Lose 27 Pounds in 3 Weeks!

Weight Lost Since January 1st: 0
Days until my 50th Birthday: 127

Books and magazine headlines everywhere are promising that you can lose huge amounts of weight in ridiculously short amounts of time. There are three ways to do this and for maximum results, you will need to do all three: 1) Drastically cut down on the amount of food you put into your mouth; 2) Drastically increase the amount of time you devote to exercise each day; 3) Have any unnecessary body appendages surgically removed. Some days, #3 sounds like the easier solution.

Skipped my 10 minutes workout for two very good rationalizatoins, oh, I mean "reasons" yesterday: 1) I had hurt my knee and shoulder the previous day and they needed to rest; 2) God proclaimed we should rest on the seventh day and that was my seventh day.

Since I didn't devote my standard 10 minutes to exercise, I had more time yesterday to think about eating. In fact, I became a bit obsessed with it. You don't get to be my weight without a good, healthy obsession. I really, really, really wanted Cheese Puffs, glorious, radiation orange, greasy Cheesy Puffs. Normally, this obsession would work itself out by me stopping by my nearest grocery store and buying a family-size bag. But, because I'm "watching what I eat," I decided to buy the .99 cent bag at a gas station.

I'd like to be able to look back on that moment of weakness and say it wasn't worth it, that I didn't enjoy it. I really would like to be able to say that. But they were good. Really good. The best I can say is the obsession has now passed and today I do not want Cheese Puffs.

After one week of eating better and exercising, in which I had lost one pound, when I weighed this morning I was exactly where I had started. Someday, I hope to be able to make the connection between what I eat and what I weigh. That hasn't happened yet. When I am in obsessoin mode, I don't care. The good news is today is a new day and I can make new choices.

STRATEGY: Realize that each day offers you the opportunity to make new choices about what I eat and how I move my body.

AFFIRMATION: Today I rejoice in the knowledge that I can make new choices. I make healthy choices for my body, mind and spirit.

Unleashing Your Creative Genius

Days until my 50th Birthday: 131
Weight lost since January 1st: 1 lb.

If you ever think that you are not a creative genius, just remember back to the last time somebody asked you to join them at the gym. If you're like me, the creative juices start flowing immediately. Of course, to be effective, the reason you are not able to join them - under any circumstances - must sound somewhat reasonable. I like to stick to something like, ""Darn the luck, that's when I'm going to be practicing the didgeridoo in my ongoing studies of the native people of northern Australia." I bet you've come up with some winners, too.

On Monday, Prof. Wonderful and I committed to starting every day with 10 minutes of exercise. On Tuesday, I bounced out of bed, ready to meet the challenge. In less time than it takes to order a Value Meal at McDonald's I was filled with energy and ready to take on my day. Wednesday, same story. Why hadn't I been doing this all along? It's sooooo easy! Thursday - Is that a twinge in my knee? Maybe I should take today off. But then I remembered my committment and persevered. Didn't seem like nearly as much fun, but a deal is a deal. Friday - This is stupid. Is 10 minutes really going to change anything? What was I thinking? But I gotta do it; promised Prof. Wonderful. Saturday: Was I supposed to be doing something this morning?

Funny how the mind works. I spent a lot more than 10 minutes this morning coming up with a number of good, solid reasons why I shouldn't spend 10 minutes moving my body. Finally, the rationalizing grew so tiring I realized it would be easier to just do the exercises. And you know what? It felt good to honor my commitment to myself and to Prof. Wonderful.

STRATEGY: You know you're a creative genius when it comes to manufacturing excuses. Use that same genius to create a plan that will have you moving your body every day. Time crunch? Start with 10 minutes. Really out of shape? There are exercises you can do while sitting down. If you truly desire to have more energy and feel better, the creative genius within you can figure out how to make it happen, just give it a chance.

AFFIRMATION: Today I tap into my creative genius to create a lifestyle that gives me health and vitality.

Best and Worst Food Moments of 2009

Pounds lost since January 1st - 0.5
Days until my 50th birthday - 136

Nowadays, there are lists for everything - Best Movies of the Year, Best-Dressed Celebrities, Best McDonald's Drive-Thrus (oh, perhaps that one's just on my list). Food is a topic near and dear to my heart so why not a list of the best and worst food moments of the past year? Drum roll, please . . .

Best Food Moments of 2009
8. When my friend Bryan drove for hours so we could eat at Little America, which bills itself as, "The Finest Truck Stop in Wyoming." I don't even remember what I ate because I couldn't get over the fact that there was a chandelier over my table. At a truck stop. In Wyoming.

7. When Prof. Wonderful started packing Vegan Morningstar Veggie Burgers in his pants pockets "just in case" there wasn't food he could eat at the summer parties we attended. Not only were the dogs following him around, but I had to swat away a few vegan women, too.

6. There were many amazing discoveries in 2009, including a new giant rat species and the fossilized remains of a 42-foot snake, but none outranked the absolute joy Prof. Wonderful experienced when he discovered Go Raw - All Live Organic "Food" Bars. The bars are made of nuts and seeds and dried berries with no flavor added (they really didn't need to add that part; it's obvious). Prof. Wonderful describes them as "exquisite" but that's because he has not had sugar in over 20 years.

5. I made a great discovery myself - Coke made in Mexico is made with real sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup, and therefore I can drink it. Yes, I know carbonation depletes calcium; that's why I always make sure to have some ice cream after my soda. See? I'm always thinking.

4. When McDonald's brought back the McRib (for a limited time only!).

3. When I conducted the inaugural brownie contest to determine once-and-for-all the best boxed brownie mix. Don't try this at home; it will lead to pants with elasticized waist bands. The winner is Ghiradelli dark chocolate brownies with chocolate chips. Dark, crunchy bits of heaven.

2. Eating the last of the chestnut dressing at my Aunt's house. It's my grandmother's recipe and makes the holidays complete.

And the #1 Best Food Moment of 2009 is, without a doubt,
1. When I got a doctor's note saying I should not eat soy food . . . in any form (I had to pay a little extra for that last part). Tofurkeys everywhere breathed a sigh of relief that day. Tofu , soy milk, soy cheese, soy anything and everything was deemed off limits for me. Seems that for some people, soy can be inflammatory. I know I became inflamed whenever anyone tried to sneak some tofu into my food. Can I have an amen?

Worst Food Moments of 2009
3. When I realized that Pepperidge Farm was not coming out with its usual holiday cookie - the chocolate-dipped Milano double-chocolate cookie. Another sacred holiday tradition down the drain. The sorrow was quickly replaced by one of my Best Food Moments in 2009 - Chocolate-covered Ritz crackers. My doctor didn't say anything about not eating those!

2. Having to tell Prof. Wonderful that as much as I loved him, I just could not eat one more sandwich consisting of hummus on gluten-free bread. That was a rough patch, but we got through it.

1. Spending 2 days in San Francisco - a foodie's paradise - and not tasting one morsel of sourdough bread or dim sum. For those who do not know, dim sum is a traditional Chinese cuisine that consists of a variety of foods served in small portions for very large prices. Although some of it is not recognizable, there are lots of fried things from which to choose and that makes it all good.

STRATEGY #7: Create your own list of best moments from 2009. Like me, you'll probably find that the good far outweighs the bad.

AFFIRMATION #7: I enjoy eating foods that fuel my body.

The Law of Attraction Really Works!

The Law of Attraction teaches us that what we focus on grows. My question is this: WHO HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON MY BEHIND? Because it's definitely growing!

A friend of mine, whom I now lovingly refer to as, "She's dead to me," said wasn't it funny how I started a blog in 2009 about losing weight and I've actually gained some weight since then. If my hands hadn't been busy trying to get the last piece of brownie out of the baking pan, she would have been in real trouble.

The good news is the Law of Attraction really does work and it's true - what we focus our attention on grows. Key is focusing on what I want - to have a slimmer, more healthy body filled with vitality. Truth is, I spend a lot of 2009 focusing on what I didn't want - like brownies. I'd focus so much attention on those brownies that I "didn't want" that I was burning my mouth because I couldn't wait for them to cool from the oven.

Each day is a new beginning and a new chance to choose how we will live our lives. Today is the dawning of a new year and a new decade. Today I can make one small change that will make a difference by the next time the ball drops at Times Square. Today I choose to focus on a strong, healthy body and I know one way to do that is to cut out high fructose corn syrup from my diet.

For companies like Nestle, Coke, etc., it's a cheap way to make what we eat and drink taste sugary good. Problem is, doctors now think it short-wires the mechanism that tells us we're full so we keep on eating. That's good news for the manufacturers: they load their foods and drinks with a nonnutritious sweetener that makes us keep eating. It's like crack for foodies!

Sodas are first to go (and I love me some Dr. Pepper). That's a small change, but for today, it's enough. Wishing you enough in this wonder-filled New Year.

STRATEGY #5: Focus on what you want to create in your life.

AFFIRMATION #5: My body is filled with health and vitality.

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Weight During the Holidays

Studies show that Americans pack on two- to three-pounds during the holidays. What a bunch of wimps! I can do that in a weekend. Haven't these so-called "Americans" ever heard of fried turkeys? Sweet potato pie? 5-cheese mashed potatoes with cheese gravy?

Like most, I look forward to celebrating this sacred holiday by tithing heavily at Best Buys and other major retailers. And this year I've had lots of opportunities since retailers started decorating for Christmas before Halloween. Who doesn't enjoy hearing Christmas carols ringing gaily through the store while buying suntan lotion in July? Without that reminder, I just might forget that Christmas is coming; that is, if every radio and TV commercial didn't remind me that the best way to show someone I care this holiday season is by giving big gobs of my money to a store. This year I plan to avoid the hassles of shopping and just send my money directly to the stores. Maybe I'll send a JCPenney's giftcard to Macy's and visa versa.

But getting back to the diet tips, I have indeed found a way to actually lose weight during the holidays, during vacations, and during any other time that you might want to actually enjoy food. Grab a pen and paper, you'll want to write this down:

1) Eat with a vegan.
2) Eat with a vegan.
3) Eat with . . . . oh, you get the idea.

Vegans are people who for health or ethical reasons do not eat meat, dairy or any food with actual flavor. They do eat something made from bean curd that they laughingly call, "tofurkey." It's well known that tofurkey is a leading cause of convulsions among friends of vegans who unwittingly have tried this "food," so, you see, it's not really a laughing matter.

This year, I celebrated two Thanksgivings; one filled with sugar, butter and lard the way our forefathers intended, and one with my vegan partner, Prof. Wonderful. Let me be clear - I am very grateful to have Prof. Wonderful in my life. But I am also very grateful that King Sooper's was open on my way home so I could truly start the holidays in style - with chocolate-covered Ritz crackers. Yes, this really is at a supermarket near you this holiday season! My heart almost stopped when I saw them; and that was before I ate them! And yes, everything does taste better on a Ritz. Geez, maybe I should give that tofurkey another try.

The Countdown Begins

388 days until I am Fit By 50!

My 50th birthday wishes: Only one chin, less wiggle when I walk, more vitality when I hike, for the doctor to smile at me instead of frown when I come in for my physical. Right now, Dr. Pepper is the only doctor who approves my diet.

Today I am at Step 1 of Change. I am considering what I have to give up to be Fit by 50! McDonald's, brownies, french fries, ice cream all come to mind. Am I really ready to give them up? And do I have to give them up completely to be successful? Is it to possible to eat healthy most of the time and take a quick hit of fries when needed? Is it possible to lose weight while sitting on my couch eating a brownie and watching other people do it on Infomercials?

I need to contemplate this and grieve what was before I can embrace what can be. I believe I can best do this with some brownies. Please excuse me while I go to the store. Ghiradelli's dark chocolate rocks! (All part of the grieving process, I assure you.)

STRATEGY #2: Release the old before you begin the new. Realize that every change - even those we want - means we are giving up something in our lives. Before making the change, give yourself time to release the old.

AFFIRMATION #2:

I release old patterns that no longer serve me. I move forward with joyful anticipation.

Affirmations are a powerful way to create what you want in your life. It's not enough to just say the affirmation, you've got to feel it. Feel the excitement, the joy, the passion as you are creating the life you want to live. Say this affirmation out loud until you feel its truth. Shout it until the neighbors think you are crazy. Say it while dancing around the living room. It's your life. Live out loud!

Transforming from fat to fit

In 2010, I, along with millions of other Baby Boomers, will be turning 50 (please allow me to pause and take a deep breath). I don't even understand how that happened, let alone how I managed to be fat throughout my entire 40s. And it's not just the, "I think this car makes my butt look big," or "These bangs make my face look fat." It's actually my doctor (who is no size 6 herself) looking at me sternly and saying, "Your weight puts you at high risk for diabetes, heart attacks and strokes."

My cholesterol numbers are where my credit score should be, my ass-ets are blooming beyond what I can charitably call the middle-aged spread (and who wants that anyway?) and I'm ready to go from fit to fat. Except I want to do it without changing anything I eat or starting to exercise. Can you relate?

The truth is, I am ready to stop whining and and start creating the body I want. A body that is strong, flexible and will support me when I am hiking, shopping or even carrying my groceries. Why is it that a bag filled with potato chips, dip and soda weighs a lot less than a bag filled with pesticide-free garbanzo beans? But I digress . . .

This blog is a cheap way to find encouragement from complete strangers. It is also a community where we can support each other, share best practices and find out what works for real people - how we can stregthen our bodies, our minds and our spirits together.

Are you ready to be fit by 50? Together we can do it! I have 55 weeks until I am 50 years old, which is about the number of pounds I need to lose. Join me in this transformation. Knowing that other people are checking on my progress might actually get me to bypass McDonald's. Knowing that you are getting fit by 50 too may keep me from picking up the Milano Double Chocolate cookies next time I'm at the grocery store (I like to hide them under the organic produce in case I run into anyone I know). Imagine what an impact we could make on our lives and the world if one million Baby Boomers committed to getting Fit by Fifty.

STRATEGY #1: Set an intent. Be very specific about what you want and how you are going to achieve it. Put it in writing and place it where you will see it many times a day. Example: "I choose to walk 15 minutes today and drink 8 oz. of water before every meal so I can be Fit by 50."Make tons of these. Put one on the bathroom mirror so you can see it as your trying to cover your excess with a towel. Put one on the box of cookies, cakes or other fun foods you've got in the house. Put one on the dashboard of your car.

AFFIRMATION #1: I am grateful for this amazing body that serves me in so many ways.

Affirmations are a powerful way to create what you want in your life. It's not enough to just say the affirmation, you've got to feel it. Feel the excitement, the joy, the passion as you are creating the life you want to live. Say this affirmation out loud until you feel its truth. Shout it until the neighbors think you are crazy. Say it while dancing around the living room. It's your life. Live out loud!