For those of you tuning in late, allow me to bring you up to speed:
A few weeks ago, I blogged about being a hypocrite. You can check out the archives, but, basically, I was sharing that, for about two years, I was preaching healthy lifestyles from the McDonald’s drive-through. Finally, after Christmas, I saw a number on the scale that I had never seen before, and had I been able to bend over to pick up the scale, I probably would have thrown it very far. That day, I started Weight Watchers.
Without solicitation, my wife joined as well. It’s always easier to do things with a buddy, and although I was determined to do this on my own, it’s a lot easier when there’s less unhealthy food in the house. So I’ve been following all of the rules, tracking points, and the pounds have been fleeing. To date, after about 14 weeks, I have lost about 35 pounds of my very own. I also recently read that judging fitness solely by weight isn’t the best, so I invested in a scale that tells me a whole lot more, and have discovered that I have also trimmed my total body fat by about 1/3. So there.
What’s that? The title of this article has a number that is a bit higher than 35 pounds? Congratulations, and all that, but this is false advertising? Before you contact your lawyers, let me explain. My friends at the local Rescue Squad where I volunteer have gradually noticed a slimmer me. At about 15 pounds, they noticed, and I rambled on about how easy I really felt it was. One of them (and her husband) also joined. Together, they have lost about 40 pounds in about 4 weeks. One of my rookies just joined (he’s a WW veteran, like me). I haven’t heard the numbers yet, but I’d guess about 10 pounds. Another one, a bride to be, is threatening to join. My wife has added about 15 pounds to the pile. A couple of people who I interact with through our local Chamber of Commerce noticed, asked, and are now “on the bandwagon”. My mother, who turns 67 this month, has dropped about 20 pounds now. My dad (68 this year) isn’t even ON the program, but just by eating healthier, had lost about 15 pounds as of last month. Another guy at the squad who was on a fitness program, and then kind of stopped, is back on it again. It’s contagious.
If you’re familiar with Weight Watchers, it’s about diet and exercise. Really, any of these programs work, you just have to follow all the rules. People much wiser about nutrition and fitness than you and I devise the rules. You cheat? You don’t lose weight. It’s quite simple. I watched my mom stand at the kitchen island and “clean the dishes” (read: eat the leftovers). I told her she was cheating. She rolled her eyes. Then she got on the scale the next morning. She didn’t cheat that night.
The purpose of this is not to plug Weight Watchers. Really, all of those programs work. Atkins, South Beach, you name it. You have to follow the rules. All of them. You can’t pick and choose the rules you like, it doesn’t work that way. When I finally got around to it, and put the remote down, and started eating a little bit better, and exercising, it all happened. And, it has happened for a lot of others. I don’t feel I’m suffering. When I finally go on duty on Friday night, I’ve saved enough points to eat just about anything I want. I usually have enough left on Saturday to misbehave a little bit, as well.
I’ll turn 41 this year, and I am almost back to my high school “playing weight”. That’s saying something. I challenge everybody reading this to try something a little bit different. Go look in the mirror. 90% of you are unhappy with something that you see. Do something about it. Do it with a buddy. Eat better and exercise a little bit. When you keep hearing the news stories that say America is fat and out of shape….. they just might be talking about you.
I’ve got nearly 200 reasons that say YOU can do something about it. As for me, I’m not done counting.
Be healthy, live longer!
