Take ACTION: Jen

I have so much respect for Jen. She's one of those people that might ride the sideline longer than some but once she's in, she's ALL. IN. When she makes up her mind, she is unstoppable. She lives in the arena and gives 100%. 

To me, I think she perfectly embodies what it means to Take Action. You can't lose 156 pounds in a year without taking ownership and action. I can't wait to see where she goes from here. 

One year ago, when Jen started DBC

How did you feel before you started this journey?

It’s been a little over 365 days since I started my journey.  If I look back on a year ago, things were totally different and I was definitely a different person than who I am now.  I will never forget the person who I was because that is the person who got me to where I am now.  

Looking back on my 395.6 pound self, I see a person who was depressed, alone and someone who was not happy with the life I was leading.  I see a person who had to sit down every time I tried cleaning my house.  I couldn’t walk a mile or up a flight of stairs without getting winded.  I was not living; I was just watching the world go by while sitting on my couch.  Life sucked at 395.6 pounds and I was scared every day of the scale reaching that 400 mark.  Just before I started this journey, I knew that I needed to change my life or else I was not going to be around to watch my nephews and niece grow up.  I didn’t want to die because I wasn’t living my life to the fullest.  I WANTED TO LIVE!  

I wanted to live a life where I felt happy, excited to be around and not always depressed. I wanted a life where I felt confident and proud to be who I was.  I wanted to be able to get on a plane and not have to ask for a seatbelt extender or feel ashamed of myself if the plane was full and no one wanted to sit next to me.  I wanted to be able to do things with friends like going hiking, swimming, ice skating or an amusement park. In all actuality I really just wanted the friends.

One Year Later

Going into this, what were your expectations?

I chose to do Destination Boot Camp because it was a week-long program and I felt that this would be something to really jump start my weight loss journey.  I hoped I would leave after the first week motivated to continue with the program.  Plus, the program would last for an entire year and I was hoping that if I did the entire year I would meet other people in similar situations and I hoped that within that year we could become friends and we would be able to be a support to one another after the year was up. What I really wanted was to find a program that was going to help me lose the weight, but more importantly, a program to help me continue my journey and keep the weight off.  

You have to start somewhere

How does your weight loss journey now compare to what you thought going into it?

This journey has been more amazing to me than I could have ever expected it to be.  I am thankful every day for having had the opportunity to start.  This journey hasn’t been the easiest and I have had to overcome some obstacles but I have met some great super friends who have been there for me at the times where I have been struggling and who have celebrated with me when I have hit milestones.  

My super friends also inspire me daily by the way they live their lives and share their journey with me. It is what helps me to keep going.  These friends are more than just friends, they are my family and I know that we will remain on this journey together for the rest of our lives.  This journey has also given me a new found life where I enjoy getting out, doing things, not just sitting on the sidelines watching the world go by.

At the One Year DBC Reunion! Make Your Fat Cry!

What has been your biggest “Aha” or break through moment?

Having been overweight most of my life, there have been many things that I have tried to do but because of my weight those things were hindered.  I went through life with some people telling me because of my weight, I can’t do things. When someone tells me that I can’t do something I will do everything in my power to prove them wrong.  What I didn’t realize until now is that one of the main persons that will tell me that I can’t do something is really just me.   

Let me give you a little example. A few months ago, Dr. Holly signed me up for Chase the Moon, which was a 12 hour endurance trail relay run that was from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with her and 3 other friends. Now let me tell you that over the past year I have come to love running and have enjoyed trying out new runs.  But I have to say that this run scared the hell out of me and was definitely way out of my comfort zone one because it was being run at night and second it was on a trail.  When I first heard of this run, I had never run a trail run and in all honesty when I did the actual run I had only run once on a trail.  Now, getting out of my comfort zone has gotten a whole lot easier over the last year so I definitely was going to do the run, no question. 

For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Holly is a planner and always has a plan and so I remember one night where she was planning the running order and calculating the times it would take all of us to do our loops and she told me that night in order for us to get all the loops in, I would have to run a 3.5 mile loop in under 52.5 minutes.   I remember first laughing at this and then freaking out because there was no way that I was going to run two 3.5 mile loops, in the dark and on a trail both under 52.5 minutes.  Add on to that, I would have no sleep because I would be running at 10:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. and my previous 4 mile run on a flat surface in the day was 55 minutes or so, which I told to Dr. Holly who of course told me, it’s not a problem and I’ve got this.  What I kept telling myself was there is no way in hell I was going to do these runs in less than 52.5 minutes.  I would say that this thought kept going on in my head even while I was running that first loop. 

I ran the first loop in 48:49 and the second loop in 51:05 (my best times yet for any race).  This surprised me more than anything. For the first few days after running these times I couldn’t fathom where they came from and my friends had to keep telling me that it was me.  I know that I was the one to run those races (because I definitely felt it the next day) but I realized it’s me who needs to stop telling me that I can’t do something because of course after I keep telling myself I can’t do something, I prove myself wrong.   

At Chase the Moon with her Super Friends!

What are you most proud of so far?

Well if I wasn’t proud of losing 156 pounds or 39% body weight loss, then there would definitely be something wrong with me.  But there are so many things I have to be proud of since starting this journey.  

I am proud of having been on this journey for over a year and I haven’t given up on myself even when it’s been hard.  I am proud of the fact that in the middle of February I had foot surgery and this didn’t keep me down and I was able to continue losing or maintain my weight while my exercise was literally non-existent for about 4-5 weeks. I am proud that when I have fallen off plan, I have chosen to get back on plan.  It may still be hard to get back on plan but it’s definitely gotten easier over the last year.  

I am proud of my group of super friends.  I am proud of all my mini milestones (no longer wearing a seatbelt extender on a plane, being able to put the arm rest down on my seat in the plane, going from a size 28 to a size 16 or an XXXL to a Large, moving the seat up in my car, running my first 5k without walking, all the times that I beat my previous time on my races).  I am proud of all the times I have gotten out of my comfort zone.

It's always fun when your clothes don't fit and you need a new wardrobe...

If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering losing weight or just starting out, what would it be?

Trust the process and while you are doing this, embrace the falls that you will have.  Yes, you will fall off plan and at times you will stall but if you trust the process you will get back on track and you will get over this stall.  There are going to be the days where you choose to get off plan and you choose to eat everything and anything you want or you choose not to do a workout. I know this because I too have days where I am struggling to make the right choices.  When I have those types of days is when I reach out to my super friends.  

I have learned to acknowledge these days, then I will confess that the choice was not a good one and then I look at why I chose that way and then I take the action (which is usually getting back in to my routines because when I am not following my routines this is when I struggle a lot more) to get me back on plan.  In the beginning of the year this was definitely a lot harder than it has been a year into the process.  The falls off plan will just make you a stronger person and it will be easier to reassess and recommit to the process.

Living Large!

How do you feel now?

I love my life.  I love who I was but more importantly I love who I have become.  I love that I no longer get winded cleaning my house or walking up a flight of stairs; in fact I love just being able to run up a flight of stairs.  I love that I feel athletic and enjoy getting workouts in and finding new workouts to challenge myself.  I love that I will just randomly start dancing or roll down a hill.  I really love my calves (my lower legs that is). But I can’t say it enough, I LOVE LIFE!

Living in the arena!

How has this journey changed your life?

I love this question because this journey has changed my life in so many ways that I will never realize how much it has changed my life until later on.  But for now I would say that this journey has made me HAPPY.  

In all honesty I can’t remember the last time before this journey started when I was extremely happy.   I know I had happy moments but to be constantly happy with my life and with myself was something that didn’t exist.   Before this journey I felt that I led a very boring life and in all honesty it was a depressing life.   I pretty much woke up, went to work and went home and sat around watching television.  Every once in a while I would throw in some quality family time but really it was a lonely life.  

Now with having been on this journey, I have a life.  I’m rarely home on the weekends and most of the time you will find me out at an organized race and getting out of my comfort zone.  I love talking about my life and the things that I have been doing with anyone who I come into contact.

With her family at her 1 year reunion!

What’s next? Where do you want to see yourself in a year from now?

Over the last year, I have come to realize that my weight is going to be an issue for the remainder of my life, but unlike other programs I have tried, I know this one is going to work.  I know that I will at times struggle and get off plan.  

I know that the scale will go up but I have the confidence in myself and I believe in myself and in my new life style that if I struggle or get off plan I can call on one of my super friends and I will be able to confess where I am at.  I will then be able to assess why I am struggling or how I got off plan and then I can get back into my routines and the actions needed to get myself back on plan.  

In a year from now, I see myself at goal weight and in maintenance.  I see myself continuing to run and finding new ways to challenge myself physically.   

  

Take ACTION: Assignment 1

Here is you first assignment to finally TAKING ACTION and losing the weight!

Declare the Behavior You Want to Change

Don't make it easy. Pick something that if you really were to do it on a consistent basis, it would actually make a big difference in you hitting your goal.

I'm going to to do it with you! Watch this video to see what behavior change I'm declaring and put yours out there too!

TAKE ACTION! Karen, Part 2

I asked Karen if she wouldn't mind sharing an update on where she is now since we last talked... well, she's even further down the road. And as excited as I am about that, it's not what I'm most excited about.

What I loved reading is how she talks about not being complacent. It's the reason I asked her to share again, because with this new theme of TAKE ACTION, just settling for being "OK" with where you are is the first step to a long, slippery slope of backsliding.

Don't misunderstand me. Maintenance (aka, giving your body a break from weight loss mode is critical), indulgence days, a day off from working out, all of those are hugely important for long term success. But, settling for OK is the enemy of every goal you set, every sacrifice you've made to lose the weight. Don't settle for it. Enough about what I'm saying, check out Karen's update:

When she started this journey

Now!

Since you last shared your story on the blog, what has changed with your transformation journey?

Since I last shared my story in January, a lot has changed and a lot has also stayed the same. 

I am still dedicated and determine to live a healthy active life. That will never change. In the beginning of my weigh loss journey, the weight easily melted away. All I needed to do was eat and work out according to the rules of the State of Slim program and I lost the pounds. About 7 months ago, my body decided enough was enough and stopped responding in the same quick weight loss manner as I had grown accustom.  

This was surprising to me and at first I did not understand why all the hard work was not seeing better results on the scale. I asked questions, tweaked a few things and the results were still disappointingly slow.  I have learned to trust the the process, so I did not give up, I did not stop eating and working out on plan. As a result, I still continued to lose weight but at a much slower rate. 

Where I started seeing big differences were in the inches my body was losing. I was surprised how my clothes were fitting and I was able to wear sizes I have not worn in over 40 years. I had to learn to be comfortable seeing the number on the scale as data and not as a measure of my success or failure.  My weight loss journey has been a huge life transforming success in so many more ways than just the number I see on the scale.

So strong!

What personal victory are you most proud of so far?

Aside from having lost 95 pounds in the past year, I am proud to say I have become a runner! 

My entire life I have tried to learn to run without success. The most I had ever run nonstop was a mile and a half and I thought I was going to die! That was years ago. I hated running but thought I need to learn . . .for my own good.

 One of my weight loss team mates gave me this advice, 'Run and don’t walk even if your running is slower than your walking pace. Your body need to get used to the rhythm of running. And, don’t go breathless, make sure you are always breathing." 

As soon as I heard and applied these two principles, I was able to run my first nonstop, unofficial 5K in February. In May I ran my first official 5K and placed 5th out of over 40 women in my age group at a 11.58 pace... not bad for someone who waited until age 60 to run her first official 5K! 

Two weeks ago I ran my first ever 10K (6.2 miles) nonstop and once again finished 5th in my age group... though there were only five of us brave enough to even tackle the 10K.

You have to start somewhere

And believe that you have what it takes

How have your goals changed? 

My goals have not changed a lot over the past year. 

How I view reaching my goals has changed. 

I now view my goals as just a part of my life. I no longer obsess over the number on the scale. My goal is to keep trusting the process as a way of life, never giving up on living life to the fullest and as you say,  "Live in the arena."  

I am also more focused on sharing my journey so that others may know they are not alone in their struggles and so that hopefully I will inspire others to be the best person they can be so they too can live a full and happy active life.

What has been the one piece of weight loss advice/truth/mantra that was most helpful for you during weight loss?

With out hesitation . .  “Choose Your Hard” is the mantra I repeat over and over to myself. 

Sure, exercising and changing eating habits can be hard, but it also can be fun when you realize the benefits your are gaining. Being fat, unhealthy and unhappy all the time is very hard. When I repeat the mantra “Choose Your Hard”... I know there is only one choice for me, to live an active, healthy, happy life, choosing the healthy hard..

What is most challenging about where you are right now?

The hardest part is to not allow myself to be comfortable being where I am, to the point that I become complacent. Complacency is when bad habits start to creep back in. After our one year reunion, I become too complacent and gained about 5 pounds... not awful but I also knew it was not good and could lead to a return and a regain of the weight I fought so hard to lose.  

Having a reset bracelet with the number I will never allow myself to go above has been a great reminder to stay focused and committed. I will never take a healthy, happy, active life for granted. I choose to work hard everyday to ensure continued success.

What's easiest?

“Life” is what is easiest. While my life is not perfect, I am living with joy for the first time in a very long time and that is a wonderful feeling. It makes staying on plan easy.

You're going to crush your race!

What milestone are you most looking forward to hitting during the second half of 2016?

I have two goals I have set for the remainder of 2016.  

The first is to shed the last 30 pounds I want to lose. This will put me at a body fat percentage of about 21%. 

The bigger goal, and at times I can’t believe I actually set this goal . . . I’m training to run the Hershey, PA, half marathon in October. For someone who has never been a runner . . . I did not even like running . . . this is huge! I am terrified and excited all at the same time. I will do it and when done, the feeling of accomplishment will be amazing . .  AND, I am told I will get to eat chocolate the entire route of the race . . . yes, this will be an indulge day without guilt! Cheers to terrifying goals and to living life in the arena!

Confess, Assess, TAKE ACTION!

I'm SO excited about this theme. I loved the I'm Perfection theme I just finished to kick off summer but now it's time to take it a layer deeper. How do you move past loving and accepting yourself, flaws and all, into actually seeing the results you want? It's right here: Confess. Assess. TAKE ACTION.

Watch my video and get excited. I've got some awesome homework and projects coming up over the next few weeks to really finish summer strong kickstart you into fall.

Ben: Living LARGE and On Purpose

Recently, I asked a group of State of Slimmers to write down their experience with State of Slim and how it has been different from other programs.

If I had to name one thing that sets SoS apart, it's that the program focuses on finding your WHY. After all of my research, the single most important factor that directly impacts someone's weight loss is knowing their WHY. I've never seen a person committed to their Why not hit their goal.

Ben has been working out with Chad Singleton at Anscutz Health and Wellness Center

Your "why" is your deeper, internal motivation to lose weight. It's not just so you can fit into a dress for your high school reunion. That's your 'external why.' Your 'internal why' is more than that.  Peel the onion and see what it is that will truly motivate you to lose the weight and change your life. Maybe it's so that you can be the healthy, involved parent that you want to be for your kids or so that you have energy when you're at work to actually hit your goals instead of bottoming out mid-way through the day.

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." 

When I was reading all of the responses, I was struck by Ben's. He's been really successful on SoS and I believe most all of that is because he knows his Why. He agreed to let me share how State of Slim has impacted his life and here's what he had to say:

"State of Slim teaches you that finding a deeper, personal prose-- the WHY of the journey-- is the key to unlocking the desire in your heart to make sweeping changes to better love yourself. 

Combined with common sense princess of nutrition (fuel), managing indulgences, and adding the joy of daily physical motion to your life, you begin an exciting new "Reinvention Journey." 

The routines and rituals learned in the program prepare you for a new life, free of obesity, physical decline, and premature aging, along with a renewed mental vision, life purpose, spiritual joy, and discernment to use what God gave you to help and inspire others."

The quote that I've been living by is: "If I don't stand up for me, who will stand up for me?""

Eye on the prize!

I'm Perfection: Krista

     Meet Krista:

Krista with her husband before the Tinkerbell Half Marathon

      How did you hear about State of Slim?

My health insurance company had given me some different plans but none of it was helping me get to my goal weight or making me feel better.  One night I was searching the Internet and came across the program State of Slim.  I began researching the program.  I noticed Dr. Holly took consultations so I called and set one up.  Dr. Holly, my husband and I met months later at the consultation and she recommended the program.  I was trying to find every excuse in the book not to participate.

Before State of Slim

How did you feel before you started the program?

Before I started the program I hated talking about myself, looking at myself and didn’t want to do much of anything.  I was so nervous to start the 16 week program, but knew inside it was the right thing for me. In my mind I was trying to make every excuse in the book why 16 weeks of focusing on myself was too much. I listed my kid’s activities, things we had to do as a family. I have never missed anything my children were involved in.   I also knew I needed to challenge myself at the same time with getting out of my comfort zone.  I never knew how to take care of myself, so going to a class for me was super scary. 

      Remember when you started this Journey?  How does your weight loss journey now compare to what you thought going into it? 

I remember the first day of class and just sitting at the long table so nervous about having to face my challenges with strangers.  I remember thinking it was so awkward just sitting and listening about what is expected in the program. In a way it sounded so easy, though  I knew it was going to be hard.  I like my carbs and sweets!  The first day I  had an attitude I was going to do this and it in my mind was set up more like a “challenge” I needed to complete.  Starting day 1-3 I was excited and realized it was also a lot harder then I expect.  Eating 6 times a day was the most I had ever eaten.  I went on a vacation and almost froze in the plane not knowing what to eat, but I was starving.

My journey today has completely changed.  It is no longer a “challenge,” rather, it is a new lifestyle that I want to keep up.  The weight loss journey isn’t easy and I know each day following the program and having the mindset will get me to my goal. Having a different mindset and believing in the program has made such a difference.  My attitude and the way I view food/Life has changed so much since the first day of class. 

What has been your biggest “Aha” or breakthrough moment? 

My biggest “aha” was wearing the state of slim bracelets and feeling the support all the time.  Getting my first green apple was a huge breakthrough moment as well.  Just knowing I can do a program and believing in how State of Slim works and loosing that first 10% was so important to me.  Right now, bigger than the apple, the “aha” moment was finishing the Half Marathon in Disneyland.  I used to be completely out of breath walking down our driveway. 

What are you most proud of/grateful for so far?

I am so grateful for a lot of things.  Most of them are the friendships I have made through SOS.  I am grateful for Dr. Holly being a super friend and letting me know this is a program for me.  I am proud that I have lost weight in a year and kept it off.  I am super proud that I have changed my mindset and allowed my self to have positive talk and to be proud of just me.   I am proud that Dr. Holly asked me to be a co-captain in the next steps program. I am proud I get to share my weight loss journey to help others. 

     When did you decide to start running?

In SOS next steps class we had to make a vision board. I have never made a vision board before this class. At first I wasn’t sure about what to put on there, but I wanted it to truly represent what I want in my life.  I have always wanted to run a race yet never imagining I could.  When I put the Disney race on my board I envisioned being at my goal weight and I was going to run the entire thing!  October 2015 my husband and I talked about wanting to do something completely different for our 10 year anniversary.  We both are not runners and never have been.  Within a week of talking about the anniversary we were signing up for the Disney Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2016. We decided to get through the holidays and start training in January.  

      What has the training process been like for you? 

The training process was a learning adventure.  At first we thought we could make our own schedule and just run!  That became weeks of only running 1 mile and working out at our other gym.  After talking to others who run and our gym trainers we realized we needed a lot more help in order to make it through this run.  One of the trainers at Manic offered to be our running coach/trainer.  She made a schedule for both Travis and I an offered to go on runs with us.  If we didn’t speak up and let people know the goal we wanted to achieve we wouldn’t be doing the Tinkerbell race.

      How do you handle the ups and downs of weight loss?

The ups and down are real and its reality you are going to have them.  A year ago I probably would have quit the program when the scale didn’t go down the way I wanted it to or if I cheated one meal I would have quit.  Realizing the scale doesn’t control me as much as my mindset controls everything has taught me so much.  There have been several days/weeks of ups and downs and I just tell myself I will accomplish what I want to accomplish.  I know I will get to my goal weight, and it won’t be over night.  It won’t be within a week of wanting it.   There have been days I am following the plan and I didn’t drop anything.   I still felt good inside and know I have to keep moving forward. 

What does I’m perfection mean to you? What imperfections are you learning to celebrate?

By nature, I am a competitive person.  Before doing State of Slim I wouldn’t have shared my imperfections.   In the past, if I haven’t hit specific goals I thought I would be letting others down.  I was hard on myself and started thinking I better stop what I started, why workout when I can’t complete the task, and one cheat day isn’t going to make a difference.  I can honestly say now I am ok with showing my imperfections.  I am now OK being more real to people rather than feeling like I have to tell them what I think they want to hear.  I am starting to feel like when I share my imperfections and struggles with friends, they have been encouraging to keep me going.  I am OK not playing the victim role.  I am currently not at my goal weight and my past mindset would have given me reasons to blame everything and everyone.  I can honestly tell you that I am not discouraged by my weight and I now take responsibility for it.  

Finishing the Tinkerbell Half Marathon!

How has this Journey changed you?

I am so proud to be part of this program.  At the very start, I used to feel embarrassed to wear the green bracelets.  Honestly, now I wear them with pride and I love to tell other people what they represent.  I love to tell people about my weight loss journey and I love to tell them about SOS because I never thought that there was a solution for me.  One of the biggest changes that I am most proud of has been my mindset.  I am no longer doubtful instead I am able to look at my journey as one step at a time.

How do you feel now?

I feel better than I have felt in a really long time.  I feel so encouraged.  I now look forward to working out again.  It feels good to be motivated again!