SpeakerBiz Graduate

SpeakerBiz Institute Graduate

Hello, friends

You may have noticed my absence in the blogging world.  In addition to creating a beautiful website (coming soon!), I received my completion certificate from the SpeakerBiz Institute.  My passion for weight loss extends to both writing and speaking.  If you would like to hear me speak on how losing weight is like starting a business, click here.

It’s a Secret

Weight loss is all about accountability.  But, who do you keep accountable to?  Some experts say you need to check in with a personal trainer, nutritionist or support group.  At the very least, you should tell people you love that you are trying to lose weight.

Telling your loved ones does not keep you accountable!  

Rogue

Diets don’t work.  No one can succeed on their own.  Someone needs to tell me what to do and when to do it.

If you have ever said those words, the weight loss industry has you fooled!  According to the NWCR, 46% of successful losers did not join a support group or diet program.

The NWCR is a study group designed to extract the secrets of successful losers who maintained an average weight loss of 60 pounds over 5 years.  I am one of their 4,000 registrants.  As such, I complete an annual questionnaire and follow-up surveys from time to time.  I also get access to the latest research on weight loss.

If you’ve ever been told that you need an individualized weight loss plan crafted by a nutrition or fitness expert, then you’ve been lied to. 

If you’ve ever been told that you need to buy the latest product or supplement on the market in order to reach your goals, then you’ve been swindled. 

If you’ve been told that you need to get approval from anyone on how to live, then you have been wronged.

One of my favorite characters on X-men was Rogue.  Rogue was an extremely powerful but conflicted woman who absorbed the powers and memories of anyone she touched.  I never liked her name.  Until I looked up the definition of “rogue”.

A rogue is an independent person who rejects conventional rules of society in favor of following their own personal goals and values.

Now we’re talking!

You don’t need to follow the rules in order to lose weight.  I’ve read countless books that tell you that bread is the devil, potatoes are evil, and meat is for barbarians.  Guess what?  I ate all of those things, and still lost 100 pounds!

No one can tell you what your own personal goals and values are.  I am not your mother.  I won’t tell you to eat your vegetables, stop eating your favorite foods, or join a gym.

What I will tell you is sometimes you have to be a rogue in order to succeed at weight loss.

Clean Plate Club

Are you a member of the Clean Plate Club (CPC)? If you are, you probably eat more than you should.

Can’t is a 4 Letter Word

I ran as fast as I could to the safety of my room.  There, I crawled underneath my bed and laid my tear-streaked face on the rough carpet.  Repeating over and over to myself, “I can’t, I can’t, I just can’t”.

 

The cause of this turmoil?  My Ma had just told me that I should stop eating potato chips.  I was a young child, and I was obese.

 

At the time, giving up potato chips was akin to Armageddon.  It was as unthinkable as becoming a mermaid.  It was a challenge that I refused to accept.

 

Today, I have no problem avoiding potato chips.  Remember that famous Lays slogan, “you can’t eat just one?”  They lied.  Not only have I given up potato chips, but I also have stopped even thinking of them as a complement to my favorite meals.

What changed between my childhood tantrum, and my current lack of interest?  I threw out the word, “I can’t.”  Along the way, I learned how to improve my health.

Recently, I was chatting with a personal trainer about one of her clients.  Her client is a busy professional who spends almost every day in the gym.  To my astonishment, she said that he also fasts for up to 3 days at a time.  Considering that my family only approaches me in the morning after I’ve had something to eat, I opined, “I could never do that”.  She turned to me and said, “And that’s why you never will”.

I thought about that conversation for awhile.  Why wouldn’t I be able to fast for three days?  Sure, the last time I tried going without food, I lasted about 12 hours before scarfing down everything in sight.  But, past efforts don’t rule out future success.  The problem was not in my ability.  The problem was in my attitude!

What are your attitudes about your goals?

• When faced with the idea of trying a different workout, what are the first words that come to mind?

• When considering giving up one of your favorite foods, what makes you change your mind?

• When someone offers you a food you have never tried, or you can’t recognize, what do you say?

Can’t is a 4 letter word.  It also travels with some lesser-known family members.  You might recognize these family members, such as “should”, “might”, “don’t”, “won’t”, or “am not”.  All of these words underscore a fear of failure.

Guess what?  The more you fail, the more you improve!  Next time you find yourself saying, “I can’t”, STOP!  Replace “can’t”, with “can”.  Try this for 30 days.

My Ma once challenged me to give up one of my favorite childhood foods.  Little did I know that years later, I would have exceeded all expectations.  What challenge can you accept?

Photo credit: politicsandfinance.blogspot.com

Gluten-Free Bread Lover

I love bread.  I love cereal.  I love pasta and grains!  Why would I choose to go gluten-free?

I watched my Ma lose 60 pounds when she maintained a gluten-free diet.  I still ate a bowl of cereal every morning for breakfast.

I read Wheat Belly, a compelling book written by a cardiologist from Wisconsin who argues that modern-day wheat is the cause of many medical ailments in addition to obesity.  I still ate a sandwich for lunch every day.

I signed up in January 2013 with a personal trainer named Megan K., who challenges her clients to lose fat.  That’s when I went gluten-free.

Let’s start with the basics.  I don’t need to go gluten-free.  I am not allergic, or intolerant, or suffering from a mysterious ailment that does not respond to treatments.  Megan is not some hard-core trainer who screams that I need to “put the bread down”.

My goal is to experiment with a gluten-free life.  Basically, I want to see how long I can go without eating my beloved bread.

For those of you who are thinking that’s a recipe for disaster, think again.  This is how I began my weight loss journey of 100 pounds over a decade ago.  I wanted to experiment with a new way of eating back then, too.  I still haven’t looked back.

It took me two weeks of overall grumpiness and frustration before I manifested some of the benefits of cutting out bread.  So far, I have lost 6 pounds, 3% body fat, and the grumpiness of “dough withdrawal”.  I also have a different energy level.

In order to avoid bread, you have to have a lot of patience and a bit of creativity.

Here are my 3 best tips for those bread lovers who are willing to try:

1. Find go-to meals that take the work out of building your new meals (i.e., Amy’s Light and Lean entrees, Garden Lites, Kind Bars or Pamela’s Whenever Bars, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, raw veggies, nuts, etc)

2. Remember your specific motivation for going gluten-free

3. Don’t demonize bread!  If you obsess over a piece of bread, just eat it!

Only time will tell if I will completely adopt the gluten-free lifestyle.  They say that new habits are adopted within 21 days.  I have lasted for about one month.

What change can you make in your lifestyle, even if only for one month?

Look Great while Losing Weight

Today’s guest post comes from Char Dobbs, Owner and Style Consultant at Char Style and Image.  I met Char at a seminar sponsored by another business contact.  I invited her to be a guest post-er for Weightless LLC, because we are both passionate about helping people look as good as they feel!  Enjoy her 5 Tips to help you during weight loss!

Sticking to your new goal to eat healthier and lose weight?  Great job!  I bet the pounds are dropping and the inches are melting away. However, while you love your new results, you seem to have a new problem….nothing fits!  Though this is a “good” problem to have, you don’t want to look like you are wearing your father’s clothes.  Here are a few tips to help you during your weight loss journey:

1. Wear a dress – Take advantage of the flexibility and “give” dresses offer. Not only can they can they be cute & colorful or polished & professional, the ease in some allow for variation in size, without sacrificing fit.  And best of all, they are comfortable!

2. Layer – Try adding a jacket, vest, or light knit sweater to your assemble. This changes the focus from your body to the second layer of clothing. Wear a simple shirt underneath.  Make sure your jacket or sweater falls at least to your waist or longer.  Anything shorter will draw attention to your midsection.

3. Clothes with ease – If you purchase items while losing weight opt for fabrics with some stretch and ease.  The stretch and ease of the fabric will adjust to your body, giving you some “give” in the beginning and also maintain its’ shape when you don’t need the extra stretch.

4. Tailor – Whether you need a hem or jacket taken in, a good tailor can save the life of your clothing.  It is a perfect option for those items you cherish and do not want to give away.  This not only allows you to keep your precious items, but it will now be customized to fit you!  If you are anticipating more weight loss, try this option near the end of your weight-loss journey.  Tailoring multiple times can become pricey.

5. Accessories – Your dress or blouse a little big?  Belt it!  This is a great accessory that can take a now-frumpy dress or blouse to chic.  You can also use necklaces, earrings, and bracelets to instantly uplift your look.

Embrace the Scale

The number one 2013 New Year’s resolution for most Americans is to lose weight.  According to the American Heart Association, 149.3 million Americans are overweight or obese.  Of those 149.3 million, 75 million are obese.  What is the difference between being overweight or obese?

A normal BMI for a person ranges from 18.5 to 24.9.  An overweight person has a BMI of 25 or greater.  Once the BMI reaches 30, the person is considered obese.

Like many of you, I have always been fat.  But, I rarely paid attention to how fat I was.  The reason was simple.  I didn’t want to know.

Before I knew it, I surpassed overweight.  I surpassed obese.  I entered the dangerous category of “Ohmigod!”  As in “Ohmigod, how did I get so big?!”  Upon seeing a picture of myself, “Ohmigod, is that ME?!”

Do you know where you are on the overweight, obese or ohmigod scale?  Do you avoid doctor’s appointments because you dread stepping on the scale?  Do you have a scale at home?  When is the last time you stepped on it?

Whether you need to lose 10 or 100 pounds, you need to embrace the scale!  Don’t take it from me.  Take it from the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who have maintained significant weight loss.  They have determined that most successful maintainers get on the scale at least once a week.  Some even weigh themselves daily.

I am the last person to tell you that your weight should dictate your life.  In fact, I named my blog Weightlesschronicles because I believe that the quality of your life is not represented by the number on your bathroom scale.

However, I am committed to success.  In order to reach your weight loss goals, you need to understand where you stand.  Don’t wait for that “ohmigod” moment in your life.  Take that scale out, and use it as a tool to your success!

Breaking the Habit

Breaking the Habit official video by Linkin Park

Regardless of what your goals are for 2013, you need to examine your habits first.  Once you examine your habits, you can change the ones that are stopping you from reaching your goals.  Check out this video by Linkin Park for some music that gets you moving!

 

Hello world!

What does balance mean to you?  To some, it might mean “work-life balance”, to others, it might mean being able to walk a tightrope.

To me, balance means eating right, exercising, and still having enough energy to be a happy mother and wife.  Balance is a lot like hula-hooping: you need to center yourself before you can manage the swirling rhythm of life around you.  Finding your center is a personal journey.

How do I achieve balance?  By eating five small meals a day, with a good mix of protein and healthy carbs, I balance my nutrition.  I’m happy to say I’m at my lowest weight since having my younger daughter two years ago!  By moving my body more frequently and lifting weights, I balance my exercise.  The best exercises are ones that utilize body weight in order to tone your muscle.  Did you know that these exercises can be done anywhere?  Finally, I try to balance my family by taking time to play (with both the children and husband) and laughing out loud.

I also need balance in my professional life.  As a recently unemployed professional, this is a struggle for me.  I am halfway between the life of a stay-at-home mom and a full-time job-hunter.  Job hunters are supposed to spend a minimum of 30 hours a week searching for jobs.  Stay-at-home moms rarely get 1-2 hours a day to catch up on errands while their child sleeps.  I’m fortunate to still have the same daycare provider I did when I was working full-time, and I do send my daughter to her two days a week.  This allows me to attend workshops and networking events, apply for jobs, make phone calls, and go on interviews.  However, I know that this time with my toddler is precious, and I should take advantage of these moments we share.

Did I mention I’m also developing my own professional speaking business??  Speaking is a passion of mine, which is why I’m a dedicated member of a local Toastmasters group.  A fellow Toastmaster once told me that my speech “The Loser” inspired her to start her own weight loss journey.  I had never thought that my tale could be the source of inspiration for others.  I’m now enrolled in a course to develop a professional speaking business.  This is a scary concept for me, but very exciting.

Balance can be whatever you want it to mean.  As the year draws to a close, it’s important to examine where you most want to achieve balance in your life.  Choosing your priorities now can help you shape the year to come.  Come back next week to read more!