The Basics--Food, Water, Weight Loss

It was last November and I had just gotten the Halloween photos back.

There I was dressed in one of the ugliest bridesmaid dresses to ever walk down a church aisle. Clearly, the bride was out to look better than her court. Why else would she have ordered taffeta dresses--mauve, of course--with big pink bows off the shoulder, a bigger bow on the bodice and the world’s biggest bow on the butt? But the bridesmaid got the last laugh: She sold the dress to a costume shop and I, in turn, rented it for Halloween.

Hmmmm, I thought, eyeing the photo, that dress sure makes me look large. Curious to find out how much was the dress’ fault and how much was mine, I dragged out the scales from the garage and stepped on.

Perhaps you heard me scream?

“Two hundred and thirty seven pounds!”

I stepped off, then gingerly stepped back on. It read the same: 237.

It was at that moment that I decided: I was going to lose weight, and this time keep it off. The decision was just that easy.

I was turning 40 in a few weeks. I did not want to go through the second half of my life looking like a Williams. At 237, I was among the tiny ones on my father’s side of the family. I also knew that I was at risk for diabetes, which runs rampant. I needed to get rid of the weight and the bad lifestyle habits that went with it.

The time was at hand.

Now, coming to a decision and doing something about it can be worlds apart, but Jupiter must have been aligned with Mars because I made up my mind right on the spot to change.

I originally set a goal of 50 pounds, but I’ve upped it to 60. Here’s some of what I’ve learned, now that 40 pounds have come off in nearly 10 months.

Mental Attitude

* Be sensible. It sounds so common sense that it sounds stupid, but it’s true. You didn’t get that weight on overnight and it’s not coming off overnight. You might also consider a visit to your doctor for a pre-weight-loss physical.

* Don’t be discouraged, especially when you’ve hit The Plateau. To counter this, I’m a firm believer in the self-rewards system. When I lost five pounds, I bought a new walking tape. When I lost 30 pounds, I bought a new pair of sneakers. OK, we’re not talking diamonds and pearls from Tiffany, but they can be just as valuable. (And don’t be too impressed by my goody-two-shoes rewards. When I lose it all, I have plans for a huge, juicy steak and onion rings at The Palm.)

* Shop around--whether it’s for the best walking shoes, the best aerobics class, the best fitness magazine, the best bottled water or determining whether your best time to work out is morning or nighttime. Find what works and stick with it. And if it doesn’t work, dump it.

Exercise

The first thing I did when I made The Decision was dust off my Bally membership card. To get me going, I made a pact with Times health writer Shari Roan that if I didn’t go to aerobics at least three times a week, then she would get $15. I’ve had to pay her just once.

I now go to the gym at least five times a week and love it. I’ve found the perfect aerobics class taught by Cheryl Soriano. How good is she? I go to her classes at 6 a.m. Wednesdays and 7:15 a.m. Monday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursdays are spent walking 30 minutes on the treadmill and another 30 minutes on the recumbent bike. Saturdays and Sundays I ride my bike at home. I read the paper to kill the monotony of the bike.

Diet

As hokey as it sounds, don’t think of it as a “diet,” but a healthy way of eating.

* Cut the fat. I still would kill for a rib from Woody’s, but I eat them sparingly.

* Increase fruits and vegetables; also keep them around as snacks. This way when you get the munchies, you’ll grab a fresh peach over a bag of pork rinds.

* Don’t eat after 7 p.m.

* Always read food labels. Keep an eye on fat and sodium content.

* Drink water. Personally, I hate the stuff. But my best friend, Mule, who is taking off the pounds as well, recommends plotting out your day around water. Eight glasses is recommended, but because I’m active I’m drinking 96 ounces a day. I drink the first 48 ounces by noon and the second by 6 p.m. . . . most days.

Encouragement

Never underestimate the importance of a good support group when trying to lose weight. I’ve joined Weight Watchers at Work for support and because I’m not likely to stray if I know I have to weigh in every week.

Mule, who lives in upstate New York, and I trade letters regularly with at least one-third of our correspondence devoted to how it’s going laced with words of encouragement.

Then there’s my neighbor and gym pal, Richard Stanger, who is at the gym practically every day. He’s 10 years older than I am and I figure if he can do it, well, hell, so can I. He’s also a good source for compliments. One day we were on the treadmill and the TV was tuned to the Paris fashion shows. When a bony model strutted down the runway, he said, “You’ll look like that one day.” Hey, it works for me.

I can’t read or hear enough about weight loss. I bought Oprah Winfrey’s “Make the Connection” book on audiotape (Random House Audio Publishing, 1996) to listen to while driving. I also highly recommend Elaine St. James’ series of books and tapes on simplicity, especially, “Living the Simple Life” (Hyperion, 1996). Start to simplify your life in other areas, I discovered with St. James, and the weight will come off.

*

Ten months later, I have more energy, my breathing isn’t labored, my back doesn’t hurt, my feet don’t ache and I’ve dropped from a size 18 to a size 14. I just feel plain better.

With 20 pounds to go until I reach my goal, some people have expressed concern that I might be getting too thin. I’m a Williams. My bones alone weigh 150 pounds. Trust me. You’ll be able to see me at 177.

I’ll be back in touch when I hit my mark.