Best Laid Plans… Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I went to lunch last week with a few coworkers, and suffice it to say, I had the best laid plan — but it didn’t end well.

I did everything I should to plan appropriately for this outing. I did my homework by looking up the menu online so I knew what I was getting into. Luckily O’Charley’s is one of the great restaurants that honestly post their nutritional information online.

I had a plan for what I would eat at the restaurant, and I even allowed myself some flexibility to enjoy one of those scrumptious rolls. After deciding what I would eat at the restaurant, I mentally prepared for lighter fare for the remainder of the day. Honestly, I was ready! I had great plans.

Unfortunately, I took one look at that bottomless basket of O’Charley’s rolls and completely LOST MY MIND!

Now looking back on the situation, I am flabbergasted I behaved that way. I mean, I was prepared! How could this have happened? Now, I was extra hungry when we arrived at the restaurant and we had to wait on one person to arrive — but still! That is no excuse to indulge in four — yes FOUR — rolls. There is no good explanation other than a major gap in will power and self control. I had a good course mapped out and I should’ve stayed on it.

Now I’m looking to you loyal readers for help. I don’t pretend to be an expert on this healthy living journey, as is evidenced by episodes such as this. I simply try to share my struggles and successes so we all can journey together to a healthier life. So tell me how you plan appropriately for special outings and actually stick to your plan?

Getting Centered Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I know I spend a lot of time blogging about weight loss and fitness because those are two of my big focuses right now. However, mental and spiritual health are both important components to living a well rounded healthier life.

There is something about the beginning of a new season on the calendar that forces us to take a step back from the daily grind and revaluate our priorities, goals and life in general. Sometimes these transitions between seasons can be bittersweet and force us to take hard looks at the things in our lives that just aren’t working, and sometimes they are exciting times of new goal setting and growth.

For me spring is a time of excitement with the world coming to life again, being able to get outdoors and the ramping up of all kinds of fun activities. It’s also a time of spring cleaning — both literally in my apartment that has been closed up for the cold season and also in my life. I’ve been cooped up for the last few months, and things have been downright dreary, but with the arrival of spring, I’ve decided I need some changes.

In our current world and financial environment, I feel like we are pummeled with doom and gloom every day, and that really can take a toll on us physically, mentally and emotionally. That, paired with the daily grind and our normal responsibilities and stress, can easily invade our lives. One of my spring cleaning items is to figure out how to de-stress my life at least so I carry less of the worry burden from day to day. In addition to that major goal, I’ve decided I need to re-center my life and get back to the things that are really important to me: my friends and family, my spiritual life and making a difference in this world.

My spring cleaning has brought me to a place where I know I need to re-center my life. How has it affected you? What steps are you taking to include your mental and spiritual well being in your overall healthier life?

Benchmarks help goals seem more attainable Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I’ve been informed I cannot continue to call my blog “Weighing In” if I don’t officially report my weigh-in results each week. Though our new media manager would really like me to post my actual weight on my blog, I made a bargain to start including my weight loss totals. Sorry, John, but asking a woman to reveal her weight in such a public forum is well — what would be the appropriate comparison — it’s just BAD.

So drum roll please…

Lindsay’s 2009 weight loss to date is…

19 pounds!

This simple admission brings me to my topic of the week: benchmarks. When I started my rededication to healthy living in 2009, my ultimate goal was to lose 50 pounds. But, man, does 50 pounds sound scary?! I was overwhelmed when I thought of the work I needed to do to get there! Not only did 50 pounds seem unattainable, it seemed so far away on the timeline I couldn’t even wrap my head around making it there.

To make my journey a little more manageable I decided to break down my overall goals into smaller benchmarks for both weight loss and fitness. For instance, for weight loss, instead of the 50 pound dark cloud I had hanging over my head now, I have two smaller more manageable rays of sunshine at 25 pounds a piece.

I’m a very goal-oriented person and firm believer that setting goals is the pathway to success in any area of your life. However, if your goals cause you more pain than gain, attempt to break them down into smaller benchmarks to get where you need to go. Benchmarks can be smaller doses of the larger goal, or they can be small things you want to accomplish each week. By building in success rest stops on your journey, you will ensure you make it to your ultimate goals and give you some positive encouragement and reasons to celebrate along the way.

What benchmarks will you set this week?

Jen Lancaster’sSuch a Pretty Fat, provides comic relief Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

Author Jen Lancaster and I either were separated at birth or really should be good friends. As I read her newest — and yes third — memoir, Such a Pretty Fat, I couldn’t help laughing out loud and totally identifying with her. Her unique and utterly hilarious perspective on the weight loss journey was a nice comic relief for me over the last few weeks as I’ve hit a bit of a plateau on mine.

Though I’m hitting a bit of a patch of frustration over the fact that the weight isn’t coming off as quickly as I would like, I was reminded it takes just as long — if not longer — to get the weight off as it did to put it on. But seriously, I feel like I put it on overnight. Why, oh why, isn’t it gone yet?

But instead of fretting over the last few weeks, I dove into this hilarious book.

My favorite a-ha moment came when Lancaster talked about taking a photograph of herself at the beginning of her weight loss journey. As she prepared for the photo, she looked at herself in the mirror, actually admiring the way she looked — not perfect but actually quite nice. That is, until she actually saw the photograph and wondered aloud how Jaba the Hut got into her bedroom. I often feel the same as I look in the mirror and it’s not until I see photos of myself that I’m reminded of why I’m on this journey. Yikes!

Apparently, sometimes it just takes a different perspective to freshen things up. For anyone who has ever struggled with a weight loss journey and needs some comic relief, Lancaster’s perspective is definitely a fresh one. Though some of the language in the book is a bit salty, I highly recommend this one for a bit of comic relief and a fresh perspective on the weight loss journey.