Archive for September 2009

Honeymoon phase begins…

I’m writing this while watching, “The Biggest Loser.”  I’ve been tempted to turn it off at least five times.  Can’t be sure if it’s some of the contrived enthusiasm or the thundering bass drum on the soundtrack, but I’m concluding (about 10 minutes in) that this show is not for people like me.  This show is for everyone else to feel superior to people like me.  But, alas.  Like a lot of things I don’t want to do, I’ll watch the damn show because there should be something useful that I can pick up as I begin my own journey.

Clara has been reliably punctual and attentive.  She’s been teaching me about portion sizes, frequency of meals, combinations of foods, etc.  It all makes sense, and so far I’m highly motivated.  I’m using my electronic tools and that is proving to be fun– almost like a sport or performance analytics or something.  Today Clara taught me about HIIT training.  I”ll try it on my own tomorrow.  One thing I guess I didn’t account for was the focus you need to put into this effort.  It’s like having a part-time job.  Kind of hard on top of a full-and-a-half-time job I already have trying to launch my business.

I realize I’m still in the honeymoon phase of getting this done, however.  Highly committed and engaged.  Clara has said a few things that have resonated with me.  One of which was, “Gaining weight happens by accident; losing weight happens on purpose.” Tru dat.  She discourages me from weighing myself, but I have lost 3 pounds, so I’m on my way.  The inner tube tire that was circling my ribs seems to have been deflated too.  That’s great.  I’d really like to come down at least 25 pounds by the beginning of November.

Soldiering on.

Tricks of the Trade

So, we’re starting out slow.  Clara has asked me to buy a pedometer, a new cookbook, and she has placed one of my (smaller size) jackets on my bureau so I can be reminded of it every day.  I also downloaded an iPhone app that will track what I eat and how I exercise every day.  We started the workout routine this week, and I couldn’t believe that such a small effort could render me so sore.  Yikes.

Here’s the beginner toolkit:

Qlip Pedometer

Lose it! iPhone app

The New (Old) Normal

Not exactly sure what the motivation was that struck me to finally reach out for help. I posted an ad on Craigslist with a headline that said, “Fitness/Life Coach: Can you Normal Size Me?” I filed it under the fitness category but explained clearly in the ad that I need much more than a personal trainer. I need someone who can keep me motivated, on track, someone who has more than muscle, but a real heart who can sympathize with the hard work that needs to get done to lose such a massive tonnage of weight.

I received over a dozen responses the first two days. I eventually had to take down the ad. All of the candidates said they could Normal Size me and explained their particular expertise and qualifications for doing so.  But one respondent, only had one word in the first paragraph of her reply. That word was “No.”

She brilliantly crafted an intelligent response to my ad that stated I am the only one who can Normal Size me. Here is the beginning of her reply:

No.

Any individual replying to you saying they can is wrong. There’s not a trainer on the planet who can normal size you. That power is yours and yours alone. You are the one in ultimate control of that end result. You have to have the drive and determination to hang in there on nights where the food is talking to you and you just want to dive in. You have to have the drive to get up and do that workout when everything in you screams to go back to bed. That’s going to come from you. You alone. That’s what’s going to get the weight off AND KEEP IT OFF.

What can a trainer/coach do for you? Give you the tools and support to regain control of your life. You’ve demonstrated that you’re ready by putting up that ad. That’s a huge first step. Most people with a lot of weight to lose never make it that far. So no matter what, congratulations! That is a huge, huge step. Believe it or not, one of the hardest parts is over. Making the decision to make a change is more then half the battle.

Well, she had me at “No.”

I’ve hired Clara to begin a marathon, long-term slow weight loss that will hopefully get me back to my normal self. This normal self, unfortunately, has never left my brain. I’ve been walking around for decades in a state of confusion because my self-image and my RL image are not in sync. As you can see on the pages of this blog, I seem to be unable to take on this Herculean task alone, so the addition of Clara to my life should make the difference.

Clara is not only an intelligent, sensitive, yet tough trainer, she’s a fantastic writer. It’s one of the reasons I hired her. I look forward to chronicling my personal transformation on the pages of this blog, as well as keeping up with how Clara is helping her other clients push toward their goals. You can catch Clara blogging at “The Power to Change,” as well as on the Houston Examiner.

I implore anyone reading this blog to please lend your support in the comments. It’s going to take a village to move this mountain. (It was worth the mixed metaphor.)