What if (fighting) Obesity is a Blessing?

Last week, our pastor gave a thought-provoking message about the sometimes unrecognized blessings that come into our lives. The lemon twist? The normal joy-filled blessings that come to mind aren’t exactly what he was talking about. It was more the idea that every single thing that comes into our lives, whether good or bad, is a blessing. Huh? Yes, let me repeat, every single thing that comes into our lives, the good AND the bad, are blessings. Now I’m certainly not doing the message justice, if you’d like to listen to it, click here.

This message came in a timely week for me. Work was stressful and exhausting for both me and my husband. I had 3 days to get 5 days of work done due to being off Thursday and Friday for minor surgery. The surgery went swimmingly but afterward I was left with an allergic reaction to the anesthesia that made me feel like crumbs for the past several days. It also triggered a neuralgia attack which left me tired, in bed and frustrated. Needless to say I had plenty of down time to ponder Pastor Brian’s message. For me, what hit home is that it is inevitable that bad things are going to happen to us in life. From the mild annoyances like getting stuck in traffic, dealing with teenagers or ill-timed allergic reactions to anesthesia that make you go through two boxes of tissues in one day. :) To the truly awful events like losing your job, fighting with your spouse, being estranged from a child, dealing with illness or losing a loved one.

I wonder then, if we accept the fact that life will always bring both good and bad, if it comes down to our attitudes and how we deal with it? We can be angry, agitated, numb, depressed, and feeling sorry for ourselves. Or we can be grateful, grace-filled, kind, patient and aware.

This got me thinking about the 30+ years I have struggled with my weight. What if (fighting) obesity is a blessing? Oh c’mon Tara, this is a stretch…but is it? So this week, while feeling like crumbs lying in my bed with a pile of tissues on the floor, I started to think about what I’ve gained from (not) gaining. Discipline. Endurance. Perseverance. Joy. Gratitude. Celebration. Patience.  

And like many of the trials that have come into my life, I would not trade this struggle. I honestly wouldn’t. Why? Because this is who I am and God is trying to teach me something through it. It certainly is a great way to practice discipline, endurance, perseverance, joy, gratitude, celebration and patience.

I wonder what hidden or unexpected blessing will come your way this week? Will you recognize it? Will you slow down and give thanks for it? Will you accept it for what it is, something meant to grow you into the person God wants you to be?

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

The Clean Plate Club

How many of us were raised to be members of the clean plate club? I know I was. Oh the memories of sitting at my grandmother’s kitchen table until it got dark because I wouldn’t clean my plate. It became a contest of wills, me sitting at the table moving my frozen peas around trying to make it look like I ate some of the pile; my grandmother watching me to see if I was going to pull a fast one. My best trick was wrapping my peas in a napkin and flushing them down the toilet. Sometimes I’d sit there until bed-time, all I knew for sure is that I wasn’t eating my veggies.

As a parent, I carried on the same tradition with my kids. Until during one pediatrician visit our doctor said to me “kids that do not finish their meals will not starve, don’t force it”. And so, in the mid-nineties, the long passed down tradition of the clean plate club ended.

Fast forward several years and now, as a person who is working really hard to make and maintain healthy eating habits, the end of the clean plate club has even more of an impact for me. I’ve always heard health experts recommend leaving food on your plate and I thought to myself “are they insane?” I mean, what a waste of perfectly good food. How could I possibly let the tasty morsels on my plate go to waste?

When you sit down to eat, listen to your body. We’ve all heard the old adage it takes 20-30 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach it is full. While you’re eating, eat slowly. Put your silverware down in between each bite. Drink water during your meal. Focus on what you’re eating. How does it taste? Savor the textures. And when you’re finished that first serving, stop. Wait. Let your brain catch up to your body. If after 20-30 minutes you’re still hungry, go for a fruit or healthy after meal snack. But I bet you’ll find that you’re satisfied.

Mindful eating has played a big part in my weight loss. My eating now is intentional. Before I used to eat and eat, depositing food into a seemingly never-ending cavernous hole in my stomach. I woofed my food down so fast, I didn’t even think about what I was eating, let alone enjoy it. Now that I’m eating healthier and really taking the time to enjoy my food, it just tastes better. When I have a special treat, that chocolate cake I’ve been waiting for all week, I savor each bite and yes, I leave half of the piece on my plate, either saving it for next time or throwing it away.

I challenge you this week, to be intentional about your meals. No eating on the run, no eating in the car, no eating over the kitchen counter. I know that we lead busy, crazy lives, but take this time to slow down and enjoy the gift of food that God has given us. If it’s not realistic to do this all day every day, take it one meal at a time. Give it a try, you’ll find that you can eat less and will still feel satisfied.

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Facing the Music

It was interesting when I Googled the saying “Face the Music”, most sources could not quite document where this saying comes from. One of the most popular explanations referred to disgraced military officers being drummed out of their regiment. You’re Googling it right now aren’t you? When I think of facing the music, it reminds me of being a kid and my Mom-Mom threatening me with a wooden spoon. What was so scary about the wooden spoon anyway? I never got hit with it (that I remember).  I somehow managed to cry myself out of punishment (most of the time). I mean, who could resist these cheeks?

Well today I faced the music (a.k.a. the scale) after five (yes five!) weeks break from Weight Watcher’s.  And I can tell you I was much more afraid of the scale than I ever was of the wooden spoon. The only thing that could have made it worse is if the scale was in a drawer and my Mom-Mom was standing in front of the drawer with her hands on her hips, giving me the you’re in trouble now glare.

I’m happy to say that I lost a pound and that’s perfectly OK with me. Why? I haven’t been doing what I needed to do. I haven’t been tracking regularly, eating what I should or going to meetings. I have been exercising and I think that’s been my saving grace.

So what happened? I got totally derailed by our February birthday extravaganzas. Between my birthday and Josh’s…the cake…the cake and ah, did I mention, the cake. And if you’re like me, once you get used to having sweets again, I'm like a water balloon filled with too much water, I’ll keep eating and eating until I burst.

The good news? The exercise I’ve been doing provided a slow leak and I did not explode. J And better yet, I did not quit. Ordinarily if I missed Weight Watcher’s for a week or so, I would just stop.  I would stop going to the meetings, stop eating right, stop exercising and go back to my ugly old habits.

Friends, if you are in a place where you’re stuck or maybe going backwards, do not give up! Just start again. Sometimes starting is the hardest part but you are SO worth the effort. We’re human. We’re imperfect. We make mistakes. We get distracted. Life happens.

Forgive yourself, move on and don’t look back. That’s what I’m doing. Every day is a fresh start, make the best of this chance you’ve been given!

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

The Perfect Excuse (Buster)

Well, just when I say I’m gonna take a blog break, I feel like writing so…

This week, in typical Tara “all-in” fashion, I decided to jump fanny first into a new fitness class. I also rooked my husband Nate and son Josh into taking part. Tonight was our first family cycling class and let’s just say that my lady parts and the seat needed some space. Two minutes into the class, I bailed. And a few minutes later, Josh bailed too. So while Nate spun to the beat, I went to the fitness center and rode the comfy old lady bike with the nice wide seat and walked on the treadmill.

As I was walking on the treadmill at a nice clip, partially berating myself for quitting the class, I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only one walking on the treadmill. Everyone around me was running. I mean what else is there to do while on the treadmill than to people watch? And as I looked around the room of mostly fit people I couldn’t help but think about the newer exercisers or heavier persons who might feel like they don’t quite fit in.

I’m at a weight I haven’t seen since 2004, and for the most part am feeling fantastic. Yet being surrounded by a bunch of runners on the treadmill made me believe for a moment that I wasn’t working  hard enough. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

When I lost 40 pounds the first time around on Weight Watcher’s, my primary source of exercise was walking. Walking is the perfect excuse-buster. I can’t afford a gym membership- walking is free. I don’t have money for equipment- once again walking is free. I don’t have the time to exercise- park a little farther out at the grocery store or mall, that extra walking will add up. My kids are tied up in sports and that ties me up- walk around the baseball field while they’re at practice. If I exercise, that takes away time with my kids- bring them with you, they could even ride their bikes. Admittedly the weather can be a deterrent to walking. You could invest in some really great cold gear or try a walking fitness DVD and walk in your warm cozy living room. You could even start out walking in place during the commercials of your favorite TV show. There are about 17 minutes of commercials during a one hour TV show. I love walking because it doesn’t matter your size, age or financial situation, if you have sneakers and the will to make a change, you can start right away.

For those who think that walking just isn’t impactful enough, let’s explore some of the benefits of walking. According to the Mayo Clinic* walking…

Lowers your bad cholesterol

Increases your good cholesterol

Lowers your blood pressure

Reduces your risk of or manages your type 2 diabetes

Manages your weight

Improves your mood

Helps you stay strong and fit

I don’t know about you, but I’m sold. So dig those sneakers out from the back of your closet and get to gettin’. Start with a small daily goal and work your way up from there.

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Am I Boring You?

Why is it that most women have such a hard time accepting a compliment? Is it just me? For example a friend says “you’ve lost weight, you look great!”…me- “thanks, I’m working on it” or “thanks, I’m getting closer to my goal” or “thanks, I’m not quite there yet”. Or with my hair…friend “I love your new hair cut!”…me- “thanks, I’m getting used to it” or “thanks, I’m not quite sure if I like it”. Or with new clothes…friend “I love those jeans!”…me- “thanks, I’m not sure they fit quite right” or the classic “thanks, they were on sale”.

Why do we (I) feel the need to soften a kind word from someone? Do I think they’re not being sincere? Does it make me feel uncomfortable being the center of attention? Do I feel unworthy? My husband has been working on this with me for years. He tells me to just say “thanks”. That’s it, end of story, just “thanks”. No need to soften it, no need to reciprocate, just “thanks”. Oh to be a man sometimes….I’ll keep working on it…anyway *sigh*.

These past few weeks, I’ve been feeling a little blah about my weight loss. I’m stuck. Feeling kind of like Charlie Brown and someone pulled the football out from under me. I need to put the mo-mo in my mo-jo! And with my writing? Well I feel like I’m boring myself with my blah-de-blah blog, let alone you, my awesomesauce blog readers. Thanks to Lynn for this great Charlie Brown pic. J

So if I go quiet for a while, know it’s because I’m taking some time to regroup and refocus mentally,  physically and spiritually. Spring is such a great time to for growth and reinvention.

As this new season approaches, what are you doing to keep motivated and focused?

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara