Refuse To Regain

Emerging From a Food Rut

By Lynn Haraldson-Bering About a year ago, I wrote about how bored I was with my strength training routine (“Kicking It Up A Notch”). So I bought a barbell and got refocused. I don’t know what it is about this time of the year, but now I’m bored with my food choices. Every morning I make a smoothie. Every afternoon I make a salad. Every night I eat a veggie, a protein and maybe a starch. I use different fruits... Read more →

Creating Life’s Events

By Barbara Berkeley Congratulations to Lynn on becoming a grandmother for the second time! Her new grandson Luca was born on Friday, and while all babies are cute, I can vouch for the fact that this one is particularly adorable. At almost the same moment as Lynn’s daughter was giving birth, my Aunt Ellie was celebrating her 100th birthday with all of us in attendance in Florida. These two life events could hardly be more divergent yet they share the... Read more →

The Green House Revisited

By Lynn Haraldson-Bering As Barbara and I mark our one-year blogging anniversary, and Refuse to Regain enters its second year, I want to revisit my “Green House Philosophy.” I liken my reduced body to the green house in which I live: a 1910s Cape Ann with pale green asbestos siding, an evergreen porch “skirt” (which we’ve since painted brown), dappled moss green shingles, and Astroturf glued to the porch and front stairs. As I wrote in my first blog, my... Read more →

Responding to Rebecca: Lynn Chimes In

By Lynn Haraldson-Bering I really don’t have a lot to add to the question, “Is Maintenance Possible?” because you all reiterated my thoughts in your insightful and thoughtful comments. Maintainers ARE different than most folks. We’ve embraced, or are working to embrace, the fact that we can’t “diet” and go back to “normal” (loved that comment!). I did that for 30 years, and until I figured out that I had to change my entire relationship with food and my body... Read more →

Responding to Rebecca: The Two Questions

By Barbara Berkeley Our recent post featuring Rebecca’s question about the possiblity of long-term maintenance has been one of our most viewed and discussed entries. We knew there would be lots of terrific responses from readers and our expectations have been more than fulfilled. Your comments and encouragement have been superb. Thanks to all who have written. As usual, your words are thoughtful, well-written, and completely on target. Lynn and I decided that we would post our responses to Rebecca... Read more →

Question to Readers From Readers: Is Maintenance Possible?

RTR reader Rebecca from Washington D.C. poses a very basic yet incredibly complex question: Is maintenance really possible? Barbara and I will chime in with our thoughts later in the week, but we’re more interested in what you have to say on this subject. As always, leave a comment or send email to [email protected]. Here’s Rebecca’s email: I've been reading your blog for the past several months. It's an excellent website. Kirstie Alley's recent interview on Oprah triggered me to... Read more →

LeBron is MVP, Barbara Runs Week 3

By Barbara Berkeley It’s been an auspicious week. My sports hero LeBron James was named Most Valuable Player of the 2008-2009 NBA season. The Cavs dominated round one of the NBA playoffs and focused with laser-like intensity on their new opponents, the Atlanta Hawks. In the second round, they have already gone up 2 games to none and thus far, it hasn’t been close. A few nights ago, Don and I were at the game as we watched the Cavs... Read more →

Minoxidil and Post-it Notes

By Lynn Haraldson-Bering Like Barbara in her last post (“C25K…4BB”) about learning to run despite her failings in the past, I often give up on things I can’t excel at, like failure is worse than having tried. I never “excelled” at weight loss, so I wouldn’t have predicted I’d be where I am now when I started this journey four years ago. I’d lost and gained so many times (read: FAILED so many times) that it seemed against my nature... Read more →