Monday, 12-May-2008 17:14:27 CDT Let me introduce myself so you'll know a little bit about me. Name: Jayne Watts Married since 1984 to Byron. I am the mother of four wonderful children (though sometimes I need a break): Byron Jayson Rachel Joy Christopher Jaymes Heidi Elisa Jayne Recent Accomplishments April 10, 2003 April 16, 2003

Jayne

Have you ever struggled with weight management? Me too. It is a struggle many people face. Do you feel like a failure? Do you think that nobody understands your particular struggles? Do you play "scale games". You know, weighing only in the morning and then deciding that someone must have changed the setting! Are you sick of eating with your "thin friends" who devour everything in sight while you munch a dry salad, only to go home to a pizza and ice cream binge. It just isn't fair, you conclude. You "inherited" this weight problem and there is no use trying to fight it any longer.

Yes, I have been there, done that and more. You see, after having 4 babies and 2 miscarriages in a span of 8 years, my body was a wreck! Living through 5 Minnesota winters with 3 or more kids home all day was part of my undoing. The only "pleasure" I thought life had was eating. At 33 years old, I was simply too young to feel that old!

I petitioned the LORD and asked "How can I get a grip again! I am falling fast!" In the midst of all this I also became seriously depressed. I tried 4 different anti-depressants, only to find that the side effects (i.e. daily migraine headaches, extreme fatigue) were worse than the depression. I loved my husband and children dearly, but I began to think that maybe they would be better off without me. This thought truly scared me. I needed to make a radical change.

After much prayer the LORD seemed to be saying to me that serious weight loss was where HE wanted me to begin. I remembered reading about a medically supervised supplemented fast offered at my local medical center. I made a phone call and found myself agreeing to attend their information/orientation meeting. That was in January 1997. I believed that if I could only lose 30 pounds, that would be good. I couldn't face the fact that over the years I had gained almost 50 pounds. Well, it was a beginning.

After the necessary physical check up, I began my supplemented fast. Yes folks, that means NO FOOD! No comfort chocolate. No yummy salsa cheese dip with corn chips. No cream in my coffee (why bother with coffee without it?). No turning to my cupboard anymore to soothe my stress. Instead, I mixed 2 packets of chocolate powder in my blender with water and ice. Yummy. NOT! But I had made a commitment. More importantly, my husband had paid for me to get into this program, so drink up I did. I drank 6 packets of chocolate supplement a day. It was awful. I was sure this wouldn't work either. I went the next week to my education class and found I had lost 3 tenths of a pound. I cried. But I entered the second week with a small grain of hope that maybe my body just needed to "adjust" to this program. I went home and ripped the wallpaper off my bathroom walls! Needed to do something to get my mind off of food! At the end of week two, the scale was down 3 pounds. And my bathroom became a deep sea fantasy! It was a start!

This fasting program was set for 12 weeks. I attended weekly education classes on how to learn a new eating lifestyle. How to approach eating food and yet understand what MY body needed. I could no longer play the "comparison" game. The one that says, "Well if my friend could eat all that, I could too!" No! That mental tape had to be thrown out! Along with many others! The LORD began renewing my mindset to one of health and fitness tailored to my individual body needs. He made my body, and I needed to understand basic maintenance so that I could begin to do the work HE had given me to do. As a mother of four young children, there is no end to the work! I also realized that I had been totally negligent in service to my church and community.

By GOD's grace, I made it through the 12 week fast. A total weight loss of 21 pounds! I had a ways to go, but I now had a spark of confidence and some new techniques to use! After transitioning out of fasting, I moved on to a "Healthy Solutions" program, and continued going to my weekly weight management classes. With my instructors help, I took my body weight at the time and devised a program that would deficit me about 500 calories a day, and yet still give me enough nutrition to be healthy. My walking adventure also began! Off to the shoe store I went to purchase a pair of good walking shoes, then some walking shorts. By this time, it was May and the weather was nice.

The summer of 1997 found me outside every evening after supper walking walking and more walking. I figured I walked 400 miles in that 5 months! Plumb wore out my shoes! And Byron and the kids spent A LOT of time at the park! He is to be commended for all the time he "covered for Mom" so that I could walk and go to my classes. I could not have accomplished anything without his love and support.

As anyone who has faced this battle knows, it truly is a "mind thing". If a person can get past the feeling of "failure" and "fear", I believe the battle can be won. I would like to share the concepts I feel the LORD gave to me.

1. Develop a New Vision for Health and Fitness based on your individual body's needs and abilities.
2. Choose a wise approach! There are many good weight management plans. But it is most important to choose the one that will best fit your needs.
3. Be committed whether or not you see immediate results! It is the long haul that makes the plan work! That is why it is so important to choose the plan you can live with for a LONG time!
4. Turn totally from your past eating habits. Food never solved any problems for anyone, except starvation! Find more healthy ways to deal with stress, boredom, and the multiple social eating events that come your way.

I also recommend finding a source of support and accountability. Food journaling, support group, friends, spouse, etc. I am not a medical professional or dietitian so I do not make diet recommendations. Most people can find this information on their own and I strongly encourage people to find what is available in their locality.

As I continued through 1997, my weight steadily came down. It was my hope to lose a total of 40 pounds, but I found with my new eating habits and exercise, the last 10 pounds came off "on their own". Yes, I know! That sounds stupid!

Today, I still use my skills for "estimating" food portions, limiting my sugar and starch intake, and exercise. I am very surprised to find that I have been able to maintain my weight throughout 1998. To me, that was the second battle. Here in Minnesota the winter weather chases many of us indoors! I enjoy low impact aerobics and walking occasionally at the local elementary school or mall. And best of all, not only have I maintained my 55 pound weight loss, but my whole family eats a more healthy diet and enjoys being active!

The bottom line here, is if you want to tackle this area in your life, YOU CAN DO IT! You are NOT a failure. You have to make peace with your body and find what lifestyle you can maintain. You need some new techniques and skills. Every job has a tool, and with the right tools, the job is accomplished!

A foot note, there may be other important areas of your life right now that may preclude focusing on weight loss. If you have an ill family member, or a recent move or job change, or other major stress, don't tackle weight loss right now. Try to eat more fruits and veggies and get a short walk in whenever possible. Don't make any more major changes. You can only do so much. Table a major weight program until life settles down a bit.

God bless you! If you have a testimony on weight loss or are in need of encouragement, send me a note! I try to respond as quickly as I can. I too like to learn from others. Above all, live one day at a time! You can only deal with today! Tomorrow will come soon enough!

Contact me at jayne@byron.com