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| Image Courtesy of: rx4betterhealth.com |
Each year my employer runs a wellness program - with this year's effort being notable for not being so heavy handed and guilt ridden. Given my size, I was somewhat surprised when the Admin from our Human Capital team reached out yesterday and asked me to share my story.
I am sharing here so that you have context for my personal choice to opt for picking real over faux (or fast) food...
“I am shocked when I see pictures of myself – the self
image does not sync up with what my eyes see. This year, I decided that I can
either sit back and wait for some magical change to happen or I can do
something constructive to align the image in my head with the one that you see.
Those constructive actions can be broken down into three steps...
Step one - I realized that by the time I
get in the car, drive to the fast food joint, get my food, and drive home; I
could actually just fix something fresh and healthily. As a result, I have rediscovered that I love cooking. Also, there is zero junk food in my
house - a unconditional key to being successful is not having it within easy
reach. When start to dream about that Snickers bar I just remind myself
that, “I know what that tastes like but, I do not know what my goal weight
feels like” (quote credit for that one goes to Rose).
Step Two - I joined Weight Watchers with my
Fiancée. I could not do this successfully on my own. Together, we keep
each other accountable and are chasing our weight loss goals. We prop each
other up on the bad days and celebrate the successes. I have found the Weight Watchers eTools and overall points tracking system easy to do and have been able to
sustain their use over the last 40 days. They also coach you to look at
your loss in 5% increments (instead of focusing on a huge number) – as I write
this, I can share that there is 5% less of me than there was at the start of
June. That is a huge motivator as I roll up my sleeves and fight through the
next five percent.
Step Three - You cannot lose weight
effectively until you get off the couch and exercise. For me, that has
taken the form of swimming four to five times per week. I started out slow
(four laps, rest, four more laps, etc) but I am now up to a half mile, without
stopping, each time I get in the pool. DVR that TV show and make this a
priority in your life and it will become routine.
I will not kid you, this is not an easy journey but, I
ate it so I own it. Make healthy food choices, find a support system, and
get off the couch – you will see results and you will believe that you can do
it.”
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