[CyberTOPS] reFOCUS - Issue 3 - 2009 (Why Today? Patterns)

[Marji Clark]

We had a great Kick-Start to Success (The How, The Why, The Motivation, The
Commitment) on January 24 with lots of inspiration and ideas.  Great
speakers and great topics.  Even the titles were kickers and reflected the
personality of the speakers:

 

Christina Godaire - THE HOW: The Exchange Program (okay this was the nuts
and bolts of it - okay doesn't reflect Chris' big, loving and generous
personality, but

                                              she is Exchanging her clothes
sizes by doing the Exchange)

Tammy Fine. -       THE WHY: "Why Today?"

Laurie Maltby -      THE MOTIVATION: "ABCs of Weightloss"

Lydia Garner -       THE MOTIVATION: "Yes, I did"

Bonnie Orndorff -  THE COMMITMENT: "Fairy Tales Do Come True - You Can Make
It Happen For You"

 

WHY TODAY?

Tammy's title was "Why Today?"  What did Tammy mean?  Tammy has had great
success since she joined in July as was shown by the shirt she held up which
brought us to tears.  She saw a picture back in July at her twin's birthday
party and decided it was time to do something and she has made incredible
progress.  So that is what kick started it for her.  But each day we make
the choices of "Why Today?": to exercise or not exercise, to eat this or not
eat that, to drink the water or reach for a soda, to attend TOPS or not to
attend TOPS, to do something good for ourselves or let the stress build, to
keep the food journal or not to keep the food journal - it is the little
moment to moment choices which will add up to get us to have success and to
achieve goal. 

 

This topic came home this week when my younger brother was killed in a car
accident - his weight didn't kill him directly, but it did impact his health
and the quality of his life (I begged him to join TOPS).  I don't write this
to be morbid or to elicit your sympathy, but he has no more tomorrows.  I
will have to find someone else to torment - growing up he called me fat on 2
occasions - once he found a baton thrown at him which hit him squarely in
the back, the second time he found a phone book in his eye - fortunately Ray
did learn not to call me fat.  

 

So please back away from the fridge (the answer is not in there), put those
extra calories down, get off your duff to exercise and make better choices
TODAY, because they add up into better TOMORROWS for you and the ones you
love and who love you.    

 

PATTERNS (Written with Bonnie Orndorff's permission)

Bonnie Orndorff, State Queen of Virginia, who lost over 125 lbs. to goal in
15 months without a redmark (beyond me how she accomplished that, but that
is another topic) found that writing in a food diary to be cumbersome and
something that she wasn't able to do and came up with an ingenious solution.
The tip she shared was to "eat in patterns" - in other words (based on the
Exchange Program) she knew that for her:

 

Exchange Program (this is not Bonnie's specific breakdown, but it gives the
right idea - based on 1500 calories from The Choice is Mine)

Breakfast included 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 meat, 1 milk, 1 fat,

Lunch included 2 starches, 1 fruit, 2 meat, 2 vegetables

Dinner included 2 starches, 1 fruit, 2 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 fat

Snack included 1 starch, 2 fruits, 1 milk  

 

As long as Bonnie ate in the "pattern" there was no need to write it down.
It was like she was using a journal in her head, because once she had eaten
in that "pattern" she knew that she was done for the day.  Years ago (at my
most successful - well heck this is a hint) I ate in a calorie pattern which
was the same idea:

 

Breakfast - 300

Mid-morning snack - 100

Lunch - 400

Mid-afternoon snack - 100

Dinner - 500

Evening snack - 100

 

These "patterns" became habits and second nature.  Find your pattern to
success!!  

 

Why Today?  Today I will choose to exercise (in a few minutes), I will
choose to eat in patterns, I will choose to drink water, WHY? - because I
have TODAY!  Remember to tell the ones you love that you love them, hug them
and hold them tight and be glad that you can.  Hugs to all who read this! 

 

Fortune Cookie Chronicles: A new outlook brightens your image and brings new
friends.

 

Forbidden Food - Potato chips (great on Super Bowl weekend), Challenge -
drink your water

 

You are not alone, 

 

CULitr, CU at Goal, CU at KOPS, Marji 

 

Not a TOPS sponsored or sanctioned newsletter.

 

Books and resources that have helped me:

Body Clutter and Sink Reflections (2 different books - Marla Cilley -
www.flylady.net) - my clutter is related to my weight struggle

The Solution by Laurel Mellin (first read in 1999)

Life is Hard, Food is Easy by Linda Spangle

100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle

Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink, Ph.D

Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell by Debra Waterhouse

 <http://www.pelizza.com/> www.pelizza.com 

 

Past issues of reFOCUS can be accessed on:   <http://www.topscares.com/>
www.topscares.com and  <http://www.tops123.com/StdTOPS/InspiredFocus.html>
http://www.tops123.com/StdTOPS/InspiredFocus.html 

 

Visit the Florida TOPS website at:

 <http://mysite.verizon.net/res1vhv6/floridatops/>
http://mysite.verizon.net/res1vhv6/floridatops/ 

 

Visit the NC TOPS website at:
<http://www.topsbouquet.org/NorthCarolina/index2.htm>
http://www.topsbouquet.org/NorthCarolina/index2.htm (Coach Laura)

 

Other Websites

 <http://www.topscares.com/> www.topsCARES.com - TOPS site for Delaware,
Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland/DC, New Jersey, Pennsylvania - all are
welcome to visit

 <http://www.tops123.com/> www.tops123.com - TOPS site for Illinois,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa - all are welcome to
visit

 <http://www.tops.org/> www.tops.org - Official TOPS website

 <http://www.cybertops.net/> www.cybertops.net - CyberTOPS -- Where Friends
Meet for a "Net Loss"!

www.sparkpeople.com

www.delmonte.com/solutions (has some good ideas and articles)

 <http://www.5aday.gov/> www.5aday.gov

 <http://www.smallsteps.gov/> www.smallsteps.gov

 <http://www.ediets.com/magazine/html/lifestyle>
www.ediets.com/magazine/html/lifestyle

 <http://www.dietbites.com/> www.dietbites.com

 <http://www.eatright.org/> www.eatright.org

 <http://www.hungrygirl.com/> www.hungrygirl.com

 <http://www.walgreens.com/> www.walgreens.com (look under healthy library,
under care guides)