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More than half of the adult population in the USA struggles with being overweight. My journey back from being overweight started at 326.5 pounds. As many of you know, my life for years was filled with travel, stress and food. That is not a good combination to keep a slim figure (which I had before my career took off).
We have all watched Oprah go up and down the scale as the years go by. What I can tell you is that she can hire anyone and everyone to help her but I believe that the most difficult problem she must face is the stresses that come with her life and such a demanding schedule.
As I look back on my life I see that after I wrote several books and my career took off in the media, the stress began to mount and I turned to food for a reward and for comfort.
We all have angel in our life and my angel, Jackie Keller (www.Nutrifitonline.com ), came into my life when I was doing a professional presentation in Santa Monica on Marketing Your Business though Publicity. I was topping the scales at 326 when she came up to me and said, “I can help you lose weight.”
My weight loss started at 326.5 and as of Sunday I weigh 216.5. This is a loss of 110 lbs. Hooray!
Meridian reader Phyllis Henley of Colorado asked me ten questions about my weight loss. These are the answers I shared with her:
- Have you always been overweight?
No, but I believe that I always thought that I was. When I was on the “Johnny Carson Show” (1975), I weighed 170 and thought that I was heavy.
- What are the top three things that you are doing to lose weight?
* Exercise: It is a must to develop an exercise program. I started riding a bike when I was so heavy. As I have lost the weight I have moved into the gym and now exercise six days a week for about one hour each.
* Eat healthy: I eat three meals and three snacks a day. Jackie Keller, my coach, has taught me to do this. My meals run around 350 calories and my snacks are 150 calories. I am eating about 1700 to 1800 calories a day and working. I take Sunday off and go for a walk for at least one mile or ride my bike for five or more miles.
* I eat very few processed foods, and the meats that I eat are very lean and only in 4 oz. portions. They consist of lean chicken, turkey hamburger, pork loin, salmon, and white fish. The carbohydrates that I eat are whole grains.
- Do you keep a food journal?
Yes. I also have Jackie, whom I call once a week. If I do not do well I have her to answer to. For those who want to get a coach, she is the best. If that is not in your budget, find a friend that you can work with and who will hold you accountable. What I do with Jackie is to write down what I eat and email it to her every day. If she has any questions or does not think that I should be eating certain foods she email me back.
- Do you put losing weight as your number one priority, and do you feel you will need to do this the rest of your life?
Yes, weight loss is my number one priority right now. I even cancelled a trip to Mexico this month because I did not feel that I could keep my weight where I wanted and lose weight when I was traveling. I do not stay usually stay home from trips, but right now I am being very careful. My health, which includes my weight, will need to be near to top of my priority list the rest of my life. Your life expectancy suffers if you do not. So far I have lost for the past five years and kept it off. Before I lost weight I could not even get up off the floor. Now I move like I was young again.
- Is support a key to your success?
I believe that if I could have lost the weight which I struggled with for over 20 years without support, I would have done it. I know that all things are possible but sometimes it helps to have someone who has been successful with the goal you are going after to lead and guide you down the path of success.
- Do you attend any weight loss groups or belong to one online for accountability?
Jackie has been my support and accountability. I thought that I know most of the answers because I was trained in nutrition, but I have found that Jackie knows far more than I do. I also know that in many things human beings have the knowledge but do not always apply what they know. Get support! For me weight loss is probably the most difficult thing that I have ever done. If it were easy we would not have a nation of fat people. If you're looking for a program to help you, Weight Watchers is a good one.
- Do you email and/or correspond with others about your weight loss for support?
Jackie is the only one that I email. I do have a very good friend that has been very supportive and celebrates with me as I lose the weight.
- Do you have any weight loss equipment and/or books that you find helpful?
I have my bikes and a few weights, and for the rest I go to the gym near me. As far as books go, I have many but do not go to them. I have worked hard to create recipes that are now my comfort food for me. I love to be outside the most. When riding my bike or out walking, time flies for me.
- How do you mentally cope with wanting to lose so much weight?
Like anything, it is one step at a time. Know that you can do it and never, never, never give up.
- What is your largest challenge to overcome in losing weight?
Without question, the biggest challenge was getting all the pieces in place so that I could lose weight on a regular basis. In ten minutes I can do enough damage to set myself back for a week.
If other Meridian readers have questions for me in any of my areas of expertise, I invite you to send me a list of those questions and I will answer them in this column. |
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