SIS#24 - How to Advise a Friend

Self-Improvement Sundays

***23 weeks complete, On pace, 65 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Much effort and 1 more pound this week. Hey, I'll take it. Some of you may have noticed my midweek tweet. "1st 3 mile run in a few years. 32:48...not exactly Olympic, but feels like gold. I'd like to do a 5k this fall for fun. 5m 6d since 300lbs." So the cardio is slowly strengthening and the body is getting that "Hey, let's go!" feeling.

It's interesting to me that no one commented on my post two weeks ago when I gained a pound. But then, what would one say? When you watch a friend stumble while trying, what do you say? Let me give a few ideas from my point of view post-stumble.

1. Sometimes stuff just happens. I didn't blow it that week, but what if I did? On the path to good things, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back.

2. Keep the big picture in mind. At that point I was 21 weeks in and 61 pounds down. That's still astounding success in spite of a bump in the road. In other words, changing plans drastically is probably a bad idea.

3. Honor individual dignity and purpose. I think the words that might have meant the most to me would have gone something like this: "Look what you've been able to accomplish so far! The same resolve and creativity that's gotten you this far can take you even farther." The worst advice would be: "I knew that Weight Watchers program was a bad program all along. Here's what you need to do to succeed..." The sad thing is that many people don't even realize the controlling, dehumanizing nature of that comment.

4. What do you want and why do you want it? No matter what's happening at this very moment, helping a friend to stay focused on mid- to long-term goals is always great.

5. Don't coddle me. One of my favorite scenes from the movie Iron Will is where Will is about dead on his feet several days into the sled race. He wakes up early again, after just 2 or 3 hours sleep, and can't feel his legs. The newspaper reporter who's waiting with him tells him there's no way he can go on. Will responds with something like "help me stand up or get out of my way!" I want the dignity of pushing myself beyond my normal limits to accomplish something great. Help me if you like, but don't coddle me!

So that's what I've been thinking about. Helpful?

SIS#23 - The 7-Milers Begin

Self-Improvement Sundays

***22 weeks complete, On pace, 64 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

We're back in business, baby! Thanks to a redoubled effort with 7+ miles/day walking, I was thrilled to grab a three pound week for the first time in a while. I've always known that exercise was my ace in the hole, so now I'm playing it.

For the inquiring minds that want to know, this doesn't mean that I walk a 7-mile course everyday. I just drop my pedometer in my pocket every morning and don't go to bed until it says 7 miles (12,000 steps for my stride length). I've done just a skitch of jogging in there, but I'm able to multi-task better when I'm walking...podcasts, todo lists, prayer time, things like that.

The focus is still on nutrition, but the walking is an added dimension.

I emailed Col this week and described how badly I want this goal now. True, I've already won, but I want the grand prize that I've laid out. Not getting 101 pounds in a year still doesn't mean defeat, but I'm not going down without a fight. Right now the fight goes out to my walking paths.

SIS #22 - Staying Hitched

Self-Improvement Sundays

***21 weeks complete, Behind pace, 61 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Well, it's finally happened, as I knew it would. I've gone up a pound. In 21 weeks, this is the first time I haven't lost at least a pound each week. Anxiety? No, relief.

My daily readings this week were probably a bit better than last week's actually. In all the up and down, though, I didn't get the dip below the previous week's low. That's a first, but I knew it was going to happen. Mathematically, you can't lose a pound/week forever!

There's a scene in the movie Far and Away that I relate to. Near the end of the movie, they have a race into the western frontier to claim stakes of land. Hundreds of wagons and horses and families are lined up waiting for the signal. And the gun is fired and dirt flies as pioneers gallop toward their destinies.

Tom Cruise's character is on horseback alone, and has a significant advantage over families trying to carry their accumulated possessions with a team and a covered wagon.

I'm staying hitched. That's the point. Yes, I'm a claim staker like everyone else, but I won't unhitch from the family to get my land. And our claim may ultimately be humble, but we'll be together.

The weight loss has been rewarding, but if you've been tracking with me at any depth you're aware that this has more to do with life change. My life goals are much more broad and meaningful than how I weigh in on the scale.

I actually hit the track yesterday and did a 3-mile run/walk, slow jogging 7 or 8 of the 12 laps. It felt pretty good and I was pleased that my heart rate monitor was pretty kind to me.

I have no illusions that I can exercise an hour a day in our crazy family life right now. But I'm hopeful for more. Is 101 in 1 an attainable goal? A college prof said it like this: "He who shoots for the stars does not end up with mud in his fingers."

SIS#21 - Whew! Most Dramatic of Weeks

Self-Improvement Sundays

***20 weeks complete, On pace, 62 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Another challenging week! Some of you might have caught my Saturday Facebook update:

"Don't have my pound yet this week! It would be the first no-loss week since January 17. I've decided to fast today and possibly tomorrow...until I get it. Can you feel the drama?!"

I ended up eating only salad, apples and cherries. By morning I had my pound, plus one. Nice!

So why go all kamikaze for a single pound? I even said just last week that I'm bound to have a zero week at some point. Well, this was my first week embracing the aggressive new goal of 101 in 1. I just felt determined not to start out that way.

My hunch is that the 3-pounds I got last week were due to an over-generous reading on our home scale. Whatever the case, I should be back on track. Hopefully I'm poised to push the pace all the way to the end.