NOTE FROM MS. CHEEVIOUS:
I’d like to welcome Ms. Patricia Walters Fischer to the fold, and she’s here to tell you (and me) that Yes, you probably DO eat too much, and maybe it’s time to make some ch-ch-ch-changes. And hell, I’m right there with her, people. I’m back to my local weight loss support group myself this year, reclaiming my lifetime membership all over again. Hey – one can never be too sure the fat isn’t sneaking its way back onto one’s body, now can one? So I’m going to be lean and alcohol free for a while folks. Oh yes.
Let’s give her a listen, shall we? Even if you are presently starving yourself.
Patricia is a writing / author-friend of Ms. Cheevious. She’s a dynamo, hot mommy, and we love her. Enjoy.
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Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes….
OR…
Yes, You Probably DO Eat Too Much
It’s January. That means everyone has a “goal” they plan to meet or beat this year and according to the powers that be at Entertainment Tonight, 43% of you pledge to make losing weight one of them.
Part of New Year’s appeal is the idea of starting over; of beginning anew and the thought that any and all mistakes of the past year (or decade) are put behind us.
Problem is, if you enter the New Year with the same mindset you exited the last one, will anything really change? Since the fairy godmother didn’t show up and give you those gorgeous (but look really uncomfortable) glass slippers and the prince isn’t coming to sweep you off your feet, or even sweep your floor, what will change? What will be different in your life that will allow you to reach your goals?
Last year I’d reached wits end. At 5’ 3” and weighing in at 230 pounds, I felt miserable, frustrated, and overwhelmed. I’d gotten to the point where I’d become “that mom” who sits a lot and can’t keep up with her children. Plus, I could imagine the looks on my kids’ faces as we were creeping towards their middle school years—mom had become embarrassingly unhealthy.
I didn’t want that for them, for me, for my husband, but how to change it? Or better yet, how did I even get so far into the obesity spectrum in the first place? And if I do manage to get my ever growing ass off the couch, how do I make sure I don’t go backwards?
As a wanna-be best-selling writer, my creative muse had taken a permanent holiday, and I couldn’t write anything that would be rated above crap. Really frustrating since I had some great, almost-finished works on my computer, just waiting for me to complete.
The question was, what should I change or better yet, how?
I knew last year when the clock struck twelve and the fireworks flew into the sky, it wouldn’t suddenly give me all the answers and the right path to make all my dreams come true.
No Blue Fairy or Fairy Godmother or magic lamp would appear… and even if they did, true change is one of the hardest things to do and we’ve all learned from the fairy tales, that change has to come from within. No amount of magic does it for us.
Shit. And I was so hoping for the easy road.
I’d tried all sorts of diets before, but they didn’t work. One reason for that was I’d always chosen extremist plans to get the quickest results. I found out very fast I’ll never be fond of eating tree bark or drinking some horrid concoction that includes fennel.
With three kids, I found myself running in circles and not ever having a good workout routine, especially since I’d be exhausted as soon as I got up in the morning. I had no energy to spare or even to spend, but something had to give.
Get up early? Stay up late? Hire a babysitter?
Was I depressed? I didn’t think so. I’d simply be frustrated with myself because I’d have these days of clarity and motivation and would get a few things done, then fall back into the sluggish pattern again, and think to myself Grrrrrr, this sucks! What can I do to get a grip?
First, I learned I needed my gall bladder out. Tests at the end of the year confirmed that little organ was functioning at about 11% and probably causing a lot of my fatigue, but it wasn’t the magic bullet. Removing it did help my body heal and my mind not be so foggy. Immediately, I could tell a difference and within days, I was able to more effectively wrap my mind around exactly what needed to happen: Change how I saw the world and myself. For the first time in a long time, it seemed doable.
At the encouragement of a friend, I started taking pictures of everything I ate and drank and it opened my eyes to what exactly I was fueling my body with—complete and utter garbage.
I remember Oprah talking about being mindful of what she ate, but I told myself I knew what I was eating and it wasn’t that bad. I must have something else going on because my diet was fine. After I started taking pictures of everything, and I mean everything, it helped me better understand and Holy Crap! Did I eat a whole lot of carbs, sugar, and fat. I’m amazed I only weighed 230 pounds.
I started taking pictures of everything, and I mean everything
With the new outlook on what I ate, it helped me see what I did during my day and how I could be more productive. Even simple things like making a short to-do list before getting errands done, made my time more productive and I got things done. And I stress short here—no making impossibly long to-do lists that included losing ten pounds, cleaning the entire house, knitting sweaters for all kids in the Midwest, and creating World Peace before lunch time.
It seems like a no brainer, but when you can’t think straight or you’re so used to burying yourself in obligations, you can easily get frustrated and even fail.
After three months, not only had I dropped thirty-five pounds, my mind felt clearer, and I’d completed revisions of one of my romantic comedies. By May, I’d sold it. That news came a day before my husband and I found out we’d been matched for two children we were hoping to adopt.
At the writing of this, I’ve dropped another five pounds, but the big deal is I’ve kept it off for six months. No backsies!
To prove it to myself, I cleaned out my closet, a bit of a New Year’s purge to show how far I’d come and to get rid of the fall back, fat clothes.
My health and weight are stable and I’m ready for the next half of my health journey—losing another fifty pounds by this time next year.
Life is still overwhelming at times. Factoring in time to exercise, write my next best seller, and caring for kids, a house, and husband can make the day seem normally chaotic. There are days I don’t get a shower and my legs need to be shaved more often than twice a week, but I’m an ever improving work in progress.
I still don’t make brownies like Martha Stewart, but I don’t obsess about it. I don’t eat my frustrations, but I don’t go run a marathon either. I changed the way the world looks around me. I don’t beat myself up when things aren’t perfect, I accept compliments without arguing about it, and I like myself.
That was the biggest change of all and ultimately for only me, but something interesting happened: I enjoyed my family more and mundane obligations like laundry didn’t seem too overwhelming.
Because my friend helped me, I want to help you.
Because my friend helped me,
I want to help you.
I’ve started a 2013 Kick Ass and Get Healthy Board on Pinterest where I’m posting articles, recipes, and ways you can meet health and wellness goals. What I discovered is it’s not only about the food or the exercise, it’s about how you feel about yourself. Do you think you’re worth the challenge?
Don’t be so afraid to change how you see the world or even how you approach it, that you lose out on what you’re worth. It can be frightening, but it can be one of the best things you’ll ever do for yourself.
Good luck in 2013!
During Patricia W. Fischer’s journey to be a full-time storyteller, she made several stops along the way to be a waitress, bartender, bill-collector, bank teller, clerk at Blockbuster Video, dishwasher, prep-cook, a wannabe crypto-zoologist, and finally settling in as a pediatric and adult trauma/critical care nurse for 10 years. Then she started her career as a writer.
Now, she spends her time in front of a keyboard, coming up with (hopefully) fantastic and entertaining stories to pay for her buying too many books habit and the endless cups of coffee she drinks on a daily basis.
You can find her at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest.
You can also find her book, “Weighting for Mr. Right” on Amazon.
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Love you people!!!! Mmmmmpppphhhuuuhhh!!!!
xoxo,
Ms. Cheevious
Editor in (Mis) Chief
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The battle of the bulge is never ending! Thanks for these tips.
HAHA Thanks Alan. I completely agree!
I hope they help Alan. It’s really eye opening to whip out that camera when you’re about to eat or drink something, then see it on film. You start to notice a lot more about what you put into your body and it’s frightening. I felt sick after realizing what I’d been doing all this time.
Then I went the other direction and almost became militant about it, but there is middle ground. It was though I had to see where the pendulum would fall in my comfort zone.
Thanks for the wonderfully INSPIRING post Patricia! XOXO
Thanks Lisa. I had a blast writing this and I hope it’s helped someone out there open their eyes to what they are using to fuel their body.
Fabulous, inspiring post, and I relate. For some reason creative juices seem to flow better when my jaw is in motion. My goal in 2013: Get the rest of me moving, too.
Hey Elise! Thanks for posting a comment! You can do it in 2013!!
It’s a hard process. Remember how you learned things as a kid? Well now you’re having to relearn them or even deprogram yourself and it’s difficult. But know that people who are constantly learning, challenging their brain, keep their brain function working longer than those who are stagnant.
So not only will you improve your body, but mind too!
At least, that’s how I understand it.
I need to be eating something while I write. And I take lots of pics of the things I eat. I am weird like that 😛
thanks Cinta! You do? Send us some photos of what you eat!??
Will you eat things like grapes, raisins, blueberries, etc? Those can be good snacks if you need that while you write? What about simply sipping water with some lemon juice or fresh squeezed orange juice?
This was fantastic! I love hearing about great results! Congrats on your book deal!
Thank you Luann. I’m writing books #2 and #3 right now, bringing characters from the first to the next chapters. I felt like there were issues about change that people simply don’t address, but I didn’t want the book to be a downer. I wanted it to be real and yet a good, entertaining read when you laugh out loud in some places. I hope that’s what I accomplished.
ahhh… the battle of the bulge is a problem the majority of our country deals with… and everyone these days should be keenly aware of how easy it is to pile on the pounds… The photographing food idea is STELLAR — thank you!
It helps bring in all the sensory of eating and you really become numb when bad habits have taken over. The phone adds a step of food prep that makes you see it a different way and it’s a real shocker to see what you’re doing.
Hello! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 3gs!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to
all your posts! Carry on the great work!