BUILDING WELLNESS
The road to fitness: One girl’s journey
SAFETY
Safety is key, especially during the holidays
Mindy Grupe
Steve McCombs
I can’t believe it’s been a year since
I started on this journey. I’ve never
lasted this long before. Something
always made me stop – I’d “screw up”
and then decide to quit because I’d
“ruined my diet.” Or I’d use the excuse
of the holidays to undo all of the progress I’d made. I came up with excuses,
convinced myself that it wasn’t my
fault, and revert right back to where I
was before.
You know what? No. Something
didn’t make me stop. I made me stop. It
wasn’t an external force that made me
drop the celery and pick up the chocolate - I consciously made that decision
on my own. And that idea is a revelation for me. This was all me. No one
else made me gain this weight. I did it
myself.
Not anymore. I’ve made it a year!
And, I have no intention of stopping
now. I still have a long way to go, but
let’s take a look at the progress I’ve
made so far.
One year ago:
• The hill outside of my office left
me huffing and puffing and dragging
my feet across the lobby so I could get
an elevator by myself and catch my
breath in peace.
• A half day at Disneyland had my
entire body complaining about overexertion. And I’d eat an entire turkey leg
by myself (1100 calories!!!).
• I couldn’t fit into a single seat
on the train while commuting to and
from work, constantly earning what I
thought to be dirty looks from other
people who had to share the double
with me (working on the dirty looks
thing - most of that is simply in my own
mind).
• I wouldn’t have dreamed of working out in front of other people, because
if it was possible to die of embarrassment, I’d find a way to do it.
• I was wondering why, with all of
the healthy eating I was doing, that I
wasn’t losing weight. I didn’t - wouldn’t
- admit to myself that I’d only eat
healthy during the day at work, when
I had other people who might possibly
judge my food choices. At night, on my
From the Los Angeles District Safety Office Staff, to all
of you, our most sincere wishes for a safe and joyous holiday
season. Regardless of what holidays you celebrate, there
are some things to consider when planning your upcoming
adventures. Here’s a question: If you were to be injured or,
heaven forbid, killed over the holidays, what do you think
would be the cause?
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a. Fall from ladder while putting lights on your house.
b. Fire in your home.
c. Recreational injury.
d. Traffic accident.
e. All of the above, but most likely (d.).
A year and 13 days later, Mindy Grupe, of the District’s Reservoir Regulation Section, has made a
significant change in her diet and transformed herself. (Image courtesy of Mindy Grupe)
own, I ate whatever I wanted, usually
more than I needed.
Today:
• That hill is now a non-issue. Except when it’s raining. Someone please
point me in the direction of the person who thought it was a good idea to
install tile instead of concrete sidewalk.
It’s slick! But at least I can breathe while
skating up and down.
• I no longer have my Disneyland
passes (way too expensive), but I definitely don’t have the issue of overexertion anymore. And I haven’t had one of
those turkey legs in ages!
• People sit next to me on the train
without thinking about it anymore. I fit
in my own seat! But, now that means
I almost always have someone sitting
next to me. People have started noticing
me on the train, too. Some of you may
have had this experience before – many
people’s eyes kind of slide over you
when you’re not physically “ideal.” Apparently I’m heading in that direction,
because people seem to “see” me now.
• I don’t care who is in the gym now.
I’m there to work – not win a popularity
contest. I also have a lot of friends in
the gym. I’m still a bit embarrassed by
the parts of me that still jiggle, but I’ve
started to realize the vast majority of
the people in the gym aren’t judging
me. Instead, they’re admiring what I’ve
done. And, I’m way ahead of those still
sitting on the couch!
• I hold myself accountable for my
choices. I plan for what I want to eat –
for example, my husband and I went
to see a movie last Friday. I got up early
and busted my butt on the elliptical in
order to be able to eat popcorn. And it
was good popcorn. I don’t deny myself
anything – it only leads to temptation, and I don’t need any more than I
already have.
• Probably one of the biggest things
is that I’ve come to terms with the fact
that I’ve never really tried to change
before. Sure, I dieted. But I never really
wanted it like this. My other weight loss
- WELLNESS Page 13 -
If you picked e., then you’re right on the money. Now go
spend some of that money on gifts and help stimulate the
economy!! But I digress. Any of the accidents listed above
are likely to occur during the holidays. We know this from
organizations like the National Safety Council and the Centers for Disease Control. These accidents are predictable and
they occur every year. That’s the bad news. The good news is
that when you can predict accidents, you can lower your risk
with some easy-to-use precautions. Forewarned is forearmed!
Here is a link for some very good tips to use in the coming season: http://www.nsc.org/Documents/Holiday%20
Safety%20Tips.pdf.
By the way, did you know that it is state law in California
Cold weather and snowy or icy road conditions are major factors in holiday traffic accidents. The high volume of travelers on the roadways also
increase the risk of serious accidents. (File photo)
to have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm in your home? I could
not find any such legislation for Arizona or Nevada, but just
because it’s not mandated doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have
one. I’ve written before how one saved my own life and the
life of my wife and son. Here’s the Cali link: http://osfm.fire.
ca.gov/strucfireengineer/pdf/bml/Frequently%20asked%20
questions%20on%20Carbon%20Monoxide.pdf.
And someone at the Centers for Disease Control put
together a very nice little piece of music you should hear.
Speakers on and open the link! http://www.cdc.gov/family/
holiday/12waysSong.htm.
As always, buckle up and drive sober and safely. And to
add one more chunk to my monthly slogan, “put your cell
phone away when you’re driving!!”
Best Wishes to All,
Safety Steve
- WELLNESS from Page 12 attempts were half-assed at best. This
time, it’s whole-assed.
Finally, to round out this note,
some numbers:
Weight Lost: 79.5 pounds
Body Fat % Lost: 7.9%
BMI Points Lost: 8.3
Inches Lost:
Chest: 4.0 inches
Bicep: 2.0 inches
1-in Above the Umbilicus: 9.5 inches
Hips: 15.25 inches
Thigh: 3.25 inches
Calf: 1.5 inches
Total: 35.5 inches!
I can’t even begin to explain how
much better I feel than last year. I’m
much more confident and comfortable
in my own skin. I’m not wearing plus
sized clothing anymore, so now I have
more choices than sweatpants and tents
that Wal Mart seems content to offer
large women. My husband revels in the
fact that he can actually get his arms all
“Like” Mindy Grupe’s growing public facebook page “The Fat Equation” (http://www.facebook.
com/thefatequation)to follow her weight loss journey. (Image courtesy of Mindy Grupe)
the way around me. And, to be honest, I
love all of the attention I’m getting now.
Now that I’m a year into this process, I find that the calorie counting
comes naturally. I think about everything that I eat - how it will make me
feel, if it’s worth the calories and the
exercise it’ll cost me to eat it. I admit,
I still suffer from food guilt. Oh, you
know what I mean. Even if I have more
than enough calories to eat something,
and I do eat it, I feel guilty afterwards.
That probably won’t change, and I’ll
have to learn to manage it.
I am walking, talking proof that
it’s possible to lose weight with dietary
change and exercise. You don’t need
pills, gimmicks, or surgery. You don’t
even need to exercise (but it certainly
helps!). If I can do it, so can you.
Here’s to a year of success, and
more to come! Keep on shining, my
friends.
~Mindy~
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