With Each Days “Chip” Comes a Victory…
I know, I know, you have heard the old saying before: "Take things a day at a time!" It sounds like such common sense, but in the minds of we "Biggest Losers", it can be easy to forget - especially when we are all at different points of our journeys.
For me, I am not trying to "lose" the weight as much as "maintain" from my 80lb loss. There is no "before & after" people, only "then & now". It's a life style, and you can't stop when you reach your goal - but don't let that discourage you. It's worth it. 
Now back to it (man I go on tangents!)...
One common scenario is when I end up eating something I either didn't really want to eat, or didn't plan on eating. Since I count calories, it's very important to me to keep on track throughout my day, especially considering there are many nights that the wife and I make dinner "on the fly". (Speaking of which, she made some AMAZING Guacamole Chicken the other night - more on that in another post!) I tend to sometimes look at my day at that point and think "Well there goes today!" and will then tend to snack more just because I feel I have already somehow ruined my day - which simply isn't the case. I could eat a smaller dinner, or - guess what - even workout and burn some of those extra calories away! Duh!
My point is - in order to succeed on our respective missions, we need to take each little thing we do to help ourselves towards our goals and be proud of them. We can't let each little bump in the road halt our progress. I finally took my own advice last week, and low-and-behold, look what my new attitude has given me in return:
TA-DA!
My first #7daychip in a long time! I am so happy, and very proud to be part of such an amazing group of individuals, all striving towards the same goal!
WHAT??!?!? You have never heard of the #7daychip? FTW?! Here are some basic "guidelines" that you will need to understand before trying for it:
- No longer can I eat without thinking.
- No longer can I eat to comfort myself.
- No longer can I eat to abuse myself.
- No longer can I eat because I don’t feel good about myself.
- No longer can I eat for stimulation.
You can find all the information you need right here on Brad Gansberg's site. Be sure to tell him Miller sent you!
PS. Today is my Day 11 - how are YOU doing?
Fitness is a Journey, Not a Destination…
When I started my blog at retroactiv.com this past January, I launched what I felt was a clever tag line that summarized my experience with weight loss. "Fitness is a journey, not a destination. Start your journey today. Tomorrow is just an excuse." Pretty clever, huh. :)
I truly believe it to be true. It stemmed from the fact that I had heard so many people talk about how they were losing weight and on "diets". The word "diet" insinuates that its a temporary change that one is going through, that will have a finite end. This is simply not the case. Deciding to get in shape is a LIFESTYLE change. You must change everything from what you put into your body to how much physical activity you do on a daily basis - and continue to do so once you reach your goals.
This brings me to the point of this post. As I sit and reminis about all the struggles I endured while on my weight loss journey, I have come to realize that there is a much harder journey ahead: maintenance. Now that I have reached my goals, I have found that making the right choices can even be more difficult. Part of it is that now that I am "skinny", people think I should be able to eat whatever I want (which is how I got to be obese in the first place). "Want to go to the buffet today?" Of course I do - but not twice a week. "You only had one piece of pizza? Whats wrong skinny?" WTF. I am not that hungry. Damn. Yes I still count calories, and I am NEVER going to stop. I also still wear my heart rate monitor - even when shoveling snow or cutting the grass. Get over it.
The maintenance has been the most difficult part of the journey for me. I read a great post about feeling "guilty" about eating too much or skipping going to the gym the other day, and I must say that I completely feel the same way as Jon does. It's not that I am afraid to gain the weight back (ok, maybe a am a little), but now that I know what it took to lose it, I will NEVER let myself slip up again.
The point? While on your journey, realize that you will need to push yourself just as hard to maintain your "new self" as you did when you were trying to reach your goal. Not only will that help you manage your cravings and expectations, but it will ensure that you will never end up gaining all the weight back that you worked so hard to lose. Fitness is a journey, not a destination.
Believe in Yourself
This is a guest post by my friend Jon Luciano. We crossed paths via Twitter when I saw a tweet by Jon that started our friendship off through some encouragement and a common goal. Since then, Jon and I have continued to support each other through the trials and tribulations of our journeys. Please check out the post below, and be sure to visit his blog at extreme-workout.com and follow him on Twitter at @jonluciano. Oh, and by the way, though he is a HUGE Broncos fan, this is NOT his car... Regardless of what @freitag might say... :)
Losing weight is tough and certainly presents a number of challenges. There are challenges around every corner along the weight loss journey. Before you embark on the journey you are faced with a challenge….starting! The first step is always the most difficult. It is also the most rewarding. I would bet that if a bunch of people who have lost weight were polled and asked when they took the first step to their new life, every one of them could tell you the exact date. I know I can: February 24, 2010.
Getting Back on Track…
You know what feels great? Getting back on track with my workout routine. After my amazing trip to the Bahamas with my beautiful wife, I came back a rested, though slightly more "jiggly" man. The week off of working out quickly turned into two, and then the third week I walked a 10k and that was it. Blah.
The last few days, however, helped me to get back on track. Two things happened to help me re-focus.
The first is that I started hitting the gym with my "better half", which allows us to catch up with each other over some leg presses and ab crunches. Anyone who knows us knows that we are more than husband and wife - we are best friends. Having your best friend be a part of your fitness routine is an AWESOME way to stay motivated and share in one's journey toward their goals.
The second is that I got a burst of new followers on Twitter - most of which our on their way to their goals as well. Reading their posts and their blogs has helped me to remember why I started all of this in the first place.
I had hoped to help inspire OTHERS by starting my blog, what I didn't expect is that YOU would help to motivate & inspire me as well.... Thank you. :)
Tips for Getting in the Habit
What if someone told you that a thinner, healthier, and longer life was within your grasp? Sound too good to be true? According to a wealth of research, exercise is the silver bullet for a better quality of life. Not only does regular exercise aid in weight loss, it reduces your risk for several chronic diseases and conditions. Finding activities that you enjoy and that become part of your daily routine is the key to a long and healthy life.
The list of health benefits is impressive, and the requirements are relatively simple -- just do it. This sounds easier than it sometimes is. You need to make working out an everyday habit in your life. Everyone is tired. Everyone works all day. Everyone has kids. Don't let these things become excuses.
Although it’s tempting to flop down on the couch when you’re feeling exhausted, exercise is actually a great way to boost energy levels. Feeling tired is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip exercise. Even when you admit that you’d feel better if you exercised, it can be very hard to adopt the habit. Follow the link below to read about 11 tips that will help you to stay off the couch and on track to a new you!
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Helpful Resources
- Detour Bars The best protein bars on the planet!
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