Mary Ann is N.E.A.T!
By · CommentsOMG if this miserable rain, cold, snow, rain doesn’t stop soon I swear I’m gonna go crazy! A weaker person would take to their bed, eat comfort food all day and sleep. Oooh, that sounds good doesn’t it?! This is where the rubber meets the road folks. I am stuck at the same weight of 165# and can’t walk outside because of weather and my knee and my usual workouts hurt too much. What to do?
Mary Ann finds help in Claire and her workbook.
I swear it’s cosmic! The next Weight Loss University chapter was on fitness: the NEAT Principle: (Non-Exercise Activity Induced Thermogenesis), and types of exercise. Just what I needed when I have to look for alternatives to my current exercise plan. So, I did my homework and have made some changes that will have to take the place of the exercising I can’t do until my knee is better. I am parking my car further out when I go shopping, work is a no brainer, I walk constantly and I am doing abs and upper body
exercises to save my knees! I’m tightening up my abdomen every time I remember.
I don’t know how it works out this way, but when I’m struggling, I receive what I need to get through in chapters or talking with Claire. Really! Now I just need to put it into practice and not dwell on my stall. I really do want to be successful for life!
I want to be thinner when I meet you all for the first time! Only 15 more sleeps! If you can’t figure that one out, ask Karol.
Mary Ann vs. the Ides of March
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Skies are gloomy, but Mary Ann reviews her goals.
The Ides of March are upon us! Ohio has been dreary and rainy and my moods have been the same. I have not been able to exercise due to knee pain and swelling. A trip to the orthopedist and an MRI next week hopefully will give me some good news or at least a recovery plan.
I also have made some poor food choices in the past week; pizza, pie and ice cream for our son’s birthday equaled 2 lbs of weight gain, add a week of horrendous work hours, drug rep lunch and overtime…if I let it, I could really get depressed and fall back in to old habits.
This is where the change occurs. Before I joined CFWLS, this would be enough for me to give up and start looking for a new diet plan after indulging myself. I remembered Claire’s words to me: positive self talk, pick up the challenge at the next meal. So I recognized these as temporary set backs; it is what it is, now get back on track! I reviewed my goals, broke down my weight loss weekly to reach my goal weight of 140 lbs. in 6 months. It is a pound of weight loss per week. This is doable!
Now some exciting news! We are planning a vacation. The end of March will find us in Virginia. I am looking forward to seeing my sister Karol and her family, visit the new weight loss center, get some exercise in, and meet the wonderful support staff in person, especially “Grandma Claire”!
I always perform best under pressure, 3 weeks to get back on track, drop a few pounds and be successful!
See you soon! Can I order some sun while we are there? I need light therapy!
Goooooaaaaallllll!
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Cat Reaches her gooooooooaaaallll!
Congrats to Cat who made her weight loss goal this week. Here’s what she’s thinking:
YAHOOOOO !!!!! I’m almost at my goal. Now just to tone up, and continue healty eating. Yippie! Will start BACK next week at the CFWLS Fitness Center, and Dawn has promised to work with me a bit on equipment…..Europe here I come, “In Shape” and ready to keep up on tours (and in my bathing suit).
Committing to your goals and working toward them DOES work. We’ll keep following Mary Ann as she works toward her goals.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
By · CommentsYes, it’s a little late but wanted to say it just the same.
Call me Irresistible!
I must admit, my saboteur, Mark (husband) just had to celebrate the day with chocolate! He said “it’s tradition, one piece won’t hurt, and you can exercise extra today)! I could have passed up anything except Godiva white chocolate! Thanks babe?! So yes, I treated myself to 2 pieces, one in the morning and one that night and he ate all the rest. My indulgence cost me 105 calories, 1 gm protein and 11 carbs. I won’t beat myself up about it, just recognized it and moved on. Hope all of you had a loving and happy day.
I can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks already. Had a phone consult with Claire and now we will move to every 2 weeks. I must say, I will have a lot saved up in 2 weeks to discuss, but she is always available by e-mail and phone, so I am comforted.
I have gotten in to a routine now with food choices and exercise. This is a good thing, as I have lost 8 lbs. in the past month. Yea me! But, (there’s always a but isn’t there?) routine for me leads to boredom and with boredom comes diverting back to old habits. Remember that wiggle room I mentioned before? I’ll wiggle those 8 lbs. right back on!
So I tapped into Claire’s wealth of knowledge. This week we discussed emergency food choices that are safer than my grazing habits. For one, I have not been eating fruit and I miss it. Claire reminded me of the fatsecret.com site to look up fruit choices and to have a protein with fruit in order to prevent those carbs from being stored as fat. (Claire, did I get that right?). For example, have peanut butter with apple slices. She also told me to focus on high protein snacks to increase satiety, like almonds, peanuts, pecans, etc. So I followed her suggestions and made baggies ahead of time with snacks that are measured so I don’t go hog wild! I made the trail mix recipe and it is very yummy and satisfying.
My other questions regarded exercise. I was wondering if I was doing the right kind of exercise, the right frequency and duration. I want the biggest bang for my buck! Claire to the rescue with another pneumonic: The FIT principle. Frequency, number of days; Intensity, how long; and Time, duration of workout. Her sage advice was to change one principle at a time.
Unfortunately this advice came too late! I increased the frequency and intensity of my workouts at once and hurt my knee. Now I gimp through a workout and it makes me mad and frustrated. So I will see an orthopedist and modify my exercises. I don’t want to slide back. I WILL REACH MY GOAL!
PS, I love your support and comments Ken, I hope to meet you someday! Mary Ann
Demolishing our excuses!
By · CommentsThank you for all who came out to our Graffiti your Goals, Demolish your Excuses event!
Click on the photos to see the bigger picture! 
Graffiti your excuses
Crazy CFWLS staffers
Dr. Clark vs the building.
The beginning of the end.
Mary Ann puts a HALT on her Fridge.
By · CommentsWell, week 2 is complete. I have diligently kept track of my food and exercise activity in my journal. I had high hopes for more weight loss-I didn’t weigh myself every day-but on Monday morning I was still at 169. Argggghhh!
I must confess, I ate a cup of ice cream and 2 oreo cookies. So much for changing behaviors! I did measure the ice cream, and I thought about keeping it out of my journal (just for a nanosecond), but I stayed honest.
Oh, I had 2 small 2×2 squares of pizza at work on Superbowl Sunday. There, now it’s all out there!
How do I deal with this setback? Why did I do this? Some honest self-talk took me through reaffirming my goals. Can I do this and will it be worth it? The answer is still yes! I was disappointed in my slow weight loss and insecure about the next week. I was finished with my 2 weeks of planned diet, out of product and wasn’t clear on my next steps.
Claire to the rescue! She didn’t chastise me; she validated my emotions and gave me good information to understand my slow weight loss. I learned 2 things.
First, I now get that “where sodium goes water flows.” I learned that it takes 2-3 days to lose the water salt holds (my pizza).
Second, I now understand when you eat food higher in sugar (cookies & ice cream), you should have protein with it so it is metabolized and not stored. Good to know!
So, I have a food plan for this week, increased exercise and H.A.L.T. on the refrigerator.
- Am I Hungry?
- Am I Angry?
- Am I Lonely?
- Am I Tired?
Here’s to a new week and better results!
PS: I weighted 167.6 this morning….YEA ME!
Graffiti Your Goals – Demolish Your Excuses!
By · CommentsYou will not want to miss this! How often do you get to watch a building knocked down?
Hear about it on the nightly news, radio and from all your friends…but once it’s gone it is gone! We can’t keep blowing up buildings just because you couldn’t make it!
The event is full of fun for the whole family! The day kicks off with you as a graffiti artist. Grab a can of spray paint and spray away! What ever your weight loss struggles have been, just paint them on the wall and watch them demolished as the building turns to rubble.
All those who register will get:
1. To Graffiti!! You’ve always wanted to!
2. Participate in the demolition.
3. Tour our brand new state of the art facility.
4. Meet our amazing staff.
5. Get a FREE body composition.
6. Meet some of our “success stories” that made this event possible!
7. A chance to be chosen to act in one of our videos!
It is never to late to become a better YOU!
Register at: www.LosingItHamptonRoads.com/demo
Mary Ann Starts Weight Management U
By · CommentsI officially started with the Weight Management University on January 24, 2011, the Monday after a weekend trip to Niagara Falls. I used this weekend as my “last weekend of freedom”, to eat everything I wanted, including a yummy chocolate torte, fish and chips with an awesome lager beer and iced wine. (Not all in the same day!) My sister, Karol, gave me this great opportunity to participate in the online program, and I thought if I got this out of my system (or in it), I would have a better mind set to hunker down and for once in my life be successful at weight loss. I really hate to be a failure at anything, especially when family-Dr Clark, Karol and my 3 other thin sisters- are concerned. (Don’t feel bad Karol!)
After a trip to Niagara Falls, Mary Ann starts her next journey... Weight Loss!
I had received my “Getting Started” box the week before and was able to review all the materials sent before my target start date, which was great. (It was like getting a present in the mail!) I even took it with me to Canada…I would be prepared. This was actually a good idea as I was able to write down questions as I read through the material.
So on Monday it began. Much to my dismay, I tipped the scales at a hefty 174.2 pounds! Yikes! So eating and drinking with abandon was not such a good idea…now I have that much more to lose to reach my goal weight of 140 pounds. I determined this after calculating my BMI for my age and height. For all of you who don’t know me, I am 55 years old and 5’7”.
One of the other great things I received was a welcome e-mail from Dr. Clark with valuable info on the CFWLS website, webinars, blogs, and educational sites for review. Even though this is probably auto generated, it made me feel special as an individual, and for a minute, overwhelmed with information. I didn’t want to miss anything and there was so much out there. I felt I needed to catch up and see and do it all right away. “Calm down girl!”
I also had a phone call from Cat on Monday to set up my phone consults with Claire. I was good and set up the first month of dates and times. This was going smoother that I expected, especially since the whole center is moving to a new location. Kudos to all of you!
Claire called right on time! We reviewed the program materials, diet plan, the food journal, exercise plan, homework-which I already had done, yea me!-what to eat for the day and how much, how to calculate essential carbs and so much more. In our 30 minute conversation, she was able to accomplish all that, plus ask me profile type questions so she could understand my habits, likes, dislikes, barriers and supports. The woman was amazing! When we got to my questions, she had already answered all of them but one. Claire is obviously intuitive and very good at what she does. I also got a sense of firmness from her. In other words, my success is up to me. I am accountable for what and how much I eat, drink and exercise. But she has a funny and compassionate side and I feel confident that she will be my task master, confidant and champion.
So, off to a good start. Talk to you next week, I have a lot to do!
A Long Distance “Loser”
By · CommentsHi there! I’m Mary Ann Del Aguaro, a newbie to Dr. Clark’s e-Weight Management University. I am overweight and have been yo-yo dieting most of my adult life. Wow, that sounded like an intro to an AA meeting! As hokey as that sounded, if I’m brutally honest, it’s true, and I’m afraid of failing again.
I feel that in order to be successful in this next and hopefully last “diet”, it’s important to understand why I haven’t been able to lose weight and keep it off. So here goes!
Meet Mary Ann, our latest "Loser"
As a “woman of substance”, if there’s a new diet out there, I’ve tried it. From Weight Watchers, Adkins, South Beach, some chocolate wafer thing, Fen/Fen to Jenny Craig, and those are just the ones I can remember! In fact when the intake interviewer with Jenny Craig asked me to list all the diets I’ve tried in the past, I had to continue on the back of the page! Most worked, I got results, felt good, looked better, had some wiggle room –and wiggled myself right back where I started!
I have always been impressed by Dr. Clark’s programs. In fact, on several visits to Virginia, Karol (she’s my sister!) took us to the Center for Weight Loss, introduced the variety of programs and product and even “treated” my other sister and I to a workout session! It was brutal and I’m glad the evil room of pain will be demolished!–Just kidding! When she gave me this opportunity to try the Weight Management University and online instruction, I wondered…can I be successful long distance? I am afraid of disappointing my family and of not having all the resources I need since I live in Ohio. As I get older, it gets easier to gain weight and harder to lose it, but it’s time to take control and make this work.
Yes, I am committed, excited and ready to make a life change to become a smaller, healthier, smarter me. Thank you, Dr Clark and Karol, for this opportunity.
Try “Losing It Hampton Roads”!
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This week most of our “Loser’s” lost. While some are gung-ho, and others are successful, some are really struggling. Weight loss is not easy, and takes work. But it is easier with the support of Dr. Clark and his staff. Please join our campaign, Losing it Hampton Roads, for support and GREAT information about YOUR weight loss journey. Take YOUR first step today!
Karol’s Update:
Well – I have lost another 2.5 pounds for a total of 5 pounds! You gotta love Dr. Clark’s Enhanced Jump Start Diet! This rapid weight loss over the past 1.5 weeks is great and motivating. I am 1/3 of the way toward my 15 pound weight loss goal and I will do it. After I have completed the Enhanced Jump Start Diet (and lost the 8-10 pounds I intended to), I will follow the Weight Management University instruction to reach my goal and make my poor habits (I drink too much Diet Coke, I don’t exercise regularly, I eat well and then binge on poor choices…and then feel terrible afterwards) into opportunities for success (cutting back or eliminating my Diet Coke intake, finding an exercise plan I can live with long-term and committing to a satisfying meal plan of at least 100 grams of protein a day and <50 grams of carbs/day that I enjoy without feeling deprived).
Did you catch the Webinar last night? If you are a member of the free program Losing It Hampton Roads you likely did or will receive the link today to see it as soon as you can fit it into your busy schedule – do it soon though – you will be glad you did (it is the cornerstone – Things to do Right Now to Lose Weight). If you haven’t joined this awesome free program, do it now at www.LosingItHamptonRoads.com – all the information is free and the 30 minute webinars with Dr. Clark are well worth your time.
Dawn’s Story:
I seem to be working that same zigzag pattern (down .4) – more down than up but still not the slide I was hoping would happen. Yes, I know what to do but I am not sure my why is working for me! I am going to start again today by re-examining my goals and motivation. If my reason for wanting this isn’t enough – I need to find a more important focus! Back to the “Getting Started” chapter & homework.
Cat’s News:
I’m down 1.5 lbs. this week. This has been a slow process, however, I’ve truly been trying to make this a lifestyle change, and not necessarily a “diet”. My “mind-set” has been meeting my goal over a six month period. This way hopefully my behavior will become “natural”. I’m doing this by using quite a few of the CFWLS products. My favorite being a chocolate “anytime” shake, with 1 ½ scoop of “lean & complete” for breakfast, and also at lunch, in between, I snack on almonds, and sometimes string cheese. In the evening, Jeff and I for the most part have healthy dinners to include grilled meat, along with a yummy salad. So far, I am down 4.3 lbs. since my original weigh-in in November!
Dani’s Insight:
I am doing terrible, up 2 pounds. When searching for an excuse, I have changed blood pressure medications and stopped the HCTZ. But still, I am giving minimal effort????? I hate myself for this, I know only I can make these changes – stop whining Dani!!
