Are you having fun? This isn't a trite question - I'm serious. Are you having fun on this program? You may not be having fun EVERY day (I certainly had days when I wasn't having any fun at all), but overall, do you enjoy being on this program? Are you having fun?
Before you think I've totally lost my mind, let me explain. Over time, we will continue to do the things that we enjoy and find it very difficult to sustain activity that we don't. Unless we are uber-disciplined (something that escapes the majority of us, including me), we just won't continue to do things over time that we don't enjoy.
I watched a short video that brilliantly illustrates the difference fun can make. Individuals at a train station in Sweden noticed that most people took the escalator with very few opting for the stairs, so they wondered if they could get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do so. They hired a group of engineers who turned the stairs into a piano keyboard, complete with sound for each note on the keyboard. As a result, 66% more people than normal chose the stairs over the escalator. They concluded that fun can obviously change behavior for the better. Here's a link to the video, in case you want to watch it: http://www.thefuntheory.com/piano-staircase.
Sometimes we have to look for the fun - it may not show up as an engineer-designed piano staircase :-). Choosing activity we enjoy will keep us moving and active over the long-run because most of us won't continue to engage in an exercise routine we hate. We can even enjoy being on plan if we recognize how much better we feel, both physically and mentally, eating six small meals a day and reclaiming control of our health. And yes, it IS fun to feel (and look) better!
Look for ways to have fun today! If we're looking for the fun, we're more likely to find it. One of the choices we get to make every day is our attitude. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Food Won't Fix It
The food part of this program is the easy part. In fact, it couldn't be easier! The hard part of this program is the head and heart part - learning to redefine our relationship with food and learning to not view food as anything more than nutrition for our bodies (nutrition we can enjoy, of course!).
For those of us who were or are emotional eaters, learning how to establish a healthy and proper relationship with food is hard work. Some of us spent decades of our lives enmeshed in a very unhealthy, love/hate relationship with food. We ran to it whenever there was a blip on our emotional radar, somehow expecting that food would fix the problem or at least make us feel better. The problem was that we never ended up feeling better. My own experience was that even while I was doing my emotional eating thing, I kept mentally telling myself that I shouldn't be doing this and reminding myself that I was cheating on whatever diet I was currently on. Of course, those thoughts didn't keep me from eating the food, but they did make me feel guilty while I was eating it. Once the last bite was swallowed, the comfort I had been seeking was replaced by more guilt and self-recrimination, sending me deeper into whatever funk had prompted the eating to begin with. The problem that I'd tried to salve with food was still there, of course, and I'd added a nice layer of guilt and regret on top of it.
Can anybody relate to this? Honestly ask yourself: when did food ever fix the problem? Food can help to bury the feelings for a moment or two, but the problem never was solved with a fork. Never.
Learning to deal with problems and the emotions that accompany them in a healthy way is such an important thing to learn if we want to not only reach a healthy weight but also maintain a healthy weight for the long term.
For me, part of this process was really learning to turn to my Heavenly Father in a new and deeper way. I made a commitment to stay on plan and not cheat, so when the stuff of life bubbled up (as it always does), I realized I couldn't resort to old habits and run for the nearest chocolate. Out of desperation I cried out to the Lord and asked for His strength to get me through the moment, and as I did that, I found Him to be faithful to provide what I needed in that moment. Every time I turned to the Lord and made the choice to draw on His strength, there was enough strength to get me through that particular moment.
As I continued to do that, I realized that food never did truly comfort me, that it really wouldn't - and couldn't - fix anything in my life. And that realization finally set me free from years of emotional eating.
This holiday season evokes lots of memories and emotions. Some of them are good, but other emotions are difficult. We may feel a lot of stress as we try to get through a long list of things to be done. This is the time of year when some people give in to the emotion of the moment and toss aside their good intentions to eat healthy and stay on plan. But food won't fix it. Eating stuff that will get in the way of goal won't make us feel better. We'll end up feeling sluggish, guilty, and frustrated. And eating more to deal with THOSE feelings will only make us feel even worse!
Choosing to walk away from emotional eating isn't easy, especially during this time of year. But making the choice to do so is incredibly freeing. The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
For those of us who were or are emotional eaters, learning how to establish a healthy and proper relationship with food is hard work. Some of us spent decades of our lives enmeshed in a very unhealthy, love/hate relationship with food. We ran to it whenever there was a blip on our emotional radar, somehow expecting that food would fix the problem or at least make us feel better. The problem was that we never ended up feeling better. My own experience was that even while I was doing my emotional eating thing, I kept mentally telling myself that I shouldn't be doing this and reminding myself that I was cheating on whatever diet I was currently on. Of course, those thoughts didn't keep me from eating the food, but they did make me feel guilty while I was eating it. Once the last bite was swallowed, the comfort I had been seeking was replaced by more guilt and self-recrimination, sending me deeper into whatever funk had prompted the eating to begin with. The problem that I'd tried to salve with food was still there, of course, and I'd added a nice layer of guilt and regret on top of it.
Can anybody relate to this? Honestly ask yourself: when did food ever fix the problem? Food can help to bury the feelings for a moment or two, but the problem never was solved with a fork. Never.
Learning to deal with problems and the emotions that accompany them in a healthy way is such an important thing to learn if we want to not only reach a healthy weight but also maintain a healthy weight for the long term.
For me, part of this process was really learning to turn to my Heavenly Father in a new and deeper way. I made a commitment to stay on plan and not cheat, so when the stuff of life bubbled up (as it always does), I realized I couldn't resort to old habits and run for the nearest chocolate. Out of desperation I cried out to the Lord and asked for His strength to get me through the moment, and as I did that, I found Him to be faithful to provide what I needed in that moment. Every time I turned to the Lord and made the choice to draw on His strength, there was enough strength to get me through that particular moment.
As I continued to do that, I realized that food never did truly comfort me, that it really wouldn't - and couldn't - fix anything in my life. And that realization finally set me free from years of emotional eating.
This holiday season evokes lots of memories and emotions. Some of them are good, but other emotions are difficult. We may feel a lot of stress as we try to get through a long list of things to be done. This is the time of year when some people give in to the emotion of the moment and toss aside their good intentions to eat healthy and stay on plan. But food won't fix it. Eating stuff that will get in the way of goal won't make us feel better. We'll end up feeling sluggish, guilty, and frustrated. And eating more to deal with THOSE feelings will only make us feel even worse!
Choosing to walk away from emotional eating isn't easy, especially during this time of year. But making the choice to do so is incredibly freeing. The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Time Flies
Yesterday I got out all of our Christmas decorations and started putting my house into the holiday spirit. I also put all of my Christmas music on my iPod and listened to that while I put away the Thanksgiving decorations and started working on Christmas. As much as I would like to bask in the glow of Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming and I have to shift gears in a hurry.
As I was listening to my Christmas music yesterday, it was hard to believe that it's been almost a year since I heard those songs. As I pulled out the Christmas decorations, it seemed like it wasn't that long ago that I was putting them all away.
The reality is that time really does go fast. Days morph into weeks, and weeks into months almost faster than we can imagine. For everyone on 5&1 right now, this is really, REALLY good news :-). I know there are some really long days on plan (at least I sure had a few!), but in retrospective, the days, weeks and months go by in a flash. By staying on plan now, even on those really, really long and difficult days, you will be at your goal before you know it. That's true whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100. The days will pass regardless, and they will pass quickly. If you choose to stay on plan now, everyone one of you will be getting ready for Christmas next year at your goal weight. Many of you will be buying your spring and summer wardrobe in your goal size, too, if you choose to stay on plan now.
It's so easy to get caught up in the here and now and go straight for the immediate gratification (my hand is raised as I write this . . . ), but the here and now is gone in a breath and tomorrow is just a moment away. Staying on plan today means that you are choosing to temporarily give up something you enjoy eating to reach something you really want - a healthy weight and a great goal size. The decision to make wise choices isn't always easy, but there are never any regrets for doing so.
The choice is yours, so choose wisely :-)
As I was listening to my Christmas music yesterday, it was hard to believe that it's been almost a year since I heard those songs. As I pulled out the Christmas decorations, it seemed like it wasn't that long ago that I was putting them all away.
The reality is that time really does go fast. Days morph into weeks, and weeks into months almost faster than we can imagine. For everyone on 5&1 right now, this is really, REALLY good news :-). I know there are some really long days on plan (at least I sure had a few!), but in retrospective, the days, weeks and months go by in a flash. By staying on plan now, even on those really, really long and difficult days, you will be at your goal before you know it. That's true whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100. The days will pass regardless, and they will pass quickly. If you choose to stay on plan now, everyone one of you will be getting ready for Christmas next year at your goal weight. Many of you will be buying your spring and summer wardrobe in your goal size, too, if you choose to stay on plan now.
It's so easy to get caught up in the here and now and go straight for the immediate gratification (my hand is raised as I write this . . . ), but the here and now is gone in a breath and tomorrow is just a moment away. Staying on plan today means that you are choosing to temporarily give up something you enjoy eating to reach something you really want - a healthy weight and a great goal size. The decision to make wise choices isn't always easy, but there are never any regrets for doing so.
The choice is yours, so choose wisely :-)
Sunday, November 27, 2011
When Obstaces Don't Matter
I don't know about you, but the calendar seems to go into hyper-speed between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Once the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is put in the refrigerator and the Christmas decorations come out, the days start to fly.
Between the decorating, shopping, family get-togethers and holiday parties, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can feel like one obstacle after another for those of us who are either on our weight loss journey or focused on staying the course in Maintenance.
I recently read a quote that said, "The only time when our obstacles matter is when we take our eyes off the goal." That's a good quote to keep in mind - or post by our computer or wherever we'll see it - as we launch into this holiday season.
Keeping our eyes on the goal is key throughout this journey, but it's critical during the holiday season when we are surrounded by distractions that threaten to get us off course. If we're focused on what's really important to us - getting to and maintaining a healthy weight - then the potential obstacles won't matter. We will be aware of them and have a strategy in place to make sure that we leap over them.
Think about Olympic runners in track and field. They encounter hurdle after hurdle, but their eyes remain fixed on their goal and they sail over the hurdles. If a runner becomes fixated on the next hurdle, it not only slows their pace but that hurdle could be the one that causes them to trip and fall.
Where do you want to be on January 1? Focusing on that as a short-term goal can help you get through these next weeks unscathed. More importantly, how are you going to look and feel when you're at your goal? That's where you're heading - don't let anything get in your way! You will be faced with lots of choices over the next few weeks, and those choices will either bring you closer to your goal or result in a step or two back. Choose wisely :-)
Between the decorating, shopping, family get-togethers and holiday parties, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can feel like one obstacle after another for those of us who are either on our weight loss journey or focused on staying the course in Maintenance.
I recently read a quote that said, "The only time when our obstacles matter is when we take our eyes off the goal." That's a good quote to keep in mind - or post by our computer or wherever we'll see it - as we launch into this holiday season.
Keeping our eyes on the goal is key throughout this journey, but it's critical during the holiday season when we are surrounded by distractions that threaten to get us off course. If we're focused on what's really important to us - getting to and maintaining a healthy weight - then the potential obstacles won't matter. We will be aware of them and have a strategy in place to make sure that we leap over them.
Think about Olympic runners in track and field. They encounter hurdle after hurdle, but their eyes remain fixed on their goal and they sail over the hurdles. If a runner becomes fixated on the next hurdle, it not only slows their pace but that hurdle could be the one that causes them to trip and fall.
Where do you want to be on January 1? Focusing on that as a short-term goal can help you get through these next weeks unscathed. More importantly, how are you going to look and feel when you're at your goal? That's where you're heading - don't let anything get in your way! You will be faced with lots of choices over the next few weeks, and those choices will either bring you closer to your goal or result in a step or two back. Choose wisely :-)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Waiting for Perfect
If you've read my blogs for very long at all, you've probably noticed that I enjoy good, thought-provoking quotes. There is often a lot of truth wrapped up in a pithy sentence or two. That is certainly true for this quote:
I am the kind of person who likes to get her ducks in a row, get everything "just so" before I take the first step. There have been a number of things in my life over the past 3-4 years that have moved me outside of my comfort zone as I've been forced to learn as I go instead of getting everything right first. I've realized that waiting until optimal conditions, with everything in place and all obstacles cleared away, usually means that I keep waiting . . . and waiting . . . Life has a way of being messy and less-than-perfect, and just as soon as one obstacle is eliminated, two more pop up.
That was certainly true of my past weight loss efforts. I wanted the calendar clear, with nothing on the horizon that would involve food and tempt me to go off plan. Things had to be good at work - no stress, and there certainly couldn't be any issues at home. When all of these things were properly aligned, I could focus on losing weight. However, the minute life happened - good or bad - the diet was once again off. And trying to lose weight around the holidays? Forget it! Talk about a less-than-ideal time to lose weight!
I was very much in a mindset of wanting to wait for the perfect time to start another program just prior to placing my first Medifast order. I started this program on June 24, 2007, just when the summer fresh fruits were beginning to appear at our local farmer's market. I really like fruit, so the thought of not eating fruit for an entire summer was troubling and I seriously considered waiting until fall to begin the program. But then I thought about the honey crisp apples, my favorites, that made their appearance in the fall. Fall wouldn't be a good time to start, either! But then after fall, I knew the holidays would be here and who in their right mind starts a weight loss program during the holidays?
So, in mid-June of 2007, as I tried to figure out when I should place my order and get started, I realized that the next "convenient" time to start the program wouldn't be until January 2, 2008 - more than six months away. I realized that I absolutely could not go that much longer at the weight I was at (260), and I feared that if I waited six more months, my weight would be much higher.
Was it the ideal time for me to start? That's hard to say. All I know was that it was the right time to start. I started the program two weeks before my birthday and one month before our two-week vacation at a lake cottage we rented. I started this program at the beginning of a summer filled with cookouts and get-togethers with family and friends. It wasn't ideal and there were certainly obstacles to address, but it was the right time for me and, as I shared in yesterday's blog, I couldn't have imagined how much my life would change in the process.
Some of you are just getting started on this program and the holidays are staring you in the face. This isn't an ideal time for you to start, either, but it's the right time because you're ready to change your life. Good for you for not waiting until things are perfect . . . you won't regret the choices you're making! Think about how much better you're going to feel on January 2 when you're 10 or 20 pounds lighter than you are today :-).
You've made a great choice in beginning this program, and each choice you make today, tomorrow and the day after that will bring you closer to a healthier future. Choose wisely :-)
"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what! Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful. ~ Mark Victor Hansen
I am the kind of person who likes to get her ducks in a row, get everything "just so" before I take the first step. There have been a number of things in my life over the past 3-4 years that have moved me outside of my comfort zone as I've been forced to learn as I go instead of getting everything right first. I've realized that waiting until optimal conditions, with everything in place and all obstacles cleared away, usually means that I keep waiting . . . and waiting . . . Life has a way of being messy and less-than-perfect, and just as soon as one obstacle is eliminated, two more pop up.
That was certainly true of my past weight loss efforts. I wanted the calendar clear, with nothing on the horizon that would involve food and tempt me to go off plan. Things had to be good at work - no stress, and there certainly couldn't be any issues at home. When all of these things were properly aligned, I could focus on losing weight. However, the minute life happened - good or bad - the diet was once again off. And trying to lose weight around the holidays? Forget it! Talk about a less-than-ideal time to lose weight!
I was very much in a mindset of wanting to wait for the perfect time to start another program just prior to placing my first Medifast order. I started this program on June 24, 2007, just when the summer fresh fruits were beginning to appear at our local farmer's market. I really like fruit, so the thought of not eating fruit for an entire summer was troubling and I seriously considered waiting until fall to begin the program. But then I thought about the honey crisp apples, my favorites, that made their appearance in the fall. Fall wouldn't be a good time to start, either! But then after fall, I knew the holidays would be here and who in their right mind starts a weight loss program during the holidays?
So, in mid-June of 2007, as I tried to figure out when I should place my order and get started, I realized that the next "convenient" time to start the program wouldn't be until January 2, 2008 - more than six months away. I realized that I absolutely could not go that much longer at the weight I was at (260), and I feared that if I waited six more months, my weight would be much higher.
Was it the ideal time for me to start? That's hard to say. All I know was that it was the right time to start. I started the program two weeks before my birthday and one month before our two-week vacation at a lake cottage we rented. I started this program at the beginning of a summer filled with cookouts and get-togethers with family and friends. It wasn't ideal and there were certainly obstacles to address, but it was the right time for me and, as I shared in yesterday's blog, I couldn't have imagined how much my life would change in the process.
Some of you are just getting started on this program and the holidays are staring you in the face. This isn't an ideal time for you to start, either, but it's the right time because you're ready to change your life. Good for you for not waiting until things are perfect . . . you won't regret the choices you're making! Think about how much better you're going to feel on January 2 when you're 10 or 20 pounds lighter than you are today :-).
You've made a great choice in beginning this program, and each choice you make today, tomorrow and the day after that will bring you closer to a healthier future. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Three and a Half Years Later
Yesterday was an anniversary of sorts for me. It's hard to believe, but it was 3-1/2 years ago, May 22, 2008, that I finally reached my weight loss goal. During the almost-11 months it took to lose the weight, there were certainly some long days, but the time on plan went fast. As I look back now, 3-1/2 years later, the time spent losing the weight was just a minor blip in time.
So much has changed in my life since then! I am still healthy, still wearing my size 6 jeans, and I'm loving my life. I have had some amazing opportunities to share my story and encourage others and that is actually what I do on a daily basis now as a full-time health coach. If someone would have told me on June 24, 2007, my first day on the program, that I would be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed them. I'm so grateful to God for all of His many blessings, including leading me to this program when He did.
I didn't set out to change my life . . . I just wanted to lose a little bit of weight. But as I learned to make new and better choices, growth happened in ways I didn't expect. I learned how to redefine my relationship with food and, in fact, severed the chains of emotional eating that held me in bondage for over two decades. The shame and embarrassment of living as a morbidly obese women began to heal, to the point I can now talk about how much I weighed, what size I wore, and share the feelings I had - all without hesitation. That would have been unthinkable not that long ago.
Statistics report that 85% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it all, plus additional weight, within two years. I praise God that, because of what I learned on this program and with His help, I have beaten the odds. I don't take that for granted, not for a minute.
Your life is changing on this program, whether you're aware of it or not. I don't know where these changes will eventually take you, but when you reach your goal, you will be in a different place physically, emotionally and mentally. Trust me - it's a GOOD place - and you want to get here :-). And you WILL get here, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
So much has changed in my life since then! I am still healthy, still wearing my size 6 jeans, and I'm loving my life. I have had some amazing opportunities to share my story and encourage others and that is actually what I do on a daily basis now as a full-time health coach. If someone would have told me on June 24, 2007, my first day on the program, that I would be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed them. I'm so grateful to God for all of His many blessings, including leading me to this program when He did.
I didn't set out to change my life . . . I just wanted to lose a little bit of weight. But as I learned to make new and better choices, growth happened in ways I didn't expect. I learned how to redefine my relationship with food and, in fact, severed the chains of emotional eating that held me in bondage for over two decades. The shame and embarrassment of living as a morbidly obese women began to heal, to the point I can now talk about how much I weighed, what size I wore, and share the feelings I had - all without hesitation. That would have been unthinkable not that long ago.
Statistics report that 85% of people who lose weight on a diet regain it all, plus additional weight, within two years. I praise God that, because of what I learned on this program and with His help, I have beaten the odds. I don't take that for granted, not for a minute.
Your life is changing on this program, whether you're aware of it or not. I don't know where these changes will eventually take you, but when you reach your goal, you will be in a different place physically, emotionally and mentally. Trust me - it's a GOOD place - and you want to get here :-). And you WILL get here, one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A Safe Investment
In this time of economic uncertainty, most of us want to make sure that we get the best return possible on our investments. Whether it's our 401K or IRA or some other type of investment we've made to ensure our financial future, we want to see growth over time. We review our quarterly reports and look for an increase from the previous quarter and we watch for trends that indicate future growth.
Would you be willing to invest $100 if you could be guaranteed a million dollar return? (Who wouldn't, right?)
That's what you're doing right now. The investment you're making in your health is a small investment when it's compared to your future return - a longer, healthier life. The potential return on your health is worth far more than a million dollars, too!
Yes, there is the financial investment you're making to purchase the products needed to do this program, and there is also the mental and emotional investment. There is hard work involved in ridding ourselves of old habits that didn't serve us well and embracing new, healthier habits. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but incorporating these healthy habits will pay long-term, priceless dividends.
When we have our health - when we feel as good as we can possibly feel - we're able to enjoy our lives to the fullest. It doesn't matter how much money we have or how much stuff we've collected, if we're struggling with health issues and living in a state of unhealth or even disease, the money and the stuff don't matter. We may be wise with our financial investments, but if we aren't being wise in our health investments, we won't be able to fully enjoy the benefits of our 401Ks and IRAs. If we aren't wise in the choices we make for our health now, those financial investments may end up being drained for medication and other medical expenses. I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to spend my money!
The return on financial investments is a bit uncertain right now, but the investment in our health has a solid track record on its return. This is a long-term investment, and while many of us see almost immediate results and have been able to reduce or eliminate medications, the real returns will be evident in the years ahead.
The choices we make today determine the future return we will receive. Choose wisely :-)
Would you be willing to invest $100 if you could be guaranteed a million dollar return? (Who wouldn't, right?)
That's what you're doing right now. The investment you're making in your health is a small investment when it's compared to your future return - a longer, healthier life. The potential return on your health is worth far more than a million dollars, too!
Yes, there is the financial investment you're making to purchase the products needed to do this program, and there is also the mental and emotional investment. There is hard work involved in ridding ourselves of old habits that didn't serve us well and embracing new, healthier habits. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but incorporating these healthy habits will pay long-term, priceless dividends.
When we have our health - when we feel as good as we can possibly feel - we're able to enjoy our lives to the fullest. It doesn't matter how much money we have or how much stuff we've collected, if we're struggling with health issues and living in a state of unhealth or even disease, the money and the stuff don't matter. We may be wise with our financial investments, but if we aren't being wise in our health investments, we won't be able to fully enjoy the benefits of our 401Ks and IRAs. If we aren't wise in the choices we make for our health now, those financial investments may end up being drained for medication and other medical expenses. I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to spend my money!
The return on financial investments is a bit uncertain right now, but the investment in our health has a solid track record on its return. This is a long-term investment, and while many of us see almost immediate results and have been able to reduce or eliminate medications, the real returns will be evident in the years ahead.
The choices we make today determine the future return we will receive. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Making Decisions
Sometimes we think that what has been will always be, or we think that where we are is "it" and we're convinced that things will never change. If we've had a long history of failed attempts at losing weight, it's easy to believe that our dieting history determines our future. Here's a quote that challenges this kind of thinking:
The decisions we made in the past had a significant impact on where we are today, and many of those decisions became habits over time. But habits are still decisions, even if we aren't acutely aware that we're deciding each and every time. The reason I know these are really decisions is because we have the ability to change them if we choose to do so. We can get rid of unhealthy habits that don't serve us and we can develop an entirely new set of habits that put us on a new path - if we want to.
Going back to Robbins' quote, "your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them" - infused in each of these statements is choice. We choose what we're going to focus on, whether it be past failures or current frustrations or future hopes and dreams that include being at a healthy weight. If we look up and focus on the sky, we can't focus on the ground. If we fix our gaze on the ground, we can't see the sky. Where we choose to focus is critical, and it is a decision we have to make every day.
Robbins says that we decide "what things mean" to us - we attach a value and that value determines what we do with things. Because the focus of this blog is about making healthy choices, let me apply this to the food choices we make. If we value being healthy - if we've made a fundamental choice to get to a healthy weight - then that value will determine the food choices that we make. If we value immediate gratification more than being healthy, that value will lead us to make different choices.
The choices of what we're going to focus on, what things mean to us and what we're going to do with them WILL, in large part, determine the future of our health. That future may seem a long way away, but we're getting there one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
***
I'm leaving early tomorrow morning for a conference in Pennsylvania and won't be home until late Monday night. I'll get back to blogging next week! Have a good rest of the week and a great weekend and keep making wise choices!
"It's not what is happening to you now or what has happened in the past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them that will determine your ultimate destiny." ~ Anthony Robbins
The decisions we made in the past had a significant impact on where we are today, and many of those decisions became habits over time. But habits are still decisions, even if we aren't acutely aware that we're deciding each and every time. The reason I know these are really decisions is because we have the ability to change them if we choose to do so. We can get rid of unhealthy habits that don't serve us and we can develop an entirely new set of habits that put us on a new path - if we want to.
Going back to Robbins' quote, "your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do with them" - infused in each of these statements is choice. We choose what we're going to focus on, whether it be past failures or current frustrations or future hopes and dreams that include being at a healthy weight. If we look up and focus on the sky, we can't focus on the ground. If we fix our gaze on the ground, we can't see the sky. Where we choose to focus is critical, and it is a decision we have to make every day.
Robbins says that we decide "what things mean" to us - we attach a value and that value determines what we do with things. Because the focus of this blog is about making healthy choices, let me apply this to the food choices we make. If we value being healthy - if we've made a fundamental choice to get to a healthy weight - then that value will determine the food choices that we make. If we value immediate gratification more than being healthy, that value will lead us to make different choices.
The choices of what we're going to focus on, what things mean to us and what we're going to do with them WILL, in large part, determine the future of our health. That future may seem a long way away, but we're getting there one day and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
***
I'm leaving early tomorrow morning for a conference in Pennsylvania and won't be home until late Monday night. I'll get back to blogging next week! Have a good rest of the week and a great weekend and keep making wise choices!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Focusing Ahead
I recently read a story about a man who got on a tractor for the first time. He described the thrill of starting up the engine, dropping the plow, and heading out across the field. As he drove the tractor, he marveled at all of the gauges and gadgets on the tractor and enjoyed the feel of the steering wheel. Everything was perfect until he looked back to admire his results. Instead of seeing the straight lines he expected, he described what he saw as resembling a slithering snake, "with more bends and curves than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway." In his excitement to plow a field for the very first time, he forgot the cardinal rule of plowing: plow with your eye on the fence post ahead. On the return trip he did just that and his line was straight. He realized that the first row was messed up because he didn't have a focus point.
Do you have a focus point? Are you keeping your eyes on where you're going, or are you finding yourself being distracted by the details? When we're focused on where we're heading, that not only keeps us moving forward, but it keeps us moving in a straight line to our goal. If we're looking around at all of the things we "can't have" right now, if we're looking at all of the potential obstacles that might come our way, our path to goal may look a lot like the man's first plow line - filled with twists and turns.
By focusing on our goal, we are more likely to get there in a straight line. We are continually reminded of where we're going and what we want, and that reminder will keep all of the distractions and obstacles on the sidelines. We may be aware of them because we see them with our peripheral vision, but they are a blur as we go past them because our eyes are fixed on our goal.
Where are you choosing to focus today? Your choice will determine your path to goal . . . choose wisely -:)
Do you have a focus point? Are you keeping your eyes on where you're going, or are you finding yourself being distracted by the details? When we're focused on where we're heading, that not only keeps us moving forward, but it keeps us moving in a straight line to our goal. If we're looking around at all of the things we "can't have" right now, if we're looking at all of the potential obstacles that might come our way, our path to goal may look a lot like the man's first plow line - filled with twists and turns.
By focusing on our goal, we are more likely to get there in a straight line. We are continually reminded of where we're going and what we want, and that reminder will keep all of the distractions and obstacles on the sidelines. We may be aware of them because we see them with our peripheral vision, but they are a blur as we go past them because our eyes are fixed on our goal.
Where are you choosing to focus today? Your choice will determine your path to goal . . . choose wisely -:)
Friday, November 11, 2011
No Shortcuts
We all want change in our lives, to some degree or another. Everyone on this program wants to change their weight and many want to improve their health - I know I wanted both.
I've often wished that I had either a magic wand or a fairy godmother so that any and all changes could happen in an instant - one wave of the wand and poof! it's done. I'd have the result I wanted without going through the process I needed to get there. Honestly, sometimes that sounds SO good to me!
I watched a program on TV a while back about a man who was obsessed with plastic surgery. He went so far as to get implants that gave the look of bulging arm muscles, because he said he wanted the look but didn't have the time or desire to work out at the gym. So he got the look alright, but didn't have the true muscle mass he needed and he also didn't have the satisfaction that would have come had he built up real muscles over time.
I often hate the process. I'm not a particularly patient person by nature (God is continuing to grow me in this area), so when results aren't almost immediately forthcoming, it's tempting for me to grow weary of the process. That was certainly the case with every other weight loss program I ever went on. They were a lot of work and the progress was agonizingly slow and I lost interest before I ever got very far.
Even on 5&1, though there isn't a safer way to lose weight quickly, it's still a process that happens over time. For me, it was almost 11 months of eating 5 Medifast meals every day and one lean & green, and those 11 months sometimes seemed eternal. Honestly, some DAYS on 5&1 felt like an eternity :-).
What I didn't fully understand at the time, but I see more clearly now, is that those 11 months were a time of sowing seeds of new actions and responses. I was seeing results right along, which kept me motivated, but the process of learning to eat a different way planted seeds that are now bearing fruit. Those seeds planted while I was on 5&1 are now becoming a crop of lifestyle changes and healthy habits that have enabled me to stay in my goal range for almost 3-1/2 years. Had I had the magic wand and reached my goal in an instant, I would not have done the work I needed to do to maintain my weight loss and ensure a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life.
Planting seeds of new, healthy habits happens one day and one choice at a time, so choose wisely :-)
I've often wished that I had either a magic wand or a fairy godmother so that any and all changes could happen in an instant - one wave of the wand and poof! it's done. I'd have the result I wanted without going through the process I needed to get there. Honestly, sometimes that sounds SO good to me!
I watched a program on TV a while back about a man who was obsessed with plastic surgery. He went so far as to get implants that gave the look of bulging arm muscles, because he said he wanted the look but didn't have the time or desire to work out at the gym. So he got the look alright, but didn't have the true muscle mass he needed and he also didn't have the satisfaction that would have come had he built up real muscles over time.
I often hate the process. I'm not a particularly patient person by nature (God is continuing to grow me in this area), so when results aren't almost immediately forthcoming, it's tempting for me to grow weary of the process. That was certainly the case with every other weight loss program I ever went on. They were a lot of work and the progress was agonizingly slow and I lost interest before I ever got very far.
Even on 5&1, though there isn't a safer way to lose weight quickly, it's still a process that happens over time. For me, it was almost 11 months of eating 5 Medifast meals every day and one lean & green, and those 11 months sometimes seemed eternal. Honestly, some DAYS on 5&1 felt like an eternity :-).
What I didn't fully understand at the time, but I see more clearly now, is that those 11 months were a time of sowing seeds of new actions and responses. I was seeing results right along, which kept me motivated, but the process of learning to eat a different way planted seeds that are now bearing fruit. Those seeds planted while I was on 5&1 are now becoming a crop of lifestyle changes and healthy habits that have enabled me to stay in my goal range for almost 3-1/2 years. Had I had the magic wand and reached my goal in an instant, I would not have done the work I needed to do to maintain my weight loss and ensure a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life.
Planting seeds of new, healthy habits happens one day and one choice at a time, so choose wisely :-)
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Using Our Brains and Our Feet
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." ~ Oh The Places You'll Go
This is from the great writer and philosopher, Dr. Seuss :-). He had a remarkable gift of putting great thoughts into simple, fun verse, but sometimes profound thoughts come wrapped in simple packages.
We DO have a brain in our head and we DO have feet in our shoes; we really CAN steer ourselves in any direction we choose! We may not believe that we have the ability to steer our lives in a different direction, but we can do just that if we decide that's what we really want to do. So often we tend to view ourselves as hapless, helpless victims - particularly when it comes to battling our weight.
We blame our genetics, we blame our childhood, we blame our spouses or our boss. We may feel that we're hopelessly enslaved to overeating, or we may just think that we have "big bones." I spent a long time and expended a lot of emotional energy blaming other things (pregnancy, returning to the workforce, etc.) for my obesity, and I felt trapped. I remember times at work when I would take a 3rd or 4th doughnut or muffin and surreptitiously eat it in the bathroom, feeling shame while at the same time excusing myself by rationalizing that I obviously had an eating disorder and couldn't help myself. (I want to stop here and say that I recognize that there are true eating disorders that need professional intervention and I'm not for a second minimizing them here. I didn't have a true eating disorder and just threw out that excuse at the time because I was trying to ease my own guilt.) The truth was that it was a choice I made - every time.
That was actually GOOD news, because it meant that when I was ready to make a different choice, I was able to do that. There came a day when, with God's help, I made the decision to get healthy. Because I wanted that more than I wanted the food, I was able to make different choices. I was able to use the brain God gave me and put my feet on a different path, in a new direction. I don't want to sound like this was easy, because it certainly wasn't, but it WAS possible. It's possible for you, too, if you make the choice to change.
Choose wisely :-)
This is from the great writer and philosopher, Dr. Seuss :-). He had a remarkable gift of putting great thoughts into simple, fun verse, but sometimes profound thoughts come wrapped in simple packages.
We DO have a brain in our head and we DO have feet in our shoes; we really CAN steer ourselves in any direction we choose! We may not believe that we have the ability to steer our lives in a different direction, but we can do just that if we decide that's what we really want to do. So often we tend to view ourselves as hapless, helpless victims - particularly when it comes to battling our weight.
We blame our genetics, we blame our childhood, we blame our spouses or our boss. We may feel that we're hopelessly enslaved to overeating, or we may just think that we have "big bones." I spent a long time and expended a lot of emotional energy blaming other things (pregnancy, returning to the workforce, etc.) for my obesity, and I felt trapped. I remember times at work when I would take a 3rd or 4th doughnut or muffin and surreptitiously eat it in the bathroom, feeling shame while at the same time excusing myself by rationalizing that I obviously had an eating disorder and couldn't help myself. (I want to stop here and say that I recognize that there are true eating disorders that need professional intervention and I'm not for a second minimizing them here. I didn't have a true eating disorder and just threw out that excuse at the time because I was trying to ease my own guilt.) The truth was that it was a choice I made - every time.
That was actually GOOD news, because it meant that when I was ready to make a different choice, I was able to do that. There came a day when, with God's help, I made the decision to get healthy. Because I wanted that more than I wanted the food, I was able to make different choices. I was able to use the brain God gave me and put my feet on a different path, in a new direction. I don't want to sound like this was easy, because it certainly wasn't, but it WAS possible. It's possible for you, too, if you make the choice to change.
Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Too Busy to NOT Eat Healthy!
Happy Wednesday everyone! I have a jam-packed schedule today - it's all good, but it will be a very busy day! I've planned out my meals for the day, however, so the busy schedule won't result in sludge eating :-).
It can be hard to stay focused and stay on plan when things are busy, and if we don't plan accordingly, busy days, accompanied by their own level of stress, make us incredibly vulnerable to off-plan eating. I'm not sure why it is, but put me into a hectic, stressful day and I can almost guarantee that there will be the wrong kind of food lurking around every corner. I don't kid myself, either. If I haven't planned, if I don't have everything I need with me, it's very easy to rationalize and grab the nearest food - and the nearest food-of-choice will be something loaded with white flour, white sugar and fat.
But eating those things won't keep me moving in the direction I want to go, and I'm in pursuit of optimal health. Even though they taste good for a nano-second, I know that those several hundred calories beckoning me won't provide any nutrition and that an hour or so after eating it I'll get a very predictable blood sugar drop. And not feeling my best won't help me get through this busy day!
So I've planned for today because I'm choosing health. I have the food ready that I'll need because I am also choosing convenience.
Those are my choices today - what are your choices? Is this a busy day for you? Are you ready for it? Is this a day with a lot of free time? Are you ready for that? Regardless of what's on your calendar for today, it's a good day to move forward, and you'll do that one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
It can be hard to stay focused and stay on plan when things are busy, and if we don't plan accordingly, busy days, accompanied by their own level of stress, make us incredibly vulnerable to off-plan eating. I'm not sure why it is, but put me into a hectic, stressful day and I can almost guarantee that there will be the wrong kind of food lurking around every corner. I don't kid myself, either. If I haven't planned, if I don't have everything I need with me, it's very easy to rationalize and grab the nearest food - and the nearest food-of-choice will be something loaded with white flour, white sugar and fat.
But eating those things won't keep me moving in the direction I want to go, and I'm in pursuit of optimal health. Even though they taste good for a nano-second, I know that those several hundred calories beckoning me won't provide any nutrition and that an hour or so after eating it I'll get a very predictable blood sugar drop. And not feeling my best won't help me get through this busy day!
So I've planned for today because I'm choosing health. I have the food ready that I'll need because I am also choosing convenience.
Those are my choices today - what are your choices? Is this a busy day for you? Are you ready for it? Is this a day with a lot of free time? Are you ready for that? Regardless of what's on your calendar for today, it's a good day to move forward, and you'll do that one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
How to Avoid the Energy Drain
Staying on plan is a lot of work. There's no getting around it. Opening packets isn't hard, but being surrounded by the ever-present temptations IS hard and it takes constant focus to avoid them. That focus can be exhausting sometimes.
That's true, but did you know that it's even more exhausting to give in to temptation and go off plan?
I recently read that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it; procrastination saps energy while completion gives relief.
This was certainly true for me. I cheated miserably on every other program I'd ever been on until I started on 5&1, and the energy I spent cheating really was exhausting and demoralizing. The internal struggle pre and post cheat went something like this: "That really looks good and I want it. I know I'm not supposed to have it, but it really looks good and I'm hungry/tired/stressed and I deserve it. I shouldn't have it . . . I really shouldn't have it. OK, I'll just have a bite. Well, maybe half won't be too bad . . . Ugh, I ate the whole thing. Since I ate one, I'll eat the other one so I won't be tempted anymore . . . Well, I really blew it. How could I be so stupid and weak? I don't even feel good - I ate way too much. I'm never going to lose weight. Why do I even try? I wish I hadn't eaten the stupid thing - it wasn't worth it."
That cycle was repeated over and over again, and it was emotionally exhausting. Every time the cycle was repeated, I felt more demoralized and defeated and reaching a healthy weight seemed just a little further away. Talk about an energy drain!
Contrast that with the energy involved in staying on plan: "That really looks good and I want it. But I also really want to get to a healthy weight and I want that more than I want the food. I can have that if I want, but I am choosing to not eat that right now because it won't get me where I want to go . . . Wow, I did it - I didn't cheat. Whew! I really did it - that feels great!" Instead of feeling emotionally drained, this scenario energizes you - it really does!
I remember really struggling at times to stay on plan and there were a few times when I almost caved. The internal dialogue was certainly more extended than the example listed above. However, there was SUCH a feeling of relief when I walked away - I was flooded with relief and joy once the temptation had passed. The realization that I really could stay on plan gave me hope that I would eventually reach my goal and it also strengthened my "no thank you muscle" for the next inevitable temptation. Knowing that I'd resisted once made it just a bit easier to resist the next time, and that next time made it even easier to resist the time after that.
So how are you going to spend your energy today? It all depends on the choices you make, so choose wisely :-)
That's true, but did you know that it's even more exhausting to give in to temptation and go off plan?
I recently read that it takes as much energy to avoid a task as it does to do it; procrastination saps energy while completion gives relief.
This was certainly true for me. I cheated miserably on every other program I'd ever been on until I started on 5&1, and the energy I spent cheating really was exhausting and demoralizing. The internal struggle pre and post cheat went something like this: "That really looks good and I want it. I know I'm not supposed to have it, but it really looks good and I'm hungry/tired/stressed and I deserve it. I shouldn't have it . . . I really shouldn't have it. OK, I'll just have a bite. Well, maybe half won't be too bad . . . Ugh, I ate the whole thing. Since I ate one, I'll eat the other one so I won't be tempted anymore . . . Well, I really blew it. How could I be so stupid and weak? I don't even feel good - I ate way too much. I'm never going to lose weight. Why do I even try? I wish I hadn't eaten the stupid thing - it wasn't worth it."
That cycle was repeated over and over again, and it was emotionally exhausting. Every time the cycle was repeated, I felt more demoralized and defeated and reaching a healthy weight seemed just a little further away. Talk about an energy drain!
Contrast that with the energy involved in staying on plan: "That really looks good and I want it. But I also really want to get to a healthy weight and I want that more than I want the food. I can have that if I want, but I am choosing to not eat that right now because it won't get me where I want to go . . . Wow, I did it - I didn't cheat. Whew! I really did it - that feels great!" Instead of feeling emotionally drained, this scenario energizes you - it really does!
I remember really struggling at times to stay on plan and there were a few times when I almost caved. The internal dialogue was certainly more extended than the example listed above. However, there was SUCH a feeling of relief when I walked away - I was flooded with relief and joy once the temptation had passed. The realization that I really could stay on plan gave me hope that I would eventually reach my goal and it also strengthened my "no thank you muscle" for the next inevitable temptation. Knowing that I'd resisted once made it just a bit easier to resist the next time, and that next time made it even easier to resist the time after that.
So how are you going to spend your energy today? It all depends on the choices you make, so choose wisely :-)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Don't Forget Your Zzz's
We turned the clocks back this past weekend, which means we had the opportunity to get an extra hour of sleep. Did you take advantage of that?
Did you know that sleep, or the lack of sleep, has a dramatic impact on your health, including your weight? Along with poor diet and inactivity, poor sleep is a major contributor to living in an unhealthy state.
In his book, Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen, Take Shape for Life's co-founder and Medical Director, writes that getting too little sleep disturbs appetite regulation, giving sleep deficiency the potential to be a major factor in obesity. He cites research on 28,000 adults and 15,000 children which showed that less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in children as young as five. Dr. Andersen explains that when we're sleep-deprived, our body secretes excess ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, and less leptin, a substance that tells us to stop eating. Lack of sleep also prevents our bodies from replacing dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that bring comfort and satisfaction. Guess what? If we're low in those two brain chemicals, we will crave sugar and other high-calorie foods.
And we thought getting healthy was just eating right and moving our bodies!
In our fast-pace society, sleep is something we're tempted to compromise. When I worked full-time, I rarely got more than 6 hours of sleep a night because I stayed up too late and then had to get up for work. It wasn't until I went back to work that the weight really piled on, and while I blamed it on inactivity, sitting in front of a computer all day instead of being a busy stay-at-home mom, I now realize that my chronic sleep deprivation may have played a part as well.
We need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep every night. If we aren't getting that, we are not only compromising out health (Dr. Andersen also writes about the link between lack of sleep and increased inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents, anxiety and depression), but we may be making it harder to stay on plan and get to a healthy weight.
So as you are making other choices about your health today, what you're going to eat and how you're going to move, what about what time you're going to go to bed? That's another habit of health to develop as you continue your journey! Getting healthy requires a series of choices that, working together, will enable us to create optimal health in our lives. Choose wisely :-)
Did you know that sleep, or the lack of sleep, has a dramatic impact on your health, including your weight? Along with poor diet and inactivity, poor sleep is a major contributor to living in an unhealthy state.
In his book, Dr. A's Habits of Health, Dr. Andersen, Take Shape for Life's co-founder and Medical Director, writes that getting too little sleep disturbs appetite regulation, giving sleep deficiency the potential to be a major factor in obesity. He cites research on 28,000 adults and 15,000 children which showed that less sleep almost doubled the risk of obesity, even in children as young as five. Dr. Andersen explains that when we're sleep-deprived, our body secretes excess ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetite, and less leptin, a substance that tells us to stop eating. Lack of sleep also prevents our bodies from replacing dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that bring comfort and satisfaction. Guess what? If we're low in those two brain chemicals, we will crave sugar and other high-calorie foods.
And we thought getting healthy was just eating right and moving our bodies!
In our fast-pace society, sleep is something we're tempted to compromise. When I worked full-time, I rarely got more than 6 hours of sleep a night because I stayed up too late and then had to get up for work. It wasn't until I went back to work that the weight really piled on, and while I blamed it on inactivity, sitting in front of a computer all day instead of being a busy stay-at-home mom, I now realize that my chronic sleep deprivation may have played a part as well.
We need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep every night. If we aren't getting that, we are not only compromising out health (Dr. Andersen also writes about the link between lack of sleep and increased inflammation and a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents, anxiety and depression), but we may be making it harder to stay on plan and get to a healthy weight.
So as you are making other choices about your health today, what you're going to eat and how you're going to move, what about what time you're going to go to bed? That's another habit of health to develop as you continue your journey! Getting healthy requires a series of choices that, working together, will enable us to create optimal health in our lives. Choose wisely :-)
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Decisions . . . Decisions
"The craving you had for an hour or the body you've wanted for a lifetime - you get to choose."
It really does come down to what we choose, and we will make that choices, and the choices that support that choice, based on what it is that we really want.
Many of us want BOTH the craving we had for an hour AND the body (and the health!) we've wanted for a lifetime. We don't want to choose - we want them both, at the same time. But that's not possible. There may be a few people blessed with a killer metabolism that allows them to eat anything they want and still be thin, but the fact that you're reading this blog is probably an indication that you don't have one of those killer metabolisms - and neither do I. And the reality is that if those rare individuals with killer metabolisms are eating junk all day, they may be thin but still not healthy and may well be on a path to disease.
Every day we have to make choices that will either bring us to a healthy weight and a healthier body or make choices that will lead us down a very different path. That other path is the one that many of us have been on for years, perhaps decades. It is a well-worn path that's been made smooth by the number of times we've been down it. It's an easy path to walk because it's so familiar . . . the problem is that it's taken us to a place we didn't want to be and leads to an even less desirable place if we continue.
Being on a journey to a healthier body isn't easy. The path is a new one for many, and for others it's a path we haven't been on in years. It's a bumpy path with pitfalls and temptations threatening us at every turn. Sometimes it feels too hard and we can question whether it's going to be worth it, especially when the next temptation is staring us in the face.
It's at those times that it's important to take a step back, take a deep breath and ask - for the hundredth time if necessary - what is it that you REALLY want? You will make the choices that support what you want.
You get to choose . . . choose wisely :-)
It really does come down to what we choose, and we will make that choices, and the choices that support that choice, based on what it is that we really want.
Many of us want BOTH the craving we had for an hour AND the body (and the health!) we've wanted for a lifetime. We don't want to choose - we want them both, at the same time. But that's not possible. There may be a few people blessed with a killer metabolism that allows them to eat anything they want and still be thin, but the fact that you're reading this blog is probably an indication that you don't have one of those killer metabolisms - and neither do I. And the reality is that if those rare individuals with killer metabolisms are eating junk all day, they may be thin but still not healthy and may well be on a path to disease.
Every day we have to make choices that will either bring us to a healthy weight and a healthier body or make choices that will lead us down a very different path. That other path is the one that many of us have been on for years, perhaps decades. It is a well-worn path that's been made smooth by the number of times we've been down it. It's an easy path to walk because it's so familiar . . . the problem is that it's taken us to a place we didn't want to be and leads to an even less desirable place if we continue.
Being on a journey to a healthier body isn't easy. The path is a new one for many, and for others it's a path we haven't been on in years. It's a bumpy path with pitfalls and temptations threatening us at every turn. Sometimes it feels too hard and we can question whether it's going to be worth it, especially when the next temptation is staring us in the face.
It's at those times that it's important to take a step back, take a deep breath and ask - for the hundredth time if necessary - what is it that you REALLY want? You will make the choices that support what you want.
You get to choose . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Staying in the Game
Yesterday I wrote about not quitting half-way through the game. I know that's easier said than done! How do you keep going when you just want to be done?
First of all, I understand completely that feeling. I got tired of eating the food and I got tired of not eating so many other things. It took me two days short of 11 months to reach my goal and while the months went fast, especially as I look back, there were some mighty long days! It wasn't always fun.
I remember that about four months into the program I started questioning how long I would be on plan. It was just before Thanksgiving and I had 26 people coming to my house for dinner that year, so I knew that I'd be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I'd made really good progress with my weight loss and had dropped several sizes, so I was in a much better place than I'd been when I started the plan that June. I toyed with taking a small break to really enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and I also considered taking a break between Thanksgiving and New Years and then starting in again on January 2.
I considered this, but I didn't do it. In fact, I stayed on plan through the holidays and lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. When I reached New Year's Day, I didn't know that it would be over 5-1/2 more months until I reached my goal, but I was really happy that I'd continued to make progress through what is admittedly the toughest time of the year.
So how and why did I do that? Again, it wasn't easy, but I stayed on plan because I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight and get on with the rest of my life, and I wanted it more than I wanted the food. I really, really wanted the food - don't get me wrong - but I wanted something else even more.
Chapter 3 of Dr. A's Habits of Health is entitled, "Motivation for Change." He describes a typical and very predictable pattern that most of us will recognize from our past dieting experiences, a pattern based on wanting to change to fix a problem. Here's the pattern:
1. Emotional conflict leads you to act
2. Because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much
3. Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the emotional conflict
4. Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place
5. Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions.
6. And the original behavior returns.
That is how we've ended up in a yo-yo dieting pattern, losing and gaining, losing and gaining over the years. If we are focused on fixing a problem (being overweight and/or unhealthy), the upcoming holiday season is a dangerous one. If you've been on plan for any length of time, you DO look and feel better, no doubt about it. That's why it's important to take a deep breath and focus - focus hard - on what it is that you really want.
I've been talking about the holidays, but this is true regardless of what time of year it is. Life continues to happen and anytime life happens, there is always food . . . always. If we're focused on what we want, and if we're honest with ourselves about what it is that we most want, we will make the secondary choices that support that fundamental choice.
Four years ago, I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight. I made some hard choices, but those choices supported what I most wanted. There are no regrets!
What do you really want today? Identify what it is that you want, focus on it, then choose wisely :-)
First of all, I understand completely that feeling. I got tired of eating the food and I got tired of not eating so many other things. It took me two days short of 11 months to reach my goal and while the months went fast, especially as I look back, there were some mighty long days! It wasn't always fun.
I remember that about four months into the program I started questioning how long I would be on plan. It was just before Thanksgiving and I had 26 people coming to my house for dinner that year, so I knew that I'd be doing a lot of cooking and baking. I'd made really good progress with my weight loss and had dropped several sizes, so I was in a much better place than I'd been when I started the plan that June. I toyed with taking a small break to really enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and I also considered taking a break between Thanksgiving and New Years and then starting in again on January 2.
I considered this, but I didn't do it. In fact, I stayed on plan through the holidays and lost 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. When I reached New Year's Day, I didn't know that it would be over 5-1/2 more months until I reached my goal, but I was really happy that I'd continued to make progress through what is admittedly the toughest time of the year.
So how and why did I do that? Again, it wasn't easy, but I stayed on plan because I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight and get on with the rest of my life, and I wanted it more than I wanted the food. I really, really wanted the food - don't get me wrong - but I wanted something else even more.
Chapter 3 of Dr. A's Habits of Health is entitled, "Motivation for Change." He describes a typical and very predictable pattern that most of us will recognize from our past dieting experiences, a pattern based on wanting to change to fix a problem. Here's the pattern:
1. Emotional conflict leads you to act
2. Because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much
3. Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the emotional conflict
4. Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place
5. Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions.
6. And the original behavior returns.
That is how we've ended up in a yo-yo dieting pattern, losing and gaining, losing and gaining over the years. If we are focused on fixing a problem (being overweight and/or unhealthy), the upcoming holiday season is a dangerous one. If you've been on plan for any length of time, you DO look and feel better, no doubt about it. That's why it's important to take a deep breath and focus - focus hard - on what it is that you really want.
I've been talking about the holidays, but this is true regardless of what time of year it is. Life continues to happen and anytime life happens, there is always food . . . always. If we're focused on what we want, and if we're honest with ourselves about what it is that we most want, we will make the secondary choices that support that fundamental choice.
Four years ago, I knew that what I wanted most was to get to a healthy weight. I made some hard choices, but those choices supported what I most wanted. There are no regrets!
What do you really want today? Identify what it is that you want, focus on it, then choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Changing Priorities
"When our old priorities don't go with our new life, we either return to our old life or adopt new priorities."
My old priorities as they related to food and my health were WAY off. I was very much focused on instant gratification and only gave a passing nod to the idea that what I was putting in my mouth today could negatively impact me tomorrow. I was certainly aware of the dangers of obesity, but I always had VERY good intentions to "start being good tomorrow." I can't tell you how many "last suppers" I've had in my life as I tried to eat up all of the "bad food" before starting on the next sure-thing diet. I knew that exercise was important, and I could give a pretty good list of all of the reasons why, but there was never time to exercise today - but I'd promise myself that I'd get started tomorrow. My priorities were pretty much on the here and now, and "tomorrow" never showed up on my calendar. Every day was only "today."
To this day, it amazes me that God led me to the right program at the right time, knowing that I was finally - FINALLY - ready to make permanent changes in my life. I didn't even realize it at the time, and that the thought that I could really make permanent, positive changes seemed impossible.
However, June 24, 2007 was the beginning of what has truly been a life-changing journey, and, with God's help, I have made permanent changes in my life. I know I can never return to that old life, so I've been forced to adopt some new priorities. Many of these priorities flow out of my primary choice/ secondary choice philosophy (are you tired of hearing about this yet?).
Some of my priorities - my most important priorities - remain unchanged: my faith and my family. However, other priorities have been rearranged because being healthy is now one of my new, permanent priorities - a primary choice.
According to the statistics, 85% (or more) of people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, plus some, within two years. I can't help but wonder if many of these people return to their old, overweight life because they never changed their priorities.
Priorities don't automatically change. They only change as we choose to change them. It's never an easy task, but if we don't change our priorities to support our new, healthy life, sooner or later we'll find ourselves in a place we vowed we'd never see again.
Changing priorities happens one day at a time, one choice at a time. What choice are you making today? Choose wisely :-)
My old priorities as they related to food and my health were WAY off. I was very much focused on instant gratification and only gave a passing nod to the idea that what I was putting in my mouth today could negatively impact me tomorrow. I was certainly aware of the dangers of obesity, but I always had VERY good intentions to "start being good tomorrow." I can't tell you how many "last suppers" I've had in my life as I tried to eat up all of the "bad food" before starting on the next sure-thing diet. I knew that exercise was important, and I could give a pretty good list of all of the reasons why, but there was never time to exercise today - but I'd promise myself that I'd get started tomorrow. My priorities were pretty much on the here and now, and "tomorrow" never showed up on my calendar. Every day was only "today."
To this day, it amazes me that God led me to the right program at the right time, knowing that I was finally - FINALLY - ready to make permanent changes in my life. I didn't even realize it at the time, and that the thought that I could really make permanent, positive changes seemed impossible.
However, June 24, 2007 was the beginning of what has truly been a life-changing journey, and, with God's help, I have made permanent changes in my life. I know I can never return to that old life, so I've been forced to adopt some new priorities. Many of these priorities flow out of my primary choice/ secondary choice philosophy (are you tired of hearing about this yet?).
Some of my priorities - my most important priorities - remain unchanged: my faith and my family. However, other priorities have been rearranged because being healthy is now one of my new, permanent priorities - a primary choice.
According to the statistics, 85% (or more) of people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, plus some, within two years. I can't help but wonder if many of these people return to their old, overweight life because they never changed their priorities.
Priorities don't automatically change. They only change as we choose to change them. It's never an easy task, but if we don't change our priorities to support our new, healthy life, sooner or later we'll find ourselves in a place we vowed we'd never see again.
Changing priorities happens one day at a time, one choice at a time. What choice are you making today? Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Setting - and Reaching - Weight Loss Goals
Welcome to November! I am in disbelief as I type "November" - how did we get here so fast? Are you starting November where you'd hoped to be, or is your weight loss lagging behind your projections? For many of you, you knew where you hoped you'd be by the holidays and based on what the scale is saying, the reality is hitting that you may not be exactly where you wanted to be. If that just described you, the question is, what now?
For a variety of reasons, I'm not a proponent of attaching dates to weight loss goals. We simply can't control how fast we release the weight and the scale can be maddening at times; all we can really control is whether or not we choose to stay on program. That said, I DO understanding wanting to hit milestones.
When I was on 5&1, I set up a spreadsheet that projected when I'd reach my goal if I averaged 2 pound losses each week. Each week as I logged my weight loss for the week, the spreadsheet would update. I had a lot of 1 pound weeks and I had three separate weeks when I didn't lose a thing, even though I stayed on plan. I saw my projected goal date repeatedly change. I'll be honest and let you know that my heart sank a bit when I saw my anticipated goal date extended. However, I realized that I was still further ahead than if I hadn't stayed on plan.
Each day that you stay on plan, you are one day closer to your goal. Regardless of how fast the scale is moving, changes ARE happening and you ARE moving in the right direction. You WILL reach your goal - I promise :-).
So if November doesn't find you where you'd hoped you'd be, that's OK. You're getting there, one day, one meal and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
For a variety of reasons, I'm not a proponent of attaching dates to weight loss goals. We simply can't control how fast we release the weight and the scale can be maddening at times; all we can really control is whether or not we choose to stay on program. That said, I DO understanding wanting to hit milestones.
When I was on 5&1, I set up a spreadsheet that projected when I'd reach my goal if I averaged 2 pound losses each week. Each week as I logged my weight loss for the week, the spreadsheet would update. I had a lot of 1 pound weeks and I had three separate weeks when I didn't lose a thing, even though I stayed on plan. I saw my projected goal date repeatedly change. I'll be honest and let you know that my heart sank a bit when I saw my anticipated goal date extended. However, I realized that I was still further ahead than if I hadn't stayed on plan.
Each day that you stay on plan, you are one day closer to your goal. Regardless of how fast the scale is moving, changes ARE happening and you ARE moving in the right direction. You WILL reach your goal - I promise :-).
So if November doesn't find you where you'd hoped you'd be, that's OK. You're getting there, one day, one meal and one choice at a time. Choose wisely :-)
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