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Old 09-19-2005, 04:44 PM   #1  
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Default My weekend in Philly

Over the weekend, I flew to Philadelphia to meet 12 of the other 3FC moderators. I had the pleasure of meeting…LBH, Meg, Ilene, Mel, Karen K, Jennifer 3FC, Jiffypop, Jane, Ruthxxx, Mauvaisroux, Ellis and Beachgal. It was a wonderful get together. Some of you may not be familiar with some of these members, but they are a lovely group with A LOT of success. Some are at goal, some are almost there and some are just starting. I want to share what I took away from the weekend as far as the whole weight journey goes.

I learned that the people at goal still do their “weight loss” plan every day. Key word EVERY. I now realize how important it is for me to find a plan that really is a lifestyle and not a diet. I have said those words a million times, but I never really understood it. Whatever cravings you have now, you’ll have at goal. Whatever foods you love now, you’ll love at goal. I will be fighting my demons forever and it’s not about making them go away, it’s about making them controlled. They admit that some stuff does get easier and you lose your taste for some things the longer you stay away. And they even swear that if you are hungry enough vegetables taste great!! I learned that every day will not be a great day. Sometimes even the gym rats have days that they don’t necessarily want to work out. The key is to change things up and make them interesting, maybe even find a partner.

This weekend I saw women who have strength like I have never seen. I think sometimes that the gym is just treadmills, ellipticals and weight machines. They introduced me to balls and combo-exercises that I didn’t know anything about. But what was the most amazing was watching them do things I wouldn’t even dream of. A pushup while balancing on a ball…Lunges where you “flip” from one lunged position to another and a rolly thing on a barbell I can’t even begin to described. Long, defined muscles. And to think these women were once overweight couch potatoes. It made me believe that you can do anything that you put your mind to. Their advice was that 20 minutes of any kind of movement is better than being on the couch and that I should start there. Now I have thoughts of being able to play soccer and baseball with my boys.

It’s funny, when I see someone who has lost a lot of weight, I immediately want to know what they did, how much and how often. I think somehow I believed that I was still missing out on the “secret” and if someone would just tell me I could get it done. I was waiting for someone to tell me the easy way to do it. Maybe I was waiting for the problem to resolve itself.

We talked about the idea that maybe there is something “eating’ at you and you stuff that emotion with food and we discussed the idea that for some food is just an addiction and you need to control it much like you would with any other substance abuse. I believe that I am simply addicted to food and allow myself to live without any boundaries.

We also talked about regret. About wishing that you had made life changes before your wedding…before your kids grew up…before your skin lost all it’s elasticity. I already have so many regrets, I don’t want more. The one that really concerns me is that I want another baby and for health reasons, I would like to be 250ish before I try again. I fear that I will lose all opportunity to have another baby because I didn’t lose the weight “in time” or not at all.

I wouldn’t say I came away “motivated” or “all pumped up”. It goes deeper than that. It’s almost as if I am convinced. Convinced that it can be done. Convinced that it MUST be done. Convinced that even little ole me can do it. Convinced that I will do it.

My plan is simple – 2000 calories and try and move more. I have removed all weight loss goals. My goal is to be consistent and eat 2000 calories a day. Plain and simple. The weight loss will come at it’s own rate. If I go over calories on one day, I am not “off” plan, but simply didn’t have an ideal day, I will continue eating 2000 calories the next day. There is no on or off. THERE IS NO ON OR OFF. It’s a change in lifestyle. It’s my food budget…it’s my life budget.
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Old 09-19-2005, 04:50 PM   #2  
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Sandi!!!!
That's amazing

I'm SO happy that you went to that get together and got SOOOO much out of it!
It sounds to me like you've hit the elusive "CLICK".....

I'm so happy for you, and proud of you..and...very, VERY excited for you!!!


xoxoxoxoxoxo
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:00 PM   #3  
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Sandi what an awesome post. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:17 PM   #4  
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Oh Sandi, as Emmy would say, you made my heart smile! It sounds like you've had some pretty profound realizations this weekend, perhaps even that click we've discussed in such great depth. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, this was an awesome post!

Beverly
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:23 PM   #5  
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Sandi,
My eyes just teared up for you. Print out your own post and carry it around with you. You GOT IT

Mel
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:45 PM   #6  
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Wow, that's really something. You really got a handle on a lot of stuff this weekend. That's great, Sandi!
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Old 09-19-2005, 05:47 PM   #7  
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Damn, I'm in tears too!! Beautiful post, I KNOW you can do this Sandi ... Another to you .... Very good idea to print it and read when you are feeling down about something or other in your new lifestyle.
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Old 09-19-2005, 06:18 PM   #8  
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Wow, what an eloquent and inspiring post, Sandi! You met some of my personal 3FC heroes, the people who also made things "click" for me, so I am absolutely thrilled for you.

Thank you for taking the time to share what you learned. This is such an amazing "place," isn't it?!
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Old 09-19-2005, 07:48 PM   #9  
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That is neat that you got to go Sandi. Thank you for sharing what you learned ~ I think it will help the rest of us too. This is an awesome place.
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Old 09-19-2005, 08:25 PM   #10  
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Sandi - sounds like a plan, uh lifestyle.
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Old 09-19-2005, 08:30 PM   #11  
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yep - tears in my eyes, too!!!!!

we're with you - and besides, we BOTH want shoulders like ilene's!!!!!! <don't we???>
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Old 09-19-2005, 09:29 PM   #12  
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What a wonderful post, Sandi! I'm glad you got to share some time with those special folks.
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Old 09-19-2005, 09:50 PM   #13  
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Sandi - you are truly my sister and I know you can do this. You are a bright, funny, and strong woman - inside and out. I know that once you make your mind up, you WILL do this! And you're going to have the loudest cheering section in the world rooting for you!!
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Old 09-19-2005, 09:53 PM   #14  
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Sandi, I'm behind you all the way, babe!! This weekend was a turning point and this is SO EXCITING because like Linda said, it sounds like you found your click. Next time we meet, we'll both be steamrolling that barbell.
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Old 09-19-2005, 10:00 PM   #15  
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Thank you so much Sandi for speaking with your heart through your fingers. Your post moved me to tears because I am you, you are me and we are all similar to one another when it comes to struggling with this health concern. You are here, you are trying and you are on your way to success. We are all in this together and I am glad that the answers are coming to you in a way that makes it crystal clear. I so admire so many of the folks you mentioned you were together with, you are all our 3FC heroes in action. Thanks for sharing and big hugs to you. This struggle is exhausting at times but following the processing comes the action and really, as hard as I have tried to find one, there is no quick fix. Just one simple and easy answer - consistency, awareness and movement.
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