Wow it has been a long time - only 90 Days left

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all doing great!

It has been such a loooooong time since I wrote a blog but it is time to FOCUS!

I have said for a very long time that one of my main goals is to be the fittest I have ever been in my life at age 50.

Well...if I look at the countdown to 50 widget on the right side of this post...I have only 90 days until I turn fifty...that is it...only 90 days!

So the 90 day challenge has to officially begin!

90 Days of EATING WELL (yes...I will still allow myself some fun)
90 Days of EXERCISE
90 days of DRINKING LESS
90 Days of being FOCUSED

Can I do this? You bet I can!

So I am going to get my butt in gear and head to the gym RIGHT NOW!

Anyone want to join me on a 90 day challenge? The challenge can be whatever you like...but it has to start today.

I am going to try and blog more frequently over the next 90 days...please check in on me from time..if I show any signs of slipping give my butt a good kick.

It's for my own good.

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Alan

Time for me to buckle up

It's time for me to buckle down again (or is it "buckle up"? I don't know).

The summer has been great but full of over indulgences.

Have you ever visually "gotten away with it" but if you are being honest with yourself you know what your reality is?

That is where I am at now. 

The clothes I got when I reached goal are still fitting but I know if I don't smarten up they won't much longer. More importantly I just am not feeling healthy.

It is time to push through that wall and start the weight loss process again so I get myself back in check. I am after all a Weight Watchers leader a couple of times a week so I need to...correction...I want to...walk the walk. I believe the program works....but one has to actually do the program for it to work.

The fall season is, in my opinion, the best time to lose weight. We really only have Thanksgiving and Halloween to get through before the December holidays and in reality, even if we give Thanksgiving two days, that is only three official days of challenges. I think almost all of us can deal with three  days of weight loss challenges. Sure we have the things like birthdays but those are year round things no one can change. The summer events that can pose real challenges are winding down.

Yesterday was an interesting day at Weight Watchers. My bosses boss, and my bosses bosses boss (the General Manager) came to watch me lead a meeting. I'm still waiting for feedback but they seemed happy. Time will tell :-)

I am really loving leading meetings. I have managed to get things balanced out so it doesn't interfere with my Real Estate work (I only do meetings at times of day when things are typically quieter from a Real Estate perspective and will only do them if I have a receptionist now (smaller "At Work" meetings don't get a receptionist) which for the most part means I can go in, lead the meeting, and leave, so the time commitment is really limited.

I also spend way less time preparing. I read the topic overview at the start of the week (takes five minutes) and then spend twenty minutes thinking about what I am going to say before my first meeting each week. The reality is the group should be running the meeting not me so over structuring can be an issue. If the meeting is really good we may only barely touch on the topic of the week.

But....if I am going to lead I have to do the program. I really believe  it works so it is time to get 100% back on plan.

Be healthy!

Alan

Ouch...Twisted Pelvis

Hi all.

Have you ever twisted your Pelvis? Well I now have.

I was doing dead lifts and although I felt in control I lost balance as I was lowering the weight and knocked my body out of whack.

It is quite painful but fortunately I was with my trainer and he and another trainer helped me immensely.

I have to be very clear here...although I was being supervised by my trainer it is not my trainer's fault. I have done dead lifts a hundred times and he always tells me to contract my abs...I didn't listen.

I was focussed on lifting the weight and didn't give the clenching of the abs the attention it deserves.

After the accident I was massaged and instructed to do things like pull-ups to relieve the pain and it did work..if only temporarily.

They then suggested I see a chiropractor and at that point I would have tried anything.

My trainer made a call and got me an emergency appointment and off I went.

When I was there the chiropractor asked me how the incident occurred and I told her about the dead lifts and she said "it wasn't your first set was it?"...to which I replied "no". She then told me she sees it too often. People do exercises right for the first set or two, and then get careless and don't do things they need to do like clench their  abs. That was when I realized I was in fact NOT clenching my abs.

So now...because I failed to listen to my trainer I am in a lot of pain.

This morning I barely managed to get out of bed and started walking to the bathroom when my body literally froze. It hurt too much to move forward and it hurt too much to move backward. I had to wake Jamie up and get him to help me back to bed.

Eventually I did get up again (the only real motivator was the desperate need to go to the bathroom) and slowly moved around until my body started to release the stiffness a bit.

The day has been ok but I am a little afraid to go to bed tonight...the body will stiffen again for sure.

So...my words of wisdom for today...listen to your trainer! The things he/she tells you to do while exercising are likely more important than they may seem to be.

Now I can't exercise for a while and that is a worse feeling than the actual pain :-(

Be healthy!

Alan

The Morning After - Paying attention to the feedback

Last night we went to a friend's 40th Birthday Party.

We had a great time and met wonderful new people  but I consumed too much wine (surprise) and ate too much wonderful Mexican Food.

Most of the food was actually quite healthy (the quinoa salad was delicious!) so other than a Samosa and a small slice of cake I wasn't really eating bad food...I was just eating too much good food.

Sadly...quantity matters.

This morning I am not feeling the best. I have a slight hang over but the real issue is I feel sluggish, bloated, and...well...fat.

I am doing my official weigh-in on Sunday mornings now.

Seeing as I actually possess the official "Weight Watchers Scale" (not the ones you can buy in stores...the ones in the meeting rooms that are about $1000 each and are insanely accurate) I can weigh myself once a week, at home, at the same time...and yes...naked.

Ooops...sorry...hope you will be able to get that image out of your head quickly.

I am up 2.2 pounds.

I figure by weighing in Sunday mornings I am keeping it real. My weight will definitely have readings that are not "true" readings because I will have just come off of a Friday/Saturday night but let's face it...life is not evenly balanced and I think by doing it this way I am less focussed on what the scale reads on a particular day (too many variables) and more interested in the trend over time.

I am finding this way I don't starve myself before getting on the scale or binge right after getting on the scale...the scale simply captures a second in life and shows trends over time.

I wish I had had the guts to think of it this way when I was a member attending Weight Watchers meetings rather than  a Leader running them. Sometimes I would get so focussed on making sure the scale said the right thing that I would manipulate my eating patterns to achieve the correct result.

The question is...for who? I may have obtained the results I wanted but I know the truth...and doing it for the receptionist who weighed me or the Weight Watchers Leader is just plain silly. Now that I am a Leader myself I  know more than ever that before a meeting the WW staff are so busy processing people and getting them into their seats that they have forgotten what you weighed two seconds after you weigh in.

So my advice to anyone watching their weight?

Weigh in once a week..record it... take two seconds to think about WHY you are seeing a gain or loss...and then forget about it.

Once a month...take a GOOD look at your weight TREND and make adjustments if necessary. We are not on a diet after all...we are learning a better and healthier lifestyle.

Now back to today...I feel gross. I had fun last night but I could have had an equal amount of fun without waking up feeling like I just ate an entire pig.

Am I going to beat myself up? No. Am I going to remember the feedback? Remember how I feel right now in the hopes that I will do better next time?

Absolutely!

Be Healthy!

Alan

I'm Still Alive

Hey All!

Wow it has been a long time!

The last blog entry was on my birthday June 3rd!

Lately a few people have been kind enough to tell me they miss my blog and that is really nice to hear. Others have just wondered where I went as I haven't been on Facebook much either.

Not sure why I haven't been...just taking the time to re-group a bit I guess.

So why did I stop blogging?

If I am being honest I think for a few reasons:

1) I started feeling I was running out of things to say. After you lose weight one of the hardest things about "maintaining" is that it isn't as fun. There is a lot less joy when one says "Yay...I stayed the same!" It is a bit the same with blogging...writing about "maintaining" is harder.

2) I started wondering if anyone was still reading the thing anyway...but judging by the number of people telling me they miss it...I guess people were.

3) If I am being totally truthful I was a bit worried it was affecting my Real Estate Business. Not from a personal time perspective (it only takes me about twenty minutes and is usually done before 7:00AM) but from the perspective of people thinking I have refocussed and am less interested in Real Estate...particularly since I have taken on a couple of sessions as a Weight Watcher's Leader each week.

Believe me, that last point couldn't be further from the truth.  I am a workaholic and even when I was blogging almost every single day my devotion to Real Estate got me the President's Award for outstanding achievement in 2011...my devotion is and always has been very strong. Still...perception matters so I have to be careful with this one.

I am thinking the solution may be to write more Real Estate Blogs as well...just to ensure people know that that is where my focus truly is...I just won't compromise my health in the process.

So where am I with health and weight loss? With weight loss I am totally cool. Ideally I would like to drop an additional 5 - 10 pounds but the clothes fit great and I don't really need to...I am comfortable where I am..and it is summertime...I want to be able to have fun!

So will I lose the 5 - 10 pounds? Yes...but in September. I am focussing on maintaining for now.

The health side is where I really need to refocus. I have been eating the right foods to stay slim, but WAY too much processed stuff and way too many dinners out.

So a couple of weeks ago we started to change that. I am back to having healthy dinners almost every day and it makes me feel a lot better.

I am loving being a Weight Watchers Leader by the way. My groups are fun, and having to get up in front of them each week definitely helps to keep me in check.

So what is next in terms of goals? I am going to establish four goals as of today:

1) Make a healthy dinner at home at least five nights a week
2) Maintain my weight for the summer and not worry about "losing" while ensuring I don't gain.
3) Refocus on losing that 5 - 10 pounds on September 4th (1st day after Labour Day Weekend) and post a new picture of myself on-line shirtless on Friday October 12th.
4) Track what I eat...even if it is bad.

I guess I have some things to report on regularly.

Looks like the blog is back!

At 49 Life Is Good

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. Life seems to have taken on a form of its own lately and the ramp-up time involved in becoming a Weight Watchers Leader was actually more intense than I realized. So between Real Estate and Weight Watchers training things have been a bit crazy! The good news is the training is pretty much done now.

I miss my old Wednesday night group in Burlington A LOT, but I do have to tell you I am loving being a leader! I ended up agreeing to lead three groups although one is only a "fill-in" for an At Work program that needed a leader to complete the 26 series program there. So I am doing Wednesdays at 5:15PM at Holy Trinity Church behind the Toronto Eaton Centre, Saturdays at 9:15AM at Lawrence Park Community Church and for the next 12 weeks a lunch hour meeting at Ernst and Young for E&Y employees.

I have to tell you the groups at the meetings are GREAT! On Saturday my group stopped the meeting to sing Happy Birthday to me and deliver a cupcake with a candle in the top. They all sang Happy Birthday....and yes...I ate the cupcake...but no...not in front of them :-)

So here I am...49 years young today. It feels good. I read a book a while ago called Younger Next Year and it really helped me to reframe things. I now look forward to aging because as Jennifer Hudson would say: "I Got This". The book Younger Next Year is designed for men who are approaching or have reached retirement age but there is another book called "Younger Next Year For Women" which I am sure must be equally as good.

I don't think it would be possible to feel better than I feel today. Not only do I feel like I have my weight and my health under control, but I feel I am doing what I am meant to do, and that I have the best support group of friends in the world...and I have a support group of friends AROUND the world...it is awesome.

Last year I wrote a blog on my birthday about the importance of celebrating our birthdays simply because we have them...while many of those we love have passed on and are not able to celebrate birthdays anymore. I feel the same way today as I did when I wrote that blog.

Life is too short. It is meant to be lived and it is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. It isn't always easy and sometimes we have to seek out joy because it may not be finding its way to us...but when we do find it we should celebrate...simply because we can feel. No matter what we may feel from day to day...we can feel.

So lets all celebrate our ability to feel.

It's a good thing.

Be healthy!

Alan

Ok I Admit It. I'm On A Bit Of A High

Those of you know me know that I am not exactly shy about celebrating. I figure I work hard for some things and when that work results in success...damn it...I'm going to celebrate. I try to admit my challenges as well though... cause y'all know I'm far from perfect. Last night I did my first "solo" as a Weight Watchers Leader. I wasn't really nervous about delivering the content. I was mostly just nervous about appearing nervous...and that can be a hard thing to "fix". When I did the trial run on the weekend it went well but the Territory Manager told me when I held my "before" picture up it was shaking like I was a 70 year old man. Last night I made sure not to hold it too long and elected to pass it along through the group instead, but even if I had held it up I think I would have been ok. I was nervous but I don't think it showed much...whew! When I was done the Territory Manager said to me "That was the worst first solo I have ever seen". She the laughed and said "You know I'm kidding right? That was the best first solo I have ever seen". That made me feel real good :-) She did have some great pointers which I really appreciated but at the end of the day I had fun. It gave me a bit of a high. Jamie took a video of it without my knowledge so if he can figure out how to black out the few faces (other than mine) that pop up in it, and if it does not prove too large to load I will post it on the blog and/or on Facebook. It will be a good keepsake to have. I was SOOOOO relieved when it was over and you better believe the wine got opened. Now it's back to reality...Time to devote all my attention to Real Estate...but that's cool...when I'm in a good place...all is good. Be healthy! Alan

Wow That Was Intense

What an intense weekend of training.

When I signed up to be a leader for Weight Watchers I didn't really take into account the preparation involved.

I simply thought: "I already attend one meeting a week so why not lead one meeting a week instead" It is the same time commitment right? Well...yes...it is...when I factor in the time that I do not have to spend driving to Burlington and back every week...but that is only after the training has been completed.

It is kind of a two edged sword. On the one hand there is a fair amount of time commitment (since most of us also have full time jobs) as there are three WW Leader Webinars including one really designed for leaders doing "At Work" meetings, two full days of in class leader training, and five receptionist training sessions (although we are not receptionists we have to know what they do as we are in charge of the whole meeting and we may have to help out from time to time). On the other hand...it doesn't feel like there is enough training before you hit the ground running...I guess one probably never feels like there is enough training. I do feel like I have all the information that they can possibly give me so I guess they are right...it's time.

In my case I am joining the WW team at the same time the annual Spring Training for all leaders happens, so I will have that training June 1st as well...it's all good...just time consuming.

I am looking forward to Wednesday being over. Then I will have done my first meeting and can take a little bit of a deep breath.

In the training on the weekend I had to prepare and deliver a WW meeting to the Trainer and to the Territory Manager. We all had to do this and it was a very supportive atmosphere. If I am doing a totally honest evaluation of myself I think I did really well...but I had one big issue. I was WAY too nervous. I think I would rather have any other type of issue. If it was an issue of product knowledge etc I could fix it. When the problem is nervousness, even thinking about it will just make me more nervous...so I don't really know what to do about that one.

From the perspective of the Trainer and Territory Manager I don't think they were concerned at all. I think they were thinking "He ran a great meeting and after a couple of meetings the nervousness will subside and he will be fine"...so they are happy. But from my perspective it is not so simple. The last thing I want to be is nervous in my FIRST meeting. Oh well...it is what it is I guess.

So two more days and then the big day arrives. I feel like I am making too big a deal of it but it does feel like a big deal to me. Over the past eight years I have had two of the best leaders there are at WW so it kind of feels like I have a lot to live up to.

Deep breaths....I will get there.

At least all this WW stuff is keeping me very mindful of what I eat.

Be healthy!

Alan

Sometimes a door has to close for another one to open

"For every ending there is a new beginning"..."For every door that closes another door opens"...and my favourite from T.S. Elliot..."What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from".

This week will mark an "end". It makes me sad to think it.

It is hard for me to imagine that after driving to Burlington from Toronto almost every Wednesday since 2004 this Wednesday I will be making that drive for the final time.

I have driven there faithfully virtually every week for my Weight Watchers meetings since 2004 and over the years I have made such wonderful friends. There is even a couple that goes to the meeting that has been attending since I first joined WW back in the late 1980s. It will be hard to leave on Wednesday.

Sometimes, however, one cannot begin their path down a new road without leaving the road they are on, and it is time for me to take a new path.

In the first week after this Wednesday I will "shadow" a Weight Watchers leader in Toronto, attend WW training, and then the following week I will begin my own Wednesday night Weight Watchers meetings here in Toronto as a leader.

It is exciting...but right now it all seems a little bit surreal.

Of course I am worried about the first day I have to get up in front of my new group (which is May 2nd). Last week I snuck in and sat in on the meeting I will soon lead. The group seems like a good one so that makes me happy...but there is always the fear of falling flat on your face.

Obviously I want to "look" my best when I get up in front of my group for the first time to so I am diligently following the Weight Watchers plan. That doesn't mean I can't have treats...I will probably have some wine tonight...but I will count the points and stay on plan.

I am also tracking my points by methods I don't usually use. I am tracking on e-tools as well as on a paper tracker and on the points plus calculator. Once I am a leader I will have to help people who track in different manners so I need to ensure I am up-to-date on every method.

I'm really excited about my new group but man am I going to miss my old friends.

If any of my friends in the Burlington Hamilton area (you don't need to be a member of WW) are reading this and are free this Wednesday we are going to go for drinks after my last meeting at the Kelseys on Guelph line (behind the Zellers in Burlington Mall). We will get there about 6:50pm Wednesday and all are welcome.

I'm just hoping I don't cry Wednesday...I am such a frickin sap.

Be healthy!

Alan

Finally I'm back...was the vacation weight worth it?

Back in February I went on a week-long cruise and gained over 10 pounds.

To many that may sound as though I lived my week in the Buffet line but I really didn't.

On the cruise I chose not to have dessert, skipped the big breakfasts, drank less alcohol (I really don't drink that much on vacations), and had a normal lunch. I guess the only real "splurge" was that I did order whatever appealed to me at dinner every night. Nonetheless...it was three meals out a day with no control over how they are cooked and I gain weight at mega speeds.

In the past I have always kind of had the philosophy that I can handle a weeks worth of damage. If I am going away for a week...I don't worry about it. If I am going away for two weeks I tell myself I need to be good, and I usually am for a week...and then I fall apart.

No matter what the scenario is, as soon as I return home I tell myself it was worth it (well...with the exception of the time I gained 21 pounds in two weeks). Life is meant to be enjoyed, and all I need to do is get back on track as soon as I return home right?

After my last vacation I told myself the same thing. It was worth it. I had a great time, and I gained ten pounds...so what?!

It is now seven weeks later and as of yesterday I have returned to my pre-vacation weight.

I cannot help but wonder at this point if it really was worth it.

Seven weeks of being on a weight loss regime to correct one week of fun? Was it REALLY worth it?

Right now my head is thinking a resounding NO...it was not worth it.

I know myself though, and by the next time I go on vacation I will probably be thinking it is totally worth it.

I am not sure which answer is the right answer but one thing is clear to me: If we decide that we are on "vacation" and it is time to just forget about the world and do what we want we can have a great time...but there is a big price to be paid upon return.  Taking off the weight isn't as easy as it was when I was younger.

I don't think there will be any more vacations until 2013 now so I will have a while to reflect on this. I am hoping I will be smarter next time.

Be healthy,

Alan

Sometimes I am never satisfied

Do you ever want MORE? I am like that. I want MORE.

I have no reason to want more. If I keep what I have I should be pretty damned happy.

I have been feeling that way with weight loss this week. I am not always perfect...but this week...I have been perfect. I have stayed within my daily points range for Weight Watchers, I have elected not to eat any of my "optional" points, and I have exercised every day except for one, planned, rest day. I have not even had an alcoholic drink since my "weight watchers week" started Thursday morning. In a nut shell...I have been perfect.

The results I wanted to achieve will be there when I step on the scale at Weight Watchers this week. In my last blog I said that my goal was to be 189 pounds by this Wednesday and and then 185 pounds by April 25th.

I will be 189 pounds by this Wednesday. That is my pre-vacation weight so I should feel happy right? I am perfectly on track.

The problem is that with perfect eating I expect consistent results. If I eat perfectly for a day I expect to wake up the next morning...be able to step on the scale...and see that it was all worth it. I want weight loss for EVERY day I am perfect. It only makes sense doesn't it?

Sadly, our bodies don't always follow the rules. They are like kids...sometimes they just don't listen.

I guess this is why Weight Watchers says that during the "weight loss" mode of the program it is ideal to only weigh in once a week at the meeting. That way we only see the end result of a weeks worth of eating and not the frustrations of going up and down daily.

I obey the Weight Watchers suggestion sometimes...but this week I haven't and it is frustrating as hell. Even though I am exactly where I want to be right now I feel like "good" is not "good enough". I WANT MORE!

It is sheer stupidity and a total "dieter" mentality.

I am making a lifestyle change...I am not dieting...and I need to learn that once and for all.

I get it most of the time...just not this week.

Hopefully I will wake up and smell the roses soon....I usually do know I am being an idiot when I am being one...it just doesn't always stop me.

Be healthy!

Alan

AFTER YOU REACH A GOAL...SET THE NEXT ONE!

At the end of the day I think weight loss it all about setting goals you can keep.

If you have a goal that is realistic and you are SERIOUS about it...you will make it happen.

The thing is though...we sometimes fall apart after we reach a goal. Have you ever noticed I tend to reach my weight goals the day before I go on vacation? By the time I get back I tend to be back where I started.

It is not the end of the world. I have usually enjoyed my vacation and as much as I don't relish starting again I usually feel it was worth it. It just sucks that it takes sooooo long to get back where you were.

The important thing is that you re-focus as soon as you can and set a new goal.

Just because you have reached the end of the road does not mean the journey is over.

My last goal was to lose enough weight to pose for the picture in the upper right corner of this blog. I did it...and then I went on vacation.

I was 189 pounds in that picture. As of my last weigh-in I am 192 pounds so I am almost back to that point again...but this time I will not be going on vacation...thank goodness!

My current goal is to get back to 189 pounds and I already know what my next goal after that is.

Current Goal: I hope to reach 189 pounds by April 4th. It isn't totally in my control (no matter what I do sometimes the body tends to do what it wants).

Next Goal: I want to reach a weight of 185 pounds by April 28th.

April 28th isn't an arbitrary date. It is the date I enter into a two day intensive program which is the most significant portion of the training I will receive to become a Weight Watcher's leader.

I am looking forward to this (yes...with a bit of fear), but I want to be in top form when I enter that training weekend and in top form when I hold my first solo session in early May.

I find solid goals...that have a completion date...and purpose...are the most effective goals.

Having said that...if your "goal" is a weight goal...the date may not always work in your favour...sometimes life just happens....so if you don't reach your goal weight by the date you set...don't spend a second fretting about it. As long as you are going the right way...just keep on going.

As soon as you reach your goal...set the next one.

Be healthy!

Alan

Only 436 Days To Go!

The time is getting near.

In only 436 days until I enter into the "post 50" era of life.

I think it is exciting. In a way I am looking forward to it.

I think the primary reason for this is because my long term goal is to be the healthiest I have ever been at age 50. I am already the healthiest I have ever been but I can still get healthier. It will feel like an accomplishment and that is so much better than feeling old.

My partner thinks I am a contradiction. He says that I say I am not upset about getting older but then I spend so much time trying to look younger. He doesn't believe that getting older does not bother me.

From my perspective it is not a contradiction. Getting older doesn't bother me BECAUSE I feel like I look pretty good for my age and I feel like I am pretty fit for my age. I am ahead of the game.

Often I am at the gym and I look around at the perfectly fit boys with totally ripped muscles and not an ounce of fat and I feel a tinge of jealousy...I think..."why can't I have a body like that...I am working just as hard as them"....and then it occurs to me that they are in there twenties and thirties.

When I compare myself to people my own age...I think I can stand my ground.

So for me aging is like a game. As long as I can stay ahead of the game I feel like I'm winning....and when one is winning how can one possibly feel bad?

I guess it simply boils down to maintaing a heathy attitude.

Last night I put a "count down to 50" clock on my blog. I have 436 days left to age 50 and I am looking forward to reaching my goal: "Fit at 50".

Stay positive, and be healthy!

Alan

What Is A Healthy Weight For You?

Determining a healthy weight can be a difficult thing. There are so many variables involved.

The Canada/US health guides define it by BMI but they are quite clear that it is a "guide" and there are limitations. Specifically, the Canadian Government says the following on their website:

Groups for whom the body weight classification system may have some limitations include:

• young adults who have not attained full growth;
• adults who have a naturally very lean body build;
• adults who have a very muscular body build;
• adults over 65 years of age;
• certain ethnic or racial groups.

So what is a healthy weight?

It is an individual thing.

I also think that there is such a thing as a "healthier" weight rather than a "healthy" weight.

Few could argue that a 300 pound individual who has lost 100 pounds is not healthier. 

Perhaps they are healthy enough.

The person mentioned above who now weighs 200 pounds may be way over their BMI but they may also very well be "healthy enough" for them.

When I lost weight once before I went down to 176 pounds. My maximum "normal" BMI weight according to the charts is 179 pounds. It was the perfect weight for me at the time.

Now...several years later...and many many sessions at the gym later...I think it is very unlikely that I will ever be that weight again. Look at my picture in the top right side of this blog (I am 189 pounds in that picture) and tell me I need to be thirteen pounds thinner than that?  I don't think so...

yet that is what the "normal" guidelines say.

Or is it really? 

It is not.

Why? Because we tend not to read the detail and the detail for me is quoted above where it says:

"Groups for whom the body weight classification system may have some limitations include:

• adults who have a very muscular body build"

I have worked out so much that I believe in my case a "normal" weight is not "normal" for me.

Your normal weight might not be normal for you either...for any one of the above mentioned reasons.

The good thing is we don't need to be "normal" and although many weight loss programs will use the BMI as a guide, programs like Weight Watchers allow you to decide that a higher weight is just right for you.

Of course you can't just pick a weight out of the blue. It has to be logic based and it is best you consult with a health practitioner to decide what is indeed right for you.

I did just that this morning. I saw my Doctor and he determined that with my body and exercise regime anything up to 197 pounds is perfectly healthy for me.

That is a far cry from the 179 pounds stated in the BMI guide...a full 18 pounds higher...but it is ok for my "normal".

The great thing is that Weight Watchers will accept the normal weight of 197 pounds for ME, as a Weight Watcher's Member, with a supplied Doctors note.

Having said that I want to be below 197 pounds. I would prefer to be 189 pounds (as I am in that picture above right) but it is nice to know I have a buffer built in with the 197 pound Doctor's note.

Things are slightly stricter for WW leaders (as they should be) as I cannot be a leader with a BMI over 27 but even this gives me the flexibility to go up to 193 pounds so all is good.

The point is an important one. 

You do not need to get hung up on BMI "normal" weight ranges or the generic guidelines issued by the Canadian and US government, Weight Watchers and other programs. Even they say they are "guides". Consult with a health practitioner, figure out the weight that is right for you, and get it in writing. Then make the "right" weight for you the right weight for you. 

Be healthy!

Alan

Seeing What It Is Like To Be A Woman

Hi all!

This week I have decided to find out what it is like to be a woman. It is part of my self-imposed "research" for becoming a Weight Watcher's Leader.

You see...men are kind of lucky when it comes to Weight Watchers. We get a higher points allowance then women. I, for instance, am getting 38 points a day right now (it will decline to about 34 as I get closer to goal). Many women, however, only get 26 points a day.

I have always thought that there was no way I could live on 26 points a day!

Given, however, that I will soon be telling many females that that is exactly what they have to do...I decided that...as an experiment...I would ry to live that way for a while myself.

So, since last Thursday I have been eating 26 points a day plus my 49 weekly points allowance. This is exactly how many points many women eat on the plan (not all women...there are many factors that determine your daily points allowance).

The 49 weekly points were eaten at a function last Saturday night so they are now gone.


I must say I am surprised. Granted, I have only done it for 5 days but it isn't as hard as I thought. I usually eat one stupid thing a day that disappears down my throat in two seconds, has no redeeming qualities, no health benefits, and does not fill me up. The bottom line is that now I no longer get to eat that stupid thing that adds nothing to my health or day.

Perhaps 26 points a day is actually a good thing. It certainly encourages me to eat more fruits and vegetables (which are primarily zero points)

Still...I am going to trust Weight Watchers and go back to eating my proper points allowance after this weeklong experiment is over. Although I may find I can do it...it does not necessarily mean it is the best choice for me.

Be healthy!

Alan

I Guess It Is Official! I Am Going To Be A Leader

Yesterday I mentioned that I was meeting with the Territory Manager for Weight Watchers.

Well...I met with her...and I am starting the training process to become a leader. I will likely only do a meeting or so a week as I don't have time for more. I do, after all, have another job that takes priority.

So on April 19th I am doing a training webinar, then a full day of training April 28th and 29th, another webinar May 16th, and for five weeks I will do some receptionist work weighing people in etc. at meetings. From there my leader sessions start with a mentor present for a bit.

There is a catch though...I still need to lose more weight. I don't have to go as far as I thought I did. In the picture that I posted February 10th (also on the upper right side of this blog) I was 189 pounds. I thought I had to go to 179 pounds.

I could do this but I wasn't sure I could (or wanted) to maintain at that weight. The good news is I am permitted to maintain at 185 pounds. Co-incidentally that was exactly the weight that I had already decided I wanted to maintain at anyway. Perfect!

The only thing that is not perfect is that I am no longer 189 pounds. I am 198 pounds after my vacation and last weekend's eating binge.

So...I need to lose...again...and I need to do it following the WW plan. If I am not doing the plan right then how can I be an effective leader?

So...here goes....

Be healthy!

Alan

  

Considering Becoming A Leader

It could be an interesting day for me.

I have been in discussions with Weight Watchers lately about the possibility of becoming a leader for them.

If I did it I would likely only do a meeting or two a week as I need to ensure my main focus remains Real Estate...and it will. This would be more like a hobby.

I do think that I would enjoy it, and having to get up in front of a group of people every week would definitely keep me "in check" weight-wise.

I am not sure how women (which is the primary audience) will feel about having a male leader but I do know there are other male leaders and perhaps if more male leaders exist more men will join. They need to be healthy too!

Anyway, I am meeting with the Territory Manager for Weight Watchers today. We will see how it goes :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

Confessions Of A Mad Man

Sometimes I feel like a liar.

Not a liar in the moment, but more of a hindsight liar, or perhaps an "absent" liar.

When I wrote my last blog I mentioned that I had used my weekly points and that meant I pretty much had to stay "on program" the rest of the week. I didn't think it would be too tough as I had no social events planned.

So here is the real deal....we don't NEED social events to fall apart.

I managed to fall apart this weekend in a big way. I also chose not to write my blog as that would involve facing my reality and I wasn't ready to do this.

Actually, to say I fell apart is an understatement. I became obsessed with eating. My food intake over the weekend includes the following:

1) Big Mac Combo
2) Caramel McFlurry
3) Two Mama Burgers and a Root Beer at A&W
3) 20 Swedish Meatballs and French Fries at IKEA...and one of their ice cream cones.
4) About ten chocolate digestive cookies (there is nothing "digestive" about these).
5)  Popcorn With butter and a coke at the movies, oh...and a bag of Malteesers.
6) Sweet and sour fried chicken balls with white rice and Saporo beer at a chinese restaurant
7) A bottle of wine
8) About a box of crackers.
9) A Wendy's double cheeseburger.
10) Two egg McMuffins and an order of Hotcakes (with extra syrup) at McDonalds

I wish I could say that was all but I am sure there is stuff I forgot.

Let's just say: "I LOST IT"!

To be honest I have another problem though. Many would say it is not a problem but I think it is.

At Weight Watchers they say that if you fall off the wagon you shouldn't feel guilty about it. What is done is done...you just get back on the wagon and keep on going.

My problem is I never feel guilty. Perhaps if I did I would learn more from it.

I will get back on the wagon and keep on going but if I haven't learned what good does it do me?

I am thinking that perhaps after all that crap I should do a cleanse...but have not yet decided if I have the willpower right now.

At the very least  I will be back to healthy eating today.

Be healthier than I have been,

Alan

A Day of Food And Drink

OK Yesterday wasn't good...I mean it was GOOD...but it wasn't good.

I had a great day and enjoyed the company of good friends with wine to follow.

Dinner wasn't really tremendously bad. We had steamboat (also known as Hot Pot) where raw vegetables, meat, fish balls, and shrimp, are put on a table and then slowly dumped into a bowl of boiling broth, removed and eaten (after being dipped in a peanut sauce). It was good.

We also had wine, and chocolate, and half a box of Triscuit Parmesan and Garlic Crackers ( I mean half a box FOR ME) and...of course...I had also eat throughout the day before dinner...and not particularly well.

So now I look back on yesterday and think..."How the hell do I even begin to calculate the weight loss points for this to put in my tracker?".

The thing is though...sometimes you don't have to. If you know you have used up all your daily points and all your weekly points then it doesn't matter whether you ate 90 points worth of food or 500 points worth of food. The point is the "points" are gone and what is done is done. Beating yourself up will do you no good. I had a good time...that is what I choose to focus on.

So I will assume I ate my daily points and my extra 49 points and enter that in my tracker. My tracker will then inform me that I have zero extra points left for the remainder of the week. That is all the knowledge I need to have. I do not need to know I have negative 200 points. That won't help me.

Knowing I have zero extra points just means...get back on the normal plan...and eat healthy the rest of the week.

Right now it is cool because I really don't have any more social functions planned. If something does come up though...I won't say "no". I will say "yes" and do the best I can food-wise at that function...and if I blow it...who really cares? It just means my weight would be up a bit and not down when I weigh in next Wednesday.

When you are in this for the long term, one week up or down doesn't change a thing....as long as the weight ends up being "down" more often than it is "up" over time...all is good.

Be healthy!

Alab

Weight Loss Isn't Always About What You Eat

Yesterday my friend Wendy completed here first week of Weight Watchers. Although she was sure she had blown it, and that this first week would be a "wash" she was actually down four pounds. Congratulations Wendy!

I think it just goes to show you that weight loss isn't always about what you eat. Sometimes it is about what you don't eat.

I believe that while Wendy (and yes...I do have permission to talk about her on my blog) was worried about the fact that her point totals might not have been "perfect" everyday, she didn't really realize that for better or for worse, tracking everything she was putting in her mouth was keeping her aware...and that keeping her aware was keeping her on track.

Yes she ate chocolate...but she ate less chocolate.

Portion sizes matter...they matter a lot.

Portion sizes are the only reason Weight Watchers is able to say that no foods are off limits.

Does this mean I always eat the right portion sizes...gosh no...if I did I wouldn't need this blog and my life...from a weight perspective...would be perfect.

Even when I am not tracking my portion sizes (like when I was on the cruise) I am aware that I should be...and I think as long as we always at least stay AWARE of what we are actually doing to our bodies...for better or for worse...eventually things start to go in the right direction.

I got myself going in the right direction this week too. I was down 2.8 pounds...only 8 more pounds to go to undue the weight gain of the cruise. No worries...it will happen.

Be healthy,

Alan