The top picture was taken the day Hubby and I were married in 1996. The second picture is from our trip last month. In the twelve and a half years, I have lost quite a bit of weight but more than that, I lead a happy life and it shows.
Two major things I see (in addition to the weight loss) are that I stopped coloring my hair a few years ago and very importantly, I try now to wear some colors that are not so dark and clothes that are less formal. I definitely feel better about myself and tend to pay more attention to others and how they are feeling.
Some of you know that I belong to www.richardsimmons.com and there is a common element I can easily see when a group of people trying to lose weight are together. That is that many of us have had a lot of problems in our lives.
I must quickly add that Richard himself does not belong to that "club". His major problem was being born and raised in New Orleans where food is an art form. (It is bad enough for me that we often eat at Ralph & Kacoo's, where The Good Times Roll all the time!)
Food can be almost like medicine. When things go wrong, people reach for a sweet or a nice big bag of chips. Of course, alcoholism is similar in that a person reaches for the bottle, don't they?
Another thing that can contribute to overweight is medicine. There are some - especially steriod drugs for arthritis for example - that make you feel very, very hungry.
Anyone who has read my book, Bumpy Road To Texas, knows that my childhood and first marriage were difficult. I see the same signs in other people who have a weight problem.
The big thing isn't just losing the weight - by watching calories and exercising - but keeping it off!
It only takes a few days of overeating to start piling the weight back on.
After Hurricane Ike, I had severe back pain and after a pretty rough diagnosis, and using a cane for several months, I had a course of physical therapy. That helped me immensely and when we were away, I did not have to use a cane very often.
Since I have been back, I have been able to start exercising again as well as watching more carefully what I eat.
Something that helps me a lot is Hubby's attitude. He understands what I am trying to do and I also try to make it so he can eat a little more because he no longer needs to lose any more weight, although he did at one time.
If you have young children, try to pay special attention to their eating healthy and even more than that, give them lots of praise and love. It is natural for children to eat more if they do not feel the love from family and friends. (Food is love for many people.) Of course, children need to be out exercising so their time at the game console and television needs to be monitored.
If you are older and wanted to lose weight, try to enlist the people closest to you to help you. If you are thin and someone in your household is trying to lose weight, try to give them little compliments and please, please, go along with the foods you know are healthy for them.
And . . . more than anything else . . . try to keep moving. Many types of exercise are pretty passive. It will still help you to feel better as well as keep your weight down.
Two major things I see (in addition to the weight loss) are that I stopped coloring my hair a few years ago and very importantly, I try now to wear some colors that are not so dark and clothes that are less formal. I definitely feel better about myself and tend to pay more attention to others and how they are feeling.
Some of you know that I belong to www.richardsimmons.com and there is a common element I can easily see when a group of people trying to lose weight are together. That is that many of us have had a lot of problems in our lives.
I must quickly add that Richard himself does not belong to that "club". His major problem was being born and raised in New Orleans where food is an art form. (It is bad enough for me that we often eat at Ralph & Kacoo's, where The Good Times Roll all the time!)
Food can be almost like medicine. When things go wrong, people reach for a sweet or a nice big bag of chips. Of course, alcoholism is similar in that a person reaches for the bottle, don't they?
Another thing that can contribute to overweight is medicine. There are some - especially steriod drugs for arthritis for example - that make you feel very, very hungry.
Anyone who has read my book, Bumpy Road To Texas, knows that my childhood and first marriage were difficult. I see the same signs in other people who have a weight problem.
The big thing isn't just losing the weight - by watching calories and exercising - but keeping it off!
It only takes a few days of overeating to start piling the weight back on.
After Hurricane Ike, I had severe back pain and after a pretty rough diagnosis, and using a cane for several months, I had a course of physical therapy. That helped me immensely and when we were away, I did not have to use a cane very often.
Since I have been back, I have been able to start exercising again as well as watching more carefully what I eat.
Something that helps me a lot is Hubby's attitude. He understands what I am trying to do and I also try to make it so he can eat a little more because he no longer needs to lose any more weight, although he did at one time.
If you have young children, try to pay special attention to their eating healthy and even more than that, give them lots of praise and love. It is natural for children to eat more if they do not feel the love from family and friends. (Food is love for many people.) Of course, children need to be out exercising so their time at the game console and television needs to be monitored.
If you are older and wanted to lose weight, try to enlist the people closest to you to help you. If you are thin and someone in your household is trying to lose weight, try to give them little compliments and please, please, go along with the foods you know are healthy for them.
And . . . more than anything else . . . try to keep moving. Many types of exercise are pretty passive. It will still help you to feel better as well as keep your weight down.
2 comments:
I hear you!! With out detail I've had my battles over the years. What gets to me, when I think I'm being careful it just slowly creeps on. That is why I weigh often. By the way It does show and I like your hair much better.
Ditto to the hair compliment! You are beautiful, Martha...inside and out! I appreciate you bringing up non-food related issues that impact weight. I struggle with weight because of a thyroid condition. It takes me twice or three times the effort to remain healthy. Thanks for the encouraging article!
Post a Comment