ONE YEAR LATER, THE WEIGHT IS GONE AND IT IS NOT COMING BACK
"IN MY OWN WORDS"
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As I sit in the garden enjoying the June sunshine, I am thinking back to the same Sunday one year ago. I was in the garden then and was trying to take a good “selfie”, but just could not disguise or hide the double chin, the jeans digging into me, and my left hand was swollen from the arthritis. What was playing on my mind was the discussion the previous Thursday with the Rheumatologist (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis) on a virtual consultation and maybe that is what the made the difference. It really felt like he was in my face this time and there was no escaping the message. I always remember this summary from him “Ann, I am delighted the injections are working (started those in March) and that you have made lifestyle changes (basically not in a corporate role and on calls at silly times of the day and night). Now if you have a look at your food and track the type of foods you are eating, I am certain you will make changes and you know losing weight will take pressure off those joints. The Humira injections are working well, and I don’t want to have to increase the frequency or your dosage at this early stage.” I did not share this with anyone, but it was bugging me.
Over the following days I spent time Googling “lose weight in your 50s or similar!” I came across Elate and watched a few of their YouTube videos – more with the attitude of “let’s see what this one is trying to sell me” and strangely it didn’t feel like I was being sold to rather that there was an approach to follow, and it seemed to be working for people. I then came across a picture of someone I recognised, I remembered seeing her after she had lost a lot of weight and I always remember her saying to me over a lunch meeting we were both attending – you know you are eating all the wrong things there my dear! Seeing her picture and realising that it was the Elate programme she tried to tell me about back then was the catalyst, I sent through an inquiry and following a telephone conversation I started my Elate journey on 4th July 2020.
In the previous 6 months (remember Lockdown #1) I had eaten for Ireland, I had rationalized it all with self-talk along the lines of “It’s my age, weight gain is a fact of life.” “It’s the medication, that’s what is driving the weight gain.” “I will lose weight when things get back to normal.”, “I don’t smoke or drink what’s the harm in having a few treats (like Keoghs crisps and big bars of chocolate!)
The first area of focus was just that – my attitude, once I started seeing things differently, I started to do things differently and results followed. It was the impact of the daily check ins from Daniel on the group chat that got me reflecting and really thinking about what I was eating and why. In truth there was no plan, there were habits and some bad ones like “grazing” during the day, you know the routine, dash out the door, stop for fuel, grab a coffee and a gluten free muffin or such like, more tea, more cake, the odd bar of chocolate here and there, the bag of crisps and then way too late at night dinner! I quickly worked out I was running on carbs (sugars) and not getting the good stuff – the proteins and fats. As for water – well on my intake call I think I self-assessed that as “I am doing fine, I get loads of water”, it was when I got real about putting 2 litres of water into myself across the day, I realised I was probably only getting about 0.5ltr before that! One of the early wins was tied to hydration – a side effect of my medication is leg cramps, and they were so bad, I would wake up in a knot several times during the night – a month into my Elate programme and the cramps had dramatically reduced. I now rarely get attacks like that and if I do it’s because I have not got the water in.
Over the following days I spent time Googling “lose weight in your 50s or similar!” I came across Elate and watched a few of their YouTube videos – more with the attitude of “let’s see what this one is trying to sell me” and strangely it didn’t feel like I was being sold to rather that there was an approach to follow, and it seemed to be working for people. I then came across a picture of someone I recognised, I remembered seeing her after she had lost a lot of weight and I always remember her saying to me over a lunch meeting we were both attending – you know you are eating all the wrong things there my dear! Seeing her picture and realising that it was the Elate programme she tried to tell me about back then was the catalyst, I sent through an inquiry and following a telephone conversation I started my Elate journey on 4th July 2020.
In the previous 6 months (remember Lockdown #1) I had eaten for Ireland, I had rationalized it all with self-talk along the lines of “It’s my age, weight gain is a fact of life.” “It’s the medication, that’s what is driving the weight gain.” “I will lose weight when things get back to normal.”, “I don’t smoke or drink what’s the harm in having a few treats (like Keoghs crisps and big bars of chocolate!)
The first area of focus was just that – my attitude, once I started seeing things differently, I started to do things differently and results followed. It was the impact of the daily check ins from Daniel on the group chat that got me reflecting and really thinking about what I was eating and why. In truth there was no plan, there were habits and some bad ones like “grazing” during the day, you know the routine, dash out the door, stop for fuel, grab a coffee and a gluten free muffin or such like, more tea, more cake, the odd bar of chocolate here and there, the bag of crisps and then way too late at night dinner! I quickly worked out I was running on carbs (sugars) and not getting the good stuff – the proteins and fats. As for water – well on my intake call I think I self-assessed that as “I am doing fine, I get loads of water”, it was when I got real about putting 2 litres of water into myself across the day, I realised I was probably only getting about 0.5ltr before that! One of the early wins was tied to hydration – a side effect of my medication is leg cramps, and they were so bad, I would wake up in a knot several times during the night – a month into my Elate programme and the cramps had dramatically reduced. I now rarely get attacks like that and if I do it’s because I have not got the water in.
WE ONLY WORK WITH WOMEN IN THEIR 40'S AND 50'S. IF YOU FIT THE CATEGORY AND WANT TO LEARN MORE, CLICK THIS BUTTON TO APPLY FOR A FREE TRANSFORMATION SESSION PHONE CALL.
Those first few weeks on the programme were tough going – coming off the sugars, changing what I was eating and the times I was eating at. On the sugars I didn’t realise just how much I was consuming and how much was in my food choices. Now let’s talk about the food changes – no brown rice, no gluten free pasta, gluten free breads, buns, cakes, and my beloved potatoes! I cut out most fruit but kept eating blueberries, raspberries, kiwis, etc. I thought initially I will do what I must so that I have not wasted my money and lose the weight, but I can honestly say I cannot believe that I have stayed off all the above except I do have potato, one day a week and love it! I have now added back in fruit, I was over consuming fruit – now I really enjoy a piece of fruit vs. a bowl of fruit.
I spent years quoting this line to people … “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” and there I was with absolutely no food plan for the day never mind the week! While on the programme it was very structured and as part of continuing to maintain my new weight I do a plan for my main meal each day, considering days I will be out, etc. Here is a summary of what I am doing one year later.
On reflection, I shop like my mother did when we were kids.
I have talked about mindset and attitude, and continue to do things on that front – I still listen in to Daniel’s messages on the groups I have access to; I still use the Elate Client Portal – for recipes, exercises, and mindfulness videos. I also
have a few favourite podcasts that I keep up with at weekends.
So, I mentioned exercises there and in the spirit of being open in this reflection I had absolutely no intention of ever doing exercises I was hearing Daniel and the team talk about. My self-justification included – “I’ve had back surgery, I need to be careful”, “I have arthritis”, “I never did it, not going to start now”, “the whole gym thing is just not me” etc. Something changed in my head about 6 weeks into the programme about the value of strength and toning, it’s not about building up bulky muscles rather the strength to correct balance and stabilise when I stumble! Long story short, my balance is terrible, and I had fallen up and down various stairs over the years and across continents. With the weight coming off I just knew I should give it a go and I did – I started off by doing the very basics – the warmup exercises, honestly that was all I was able to do! I started to get into it and when my husband’s post cardio classes opened again after lockdown, I started going to that with him. The combination of doing the Elate routines and attending the Cardio Smart classes has got me to where I am today – I keep an exercise journal, I know what a REP is, I know what RPE means, and even own a decent selection of weights that I use. I close the exercise ring on my watch every day.
All of this is common sense stuff unfortunately due to our lifestyles and the choices we make it is not common practice. Dare I say it, but Covid and lockdowns did make me stop and take stock. I am so glad I did.
I spent years quoting this line to people … “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” and there I was with absolutely no food plan for the day never mind the week! While on the programme it was very structured and as part of continuing to maintain my new weight I do a plan for my main meal each day, considering days I will be out, etc. Here is a summary of what I am doing one year later.
- Write down the main meals for the week ahead and think about the days I am away, on the road or whatever. I track food intake on MyFitnessPal and focus on getting enough protein each day.
- Shop for the week and once a month stock up on the cupboard basics.
- Eat a substantial meal in the morning – I am talking two eggs; rashers; sausages or omelette with a slice of almond bread. (Lunch is usually quite small, a Greek yogurt, tub of quark or maybe some leftovers from dinner the previous day)
- Have dinner at 6ish – quite strict on this one; avoid the big meal late in the evening.
- I do have treats on standby and I consume freely from those and enjoy them! The supply includes good quality dark chocolate; almond based muffins and banana bread (homemade in bulk and stored in the freezer); nuts and seeds or a fist full of homemade Elate granola over some Greek yogurt.
- The fridge is well stocked with cheeses, ham, eggs, bacon medallions, rashers, and a good mixture of quarks and/or Greek yogurts
- I use butter and olive oil – no lower fat spreads or sprays and when I bake, I swap out sugar or sweetener and add in a spoonful of pure honey.
On reflection, I shop like my mother did when we were kids.
I have talked about mindset and attitude, and continue to do things on that front – I still listen in to Daniel’s messages on the groups I have access to; I still use the Elate Client Portal – for recipes, exercises, and mindfulness videos. I also
have a few favourite podcasts that I keep up with at weekends.
So, I mentioned exercises there and in the spirit of being open in this reflection I had absolutely no intention of ever doing exercises I was hearing Daniel and the team talk about. My self-justification included – “I’ve had back surgery, I need to be careful”, “I have arthritis”, “I never did it, not going to start now”, “the whole gym thing is just not me” etc. Something changed in my head about 6 weeks into the programme about the value of strength and toning, it’s not about building up bulky muscles rather the strength to correct balance and stabilise when I stumble! Long story short, my balance is terrible, and I had fallen up and down various stairs over the years and across continents. With the weight coming off I just knew I should give it a go and I did – I started off by doing the very basics – the warmup exercises, honestly that was all I was able to do! I started to get into it and when my husband’s post cardio classes opened again after lockdown, I started going to that with him. The combination of doing the Elate routines and attending the Cardio Smart classes has got me to where I am today – I keep an exercise journal, I know what a REP is, I know what RPE means, and even own a decent selection of weights that I use. I close the exercise ring on my watch every day.
All of this is common sense stuff unfortunately due to our lifestyles and the choices we make it is not common practice. Dare I say it, but Covid and lockdowns did make me stop and take stock. I am so glad I did.
WE ONLY WORK WITH WOMEN IN THEIR 40'S AND 50'S. IF YOU FIT THE CATEGORY AND WANT TO LEARN MORE, CLICK THIS BUTTON TO APPLY FOR A FREE TRANSFORMATION SESSION PHONE CALL.
Would I have done this on my own as it is “common sense”, and the answer is absolutely “No”. I would have focused on cutting down, cutting out and giving up things. I would have given in, and progress made would have been short lived. I would not have done as much thinking about my mindset, and would certainly not even tried to get fit. Something I mentioned at the beginning of this post was “See Do Get” (from Covey’s work on habits, the irony is I spent years using this in my job in HR as an L&OD professional) I just missed using it on myself and my approach to wellbeing. It finally clicked in my head that weight loss was not about denying myself anything rather it was about redesigning how I shop, cook, eat, and take care of myself.
If you have got this far in reading this reflection on the past year and lessons learned – thank you and maybe it has triggered something with you.
I believe you measure the things that matter and now there is 60+ inches less of me, my medication intake is reduced by 20%, I have not fallen downstairs in 12 months, I am wearing size 8 jeans and managed to get into and zip up my wedding dress just before the end of 2020 (some 33 years after my wedding in 1987). I am grateful to Daniel and his team who have re-educated me on how to be healthier. Support is also important and last and by no means least a huge, big “thank you” to John my husband who just watched on as I started to clear out the tins of beans, bags of rice and pasta from the food press. He not only supported me, but he also joined in – eating the spiralized courgettes instead of the pasta and one year later he has lost all the XXs off his shirt size.
Ann Lane
July 2021
(https://aalane.com/)
If you have got this far in reading this reflection on the past year and lessons learned – thank you and maybe it has triggered something with you.
I believe you measure the things that matter and now there is 60+ inches less of me, my medication intake is reduced by 20%, I have not fallen downstairs in 12 months, I am wearing size 8 jeans and managed to get into and zip up my wedding dress just before the end of 2020 (some 33 years after my wedding in 1987). I am grateful to Daniel and his team who have re-educated me on how to be healthier. Support is also important and last and by no means least a huge, big “thank you” to John my husband who just watched on as I started to clear out the tins of beans, bags of rice and pasta from the food press. He not only supported me, but he also joined in – eating the spiralized courgettes instead of the pasta and one year later he has lost all the XXs off his shirt size.
Ann Lane
July 2021
(https://aalane.com/)
DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A STORY LIKE ANNE LANE?
WE ONLY WORK WITH WOMEN IN THEIR 40'S AND 50'S. IF YOU FIT THE CATEGORY AND WANT TO LEARN MORE, CLICK THIS BUTTON TO APPLY FOR A FREE TRANSFORMATION SESSION PHONE CALL.
Dedicated to your transformation,
Daniel Meany
Women's Body Transformation Expert
Daniel Meany
Women's Body Transformation Expert
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