Transition To Maintenance

Gosh, it's been two weeks since I've posted a blog...my apologies. Things with work have been a little hectic, and each of the last two weeks have included some travel and late nights working, and late dinners, drinks, you name it. It's finally died down. One more weekend of travel for work, but not until the middle of July. Hopefully the weekend after that one (the 17-19th) I'll be having a girls camping weekend. We're just starting to see if we can make the plans come together to be able to have a girls weekend away-should be much fun!

I had to go back and re-read where we'd left off on this journey. I see that the last post was a mid-week update showing that my scale indicated I'd reached my goal.

Well, as of this week, we're still there. Right at goal in the office and the transition to maintenance has been going fairly well. Last week I received the Welcome to Zone Wellness packet which discusses how to eat in the Zone and discusses how insulin is a key player in controlling metabolism. It discusses the Zone Lifestyle Pyramid, showing that water, the Zone nutrition plan, moderate exercise and stress reduction all work together to help maintain healthy habits.

There are 7 Basic Zone Rules that go with the program, everything from eating within an hour of waking...which will be difficult for me. I'm not much of a breakfast eater, I'll struggle with eating as soon as I get up. Rule 2 is eating 5 times per day, 3 meals & 2 snacks. I think I can do that! Rule 3 is not letting more than 5 hours go by without eating something, again, I think I can do that! The others include eating mostly vegetables & fruits, treating 'carbs' basically, as 'condiments' and keeping the plate portioned to 1/3 low-fat protein, 2/3 vegetables/fruits as well as consuming 8 glasses of water each day. This is a decrease from the gallon that was the start with the program.

Funny, as I flip through the packet, there's a section that discusses "Benefits Of Living In The Zone" and I see those, listed out, but there have been so many things that have been beneficial to me since starting this program, and even since the transition to maintenance. I have a whole new outlook on life, I'm doing everything that I do for me and not for anyone else. I've even started dating. I know, some of you reading this are shocked by that, but that's what happens when you look okay and feel as fabulous as I feel. It's definitely been the best thing I've ever, ever done.

That being said, you're not going to believe this...well, some of you will, because you already know...but the office has asked me for my testimonial. They'd like to use my "story" as part of their advertising campaign. I was floored when the Director of Operations emailed me and asked me what I thought. We met recently and discussed what I might be willing to share with them. The options we discussed were print media, radio and television spots and potentially a billboard. So, for those of you living in Tampa, don't be surprised if you're driving along some day and you see my (UGH!) before and after pictures posted somewhere! It's truly an honor to be able to share my story with people and hopefully encourage them to do what they need to do in their own lives to become healthy. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my story with anyone who wants to know about it. I know some people don't ask, because it's "weight and women and all...." but I'm so proud of the changes that I've made for me. Not physically proud, because I still don't think it's all that, but the healthy side of things is incredible.

I've also joined a gym. Today was my first session with the personal trainer. It'll probably be my only session with the trainer, he's pretty dang expensive. However, being at the gym, getting strength conditioning and still having a cardio workout option is going to be fantastic. I still have a lot of toning to do, for sure!

Since the Transition to Maintenance phase has started, I've ended all of the appetite suppressants and this last week was able to start adding foods back in. To be perfectly honest, though...I didn't add anything this week. I was traveling for work, didn't have time to go grocery shopping, I could name a thousand excuses...but I just have stuck to the program the way the food was laid out initially. I'm able now to add more protein, favorable carbs (still no carrots-I'll never eat another carrot I guess)fruits & vegetables, and the big addition was adding fats. Things that I haven't had, such as almonds, peanuts, avocados, cashews, oats, macadamia nuts and oils in moderation.

This week I will focus on adding some of the options back in. I need desperately to go grocery shopping, so I'll bring the list (and the book that was recommended, called Top 100 Zone Foods with me to the grocery store so I know what I need to be buying now.

Overall, it's been a fantastic two weeks. Again, my apologies for the delay on the blog, it's just been crazy. I have been promising people a blog update now for a week, and here it finally is. I was able to have a great lunch this week with a new friend, Renea, who stumbled across my blog on google as she was researching the program. Renea lives in Orlando, found my blog, we've been emailing and got to meet on Thursday for lunch when I was in Orlando. It was great to meet you Renea. Thanks for listening to my story and my new dilemmas. I can't wait to hear about your progress.

A little on the personal side...As you all know, I don't typically blog about the "other things" that go on in my life, but ultimately it all will affect the maintenance program and as I discussed with Dr. Garcia's office this week, I'm writing this and keeping it real. It's just me, it's what's going on and it's the concerns that I have. That being said, here's a little twist on this journey for you.

Stress wise--there are some things that have been going on that worry me a little as I transition to maintenance. They're a little personal, but 'most' of the people who read this blog are friends. There are definitely some, I know that read it, that are not friends. I've had a falling out of sorts with some people in my life in the last few months, and I know my blog is being read by some of them. Why someone wants to read something that is hurtful to them, I'm not sure, but it's the Internet, I suppose you can read what you want.

I've definitely noticed that some people are a little put off by the success I've had on the program, but those who have stood by me, day after day for the past 6 months, I value and treasure with all my heart and you certainly know who you are.

That "falling out" with a group of people has led me to some of the most positive places I've been in a very long time. For quite a while, I was living in what I now call the "drama zone" and living in the "drama free zone" today, is fabulous. As I indicated, I've started dating, which, at 40 years old, brings on issues in its own right. This is the little struggle I'm having that could affect maintenance.

I wasn't dating before, I really kind of took a two-year hiatus from serious relationships and was just having a good time being me. There was certainly not a line of men waiting to buy me drinks or take me out when I was heavier. Now, however, that happens. It's a little surreal. I'm not sure I'm liking it, but the fact of the matter is, it happens. It happens darn-near every time I go out, and quite honestly, I go out a lot, so I'm struggling with the 'attention' that now comes my way.

Now that the 'dating scene' has reopened it also means I have to think about things I haven't had to think about in YEARS. Things that a single woman without children at age 40, and wanting to stay that way, needs to consider. Enough said on that, as my friend Laura would say-read between the lines :)

I have some choices to make about the direction to take things, knowing full well that there are plenty of options out there and that many of them have side-effects of weight gain. It's admission time...I'm absolutely terrified of weight-gain. No big surprise there, I'm sure, but I mean...seriously...terrified. I think my biggest fear used to be those dang lizards on my back porch, now it's gaining an ounce or two. So in looking at this new-found dilemma, it dawned on me that the point in time where I started gaining weight was when I was a teenager. It was probably about the time I went on birth control and since now, 25 years later, it's something I have to consider....the fear of weight gain freaks me right out.

So, tomorrow I'll discuss this briefly at Dr. Garcia's office, and I have an appointment to discuss all of my options tomorrow with my regular doctor as well. I know three things for certain, without any question in my mind...as I sit here today, I know I don't want a baby. I know I don't want weight gain and I know that I have to do something. It's somewhat ironic to me that I'm writing this on Father's Day. Those that know me, know that there was nothing I ever wanted more than to be a mom and it just wasn't meant to be. Now, before this turns all sappy, I'm going to stop. The bottom line is that I now have a reason to have to control things that shouldn't happen today. I'm working on that, but I'm terrified of the maintenance of my weight and the options that might be available to me. Enough said.

In closing...have a great week and I promise another update soon....we'll get back on the Monday night track this week!

“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.”