On Wednesday I started discussing what I have learned from my 2 year journey to losing weight. At the time I started I was well overweight by most objective standards. Today I am at a healthy weight with a 15 lb. cushion (and that’s the way I like it!). Many have asked how I did it and to me, the most important part was changing how I think about me, my weight, my fitness and my eating habits. As much as you may hate me saying this, it really is a battle of the mind first and foremost. If you choose to think that you can diet for a specific period of time and then binge afterwards, you might as well just forego the whole diet thing altogether. I asked you to consider 5 questions on Wednesday…to thoroughly examine how and why you eat, how and why you do or don’t exercise and who you are as a person. Everyone is different and my path to fitness and health will most likely be different than your path. But, these questions helped me identify what would and would not work for me and I hope they do the same for you:

1. When do I tend to overeat? I am a mid-afternoon and late evening snacker. This is my big battleground.  At first I tried not to eat after 7 pm. Total failure! So, I have to have foods I like on hand that don’t contain too many calories for those snack attacks late at night. I had to experiment to find foods that quelled the “hungries!”
2. Why do I overeat? In my case, it’s usually because I’m watching TV or I’m bored or tired. It’s essential that you understand why you do this. Do you eat when you feel sad? Do you eat when you’re angry or frustrated? Then, be ready to combat this head on, with some coping strategies. It’s probably better for you to punch your pillow or cry it out or hop on a treadmill than to eat yourself into a heart attack or diabetes. The pillow, your red, blotchy swollen face, and your tired, aching body will recover—your heart and metabolism may not. If you’re trying to squelch a memory of a bad childhood trauma, then you may need a professional to help you figure this stuff out.
3. Do I like to exercise in the morning or at night or at noon? When do you have the most energy to exercise? The PH is an “early bird” and gets his workout in before I even get up in the morning! I, on the other hand, prefer to work out in the “dark of night.” I sleep better doing it late at night (This defies research, folks. I’m just weird!) and I have more energy then, since I’m a night owl. The PH just shakes his head at this pattern of mine. It’s okay—I groan and roll over in my bed when he gets up at o’ dark thirty for his little pattern.)
4. Do I like to exercise alone or do I need an accountability buddy? Most studies will say that working out with someone usually works better.  Again, I defy research here. I find that it’s hard to find someone with the same fitness level and the willingness to put up with all the idiosyncrasies of my health adventures that often invade my workouts. So, I work out alone, on my enclosed porch, where I can wear really stupid combinations of t-shirts, leggings, shorts, sox and tennies without being critiqued by the fitness fashion police.
5. Do I like working out outdoors or indoors? While I usually enjoy my outdoor workouts, I hate taking a flashlight with me to work out at night and many areas where I would do this are not safe for a female alone at night. So, I usually work out indoors. The lighting in my neighborhood is still sparse and we have “varmints” in our neighborhood that are just as nocturnal as I am. Remember: I like to work out alone—in a “No Varmint” zone.
6. Do I have any health conditions or changes in my general health that should be monitored by a doctor while I work out and change my diet? If so, be smart and check with that doctor first before making major changes. I agree—it’s a pain, but then dying from a too-kamikaze workout is usually rather painful, too. I think you should opt for the doctor-inflicted pain myself.

Don’t miss You 3.0: Mindset, Part III next Wednesday, May 14th!

Tomorrow’s Post: MaryAnn is a songwriter???

You might also like: You 3.0: Mindset, Part I, Lessons Learned from Visiting Sam Moon for the First Time, Absolutely, & It’s All About the Splash

One of the post-DD-and-DSL-wedding perks is that I am 33 lbs. lighter these days. People still come up to me and say, “Wow! You look great!  What did you do?”  I offer up my journey to “MaryAnn 3.0” only because the “Battle of the Bulge” is often a very painful, back and forth journey for many people and not because I think I have it all figured out.  For all I know, tomorrow I may gain 33 lbs. But, for those who truly want to win the battle this time and want a little bit of hope, here is how I approached it and the lessons I have learned along the way. I have greatly modified my original version of this, so it may seem quite different for the FB readers! And since the original version was ridiculously long, I’m breaking this up into “bite-sized pieces,” so that it’s a little more easily “digested.” (Did you really think I would talk about dieting without throwing in some “groaner”-type humor? C’mon…you know me better than that!)

So, today’s “theme” of the bite-sized pieces is “mindset.” My “journey” began with the realization, one day, that I really do know how to lose weight and get healthy. I don’t need another diet book. I don’t need more gym equipment or another gym membership. I know what to do, because I’ve already tried a bunch of weight loss methods. So, the counselor in me decided I needed to get honest by answering a pile of questions about how I like to eat, workout and think! Folks? This was the key to my success. If you honestly answer these questions and design your “plan” around who you are, then you’ll succeed, too!

1. Do I enjoy cooking? When they were handing out the cooking gene, I apparently thought they said “hooking,” and avoided the line. The only time I enjoy cooking is on holidays, so if I’m going to diet, it has to involve as little time in the kitchen as possible. And I have noticed the more time I spend gawking at food, smelling food, cooking, doing dishes, and cleaning my kitchen, the more I eat. So, I don’t watch the Food Channel, don’t gawk at FB and Pinterest food pics and avoid my kitchen like the Bulge-bonic plague that it is. Step away from the Food porn!
2. What kind of time do I have to devote to healthy cooking? When I started this little “battle plan” of mine, I was in grad school, doing my counseling intern hours, working, studying for comps and helping my daughter plan her wedding. In other words, I had zero time to cook, even if I had gotten the gene.
3. How much money can I budget for eating in a healthy way? While I do think that, over time, you will come out about even on the money spent for healthy eating, the fact remains that changing what’s in your refrig and pantry is going to take some initial cash outlay, if you’re like most Americans. And no, eating up the bad stuff first is not okay. I know how you think.
4. Do I eat breakfast? Studies show that if you eat protein in the morning, you will most likely lose weight or weigh less. So, if you’re not a breakfast person, here’s your first “battleground.” I recommend trying to drink something by no later than 9 am, at first, to get yourself in the habit of consuming something in the morning. Then, work yourself up to having that protein. If you have to, work yourself backward from noon in 15 minute intervals.
5. Do I snack regularly? If not, you’re probably sabotaging your weight loss efforts. Yes, eat more often. This is how Dolly Parton took off her weight…she  broke her 3 big meals into 6 smaller meals, spaced evenly throughout the day. This causes your metabolism to work more efficiently. Dolly has kept her weight off, utilizing this little lifestyle change…for decades. I think all the weight went to her wigs.

To Be Continued on Friday: You 3.0: Mindset, Part II…

Tomorrow’s Post: I wish all my rivers were mink…

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