Quote from last night's Biggest Loser

I jotted this down and I am pretty sure it was the contestant Jackson who said it, "Weight loss is mental. You have to want it more than you want a cupcake!!"  The exclamation points are mine.  I would say insert any word here that would apply.  To me this quote resonated on so many levels---I am sure he meant this in its most literal sense; but it seemed almost metaphoric for a lot of things in life but especially weight loss and maintenance.  We have all tried many times to lose weight and then there is this time (presently) whereas everything is clicking and makes sense.  I have realized for me that it was a lot of mental and spiritual work.  The mental for me was more so getting out of my own head---developing a sense of self, self-esteem.  I had zero self-esteem my whole life--I didn't love myself, I never liked the way I looked--I could go on and on.  My development of self took years--I think I owned a self-help section of a bookstore.  I still feel that I am a work in progress but I have a much higher sense of self.  What's so interesting about the quote is that I heard the "mental" part over 15 years or more ago from Oprah, yes, Oprah said that "Weight loss is very mental."  Or something like this, but I definitely remember the mental part and just being confused.  I thought that weight loss was eating less and exercising and then, presto!!!  As I struggled to keep the weight off, I started thinking about the spiritual which helped the mental.  Did anyone else hear this quote or have ever heard something like this?  Let me know.

Words that affect us...in a good way!!

Watching the Biggest  Loser last night, Bob Harper said something that really resonated with me—it was when he went with David to see Dr. H to find out what was going on with his knee.   He said, “…when are you going to be enough, we’ve got to get to a point in your life that you say –you know what, I’m just as good and my feelings are just as valid as important as everyone else’s…”

Then Bob to the camera:

"David not being open about his feelings---it really upsets me, because it’s just a symptom for a bigger issue.  He’s doing an amazing job working through his physical issues; but if he doesn’t work through his emotional issues no amount of weight loss is going to matter because he’s either going to gain it all back or it’s going to manifest in some other part of his life!!!"

I have heard these words before and they have affected me in a negative way, but hearing them at that moment really resonated with me.  Some of us have more emotional issues than others and I think that's why some people lose weight and keep it off right away and some of us (insert me here)--we have several emotional issues to peel through because---I always just assumed it was about the weight but it was much more, for me anyway.  

Maintainers who live in the public eye and The Biggest Loser (TBL)

Did anyone see Dateline last night; Al Roker now 10 years post bariatric surgery, wow, how time flies?  The following is just a segment of how he is maintaining now and how he got back on track.  He also has a new book. 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Biggest Loser  (TBL) is back and I could not be more happy with the new format.  I have always loved the premise of the show but last season was it for me.  I knew they had to bring Jillian back and they had to change it up from "the game."  This is all my opinion.  Three episodes into last season and I totally stopped watching, and didn't care who won.  It was the nastiest season I had ever seen and if Jillian had been there (the no nonsense person she is, love her!!!) none of that sh*t would have gone done!!!  I am not going to write about specifics but I am sure many of you all know what I am talking about.  I think a little competition is good and all...and they need ratings to stay on television; but even the producers knew that things had gotten pretty much out of control last year, hence, the new format and coming back with a cause to help obese children.  Perfect!!!  There are several young adults who are around my daughter's age 24-25, 3 women and 2 men.  There was one more who is in that age range but she left the show last night.  I feel that many of the contestants are getting younger--I think there used to be maybe one or two young 20-somethings and a few seasons had the 18 or 19 year old; but to have 6 contestants younger than 26 and older than 23--not sure I have seen this.  

No, this will not become TBL update blog; but the children tore at my heartstrings because I have been there times 2, myself and my daughter.  What I would like to see and write about are the Maintainers they bring back to help.

The Bookshelf

I meant to publish this post last Friday and forgot and then things go hectic at work today; please excuse the references to yesterday...thanks

I have read so many "diet" books and countless other motivational, inspirational or as we used to call them at Borders (worked there for 9 years part-time), "self-help."  Anyway, I was getting overwhelmed at how I wanted to present this here.  On Tuesday evening I stopped by my local public library.  I live in a wonderful village, so stepping off the bus after 6pm (it's dark outside) and seeing the library open, I was excited.  I walked in to peruse the new bookshelf.  I picked up "Lose it Fast, Lose it Forever" by Pete Thomas. He is a The Biggest Loser alum from Season 2.  I remember his story so well.  And he is definitely a Maintainer.  I want to also include The Biggest Loser alums here on my blog and had been researching if the winners had blogs.  Pete Thomas was not the winner of Season 2 but he was the at home $100,000 winner.  He is now the brand LIF2.  I mentioned here that each of the diet, weight loss books I read, I look for a section or chapter on Maintenance.  Some of my thoughts with bullet points are below:

• 

  
  

  "To me this was not the end of the journey but rather the beginning.  I had lost a ton of weight, and now it was time to start the next step of life: maintenance."  Love, love, love this!!!  You have to read this to know what another contestant said to him right after the finale.
• Pete totally recommends to read all of his Steps, 1-4, a process.
• The 5 Rs of Maintenance: Review, Revise, Repeat, Reward, Reach Back--for me this is doable.  I actually did the review part last night--reading over some of my materials and just regrouping.
• In his Introduction he states that there are types of dieters who should not read his book; The Perpetual Dieter, The You-Do-It-for-Me Dieter; The Pie-in-the-Sky Dieter and The Do-It-Tomorrow Dieter.  His point:  This book is not for these dieters because "diets are made to be followed.  Life is made to be lived.  Wow!!!...he does indicate that at some point in his life, he had been all these types at one time or another.  I saw myself here: I am the Perpetual Dieter.  I do agree with not using the "d-i-e-t" word and living, but I feel we are who we are and all of our experiences are unique. I have been changing my thought processes and being on my journey.