (Got rid of those three weeks ago!) Well, call your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau. Ask them when the next shred day is and get your papers together! And those clothes...call the local women's shelter or Department of Social Services. The DSS office will let you know when they have their women's education classes wrapping up - the participants can use those good clothes for interviews!

If it's just sitting around your house taking up space, pass it along to someone who can truly benefit from it. It will not only lighten your load, it will lighten your heart and your spirit.

Go forth and shred! (And donate!!)

If It's Tuesday...

...it must be BIGGEST LOSER.

Ugh! Coach Mo - there is no honor in falling on the sword. Especially for such a negative force. (In case you don't know who I'm referring to, it's Tracey. If you don't know her, you're better off in life!) The one truth is that the universe takes care of itself. I can't wait to see it happen in her case. (Yeah, it's so much more fun to be around to see it - or at least have a good friend report it to you...but that's another story for another day. LOL.) Let me restate my thoughts about tonight's show...UGH!

But, that's not what I want to talk about today. I want to tell you a BIGGEST LOSER story that had me up in arms for days this summer. There is a BL couple here in these parts. I went to a local event several weeks ago where these folks were part of the entertainment. The guy was absolutely hysterical. I didn't expect to like him but he turned out to be a hoot! The gal...well, she was very nice but also looked beaten down. It was all over her face.

After their gig, they were at a booth. I wanted to talk to them, compare notes from my time in the weight-loss spotlight. Then it happened.

They had a manager or handler with them. Well, it was about 1:30 - they had a noon show. So, when I got to the booth, the gal was eating a sandwich. One she'd brought from home. It didn't have much on it. BUT, the manager/handler/BIGGEST JERK leaned over and whispered something to her. I heard it but couldn't believe it. The gal turned to her husband and said "I need to go eat this somewhere else. BIGGEST JERK says it doesn't look good for me to eat in public." Yep, I'd heard correctly.

OH HELL NO! I spoke up. Pointed out that we all eat and that it was actually a good thing for the public to see this gal eating a healthy lunch. BIGGEST JERK shot me a hateful look and pulled the gal away.

I was livid. You see, I lived this many years ago. After I'd lost weight and become a public figure, every one thought they should tell me what I should or shouldn't eat in public. Strangers who'd seen me in the paper or on TV would approach my dinner table at a restaurant and suggest what I was eating wasn't the best choice or ask if Richard Simmons knew that I was eating out or what I was eating.

After allowing all that type of crap to drive me into exercise bulimia, I went the opposite way and gained weight. I started hiding what I was eating and after maintaining the weight-loss for five or six years, finally gave up the fight.

So, BIGGEST JERK, if this gal struggles more than usual after losing the weight, I hope you take the credit that you so rightly deserve. You've got no idea what you are doing or saying. You are so superficial and so uneducated in the "handling" of weight-loss success stories that you are dangerous.

Now, if you want to devote some attention to Tracey from this season, I think you'd make a perfect team! But, leave the good folks alone! Look over your shoulder, BJ, the universe is approaching.

Catching Up

Hey gang,

Thanks for all the emails in my absence. Sorry for the delay in posting. Before I get back into the regular swing of things, thought I'd take this opportunity to catch up.

First of all...congrats to everyone on the BetterU path to health! My final number was -17 pounds. Not the 25 that I had hoped for. But given this summer, I'm pretty darn happy with the total! Hope everyone is continuing their healthy changes even though the program is over.

Next, two thoughts for everyone to take to heart:

1. If you have a cat and you know it bites, keep the damn thing in your house! As a second suggestion along these lines...if you have a cat, make sure you get all of its shots! Preferably, BEFORE it bites someone, please. (I guess the same would apply for dogs as well...but since I didn't have a run-in in my own garage with a dog, I'll leave the comments directed at cats/cat owners right now.)
2. If you're driving down the road and all of the traffic ahead of you is stopped, it would be appropriate for you to stop, too! And when I say stop, I mean using your brakes - not the back end of the car ahead of you (or more specifically, not the back end of the car I'm driving).

So, I guess that's my summer in a nutshell. Thank goodness autumn is here! LOL! How are you doing?