Forever Fighting Fat: The Never Ending Weight Loss Journey

Newspaper Column on Positive Thoughts

I'm very proud of this weeks column. I've been re-reading Louise Hay's book, "You Can Heal Your Life" and it really inspired me. The post can be found here.

Some of What we do is Obvious

Sitting at my usual table, at my usual coffee house, at the usual time, I'm not sure I "read" my newspaper, per se. I glance at an article, absorb a few lines, and then give myself the luxury of letting...

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Newspaper Column: The Thing

My column in the Times-Standard for this week. Enjoy: click here.

Two Words Magazine now on sale!

Special note: check out my motivational magazine at scottqmarcus.magcloud.com. You can also purchase it at a special price of $5 (+ $1.40 postage) by clicking on the button below.

What Oprah can do to get her weight back under control

I feel for Oprah, really I do. I have had to battle weight my entire life and I've had ups and downs and back again. I also respect Oprah a great deal. Not only did she come from "nowhere" to become one of  richest women on the planet, but she spends her energy for positive causes. She seems to remember from where she comes. I'm sure she has her dark side (as do we all), but for the most part, I think she's a positive contribution to our society. I also admire her willingness to be transparent with the issues and problems of her life. By putting them "out there," she makes it "OK" for the rest of us to accept our own problems. "If she -- with everything she has -- has problems, I'm not so bad myself," we say. That's inspiring. It's motivational. We move forward.

In a nutshell, we need more "Oprahs."

That said, I saw this clip on Larry King:

My reaction?

It's hard to believe that she didn't know this was a lifelong battle. We never get "over" weight issues; we merely get them under control. But control is illusive and it's fluid. Some days you have it; some days you don't. If you have it more days than you don't, you're in control. If you have it fewer than you do, you're out of control. We can very easily slip back into our old habits.

What to do about it?

Week 2 on Weight Watchers new Momentum Plan

So, last week, I'm really excited! After all, I lost six pounds on week one on the Momentum plan. This week, I'm thinking, "OK, I'll be happy with five." (No, not really, I knew last week was an anomaly but I can still dream, can't I?) And, granted I wasn't quite as tight on the program as I was last week, but even so...

So, yesterday, I finally jump on the scale, holding my breath, waiting for the little red LED to flash its prize at me and it says.... the same as last week! On and off the scale. Back and forth. No good. Still the same.

I understand that's healthy. I understand it's normal. I tell my members that all the time. However, it's different when it's ME. Oh well...

Big Loss First Week on New Weight Watchers Momentum Plan

I didn't get to post yesterday because it was one of the those "crazy busy days" that periodically slap you upside the head.  Deadlines and such kept me moving from before dawn to very late at night. However, I completed my first week on the new Weight Watchers Momentum plan, which I have been diligently following. As part of such diligence, I decided I would not step on a scale all week also. I tend to do that to give me an excuse to:

A) Be disappointed with my results and figure, "oh what the hell, I might as well eat"
-- or --
B) Be excited with my results and figure, "Wow! I didn't think it would be going so well, I can eat more."

Either way, I end up the same: chubby. Gotta stop it. So I did. I figured I'd just wait it out and let the program do its job.

So it's with no small amount of consternation that I climb on the scale Tuesday at my meeting (which I might point out is AFTER lunch -- yikes!). At first, I just kind of "tested the waters:" wearing my sweater, shoes, belt, etc. That looked OK.  Then, I removed the "extra weight list"

1. Sweater
2. Shoes
3. Belt
4. Wallet
5. Money clip
6. Pen
7. Spare change

I was alone in the room but I resisted the urge to strip down to my skivvies. There's a fine line between compulsive and obsessive and I tread it. Must be very careful, you know?

So, lo and behold, I was expecting three pounds, thought I might get four, really wanted five -- and I got

Daily Weight Loss Affirmation

Made it through yesterday with flying colors. Nothing after 9:30! That's day one. Today, I'm conducting our first Advanced Entrepreneurial Skill Series seminar on in depth marketing so I'll be gone most of the day.

Each time I resist short term temptation, I feel better for a long time.

Using the NEW Weight Watchers program to get back on track

Where does the time go? It seems like I've been so busy, I haven't time to breathe. I always say that "one of these days," I'll get myself all settled down. One of the days, I'll do less and relax more. One of these days, things will be easier to handle.  However, one of these days doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

So, in the last few months since I've been active writing, several things have happened:

1. I was on the road for a week in WA & OR speaking to various groups. I did do one post in that week, but that was it.
2. I have started a new project. (What was that about "doing less?") It's rather complicated but it involves further developing my marketing chops so I can some speaking engagements in that arena, while developing a new motivational magazine called: Two Words.
3. We were out of town for Thanksgiving, visiting my sister, her family, and my sons. It was the first year that my sons hosted Thanksgiving. Big props to Daniel! He prepared a meal for a king and was incredibly generous about it. (He also managed to get everything to turn out a the same time.)
4. I attended the annual Weight Watchers event called Innovations. It's a gathering of the leaders and staff from all over the country (although it's done in regional segments and mine was Northern California of course). At Innovations, awards are given out and any new additions or changes to the program are introduced. There's a whole lot of perky and lots of energy and a grand total of about 5 men surrounded by 600 women. Overall, it's a nice event and I won some cool awards.
5. I am trying to lead a life.

The Bottom Line

Although I'm pretty good about maintaining my weight while traveling (actually I do better than when I'm at home), the constant load of travel and work is taking its toll and I'm little by little, finding my weight creeping up again. It's not bad. Not at a major worry spot (well, that's not true, my weight is ALWAYS a major worry spot) but as my mom's old WW leader said so many years ago,

"Bad habits never go away. They just go into deep freeze. You can thaw them out any time you want."

I don't want to be thawing this puppy out. Gotta get back in gear -- and fast.

The new Weight Watchers program to the rescue!

Staying Focused, Feeling Sad, Moving Forward

 I am -- or was -- in a real funk today. I'm a little better now but I though it would help (me) to share it.

I just woke up that way and I can't trace it to anything in particular. It's just like a big giant dark cloud is hanging over my head. I've got enough therapy behind me to let me know that it's OK to feel down once in a while; it's actually healthy. But, I've got enough of a "fixer" in me to also tell me that it's OK to try and figure out why and fix the damn thing.

I mean, when I think about things on the grand scale, I'm doing better than most. And, if one looks at my "seven lessons of prosperity," prosperity, that feeling of being OK with most of the world, is a "most of the time kind of thing." I think it's more on a the small scale. But, what the hell, I'm getting philosophical. It doesn't matter. It still feels like crap and when I feel like crap, I am more inclined to eat without control. That won't solve a thing, so I've got to do something different.

So, I did a little thinking and several things are bothering me: