“Inch by Inch...It’s the Little Things that Make a BIG Difference”

All of my life, I have LOVED the taste of an ice cold Sundrop soft drink. By far, I think it has got to be the best drink ever made. The thought of that citrus and tangy flavor makes me want one right now.  BUT then I remember, “Wanda, you don’t drink those as much as you used to drink.”  Up until last year, I would drink a Sundrop with my breakfast, another at lunch, and many times a third one at dinner time. That was a lot of soda pop for one individual, and those calories from all the sugar very soon added up. 

One day, I was shopping, and I realized that I no longer could just grab whatever I liked off of a rack in my size, buy it, and take it home to wear later. I never tried on clothes in a store because I KNEW MY SIZE. It had been the same basically since college, and even after two children did not change that much.  But one day, IT HAPPENED.   Slowly, my sizes were going UP from a nice Misses size and creeping over to the Women/Plus sizes.  So, to compensate, I would grab an article of clothing in three different sizes ( the size I used to wear, the size I thought or HOPED I wore, and of course a size UP-just in case) and buy all three items.  Soon, I was taking back both the size I used to wear and the size I thought I wore back and having to KEEP the size UP. That’s when I woke up and said, “Enough is enough”.  It was then that I made a conscious decision to start a healthy eating and fitness plan.

With the help of several people, my Mentor at church who is a fitness instructor, my family, and even a paid physical trainer, I started small steps towards a “New Wanda”.  I had read that one soft drink or soda pop packs a whopping 39 grams of sugar and over 150 calories, so I decided that if I could start replacing my soda choice for water, I would begin to eliminate many calories and reduce my sugar intake.  It was hard. I think I slipped so many times, but I kept my goal until I eventually had started drinking water all day long. Oh sure, I still have a Sundrop once a week, but not the three a day I had once would drink. Also, one mistake that so many of us make is that we think eliminating the soda pop and replacing it with fruit juice or tea is a better option. Fruit juice and sweet tea have just as much or more sugar as a soft drink. Unless we replace it with sugar free juice and unsweet tea (preferably green tea), we are doing the same as drinking the soda pop.

Slowly, I started seeing my jeans and skirts fit. Then they became loose. Others started seeing the difference too.  It felt really good to see such a big difference from such a small step.  The feeling I got from seeing these results made me want to work out more and eat healthier each day.  I would often get angry when I would get on the scales, and only a few pounds had dropped. That is when my trainer told me to buy a tape measure and start measuring inches instead of pounds.  Wow, he gave me the best advice because each week, I would measure my waist, hips, bust, thighs, calves, arms, and even my wrists. I started seeing those numbers go down, inch by inch.

I realized that it was that little things I was doing like walking every day which eventually became adding some running in. It was the decision to grill or bake instead of fry, and the choice to pick fruit instead of sweet snacks.  Those little things have been adding up to create change in my physical appearance over time.

Last year, if anyone came to my office, they would have found that SUNDROP, possibly a Snickers bar or chips, gum (which packs 10 calories each),... Now, if you come to my office, you will find fruit (banana, pineapple slices, an apple, or strawberries), lots of bottle water, and sometimes a protein bar or yogurt. The little things have made a BIG difference.  I still have a long way to go to reach my own personal goals, but I now realize that everything has a process that takes time. If we make the decision to change, the small steps can make all the difference.  Remember an inch a month can result in the loss of 12 inches in a year. That can be calculated as two dress/jeans sizes in shopping terms, and THAT is how I look at it- as Shopping! See you at the Mall!