September 19th, 2009: RIP Fat Guy Melissa

On September 19th I changed my life; on, perhaps, one of the most mundane dates. There was nothing life altering or significant about September 19th until I choose it to be the last day of my old life. It was a sunny September Saturday (ooohh alteration!). My grandfather and mom came to visit. We went to lunch at Fuddruckers. There my Fat Guy indulged in a juicy 1/4lbs burger with melted cheddar cheese, steak fries dipped in ketchup, and two large glasses of Dr. Pepper (my favorite soda).

In Fuddruckers I ate my last meal as the Fat Guy Melissa. That day I spent telling my papa and mom my plan. They smiled and wished me all the best. They helped me prepare for my journey; buying healthy groceries and some work out DVDs. With a few last words of encouragement they dropped me off at my apartment; driving away and leaving me to start my journey.

It’s funny to look back; almost eleven months ago. My life started a new as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. The next morning, September 20th, I awoke to a new world; a new life. That life included a lot of changes. People often ask me, “What’s your secret?” I wish I had a secret weapon in battling the bulge. If I did I could walk into the Department of Education and hand them a big back of cash to repay my student loans. The only secret to my success over the last eleven months is that I am doing everything we all already know to do. We have the secret already. The problem is embracing that secret and doing what we know we must do to be healthy. To honor those that have asked here is what I have been doing:

 Cooking Health: We all know what we should be eating. Talk to your doctor or a dietician. Whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins (fish, chicken, turkey, beans, and nuts) make up some of the foods we should incorporate into our diet. Of course, it’s not just what we eat but how we prepare our foods. I have made an art out of taking my favorite foods and making them healthy. Like tacos. Nothing better than some yummy tacos! They are fun, yummy, and simple. Making healthy tacos is too. I use low sodium fresh ground turkey with low sodium taco seasoning. I add fresh veggies and low fat cheese on top of a whole grain taco (hard or soft) and BAM you have healthy tacos. Eating healthy does not mean losing your favorite foods, just preparing them in a different way! I promise to share some of my healthy recipes in future posts!

 Replacing Snacks: So long to junk food. Sigh. My inner Fat Guy still weeps at the sight of me packing up all my unhealthy snacks and sending them to a new home. I sometimes picture my inner Fat Guy chasing a car as a can of BBQ Pringles looks from the back seat, the trademark smile turned downward as my inner Fat Guy huffs down the street in agony at the lost of his true love; junk food. How would my inner Fat Guy survive this torture? Would he rebel sneaking away to the grocery store in the darkness of night for a pint of Ben and Jerry’s? I did and do worry about this. Of course, every now and then my inner Fat Guy does sneak off (not going to pretend I am not tempted). I try to replace those sinfully seductive snacks with healthy versions that still elicit the same response, “Yummy…..” For example, Chocolate Cheerios. I love Chocolate. No, I LOVE CHOCOLATE. It is, perhaps, the greatest taste one can have in their mouth. However, too much is NOT good. All in moderation. To suffice my desire for something sweet I have a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios as a snack. It works. It really works. I trick my inner Fat Guy in thinking he’s getting what he desires, but really I am feeding him something healthy. I do the same when he graves something crunchy; carrots, whole grain reduced fat crackers, grapes…etc.

 Reading Food Labels: It’s important to know what you are consuming. Just because the label says weight watchers or low fat, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. I spend at least an extra twenty minutes in the grocery store now due to reading labels. Seemingly annoying and a time suck, but the best decision I have made. Those extra twenty minutes reading labels will, hopefully, help me save the hours spent waiting in a doctor’s office or money spent on medications to manage obese related illnesses.

 Moderation: Everything in moderation. I can let my inner Fat Guy out every now and then to play with some of his old friends; a slice of pizza or a half a piece of birthday cake. No matter what food I am consuming, healthy or not-so-healthy, I am aware of serving sizes. I am aware that having an entire box of reduced fat whole grain crackers might be worse then eating three French fries. I measure out food. As I pack my lunch for work I am counting each cracker, piece of fruit, veggie, rolled up lunch meat…etc.



 Plan Meals: To the annoyance of friends and family I am a planner. This works well for my life change. To stay healthy, one has to plan. I plan my meals. My food intake for the day is planned out. By planning ahead I avoid acts of desperation like grabbing a slice of pizza from the cafeteria at work or ordering Chinese after work. My snacks and lunch are packed in my work bag to avoid moments like those. I come home to food to be cooked for dinner already out or in the fridge. Sometimes I go as far as to get out what I’ll need to cook the food (pots, pans, cutting board…etc) already sitting on the counter. What a motivator to see my plan staring me down as I walk into the kitchen. No choice, but to face the plan and carry through.



 Grazing throughout the day: It’s funny, because my brother called me Moo-lissa growing up. However, I am evoking the spirit of the cow in my life change. I am grazing all day. It keeps my metabolism running high and wards off hunger. When you are hungry you go for what’s quick and satisfying; like the contents of the vending machine down the hall from my office. To avoid this I keep a stash of healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, yogurt, rolled up lean lunch meat, granola…etc as my weapon of choice. My meals are broken up and stretched out through the day much like my bovine brothers.



 Drinking A Lot of Cold Water: Our bodies want to maintain homeostasis (oh no, 10th grade Biology rears its ugly head!). When we consume cold water it lowers our body temperature. Reacting to the temperature change our body burn calories to heat the body back to the desire temp. Yep, simply by drinking cold water you are burning calories. Who knew? I now consume lots and lots of cold water throughout the day. Be green, though. Invest in a water bottle and a Brita filter. It’s better for the environment and saves you money on buying bottled water; thrifty and green! I am saving green, by being green (whoa, that might be the nerdiest statement I have said in the last 24-hours).



 Only drinking water with my meals: Zero calories. Enough said.



 Exercise: Run, walk, swim, jump, dance…etc. Whatever works for you! Find an exercise you like and stick with it. I exercise four to five times a week. Cardio and strength training are key. They help you burn fat and build lean muscles. Although, you’re not going to stick with it unless you find something fun. Enough exercise. Find things that are enjoyable. Join a dance class. Power walk with friends. Take water aerobics. Whatever allows you to enjoy exercising. For me, it was the practice of Yoga. I found such peace in the practice. Play around. Try different exercises. Also, motivate yourself. I yell back at the instructor on the DVD and tell them, “I hate you and I am going to finish!” Probably, has my neighbors wondering about my sanity, but it works for me! Work out at home, at the gym, with friends, or alone. Just exercise. It’s so important for your mind, body, and soul.



 Kicking Soda to the curb: I was an addict. I have banned it from my life. For a while I thought I was going to have to go to support group meetings or soda rehab. I have been soda-free for eleven months. A struggle each day. Back in May I was at a baseball game and the vendor kept screaming, “Ice Cold Pepsi!” He stood in front of me, soda in soda. The condensation dripped down the bottle to his fingers. My eyes grew large. “Its only one. It’s only five dollars,” my inner Fat Guy said. I waged a battle that day and continue to do so.

 Supportive Friends and Family: No body changes alone. Support cannot be underestimated. This is a lifelong journey. Involved those around you. They will provide you with the support, encouragement, and guidance to stay on your journey. I am very lucky. I have wonderful friends and family that have held me up during my journey. Friends that I can e-mail, call, or text when I am having a Fat Guy moment. Family that allowed me to change our Thanksgiving traditions and make a healthy meal in solidarity of our journey.

 Accountability: Tell everyone! Don’t be a secret life changer. Share your story and journey. This will help keep you on track. If we tell nobody, then nobody will hold us accountable. Of course, we want to hold ourselves accountable and should; however, we are often motivated by others. We’re social creatures. Use that! Nothing motivates us more than saving face. Surround yourself with people that will hold you accountable and help you maintain the changes you make.

These are not earth shattering revelations; however, they are effective. They have helped me lose 83lbs over the last eleven months. It seems like a simple list. It is and it isn’t. Nothing about making change is easy. If it was then there would be no need for those hundreds of TV Shows, Articles, or Books dedicated to this subject. This is what worked for me; kicking it old school! No gimmicks here.