Countdown to 199 - TWO - OH - ONE!! Where My Diva's At?

Down to one chin….

Alright! Well, Ms. Tracy is ecstatic!!  I officially weighed in at 201 this morning!  I have lost a total 56.4 lbs. !!  I am sure that I will make my goal of 199 by 02-21-99 so I have made an adjustment:  by 02-20-09 I would like to be 197.4 – that will be a total loss of 60 pounds.  By the end of February, I would like to lose 1.4 more pounds to make a total of 10 lbs lost for the month.    I Can Do It!!!

I was looking at an ad for a weight loss center yesterday.  While I was looking at all of the pics and success stories, one phrase kept popping up – “Results not Typical”.   You know, the CYA for the company just in case you pay your money and don’t come out looking like those folks did.  Then I got to thinking that maybe my results aren’t typical either.  Since September, I have managed to lose and average of about 3 pounds a week.  No plateau’s, no ups and downs, just slow and steady weight loss.  For folks that have been in the diet game, that is almost unheard of. 

So, no my results are not typical.  But they are not impossible either.  For the benefit of our readers and to the Diva’s to come, Ms. Tracy is gonna share her weight loss secrets with you!!

Number One – Move, Move, Move!!! I don’t care if you are doing Atkins, WW, bread and olives (well, don’t do that one, it’s gross), or whatever, no weight loss program will work if you do not burn the calories that you take in.  Sorry, diet alone will not work.  And I am not saying that you have to go big guns starting out either.  Take a walk, get on the bike or the elliptical and ease into your routine.  But start it – and keep going!

Number Two – Move More!!  Okay, got the movement down!  Now challenge yourself!  If you are strolling along la-de -da ing and not giving your heart and lungs a slight workout, time to switch up.  Pedal a little faster, walk more briskly, do some extra laps – get that heart moving.  One of the things that I think has helped me stay out of the dreaded plateaus is that I do my walking and biking in Intervals.  That is were, after warming up of course, you add short bursts of high powered movement in your routine . When I stationery bike, I pedal normally for a minute, then pedal like crazy for 90 seconds, all for a total of 35 minutes.  When I walk, I now walk a block and jog a block.  This helps not only to break up your routine, but to raise your metabolism and burn more fat!  So step it up if you want to see the pounds move!

Number Three – Whatever you do, follow it to the letter!!  I believe that all diets work.  Pick one that you can be comfortable with and go for it, but remember this:  If you are doing a popular diet (Atkins, South Beach, WW) know that before the book , tv show or program came out, someone had to test it.  People have taken pains to go thru and see what works and what doesn’t.  So if the book says do “da-da-da” you have to do “da-da-da” or it will not work!  On Weight Watchers, I have so many points to eat a day, I have to write down everything I eat, track my water and make sure that I am getting so many points in veggies and fruits, proteins, oils,  and dairy .  Sure, I could eat diet cookies all day long, but I wouldn’t be getting the results that I getting now.  Before starting any diet, take the time to read and understand all that is required of you to make this diet work – and follow it to the letter.  Severe, maybe, but this is the first time in 15 years that I have been close to breaking 200 lbs – so it is worth it.

Number Four – This is Life, Live it! Remember that whatever you pick, this is the plan you have chosen for the rest of your life.  So pick something that you can live with.  I don’t know of many folks that would be satisfied with raw veggies and skinless chicken forever.  And if I can’t have a good glass of wine or brew every once in awhile, forget it!! Allow some treats and goodies in!  Life is parties and friends and joy and heartaches and love and pain.  Make sure that your diets ( and exercise) alots for all of these .  Also, don’t make your diet your life.  It is easy to get over-focused especially when the numbers are going down!  Don’t leave family and friends out – they are your cheering section and will be there thru thick and thin (pun intended)!

Number Five – Educate yourself!! Since September, I have surrounded myself with Health and Fitness books and Magazines.  You should always know the when, where, and why’s of your body!  Go on the internet and find out why you need a certain amount of vitamins each day, and how to get them.  Find out how much you should really weigh, why you need so much fiber (ha ha Ms. Johnson – that is another post!) protein and water, and how this affects your weight loss.  Find out what foods you should be adding to your bland list of veggies to not only add some variety, but to keep you on track and add more vitality to your well being.  Learn about different exercises that will help you on your journey .I personally love Heart and Soul – they cater to the Sistas – and Prevention magazine.  So, become a little obsessed with yourself and your health and become a mini Sherlock Holmes, your body will thank you for it!

Finally, Number Six: BE SELFISH!!  I remember co-workers and family always telling me ” It’s all about you, isn’t it?”  And my answer was always “Hell, YES!!”  Cuz sometimes, ladies, if you don’t make it all about you, it will never be about you.  You will always put your needs, your dreams and your health on hold to make someone else comfy.  my favorite saying is ” I was nice in my teens and 20′s, compliant in my 30′s, but in my 40′s, EVERYONE can Kiss…..”  you get the idea.  Make it about you ladies, even just for awhile.  When you are dead and gone, they will just find another mule…  You are worth so much more.

Well, dang, I’m just rattling on – must be the high fiber cereal and the coffee!  Will be working extra hard to acheive my goals for next week – I know that you can acheive yours! YOU CAN DO IT!!

Til next time – I gotta figure out how to work the webcam!!

Again!!  Scroll down and watch Ms. Johnson show off her hot body!!  Um, when I get that size, I’m quittin!  And please sign up for the SPP Diva’s!  I entered my new weight in this morning, entered my exercise tally, and made and entry in my personal diary – You get all this for free!!  So far, with me and Ms. Johnson, the Diva’s have lost 12 pounds!    To make things fair, I have not counted the last Fifty that I have lost – I am starting at square one.  So sign up and become a Diva!  To sweeten the pot ( A hunnert dollahs?!? Oh Yes, I’m unemployed, that would come in handy!)  I am having T-shirts and Hoodies printed up!  The T-shirts are for when you sign up, the Hoodies are an ‘Atta-girl’ for your first 10 pounds  lost!  So, along with getting a slamming new healthy body, you get money and clothes!  Sign up y’all and lets get this thing movin!