"Let's move it, move it, move it!"

I just finished reading a post on my brother and sis-in-law's blog that has given me what I've been looking for. Matt and I have been struggling with watching our weight go up while not having a real motivation to do anything about it. We moan and groan about our "over 40" bodies, read health articles about losing and maintaining extra weight, and talk (a lot!) about how we need to start walking/running every day and lifting free weights. And that's where it always stops. I have a closet full of cute pants that I couldn't button if my life depended on it. Matt cleaned out his closet last weekend and handed down a bunch of pants to "A". Pants that fit Matt a year and a half ago now fit our 6'1" 145lb son. It's time to stop blaming the dryer for running too hot and shrinking all of our clothes!

My darling little brother bravely shared his weight loss/life-style change story with a healthy minds and bodies group that his wife leads. And his story has completely motivated me. I realize how much I sabotage myself and set myself up for failure. Knowing I tend to be completely controlled by my outrageous sweet tooth, how can I expect success when I have a pantry full of sugar laden, nutritionally bankrupt foods? When given a choice, I'll choose the bad EVERY time! "I don't have time for a bowl of oatmeal this morning. Three or four of those peanut butter oatmeal cookies (Mom's delicious recipe!) should have about the same amount of oats in them. And they've got peanut butter to boot! Protein!!" Sigh...I'm my own worst enemy. My fondest childhood memories revolve around food. The smells, the tastes, the textures..."nothin' says lovin' like something from Mom's oven."

I've never struggled with obesity, just "fluffiness". While Scott needed to lose over 120 lbs, I need to lose 20-25. But it's not just about the numbers. I'm tired of being shocked and grossed out when I see my reflection in a store window. I'm tired of jeans rings at the end of the day (you know...those unsightly red rings that form in the folds of swishy belly bulge. Yuk!) I don't want to hear any more comments about how I "look good for having had six kids". What does that mean, anyway?! Like everyone who has more than the average number of kids is supposed to look terrible?! Like a woman's body shape should be an indication of how many children she's birthed? Ridiculous. I just want to look and feel my best and I know I don't.

I've got a lot of bad habits to break. Dad taught me how to be a sneaky-eater. If no one sees me eat it, it doesn't count. And secretly gobbling numerous tiny slices of cake or pie throughout the day doesn't count either. Not unless it's a whole slice eaten at once, which we only do when the kids are downstairs so we won't get caught never do! The best way to sneak-eat is straight out of the pan. Just keep a fork at the ready for grabbing quick nibbles when no one is watching. But be smart about it! Cut your nibbles carefully always trying to maintain the appearance that it hasn't been touched since everyone last had some together. Just DON'T get caught!! I've never understood why that's so important, but it is. A champion sneaky-eater can consume whole cinnamon rolls, multiple cookies, and rows of brownies while in the kitchen with other people, without anyone being less than completely oblivious to the sneaky-eater's accomplishments. It never dawns on us champions that our growing girth will eventually give us away. It's phycho!!

http://beanland.wordpress.com/2008/11/13/hmbg-recap-achieving-and-maintaining-a-healthy-body-weight/#more-383

Seeing Scott's success at changing his lifestyle and physical appearance have completely motivated me. I'm sure there will be no shortage of complaints and sighs when the snack forays turn up nothing but nuts and veggies. And it'll probably take a while for a piece of fruit to satisfactorily take the place of a warm chocolate chip cookie. But a more balanced approach that allows the occassional treat is much more sensible and definitely doable. My Grandfather had type II diabetes and died after multiple heart attacks. My father's life was cut short by colon cancer. Every one of his living brothers and sister have had either precancerous polyps or colon cancer. Matt's brother has type II diabetes. It's time for us to stop ignoring the scads of research clearly linking heart disease, diabetes, and cancer to dietary habits and weight. I want to be healthy and strong enough to play with my grandchildren and chase my hubby around the house! ;)