HANNAH WIEST Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:00 am
A table in a restaurant felt like a stage to Jodi McCain. And she had terrible stage fright: "I was embarrassed. I felt like I embarrassed my husband. You don't want people looking at you. You fear they will watch every bite you eat - and judge you for it, and say, 'That's why she's fat.'"
Eating was embarrassing. Walking was embarrassing. It was easier to just stay home. There McCain could feel sorry for the woman - and the little girl - who had always been overweight, who avoided social events and struggled to play with her kids.
All that changed last year. McCain lost 61 pounds, dropping from 195 pounds to 134 using Medifast, a diet program with controlled portions, balanced nutrition and online weight-loss support groups that, according to its Web site, is recommended by physicians nationwide.
The change in her body was great. But McCain realized the changes in her life - more energy and confidence and better overall health that will keep her around for her kids - were more important than feeling thin. That is why she has fought to maintain a healthy weight ever since the initial drop.
"For me, and for a lot of people, when you lose weight originally, you do it for an event, like a wedding or a class reunion," McCain said. "This time around, it's been for me. It's been just because I need to be healthy, and I don't want to waste any more time, and I just want to enjoy things. This is not a quick fix for me."
For those reasons, McCain has a good chance at maintaining her weight loss. That sets her apart from the majority of dieters who regain their lost weight - or more - within years of losing it, said Sona Rummel, owner and personal trainer at Absolute Fitness in Casper.
The yo-yo effect is especially common in summer as people shed pounds for that bikini or that class reunion then regain them come fall. But summer can be a good time to make the lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet, that will make weight loss about more than looks. That "starred" date, be it a wedding or a cruise, can be a good motivator in the short term but should not be the end goal.
"When you get to that starred date, set another goal," Rummel said. "Then make your permanent goal lifelong health. It's gotta be more than just being skinny and looking good. Wellness is from the inside to the outside, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes."
Kate Merkle, a registered dietician with the Lifestyle Management Program at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, would rather people avoid the starred date mentality.
"So many people use external motivators to lose weight," she said. "I like hearing when someone comes in and says they want to be healthier, they want to not have diabetes, they want to play with their kids. That's a better place to start."
Wherever people start, and wherever they end up, losing weight should be the beginning of a healthy lifestyle.
"The yo-yo part of dieting, the cycle of gaining and losing, gaining and losing, has negative health effects, such as an increased risk for heart disease," Merkle said. It's better to lose the weight slowly by cutting calories, and then keep it off with daily exercise that a person enjoys, such as dancing, bike riding or vigorous playing with kids.
It took McCain seven months to reach her goal. It will take a lifetime to maintain her weight. But it's worth it, she said.
She no longer hides in her house. Her own health helps her promote health for her patients at Rocky Mountain Oncology. She's become a runner, jogging several times a week and finishing 14th out of 300 in her first 5K race last year. And she loves to play and try activities she never would have considered before, like rock climbing.
"I've realized that in order to take care of my kids, my husband, my patients and my co-workers, I have to make time to take care of myself," McCain said. "When you change yourself, you change other people too."
The problem with dieting is it is not a magic bullet, said Kate Merkle, a registered dietician with the Lifestyle Management Program at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Crash diets may help you reach that "starred" date this summer - a wedding, a cruise or a class reunion - but they often won't lead to anything permanent, Merkle said. Still, summer is a good time to make lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise in the nice weather and eating balanced meals, that will help you lose weight - and keep it off. This will lead to an overall healthier life, not just a few good photos before the pounds return.
* Know thyself: You have to understand your motivation for losing weight.
"When we take time and look at what we want to change, and make those changes, that will last the rest of our life," Merkle said. She suggests taking time to figure out what foods you like, what activities you enjoy and how you can fit those into your schedule. If you only like junk food, find healthy alternatives. If you hate running, don't force yourself to run. Dance instead. Or swim, or garden, or play with your kids like you're one of them. Forcing yourself into someone else's idea of fitness will only lead to frustration and failure.
Jodi McCain, a local woman who lost 61 pounds last year and kept it off, found that journaling helped her. Whether on a blog, in a leather journal or on scraps of napkins, write down your struggles and triumphs, she said. It will help you figure out why you eat - when stressed, angry, depressed, joyful, bored, in need of comfort - and help you overcome the root problem when such triggers arise. Then, she said, find a hobby or a way to get through the struggle without eating.
* Get support: You can't win the weight loss battle alone. And staying in the battle requires back-ups, too.
"You have to ask for support," McCain said. If you think your husband, wife or friends aren't supporting you in your quest to become healthier, tell them exactly what you need to feel supported. They can't guess. McCain asked her husband to watch the kids while she ran. Maybe you need encouragement when people see progress. Maybe you need accountability. Whatever you need to be successful, ask for it.
Going public with your goals and struggles will keep you accountable, said Sona Rummel, personal trainer and owner of Absolute Fitness in Casper. Tell family, friends, co-workers and the World Wide Web. There are hundreds of online support sites where you can converse with others just like you. Find one. Log on. And use it.
Overcoming the emotional and self-esteem problems associated with being overweight is just as important as losing the pounds, McCain said.
* Set goals: Losing weight is not simple. It takes time. Keeping it off takes continual focus on your goals.
"It's not overnight. The weight didn't get on overnight; it's not gonna come off overnight," Merkle said.
Make the goals small: 10 pounds, 2 inches, three flights of stairs without stopping. McCain didn't run a 5K the first time she laced up. She started out by walking on her treadmill. Then she ran for 10 seconds at a time. Then 20. Then 2 minutes. It took her several months to build up her endurance and strengthen her heart and lungs.
And make the goals realistic.
"You can lose 50 pounds in a week if you workout 12 hours a day and eat only celery," Rummel said. "But not if you're human." Keep working, and keep setting small goals on the way to your long-term goal of lifelong health.
* Track progress: The numbers on the scale may be a hard and fast indicator of weight loss and maintenance, but they are not always the best indicator.
"If you've been overweight all your life, you may not know what it feels like or looks like to lose weight," McCain said. She does weigh daily to make sure she stays in the weight range where she's comfortable - and to know when she's hit her "red zone," or the weight that is just too much for her and indicates she needs to figure out what went wrong and deal with it. But there are several other ways to see your progress.
Take photos. Front, side and back. Throughout the entire process.
"It puts it in perspective for you," Rummel said. "There's no other way to illustrate the changes. Yeah, it's hard to see yourself that way, but the 'after' photos are fun to look at."
McCain took photos of her face and body every time she lost 20 pounds so she could see the physical change as well as the drop on the scale. She also showed the photos to her support group so she could soak in the positive feedback.
Merkle recommends these other ways to notice progress: loose clothing, better sleep, improved moods, higher energy levels, enjoyment of cooking and food, lower blood pressure, better control of diabetes, better play time with kids, and the ability to sit in seats that were uncomfortable or unthinkable before, such as in movie theaters or on roller coasters.
Don't forget to reward yourself - with new clothes, a night out, a spa treatment or whatever you like - when you make progress and manage to stay healthy.
* Go long: You've reached your goal weight. Now what?
Set a new goal, Rummel said. Any goal. Learn a new hobby, do something you've always dreamed of doing, take a class, make that doctor's appointment you've been meaning to make for years. Then, when you reach that goal, set another one.
"Health is so much more than what you put in your mouth," Merkle said.
McCain tried rock climbing last year. And she has recently started organizing, well, everything, because it needs it and she's always meant to.
Also, Rummel said, realize that life interferes. You will probably get busy and begin taking less care of yourself. When that happens, don't despair. Stop. Evaluate what lead to the break in your healthy habits. And deal with it. If you've spent months reaching a certain weight, and making healthy habits along the way, one goof-up won't ruin your progress. You've already done what it takes to live a healthy life for the long-term. Get up and do it again, and again, and again.
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