In his best-selling book Atomic Habits, author and habit expert James Clear reminds us that, “New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process, not an outcome. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better habits, not chasing better results.” We all know that this is true, but the irony is that all too often “life” gets in the way of our lifestyle changes. In my case, it was the daunting task of attempting to lose weight during the holidays.
Holiday Hangover
After my first week of the BluZone weight loss program, I lost 6 pounds! The good news is that three weeks later, I’m down even more! The bad news is that, as a result of my over-celebration of the holiday season, I hit a two week plateau.
I wondered, however, if my scale was broken, because I was beginning to feel smaller. In fact, a pair of jeans that hadn’t fit me in a year fell off me when I was walking across my kitchen. I was grateful that no one else was around and even more grateful that I wasn’t in public, but when I looked around, I realized that I’d been spending less time rummaging through the pantry and the fridge, partially because the semaglutide had curbed my appetite a good bit, and partially because I was using MyFitnessPal to track every calorie that entered my body by way of my mouth.
One of the biggest recommendations I can make when you are on your BluZone weight loss journey is to document every bite you eat in a journal or an app. Tracking your calories and macros will help you see how you are nourishing your body — and how you’re overloading it with excessive carbs, fats, sugar, alcohol, and other empty calories. I’m not proud of my late December Myfitnesspal entries, but I also noticed that even though I was treating myself to candy, cookies, and Corona Light, I was still coming in way under a typical day before I began the weight loss program.
In fact, when my calories were totalled at the end of the day, I was still on track to lose two pounds a week, though the nurse practitioner who screened me for the program told me to expect to lose five. Even though I was consuming junk, it was in much smaller portions than I had allowed myself in the past. A small plate of pasta instead of a big bowl. One glass of wine instead of three or four. One square of chocolate instead of an entire bar. I didn’t feel the angst of self-restraint with these diminished portions. It was simply all I wanted.
I’m not saying don’t have pasta, or wine, or chocolate. Moderation is okay. But, I’ve been trying to get away from food as a habit. (“I’m going to the craft store. It’s near the cupcake place. Therefore, I’m automatically getting myself a cupcake.) I’m trying to get away from food as a reward. (I finished 5 loads of laundry. I deserve a bag of Doritos.) I’m trying to build better eating habits, and reward myself with non-edible treats, like watching an episode of a TV series I like (just one episode) or buying myself a bouquet of flowers at the grocery store. I may also partake in some online shopping, but with the money I’m not spending on junk food and alcohol, I can afford to buy myself something nice.
Rather than drinking iced tea, I have been drinking about a gallon of water a day. Rather than scrolling through Facebook for an hour, I take a walk. As accelerated as this weight loss program is, it will work faster and last longer if I keep up my end of proper diet and exercise. That’s why once January 1st hit, I packed up the goodies and booze and refocused my attention and my energy on my weight loss mission.
Positive Reinforcement
I was able to watch the ball drop in compression leggings I haven’t worn in months! (Without feeling like I was wearing a corset!) Heather Lamb, R.N., BluZone’s owner, nurse, nutritional coach, and my cheerleader during this weight loss process called this a “non-scale victory.” Feeling good in my clothes has always been a motivator for me, but usually it takes much longer to experience results!
Hearing from others that I’m looking healthier motivates me, too. During our last meeting, Heather noted that my face and hips are slimming down. She has been monitoring my progress closely, checking in on me in the days after she administers my semaglutide injections, the dosage of which increases gradually each week. So far, I haven’t had any negative symptoms, just a lot of questions about what to eat and what not to eat. Heather always has answers. I don’t want to give all of her secrets away, but here are a few tips she has shared with me that have made a difference:
- Take your food options in your hands and examine them. Ask yourself what each food will do for you. Chances are you will pick the healthier option. (Or at least eat less of the not-so-healthy one.
- When you get home, ask yourself, “What do I really want to do? Sit on the sofa and read or watch TV for 30 minutes or workout for 30 minutes?
- 80% of what you eat should be clean and healthy. 20% can be indulgence.
Heather puts the emphasis on thinking deliberately about my food and activity. “Make the better choice,” she always says. Since I started working with Heather, I’ve noticed a change in my habits, especially since the start of the year. Do I want to have a Margarita on my sofa while I’m wearing sweatpants from college or do I want to wait and have a Margarita on a beach while wearing a bikini for the first time since, well, college?
Having Heather to talk to is an extraordinary advantage to this program. She offers me solid and practical advice for eating well, positive reinforcement for the semaglutide process, and a one-to-one human aspect that can’t be found in a bot or in a group setting. Changing my lifestyle isn’t easy, but knowing that I’m not doing it on my own makes a world of difference.
Surprising Benefits
What’s amazed me the most about the three weeks I’ve spent on this weight loss journey are the other positive changes that are happening to me.
- No more tummy trouble! I have suffered from IBS, gastritis, acid reflux, and just about every GI issue you can imagine for most of my life. For years, I took a combination of 4-6 different prescription and over-the-counter medications, and, to be honest, they seldom worked. Since I started the weight loss program, my GI symptoms are pretty much gone, and so are the meds I needed to treat them.
- I sleep like a princess. I have been consistently sleeping through the night, without waking up, for an average of 8 hours. I wake up feeling refreshed and sustain my energy throughout the day. I definitely don’t sleep like a baby!
- My skin is radiant. Heather gave me a detox IV at the beginning of the program, which included glutamine, known for providing its recipients with a “glutamine glow.” Beyond that, I think my regular exercise, abundant water intake, and predominantly whole-food diet are to thank for this unexpected benefit.
My Biggest Hurdle
Despite the many benefits I’m experiencing, my biggest hurdle is, and has always been, exercise, specifically cardio. I enjoy lifting weights, but that’s pretty much it. I never played sports growing up. In fact, I regularly skipped gym class. I’m terribly uncoordinated and HATE the feeling of being out of breath with a racing heart. And sweat…? Forget it! I jogged a few 5Ks in my early 30’s, but I don’t think I’ll be coming out of retirement at 40.
Knowing all of this, Bri, my fitness coach, has provided me with some core exercises, which will help tighten up my abs and back muscles. (Incidentally, it will help provide me with a flatter looking stomach!) I’ve never minded ab work (especially because you get to do it lying down), but if I want to be showing off a 6-pack this summer (and NOT Corona Light), I need to add cardio.
Though walking is good for me, it’s important that I continue to burn fat and build muscle. I no longer belong to a gym, but I discovered Apple Fitness through a free subscription provided by my insurance company. I’m hoping to find something I like on Apple Fitness, but the most important thing is to add it to a routine and stick with it! Again, it’s a lifestyle change, which means finding a part of my day when I can tolerate being uncomfortable. Who knows…it might end up being my favorite part of the day!
Winning the Mind Game
Because of BluZone’s weight loss program, I have noticed an immediate change in my ability to stay calm, focus, problem solve, follow through, and never along the path to success lose sight of my goal. I attribute it to the semaglutide, the B vitamin injections, and the drastic reduction of sugar, carbs, and alcohol in my diet. In fact, my cravings are gone. I don’t even want fries anymore! It used to take several months to get to this point. It’s only been 3 weeks. By now, I would have encountered most of the obstacles I’ve faced in the past: loneliness, distraction, regret, self-doubt, and defeat. By now, I would have quit.
Call it magic, or call it the brilliance behind BluZone, but something very different is happening to me. For the first time in my life, I am able to block out the “noise” around me and inside my head. The temptation, the negative feedback from social media, the voice inside my head that used to tell me, “You’re always going to be fat.” I am immune to the noise. All I hear is Heather and Bri’s encouragement, a beautiful woman shouting out “I lost 40 pounds, and you can, too!” on my social media, and the voice inside my head saying, “You CAN lose 40 pounds…just make the healthier choice.”
