JAN

I have felt like I was on a roller coaster ride since Sept. Up and Down Up and Down, but I never quit that is the difference in this program then other programs I have been on in the past. I have gotten so much support on the boards and from my live group.

The one quote that has helped me the most by Dr. Phil is, We have the ability to choose what ever we want but when we make that choice we also chose the consequences that go with that choice.

Then I read on the board...

Chapter 1. on page 19 and 20, it says:

"You can't predict the future, and you don't know what will

happen tomorrow. You can deal only with the realities of the
moment. It is when you look too far ahead, worrying about all the
pounds you must lose, that you become overwhelmed, unfocused, and defeated. But if you concentrate on the here and now, the present moment, believe me, your weight will come off.
I also want to impress upon you that valuable and limited time is going to slip away whether or not you decide to take up these keys."

"So I can assure you, at this precise time next year, your weight
will be higher or lower than it is right now. It will not be the
same; the choice to reduce it or let it pile higher and higher is
entirely and unquestionably yours."

"Decide this very moment whether you will use the seven keys to
permanent weight loss. It could be the single most significant
decision you make to maximize the quality of your health and change the direction of your life."

I decided to rethink what I was doing before I fell off and started rereading the UWLS book again I have been back on plan again now for three week. I did not include a new picture because there is really no difference from last month to this but I will include one in next months newsletter.

I did have a NSV this month though I was able to get out and pump my own gas which I have not been able to do because I could not stand long enough. Also the local paper came out and interview our group the Milford Key Seekers and she plans on coming back in the spring to check on our progress. We are moving along with our plans for our WLC conference next July and will keep you all posted and hope you all can be there.

Jan,

Captain of The Get Real Girls.

Alice 

I'm pretty excited about all what has happened in my life in the last year. I started the Dr. Phil program last Oct. 2003 and feel I have made solid progress.

I just had my driver's license renewed and this is the first time I felt good about the picture. I compared it to the one from 4 years ago and I couldn't get over the change in my face. Four years ago I looked unhealthy with a bloated face from the high blood pressure. This year I look healthy and younger than I have in years.

Last Oct. my cholesterol was 267, now it is 177! Last Oct. my triglycerides were 180, now it is 84! Last Oct. I was on blood pressure pills and they kept moving the dosage up, now I am completely off the blood pressure pills! Last Oct. my weight was 205 and now it is 163! People I haven't seen for awhile don't recognize me until I talk!

My weight loss started to plateau for awhile and a month ago I started Curves. I am so excited because I got measured today and have lost an inch to an inch and a half all over. My body fat came down 1.5% and all the weight I lost was fat and I added some muscle! I guess my body just got use to all the walking I was doing (5 to 7 miles a day, five to six days a week). By changing gears with my exercise, things are finally starting to move again. I still want to lose another 20 pounds. I also don't have to spend so much time exercising.

Now I go to Curves 3 times a week (for about 50 minutes each time) and do about 60 minutes of walking and/or aerobics 2 to 3 times a week. I have learned to be flexible and really listen to what my body is telling me. I know a big reason for my continued success is the fact that I am willing to take it one step at a time. In the past I focused on only weight loss and soon became discouraged when I didn't have a 10 pound loss in one week. Now I concentrate on a life style change and know that it takes time.

Every day I open The Ultimate Weight Solution book and read pg. 282 "And the choice is yours to make. What matters now is that you continue to build this life for yourself, a life that with each passing day will bring you health, energy, confidence, peace of mind that cannot be disturbed, and a spirit that soars." Everyday I make the choice to continue on, no matter what mistakes I made yesterday, or even a minute before. The important thing is that it is my choice to let go of the mistakes and continue to follow the path to energy, health, confidence, peace of mind and soar like an eagle. I am reaching "for the best that is within me."

Alice Clough

Team B

WES

Happy November weight loss challengers! Yes, I am up here in Maine, and winter is here, in fact, we have snow outside my door right now. Hoping you all have a happy holiday season with family and friends, healthy food and warm places to exercise.

I cannot tell a lie, I have been struggling lately. For about four weeks in October I stayed at about the same weight. It has been the first difficult month I have had since I began the WLC in January. At first I was embarrassed and didn't want to tell anyone, not even my family! But I knew that I had to acknowledge what was going on before I could overcome it.

For the past month, I have learned quite a bit about something I hadn't understood... people deciding to leave their groups, or quitting the WLC. I was tempted to do the same thing. I wanted to quit, wanted to lie about my weigh in, wanted to just not say anything until I had gotten my behavior back under control. But thanks to plenty of friends at my home group, my teammates, and my own stubbornness, I stuck with it. Still, I have been feeling pretty crappy about the past month, and worrying about writing this article. But this week I listened to Dr. Phil on tape, and found something that changed my attitude completely, and I hope it helps you if you are struggling.

On page 88 of the UWS, Dr. Phil talks about regaining emotional control, and gives the example of David and Goliath. On page 89 he says that some people react to stress by thinking "This is a problem I can turn into an opportunity". Well, that is the attitude I am going to take too. I have been slipping, and had a hard time losing weight for the past month. This has happened to me in past years, and every time, it was the end of my diet, I was never able to pull myself out of it, and that repeated failure contributed to the way I used to think of myself. So how can this be an opportunity? If I can get back to losing weight, I will do something I have never done before. I can prove to myself that I CAN reverse my negative momentum. I can gain a new sense of self pride and self control. I choose to see this past month of stress as an opportunity, and since doing so, I have had a totally new attitude. I will turn this stressful situation into a positive experience, and in doing so I can change the way everyone, including myself, sees me.

Don't ever give up on yourself. There is no finish line!

Your challenger buddy,

Wes 355/296/230

"What ARE you thinking??"

Dr Phil's book is chock full of great quotes. "Are you stuffin yer face like a boarding house cat??" comes to mind, from the book on tape. However, the one that has stuck with me from the beginning is this one from page 49:

"What is true about you in your mind, you will live."

For me, that's the whole program in a nutshell. The rest of the book shows us what is possible, and how to get it.

*how to remove stinkin thinkin
*how to add right thinking
*how our thoughts causes our emotions
*how our emotions trigger overeating
*how our choices are a direct result of our thoughts
*how our lives are a direct result of our choices
*how our choices are a direct result of WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE IN OUR MINDS.

I sure don't claim to have all this down pat. But I own it. I am where I am due to what I have believed to be true, in my own mind. And that is good news! To me, that means I also have the choice to change the whole course of my future. This is a learning process, and I am learning how to engineer my life for success, not only in weight loss, but in all my dreams and goals.

This is a Marathon, not a Sprint. In other words, don't focus on the short view, but rather on the long view. I have a lot of weight still to lose. And the last few months, as my time, energy and focus were consumed caregiving for my ill Mom, I lost that focus. But I refuse to quit! I refuse to think Sprint. I will get up, dust myself off, re-focus, and get back to running my Marathon. I am going "back to the basics". Doing those things which worked for me at the beginning of my journey. I am no longer just talking, talking, talking about it. I am TAKING ACTION.

As I have begun to re-read The Book (the Ultimate Weight Solution), I am taking note of how many times Dr Phil refers to ACTION. Not just planning, not just dreaming, not just hoping...TAKING ACTION!!

So, I have begun to require more of myself once again. One thing at a time, each day, gradually building up that positive momentum again. True, some days I do better than others. But I learn even from my mistakes (and lately, it seems I am learning alot! LOL!).

So please, whether you are just starting, or are an "old-timer" that feels stalled: never, never, quit! Just go back to the basics. Dust off your Book, read it again and DO what it says. You will be glad you did!

Enjoy the Journey!

Loretta
Daughter of Mary
1922 - 2004

The Get Real Girls Team
460-424/390/175

KAY

The one thing I have learned from this book is that there is no ending and no quitting. The tools are always there for me to go back to when things are not going according to what my mind thinks they should be.
This past year I have lost 40lbs and went from a size 22 to a 14/16. It's been a while since i was there and it is nice when people notice the difference. Clothes fit better, i feel more energetic and have more energy for my kids. I look forward to fitting into some of my "former" clothes from when i was thinner, you know stuff like Jeans which never go out of style.
This year so far has brought about some wonderful changes in my life, all for the better! One of my goals is to put my fitness and nutrition diploma to work for me somehow. Whether that be by simply helping other people or a full time career, only time will tell where it leads, but the journey there is so exciting.
This Challenge with the "chosen ones" and the "Get Real Girls" has been very helpful to me, helping me to work through some past and current issues in my life. I think many of us have at one time or another said, how we feel like we are getting to know one another that it feels like we have known one another for years. I am so thankful to have met a few at the Rally this summer and am including that picture here as well.
Enjoy the process, however you can, it is worth it all in the end. Have a great few weeks until next time!!!

Kay
Ontario, Canada

ALL GROUPS - INTERGROUP CHALLENGE

Create, as a group, a Circle of Do's and Don'ts for ANY KEY from the UWS book, and submit it before Dec. 15, 2004. Each Group which contributes to this challenge will get:
1. Their "circle" submission published in Newsletter
2. A banner for your group website
3. A certificate from the WLC Moderators/Leaders group for achievement of Challenge

EMAIL to : wlc-newsletter@sympatico.ca