Obesity Free Forever Blog™

Hi Everyone,

Obesity discrimination is just one of the negative effects of obesity.  Recently this came to light when I saw that United Airlines proposes to charge overweight customers for an additional seat.  You can read the full article here  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30329345.

I began thinking about the effects of obesity and counted my blessings for losing over 140 pounds.  Besides discrimination, the negative effects inlcude health risks of obesity.  Some of the health risks of obesity include diabetes, heart and lung problems and depression.

When I weighed 280 pounds and was on the dieting yo-yo cycle, I felt like I would never take the weight off permanently and I would experience health risks of obesity my whole life.  But once I made the decision to stop focusing on the diet and learned why I overate, my life changed and so did the negative effects of obesity. 

Losing weight permanently can be simple with the right information and perspective.  Once you make the decision to reduce your risks of the effects of obesity, the rest becomes clear.  You can learn more about becoming obesity free forever like I did at www.obesity-free-forever.com.  Drop me a line at and let me know if you need any help.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I decided to check out weight loss blogs.  I’ve been so preoccupied in my own life lately, living weight management after obesity,  I wanted to see what the rest of the world was doing about weight loss.

My Google search revealed over 23 million pages!  Wow, I did this before work and I only had a short while to search.  I picked the top three on the first page of my Google search.  One of my searches led me to the top 100 weight loss blogs.  Of course I had to explore further afterall, I would love for my blog to be recognized as one of the top 100 weight loss blogs and I wanted to know what others did to get there.  When I arrived on the landing page, I came across the weight loss blogs by category including current weight loss journeys, already lost the weight, women, men and fitness.

I was amazed to learn that the majority of blogs had ceased especially those in the already lost weight category.  Some weight loss blogs in the current weight loss journey category were very sad.  There is one in particular that I wonder what happened to her.  She made her last entry in March and informed everyone of such.  She described herself as significantly obese and of course as a caring individual I wonder if she struggles with the same problems I did when I weighed 280 pounds, specifically depression and anxiety.  It seemed as though she felt ashamed or disappointed that the blog was not giving her what she needed.  I pray this person is okay.

My first inclination was to do what others did on these weight loss blogs.  But truthfully, while the weight loss blogs may help a few individuals as noted by the nine or ten responses to a few of the entries, I think differently today.

While the authors of those weight loss blogs have good intentions, those of us that keep our weight off know that it is important to move forward in life after weight loss.  Dwelling on the current situation and doing things the way we’ve always done them will never produce the results we desire.  The key to permanent weight loss is to first accept you right now “as is” and then develop and implement a plan to become the person you desire.  You may be expecting me to say it is the next great diet like Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig.  While I’ve tried two of those three with limited success it wasn’t until I accepted myself, both good and bad, in August of 2004 that I began my weight loss adventure.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

Last week was a busy one as my co-workers and I worked on a H1N1 (Swine) Flu prevention plan for our hospitals.  It was an interesting experience.  In my 12 years of doing infection control in healthcare, I’ve never experienced such a situation.  The rumor control alone took up a ton of time.  The corporate team was phenomenal and we put a great prevention plan in place. 

During the activitiy, I received an update about Hydroxycut from the FDA.  Here is the link http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/hydroxycut/consumeradvisory.html.

The news did not surprise me.  The fact that someone died from liver fail was sad, though.  This reminded me of when I used to be on the fad diet cycle when I weighed 280 pounds.  I thought that next best appetite suppressant was my ticket to thinness!  How wrong I was!  In fact, I took one product, which is now off the market, back in the early 90’s and developed chemical induced Hepatitis.  I was so jaundiced I was glowing!

In my weight loss adventure of losing over 140 pounds I learned one thing, there is no get thin quick approach.  In fact, I would not have it any other way!  This may sound strange but here is why I say that.  Becoming obese is a complicated process.  It takes years to become obese.  Losing weight is a matter of releasing bad habits, learning new ones and then practicing those new habits until they become second nature.  The key is in the “learning”.  Once you learn something and you have that “aha” moment, no one can ever take that away from you.  You may slip up every once in awhile but you’ll always have the tool (knowledge) to get yourself back on track.

The best appetite suppressant I found is increasing my fiber and water intake.  Finding ways to increase my fiber intake throughout the day with tasty foods such as Fiber One products helps me eliminate hunger.  I find fiber to be my best appetite suppressant.

Take care and have a great day!

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I was traveling this week and noticed a lot of unhealthy individuals at the zoo.  I began to think about the current statistics on obesity.  The currents statistics on obesity show that 2/3 of the American population are overweight and 1/3 of those individuals are obese. 

I began to count the overweight and obese individuals in groups and the statistics on obesity are correct!  My concern was for the health of those individuals.  The health risks of obesity are great and include hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.  I remember having the same worries about the health risks of obesity when I weight 280 pounds.

I found it extremely challenging to travel this time and stay on my healthy eating plan.  Although I was able to stick with my healthy eating plan and exercise routine during my travels, my biggest challenge was because I did not know the area that well.  This made it difficult to find grocery stores to buy healthy foods.

I found a Meijers but it was pretty late and I began to feel uncomfortable while shopping.  I felt some old pressures return like the thought of putting the groceries away and cooking them before I could sit down to enjoy my healthy eating plan.

The outcome was good and I used this as a learning experience to remind myself of my daily commitment to sticking to my healthy eating plan.  The best treatments for obesity in my experience, is a great plan!  Planning ahead, especially when traveling, is an important part of a weight loss plan.  It is also an important part of a maintenance plan.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, increasing your activity level improves your quality of life even if you don’t lose weight.  According to a study sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, the researcher, Corby Martin, found that women lost on average 4 pounds when they increased their activity level while experiencing menopause and weight loss by increasing their activity level.  While 4 pounds may have been low, the benefit to increasing their activity level also led to improved quality of life including more energy and emotional and physical well being.

While my experience resulted in more weight loss, over 140 pounds, I also found an improvement in my quality of life including emotional and physical well being when I experienced menopause and weight loss.

Take care,
Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I received some feedback asking where I’ve been.  It’s been about a month since I wrote.  Well I’ve been pretty busy with work, school, teaching health risks of obesity and promoting my book, Obesity Free Forever:  Losing Weight from the Inside Out. 

I’ve also began consulting on weight loss and ways to prevent obesity.  Because school and work are taking up a lot of my time, I’ve limited enrollment to 5 students.  I’ve started a waiting list for serious students.  You can learn more about becoming obesity free forever by fcontacting me at georgene@obesity-free-forever.com. 

When I weighed 280 pounds, I experienced many health risks of obesity including obesity and heart disease, I had Atrial fibrilation, gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD), gastritis which feels like a heart attack, and obesity and diabetes, I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant.

These health risks of obesity were scary and reduced the quality of my life and the lives of my family.  Becoming obesity free forever was the best decision I made in 2004.  Now over 4 years later, my life has changed in ways I never dreamed possible. 

Following easy ways to prevent obesity including a healthy eating and weight loss plan is well worth the benefits I gain every day, including more energy, confidence and peace of mind.

Let me know if I can help you with your health risks of obesity.  I can be reached at georgene@obesity-free-forever.com.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

It has been many years since I was first diagnosed with GERD and Gastritis.  I’ve been off medications since I lost over 140 pounds, with the exception of an occasional dose of Maalox. 

To add routine to my healthy eating plan, I decided to try one new food a week.  Yesterday, I tried Weight Watchers mint cookie frozen dessert.  Even though I know that mint is one food us folks with GERD and Gastritis should avoid, I did it anyway. 

Not smart!!!  My symptoms of GERD and Gastritis came back within one hour of eating the delicious dessert! 

Well, we live and learn and here is my lesson.  Medical professionals tell us that mint, caffeine, fatty foods and large meals all contribute to symptoms of GERD and Gastritis.  Even if you have not experienced symptoms for sometime, like I have, these factors can still affect us.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve written and I apologize.  A lot has happened in the past few weeks and I needed to make some important decisions.  I feel like I am back on track now.

Major decisions used to flip me upside down when I weighed 280 pounds.  In fact, I always felt a sense of hope and optimism when the new year approached.  Sure, I felt some guilt from overeating during the holidays but as the new year approached, I felt as though I had an opportunity to be successful at weight loss.

The truth is that I was practicing denial!  You know, when you tell yourself you’ll start your diet tomorrow and tomorrow never comes.  That happened to me for over 25 years.   

When I made the life changing decision to become obese free forever, I started sometime in August of 2004, the exact date escapes me.  The difference between that August day and the other thousands of days of the 25 years before it was that I had had enough!  Many refer to this as the “aha” moment.

We’ve all had an ”aha” moment when we know we are ready to abandon our old ways and try something new.  In 2004, I made my new years resolution that August and I never looked back!

Now in my 4th year of maintenance of losing over 140 pounds, my advice to others is to drop your new years diet resolution and weight loss plans and commit to taking care of yourself today.  My experience is that a diet and willpower have nothing to do with permanent weight loss. 

Rather, becoming obese free forever begins with a commitment to yourself that you will become your best friend no matter what your current weight.  This may seem counterintuitive to you as it was to me at 280 pounds.  But to commit to becoming your own best friend and to accept yourself no matter how much you weigh is the most important first step you can take on your weight loss adventure.  After all, if you cannot accept yourself “as is”, how can you expect others to?

You can read more about my weight loss adventure in http://www.amazon.com/Obesity-Free-Forever-Losing-Weight/dp/0595486843/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230687453&sr=8-7.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

When I weighed 280 pounds and was dieting, the holidays scared me!  I knew I wanted to enjoy the tasty treats but I wasn’t sure how I would stick to my healthy eating plan.

Now, after keeping off over 140 pounds for years, holidays and worry about my healthy eating plan are a thing of the past!

Here are some tips I used to deal with weight loss and the holidays:

Exercise a little more.  There is a science behind weight loss and it involves a simple equation of calories in must be less than calories out.  How can you achieve this?  Simple!  Think about your favorite holiday treats, find the calories content and increase your exercise plan to burn those calories.  Then you can enjoy your treat guilt free!

Allow yourself a treat day.  I allowed myself one treat day per month and increased by calories to 2000 daily. 

Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.  This tips allows you to stick to your healthy eating plan by deciding ahead the foods you’ll allow yourself to have. 

These are the tips I used for weight loss and the holidays in 2004 that helped me lose over 140 pounds.  These are the tips I continue to use to maintain the weight loss for many years.

Happy Holidays!

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I meant to write yesterday but traveling to Disney World took me off line.  It is beautiful here in sunny Orlando!

Before losing over 140 pounds, traveling and weight loss used to stress me out.  In fact, I wasn’t sure how to stick to my healthy eating plan and travel at the same time.  I developed some weight loss tips that can help you stick to your healthy eating plan and enjoy traveling at the same time.

Check on line for restaurants you frequently visit in your home town.  Many restaurants are national chains and the Internet is an easy way to plan ahead and decide which restaurants you will visit.

Choose hotels that have kitchenettes.  I like the to rent villas or the Residence Inn by Marriott.  The allow me to store and cook my own foods, making sticking with my healthy eating plan easy!

Find hotels that have fitness centers.  This is a must for me.  I also call ahead to make sure the equipment is in good working condition.

Well, off to the Magic Kingdom.  I’ll try to write frequently this week to make up for some lost weight loss blogs while I was in school! 

Take care,

Georgene