Overcoming a setback; I'm faced with new challenges all the time, but this month I figured out the key to long-term success: flexibility

The first six months of my weight-loss journey, I have to say, were pretty straightforward. I pushed myself at the gym, stuck to my diet, developed a positive min-set, and was rewarded with steady decreases on the scale. But when I recently left my real estate job and returned to writing from home full-time, things fell apart. I started skipping snacks, eating bigger meals because I felt famished, and pushing my workouts back--then foregoing them when something else came up. I knew I had to figure out exactly what went wrong and fix it before I plateaued--or worse, gained back all the weight I'd lost.

Damage control

But in order to change, I first needed to stop beating myself up. Negative self-talk would only distract me from my efforts and mentally set me up for failure, according to my life coach, Rosemary O'Neill. At her suggestion, I began thinking about my mind as if it were a television. Whenever that critical voice popped up, I focused on switching the channel of my brain, so to speak, to a more hopeful, encouraging station.

On the practical side, Rosemary helped me realize that since my life had shifted I needed to create a fresh routine suited to my current needs. Because I don't have a gym downstairs from my apartment like I did at my office, I could no longer rely on midday or 5 p.m. workouts. Now it makes more sense to exercise before 8 a.m., eating a light breakfast before heading out. On the flip side, working at home gives me new opportunities. For example, taking my trainer Emmeline Shih's advice, I jump rope for five minutes a few times a day to get my heart rate up and burn extra calories.

Snacking fell by the wayside because, without the structure of a corporate workday, I'd simply forget. Reminding me that small, frequent meals help keep my metabolism up and my appetite down, my dietician, Lila Ojeda, suggested I set a timer. Easy.

Moving on, and up

Though I still ended up dropping pounds, my experience was a big wake-up call. With five months to go to reach my goal, I know now I can't take anything for granted. If I can remember that the best weight-loss program is the one I'll actually stick to at that moment, I'm sure I'll succeed.

Month 1

Height 5'4"

Weight 175 Ibs.

Body fat 40.2%

[VO.sub.2] max* 33.8 mL/kg/min.

Aerobic fitness average

Resting blood pressure

110/70 (normal)

Cholesterol 177 (normal)

Month 6

Weight 153 Ibs

Pounds lost 22

Body fat 34.6%

Body fat lost 5.6%

STAY TUNED

Next month, Maureen shares the secrets behind her newly toned arms.

* [VO.sub.2] max testing performed at Oregon Health & Science University's Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine. For more information, go to ohsu.edu/hpsm.

COPYRIGHT 2008 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning