Anything is Possible FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the Anything is Possible FAQ. During the past year I have lost what my doctor described as "a considerable amount of weight". I have done it without surgery, medication or any weight loss products. People ask me a lot of questions about how I did it so I thought a FAQ blog might be a good idea … and here it is! 

About me: My name is Liz Ross-Collier. I am married with two daughters. I live in Auckland, New Zealand with my husband, my youngest daughter and our two little dogs, Sid and Honey. I am a teacher at a local High School, teaching literacy and numeracy to Year 9 and 10 students. I like to write, I read when I have the time, I am a fitness junkie and I love running. I am also, in one way at least, half the person that I used to be. 

I made a decision to do something about my weight in April of 2012. After a small amount of progress over the following few months, in August I made a commitment to myself to take my health issues and my weight loss goals seriously and started on a journey that would change my life. It wasn’t an easy road, but looking back, I know it has been worth it.

I started my facebook page “Anything is Possible” in the hope that I might be able to help others realise that it is possible to make positive changes to their lives and that if I can do something like this, that anyone can.

The most common questions I have been asked are listed below with answers. People ask these questions all the time and I love answering them in the hope that it might help others on their own journey. I hope you find them useful.

What made you decide to lose the weight?

I have carried a lot of weight for a long time. I had struggled with a gain-lose yoyo-dieting pattern for many years and then just became resigned to the fact that I would always be overweight. One day, something clicked in my head. It wasn’t one particular moment but rather a series of events. I had been through a personal and professional crisis at the very beginning of 2012 that left me standing at a crossroads in my life. Things could have gone either way. I chose the path to personal improvement.

Click here to see my blog post about my decision to lose weight

How did you do it?

First of all, I made the decision to make some positive changes in my life. One of the changes I wanted to make was in my weight. I had reached my all time heaviest weight and my health was starting to suffer, not to mention my relationships and ultimately, my sense of self-worth.

I had tried to lose weight many times in the past and had tried many different methods … I had tried diets that restrict certain foods and I had starved myself. I had wrapped myself in magical heat wraps and sweated in saunas, hoping that the weight would just somehow melt off! I had tried Weight Watchers (more times than I can remember) and Jenny Craig (twice).

The reason that these things had not worked or had worked only in the short term was that these ideas were all temporary. I was in ‘diet’ mentality, where I would go on a diet, lose weight and then stop and go back to ‘normal’ eating.

For the record, as far as I am concerned, “diet’ is a dirty word and should be eliminated from your vocabulary. Make healthy life-choices or don’t bother. It’s as simple as that.

I knew that this time had to be different and that this time, I wasn’t going to be on a ‘diet’ but that I would need to make healthy, positive changes in my life and that it was going to have to be permanent.  

The three things I needed to do was a) change my eating habits b) start getting active and working out and c) change the way I thought about food and exercise. I had to change my mindset.

First of all, I started out by setting goals. I wanted to lose 50 kilos by the time I reached 50 years old. I set some short-term goals too.

Have a look at my blog post about goal setting

a) I downloaded an app called “My Fitness Pal” that calculates calories. It is simple to use and it’s free. You set up a profile and add your current weight, desired weight, height, gender, age etc and how much you want to lose each week. You then add the food that you eat throughout the day and it works out how many you’ve consumed and how many you have left. If you exercise, you add that too and you can earn calories as you go along. Weight Watchers works on the same principle and is an effective method for losing weight. The only reason it didn’t work for me before in the long term is because, once I had lost the weight, I stopped going!

b) Secondly, I started walking and I joined the gym. I started working out between 3-5 times a week (at least 30 minutes at a time) I made time in my day to work out and, as I became fitter and started losing more and more weight, I started running. It was pretty slow at first but it was making a difference and I started to really enjoy it.

c) I started thinking in a more positive way. I wasn’t restricting so-called ‘bad’ foods, I was choosing healthy options! Thinking about things in a positive way made a big difference. I kept an eye on my goals and started recording every little step forward. If I reached a goal I would celebrate it and set new ones. I was determined never to put the weight back on and I found that setting goals and working hard to achieve them helped me stay motivated. I was changing the way I thought about nutrition and exercise and I liked the new me.

I have written a blog about this subject called

“Six Simple Steps to Losing Weight”

Click here to read Six Simple Steps to Losing Weight

How much weight did you lose?

Sixty kilograms

How long did it take?

It took me approximately eleven months to lose fifty kilos and then three months to lose another ten.  As time went on, the weight started to come off slower and slower.

How do you stay motivated?

In the early days, if I am to be completely honest, I was driven by fear of going back to the way I was, to putting the weight back on. As time went on, my motivation came from the thrill I got from achieving each small goal and making each small step forward. 

I would celebrate the shift of the numbers on the scale but I was also motivated by a whole range of other things. People noticed that I had lost weight and said so, my clothes started getting looser, I could do more, lift more, walk further, walk faster … I could even run. Every tiny step was still a step forward. 

It wasn't always smiles and rainbows though and there were tough times too. I had periods of time where my weight reached a plateau, sometimes up to four weeks where it stayed the same. I learned to be patient. I practised positive thinking and got pretty good at it! Something that helped me during this time was staying focused on my fitness goals and enjoying non-scale victories like fitting into smaller sized jeans and running further or longer. I started to lift heavier weights and was feeling stronger, not just physically but mentally as well. 

Positive thinking is an integral part of making it. Don't underestimate its power over you. It can mean the difference between being successful and not. I found that I needed to work on being positive and build my skills in it like I was working out a muscle group. Sometimes it was hard work! 

I forced myself to be positive even when I wasn't feeling it. It works.

Looking for signs of progress other than the number on the scales 

was a positive motivating factor. Reaching my goals and setting new ones helped a lot too. 

Sometimes you need to stop and think about why you started on the journey an think about ways that you can keep that commitment to yourself that you made in the first place. That is what dedication looks like. You have to remember that you made a promise to yourself in the beginning and, even though it is tough at times, that commitment has to stay put.

           Click here to read my blog about Motivation

Do you have any loose skin?

This is a question that people ask me all the time. The short answer is yes. I do. The reality is that you don’t lose a considerable amount of weight without facing this issue. I have done quite a lot of research about this subject and there are a few factors that will effect whether or not you will have loose skin after losing weight.
   - How much weight you need to lose.
   - How long you have been overweight
   - Your age
   - How much you exercise before, during and after losing the weight
   - How long it takes you to lose it.

I lost a lot of weight quite quickly so it is inevitable that there will be some excess skin. To be honest, it isn’t as bad as you might think and it is better than I thought it would be. I have worked hard to minimize it in that I do a lot of resistance work with weights and with body weight exercises such as push-ups, crunches, planks etc. I do resistance work four times a week on top of my cardio work.  I think that this has made a positive difference to this problem. Having said all that, I would much rather risk having a little bit of loose skin than putting up with all that weight!

How do you cope in social situations?

The best way to cope in social situations is to plan ahead. If I want to have a drink, I drink low cal wine or I mix vodka with a low-cal drink. I eat before I go so that I’m not tempted with the foods that I would rather not eat and during the meal, I choose salads, vegetables and lean meat. If I’m going out to a restaurant, I have a look at the menu on the website if I can and think about the healthy options and then look at the healthy options when I get there. I also ask for half-sized servings if that is an option. I try not to make food the focus of the social situation and focus on my friends and family instead … they are what really matter after all. 

Staying on track in the holiday season

These questions are ones that I am asked all the time and might help you if you are either on a weight loss journey or considering starting one. If there is any way I can help you, please let me know. It is a rewarding journey and one that I feel I can help others with. All you need to do is ask.

Regards, Liz

Anything is Possible

The Holiday Eating Trap ~ How to Cope with the Season of Indulgence

The Holiday Eating Trap ~ How to Cope with the Season of the Indulgence

It’s that time of the year again where eating and fitness plans can be put to the test and our resolve to make healthy choices can sometimes wane.  If you’re feeling the pressure of the holiday season, you are not alone.

Here are some ideas to help you with over-indulging during the next few weeks.

It is natural to want to eat a little more than we normally would because it’s the holidays and indulge in a few little treats here and there. The trouble is that when we gather together with friends and family to celebrate any kind of event, food seems to take centre stage and we allow ourselves to eat and drink more than we normally would, and then use the event as our excuse.  

The other problem is that we (when I say we, I mostly mean I) tend to spiral into a pattern of out-of-control eating after the day is over. Having fun and indulging a little is all good fun but my point is, don’t let this one day be the reason all your hard work starts to unravel. Don’t let this one day turn into two or three days or even a week or more of poor eating choices. 

Enjoy yourself but don’t lose sight of your goals. You have worked so hard to get to where you are now … don’t lose it just because it’s Christmas.

Here are some ideas that might help you stay on track, to enjoy the day with food, family and friends without losing sight of your weight loss and fitness goals.

When people give you chocolates and other treats as a gift … share them with your friends and family so you don’t risk eating the lot yourself.  

If you do indulge, take one or two out of the box and then put the box away.  Chocolate lasts for ages, so you don’t need to eat them all at once.

At the Christmas meal, serve up what you are going to eat and then sit down and eat it. Try not to hover around the buffet or food table, picking at the food.  Choose healthy options where you can … a fruit salad won’t do as much damage as that Christmas pudding and cream.

If people offer you that unhealthy treat, always remember it’s OK to say no.

Most importantly, remember that food is just food. It’s not bad and it’s not good, it’s just food.  … and it is ALWAYS your choice whether you eat it or not.

Alternate between alcoholic drinks and water. You will minimize the calorie intake and have a clear head at the end of the day! There are lower calorie wines available now too, which is great news for those of us that enjoy a glass or two! 

                                                            Stay hydrated!

When you are serving up your food, load up on salads and vegetables first and then choose your proteins and carbs after that.

Choose salads, and / or green vegetables, lean meats and good carbohydrates like sweet potato. 

If you're snacking, choose healthy options like nuts and dried fruits. 

If you're in charge of the menu, the choice is yours!

                         

 

Ate too much? Don’t sleep it off … work it off! Go for a walk or set some time aside for a bike ride or a run. Go out and run around with the kids and try out the new toys or head to the beach for a swim. Even if you have over-indulged, this is not a reason to blob out on the couch for the rest of the day. Get up and move it!

Stick with your workout routine the following day. Go for that run that you normally would, go back to the gym.

If you're lucky enough to have new workout gear or the ultimate in Christmas gifts, new running shoes, go and try them out! 

Keep the healthy habits up. Just because there is left over Christmas food in the fridge doesn’t mean you have to eat it for breakfast. The muesli you usually eat is a much healthier option.

Avoid the “I’m on holiday, I can eat whatever I want” mindset. You made a commitment to yourself for a reason. The commitment still stands, no matter what day it is! Over the days just after Christmas , it's a perfect time to refocus and get back on track. 

Think back to the reasons that you started and revisit your goals. Once the big day is over, and you head toward the new year, it is the perfect time to set health, weight and fitness goals for the future, whether it is losing weight, getting fitter or maintaining muscle tone, it's a great time to look at what you want to achieve in the following weeks and months and start planning how you will get there.

Be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up if you do happen to over-indulge. Remember, one day of ‘less-than-healthy’ choices is not going to ruin all the hard work you have put in so far. It is only a day. Give yourself a break and move on.

Make time together with your friends and family the priority at Christmas time, not food. They are what really matter, after all. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time and not a time to stress out about eating. Try to go easy on yourself and have a lovely time. 

Happy Christmas!

60 Kilos and a Journey of Small Steps

Today I stepped on to my bathroom scales and saw the most incredible thing. The needle stopped at the number 60. As of that moment in time, I weighed (now weigh) 60 kilos. A quick, pre-coffee calculation and it dawned on me that I had also lost 60 kilos. I was exactly half the weight that I had once been, just sixteen months ago.

After that, my day pretty much carried on like any other day. There was no fanfare, no trumpeting of horns or firework displays, no victory parade. Just a little bit of time alone with my thoughts, to think about what had just happened.

Have you ever had one of those moments in your life where something significant happens and your mind turns your thoughts into a ‘montage of events’, something like a memory sequence out of a movie? Well, that’s more or less what happened to me this morning.

If I was to play that screen montage for you now, this is what you would see.

A woman in her late forties comes to a crossroads in her life. She is faced with many paths and she is standing at the precipice of them all.  She has become heavy over the years, burdened, both physically and mentally. She is finding it difficult to make a decision about which path she should take because the paths behind her have been so tiresome and long that she has lost her way and her strength, both physical and emotional has slowly diminished over time.

There are many things that stop her from taking the first step on to any of the paths before her; not least of these is fear. It is the sort of fear that builds up over time, as confidence, self efficacy and any sense of purpose fade away, the fear grows and becomes all powerful, so that apart from the fear, there is nothing else. And now, she stands frozen to the spot.

There are a few that have remained loyal to the woman and they stand and wait, ready to support her in whatever decision she makes, understanding the whole while that it might be some time before she is ready to make any decision at all. Loyal and faithful, the few wait. 

There is a very dark path ahead that the woman seems to consider for a long time. It seems like an easy one, and not long at all. She knows that if she takes this path that she will need to leave the faithful ones behind and so she decides not to take it. She dismisses this path as an option and, although she glances at the path from time to time when her resolve is low, she does not consider taking it again.

After a long time, she begins to panic. She knows that she must make a decision and that she cannot continue to let the fear manage her thoughts and actions. She knows that she must decide to take one of the remaining paths.

The woman turns to look at the path that brought her to this point in time. It is overgrown and filled with regret and sadness. It is riddled with anger and resentment. She stares at this path for far too long and then, finally, as she turns to face her decision once again, something in her mind starts to become clear. She suddenly knows which way she has to go.

The difference between the path behind her and the one up ahead is that the new path has not yet been walked on. It is not yet overgrown with the weeds of discontent and heartache. It is clear and holds a future that is yet to be written. She decides to take this path.

With that decision, she also decides not to litter this new path with the pain and negative thinking of the past. She decides to make this path a positive one, where she will begin to heal herself, her mind, her body and her soul. She starts to do things that will enable her to get better, physically and emotionally.

She takes the first step on to the new path, and starts to walk. She walks slowly at first, making sure that the path is safe, and with each cautious, tiny step forward, starts to realise that this new path is a good one. She decides to keep going.

Little, by little, the woman starts to make changes in her life. She makes better choices about the things she does. She changes the way she eats, she changes the way she moves and she changes the way she thinks. Little by little, she changes the way she lives. 

Along the way, the woman learns new things about herself. She starts to gain back the confidence that had ebbed away from her and she starts to lose the heaviness that she has carried for such a long time, in her body and in her mind. She becomes lighter and starts to heal.

Little by little, the woman’s steps become more confident, faster, lighter and with much more purpose than ever before. She faces challenges along the way and, as each of these is overcome, little by little, she starts to believe in herself again.

The woman decides that she doesn’t want to leave this new path, and notices that she now has others that are walking along beside her. The faithful few are still there and there are now many more. They too are on a journey of their own but have chosen the same path. Together they discover that if they walk together, they become stronger and are able to encourage each other through each new challenge. The woman takes a great deal of satisfaction in helping people that are new to the path and walks beside them. She also starts to follow those that have been walking on the path for a long time. They know the way and she learns a great deal from their wisdom.

One day, the woman does something that she never believed possible. Slowly at first, one step at a time, the woman begins to run. In the beginning it is a great and difficult challenge, but, encouraged by others on the path, she carries on. Little by little, she runs a bit further each time until one day; she discovers that she is able to do something she never thought she would. She can really run. 

As she runs, she feels a new sense of freedom that is unfamiliar to her. From this simple act, she begins to find an inner strength that, until now, has not featured in her life. She discovers that there is much to be learned from this and embraces it with all her heart.

From time to time, the woman pauses on the path to see where she is going and to reflect on the journey behind her. She can see new challenges ahead and is now able to face them with the confidence and belief in herself that had been so diminished at the crossroads. 

She looks back at the old track and is grateful that she had gathered the strength at last to make the decision to take the new path. She has learned that anything is possible. The weight that she carried in her mind, body and spirit is gone. Now, the only thing for the woman to do is carry on along the good path. 

She knows that she has come too far not to go further and that the path ahead is hers to take, to make of it what she will, to overcome the challenges and gain strength from each one and to just keep going.

The last sixteen months of my journey played out in my mind today and that’s pretty much what it looked like. A scene from a movie like a montage of memories but in real life! From the first part of the story to this point of it, there were 60 kilos. Gone. But it’s not all this woman lost. All the negative thoughts, the bitterness, jealousy and anger of the past is behind her as well. She (I) had a life-changing, transformational experience and there is no going back. 

That moment on the scales this morning was a bit of a big deal for me. I don’t need fanfare, balloons, streamers and fireworks to know that I’ve done a good thing in choosing that good path. I know all the hard work was worth it and if any of you reading this now are considering taking the good path, I will tell you now it will be worth it. Just remember … anything is possible!

Inspiration, Motivation and Commitment ~ Three Ducks in a Row

Inspiration, Motivation and Commitment ~ Three Ducks in a Row

First of all, let’s clear up the difference between these three. 

I believe they are all integral to succeeding in whatever it is a person is trying to achieve.

                                         The dictionary definitions are not that helpful.

Inspiration: a thing or person that inspires.

Motivation: something that motivates

Commitment: the state of being committed

My Interpretations

inspiration: that one thing (or series of things) that drives the initial decision to do something, have something or make changes.

motivation: the reason (or reasons) that a person has for wanting to do something, have something or make changes.

commitment: making a pledge or a promise to carry out an action (or series of actions) to enable a person to do something, have something, or make changes.

So, in a nutshell. Inspiration makes us want it, motivation helps us get it and commitment makes it last.

So what does this all mean in a personal and slightly more practical sense? How was I inspired in the first place, what keeps me motivated and what is the driving force behind that all-important commitment to seeing it through?

I have spoken to a lot of people who have attempted to reach goals in the past and have succeeded to a point, but then somewhere along the way they have lost momentum and ended up either stopping still or going right back to the place that they started. Sound familiar? It is to me, because I did it too many times to count.

Throughout all those years, failed attempts and half-measures of success, there seemed to be something missing. That something was undeniably, without a doubt, 100% related to my mindset. I may have had plenty of one or even two of those components working for me, but I certainly didn’t have all three.

What went wrong in the past?

Every time I started out on a new weight loss programme, I would begin with an amazing amount of momentum and a positive outlook. For some reason however, I would never be able to keep the weight off. I would always, and I mean always, put the weight back on and then some. I ended up heavier than when I had started out. This was a cycle that I was bound to repeat time and time again until that critical moment in 2012 when I finally decided that enough is enough. My theory is pretty simple. You have to change the way you think about it. Throw out the word ‘diet’ because it just doesn’t work, forget about the ‘quick fix’ mentality because that doesn’t work either, find a way to gather these three simple things together and you will succeed.

Three Ducks?

Do you really need all three? Isn’t one by itself enough? I think not!

Inspiration without motivation or commitment: 

Wanting to change but not willing to put in the effort or go further than step one. Fail.

Motivation without inspiration or commitment: 

Plenty of reasons to do it, nothing really driving it and not a single chance of it lasting longer than a few months. Fail.

Commitment without motivation or inspiration: 

Plenty of perseverance , but no real reason to keep going or even get started. Fail.

Even two out of three doesn’t really work ... 

Inspiration and motivation without commitment: 

Short term results and then, eventually and inevitably … failure.

Motivation and commitment without inspiration: 

I think you could probably get by on these two, but with nothing to feed the dream, the dream soon fades.

Inspiration and commitment without motivation: 

It’s all about wanting to get somewhere and having a long term focus, but lacking the reason to stay on the path. As the motivation subsides, so does the inspiration and not long after that commitment is gone.

So that explains why I failed so many times. Thankfully, this time was different.

All it took was a shift in my thinking.

What went right?

This time was different somehow. 

I had these three little ‘ducks’ in a row and it just felt right. 

It was a winning combination. 

My Inspiration

Among many other things, two people stand out as my main sources of inspiration. 

They are both named Sarah.

My daughter Sarah is a quiet achiever. Little by little, right before our eyes, she focused herself on a weight-loss goal, developed the strategies she needed to get the job done, and without any of us really noticing it happening, lost an incredible 19 kilograms. This inspired me and it was at this time that I started to believe I might be able to do it too. It was Sarah that I spoke to about the tools I would need to follow her lead and lose some weight too. It was Sarah that introduced me to My Fitness Pal, which has, quite frankly, changed my life.  She has been an important part of my journey in so many ways.  I will always appreciate her guidance, her unrelenting support and her friendship.

Sarah Collier

My friend Sarah is another truly inspirational woman. One day when I was browsing through some facebook pages, I stumbled across an incredible image of Sarah, a before and after photo that she had uploaded. I was just amazed. If I remember correctly, I think I was moved to tears. Sarah had lost over 63 kilograms. What I saw in that moment was not just a record of an incredible journey, made by a strong, determined, beautiful person, but a tiny glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, I could do it too.

Sarah O'Brien

My two Sarahs were, have been and always will be a major source of my inspiration. Not only did they walk the path before me and show me that it could be done, they showed me how. What they probably don’t realise is that they, in their own ways, both helped me to slowly build a small measure of faith in myself that this elusive dream could become a reality, and that I could do it. Yes ... even me.

I will always be in their debt for this.

My Motivation

At the beginning of this crazy trip, my motivation was a little eclectic and maybe even a bit misguided. My reasons for wanting to lose weight have changed significantly along the way and I would much prefer to only talk about the most intelligent ones, but, from the start, here they are:

In the early days:
My reason for losing weight was to look like other women that I thought were attractive (thin, looked good in jeans, could wear a belt and not look like a sack of potatoes)

As time went on: 

Firstly, to look like myself in my younger days (when I could wear a belt and looked good in jeans myself!) Secondly, to get down one more dress size, and then another, and another!

Further down the track: 

My reasons for losing weight shifted again. I wanted to be the best version of myself that I could be. At this point, I realised that the only person I was in competition with was myself, and I was winning.

More recently: 

My motivation was about getting fit, I wanted to tone up my arms, shoulders and other bits that were starting to look smaller, but not all that great. I had also started running at this stage and I wanted to run further, faster and for longer. 

My motivation had shifted from having a negative body-image and wanting a positive one, to a more fitness-based way of thinking. I wanted to be stronger, fitter, faster and last longer. Suddenly, it wasn’t about size or weight any more.

Most recently: 

My reasons to stay motivated are One: to lift heavier, to maintain the lean muscle that I now have (and am extremely proud of!) Two: to keep running and gradually increase the distances that I run and reduce the times that I run them. It is now all about beating that last PR and just getting better.

How do I stay motivated?

I look at all the hard work I’ve done and I am just so determined to never go back. This is my life now and I am living it.

Three things that motivate me: 

Goals ... Success ... Intrinsic Reward.

The other key way that I keep myself motivated is that I set new goals all the time and strive hard to reach them. 

I have never stopped setting goals, and as far as I am concerned, reaching my goal weight  was just the beginning.

If I set my goals in a way that they are achievable, the feeling of success that comes with achieving them is reward enough. This is a huge motivating factor for me. This is intrinsic motivation: where you set a goal, make a plan on how you intend to achieve it, and then when you do, it drives you forward toward your next goal. From then on, I just kept setting new goals. Looking back to see how much I had achieved made me more determined not to go back. The goals started taking on a different focus, but they were crucial to my continued success. The focus now wasn't about losing weight any more. It was to become better, faster, and stronger. The best part about intrinsic motivation is that the achievement of the goal is its own reward.

My Commitment:

Commitment is a big word, with an even bigger meaning. Without it, I could have had as much inspiration and motivation as the world could give, but it would not have been enough.

That day that the two Sarahs had worked their magic on me and I had finally (finally!) made the decision to change my life and lose the weight, I made a commitment to myself that I would do it. 

Of course there was doubt. With a history of failure, of course I am going to doubt the likelihood of success. But, nevertheless, doubts and all, the commitment had been made. It was like a pledge or a promise that I made to myself that I would do everything in my power to look after myself and that I would see it through. 

This commitment doesn’t come easily, but with that change of mindset, a positive thinking attitude, inspiration and motivation intact, I was ready. I was ready to make the changes that I had dreamed of for many years.

Whenever I feel that commitment waning, I think back to my inspiration and to my ever-changing motivation and I make the commitment again. There is no turning back.

So ...

... are you ready?