Weight loss: Assess your readiness to change.

       I found a list of questions on the Mayo Clinic web site. I was reading the questions and decided that I wanted to answer them for myself. Some of the questions I have answers for and others I really don’t have an answer for.

1. Are you motivated to make long-term lifestyle changes?

            Yes, I really believe that I am. When I started I don’t think I was really sure because there were a lot of changes at once and I didn’t think I would be able to handle all of them. The more weight I lose the more I have no desire to go back to that person. I told everyone that I’m trying to figure out what to do with old pictures. I know I will keep them, but I want to put them away. I really just get sick to my stomach when I look at them.

2. Have you addressed the big distractions in your life?

          Yes. I have addressed the big distractions in my life. Really, I stopped making excuses for the other things that were going on in my life. I used to say that school was my main focus and nothing else mattered. Then I said that finding a job was the most important thing and nothing else mattered, but during all of those times I found a way to go out, drink, and party. I was making that a priority, along with school and work. Once I realized that the bar, drinking, and being totally wild were not that important I was able to focus on different things. Now I’ve realized that I’m still wild and I always have a good time, just with less alcohol and for some reason I’m able to remember the funny things that happen. I’m pretty sure I’m funnier these days too. It’s funny how that happens. :)

3. Do you have a realistic picture of how much weight you'll lose and how quickly?

            I didn’t have a realistic picture of how much weight I should be losing, but Zach and Janelle do. They keep me in check and remind me that lasting weight loss is a slow process. If I had my way, I would have lost a lot weight in a short amount of time. I know that I would have been bad and I probably would have gained the weight right back. Zach even asked me what my overall goal was in this process and I told him if I could really have my way I would weigh 110 pounds, have blonde hair, a nice tan, and live on the beach drinking margaritas. He said he’d try to work that into my plan. I’ve learned over time that slow and consistent weight loss is going to be my key to keeping the weight off.

4. Have you resolved any emotional issues connected to your weight?

            Um…I know some people may think this a cop-out, but I’m not sure I had emotional issues related to my weight. I think I have a few more now that I’ve lost a bunch of weight, but I don’t think I had any before. Before the weight loss I didn’t really think about it. I think now when I look at old pictures I wonder what I must have been thinking and I do get grossed out by old pictures. I know a lot of people say their weight loss is for a healthier life, and mine is too, but mine is also because I want to look better. Maybe that makes me vain and self-centered, but it’s the truth. Being healthier was a major priority, but it wasn’t the top priority.

5. Do you have support and accountability?

            This question is funny. Heck yea I have support and accountability and the more weight I lose the more support I have. The biggest supports are Zach, Janelle, and Ashley. They have the top spots simply because they are the ones that make my meal plans and go to the gym with me. I have a ton of people around me that support me and let whine and complain about food, workouts, saggy skin, etc, etc. I’m also accountable to myself and everyone around me. I’ve made such a huge fuss about all of this when I started that if I fail at this I will be letting all of the people around me down because I spent so much time convincing them that this was a good thing for me to be doing. I honestly feel like I have more support and accountability that I know what to do with and now that I have a blog the level of support has increased again! I’m on support overload; in a good way.

6. Have you embraced the weight-loss challenge?

            Yes, yes I have and it is still a challenge every day. It is so easy to think about old habits and almost fall right back into them. I think Zach and Janelle realized I was serious about all of this when I wanted tomato soup and oyster crackers. I had enough calories to have 47 oyster crackers in my soup. I stood there and counted all 47 of them. It was worth it in the end. I know I’ve embraced the challenge every Saturday night when I go home early because I have to be at the gym at 9 A.M. on Sundays. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when I tell people that I’m not available to hang out until after 6 P.M. most nights because I’m usually at the gym until that time. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when everyone wants to go out for drinks and I order water and offer to be the designated driver. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when someone tells me that one beer won’t hurt and I still refuse. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when someone tells me that one night off won’t kill me and having some drinks and extra food isn’t going to be a bad thing and I tell them that it won’t kill me, but it will set me back. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when I have to plan for weeks at a time before I do get a “cheat” day and I spend extra time at the gym to prepare for it. I know I’ve embraced the challenge when I’m tired and I still go to the gym and give it everything I’ve got. I know I’ve embraced the challenge every time I put on my clothes and they are a little bigger than the last time I wore them.