A magic diet pill?

In all the big news of late - including Obamacare upheld by the Supreme Court - the headline about Belvig (a new weight-loss pill) being approved by the FDA may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

This one is important to me. How many times did I pray for a diet pill that would solve my obesity problem? Many, many, many times. If only it were that simple. Certainly, if it were, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic in this country.

The diet drug adjusts Serotonin levels in the brain to make you feel full. (For many of us, this wouldn't have helped!) In my view, the impact/results shown in the study were somewhat insignificant. They studied 7,000 people who lost about 5% of their body weight on average -- about 13 lbs -- in one year! 

No disrespect intended but I lost that in 1-2 weeks the good old fashioned healthy way through diet and exercise. I lost 175 lbs in one year and 200+ in 1 1/2 years. If I had only lost 13 lbs a year (or even 20) I probably would not have stuck with the plan/program.

The FDA urges diet and exercise with the drug for best results. :) And while it is the first diet pill to be approved in 13 years, they did refuse to approve the same drug in 2010. In addition to the side affects and risk factors mentioned (see articles below), the drug apparently caused tumors in animals tested. Many argue it is too early to tell whether there are really any serious side affects. Then in my view, the drug is not safe. Many so called diet pills have already been pulled from the market after being FDA approved.

I believe diet and exercise are not only the healthiest ways to drop significant weight, but doable. If I can do it, I know you can. I just came from a very inspiring group meeting tonight of women -- all obese -- working the same program and path I worked. Many of them also prayed for that magic pill but in my view they are all going to experience the same kind of amazing results I had because of their sheer will and determination to work the program over time.

I never want to take away anyone's hope. In fact, quite the contrary. But my advice is to make sure you know the facts before you put your hope or your health in the hands of a magic diet pill. There is a lot of information out there for you to make your own decision on this matter. 

The one thing I know for sure: diet and exercise work. I am standing here to prove it. And while it wasn't magic, I wouldn't trade one moment of my life-changing transformation journey today for a pill! Not one moment because I transformed on the inside and out.


Here are a few links to some of the press on the newly approved diet pill.
Belviq: 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Weight-Loss Pill 
FDA approves prescription diet drug Belviq  
Weight-loss pill claims to fight obesity

One brave thing

From my place of personal retreat

This morning I awoke to my body’s own alarm clock for the sixth day in a row – no buzzing cell phones, alarms or blaring radio. Turns out, my body functions quite well on 6 to 7 hours a sleep as long as I get that sleep consistently. From my big beautiful King bed with a view of the ocean, I listened to the gentle pitter-patter of the soft rain on the roof top, stretched my legs while embracing every stretch deep in my calves all the way to my the tips of my toes.

I breathed deeply and concentrated on the sound of my breathe releasing from my body. And then I eased out of bed thinking about how cool it is that I have seen a butterfly every day of this week-long personal retreat – a butterfly the symbol of transformation!

As I made my morning coffee and took in the expansive view of gorgeous Penobscot Bay at near high tide, I smiled at how fortunate I am to be greeted by this view each morning. I thought about how much I love to watch the tide roll in and out - how calm and centering it is. Honestly, I could watch the tide roll in and out all day. And it strikes me that this is a perfectly acceptable thing to do when on retreat.

It fills me up as the tide rises to fill the ocean bed, giving the sea creatures new life and places to explore. And when the tide descends out to expose the ocean floor, I feel my challenges or perceived problems flowing out with the tide creating fresh space in my heart and mind for what comes next. Low tide is perfect because it gives us fertile places to explore and we always discover something new and interesting. Low tide leaves tide pools behind to foster that new life and discovery and we always have the certainty that just as the tide rolled out and exposed something, it will come back in to high tide and fill us up. Perhaps our most important lesson from the tide is to learn to go with the flow. To experience the beauty both as the tide rolls in to fill up the basin and as it rolls out to expose new life and opportunities and things yet to be discovered.

I love that thought. I love this day. I am a lucky girl. Today, like the tide, I will go with the flow.

What’s the point?
I came to Maine on personal retreat. And none of these things I just described noticing in full would have happened had I been back in Minnesota in my day to day life. So I am celebrating that. I am celebrating me today.

This retreat didn’t start out as such. In fact, it started out as a business planning expedition and I had hoped that a friend and future business partner might accompany me here to climb some big mountains, celebrate my transformation, and ponder how we might help thousands of people transform their bodies and lives. Yes, in my mind, it was to be a trip of big and bold discoveries answering the question: What next? All, while climbing the big and bold mountains of Acadia National Park.

When it became clear that this business planning exploration wasn’t going to work out, I decided to come to Maine anyway. I immediately and enthusiastically recruited friends and colleagues to join me for all or part of the trip now deemed part vacation and part business planning. I was determined to have a climbing partner so as to climb some really big mountains in Acadia in my new, fit body and spirit. I was a woman on a mission.

About the same time the trip neared on the calendar and none of my friends and colleagues were able to make it happen, my life started to get a bit crazy. My sleep slipped to 4-5 hours instead of the needed 6-7; my work life started to feel a bit out of control and it was clear my growing business needed me to solve some big challenges; and I began to struggle again with emotional and compulsive eating issues – out of the blue after 1 ½ years of plan success. It occurred to me that all of these things were signs that I was slipping out of the center of the equation of my life, and I wasn’t sure how to live in this new body and new life sans 200+ pounds. I needed a time out. A place of personal retreat, all alone, to refocus my energy around Lori in the equation, chapter 2.

What does life look like, feel like and need to “be” like sans the 200+ pounds I have been hiding behind for most of my adult life? How do I maintain this record weight loss as the fanfare surrounding my success dies down and it is just me standing in the kitchen? And, perhaps most importantly, how do I make certain that when life’s challenges and opportunities come my way I remain in the center of my life open to the possibilities before me? How do I ensure that, just like I was open to the opportunities when I met O’Neal Hampton and Leif Anderson who guided me on this transformation journey, I can see the new opportunities (perhaps a romance, a new business, a new partner…) and am ready to grab hold and take the leap? How do I stay true to myself and my values when relationships challenge me testing my love, fortitude, boundaries, and my ability to let go and let God? These are the questions that fill my heart. My very happy heart. But nonetheless, it occurs to me that I don’t yet have the answers. They lie within me and it is time to explore. This, is my chapter 2.

Lori in the equation #2
And so here I am. Alone. On personal retreat in one of my favorite places on earth – my friend’s gorgeous coastal home overlooking Penobscot Bay less than an hour from Acadia National Park. I am edged between the sea that I love so very much and the mountains that I have grown to love for all they represent about this journey. I am in life transition - a place of endless opportunity! And while I could in no way have predicted this life transition 1 ½ or 2 years ago, I am thrilled to embrace it and ponder what next? My goal is to love the questions themselves and to live into the answers - as one of my favorite writers and poets Rilke so eloquently said.

Rather unexpectedly and perfectly I am doing it for Lori. It is about only Lori. And it is providing me the time, opportunity and space to look deep into my heart and soul and determine what I want, what I need, and where I go from here. It is perfect. It is exactly how it is meant to be...and where it is meant to be.

What will happen for me this week and beyond is yet to be determined. But, I have embarked on this “One Brave Thing” experiment to encourage myself to do one brave thing a day while here and to blog about the experience in an effort to challenge myself and continue to push my limits. But more importantly, because I CAN! It is fun for me now to do new things, try new things, be open to new things. Frankly, it's all I want to do.

This newly transformed Lori LOVES life right now and is empowered by a new belief and guiding principle that she can do anything, absolutely anything, she sets her mind to. The opportunities are endless. I now live from a wholehearted, passionate and connected place, living and loving with my whole heart, my whole self exposed sans 200 pounds. It is scary at times. This is new territory for sure. But it is from here – from this place of total and complete authenticity and vulnerability – that I will blossom and thrive and hope. I also believe it is from here that I will inspire others and change lives – including my own.

So here I go. Exploring my next chapter and determining how best to be true to myself and hold myself in the center of my own life, while doing all the things that I want to do and help all of the people I want to help. It is from this place that I expect to fall in love, change the world, and who knows how or when or where. That’s the exciting part! And yes, perhaps, the scary part. But remember, “I’ve got this!” “We’ve got this!”

Peace by piece
Just before I got on the plane this past week, I read a blog that touched me deeply. It was titled, Peace by Piece, by Chris Assaad, and the opening paragraphs captured my attention as if it were speaking directly to me and just the right moment. It read:

“Life is a journey, a process that unfolds one moment at a time. One of the greatest challenges that we as twenty-first-century human beings face is living in this world of doing and striving, while at the same time honoring the here and now, the moment that we’re living in at present.

We all have sky-high dreams and ambition to reach the top of the mountain, but so often we forget that it is the quality of every step we take along the way that will determine not only if and how quickly we reach our destination, but also what our experience of the path that takes us there will be like.

As has been said many times before, it is not the goal itself we are really after, but how we will FEEL when we get there. It is not the soul mate that we really want, but the experience of love, connection, and intimacy that we will be able to share with them. It is not the job itself that we are after, but the sense of accomplishment and security that will come with it. It is not the shiny award that we really desire, but the feeling of being enough and the validation of our ability that it represents. And the great mystery of life and the spiritual path is that all of those feelings are available to us RIGHT NOW, not out there but deep within us.”

And so it is. I go exploring, seeing, being, experiencing and listening to my heart. Ah yes, mountains will be climbed (big ones conquered solo), and there is something so perfect and so powerful in that. I am exactly where I should be. And you know what else? I am enough. I am all that I need. And wow, does that feel incredible to say, write and believe for the first time in my life. I am indeed enough.

*Stay tuned for my one brave thing a day blogs coming soon.

My first "real" press hits newstands

Hi all,

Thanks for your love, support and kind messages this past week as my Minnesota Monthly Magazine makeover piece hit newsstands. I have been inundated with calls, emails and facebook greetings in the past 4-5 days. I am humbled and blessed by your belief in me. Thank you!

The article is now posted online and you can read it here. What a surreal experience to see your picture and story plastered all over the pages of a magazine that people read! This past Wednesday night, I was watching people on the plane from MSP to Bangor, Maine reading my story. Wow, felt strange for someone who is constantly behind the scenes pitching others' stories to the media to now suddenly be the focus of the story. A bit unnerving, I have to admit.

The truth is, I loved the makeover and Minnesota Monthly Style Editor Katie Dohman did justice to my transformation story with a style and fashion bent/new identity bent. Not that easy to do. A special thank you to Katie for taking this on and being so supportive of my journey. Also, thanks to my friend Christine Strub who helped with the makeover photo shoot; Jeanne Carpenter who has pitched my story to local media; and to all of you who have encouraged, cheered and supported me throughout this transformation journey.

I am a lucky, lucky girl and feel so blessed! This week, I am celebrating the next chapter in Downeast Maine, Penobscot Bay. What next? Determining how to maintain a healthy and active life with the focus on Lori in the equation. Speaking of fit and active, I am climbing some big mountains right now in Acadia National Park. More on this topic and our new blog launch - very soon! Stay tuned.

In the meantime, thanks gain for your love and support. It makes all the difference. I am simply overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

Cheers!
Lori

What choices am I making?

"Transformation is not five minutes from now; it's a present activity. In this moment you can make a different choice, and it's these small choices and successes that build up over time to help cultivate a healthy self-image and self esteem." 

                                                                                                                                                           ~Jillian Michaels

Are we done yet?

The most frequently asked question I get about my transformation these days is: "Are you done yet?"

After dieting for 18 months and losing more than 210 lbs, people assume I am at goal and "done." A fair assumption. After all, I did have a party and celebrate my transformation!

This question packs a powerful punch. For me it raises the question: "Are we ever "done?" Or rather, "Are we ever really "there?"

I have been on a diet and exercise program - transforming my body inside and out - for exactly 1 1/2 years. And today this question is more prevalent than ever before. Today, I re-visited the bod pod to accurately measure my body fat percentage. I am 14.5%. Whoooo hooo!

To put that number in perspective, this is the low end of the range for women athletes. And, it is another 4% drop or 8.5 lbs of body fat for me in the last 2 1/2 months. I last measured April 1, 2012 and you can read about the accuracy of the bod pod test and my previous results here.

My hard numbers: 

-211 lbs, -47.5% body fat, and -11/12 dress sizes in 1 1/2 years. 

I think it is safe to say that I am a lean, fat burning and muscle building machine. In my own terms, a healthy, fit and active girl who is living a bran new life. I have changed as much (or more) on the inside as on the outside. And so, the question remains, "Am I done?"

Are we ever "done?"
My view is that we are never "done," but rather move through phases or stages of transformation...and life. I believe I am ready to be done dieting, but we'll see what my transformation coach says. I have lost my weight (fat) and transformed my body and my life with optimal speed and efficiency. This is thanks to my amazing customized plan, and my determination to execute that plan and achieve my goal. In the process, I have reached so many other personal milestones. Now, I am healthy and fit inside and out. And oh so happy!

So, yes, I am ready to move to the next phase of maintenance and to start living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life. I am in the process of determining what that really means to me. I will make a new list of "non-negotiables" to keep me in the center of the equation of a new life where the goal changes from weight (fat) loss to weight maintenance and fun, active living!

There is freedom in that. There is anticipation of this whole new life in a bran new body sans the 200+ lbs that I was hiding behind for much of my adult life. And yes, let's be honest, there is fear. Fear of slipping back to old patterns and behaviors and putting the weight back on.

But, mostly there is happiness, hope, excitement, and joy over my new number -- 14.5% body fat. Can I please say "whooo hooo," again?!

A message of hope
To all of my colleagues and friends who are in mid journey - in particular those struggling to execute their plans at 100%, frustrated by emotional challenges and life stresses - I urge you to find inspiration and hope in my story. You can do this if you focus on the long-term goal and persevere one day, one meal, one step at a time. Indeed that is how I did it.

For those of you struggling to find balance and put yourself in the center of your life and be true to yourself, the same is true. It is with focus on the goal, determination and perseverance that you will find your way. And when you falter, as you most certainly will, find your strength in the learning from the slips or set backs, then get right back on the horse and do it again.

So to all who are on a path of personal transformation, I offer this one simple message: If I can do it, you can do it!

It is absolutely, positively, without a doubt within your reach. And I am living proof that not only you can do it, but life on the other side of fear - well, it is totally awesome! Use my story and my 14.5% number as the inspiration you need to ROCK IT in your own way and on your own path.

Remember, as my beloved friend and mentor O'Neal Hampton would say: "We've got this!" We've totally got this!

Hugs!

Lori


**For those of you interested in learning more about your ideal body fat percentage or the bod pod evaluation to accurately calculate your body composition, check out these links.

Body Fat Composition & Percent Body Fat
Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart: American Council on Exercise
Body Fat Percentage: What Gets Measured & Managed

The Bod Pod: Capsule like tube uses air displacement to measure your body composition. Most argue this is currently the most accurate measure of body composition.

What are you made of? The Bod Pod Knows All

I have my testing done at Arete Fitness in Edina. Ask for Nathan Walsh and tell him Lori Schaefer sent you. The University of Minnesota also has a machine.

Celebrating 1.5 years on the path to healthy Lori

Today's hike on the Superior Hiking Trail at my beloved Temperance River State Park was extraordinary. I have made this trek countless times and it remains one of my favorites. But today both the physical and spiritual experience topped all others. I traveled far faster than ever before along this windy trail and much deeper into the forest, stopped only by time and the threat of my day job looming.

Hiking along the Temperance River is a spiritual journey. You trek along to the roar of gushing, raging water as the powerful river makes its way through the gorge, and then reach the calm of the stream trickling by softly as it trails off through the Superior National Forest toward Lutsen Mountains.

Here, I leave my work and worries behind. I hit the trail in early morning before other humans awake and the forest is disturbed. I have the trail all to myself. It is in the peacefulness of these calm and quiet mornings that I become one with nature, the roaring water, and my deepest self.

As I hiked old faithful today, I not only beat my fastest time by almost double, but as I reached the staircase of what once seemed perilous steps leading up to the old High Falls, I felt stronger, more fit, and more alive than ever before! Incredibly grateful for this new body and new life, my feet were swift and my spirit soared.

I recalled the days when I couldn't hike to this point along the trail because the distance was too far. I would only get as far as the lower falls (less than 1 mile) and have to stop and turn around. Today, as I literally ran those same steps in my now -210 lb body, I remembered the very first time I tackled them and how challenging they were. And that was after a nearly 100 lb weight loss.

I reminisced about my boot camp in Dec. 2010 and how difficult it was to hurl my 350+ lb body up the hills of the then wintry trails in snowshoes. Each step was painstaking. I couldn't even bend over to put on my snowshoes, I had to ask Andy, Mark and Jeremy from Bluefin Bay who accompanied us on the hikes to strap them on each and every time.

And I remembered my mindset during boot camp and how I wanted to quit about 100 times per day. My internal voice told me I couldn't do it...I was not strong enough...fast enough...thin enough...I was not good enough. (Pause.) I was not good enough.

Well, today, I am not only good enough - I ROCK! My legs are strong and will carry me up these steps. My arms are muscular and will propel me along the trail. My heart is resilient and will pump the blood and oxygen necessary to take me as far as I want to go - as far as time and my day job will allow. And, perhaps most significantly, my mind is powerful and positive. I push past doubt, pain, and fear to accomplish things I never thought possible. I  know that I can do absolutely anything. There is simply no stopping me now.

So on my beloved trail today, I celebrated the new fit and active Lori in a brand new book (body), living in the center of her full and happy life. Today's hike, on the 1 1/2 year anniversary of my transformation journey, provided the opportunity for me to thank God and be grateful for this gift and my new, transformed body and life inside and out.

I carried with me in spirit my new group of seven resilient and determined women who are rockin' their own journeys and are part of my 100% Club; my friends who are struggling to find their way and to put themselves in the equation of their own lives and be true to their own spirit and soul; and all of you success stories in the making who are transforming your lives.

There is no question that if I can do it, you can do it. And let me tell you, life on the other side of fear and self-doubt, is about as awesome as it gets! Remember, "we've got this."

Watch my transformation journey in video slideshow

My unsung heroes

This past week, I spent time talking with people who look to me for hope and inspiration on their transformation journeys. I have been called a "hero" by some, and find myself  uncomfortable with that label. But, the truth is, if I can be a hope giver, an inspiration, and even a hero to others trying to put themselves in the equation and change their lives, I'm in. Let's go!

We all need heroes - not the comic strip kind, but real people who inspire, motivate, and challenge us to be better, stronger, braver... And sometimes we find those heroes in unlikely places. This past week, my path crossed directly or indirectly with at least four people - most in early- to mid-journey who have inspired and motivated ME! Indeed, they are my heroes as I head into this upcoming week aiming to execute my own plan at 100%.

Hero #1: One of those heroes, I met for coffee about a week ago. She shared her frustration that the weight-loss plan wasn't working as quickly for her as it did me, and she wasn't achieving the kind of results she expected. She was frustrated that the effort and the sacrifice were there, but not the results. She went on to describe that she is executing the plan at about 90%.

We discussed how 90% execution does not always/or often equate to 90% results. The customized plan we are on works with the body's chemistry. Each person/body is different and deviations from the plan have a different impact on different people. But most often 90% effort does NOT equate to 90% results. We also discussed the frustration that comes when you give so much personal effort and experience deprivation for less than desirable results. It's easy to get discouraged and that can be a slippery slope leading to even more deviation. Trust me, I know!

My advice was to do what I did when I was struggling and wasn't seeing the results I desired: Start executing the plan at 100% with absolutely no deviations. I encouraged her to try this experiment - even if just for three days - and see what happens. That means weighing and measuring everything according to plan, eating every meal on schedule, drinking the water, absolutely no snacking in between meals, and full execution of the fitness aspect of the plan. I went on to say that every time I did this experiment - EVERY TIME - the plan worked like a charm. I lost weight and usually garnered a surprisingly high fat loss number. And, I am certain that it is execution of the plan consistently over time that got me to 18.5% body fat, a 43% drop in 16 months. In other words, it was not the plan that was at issue, it was me!

Well, I am thrilled to report that this friend not only took my advice and executed at 100%, but inspired me to do the same. We messaged and supported each other throughout the week. She nailed it and lost nearly 5 lbs.! I, on the other hand, let emotional stress pull me off plan and my results showed less than 100%. So, she inspired me! And she is my hero for asking good questions, being willing to put her challenges out there and ask for help, and stay the course when the going gets tough.

Hero #2: My second hero of the week is a woman who claims that I am her hero, bar none. She talks of being on a very similar path to mine and was brave enough in our conversation to express her fears about a number of things, including the fear of failure. In hearing her story, I was struck by what an incredible and courageous person she is. Like me, she has battled her weight her entire life and has had to overcome emotional pain and anguish to put herself in the center of her life and change one day at a time.

Fear can be a show stopper, and often we have good reason to be scared. But to overcome that fear is an incredibly powerful and empowering thing. Life changing! Her ability to push past the fear, combined with her courage, strength, perseverance, and sheer determination are the qualities that will make her wildly successful in this journey.

This past week, she also executed the plan at 100% and the results showed. She is my hero...not just for her hard numbers, but for her honesty, authenticity, passion and determination to succeed despite incredible odds. I feel blessed to support her along this journey and am thrilled about the transformation she is seeing every day - like me - both inside and out!

Hero #3: Another woman that I don't know personally, except online, just ROCKED the transformation journey in big and bold ways this week. She not only had a BIG number (double-digit fat loss this week), she hit a significant milestone in her own journey. She is truly an inspiration to all who are privileged to know her personally and to those that support her and live her journey vicariously through social media.

She not only embraced a new and (some might argue) tougher plan, but she posted about it frequently and in the dialogue we all learned something about the science behind specifics of the plan AND about this woman's incredible strength, tenacity and determination. She is a shining example of what is accessible to us all when we execute the plan, even and especially when, the going gets tough.

I am so inspired by her incredible results and determination that I can't wait to see what happens next. She, too, has inspired me to execute at 100% this week - NO EXCUSES. Ironically, something I am struggling to do at this late juncture in my own journey.

Hero #4: My fourth hero of note didn't have the results she desired on the scale and is struggling big time. But she is my hero because of her positive outlook and perseverance. As the primary caretaker of an entire household of people, and faced with challenges every day that take the focus off program, she continues to keep an attitude of strength and determination with an eye on the long-term goal. Every day she reminds herself and me that she WILL succeed, and she keeps her composure and strength overall despite incredible emotional pressure and with sometimes little control over her time and her schedule.

I am impressed, heartened and inspired by these four woman. Although they reached out to me for help and support, each in their own way has become my unsung hero. They remind me that we are all constantly learning, growing, evolving and simply doing the best we can. And, sometimes without even knowing it, we inspire others. That is the greatest gift.

Thank you A, L, K, and S. You are my heroes.

Who are your unlikely heroes and what are they teaching you?

*To protect anonymity, I am not using names but these unsung heroes know who they are!

Before & After (-200+ lbs)

Watch my Transformation Journey in Video Slideshow