Making it Count

I was so frustrated yesterday after my bike ride. It was a route I had done before, and it just doesn't seem to get easier, and I don't seem to finish it any faster. In fact, I may have even been a little slower. HOW will I ever get to the race level and be capable of riding for 30, 50, or 100 miles if I can't increase in speed? So, I pulled out every Bicycle magazine today and read every article about more speed, more power, longer rides, shorter times. And it came down to this...it takes work. Not just putting miles on the bike....work. I need to run hills, I need to do sprints, and more sprints, and more sprints....all on the bike. I need to stand up and ride, then I need to sit down and ride harder. I need to pace my heart rate, I need to slow it down, then speed it up, but not too high or I'll burn all that muscle I've been working so hard to build. There is a lot of WORK to do. Today, I went out and I did the work. I planned my intervals, I did hills over and over, I watched my heart rate, I rode and rode and rode. And you know what? I added 2 miles to my time! How is that possible? After ONE day of interval work, I see progress. It's all about making it count. Every minute I spend on the bike needs to be worth it. It needs to be hard, and it needs to count. Isn't it like this in our spiritual walk too? We can't just sit back and expect to grow spiritually. We can't just SOAK it in, we have to put in the work. We have to desire a relationship with Christ, and we have to pursue it. We have to read the manuals, like I did for the bike! We have to put into practice what we've learned, and sometimes we have to make it hurt so that we grow. We have to make every minute count, put in the hard work, and see the results.

Inspired by my Running Friend

Last summer I wanted, desperately, to attempt a Sprint Triathlon. Unfortunately, my feet issues stopped me. I had three surgeries last summer on my feet. One of which was a 16 week recovery, AND...it still hurts, all the time. This winter, once I was recovered enough, I tried the treadmill again. I ended up icing and limping. Really, it's just not worth it. I shouldn't even attempt to run, unless I am being chased. What is the point? I end up in pain, unable to do other things I love to do, unable to even take care of my family and home. It just isn't worth it. I have a friend who started me thinking that I was even capable of attempting a Sprint Triathlon. She encouraged me through every step of the process, through every pain and disappointment, and to do a relay instead of a solo triathlon. SHE completed a half marathon today in under 2 hours! I am incredibly inspired by her, and totally proud of her. I live vicariously through her...because ultimately, I would like to run a 5K....just once...BUT, I cannot sacrifice my other training and what it does for my weight loss to run...at all. My friend...she is amazing! She inspires me to do whatever I CAN do, WELL! With two little children, and a hubby, and a part time job, she still finds a way to make it happen. As with everything else in her life, she does it to the glory of God...and THAT is something that inspires me!
Well, though I can't run...I can bike. And I LOVE to bike. I decided this year to do some bike racing. It doesn't hurt my feet (too badly), I can continue my strength training, and I love being on my bike. My hubby agreed to train with me when he could. I plan to do a couple Duathlons as relays, and am working up the nerve to to sign up for a 31 mile race in a couple of weeks! If that goes well, I will work towards a 50 mile, and maybe even more. I am in awe of what God has done in my life through hard work and discipline. Three years ago, I could barely do a recumbent bike for 20 minutes. Now, I am biking 15 to 20 miles several times a week. I am so thankful that God continues to strengthen me daily to do the work he has called me to do in my own body, my own family, and among my friends. I look at my runner friend, and am so thankful that her encouragement has inspired me. I hope that I can inspire others the same way. Great Job, My Friend....what's next??? :)

I did it!

Last November, a friend of mine told me that I had a responsibility to help other people accomplish what I have accomplished. She told me that it bordered on being "sinful" to not go outside my comfort zone to help others with their weight loss journeys. I struggle every day with not feeling "the part". I want to help people, I am passionate, but I am not finished my own weight loss journey yet. I still have a ways to go, goals to meet, weight to lose. I was truly struggling with whether or not I should expose myself enough to help people. I went to a wedding where I saw family I hadn't seen in a long time. It was there that I was pushed over the edge to get my trainers license. My sister-in-law, who I had not seen in a really long time could not believe my success. She told me that she wished I could help her, but we live too far away. I was surprised that she would want my help....after all....still had weight to lose! She told me that it would take someone like me to help....someone like me. At the point in my life where I decided to change my life forever, I was extremely obese. I didn't leave my house to work out, I didn't work out with people, I really didn't even work out! I did the Biggest Loser DVD in my living room, walked, and did a Pilates DVD. Once I had lost 50 pounds, I joined my first gym. I had to get a refund for the first three months of my membership because I was too afraid to set foot in the gym. My sister-in-law told me that by waiting till I was "where I should be" with my weight, I was telling women who were just like I had been, that they were not worth me stepping outside my comfort zone for them. WOW! THAT hit me like a ton of bricks. I was shocked by those words, because I just didn't see how I could be a help to people....YET. I went home, though, and the next month I started my Personal Trainers Certification class. That was last November. I just completed my class two weeks ago, and took my 37 page exam. I knew they would give me a chance to fix anything that was grossly wrong, one time. I fully expected to have to fix something. I passed the first time with an 89%. 531/600 points. I could not believe it. I now had the education I needed to help people lose weight and get fit. Within the same hour of submitting my exam, I got my first client. I am still VERY far out of my comfort zone. Do I have enough knowledge? I KNOW I don't have the experience yet! Who will I help? What kind of help can I give? Will I continue to be successful in my own weight loss? The unknown....just don't like it, not so much! But I know that my life journey with obesity MUST have a reason. Somehow, I must find a way to redeem the years of pain associated with obesity. I can truly enter into the pain of a mom whose children always come first, whose weight has climbed out of control. I can identify with the mommy who can't get on the floor to play with her children, because she wouldn't be able to get back up. I can identify with the wife who just wants to walk around the park with her husband and enjoy the walk. I can identify......

No temptation

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I'm not sure why...everything made me sad. My reactions to things were out of character and definitely not warranted. I just kinda cried alot! I missed people who I had lost. I grieved for people whose lives are falling apart. I was so sad for my one brother who is living in horrible pain, and so worried for him. It was just a sad day. The good news is, though, I made it through without giving into the temptation of sin in my life. My personal life goals are my own. For some, it's the sin of alcohol, or the sin of drugs, or the sin of food. For me, it's the sin of faithlessness. I am so easily swayed by the evil one to believe things that aren't true. So much self-doubt is still driving me in so many ways. I wonder how much I will have to weigh before I BELIEVE that I have changed my life. What size will I have to wear before I no longer FEAR failure. When will I believe that I am capable of the job God has called me to, both physically and spiritually? My fitness journey is such a spiritual journey for me. I have learned so many spiritual truths on this road. What is the truth? The truth is that God has equipped me for whatever he has called me to do. My aunt shared with me this verse: I Corinthians 10:12 and 13: "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is FAITHFUL; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I am THANKFUL for the ways out. I am thankful for the people in my life who step in and keep me going. It is when I am physically and emotionally tired that Satan steps in and just gives me a little push that blows me over and causes me to fall. Standing firm is a full time job that God has equipped me for, when I listen to the evil one whispering words of failure in my ear, I must remember that God has given me a way out..and look for it.

Encouraging through the pain

This past week, a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. The hope, of course, is that they caught it quickly, and that it is confined. This news would be the best news possible, resulting in minimal treatment, and a great prognosis. My friend has joined me in the weight loss journey over the past 9 weeks. She is such an inspiration to me. She is consistent, she is faithful, she is trusting, she is "obedient", and she wants to change....more than anything. After she told me the bad news, she said, "Please pray that through all this, I don't lose my focus, and that I can be an encourager to others." I was so moved by her words. She was speaking of her focus on many levels: her spiritual focus, her emotional focus, her focus on fitness. She doesn't want to use this as an excuse to lose focus. While there are many things I could say about her statement, I am only going to focus on the nutrition and fitness aspect. How often in my journey have I let my mood for the day, my "special circumstances", my crazy schedule get me off track? How often have I been unprepared? How often have I blamed someone else for my failures to stay focused on my goals? Isn't this true in our spiritual life as well? "I was too busy to work in my devotions" or "My kids kept me up all night", or "I prayed....really, I did!!!" Lord Jesus, forgive me for putting you last so many times. Forgive me for the lack of self-discipline and consistency in my life in pursuing YOU. Without you, Lord Jesus, I am nothing. While I can encourage people with my physical walk, it is more important that I encourage people in their spiritual walk. Thank you for my friend, who loves you first and foremost, and wants to please you..even in the pain and uncertainty.

Another small milestone

Today, I reached yet another milestone in my journey. It was a small one, yet a very special one. For years, I have wanted to coach my daughter in basketball. Just the church league, nothing dramatic. She is 13 (next week), and she played in the GRPC winter league. I told her that if I reached my goal weight by next season, I would coach her team. A few weeks ago, she came to me and asked me to coach her team in the 3 on 3 tournament. I said I didn't know if I could. She said, "You're close enough to your goal weight...I really want you to do it." So, I agreed. I've always held back because of my fear that people would think I was to "unfit" or too "unhealthy" to be a good role model as a coach. I was sure that people would criticize my weight, or that my weight would slow me down. When I woke up this morning, I had terrible butterflies in my stomach. Right up until...well, the last second of the last game!! I was SO afraid of my own insecurities. I was so afraid of letting my daughter down, and really...afraid of letting myself down. Our little team took second place against really stressful odds. The winning team had a "ringer" and she was TOUGH. All my girls ended up hurt, some seriously, but they stuck with it. I was very proud of them in so many ways. I discovered that it wasn't about me at all. No one was paying any attention to me. No one thought I shouldn't be there, and now I don't think it either. Another milestone achieved....what's next?

How sweet to hold....a newborn baby!

I'm an aunt, again, for the 8th time! How sweet it is to hold a new born baby! To feel the pride and joy he brings. But greater still, the calm assurance...this child can face uncertain days, because HE lives! What an amazing thing it truly is to hold a newborn baby! But, it is truly greater to know that this child will be raised to know, love, and fear our Holy God. To be born into a family who loves Jesus must be the greatest gift God can give a baby. On the other side of the world, this little 8 hour old baby boy has a sister, in the foreign country of India. My brother and his wife just gave birth to this beautiful baby, Samuel Jovan. He was a shocker! Dan and Laura had just decided through much prayer, and the miracle of God's direction, to adopt an orphan from India. Several days later, they found out God was giving them TWO babies! That was months ago! Now here we are, one of those babies safely in their arms. Several days ago, they found out that guardianship of their new daughter had been legally granted, and Dan will soon be on his way to get her. My new little niece, Siddhi, will finally have the promise of her name: Freedom from hunger and thirst. Two little babies, countries, and worlds apart, both destined to be a part of my brother's family. Both babies now have the CALM assurance, that they can face uncertain days, in the arms of these special parents, because HE lives.

per⋅sist: to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, esp in spite of opposition; to last or endure

The word PERSIST has been in the forefront of my mind for the past several weeks. There are so many things I want to PERSIST in. I wish I could PERSIST in becoming a better blogger. I wish I could PERSIST in keeping up with my housework, my couponing, my schoolwork, my personal spiritual growth, ministry. There are so many things that I am called to PERSIST in. Recently, God has called me to a group of women who have adopted the word PERSIST as our group name. It stands for Pursuing Excellence Regardless, Standing Immovable, Striving Together. This group is a group of women striving to improve their health and wellness. Our goals include losing body fat, gaining muscle, and improving our overall wellness. The words we chose to represent us speak volumes. Pursuing Excellence Regardless: for me, this means in everything I do, eat, and drink...do it all for the glory of God. In this aspect of my life, my body, it involves so many choices made every hour of every day. Am I pursuing excellence in every food choice I make? Am I pursuing excellence in every minute I spend sweating and working out? Am I pursuing excellence REGARDLESS of my feelings, my emotions, my mood for the day? Am I giving God my best...REGARDLESS? Standing Immovable: Oh, how I fail at this daily. When I hear the word IMMOVABLE, I picture a big stone structure that cannot be moved. NOTHING would shake that structure. I am so easily shaken, so easily tempted back towards my old ways. Striving Together: Wow. This one is harder than I expected. As human beings, we just naturally let each other down. My schedule doesn't meet up with my partners. Someones kid gets sick, or someone just doesn't feel like meeting together. Ultimately, we are called to be accountable. Hebrews speaks specifically of "meeting together". As fellow believers, we must encourage each other on towards good deeds. In addition, we are commanded to NOT be a stumbling block to each other. In our group, PERSIST, it is critical that we are following these Biblical Principals of accountability and encouragement. When one of us hurts, we should all hurt; when one of us rejoices, we should all rejoice. Why is this so hard? When we make decisions to waiver, to be "movable", we are letting each other down, we are adding to the weakness, instead of being an immovable structure. As I learn to PERSIST in every aspect of my life, I pray that I am able to PURSUE EXCELLENCE REGARDLESS. I pray that I STAND IMMOVABLE. And I pray that God helps me to STRIVE TOGETHER with my fellow sisters who struggle with the same issues as I do. My journey continues to evolve, I continue to learn new things about myself and others. Some exciting, some not so exciting. But in all of it, I pray that I PERSIST.

New Year...New Resolutions...

Of course the New Year brings about many new resolutions. I am happy to say that this year I only need to lose about 40 more pounds...not 140. BUT, what will it take to finally get me there? Can I do it? Am I willing to do WHATEVER it takes? I've had THREE surgeries in the past 6 months...on my feet, no less. How much can my body take? Can it take WHATEVER it is I need to do? I was back to the gym for the first time the day after Christmas. I hit it several times the week of New Years. I have been multiple times since then. I have a workout partner with the same goals as mine....lose 40ish pounds, train for a triathlon, cycle the MS150. It is the perfect setup. I have someone willing to privately train me....a professional. This person is checking my food journals, and has worked me harder than I've ever worked. And I haven't even started cardio work yet. For some reason, the whole thing has made me very emotional. Perhaps it's because I am afraid of yet another failure. Perhaps I am afraid of what may be necessary to finally say goodbye to obesity forever. Perhaps I am afraid my body will rebel as it has done before. Perhaps Satan is doing everything he can to discourage me. Perhaps...... My prayer is that I am able to do WHATEVER it takes. That I will SOAR on wings like the eagle..that I will RUN and not grow weary. This journey is far from over for me. It feels like I am in the final chapters of this journey, but the chapters are long and intense. I cannot allow the discouragement, the whispers of failure to creep into my brain and heart. This journey, for me, is spiritual. My goal of 2009 is to close this chapter once and for all, and to open a whole new book yet to be written.

10 years already, yet it seems a lifetime

Ten years ago today, my Grandmother died. Seems like a pretty benign statement. Grandmothers are supposed to die. They are old, mine was sick for 13 years with heart disease. Shouldn't cause to much of a blip in our lives when a Grandmother dies. Not this Grandmother. This woman was truly the most amazing woman you would ever want to meet. I was the oldest granddaughter out of...well, I've lost count...like 40 something. And I thought my relationship with her was the most special. Come to find out...all 40something grandchildren felt the same way. We all thought we were the favorite! There are so many special things I remember about Grandmother. I remember being a child and staying at her scary house (and hating it), I remember going to the beach and having her help me body surf in the waves. I remember her taking us to ride Popsicle and Pumpkin (they were horses) when the Ohio Watts cousins came. I still laugh when I think of the many, many times I would startle her accidentally when she walked in a room. She would scream, then I would scream....then we couldn't stop laughing. She was a huge fan of me in my weight loss struggles. Anything she could do or buy me to help me with the process, she would do. She would cry with me when I didn't lose weight regardless of the work, and rejoice greatly when I did. I have moments in my memory that are etched there forever. When Greg and I went to tell her that we were engaged, when I got married and she was there. (We had been told she wouldn't live long enough to see us married). When I lived with her during the summer of my 16th birthday to take drivers ed. She got me hooked on soap operas!! Our long talks deep into the day when I was supposed to be working in the office. The trips to the store to buy her bridge mix and hard cookies that we would hide for her to snack on. The advice she would give me about my new friends, and the warnings about boys. She was one of the few people that could call me by my full name and I wouldn't feel at all threatened or in trouble. Grandmother shared some of her struggles with me, and I found out later how incredibly blessed I was to be given that honor. I will treasure her life lessons and struggles forever. What an incredible legacy she has left us. All of the children serving in ministry in some capacity. All the grandchildren given a solid Christian foundation. At my deepest moments of grief I have ached for her. Each baby that never went to full pregnancy, each anniversary of Mark's death, each birthday of my children, and now...as Danielle enters the age that I was closest to my Grandmother, I am so blessed to see my Mom carrying on the tradition. For truly, my Grandmother was my dearest and best friend, next to my Mother. I have a huge whole that aches for her. No, not like any other Grandmother...not even close. I miss you, Grandmother. I ache to tell you the things in my world. I ache to sit next to you and talk for hours. I ache for your comfort, your advice, your laughter. I love you....I can't wait to see you again.

The day after Christmas has the potential to be so many different things....sad, relaxing, reflective, hectic, boring, exciting. Our Christmas this year has been wonderful. Cori came home and surprised the kids for Christmas, and they have had a fabulous time already! Just like everyone else, we cut back this year due to our wonderful economy. Our children didn't notice at all! They kept saying it was the best Christmas ever....of course it was....all five children were back under one roof. All feels right in their world again. As I reflect on this, I consider the future. Eventually, all of our children will leave. Eventually, one by one, they will go their own way..find their own path. We pray that we have done everything God has commanded us as Christian parents, and that they will make good choices and live a life pleasing to Him. With a son in the Navy, it is a reminder how quickly time flies by. So many days I am rushing to get to bedtime so I can have some time to myself, or with Greg. I am hurrying through prayers, hurrying through baths, hurrying through kisses...ultimately, I am MISSING out on the opportunity to pray with my children, to smother them in kisses, to hear their thoughts. And every day that floats by, I am one step closer to the empty house. This year, I pray that God will help me slow down and ENJOY my children....each part of each piece of them. It seems like just weeks agao it was Christmas 2007, and here we are again...Christmas 2008. I don't want to blink again and be at Christmas 2009. I want to enjoy every moment, every success, every failure, every kiss, every hug.

Facing the holidays as a step-mom

My experience as a step-mom has been an amazing roller coaster ride. There was so much I did wrong and so much I would change. Somehow, God's grace has covered a multitude of my mistakes. Cori was 18 months when I met my husband, Greg; so I have always been in Cori's life. Every Christmas and every other summer he would come to Delaware from the time he was three years old. "Dad" and "Heidi" went together. We hardly ever used the word "step". We were an instant family. We did the typical “shared custody” for several years. At the age of 11, he stopped visiting his mother altogether. That was when it got VERY interesting. I was no longer a "part time" Mom to Cori. I was IT. Cori even started to call me “Mom”. I was battling a force much stronger than any I had ever experienced; the force of another mom, Cori's mom, in my home. The hardest times in Cori's life were the holidays. From about Halloween through Valentine's Day, Cori suffered in silence. It took us several years of changed behavior for us to figure out what the issue was. Cori missed his mom, and as hard as I tried, I didn't cut it. The tie from a child to his mother is like no other. The typical blended family rules didn't apply to us in that I wasn't "sharing" custody. But, I was definitely sharing. There were things I could have done to help Cori, and the rest of our family, through the holiday season. The sullen looks from Cori and the irritation I felt from his behavior could have been improved. People always say that Christmas is a time for children, but for a “step-child”, these magical days are sometimes painful. Here are some things about Christmas with a “step-child” I wish I had learned early on.
1. Be the grown up, and understand that holidays can be very painful for step-children. Whether through divorce or death, they do not have their two parents together. Because they may not yet understand that hollow feeling, they may lash out. Remember that while if feels personal against you, it isn’t.
2. Talk to the child about the other parent in a positive, uplifting way. Ask them if they are missing their Mom. Listen to them with an open heart. Open the lines of communication and step into their pain, even if they think you caused it.
3. Encourage your family to accept your step-child and do everything they can to make Christmas special for them. Often, a step-child has to split their time between parents. Schedule family functions so that they can attend if possible.
4. Touch and hug your step-child as much as you can. This was something I struggled with so much, and I regret it deeply. Physical touch is so important to children of all ages.
5. Enjoy every minute you have with them. Remember that the ideal family mold was broken for them. You can make it less painful by showing them you enjoy them, even if they make it hard.
6. Encourage the child to enjoy their time away from you without guilt. Tell them how much you want them to enjoy it, and be sure to be excited when they tell you about it. Don't ever give the child reason to believe you dislike the "other family".
This Christmas season, remove the word “step” from your vocabulary, hug your CHILD, and pray that the child in your blended family will see the beautiful reflection of Jesus every time he looks at you.

FACEBOOK is good, but FACE to FACE really is better!

I find myself in a familiar situation, yet again. Recuperating from surgery, relying on other people to help feed my family, get my kids to school, clean my house. It is something I've done before. This time, I have Facebook, and that has been a great thing. I feel like I am seeing people, I am definitely hearing from people, and I get to even "chat" with people. But, this week I discovered first hand that face to face is just so much more special! 4 of the 5 days this week someone visited me (besides my Mom!). They brought lunch, or dinner, and sat to chat with me. Maybe for an hour, maybe for the afternoon; but each time was SO special. I so greatly appreciated them taking time in their life to come spend it with me. The hours spent looking at walls go much faster when you are able to visit with dear friends. Laughing at current life circumstances or listening to what God is doing in their lives.....every visit was a special visit. SO, the next time you THINK about visiting or getting together with an old friend, whether they are recuperating from surgery or not....DO it. Go for a walk together, or meet for coffee. Spend an hour together, and limit it if you need to....but every once in a while, forget about Facebook, and get FACE to FACE! You'll be glad you did. :)

Stay off my feet? Are you crazy?

2 weeks ago, I had a fasciotomy on my foot. I have had years of problems with my feet, but over the past 2 years, the pain and damage has gotten worse. The doc says that all the exercise was causing serious damage on my already damaged feet. Over the summer, I tried a procedure that was less invasive to see if that would work. It seems to have worked on my right foot, but not my left. So, I had a semi-major surgery to remove the damaged fascia and shave down the heel spur. The recovery is long and slow. The first 30 days are to be spent off my foot. If I MUST be on my feet, I can do that for NO more than 15 minutes in an entire hour, and ONLY if very necessary. So, how do you do this with 4 young children and a hubby that works more than a full time job? With a lot of help from your friends! Our church family has people coming to clean, and people bringing us meals, and people taking our kids to and from school. We are well taken care of.

BUT, who is being Mommy???? Mommy is stuck in her room. Well, I'm still here, but am I really HERE? About a week into it, a week of me NOT leaving my room, I started hearing fighting and bickering. Less smiles on the kids faces, less smile on Hubby's face....less willingness to take care of Mommy. Hmmmm...........I needed to go downstairs. So, I did. I went to the couch, set up camp, and everything settled down. The kids stopped fighting, no more bickering. Hubby seemed slightly less tense, the kids were so much happier. Everyone wanted to serve me and help out. Why? What changed? MOMMY became the focal point of the home again. All was right in the home again. I may not have been fixing dinner in the kitchen, or washing clothes in the laundry room, or running to the grocery store, or fixing lunches, or even sitting WITH my children on the couch; but I was back to the center of the home, and that was where I belonged.

A cry for help from an young friend and 7 rules of dieting

As these pictures show, in the past 3 years I have lost close to 100 pounds. I still have weight to lose, and for me it is a slow painful process. Today I received a heart breaking email from a young (21 year old) woman that touched me deeply. She and I go way back, and I recently saw her at a wedding. It was the first time she had seen my weight loss and it really stuck with her. Her email was titled "HELP", and she said that she couldn't stop thinking about my weight loss and she wanted me to help her. She said that she is tired of putting a towel on the mirror when she gets in the shower every day so that she can't see herself when she gets out. THIS just broke my heart. I remember so well being overwhelmed with the amount of weight I had to lose, and feeling hopeless to do it. Due to distance, I cannot help her with hands on training. But, I passed on my 7 rules of weight loss to her, in the hopes that it would give her a jumpstart. It seemed like a great opportunity to capture them here in my blog.

1. NO ALCOHOL. And I mean this....for the time you are losing weight...NO alcohol. When I heard that a margarita (my favorite drink) had 600 calories, I swore I would never drink it again.

2. No regular sodas, no juices, no milk above 1%. Again....make this a commitment. DRINKING calories, to me, is just silly. I would much rather chew them.

3. Work up to a gallon of water a day. This will decrease as you lose weight, but I still shoot for 1 gallon a day.

4. No white products. This means...no white sugar, white flour, white rice, white noodles, white bread, or white potatoes.

5. EVERYTHING should be low fat. Low fat mayo, salad dressings, sour cream, ice cream, EVERYTHING that has an option for low fat should be low fat. OR, remove it completely...NO mayo, NO sour cream, etc. It's all about how serious you are. For me, I removed ALL of that stuff and STILL don't touch a lot of it. Fat free products have more sugar in them then low fat, so reach for the low fat if possible.

6. Journal everything. http://www.sparkpeople.com/ is a free online diet journal. It was VERY helpful to me, and I require people I work with to use it and give me their password so I can check their food intake at any time. It is great because it really works like a nutritionist. Your calories should be around 1500 a day, and can go as low as 1200 a day. No lower, though, or it doesn't work.

7. EXERCISE at least 30 minutes a day. If you cannot simply walk at a fast pace for 30 minutes on a treadmill or outside; consider the Biggest Loser original DVD. They have a 20 minute cardio and 20 minute strength segment. Together, they offer a great start to the new exerciser.

Many people have no idea how they got overweight. They don't understand nutrition or exercise. Hopefully, these easy 7 rules will help create boundaries and guidelines that will lead to success.