A Letter To You

If you are reading this, and you know you want to lose weight then this is the moment you begin. If you aren't in that place yet where you are ready to dive in, that's fine. Imagine there is another you, one that is ready to lose weight, and she or he is just a few weeks into the future. Imagine you are reading this over their shoulder.

I am tired of reading diet books that have chapter after chapter about why their plan is different or better than any other diet book.

You already know everything you need to know to lose all the excess weight you have gained. It may not feel like it to you now but it is true, and it is a good thing.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, then before you spend time reading this blog, I'd rather you spend a minute figuring out which of these foods you have in your house:

Fruits
Apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, or any other fresh fruit you love.
Vegetables:
Lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumber, kidney beans. broccoli, tomato, asparagus, or any other vegetables you love.

If you have none of the above... you would be willing to add them to whatever you are currently eating? Once you have these foods in your fridge begin at your next meal or snack trying one of the following two suggestions.

Option One: Prior to eating your normal breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or eating your next normal snack... Eat an apple.

Or you can substitute a banana, orange, grapefruit, plum, pear, strawberry or any other fresh fruit you love. By fresh fruit I am suggesting that you don't pick a dried fruit or canned fruit.

Option Two: Prior to eating your normal breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or eating your next normal snack... Eat a salad.

Eat at least one cup of lettuce and any of the other raw vegetables you'd like on it. Don't use a store bought dressing. You can pick either balsamic or red wine vinegar or lemon juice. Skip any of the non-raw vegetable toppings like croutons and olive oil.

Once you are doing these two things, you can continue to read on.

Ok, if you are anything like me, you checked off the items as I listed them, contemplated going to the store at the next convenient moment and continued to read on so you could see what else I have up my sleeve for you.

Well, I offer hope. I know you can reach your goal. I lost 100 pounds. I wish I hadn't had 100 pounds to lose, but I did, and now I am putting everything I learned to the best possible use by sharing it with you. I changed my definition of healthy food and re-calibrated my idea of what it means to eat "a-lot" or to walk "far".

It is easy to read a book on weight loss in a day or two. I am a speed reader, so I can breeze through a whole 30 day plan in about two hours. All the while I am thinking, this is it, this time I can follow the plan perfectly and reach my goal. But whether you fail or succeed is something outside the pages of the book.

Any plan has the potential to help you lose weight.

I've re-read books on diet, fitness, and nutrition having lost over one hundred pounds, and amazingly though the words are the same -- the recommendations that were so unhelpful to me at that heavier weight make perfect sense to me now.

I have spent thousands of hours, whole decades of my life thinking about how to lose weight. It is tempting to try to come up with a catchy hook, some way of organizing my thought that follows a neatly outlined step by step path. But losing a lot of weight happens over many months and sometimes over many years, and this book will be just one of a thousand of sources you draw on to reach your finish line.

With that in mind, I recommend flipping through the pages with the intent to find the truth that speaks to you. The truth that sparks something in you that says, "I could do that." or maybe just, "I'm not alone."

For me, I am constantly looking for new ways to re-ignite the spark.

Sometimes I come across an idea in a magazine article, a conversation. Today, I found the spark in a book. It was actually a spark of anger because there was a skinny guy asking me all these questions about why I am over-weight, and I'm not. I am at a healthy weight but I was curious about his plan. If I had read it at a heavier weight I might have felt bad about myself. Having already attained what he was offering, I was able to just tune into his voice. I am sure there are people who are just waiting for his message, and they are hearing something hopeful in it that I am deaf to.

Tonight we ordered a pizza for dinner and I was starving. I ordered a medium thick crust pizza half cheese (for our very picky four year old) and half pepperoni, black olive and mushroom for my husband and I. One look at the pizza and I went straight for the fridge. I pulled out the medium size box of mixed greens, a can of kidney beans and the bottle of balsamic dressing. I grabbed a large plate and piled over half of the 5 oz box on the dish (for those of you who aren't able to visualize five ounces of mixed greens, it would fill a large measuring cup). I added half a can of kidney beans and a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Once I had finished the salad, I took a half slice of pizza and ate it. Then, still hungry I finished off the rest of the salad. I feel satisfied and proud of myself. I know myself, and I have no willpower when I am super hungry. But I don't need willpower when I have good habits to draw upon.

Back at my heaviest, I could have (and did) eat a whole medium pizza all by myself... and still want more. Now 1/2 a slice and I am content?! How is it possible? Well, I learned a lot about how my mind works and I have written down my experiences and observations with the intention of helping you.

Weight loss is a winding road - but each step is a chance to make a better choice.

With every bite you are building who you are.

If you are starting by making a commitment to eat more fruit and vegetables then you are already moving in a better direction.

You were able to gain weight - you are able to lose it.

There is no question in my mind; you can reach a healthy weight.

That is my wish for you... and with that let's begin by dreaming.

Your Friend,
Jennifer Johnson