Tricks less treats

Are you ready for the little monsters that will soon pounce on your doorstep? Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, but it is special for my daughter!

She loves everything Halloween and would love for me to dress up like Abbie from NCIS minus the hair. Unfortunately my daughter is a diabetic and the normal routine of trick or treating has a different meaning. Im lucky. My daughter is past the age of going trick or treating like so many children will do today. Halloween is tough for her and for the many Charlotte children who have diabetes.

Many of you will soon hand out candy to the little witches and globlins that knock on your door. This year, like the past 3 years my daughter and I will make the choice to avoid the sugary carbs. Take care.

Don't Be a Turkey

Quick! Run! Walk! Hide the eating utensils! Thanksgiving and other eating frenzy holidays are fast approaching.

If you've lost weight this year don't let go of it for a few days of gluttony. If you intend to keep on or start a diet don't start even further in the "hole" by gaining ten pounds during the holidays.

Lets brainstorm some about how to enjoy these special meals and yet not over do it. Give me your ideas or gimmicks that help you resist yet enjoy.

Certainly portion control and exercise during this time will be important. But how about enjoying a meal? What are you going to do? Plan it now. Visualize it now.

By the way, the exercise and walking and jogging on Monday was like being super charged with this great outdoor weather.

Get out there and walk vigorously to stay warm.

Time for the Sprint

My goal was to lose 36 pounds this year and another 35 next year. OMG, I've been so busy with life that I completely got off track and now I have only 9 weeks to lose the remaining 12 pounds to meet my 36 pound goal by New Year's Eve.

The old me would have given up on my weight loss goal before the first St. Patrick's Day toast. But the new tenacious me remembers all of the other tough goals I've achieved through discipline, sweat and prayers:

• 1990 - gave up smoking (yes!)
• 1999 - gave up alcohol and hubby (with divorce I no longer needed the booze)
• 2009 - gave up my fear of public speaking (with Toastmasters help)
• 2011 - gave up the green bottle of BVO and with it my adult acne

I have been able to make some very SERIOUS lifestyle changes in the past.  Yes, I've been in a real rut over the past two months. But I can and will get back on track.  So now it is time to make one more huge commitment - I WILL GIVE UP FAT in 2012 so I MUST meet my 36 pound goal by 12/31/2011.  It is time for the tortoise to pick up the pace and make the mad dash.

One of the commentors suggested that I find a way to combine my passion for Toastmasters with my need to lose weight and get healthier. What do you think about these three ideas?

• Set a 3 pound minimum loss in between speeches. 
• Ask two of my fellow members who both love to run to nudge me over the next 2 months. Cayce and Ian, I hope that you two marathon runners are up to the challenge!  
• Take a picture in a bikini and post it on the District 37 Facebook page until I lose the remaining 12 pounds.  What a picture!  There may be some that will tape my mouth shut to make this happen quicker.

All of these ideas are a bit extreme but a tortoise gotta do what a tortoise gotta do.  I can't let Dan beat me across the finish line.  :)  Until next week.

Nancy Johnson

Children of the Corn

Autumn is such a wonderful time of the year. You see more neighbors out on their porches or walking the community streets. Windows are open and football and apples abound.

I do have a warning for you, however. Beware of the corn. Candy corn. Its my favorite waist of calories in the form of orange and yellow condensed sugar. Trick or treat my foot. I say its a grand scheme to just "trick" me.

Instead of candy corn I need to find the world's largest corn maze and get lost in it with nothing but water to survive for about a week. That might kick in more weight loss.

The last few weeks my lack of balancing diet and exercise has resulted in nearly stagnate stats. I've walked fewer miles. I have done fewer push-ups and when I've behaved food wise, I've allowed my feeling of being tired win out and not exercise as much. The end result is one lousy pound lost during this time.

That's 30 pounds so far this year. Its also not even half what I need to lose to reach my ultimate goal. Obviously my willpower has not held up this year.

If you share my lack of "total" success in your 2011 goals, don't give up or give in. There are huge dangers of food consumption lurking on the upcoming calender and we/I need to salvage all we can over the next two months.

This isn't about a quick fix. We have to keep on fighting and trying for life. Next blog lets think about exercise and diet during the "eating" holidays.

Reporting to Work, Are You?

If larger people didn't have enough going against them in the media, a recent Gallup survey says that if you are obese, you are more likely to be reading this post in your bed as opposed to getting ready for work.

I realize that health related issues cause many to miss work; for obese workers and for those who aren't obese. I'm sure there was just enough truth behind this particular study to make it newsworthy. But as one of the many overweight workers who does not have a serious health issue, I can say that we aren't all adding to the $153 billion cost of absenteeism. Many of my overweight brothers and sisters regularly report to work and are some of the hardest working people around.

Let's not paint everyone with the same brush. Look around you at work today. I'm sure there's someone working around you with a little extra girth in their trunk.

Stress, Exercise and Diet

The clinical portion of my Phlebotomist training began yesterday. Naturally, I was awake hours before I needed to be. I'll be going to new places working with unknown people each week for the next five weeks. Hours and days will vary. My thoughts are to make part of the work day extend soon as I get home to do my exercise. Typically I eat too much when stressed. Or eat too much when not stressed. My old saying used to be feed a cold and feed a fever. No more. I'll be too busy fortunately, to eat often and too tired to eat too much.

The adventure continues and having to find new ways to be flexible with time and energy is something we all struggle with in one fashion or another. Keep at it folks.

My non-deductible contribution

Happy Tax Day #2! I consider myself a very charitable person, especially with my time. I love giving to charities involving children. But I never quite thought of the fees I have paid Weight Watchers as one of the charities I was supporting UNTIL I heard Rosalyn's speech two weeks ago. In her speech about procrastination, Rosalyn had a line about being a Weight Watcher donor because she paid the fees but wasn't fully following the program. I thought I was the only one, no seriously! I know I'm not the only one.

If intention was all it took to lose weight, I would be trim and singing like Jennifer Hudson. But it takes much more than joining a club or even joining a gym. Losing weight can be hard and sometimes I feel like throwing my white flag up and giving up BUT I won't. Until next time, remember to take baby steps one day at a time.