Operation Get Cheaper Insurance

This month, my husband and I had to switch to different health insurance because we no longer qualified for the plan we were on. Unfortunately, the switch also was not so kind to our pre-existing conditions. His sore knee was exempted from coverage, and I, well I hate to even admit it, but I was given a 25% upcharge for my weight. 

Ugh. 

So, we're tolerating the coverage we have (what there is of it) but in the meantime, I'm launching Operation Get Cheaper Insurance for myself. I know, there's a period of time for which one must maintain a weight loss before an insurance company will lower the rates. I'll wait. In the meantime, I'm going to work on whittling my BMI from 35 to something like 28. 

Yes, I'm aware that 28 is still overweight, but it's a sustainable weight for me. And it gets me out of the "obese" category. This year, I've lost 9 pounds. Not a great average, but better than nothing. This week, I'm kickin' in up a notch and recording my food, exercise and weigh-ins on Spark People.

It's been a long while since I stopped by my blog and left a message. I hope to journal my progress in Operation Get Cheaper Insurance here on the blog.

One Year Later...

It's been nearly a year since I last posted something on the blog. I'm starting fresh with a new Spark People group. It's a free internet resource for tracking calories, nutrition, fitness and much more. Plus it's a whole community of people who are working on their health. 

I started a private team on Spark People named One Weigh for anyone who wants to join the challenge to lose 40 pounds or more. I'll be checking in weekly and we'll be holding one another accountable to the goals we set up. The neat thing is that each of us can have our own unique plan on Spark People, track our own weigh-ins and set up a profile where we track progress. Yet we can come together in encouraging each other.

Interested in Spark People? Here's a link:

If you search, you'll find me at user ID MichelleRayburn. And if you send me an e-mail with your Spark People user ID, I'll gladly send you an invite to the team.

Michelle

One Weigh Update

I've been doing most discussing over at One Weigh on Facebook, so I'm sorry for letting this blog get out of date. Time to get it updated. In all honesty, I've been lax on the updates on facebook too.

My First Place group had a little pow-wow recently to talk about how to energize our group and get the motivation to get back on track. Seems like we've all been a little, or a lot, blue this winter. The good news--we've come up with a plan and we're excited to try something new. We've decided to call our group "One Weigh" and deviate from the First Place material we've been using. We'll be choosing our own Bible study to work on together while still keeping up with the weigh-ins and accountability. However, we're allowing members to choose their own weight loss program. Some will follow the First Place meal plan, based on the food pyramid, while others will follow a clinic program monitored by their physician. Still others could choose Weight Watchers or another national program.

Our goal with One Weigh is to provide accountability and structure, yet keeping it flexible enough that members who follow other programs will be able to attend. I'm excited about the change. I'll share more as we get closer to launching the new group.

Spring is coming. Isn't that a breath of hope? I've been so bummed by winter this year and I can't wait to see green grass and feel warm air on my face. I get a lot more excited about exercise when it's beautiful outside!

I'm planning to work on some content to inspire thought and discussion in the next few weeks. And I'll be sure to post it both here and on facebook. In the meantime, here's something to think about. Today, I watched a few minutes of the Dr. Oz show where he was talking about some problems with diet pills. Unfortunately, there were many health risks with even the herbal remedies, yet people take them all the time because they are desperate to find an easier way to lose weight. One guest had manic episodes after using a Fen-Phen product and now she's forever medicated with psych meds. Correlation? She thinks so.

As much as I'd like an easy way out of diet and exercise, that terrifies me!

What have you heard about nutrition and weight loss in the news recently that made you sit up and listen?

Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain

If it is a bad thing to lose a game or lose my keys, why is it a good thing to lose weight? As if we are just misplacing it and will find it again someday and put it back in its rightful place. Ok. Maybe some of us will do just that. I propose that we find a different word to signify pounds dropping off of us. A friend once referred to it as “releasing” weight. I like that one better. That implies that I’m letting it go and I never want to see it again. Even better, I would like to think of it as banishing pounds from my body—they aren’t allowed to come back!

When we shed pounds, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We gain self-respect, discipline, a sense of accomplishment, and most important, an attitude of obedience. When we have an attitude of obedience, we desire to please God in all that we do, including what we do to our bodies.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” (New Living Translation) Do you have the desire to obey him? God is all about enjoying food—there are many places in the Bible that refer to it, and he gave it to us to enjoy. But there are also places that refer to the sins of gluttony and worrying about food.

I need to make a fresh start and get things in perspective. It’s not that I need to be some super model size or a certain number on a chart. But I do need to find God’s best for me.

What do you have to gain by releasing some pounds?

Copyright © Michelle Rayburn 2005 (updated 2010)

Inspiration for 2010

Years ago, I wrote a series of articles for my One Weigh group. I’ll be posting them on the blog and on the One Weigh facebook group for inspiration and motivation.

The first in that series is “Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain.”

Michelle

Not giving up yet

I’m not ready to give up, but I’m not exactly achieving my goals either. I guess the holidays are not a time to be dedicating extra time to thinking straight about eating and exercise. It’s more of a time to get by. I’d hoped having a goal would motivate me, but instead, it overwhelmed me with a sense of failure. I’m officially releasing myself from the goal for the next 2 weeks (the goal of dropping pounds before Christmas, that is). And I’m establishing a new goal. Stay the same or better over Christmas.

There. Less pressure. :-)

Plugging along through the holidays

I've asked myself a few times why I started to blog about my journey when I'm not moving forward. It isn't really a journey if you don't move, right? I'm plugging along through the holidays and even thought I've made better choices than in some years past, I'm not losing weight, and I don't expect to when I don't work at it. If I'm going to drop any pounds before Christmas, I'm going to have to get myself off this plateau of complacency! Sigh.

Tomorrow is weigh-in night so I'll see how I've done at keeping the goodies off my hips. :-)

Thanksgiving

I'm fortunate that I only had one Thanksgiving dinner to eat. That means, it wasn't so difficult to eat right. Still struggling with motivation, but seeing that I feel so much better when I eat right. Now if I can just kick the chocolate, I'll have a reason to be really thankful!

Did you eat lots for Thanksgiving? Get right back on track today!

Michelle

Hitting a Wall and Finding Inspiration

I've hit that point that I always hit after a few weeks of trying to eat right. I find myself falling into old habits without realizing it. Sometimes while realizing it and ignoring my conscience. I struggled with getting up to exercise for a few days this past week, but I'm back on track and forcing motivating myself to get out of bed in the morning. What do you do to keep your momentum? 

One thing I like to do is shake things up a little. Maybe it's adding a new food. Maybe it's adding a new exercise. Sometimes it's finding a new tool online or a book at the library related to weight loss. I'm always looking for motivation.   

I saw an article in a Good Housekeeping magazine that mentioned a site that might provide some inspiration. www.weightmirror.com is a site where you can upload a current picture of yourself and then set your weight and height. Then you drag the slider to the amount of weight you want to lose and it will show you what you will look like. You can print the picture and hang it on your refrigerator or you can e-mail it to yourself for inspiration. The magazine called it thinspiration!

Michelle

Celebrate Your Small Victories

Today, I had a small reason to celebrate. I won a victory over something that usually beats me. I had a meeting in town so I stopped at Culvers and ordered a kids meal for my supper. They come with this little ticket that allows you to have a free frozen custard with the meal. It's one of the reasons I like eating there.

Anyway, partway through my meal, I had this idea that I should save the free ice cream for another visit, sometime when my family is with me.

Nah, I thought, that's the best part!

But then I had the same thought again. So when I finished my burger and small fries, I put the coupon in my purse and left the restaurant. Now that was a victory, since I had been reading the nutrition guides while I was eating. Turns out, that custard is loaded in calories!

What little victory have you had this week? Have you celebrated that?

Drumroll please...

...Are you ready for the scale reveal?.....I lost a whole........3/4 of a pound this week.

Seriously, that's just how it is with me. I lose very slow. But I'm feeling great and I'm dedicated to sticking it out. The group support is so awesome, I don't know what I'd do without these ladies. It's taken time, but we're at a point where we can truly support one another, problem solve, and yes, lecture each other to get back on track when needed.

Group support is such a key factor in successful weight loss. It's because of these ladies that I have managed to maintain this year and not gain a bunch of weight. Now, together we're spurring each other to move forward and shed some pounds.

What's motivating you this week?

Facing the scale...

It's weigh-in night again and I'm off to face the scale. I hope it has moved this week!

Have you faced the scale this week? Drop in on the comments below to share how you feel about it. 

Michelle

Day Eight

 

I'm feeling great. The heartburn that I had last week has subsided greatly with making some changes in what I eat. I know that sugar is one of my problems when I get heartburn. Still trying to get over my need to see success on a scale and fighting my own self every day to keep sticking with the program. I don't weigh myself at home because I'm so driven by the numbers.

Instead, I weigh every week at our group meetings. This tracks my progress but keeps me away from my habit of gauging my day by the scale. 

How about YOU? What did you do today that will make it more likely that you will reach your goal?

10 LBS by New Years Challenge

 Have a Healthy Holiday

Looking for a challenge to jump-start you before the holiday trouble hits? Wouldn't it be fabulous to get to New Years without the usual holiday 5 pound gain? And wouldn't it be even better to have lost weight over the holidays?! Yeah, you know it would totally boost your confidence. Think of the jeans that will fit better at the holidays instead of sitting with the top button undone by New Years.

Let's set a goal of losing 10 pounds before New Years, I know it can be done, becasue I did it once. Yes, I actually got through Thanksgiving and Christmas and lost weight. Unfortunately, I only did it once, but I'm ready to do it again.

We have 8 weeks before 2010 hits, and that means a loss of just 1 1/4 pounds per week. Do-able!

Who's in on the challenge?

Monday Weigh-In 11/2

Have you ever had a pretty good week complete with more than adequate exercise and balanced eating? And have you ever had the scale do almost nothing on a week like that? Happens to me all the time. It's how I frequently lose momentum in any weight-loss program.

I weighed in tonight and lost a whole pound. I'm determined to keep going even if the scale should have showed something more than that this week.

A New Body Measurement System

I need to be lighthearted about how I approach eating less and working out more. Let's face it, it's not the most fun idea. It means giving up extra brownies and full fat lattes. It means getting up early in the morning, before the birdies start chirping, to puff and sweat with a DVD of an overly chipper workout coach. Yuck. To the sweat, that is.

So, as I thought about how to document my progress, I decided to create my own version of body measurements.

If you're working on getting in shape, and you want to record your progress in inches, try my 5-point measurements and record them somewhere. If you're brave, post them in a comment below! All you need to get started is a flexible measuring tape.

Measurement #1- Muffin Top

First, we measure our muffin tops. Get out your favorite pair of jeans. Not the ones that you just purchased because nothing fits, the pair that you can comfortably wear as long as you do some deep knee bends and stretches after you get them zipped.

Now, look in the mirror. See that part that hangs over the top of your jeans? That's the muffin top. I know, seeing that made you hungry, but don't stop for a snack. Measure around that muffin top.

Measurement #2 - "The Girls"

Now, it's time to measure the girls. Delicate subject, I know. But it's a backhanded way of tracking back fat too (pun intended). I'm sorry if you're a male reader; just measure your pectorals and move on.

Wrap the measuring tape around your upper back and under your arms and around to the front meeting the ends together at the, ahem...widest point. This point ought to be well above your belly button, providing you're properly supported and you've survived any  trauma related to post-childbirth.

Measurement #3 - Junk in the Trunk

Moving down to the area we'd all like to diminish, it's time to see how much junk you have in the trunk. Measure around your hips and buttocks at the widest point. Don't gasp. Just write the number down.

Measurement #4 - Cellulite Packs

In case you aren't familiar with cellulite, it's that lumpy stuff that looks like the dimply surface of a good focaccia bread, only this isn't good. Your best cellulite stores are likely packed on your thighs, so let's measure those. Stand with both feet on the ground, slightly apart. Measure one of your thighs at the widest point.

If you have trouble balancing, contorting, and measuring at the same time, you can ask a friend to help. But get someone you trust with the knowledge of the size of your cellulite packs.

Measurement #5 - Pendularms

Finally, measure your pendularms, you know, your pendulum arms. This is the part of the arm that keeps waving hello after you stop. Again, this might be difficult to measure by yourself, but if you can buckle a watch or put on a bracelet with one hand, you can do this. If not, ask someone in your household to help you and pretend you're getting fitted for swim floaties. Measure around the widest part of your upper arm with your arm dangling by your side.

I contorted and measured, and gasped and here are my results:

Muffin Top: 43.5"

"The Girls": 44.5"

Junk in the Trunk: 48"

Cellulite Packs: 27"

Pendularms: 14"

Now it's your turn...(copy and paste into your comments if you dare)

Muffin Top:

"The Girls":

Junk in the Trunk:

Cellulite Packs:

Pendularms:

Day Six

It's weigh-in day. I attend a First Place 4 Health group and we weigh in at each meeting before we have our bible study time. I'm hoping for a loss this week. I cut back on the calories and exercised 240 minutes which translates to 14 miles of walking in the week. The biggest part of the challenge will be to press on if the scale shows no difference!

No New Clothes

I've decided to commit to not buying any clothes or shoes for the next 6 months. I don't need anything, and I have a closet full of things that would fit terrific if I dropped 15-20 pounds. So for the next 182 days, I'm not purchasing any clothes for myself. I do have one exception. I've been looking for a pair of black dressy boots that fit my calves. I have a brown pair, but if I find a black pair at a fantastic price, I'll allow myself that one purchase.

Anyone care to commit to dropping enough pounds to shop in your own closet?

Day Two

Good Day? Maybe.

It wasn't a horrible day but I had to run errands and the time spanned the lunch hour, so I ate a kids meal at Culvers. I would have been better off with a snack pack, since the scoop of custard added some tasty, but not so friendly calories. Tried to eat a little lighter for supper to make up for it.

The important thing is that tomorrow is a new day, which means even if the hamburger, fries and ice cream would qualify as bad, it doesn't need to establish the trend of my week.

You know one of the more difficult aspects of my struggle? I'm the co-leader of a First Place group, a national organization dedicated to biblical weight loss, Bible study and group accountability. I lead the Bible portion of the meetings. Sometimes it's difficult knowing that other people must wonder if people lose weight with the program if the group leader hasn't changed in the past year. Sigh. It would be so great to be a testimony to the program by following it and having success. Lately, I've been more dedicated to the Bible study than to the eating plan. Time for a change.

Day One

Getting Started

It's my first day blogging about my weight loss journey. To be honest, it makes me nervous to hit the keys because it sometime so personal to me. So why put it on the web, you ask? Because without putting it out there, without others being aware of my progress, I'll slip right backn into my old habits. In many ways it's about the shame of having the world know.

So today, I'm facing the shame. 

I had such terrible heartburn in the past week and my winter clothes are all so confining that it was a great reminder of the desperation of doing something. I haven't really gained any weight since I put those clothes away last spring, but they feel so much tighter than my summer clothes.

It's Wednesday and I'm proud of my exercise regime this week. I've gotten up at 5:45 every morning to do a Walk Away the Pounds DVD and I walked with friends once this week. That adds up to 1600 minutes or 12 miles if it was all translated into walking distance. That's a lot better than my pathetic exercise last week. 

And I've been watching what I eat closer too. Gave up some snacks and sweets. Now, I really need to start writing down what I eat in a food journal. 

 

Guess it's a good start.