While I’ve made great friends, gotten a thorough education on fitness, and even lost some weight… I’ve decided that the public aspect of my campaign is not serving me any longer.  It’s been a great ride, but I’ve found that there are as many drawbacks to ‘celebrity’ as there are benefits, and for me this process has reached a point where I simply need to buckle down and live my life.  So I’m shutting down the See Sara Shrink campaign and calling it finished.  Don’t worry!  I’m not finished with losing weight!  I will keep fighting that battle, but I feel like I’m finished with the time and energy of sharing minutiae with the world. 

I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed walking through my highs and lows with you!   I hope you’ve learned something from me… I’ve learned so much from all of you!

Thank you, dear readers, for all your advice, comfort and encouragement.

Thank you Shrink Partners, both past and present.  Your support and friendship means the world to me.  

In particular I would like to recognize my Wellness Coach, Joelle, who has helped me find balance over the last couple of months.  Julie Webster, my massage therapist, for sticking with me and helping me so much during my darkest times this winter.  Robin and Caitlin from Fix Hair Salon, Beverly Green, my stylist, and both of my photographers (Julia Vandenoever and Regina Mountjoy) who have made me look and feel beautiful over the past year – not just in magazines or on the web – but in my everyday life too.  Thank you, ladies!

I can’t say enough “thank yous” to my wonderful personal trainer, Nicole Irlbeck from Restoration Fitness.  Nicole has the patience of Job.  She has laughed with me (and sometimes at me), cried with me (and sometimes because of me), and in general become a dear friend.  Thank you for being you, Nicole.

Thanks to my sweet sister, Trish, who started all this. I’m pretty sure I would weigh 300 pounds right now if she hadn’t bullied me into this campaign.

Thanks to Jeff, Nana, Will, Tish, Tessa, Jo and many friends who have endured endless tearful breakdowns and joined me on hikes and work-outs.

Feel free to email me at seesarashrink@gmail.com or friend me on Facebook where I will occasionally give weight updates to my friends.  (I still need the accountability!)

While I wish I was signing off at 175 pounds that just isn’t life.  This journey may take me several more years to complete, but make no mistake, I will get there.

May God bless you on your own journey toward your dream – whatever that may be!

Sara Sullivan

While talking to my Wellness Coach Joelle yesterday, I began to see that my negative attitude is the only thing holding me back right now.  The truth is, I’m not “starting over.”  I’ve lost weight and while I do need to get the ball rolling again, I’m not starting from the same place I did a year ago.  I’ve made tons of progress both mentally and physically.

This week’s focus is on doing what I can today instead of trying to make up for yesterday or last year.  It’s so easy to pull out a calendar and say “If I lose 12 pounds a week I can be at my goal weight by…”  How many times have you done that?  The harder choice is to focus simply on today’s behaviors and let the tomorrows take care of themselves.

I spent so much time this winter trying to make up for my lack of weight loss (or down right weight gain) that I began to always think of the weight I was trying to lose as unimportant.  What I mean is that if you tell every one that you weigh 225 pounds, but you really weight 250, when the scale drops to 245 you don’t really see it as a success.  Does that make sense?

So now that I’ve come clean and am being very honest about how I’m doing, I’ve decides to play pretend.  Let’s pretend I took the winter off to maintain my weight loss and now that spring is here, I’m ready to get back to it. Okay, so it sounds a bit childish to pretend the last few months were a purposeful rest period, but beating myself up won’t help me eat better or exercise harder today. 

Do you need to forgive yourself for past mistakes?  Try playing pretend with me, pretend that your past failure was an intentional strategy to aid you in your next goal.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” –   Henry Ford

I just don’t have much to say right now.  I haven’t given up on weight loss.  I haven’t quit exercising.  I just don’t have much to say.

I haven’t lost weight in so long, I feel embarrassed to talk to you.  I try everyday, and everyday I do my best.  I know lots of you out there are in the same situation.  You’ve hit a plateau and you need to make more changes to your lifestyle.  But some days it just doesn’t seem worth it.  You’ve made so many changes already!

I wanted to give you an update on how I’m doing and what I’m doing.  So here goes…

I’m still exercising 3 to 6 times per week.  Still drinking lots of water and taking my vitamins like a good girl.

Nicole (my trainer and favorite person on earth) is weighing and measuring me every two weeks so that I can’t lie. (Not that I would EVER do something like that!)

I’m working with Wellness Coach Joelle to focus on small behavior modifications each week and get rid of my all-or-nothing mentality.

I’m reducing my stress levels by not worrying so much what you think about me and realizing that most of the pressures I feel are ones that I have put on myself!

I have a new diet plan.  (Yes!  I have a new diet plan!  I met with Devon Metz yesterday who helped me discover several things I was doing wrong.   I realized that I had let some of that low-carb diets, carbs-are-evil ideas sink in.  I’ve been so afraid to eat carbs that I’ve set myself up for binges!  I’ve allowed myself to eat WAY too many fats, for some reason beliving that it’s okay.  I didn’t realize I was doing this at all!  Devon helped me do some planning to eat protein AND carbs throughout the day to keep my blood sugar more level.  I have a certain number of proteins, fats and starches that I can have in a day.  Portion size is the key, not counting calories.  I’m really excited to give it a try!)

I’m going to keep experimenting until I find what works for me.  I’m not giving up even if I don’t lose weight for another six months!  I know that I’m making progress, even when the scale does not reflect it.

Ms. Foley starts her article this way: “One of the most frustrating things your husband can say to you: “I need to lose 5 pounds — I’ll cut out the beer.””

Been there.  My husband has lost 30 pounds in the past year because he has been “really stressed” at his job.  Stress?  Who the hell loses weight because of stress?!  His job had been stressing me out too….

The poor thing was skinny to begin with (he likes to exercise “for fun” and eats salad “for a snack.”  Bless his little heart!  Opposites attract!

Back to the article…  It includes 7 tips to lose weight like a guy.   The three that really spoke to me are:  

“He doesn’t get upset when he screws up

He doesn’t use food as a therapist

He doesn’t give up favorite foods”

Do we spend too much time as women asking ourselves”How do I feel about…?”  As far as I’m aware, no guy has ever -since the dawn of time- asked himself that question.  Food is just food.  It’s not related in any way to emotions or relationships.

Check out the article, give me your thoughts.  Maybe there are a few things we can learn from the weaker sex!

Good thoughts from my Wellness Coach Joelle….

How often have you found yourself thinking depressing thoughts, belittling attempts at improving yourself, judging your actions, or letting the negative self-talk convince you that you aren’t worth anything, or why bother??

You aren’t alone, though saying that doesn’t make it any better. The reason people need ‘outside’ help, like a coach, is because they often don’t see the greatness in themself, and have not been trained to focus on this.  But it possible, and those thoughts aren’t true.  Really.

Is it conditioning, perfection, expectations that get in the way? And can we learn to move beyond, and really acknowledge the wonderful person that we are?  Absolutely, it just takes practice, training, knowledge, and a belief in you! And sometimes someone to lean on until you stand firmly on your own…

Food. We have to have it, and yet, sometimes…well, it is a nuisance. Either we just don’t have time for it, or we are obsessed with it, or we simply wish it would cook itself. It is a joy to be able to have wonderful smells, and savory tastes, but it can also get us into trouble when it becomes challenging to stop our cravings or dependence on food to regulate our moods. Food is a fuel. In its most pure form, it is meant to give us energy and vital nutrients to bring us life. However, in the another sense, it is also what brings us joy during times of socialization or comfort during times of stress.

What is food to you? Have you ever thought about it? There was a time in my life where food was an obsession. I thought about it all the time wondering when I would eat, what I would eat, where I would get my next meal, or what everyone else was eating around me. I controlled food as a way to control my environment. Now (at least 90% of the time) food is simply something I need to eat to prevent my stomach from growling. Don’t get me wrong, I like to eat. It’s just I have stopped using food as much as a drug and more as a way to get and keep energy.

Julia Ross, the author of the book The Diet Cure, states that most people eat too few calories, they don’t have a “real’ appetite, and that they can’t discipline themselves because their biochemistry is off. Great! I can finally forget the excuse of laziness or gluttony. I hear it over and over again…it isn’t that people typically aren’t trying, it’s that they aren’t seeing results or they are sabotaging themselves right and left by going back to their unhealthy habits. Julia’s suggestions aren’t easy though. She has worked with addicts for years and has found that amino acids, the nutrients found in protein, are the “miracle cure” for those with eating disorders, weight problems, yo-yo dieting habits, low energy, and many others. Think that describes you? Take her quick symptom questionnaire to start looking at what could be at the root of your problem.

The following 8 steps are her cure for dieting and getting balance back in your relationship with food:
1) Correct brain chemistry imbalances
2) End low-calorie dieting
3) Balance unstable blood sugar
4) Repair low thyroid function
5) Overcome addictions to foods you are allergic to (that’s right…you could be eating something that is at the very least an intolerance, but even more, could be triggering your cravings).
6) Calm hormonal havoc
7) Eradicate yeast overgrowth
8 ) Fix Fatty Acid deficiency

I highly recommend her book, and will be posting more about her tips. Her book is more of a repair manual than an informational tool. First and foremost, as with any 8-12 step program is admitting you have a problem. If you aren’t satisfied with your health, keep focusing on it with a consistent intention. It will only improve if you do something about it!

Posture.  Just mention the word and we tend to sit up straighter.  We think of our mothers harping on us as children, ‘sit up, don’t slouch!’  Yet do we really understand the consequences of both good posture and poor posture?  Can we imagine how the world would treat us if our posture were different?  No matter what your posture looks like, you are subconsciously being assessed.  Not to mention the role posture plays on the health of your joints, muscles, energy and more.

Let us look at this in greater depth.  The body is designed to work at an optimal level within gravity.  Joints, bones and ligaments are stacked in such a way to use the least amount of energy to hold us upright, to be able to stand or sit effortlessly.

Have you ever watched a young child sit?  Do you notice they don’t typically lean back in the chair but rather naturally sit quite straight with no effort?  What happens as we go through life that we start to rely on that chair back to hold us up?  Or that we stand in such a way as to put more pressure on our entire being?  These are some of the questions that started to arise as I became professionally involved in health. 

To begin, posture plays a large role in how we approach life.  If we are hunched over or in pain from poor posture, it shows.  We give off signs of lack of self confidence, lack of intelligence, being overly tired, shyness, and more.  In addition, if our posture isn’t optimal, the amount of energy it takes to go through daily life increases exponentially.  No longer can we rely on the structural body to hold us up but rather our muscles now must be recruited to fight gravity, causing us to expend a great deal of energy.  Our entire being is compromised and energy that should be used to enjoy life is used just to hold us up, literally.

So what really happens?  To start, we have become a sedentary society.  No longer do most of us make our living by working in the fields, walking long distances, carrying packages, and so forth.  Instead we spend long periods of time sitting at a desk followed all too often by sitting in front of the computer or television when we get home.  Our bodies have become lazy.  Some muscles hardly have to work much at all in these situations.  Not only do they not have to engage but, allow them to be in a shortened position for a long enough period of time and they will stay shorten indefinitely.  Other muscles, at the same time, will be in an elongated position with some working overtime and others just becoming weaker.  All this results in our muscles being imbalanced and our joints compromised.  Along with these changes, we can experience pain, burning, numbness, weakness, tingling and more.  Depending on the situation, nerves can be compressed and lead to syndromes such as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel.   Low back pain, which is all too common, is often a result of poor posture and muscular imbalance.   Consequently the typical answer to these complaints, often result in surgery or pain medications.  Although this might be necessary under certain circumstances, they should never be the first choice of treatment.

Let’s start with looking at the head and neck.  Under normal circumstances, the head should sit right on top of the shoulders, with the correct position being the ear vertically in alignment with the shoulder joint.  Unfortunately all too often the head starts to jut forward.  Some of the common reasons for this are from slouching, trying to read something that is too small (so you lean forward to read it), lack of lumbar support while sitting or from improper positioning of a computer screen.  Our head typically weighs between 12 – 15 pounds; a lot of weight when you think about it and yet if sitting as it should, effortless for the muscles.  Take it out of that ideal position however and multiple problems can arise.  Dr. Rene Cailliet says that for every inch the head is forward of its’ ideal position adds 30 pounds of pressure onto the posterior neck muscles!  In addition, this position can result in:

• Added pressure to the facet joints of the vertebrae which have a great deal of pain receptors, thus causing pain perception to increase
• Constriction of blood flow to the muscles, resulting in unhealthy muscles that become prone to injury
• Tight muscles that tend to refer pain to the head, resulting in headaches
• The health of the temporomandibular joint causing TMJ dysfunction
• Carpal tunnel symptoms

Let us move on to the shoulders.  Typically the upper back has a slight convex curve.  When in this position, the vertebrae are stacked properly and the ligaments on either side of the vertebrae maintain this position.  As we start to slouch forward, the shoulders tend to round inward.  The muscles in the upper back are in an overstretched position and are now having to work hard to keep you from falling over forward.  The muscles in the front of the chest are becoming shorter with the potential to compress the nerves that innervate the arms.  One of the most common results is known as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  In addition, the following complaints can arise:

• Burning between the shoulder blades
• Chest pain
• Shoulder pain
• Carpal Tunnel syndrome
• Arm pain
• Inability to take a full deep breath

Next is one of the most common areas of complaint – the lower back.  A great deal of work has been missed in our country from low back pain and much of it can be avoided.  To begin, we will look at the role sitting plays.  When sitting for a long period of time, the muscles in the front of the hips, known as the hip flexors, are in a very short position.  They are used a great deal during walking so they do not tend to get weak, as the upper back muscles, but they do become very short.  This results in changing the normal position of the pelvis and creating what is known as an anterior pelvic tilt.  A small degree of anterior pelvic positioning is normal for women whereas men’s pelvis should stay neutral.  The issues arise when this position is exaggerated.  The pressure tends to be moved posterior to the discs, putting a great deal of pressure on the facet joints.  Remember as mentioned earlier, facet joints are loaded with pain receptors. 

In addition to sitting, the pelvis can end up in an anterior position due to being overweight, especially when we carry our fat in our bellies.  Belly fat puts a great deal of added weight in front of the body.  The only way to compensate for this added weight is to shift the positioning of the pelvis into that exaggerated anterior pelvic position, once again causing an increase in low back pain.

Along with general pain complaints from the low back, the following issues can arise:

• Sciatica
• Hip pain
• Neurological complaints in the legs

So what do we do about all this?  It would be great if we could move away from sitting for extended periods of time but this is unlikely.  Rather we need to work within the parameters of our society.  The following is a list of ideas that can have a positive impact on our posture thus decreasing or eliminating the negative results of poor posture:

• Movement or regular exercise:  By getting the blood to flow throughout the entire body, the muscles are receiving fresh nutrients and eliminating waste products.  These waste products in and of themselves can cause pain.  Also by moving, we are taking the muscles through a greater range of motion which can be a start to add length and strength to the muscles.
• Stretching:  Working to lengthen the shortened muscles before strengthening the elongated weaker muscles will aid in realignment of the skeletal system.  It is important that specific stretches are given in order to lengthen the appropriate muscles.
• Strengthening:  Once the shortened muscles are working towards being longer, it is then time to add in exercises to strengthen those muscles on the elongated side of the joint.  This is important to allow the body to regain a healthy posture where the joints and ligaments are able to do their job thus decreasing the amount of energy it takes to remain upright in gravity.
• Ergonomics:  Assessing the position of the person to the height of the desk, the relationship to the chair, the positioning of the computer and so forth is a key.  Only focusing on ergonomics will not change the posture by itself but rather help to maintain the healthier posture with the aforementioned suggestions.
• Diet:  Although not directly involved in posture, it does play a large role in the health of the muscles.  Eliminating fast food, sugar, refined foods, soda, excess caffeine and more will enable the muscles to receive the nutrients need for maintaining health.  A healthy diet will also decrease constriction of blood flow thus allowing the entire body to process waste products at a healthier rate.

These are just some suggestions to creating a healthier posture.   Remember posture is much more than just looking good.  By having a body that is fully supported by the appropriate joints and ligaments, we will have more time and energy to enjoy all aspects of life and to live it to its’ fullest.  Isn’t it time to take a good look at your body?

Julie Webster is a Certified Massage Therapist and Certified Health Counselor.  She provides health education online and through seminars.  In addition she has written a book titled “Regaining Good Posture” which is available as an ebook, with videos performing each of the stretches, through her website:  www.julie-webster.com  Julie is also available for presentations on posture and various health topics to corporations.  To reach her visit her website or email her at info@julie-webster.com

I had a wonderful massage from Julie Webster yesterday…unfortunately it was BEFORE my hard workout with Nicole!  I could have used another one AFTER Nicole left!

Joelle, my wellness coach, and I talked this morning.  We have been working on replacing the “comfort” that I try to get from food with healthier activities.  Every week Joelle helps me set small, obtainable goals.  This method is already showing results after only two weeks!  

 I’m going on a road trip all next week, so this week’s focus is a little different.  I know that I’ll be eating lots of fast food on the trip, so I need to be ready for it.  Joelle suggested I go online and check out the nutrition info for some of the most common places we will probably be stopping at.  Then I can make some tough decisions even before I pull up in the drive thru. 

For Instance: McDonald (I’m traveling with my kids, so there is no getting around this one!)

My “usual” order:

Breakfast: 2 (Yes, 2!  I’m being very honest these days, remember!) bacon egg and cheese biscuits & a large coke 1,150 calories and 54 grams of fat (And that’s just breakfast people!)

Lunch: Big Mac Value Meal (Not supersized!  I’m on a diet!) 1,350 Calories and 54 grams of fat

Dinner: Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken (Got to eat a few veggies!) & a McFlurry with Oreos 1,070 Calories and 52 grams of fat

Daily Total: 3,570 Calories and 160 grams of fat!

In my defense, I’ve never eaten this much in a day…have I?

Better Options:

Breakfast: Egg McMuffin 300 Calories and 12 grams of fat

Lunch: side salad with balsamic vinegrette dressing , fruit and yogurt parfait with granola 220 Calories, 5 grams of fat

Dinner:  Hamburger Happy Meal with apple dippers 515 Calories, 20 grams of fat

Total: 1,035 Calories, 37 grams of fat

Okay, I know, that’s a lot of fat.  But let’s get real here, I’m not very well going to smell my families’ wonderful cheeseburgers and eat a handful of celery sticks!  Just like I know I will be drinking lots of diet soda…I need the caffeine when I’m driving!  I know it’s not healthy, but I will be drinking it!  That’s what has gotten me in trouble before… all or nothing…starve and deprive your self or overindulge.  Having the information before hand and making the choices in advance will allow me to enjoy myself and not dread getting on the scale when I arrive home.

In other news, I’ve had great success with including my family in my workouts.  My husband and sister have both jumped in to help me.  My sister is even going to do a simple cleanse* with me when I return from vacation to get all that crap I’ve eaten out of my system!

While I’m out of town I’ll be posting some great articles written by my “Shrink Partners.”   See you in a few days!

*We will be doing a 5-7 day cleanse called USANA Reset.  You drink 3 protein shakes per day and eat fresh fruits and veggies.  This way I will be eating enough calories that I can still exercise regularly and not slow down my metabolism.  Just wanted you to know, I will not be starving!

Up, down, up, down, up, down.

I’ve done well with staying off the scale. I’m not going to weigh myself for awhile until I feel like I’m completely focus again and ready for whatever the number is. Right now, if I were to weigh and have a great number, I might slack off, if I were to have a higher number, I might feel defeated. It’s better for me to focus on behavior changes than the weight. Once I’m confident in my plan (and my ability to stick to it) I’ll get back to weekly weigh ins.

I had a great kick-butt workout with Nicole from Restoration Fitness yesterday. I am trying to get back into working out six days per week. This week, I’ll have a minimum of three really hard work-outs and hopefully three more lower intensity workouts. It’s important for me to set obtainable goals for myself and not set up a routine that will lead to me feeling like I’ve failed. Giving three workouts my all (and then anything extra is a bonus) is a realistic goal for the week. Hopefully, over the next few weeks I can work back up to six days per week. I’m trying to include family in my exercise routine because we all know you work harder when you workout with a buddy.

Joelle (from Wellness in Balance) has been working with me on emotional eating. This past week I noticed that most of my binges (meaning eating food for reasons other than hunger) happened after a stressful situation occurred and I needed to “wind down.” By noticing when I overeat, I can best address how to stop it. This week I will try other methods to help me relax without using food. Joelle is helping me set reasonable goals for myself. I am way too much of an all or nothing person. I’m either obsessively following “the plan” or I’ve totally quit. It’s true I lose weight when I’m following “the plan” but as soon as I screw up I quit the whole thing. I need to find moderation in this area of my life.

So, you see, progress is being made. Weight loss isn’t just about a number on the scale. I have many behaviors to change in order to achieve the healthy body I’m striving for!

From http://WellnessinBalance.com:

Wellness in Balance was created as a means to empower individuals
to take action and lead healthy, more satisfying lives, and to
pro-actively bring their wellness into balance.

About your coach-
My name is Joelle Dunaetz, owner and creator of
Wellness in Balance.  I began coaching many years ago as
a result of experiencing the power of proactive coaching-
assisting others in creating productive, inspiring lives. My
professional coaching training is through The Coaches
Training Institute (www.thecoaches.com) and the
Wellcoaches Corporation (www.wellcoaches.com).  As your
coach I help you find the best ways to improve all areas of
your health and wellbeing.  

Why would you want to work with Wellness in Balance?  Are you ready to…
* achieve a healthy body?
* improve your self-image?
* increase your energy?
* move beyond your obstacles (not enough time, ‘I can’t because…’, etc.)?
* creatively explore new ways to see your life?
* design a fulfilling, purposeful life? �
* develop confidence in maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

How I coach you-
I coach clients on the telephone and in-person in a fun, firm and caring manner.  I help you identify your ideal health & wellness, then keep you moving forward to achieve this goal!  

By blending wellness coaching skills with my fitness training experience, I can
also help you determine physical conditioning practices (exercise) that is best for you.  When you are ready to bring wellness and balance to the physical, spiritual and mental aspects of your life, Wellness in Balance can help!

I am committed to your exceptional health and vibrancy! I will help you find
safe, enjoyable activities; offer tools and support to access good nutrition,
reduce stress, more energy, and move you toward being happy and healthy!

Working together we can change the way you think, and what you do, to
improve and enhance your health and wellbeing!

Set up your complimentary 30-minute coaching session!
(303) 642-0428 or info@wellnessinbalance.com