| Last November I had an epiphany moment. I turned an | | | | puzzle together. Age and weight are two companions |
| age that was traumatic indeed! My life and career had | | | | that steal our youth, not only physically, but mentally |
| involved beauty, glamour and fashion. The flower of | | | | and emotionally. I realized that no matter how much I |
| youth was extremely important to me. I refused to let | | | | disguised my weight, it still showed and it was not only |
| it die! I watered it, tilled it, fed it, pampered it and | | | | affecting my outward appearance but also my inward |
| enjoyed it's fragrance! However, I came to realize that | | | | health. In that instance I knew if I did not do it then, I |
| as the years slowly added up; my waistline did the | | | | never would. Strength rose up in me that I have never |
| same. The one thing that I had going for me was my | | | | had before. I had the greatest reason for losing weight |
| knowledge of how to minimize my flaws and | | | | that I had ever had! It was not just to look better; it had |
| maximize my assets; which I did daily. I knew how to | | | | come down to the quality and length of the rest of my |
| "dress for success!" | | | | life.o I have lost 22 lbs.o I lost 1.5 lb. per week. This is |
| I had just returned from an international speaking | | | | not a "Get thin quick diet, but a quality of life change."o I |
| engagement. A friend who had gone with me wanted | | | | set myself a weight goal--only 5 lbs. at a time!o I eat |
| to show me all the videos and photos she had taken | | | | only half portions of what I once ate.o I do not eat at |
| on the trip and many of them were of me. Let me | | | | night; if I have to I eat very little.o I do not have to have |
| stop here and say; mirrors will lie to you! So many | | | | French fries with my hamburger, crackers with soup, |
| times we see what we want to see and not what is | | | | or potato chips with my sandwich.o I eat slower. I take |
| really there. Well, cameras do not lie! They are | | | | smaller bites.o I graze rather than eat 3 meals. I eat |
| basically lie detectors! As I peered at those videos and | | | | when I am hungry, whenever that is. I just do not eat |
| pictures, I saw myself as others see me. I could not | | | | very much.o I eat what I want; I just eat it early in the |
| believe my eyes. I was looking at someone I did not | | | | day and not so much of it.o I think about what and |
| know. That person's face looked like me, she talked | | | | how much I am eating when I eat. I do not eat while I |
| like me, but she could not be me! But it was me. | | | | am engrossed in TV, etc.o Sometimes when we think |
| Suddenly I saw myself the size I really was and not | | | | we are hungry we are really thirsty. I reach for |
| the size I thought I was. | | | | something to drink before something to eat.o I weigh |
| I remembered a statement my doctor had made at | | | | myself every morning. I want to be aware of what is |
| my last checkup. Very casually and very kindly, he | | | | going on with my body.o When I reach my final weight |
| said, "Charli, your blood pressure would most likely | | | | goal, I will give myself a 3 lb. margin so that I don't beat |
| lower if you lost a few pounds." When I heard that I | | | | myself up for a weight fluctuation.o As the weight |
| thought yes, you are probably right, but I'm OK with the | | | | began to come off, I would reward myself with one |
| way I am. Besides I had always read in magazines | | | | inexpensive piece of clothing that fit my new size, as |
| that 20 lbs. is just cosmetic weight anyway. Well that | | | | my clothes were all getting baggy. This gave me the |
| may be a fact, but the truth is I had gone over that | | | | extra encouragement I needed to keep going. |
| cosmetic limit by 5 more lbs.! | | | | "I have come to enjoy the quality to life more than the |
| That day in November I began to put the pieces of the | | | | taste of food!" You can do it too, if you really want to! |