I thought this might be of some interest and wanted to post this here. One of the people at the event did a write up of my presentation and I thought she did a fantastic job. (Many thanks to Ruth) I wish everyone the very best!
Charles ~ Houston, TX
Charles Scott
Living I.T. “In Training” Presentation
Tuesday, 9/25/07
Charles started off his talk with the question, “What can I take away from this?” Asking himself what he could impart on the group to help in their journey to successful and permanent weight loss. He talked about willpower saying that he really didn’t know what that meant. “What I do know is that YOU absolutely have the power to do this . . . . . . . . What you need is a willingness to change.” He added that you must tell yourself I want something different.
Charles was a single parent weighing ~ 563# on two different blood pressure medications, newly diagnosed as being on his way to being diabetic, and plagued with back pain with limited ability to walk or carry his computer. As a computer programmer, he was concerned about his ability to manage his employment and take care of this daughter. His parents are older, so the reality of what would happen to his daughter if anything happened to him greatly worried him. If he didn’t change his life and improve his health, he would be well on his way to over 600#.
Charles doesn’t believe in regret. He believes in thinking positively and moving forward. He does ask himself, though, “Why did it take until then to realize I needed to do something?” Charles had been on every diet imaginable and had tried weight loss pills. In his lifetime, he’s lost and gained hundreds of pounds. He read about a man who had lost weight on the Methodist Weight Loss Program. Charles stated, “I wanted to give this program one last honest chance to learn how to live a healthy life.”
Charles was not a huge fan of the idea of all beverage, but did the shakes just to prove to himself that he could do it. Even though he was encouraged to stay on the shakes beyond Phase 1 New Beginnings by behaviorists and nutritionists, Charles decided to transition to food during the next Phase. He felt that in order to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle, he needed to adapt a different approach to living and develop a different mindset. He lost 80 pounds while strictly on beverage and another 60 pounds while in Phase 2 My Journey. The rest of his weight loss has been through a concerted effort to change his eating program. He kept a food log at
www.myfooddiary.com and stayed within a level of calories and moved on to Phase 3 Living IT. He said that the community of the forum and keeping food logs played a critical part in his journey.
“I didn’t even know how to boil water,” admitted Charles. He confessed to being a fast food consumer adding extra mayo to his double meat Whopper. Today he rarely lets mayo pass his lips. He’s on a low fat diet that works for him. Mentioning the American Heart Association’s recommendation to keep your calories from fat below 30%, Charles admits to keeping his fat calories around 20%. He advises to “eat what fills you up” and “do what works for you.” He works diligently to plan his meals and portion out foods making his eating plan a priority. “I don’t eat mindlessly . . . for instance; I don’t eat in front of the television . . . Failing to plan is planning to fail . . . You are in control of what you eat or how much you eat. It’s best to do both . . .
Charles advised that achieving a healthy lifestyle amounts to “putting together more good decisions over a long period of time.” He also keeps himself accountable never letting his weight fluctuate more than five pounds from 210. When his weight increases close to five pounds, he immediately begins logging his food and records, and the weight always dr0ps off. He maintains a range of between 205 and 215 pounds.
Making permanent behavior changes is key. Charles confessed to rapidly consuming meals: “I used to eat so fast my stomach never figured out it was full.” He learned to eat more slowly enjoying and savoring food. He learned how to cut portions while sipping the shakes. Charles advised that “You have to listen to your body.” Visualization is a great technique for positive behavior change. “I used 25# sacks of dog food to relate to weight loss . . . . . I’ve lost 14 sacks of dog food!”
Charles’s job requires much of his time, so his current goal is to get back to a better exercise routine. He stresses, though, that he never has exercised a lot: “I’m not a gym rat . . . The most I have ever exercised was five hours a week.” He typically does 3 hours of weight lifting and two hours of cardiovascular work. Because of his limited ability in the beginning of his weight loss journey, he is proud that he can do push ups. Knee problems and obesity daunted him, but he was inspired as he watched a man with two prosthetic legs do the elliptical machine for an hour and a half! That inspired him to start walking in the pool. He knew with each accomplishment, he could improve and do more over time: “If I can do one push up, I know I can do two.”
Charles works on goals and has two important ones to focus on. He wants to ride the MS 150 bike race and feels he could raise a significant amount of money for Multiple Sclerosis. He also wants to hike Long’s Peak which is five hours up and five hours down. Remembering that he could not teach his daughter to ride a bike sticks with him. I am determined that I will never say again “Dad can’t do that”.
Charles used to work out with Austin Davis. For two years they were workout partners. He learned much from Austin and shared Austin’s theory that people who are severely overweight live from the neck up. Charles feels this is true and that obese people lead a very cerebral life. He mentioned the article “Doomed to Be Fat Forever” and laid down the law about making permanent changes in your health. Charles stated that if you want to improve your health and maintain your weight loss, you have got to be prepared to do some serious inner work. There has to be a willingness to change and to make little changes over time. Charles admitted that he has to “figure out what I was doing wrong and what payoff I was getting from it.”
On a more personal note, Charles relayed that he looked up a high school classmate he had had a crush on and happily made the connection. He’s also happily married to this special woman as of six months ago!
Although many have said that the maintenance phase is harder, Charles says it’s just different. He advised “before you get there make sure the things you are doing you can do for the rest of your life . . . Is it something you can do every day? Realize that wherever you are looking is where you are going. Where do you put your time and effort? As an example, look at someone’s checkbook. You will see how they spend their money and where their priorities are. You can’t help others if you can’t help yourself.”
Charles wouldn’t trade the long journey to permanent weight loss and vastly improved health for a quick fix. There is no instant solution to being overweight. Through the struggles and successes, Charles has learned a lot about himself: “I’ve learned what makes me tick.” He wouldn’t trade any of it. He’s in control and has a new life full of promise rarely looking back, but willing to share his story to help improve the life of others.
Charles shared his email with the class and said if he can help in anyway, contact him.
Other Quick Tips from Charles Scott
You have the power to change. All it takes is a willingness to change. There are many paths to fitness.
You must be willing to change what you love. You can’t want a hamburger and be happy with tofu. I have made myself want what’s good for me.
Focus on how you want to look and feel.
Don’t let yourself get too hungry. Slow down. Drink water. Listen to your body and give it 20 minutes.
Read food labels.
Portion big bags.
Be accountable.
If you have a blow out, would you pull over and slash all your tires. If you lapse, get back on track.
Wherever you’re looking is where you’re going.
Lose weight. Get fit. Be healthy.
We are as happy as we choose to be – just like we’re responsible for what we put in our mouths.
Talk I gave at Methodist Hospital about losing 350 Pounds
