Just Imagine

I read an interesting article posted on CNN.com a while ago entitled, "The Moments That Make Us Fat."  The article started out by saying, "If you're trying to lose weight, close your eyes for a minute and imagine the moments that make you fat."  The article made the point that, for most people, there are particular times when we are most vulnerable and most likely to find our willpower weakest or even non-existent. 

Our vulnerable moments vary, and what may be challenging for one person may not even faze another, so it's important to identify where our vulnerability is.  You may do well all week and find that your good work falls apart on the weekends when you're in a different routine; you may have no problem staying on plan until you go on vacation, then what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas - it comes home as extra pounds. Your most vulnerable time may be every evening after a busy day at work and after the kids are in bed when you want to relax in front of the TV and eat.  For those of us who are emotional eaters, our vulnerable moments may be less predictable and may appear whenever we find ourselves in an emotionally stressful situation.

According to the CNN article, "The key is to accept the fact that your willpower will run out at some point, and plan strategies to get you through fattening situations."

Although CNN's article talked about willpower, the reality is that it takes something far different than willpower to make permanent changes in our habits.  In Chapter 3 of his book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health," Take Shape for Life's co-founder and medical director, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen writes about our motivation for change.  That motivation begins with the fundamental decision to get healthy.  If we decide that's what we want, what we REALLY want, then we will begin to make the choices necessary to keep us moving towards our goal.  

Knowing when and where we are most vulnerable will empower us to put strategies in place ahead of time that will keep us on track.  If we head into a vulnerable time or situation without a firm plan, we may or may not emerge unscathed.

So what ARE your most vulnerable situations?  When are you most likely to encounter them?  How are you going to handle them next time? Since weekends are a vulnerable time for many, do you have a plan in place?  

The key to success is to anticipate, plan, and then choose wisely :-)