Part of my weight loss journey three years ago was addressing the things that led to the overeating that resulted in my weight ballooning to 268 pounds. I understood that I didn't get to that weight just because I enjoyed a good meal or because I'm a great cook - I was a self-confessed emotional eater. As I've shared before, an unexpected outcome of going on this program was my coming to grips with turning to food and other things as a coping mechanism for dealing with stress, anger, boredom, etc.
This is a time of year when those of us who are recovering emotional eaters can be especially challenged. The holidays tend to be emotional times anyway - good and bad - as they not only bring back memories from past holidays, but the busyness of the season creates its own level of stress. When our emotions are running on high and then a lot of holiday food shows up, it can be hard to stay on plan.
I've been doing my own study of Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" Bible study. Her study is focused on helping women truly break free from the things that keep us trapped in unhealthy behavior. After I complete the lessons for each week, I download the video lesson she teaches. This past week, the video I watched was amazing and was just what I needed. I'm sharing this not only as a reminder to myself of what I learned, but hopefully this will resonate with someone else, too.
Beth shared the story of Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman at a well, a woman who had tried to fill the holes in her life with relationships (she'd been married 5 times and was living with a man). Jesus recognized that she was thirsty for more than the water in the well and He offered her living water so that she would never thirst again (He, of course, was referring to Himself as the Living Water). Beth took a large glass container and began to put all kinds of things in the container - a couple of small dolls to represent relationships, chocolate, money, jewelry, etc. - different things that people use to fill the holes in our lives. She filled the container full, stuffing in as many things as she could, but it was clear there were still gaps in the container. Beth explained that we could never put enough stuff into our lives to fill every gap, and she said that we all have gaps that we want to fill.
Beth then took a container of water and poured it into the container and I watched as the water filled every empty spot - every gap was filled. For me, this was a powerful reminder that only God can fill the gaps in my heart. For years, even though I knew stuff, including food, couldn't fill the gaps, I still tried. I couldn't eat enough, couldn't shop enough, to fill the gaps. I want to point out that my life was good - a solid, happy marriage, healthy kids, a good job, nice home, wonderful friends and family - but there were still emotional gaps, the kind that we all have. When I was under stress or upset about something or even bored, those gaps became gaping holes. No amount of chocolate or anything else could fill those holes.
Part of my weight loss journey was learning to turn in an entirely new way to the Lord, and He filled every gap in my heart. When that happened, food was able to take its rightful place in my life as a source of nourishment for my body, not my heart. Watching Beth pour water into that container was a powerful visual for me and a good reminder once again during this time of year to not reach for food when the pressure of the season weighs me down.
We all have gaps in our lives and we choose how we're going to try and fill those gaps. Choose wisely :-)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Tons or Ounces?
Life isn't easy. Every day we are faced with dozens of choices and many of those choices are difficult. This time of year, for those of us committed to either getting to or maintaining a healthy weight, the difficulty in making the right choices is increased a hundred-fold, and sometimes we may wonder if the struggle is worth the pain we're feeling. I recently read a quote from Jim Rohn that addresses this question: "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."
Having experienced both the pain of discipline and the pain of regret (LOTS of regret . . . ), I can tell you from first-hand experience that I'd much rather carry the weight of discipline! In the moment, it's always easier to make the wrong choice because the wrong choice invariably is the one based on immediate gratification. We get a quick rush of good feelings or perhaps even euphoria when we go for the instant gratification. The problem is that the rush is almost always quickly followed by lots of regret and self-recrimination. The good feelings we had as we were eating the off-plan food are gone almost as soon as the last bite is swallowed and in their place are thoughts of "I just blew it . . . I can't believe I ate all of that . . . I'm so weak . . . I'll never reach my goal . . . it's hopeless . . . " My experience is that the regret always outweighs the brief satisfaction I had, and it lasts MUCH longer. In the past, that regret usually led to another round of going for immediate gratification to make me feel better temporarily, followed by another round of regret. Blech!
There is certainly pain in discipline, but it's short-lived. At the point of making the decision, there can be a real struggle in saying "no" to something we really want. For me, there have been times when it felt like it took everything in me to walk away from the temptation. But when I DID walk away . . . when I DO walk away . . . the pain of saying "no" is immediately replaced with a rush of relief and joy that I didn't give in. When I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 and successfully faced up to a food temptation, the relief and joy that followed was a reminder to me that I would have felt awful if I'd given in. The next time a temptation came up (and temptations were everywhere, especially during the holiday season), I remembered how wonderful I felt when I'd walked away and that helped to give me the strength I needed to do so again. As I've shared in the past, I also recognized my own weakness and drew heavily on my Heavenly Father for the strength I needed to walk away.
Tons or ounces . . . what do you want to carry today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Having experienced both the pain of discipline and the pain of regret (LOTS of regret . . . ), I can tell you from first-hand experience that I'd much rather carry the weight of discipline! In the moment, it's always easier to make the wrong choice because the wrong choice invariably is the one based on immediate gratification. We get a quick rush of good feelings or perhaps even euphoria when we go for the instant gratification. The problem is that the rush is almost always quickly followed by lots of regret and self-recrimination. The good feelings we had as we were eating the off-plan food are gone almost as soon as the last bite is swallowed and in their place are thoughts of "I just blew it . . . I can't believe I ate all of that . . . I'm so weak . . . I'll never reach my goal . . . it's hopeless . . . " My experience is that the regret always outweighs the brief satisfaction I had, and it lasts MUCH longer. In the past, that regret usually led to another round of going for immediate gratification to make me feel better temporarily, followed by another round of regret. Blech!
There is certainly pain in discipline, but it's short-lived. At the point of making the decision, there can be a real struggle in saying "no" to something we really want. For me, there have been times when it felt like it took everything in me to walk away from the temptation. But when I DID walk away . . . when I DO walk away . . . the pain of saying "no" is immediately replaced with a rush of relief and joy that I didn't give in. When I was on Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 and successfully faced up to a food temptation, the relief and joy that followed was a reminder to me that I would have felt awful if I'd given in. The next time a temptation came up (and temptations were everywhere, especially during the holiday season), I remembered how wonderful I felt when I'd walked away and that helped to give me the strength I needed to do so again. As I've shared in the past, I also recognized my own weakness and drew heavily on my Heavenly Father for the strength I needed to walk away.
Tons or ounces . . . what do you want to carry today? The choice is yours . . . choose wisely :-)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
It's the Most Wonderful, and Challenging, Time of the Year
Since we are now into December and the holiday season, I thought I'd share with you a blog I wrote three years ago yesterday. I was just over five months into my weight loss journey, and I approached the holidays with a lot of trepidation. Here's what I wrote:
It's only December 4, but this is going to be one tough month! December is always challenging, but in years past I always dealt with stress be eating more chocolate or Christmas cookies, and one stress I never dealt with was trying to AVOID all of the holiday goodies. But this is definitely a different year for me - time to gird my (shrinking) loins!
There is food all around me, and almost NONE of it is on plan. We hosted a Christmas party for our small group Bible study on Sunday night and I stuck with the shrimp cocktail (no cocktail sauce) and some raw veggies (both were part of my L&G for the day). Then I walked into work on Monday morning to find a large box of Godiva chocolates sitting my my desk (that was quickly taken to the kitchen and OUT of my sight!). Then a large package of gourmet popcorn was delivered to our office, and additional food gifts will continue to come for the next two weeks. Our office is holding a holiday luncheon for physician office billers on Thursday and we're catering in a full Italian meal - two different kinds of pasta, homemade breads, and truffles and cannoli for dessert - certainly nothing for me to eat! And the list just goes on and on, day in and day out for the next couple of weeks. I have a lot of holiday events to attend and/or host, and it will be a literal minefield for me to walk through every single time.
But what's true for me is probably true for many of you, too. I'm not complaining, just taking stock of all of the potential dangers and carefully planning my strategy to ensure that I don't end up thrown off plan. Part of the planning is making sure that I eat my Medifast meals on time and don't allow myself to get overly hungry. Part of the planning is making sure I have an emergency stash of MF food at my desk and in my purse so that I never have an excuse to stray.
Then there's the mental and emotional preparation! Here's what I'm telling myself right now:
Yes, I'm talking to myself a lot right now! lol But I am committed to losing weight and don't want anything to get in my way. It's not easy, but having made the decision to stay on plan, it really IS simple. If the food isn't on plan, I don't eat it! Who's with me?
Besides, the Reason for the Season isn't food, anyway, right?
That was my mindset three years ago, and with God's help, that's what helped me lose 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Then, as now, it always comes down to a choice that we have to make. I have no regrets for the choice I made three years ago :-). If you want to get through the holidays without regrets, choose wisely!
It's only December 4, but this is going to be one tough month! December is always challenging, but in years past I always dealt with stress be eating more chocolate or Christmas cookies, and one stress I never dealt with was trying to AVOID all of the holiday goodies. But this is definitely a different year for me - time to gird my (shrinking) loins!
There is food all around me, and almost NONE of it is on plan. We hosted a Christmas party for our small group Bible study on Sunday night and I stuck with the shrimp cocktail (no cocktail sauce) and some raw veggies (both were part of my L&G for the day). Then I walked into work on Monday morning to find a large box of Godiva chocolates sitting my my desk (that was quickly taken to the kitchen and OUT of my sight!). Then a large package of gourmet popcorn was delivered to our office, and additional food gifts will continue to come for the next two weeks. Our office is holding a holiday luncheon for physician office billers on Thursday and we're catering in a full Italian meal - two different kinds of pasta, homemade breads, and truffles and cannoli for dessert - certainly nothing for me to eat! And the list just goes on and on, day in and day out for the next couple of weeks. I have a lot of holiday events to attend and/or host, and it will be a literal minefield for me to walk through every single time.
But what's true for me is probably true for many of you, too. I'm not complaining, just taking stock of all of the potential dangers and carefully planning my strategy to ensure that I don't end up thrown off plan. Part of the planning is making sure that I eat my Medifast meals on time and don't allow myself to get overly hungry. Part of the planning is making sure I have an emergency stash of MF food at my desk and in my purse so that I never have an excuse to stray.
Then there's the mental and emotional preparation! Here's what I'm telling myself right now:
- That non-plan food will not get me where I want to go, and it may result in me getting seriously off-track
- Everything I need nutritionally is provided through my 5/1, so there is absolutely no need for me to go off plan (and "just because I feel like it" doesn't count!)
- I already know how all of this food will taste because I've had it before, so I don't need to taste it
- These types of food will be around next year, and next year I will be able to have a small (as in VERY small) taste of the things I'm most wanting
- By refusing to give in now, I am strengthening my "no thank you" muscles; this will help me to maintain my weight loss later
- I don't want to spend one more day than necessary being overweight, and that piece of chocolate/cookie/etc. could cause me to spend another day overweight
- I haven't been out of the fat-burning state since I first got into it in late June and I do NOT want to go through that misery again just to have that chocolate/cookie/etc.
- If I get out of the fat-burning state, in addition to the misery that will accompany getting back in, it will take me approximately 3 days to get back in. That's 15 meals and $30 (@ $2/MF meal). Is that chocolate/cookie/etc. worth $30 to me?
Yes, I'm talking to myself a lot right now! lol But I am committed to losing weight and don't want anything to get in my way. It's not easy, but having made the decision to stay on plan, it really IS simple. If the food isn't on plan, I don't eat it! Who's with me?
Besides, the Reason for the Season isn't food, anyway, right?
That was my mindset three years ago, and with God's help, that's what helped me lose 18 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Then, as now, it always comes down to a choice that we have to make. I have no regrets for the choice I made three years ago :-). If you want to get through the holidays without regrets, choose wisely!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Another NSV
Yesterday my husband and I took a chartered bus trip to Chicago (2-1/2 hour trip each way) for a day of shopping and sight-seeing. It was a fun way to spend a December Friday! My husband spent over 38 years working in retail jewelry where the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was all about work and definitely no play, so the fact that we're now self-employed and he was able to spend a day in December just having fun made the trip extra-special.
The bus dropped us off near Michigan Avenue (the "Magnificent Mile") and we had 6-1/2 hours to do whatever we wanted. I grew up in Chicago and spent two summers and an entire year working in the downtown "Loop", so we headed to one of my favorite stores that was a little over a mile away (for those who are familiar with Chicago, the store is now Macy's and located in the historic Marshall Field's building on State Street). We spent quite a bit of time there and had a lovely lean & green meal in the Walnut Room at the top of the building. After lunch, we walked back to the Magnificent Mile for more shopping and browsing, then had dessert and coffee at a restaurant before heading back to the bus for the trip home. My BodyBugg recorded almost 13,000 steps yesterday and over 2,000 calories burned :-).
My husband and I brought several Medifast meals with us, so other than our lean & green and our dessert (we're in maintenance, remember??), we ate our MF food every 2-1/2 or 3 hours and kept ourselves fueled, with the nutrition we needed. When we got on the bus yesterday morning, a number of people were eating a fast-food breakfast, then munched on cookies on the way to Chicago. On our way home, the bus stopped at a fast-food restaurant and a lot of the individuals bought food there for the bus ride home. My husband and I chose to save our money (and calories) for a good meal and a bit of a splurge with dessert.
Several years ago I spent a day shopping in the Chicago Loop, but it was such a different story. I was at or near my top weight of 268, so walking all over downtown Chicago was exhausting. I remember wondering if I'd be able to take another step because my feet and back ached. I ended up taking a couple of cabs that day because I got to the point where I just couldn't walk any farther.
Life at a healthy weight is SO much better! I'm several years older than I was the last time I spent a day shopping in Chicago, but there is no comparison with the energy I had then versus the energy I have now! I was able to have a great day shopping and sight-seeing, do a lot of walking and had energy to spare when we got on the bus for the ride home. Yesterday's shopping trip was about a lot more than just Christmas shopping in my favorite city. It was another opportunity to celebrate the new life I have this side of goal. The NSVs (non-scale victories) still keep coming! The choices I began making 3-1/2 years ago when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast are still reaping rewards for me. I'm not only still healthy and still wearing size 6's, but I'm able to enjoy doing fun things I wouldn't have had the energy to enjoy at 268 pounds.
The choices you're making today will reap rewards tomorrow and the day after that . . . choose wisely :-)
The bus dropped us off near Michigan Avenue (the "Magnificent Mile") and we had 6-1/2 hours to do whatever we wanted. I grew up in Chicago and spent two summers and an entire year working in the downtown "Loop", so we headed to one of my favorite stores that was a little over a mile away (for those who are familiar with Chicago, the store is now Macy's and located in the historic Marshall Field's building on State Street). We spent quite a bit of time there and had a lovely lean & green meal in the Walnut Room at the top of the building. After lunch, we walked back to the Magnificent Mile for more shopping and browsing, then had dessert and coffee at a restaurant before heading back to the bus for the trip home. My BodyBugg recorded almost 13,000 steps yesterday and over 2,000 calories burned :-).
My husband and I brought several Medifast meals with us, so other than our lean & green and our dessert (we're in maintenance, remember??), we ate our MF food every 2-1/2 or 3 hours and kept ourselves fueled, with the nutrition we needed. When we got on the bus yesterday morning, a number of people were eating a fast-food breakfast, then munched on cookies on the way to Chicago. On our way home, the bus stopped at a fast-food restaurant and a lot of the individuals bought food there for the bus ride home. My husband and I chose to save our money (and calories) for a good meal and a bit of a splurge with dessert.
Several years ago I spent a day shopping in the Chicago Loop, but it was such a different story. I was at or near my top weight of 268, so walking all over downtown Chicago was exhausting. I remember wondering if I'd be able to take another step because my feet and back ached. I ended up taking a couple of cabs that day because I got to the point where I just couldn't walk any farther.
Life at a healthy weight is SO much better! I'm several years older than I was the last time I spent a day shopping in Chicago, but there is no comparison with the energy I had then versus the energy I have now! I was able to have a great day shopping and sight-seeing, do a lot of walking and had energy to spare when we got on the bus for the ride home. Yesterday's shopping trip was about a lot more than just Christmas shopping in my favorite city. It was another opportunity to celebrate the new life I have this side of goal. The NSVs (non-scale victories) still keep coming! The choices I began making 3-1/2 years ago when I started on Take Shape for Life/Medifast are still reaping rewards for me. I'm not only still healthy and still wearing size 6's, but I'm able to enjoy doing fun things I wouldn't have had the energy to enjoy at 268 pounds.
The choices you're making today will reap rewards tomorrow and the day after that . . . choose wisely :-)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Happy 80th Birthday, Dad!
I'm wishing my dad a very happy 80th birthday today! I am very blessed to have both of my parents living about 5 miles straight down the road from me (they moved to West Michigan from Chicago when my dad retired almost 18 years ago). My dad is probably the youngest 80 year old you'll ever meet, with the energy and enthusiasm that rivals someone a generation (or two) younger than he.
One thing that keeps my dad so youthful is that he is a life-long learner. Over the years, I've watched him grow and change, and that continues to this day. As my dad watched me lose weight, he started asking questions about how the plan worked. Because my mom has been diabetic for a long time and struggled to maintain stable glucose levels, my dad was particularly happy that my own glucose levels quickly went down and stayed down (and are still normal!). Right around the time I reached my goal (a little over 2-1/2 years ago!), my dad called me and told me that both he and my mom and decided to go on Take Shape for Life/Medifast. He has carried around a bit of extra weight for most of his adult life - not terrible, but he wasn't in a healthy BMI range, either. My mom has struggled with her weight for much of her adult life, at least since her early/mid 30's, and her excess weight was certainly a contributing factor to her own diabetes.
I knew that my dad was primarily starting the program as a way of encouraging and supporting my mom, but he went into it with commitment and enthusiasm. My dad never does anything half-heartedly, and that was certainly true of 5&1. He stayed on plan and really encouraged my mom, too, and within a couple of months he reached his goal. Amazingly, he now weighs less than he did when my parents got married over 58 years ago! He was able to reduce both his blood pressure and his cholesterol medication, which pleased him and impressed his physician. Because of my dad's decision to go on plan, my mom ended up losing 40 pounds herself and is now off of her day-time insulin (she was previously taking 4-7 units of insulin after every meal) and only needs a bit of insulin during the day when she gets into sweets or eats too many carbs. Two years ago, my dad was concerned that my mom would soon be in a wheelchair, but because he led the way in getting them on 5&1, my mom is in better health today at 80 than she was two or three years ago.
For my dad, this hasn't been a diet - it's become a new way of life. Even though he reached his goal over two years ago, he continues to eat 5-6 small meals a day and is maintaining his weight loss. I do have to confess that while he dutifully ate MF oatmeal while he was on 5&1, that was the first thing he replaced when he reach week 4 of Transition and was able to reintroduce whole grains, and I don't think he's had any since :-).
My dad reads my blog every day and is always sending me ideas for future blogs - things he's read in the newspaper, an article he found on line, or something from his morning devotional reading. Next to my husband, my dad is my biggest cheerleader (my mom is right there, too!). I am so blessed!
My dad is living proof that it's never too late to make healthy changes in your life. It always comes down to what we really want, and the choices we're willing to make to achieve our goal.
What choices are you going to make today? I hope you choose wisely :-)
Happy birthday, Dad!
One thing that keeps my dad so youthful is that he is a life-long learner. Over the years, I've watched him grow and change, and that continues to this day. As my dad watched me lose weight, he started asking questions about how the plan worked. Because my mom has been diabetic for a long time and struggled to maintain stable glucose levels, my dad was particularly happy that my own glucose levels quickly went down and stayed down (and are still normal!). Right around the time I reached my goal (a little over 2-1/2 years ago!), my dad called me and told me that both he and my mom and decided to go on Take Shape for Life/Medifast. He has carried around a bit of extra weight for most of his adult life - not terrible, but he wasn't in a healthy BMI range, either. My mom has struggled with her weight for much of her adult life, at least since her early/mid 30's, and her excess weight was certainly a contributing factor to her own diabetes.
I knew that my dad was primarily starting the program as a way of encouraging and supporting my mom, but he went into it with commitment and enthusiasm. My dad never does anything half-heartedly, and that was certainly true of 5&1. He stayed on plan and really encouraged my mom, too, and within a couple of months he reached his goal. Amazingly, he now weighs less than he did when my parents got married over 58 years ago! He was able to reduce both his blood pressure and his cholesterol medication, which pleased him and impressed his physician. Because of my dad's decision to go on plan, my mom ended up losing 40 pounds herself and is now off of her day-time insulin (she was previously taking 4-7 units of insulin after every meal) and only needs a bit of insulin during the day when she gets into sweets or eats too many carbs. Two years ago, my dad was concerned that my mom would soon be in a wheelchair, but because he led the way in getting them on 5&1, my mom is in better health today at 80 than she was two or three years ago.
For my dad, this hasn't been a diet - it's become a new way of life. Even though he reached his goal over two years ago, he continues to eat 5-6 small meals a day and is maintaining his weight loss. I do have to confess that while he dutifully ate MF oatmeal while he was on 5&1, that was the first thing he replaced when he reach week 4 of Transition and was able to reintroduce whole grains, and I don't think he's had any since :-).
My dad reads my blog every day and is always sending me ideas for future blogs - things he's read in the newspaper, an article he found on line, or something from his morning devotional reading. Next to my husband, my dad is my biggest cheerleader (my mom is right there, too!). I am so blessed!
My dad is living proof that it's never too late to make healthy changes in your life. It always comes down to what we really want, and the choices we're willing to make to achieve our goal.
What choices are you going to make today? I hope you choose wisely :-)
Happy birthday, Dad!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Beware of Slick Spots!
Yesterday brought our first snow fall of the season. One of the things that is absolutely predictable with the first snow of the winter is an absolute rash of fender benders, and yesterday's local news included stories of many accidents. Thankfully, most of these are just that - fender benders - with no serious injuries. Once everyone readjusts to driving on snowy (and sometimes icy) roads, things settle down pretty quickly. What amazes me is that it snows absolutely every winter, and anyone who has lived in Michigan for any length of time and driven in winter has developed the winter driving skill set they need to navigate the roads safely - at least that's the theory. In practice, however, it appears that some people relearn how to drive every single winter, and the rest of us try our best to avoid getting hit by one of them.
Why is it that we so quickly forget what we think we've learned? I am almost certain that by the time the snow melts for the last time every spring, most Michigan drivers are expert at dealing with winter roads. Then the weather turns warm, the roads become dry once again and many drivers get lax and are seemingly caught unaware when the snow inevitably falls the next winter.
The same is often true for those of us on 5&1. We think we've "got it" this time, and we do really well for a while. Then things come up and some find themselves off plan and quickly out of the 5&1 routine. When that happens, there can be a series of "5&1 fender benders" before these individuals are back on the road again.
Staying on plan, like winter driving, requires lots of repetition and attention. The more we do it, the more comfortable we are and the easier it gets. We can't afford to take our eyes off the road because there may be unexpected "slick spots", but if we hit a spot and start to skid, we know exactly what to do to bring things under control so we don't end up in a ditch. And landing in a ditch is no fun at all!
With Christmas looming, there are a lot of food "slick spots" waiting to put your 5&1 vehicle into a spinout, so my encouragement to you today is to keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road, and keep doing what you're doing (staying on plan!). Every time you choose to stay on plan, you are becoming a more "expert driver" and will be better able to navigate past potential pitfalls. Every time you choose to stay on plan, you are one day closer to your destination - your goal weight.
Today, as every day, the choice is yours. Choose wisely :-)
Why is it that we so quickly forget what we think we've learned? I am almost certain that by the time the snow melts for the last time every spring, most Michigan drivers are expert at dealing with winter roads. Then the weather turns warm, the roads become dry once again and many drivers get lax and are seemingly caught unaware when the snow inevitably falls the next winter.
The same is often true for those of us on 5&1. We think we've "got it" this time, and we do really well for a while. Then things come up and some find themselves off plan and quickly out of the 5&1 routine. When that happens, there can be a series of "5&1 fender benders" before these individuals are back on the road again.
Staying on plan, like winter driving, requires lots of repetition and attention. The more we do it, the more comfortable we are and the easier it gets. We can't afford to take our eyes off the road because there may be unexpected "slick spots", but if we hit a spot and start to skid, we know exactly what to do to bring things under control so we don't end up in a ditch. And landing in a ditch is no fun at all!
With Christmas looming, there are a lot of food "slick spots" waiting to put your 5&1 vehicle into a spinout, so my encouragement to you today is to keep your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road, and keep doing what you're doing (staying on plan!). Every time you choose to stay on plan, you are becoming a more "expert driver" and will be better able to navigate past potential pitfalls. Every time you choose to stay on plan, you are one day closer to your destination - your goal weight.
Today, as every day, the choice is yours. Choose wisely :-)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Paying Attention to Detail
Welcome to December! I always start to hyper-ventilate just a bit on December 1, because it means the countdown is on until Christmas. Like almost everyone else, there is a lot going on this month and a lot of things to do. I am a list maker by nature, but December puts my list making into overdrive. List of things to do, gifts to buy, events to attend (including grandchildren's Christmas programs) - the lists go on and on. For me, it's the best way I know of to stay on top of all of the details and make sure that everything I want to do and get done happens.
Some of us are more detail-oriented by nature, but whether we come by it naturally or not, paying attention to detail makes a difference. I recently read a story about a man from Germany who planned to visit his fiance for Christmas but ended up in snowy Sidney, Montana instead of sunny Sydney, Australia. Ouch!
Not paying attention to details while on 5&1 can result in us not arriving at our destination, too, or getting there much later than we'd hoped. This time of year we have a lot of things vying for our attention, so it takes some extra effort to stay focused on what we're doing. An extra bite here and a small nibble there can quickly push us out of the fat-burning state, and if we're not paying attention, we may not even realize it. Since it takes a minimum of three days to get into the fat-burning state and since the Medifast meals cost approximately $10 a day ($2/meal x 5 meals), going off plan will cost us a minimum of $30, and that cost can go up if we don't get right back on plan.
Paying attention to details also means making sure you have some extra Medifast meals with you, just in case. This is a busy time of year, so make sure you don't end up in a situation where you're hungry and don't have access to a Medifast meal. Take the time to plan your meals each day - this small detail can make the difference, especially during this holiday season.
Plan carefully and pay attention to details and you'll get through this month just fine! The good news is that a month from now, while much of the country will be scratching their heads and looking at their protruding bellies and wondering what they're going to do, you'll be starting the new year weighing less than you do right now. All you have to do is make the choice today, so choose wisely :-)
Some of us are more detail-oriented by nature, but whether we come by it naturally or not, paying attention to detail makes a difference. I recently read a story about a man from Germany who planned to visit his fiance for Christmas but ended up in snowy Sidney, Montana instead of sunny Sydney, Australia. Ouch!
Not paying attention to details while on 5&1 can result in us not arriving at our destination, too, or getting there much later than we'd hoped. This time of year we have a lot of things vying for our attention, so it takes some extra effort to stay focused on what we're doing. An extra bite here and a small nibble there can quickly push us out of the fat-burning state, and if we're not paying attention, we may not even realize it. Since it takes a minimum of three days to get into the fat-burning state and since the Medifast meals cost approximately $10 a day ($2/meal x 5 meals), going off plan will cost us a minimum of $30, and that cost can go up if we don't get right back on plan.
Paying attention to details also means making sure you have some extra Medifast meals with you, just in case. This is a busy time of year, so make sure you don't end up in a situation where you're hungry and don't have access to a Medifast meal. Take the time to plan your meals each day - this small detail can make the difference, especially during this holiday season.
Plan carefully and pay attention to details and you'll get through this month just fine! The good news is that a month from now, while much of the country will be scratching their heads and looking at their protruding bellies and wondering what they're going to do, you'll be starting the new year weighing less than you do right now. All you have to do is make the choice today, so choose wisely :-)
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