It is guaranteed that in most aspects of one's life, they will occasionally be challenged along the way. Even the most successful person has setbacks. Why? I am a firm believer that anything in life worth having is worth fighting for. That said, the biggest culprit instigating many of these fights are our own feelings. My feelings have always been wrapped up in food. If you were to look up the definition of emotional eating, I do believe you would see my picture. Me. In front of the Reese's Factory.
Here are three situations that I have encountered in recent weeks where my feelings (good and not so good) have tested my resolve to no longer make food the center of my universe.
1) I've been doing SO well lately when it comes to my weight loss journey, I think I'll celebrate my accomplishments! I will treat myself to my beloved peanut butter cups as a reward!
2) I got into a really heated exchange with a good friend about something we both have really strong feelings about. Ironically, we both feel the exact same way about the situation, but it became a pissing contest about who needed to be heard more. Instead of talking TO each other, we started talking AT each other and before you know it, I'm sitting in my car steaming and ready to say to hell with everything and go buy myself a crate of peanut butter cups.
3) I lost someone very close to me and my grief became incredibly overwhelming. I just wanted to be comforted, but because I live alone (usually a great thing) my feelings and sadness became even more amplified. Food has always been my fallback to fill this void.
Now, here is how I actually reacted to these events...
1) Maybe there's something more rewarding I can treat myself to rather than peanut butter cups. Seriously. Do they deserve that much power? Instead, I bought myself a new book. I can honestly say that I enjoy reading almost as much as I do eating. Score for me!
2) Before driving off, I called my friend from my cell phone and apologized for raising my voice and getting hot over something we actually do stand united on. He apologised as well. This seemed like the more mature way to respond to this issue rather than taking it out on myself, which is what emotional eating does: it punishes you in the long run.
3) I was able to cope with my grief initially. I spent a lot of time crying on the phone with loved ones. It was the following week that proved challenging. Trying to maintain my composure at work and out in public when all I wanted to do was curl up and bawl, exhausted me. And when I'm tired and feelings are leaking out of me all over the place, I don't make the wisest choices. Suffice to say, I stumbled hardcore into the pit of eating my feelings...and eating the feelings of millions of other people world wide you would have thought based on my behavior. #EpicFailure
You win some. You lose some. This is how I try to look at my emotional eating problem. I'm proud of the times I'm able to step back, take a breath, and really consider my options BEFORE I do something I'm going to regret. And even when I do make an unwise choice, I'm in the process of trying to not punish myself or let guilt foster more unhealthy behavior. Instead, I try to reflect on the situation and have a an honest conversation with myself. Why did I do that? What could I have done instead? I own it and try to learn from it so that perhaps the next time I'm faced with a similar situation I can navigate it better.
Some of the best lessons we can learn come out of challenging experiences. Hopefully you can take from these experiences more knowledge about yourself, how you operate, and arm yourself with the tools you need to be a stronger, more successful person.
This Month's Reality Check: Remember you're human. With that, you will have feelings and reactions to pretty much everything you encounter in this life. The goal is to acknowledge your feelings, but not allow them to rule your life and be a catch all to excuse poor choices and decisions. You control your actions and reactions.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
One Small Step for Man (a.k.a. Somebody Bring Me the Oxygen Tank!)...
I have three distinct feelings that wash over me at various times when it comes to my relationship with Mr. Treadmill.
1. Oh my God! I can't do this! I'm too hot! I'm too tired! My legs hurt! My back aches! My big ass is dragging! I can't breathe! To Hell with this! I'm not doing it! (A.K.A. The Defeated Diva!)
2. Okay. This isn't so bad. Just a few more minutes. Okay. I should keep going. Just a few more minutes. Okay. I really should finish this song. Just a few more minutes. (A.K.A. The Determined Diva!)
3. Why hello there, Mr. Treadmill! I'm gonna show you just how fierce I am. 30 minutes? Bring it, B*tch! I'm gonna ride this thing all night cause I feel great and there's no stopping me! Huzzah! (A.K.A. The Back the Hell Up, Or I'll Run Your Ass Over Diva!)
Yup, all those personalities live in my head. God (and country) help us all.
My affair with Mr. Treadmill has been a tumultuous one of Wuthering Heights proportions.
When I was younger, there was nothing athletic about me. Physical fitness was not a part of my vocabulary. And it stayed that way for decades. It wasn't until I was well into my first year of Weight Watchers that I even took it seriously. And that came as a surprise. Watching what you eat is only half the equation. Physical activity is the other. That was not a shocker. What amazed me was that after I started losing weight, feeling better and having more energy than I had in forever, I wanted to do something with all of it!
Not that it wasn't terrifying at first. I decided that I would rather be shot in the face than attempt to become more active publicly. No Zumba classes for me, thank you. I needed something stationary and not complicated. And that's when I met Mr. Treadmill. He was stationary and really, how traumatic could walking on a moving belt be? Yeah. This is me we're talking about. My first foray into walking on a treadmill was just short of an epic disaster. I've never been the most graceful person (don't let the smooth taste fool you) and for the first few minutes I was afaid to let go of the handles or take my eyes off of my feet. And then I started pushing buttons without actually looking at what they were for. Cue my big ass being jetisoned across the room. Launching through the air was a rush! The impact of someone my size and stature hitting the ground I can assure you was not! But even that didn't discourage me from trying again. So I got back on...though not that day!
In time I got over my fears and self conciousness and started pushing myself a little more each day. Eventually I graduated from a leisurely pace, to brisk walks, to a nice little jog. Yes, I looked a hot mess. But with my dance floor divas blasting from my ipod and a smile on my face, I went for it. In time, I actually liked it. Not as much as I like peanut butter cups, but well enough. After a few months, with the confidence I established with Mr. Treadmill, I took my act out on the road and started walking the grounds and trails of local parks and even participated in a few 5K marathons/walks.
If you've been reading my blog, you know what happened next. To review, after my accomplishments, I got complacent. And after I was done being complacent, I became just damn lazy. And all that I had accomplished, all that I had learned walked out of my life as quickly as it had changed it.
Cue sad music. Poor Robby. And his big ass. Sad trombone.
But if you've been reading my blog you also know what eventually came out of that dark period of the last few years. One day I woke up, put down the chips and decided enough was enough. I can do this again! It's gonna suck and no it won't be as easy, but I have to start...NOW!
And I have. Every day is a new adventure making the right choices when it comes to food and being more active. Mr. Treadmill has reentered my life and I continue to feel all of those feelings about him I mentioned in the beginning of this blog. Somedays are easier than others. Somedays are funnier than others. One afternoon I thought calling a friend would pass the time while I was on the treadmill. It did, because it took me thirty minutes to convince him I was on the treadmill and that I was okay, not having cardiac arrest. Whatever, I put my time in. That's where I'm at right now. Thirty minutes a day. In time I will increase the speed and time. One small step for Robby... one giant leap for Robby-kind. Every day I remind myself: I want this! I can do this! I've got this!
This Month's Reality Check: There's an activity out there for everyone. If you've never been an active person or it's a concept you struggle with (like me), don't give up on yourself. Start small and be realistic! The simple act of taking a few extra steps every day is a great start.
1. Oh my God! I can't do this! I'm too hot! I'm too tired! My legs hurt! My back aches! My big ass is dragging! I can't breathe! To Hell with this! I'm not doing it! (A.K.A. The Defeated Diva!)
2. Okay. This isn't so bad. Just a few more minutes. Okay. I should keep going. Just a few more minutes. Okay. I really should finish this song. Just a few more minutes. (A.K.A. The Determined Diva!)
3. Why hello there, Mr. Treadmill! I'm gonna show you just how fierce I am. 30 minutes? Bring it, B*tch! I'm gonna ride this thing all night cause I feel great and there's no stopping me! Huzzah! (A.K.A. The Back the Hell Up, Or I'll Run Your Ass Over Diva!)
Yup, all those personalities live in my head. God (and country) help us all.
My affair with Mr. Treadmill has been a tumultuous one of Wuthering Heights proportions.
When I was younger, there was nothing athletic about me. Physical fitness was not a part of my vocabulary. And it stayed that way for decades. It wasn't until I was well into my first year of Weight Watchers that I even took it seriously. And that came as a surprise. Watching what you eat is only half the equation. Physical activity is the other. That was not a shocker. What amazed me was that after I started losing weight, feeling better and having more energy than I had in forever, I wanted to do something with all of it!
Not that it wasn't terrifying at first. I decided that I would rather be shot in the face than attempt to become more active publicly. No Zumba classes for me, thank you. I needed something stationary and not complicated. And that's when I met Mr. Treadmill. He was stationary and really, how traumatic could walking on a moving belt be? Yeah. This is me we're talking about. My first foray into walking on a treadmill was just short of an epic disaster. I've never been the most graceful person (don't let the smooth taste fool you) and for the first few minutes I was afaid to let go of the handles or take my eyes off of my feet. And then I started pushing buttons without actually looking at what they were for. Cue my big ass being jetisoned across the room. Launching through the air was a rush! The impact of someone my size and stature hitting the ground I can assure you was not! But even that didn't discourage me from trying again. So I got back on...though not that day!
In time I got over my fears and self conciousness and started pushing myself a little more each day. Eventually I graduated from a leisurely pace, to brisk walks, to a nice little jog. Yes, I looked a hot mess. But with my dance floor divas blasting from my ipod and a smile on my face, I went for it. In time, I actually liked it. Not as much as I like peanut butter cups, but well enough. After a few months, with the confidence I established with Mr. Treadmill, I took my act out on the road and started walking the grounds and trails of local parks and even participated in a few 5K marathons/walks.
If you've been reading my blog, you know what happened next. To review, after my accomplishments, I got complacent. And after I was done being complacent, I became just damn lazy. And all that I had accomplished, all that I had learned walked out of my life as quickly as it had changed it.
Cue sad music. Poor Robby. And his big ass. Sad trombone.
But if you've been reading my blog you also know what eventually came out of that dark period of the last few years. One day I woke up, put down the chips and decided enough was enough. I can do this again! It's gonna suck and no it won't be as easy, but I have to start...NOW!
And I have. Every day is a new adventure making the right choices when it comes to food and being more active. Mr. Treadmill has reentered my life and I continue to feel all of those feelings about him I mentioned in the beginning of this blog. Somedays are easier than others. Somedays are funnier than others. One afternoon I thought calling a friend would pass the time while I was on the treadmill. It did, because it took me thirty minutes to convince him I was on the treadmill and that I was okay, not having cardiac arrest. Whatever, I put my time in. That's where I'm at right now. Thirty minutes a day. In time I will increase the speed and time. One small step for Robby... one giant leap for Robby-kind. Every day I remind myself: I want this! I can do this! I've got this!
This Month's Reality Check: There's an activity out there for everyone. If you've never been an active person or it's a concept you struggle with (like me), don't give up on yourself. Start small and be realistic! The simple act of taking a few extra steps every day is a great start.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Too Many Choices (a.k.a. Where Do I Begin?)...
Through my extensive research and study through the years of different diets and health plans (and by extensive research and study I mean reaching the point in my life where I'm unable to squeeze my big ass into my clothes, becoming desperate and being willing to try pretty much ANYTHING to lose weight...and failing time and time again), I finally have started to realize that there is no such thing as the an easy, one size fits all (pun intended), perfect plan.
There is so much more to becoming healthier and losing weight than following a cookie cutter approach to changing your life. Any popular plan can give you the knowledge and tools to make healthier and more informed choices. Some of these plans will even tell you what to eat, when to eat it and give you guidelines as to how much physical activity you should be striving for each day. Sounds great, right? Almost...except for one important key element. None of these plans take into account an individual's level of commitment.
Full disclosure: While I'm good at coordinating plans for my job and in my social life, I suck at it personally. I can tell you where I'll be at any given hour six months from now. If you ask me what I'm having for dinner tonight, I may look at you like you have two heads. Now conversely, if I ask my best girl friend what she's making for dinner tonight, she has a complete menu set and ready to go. I'm pretty sure she could tell you what will be on the table a week from next Tuesday if you inquired. Now that's skill.
In this instance, a plan that includes daily menus and requirements might be good for me. Many have seen success on these plans, some of which require that you purchase their prepackaged, preportioned meals. For those who become overwhelmed with the idea of making the "right" choices, this certainly would take care of that issue.
On the other the hand, I'm 35 years old. At some point, you would hope, I should arm myself with the knowledge and skills it takes to make these decisions myself. I don't think it's realistic for anyone to live off of microwaved meals forever.
"But Robby, most of these plans were designed for a short term of losing weight, not forever."
Another full disclosure: At this stage of my life, it is concievable that my relationship with fitness and food will never be a short term affair. Though I'm hoping to make it less emtotionally and physically consuming and stressful, I'm fairly certain it will remain complicated until I'm eating sugar free cookies in the sky. That's my reality. I know that short of a brain transplant, no plan can fix that. That's on me to own and recognize. So clearly, I'm in this for the long haul.
What I have loved (even in my darkest periods) about Weight Watchers is that it is designed to be long term if needed. They teach you how to make these informed choices on your own. But you have to listen and you have to apply them. I've been pretty open about the success their program has helped me achieve. I've also been candid about how it doesn't do the work for you if you're not giving it you're all.
But as much as I love Weight Watchers and the fabulous people I've met along the way, I do confess that my issue with the plan is the actual food planning, which I mentioned earlier. Not only am I not a great planner in that regard, I'm by no stretch of the imagination a cook. Eating has never been the problem, obviously. Preparing actual nutricious food has been . Admittedly, I've always been about grabbing and going. And through the convenience of fast food restaurants and the like, I've been able to do that. I've also successfully blown up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Float as a consequence. As over the top as I can be, that's not a look anyone wants to be serving.
That said, I am a firm believer that anything worth doing can be tailored to your own particular strength and weaknesses. For me, while I'm incredibly bad at planning meals, I am good with established routines. So I've made actually making a shopping list part of a routine. I end my work week by reviewing next week's calendar. While I am doing this, I plan my meals around my schedule. And in my planning, since cooking is no friend of mine AND I have had an interest in exploring other plans that include menus and food, I've started stocking up on two particular brands of prepackaged and preportioned meals, Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones, both of which fall within my daily requirements, are easy and quick to prepare, and are filling. And with so many different choices, I'm never bored with them and they actually taste like food, not bland punishments.
So this is what is working for me. It has taken a minute to fully and honestly assess my situation, but once I began to, I have been able to start working on the things that have been problematic (planning my meals and stocking my kitchen with user friendly products), turn my attention to other areas that need attention (Why hello, Mr. Treadmill!) and actually enjoy the fruits of my labor (I'm physically feeling better, emotionally I'm not as stressed and have shed 16.2 pounds in five weeks!).
This Month's Reality Check: No food or fitness plan will ever cater to 100% of your needs. But if you work with it and are honest about your strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor anything to suit you and help you accomplish your goals!
There is so much more to becoming healthier and losing weight than following a cookie cutter approach to changing your life. Any popular plan can give you the knowledge and tools to make healthier and more informed choices. Some of these plans will even tell you what to eat, when to eat it and give you guidelines as to how much physical activity you should be striving for each day. Sounds great, right? Almost...except for one important key element. None of these plans take into account an individual's level of commitment.
Full disclosure: While I'm good at coordinating plans for my job and in my social life, I suck at it personally. I can tell you where I'll be at any given hour six months from now. If you ask me what I'm having for dinner tonight, I may look at you like you have two heads. Now conversely, if I ask my best girl friend what she's making for dinner tonight, she has a complete menu set and ready to go. I'm pretty sure she could tell you what will be on the table a week from next Tuesday if you inquired. Now that's skill.
In this instance, a plan that includes daily menus and requirements might be good for me. Many have seen success on these plans, some of which require that you purchase their prepackaged, preportioned meals. For those who become overwhelmed with the idea of making the "right" choices, this certainly would take care of that issue.
On the other the hand, I'm 35 years old. At some point, you would hope, I should arm myself with the knowledge and skills it takes to make these decisions myself. I don't think it's realistic for anyone to live off of microwaved meals forever.
"But Robby, most of these plans were designed for a short term of losing weight, not forever."
Another full disclosure: At this stage of my life, it is concievable that my relationship with fitness and food will never be a short term affair. Though I'm hoping to make it less emtotionally and physically consuming and stressful, I'm fairly certain it will remain complicated until I'm eating sugar free cookies in the sky. That's my reality. I know that short of a brain transplant, no plan can fix that. That's on me to own and recognize. So clearly, I'm in this for the long haul.
What I have loved (even in my darkest periods) about Weight Watchers is that it is designed to be long term if needed. They teach you how to make these informed choices on your own. But you have to listen and you have to apply them. I've been pretty open about the success their program has helped me achieve. I've also been candid about how it doesn't do the work for you if you're not giving it you're all.
But as much as I love Weight Watchers and the fabulous people I've met along the way, I do confess that my issue with the plan is the actual food planning, which I mentioned earlier. Not only am I not a great planner in that regard, I'm by no stretch of the imagination a cook. Eating has never been the problem, obviously. Preparing actual nutricious food has been . Admittedly, I've always been about grabbing and going. And through the convenience of fast food restaurants and the like, I've been able to do that. I've also successfully blown up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Float as a consequence. As over the top as I can be, that's not a look anyone wants to be serving.
That said, I am a firm believer that anything worth doing can be tailored to your own particular strength and weaknesses. For me, while I'm incredibly bad at planning meals, I am good with established routines. So I've made actually making a shopping list part of a routine. I end my work week by reviewing next week's calendar. While I am doing this, I plan my meals around my schedule. And in my planning, since cooking is no friend of mine AND I have had an interest in exploring other plans that include menus and food, I've started stocking up on two particular brands of prepackaged and preportioned meals, Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones, both of which fall within my daily requirements, are easy and quick to prepare, and are filling. And with so many different choices, I'm never bored with them and they actually taste like food, not bland punishments.
So this is what is working for me. It has taken a minute to fully and honestly assess my situation, but once I began to, I have been able to start working on the things that have been problematic (planning my meals and stocking my kitchen with user friendly products), turn my attention to other areas that need attention (Why hello, Mr. Treadmill!) and actually enjoy the fruits of my labor (I'm physically feeling better, emotionally I'm not as stressed and have shed 16.2 pounds in five weeks!).
This Month's Reality Check: No food or fitness plan will ever cater to 100% of your needs. But if you work with it and are honest about your strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor anything to suit you and help you accomplish your goals!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Wrestling the Clock (a.k.a. It’s About D*mn Time!)
One of the main discussion points in Weight Watchers Land is learning to develop healthy routines to help you lose weight and adopt new habits to keep the weight off. These are reoccurring themes because doing so actually does work.
Unfortunately, for many, including myself, sticking to new healthier and helpful routines is not as easy as it sounds.
Here’s an example: Everyone should start their day with a healthy, well balanced breakfast. Not only does this give you the fuel you need to start your day, it informs your body and mind how the rest of your day will go. If you start your day satisfied and content, you are more likely to make healthier food choices the rest of the day. If you're starving by lunchtime, or worse, have gone all day without eating (I’ve been guilty of this), you’ve pretty much invited trouble to be a pesky companion. When I’m that hungry, my brain shuts off and my mouth opens. I will eat everything in sight without any thought to how healthy it is or isn’t. I just don’t care. There are a lot of people out there who react the same way when they set themselves up for it.
Knowing this, how come so many people still don’t eat breakfast?
Here’s another example: Going for a thirty minute walk can significantly benefit your emotional and physical wellbeing. It can lower your risk of heart diseases, diabetes and stroke. It can relieve anxiety, depression and stress. And in combination with healthy eating, it’s an activity that can help you shed pounds and keep them off. This is encouraging news for those who don’t have a fitness routine or think that activity or exercise has to be a gasping for air, heart beating out of their chest, sweaty affair.
So in a day where we will give other people and obligations hours of our time, how come we won’t give ourselves thirty minutes to take a walk?
My biggest obstacle is myself. I will spend thirty minutes telling you the reasons I don’t plan ahead or take a walk. I’m busy with A, B and C. I have X, Y and Z on my mind. I promised L, M, N and O that I would do this or that. H*ll, if I cared half as much about myself as I do the alphabet, I’d be on to something. That, dear readers, is the answer to all of this. You must care as much about yourself as you do the rest of the people and things in your life.
In a well thought out, pre-portioned nutshell, not investing any time into taking care of you is the equivalent of not taking care of yourself at all.
The reality is, we all have plenty of things to do that take up our time. It's not always easy to squeeze me-time into the equation. But guess what? Me-time, to some extent, is non-negotiable. The whole concept of taking care of you is to take care of yourself! As I've said before, if you're in this to win it, you're either in 100% or you're not. We are responsible for the choices we make.
This is not to say that it is necessary to completely overhaul your life and say p*ss off to your everyday obligations. A little multitasking goes a long way. Do you pack your kid's lunch at night? Why not pack yours, too? Do you have an area at work where you can store healthy snacks and what not to get you through the day? Load that area up for the week. If setting aside a single chunk of time to go for a walk is not possible, break it up. Walk five minutes here and 5 minutes there a few times a day. When you're at work or out running errands, don't park on top of the entrance! Give yourself some space to use your legs. Even little things like these can become healthy and helpful routines and habits.
For my part, I've been focusing on getting into the habits of…
1) Tracking everything I drink or eat in my Weight Watchers Tracker immediately after I drink or eat it. If I have the time to consume something, I have the time to account for it. I know that not keeping up on my tracking opens that door to laziness and irresponsibility that has derailed me in the past.
2) Eating something for breakfast. This is a big one for me. I’m the kind of person who likes to get up, get out and start the day. I’ve got things to do. But I’m finding that I’m doing them better (and I’m a lot less hostile) when my stomach isn’t growling. Though I’m still not interested in making a production of it, there are items that I can grab and have on the ride to work that do the job without requiring a lot of attention. Right now I’m sticking to yogurt, a banana and milk. Convenient, easy to travel with, satisfying and they happen to be three of my daily healthy guideline requirements! Winning combinations.
3) I’m not quite where I want to be in the walking department. I long for the days when I used to strap on my iPod and hit the trails of my favorite park and wander around for an hour. My fall from grace (see last blog!) has left me without the stamina to do that just yet. But it’s a goal of mine that I would like to be ready for when the nicer whether returns. Until then, I’m doing things to get me back on track with that. If I’m out running errands, I will park further out and spend a little extra time walking around just to walk around. Every little bit helps!
As I get a firmer grasp on these routines and they become second nature, I will try and add more. And if something, somewhere down the line isn’t working for me, I won’t be afraid to look for an alternative that does. But most of all, and most importantly, I will take the time I deserve to stay on track so I can reach my goal. Isn't that what all this is about
This Month's Reality Check: Whatever you do or however you choose to do it, just be sure to put yourself on the list of things that deserve and need your attention during the day! That's a routine we could all benefit from!
Unfortunately, for many, including myself, sticking to new healthier and helpful routines is not as easy as it sounds.
Here’s an example: Everyone should start their day with a healthy, well balanced breakfast. Not only does this give you the fuel you need to start your day, it informs your body and mind how the rest of your day will go. If you start your day satisfied and content, you are more likely to make healthier food choices the rest of the day. If you're starving by lunchtime, or worse, have gone all day without eating (I’ve been guilty of this), you’ve pretty much invited trouble to be a pesky companion. When I’m that hungry, my brain shuts off and my mouth opens. I will eat everything in sight without any thought to how healthy it is or isn’t. I just don’t care. There are a lot of people out there who react the same way when they set themselves up for it.
Knowing this, how come so many people still don’t eat breakfast?
Here’s another example: Going for a thirty minute walk can significantly benefit your emotional and physical wellbeing. It can lower your risk of heart diseases, diabetes and stroke. It can relieve anxiety, depression and stress. And in combination with healthy eating, it’s an activity that can help you shed pounds and keep them off. This is encouraging news for those who don’t have a fitness routine or think that activity or exercise has to be a gasping for air, heart beating out of their chest, sweaty affair.
So in a day where we will give other people and obligations hours of our time, how come we won’t give ourselves thirty minutes to take a walk?
My biggest obstacle is myself. I will spend thirty minutes telling you the reasons I don’t plan ahead or take a walk. I’m busy with A, B and C. I have X, Y and Z on my mind. I promised L, M, N and O that I would do this or that. H*ll, if I cared half as much about myself as I do the alphabet, I’d be on to something. That, dear readers, is the answer to all of this. You must care as much about yourself as you do the rest of the people and things in your life.
In a well thought out, pre-portioned nutshell, not investing any time into taking care of you is the equivalent of not taking care of yourself at all.
The reality is, we all have plenty of things to do that take up our time. It's not always easy to squeeze me-time into the equation. But guess what? Me-time, to some extent, is non-negotiable. The whole concept of taking care of you is to take care of yourself! As I've said before, if you're in this to win it, you're either in 100% or you're not. We are responsible for the choices we make.
This is not to say that it is necessary to completely overhaul your life and say p*ss off to your everyday obligations. A little multitasking goes a long way. Do you pack your kid's lunch at night? Why not pack yours, too? Do you have an area at work where you can store healthy snacks and what not to get you through the day? Load that area up for the week. If setting aside a single chunk of time to go for a walk is not possible, break it up. Walk five minutes here and 5 minutes there a few times a day. When you're at work or out running errands, don't park on top of the entrance! Give yourself some space to use your legs. Even little things like these can become healthy and helpful routines and habits.
For my part, I've been focusing on getting into the habits of…
1) Tracking everything I drink or eat in my Weight Watchers Tracker immediately after I drink or eat it. If I have the time to consume something, I have the time to account for it. I know that not keeping up on my tracking opens that door to laziness and irresponsibility that has derailed me in the past.
2) Eating something for breakfast. This is a big one for me. I’m the kind of person who likes to get up, get out and start the day. I’ve got things to do. But I’m finding that I’m doing them better (and I’m a lot less hostile) when my stomach isn’t growling. Though I’m still not interested in making a production of it, there are items that I can grab and have on the ride to work that do the job without requiring a lot of attention. Right now I’m sticking to yogurt, a banana and milk. Convenient, easy to travel with, satisfying and they happen to be three of my daily healthy guideline requirements! Winning combinations.
3) I’m not quite where I want to be in the walking department. I long for the days when I used to strap on my iPod and hit the trails of my favorite park and wander around for an hour. My fall from grace (see last blog!) has left me without the stamina to do that just yet. But it’s a goal of mine that I would like to be ready for when the nicer whether returns. Until then, I’m doing things to get me back on track with that. If I’m out running errands, I will park further out and spend a little extra time walking around just to walk around. Every little bit helps!
As I get a firmer grasp on these routines and they become second nature, I will try and add more. And if something, somewhere down the line isn’t working for me, I won’t be afraid to look for an alternative that does. But most of all, and most importantly, I will take the time I deserve to stay on track so I can reach my goal. Isn't that what all this is about
This Month's Reality Check: Whatever you do or however you choose to do it, just be sure to put yourself on the list of things that deserve and need your attention during the day! That's a routine we could all benefit from!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Starting Over (a.k.a. H*ll, Why Not Now?)...
This month, I will have been a member of Weight Watchers for five years. I like saying that because it sounds like such an accomplishment. To newbies, it gives me an air of authority. "Five years!" they would say. "Wow, you must be really dedicated and know EVERYTHING!”
As much as I'd love to hold my head high and smirk and agree with their excitement and praise, doing so would make me a big ol' phony. The reality is, I've been a member since 2008, but I haven't been a committed member since 2011. And by committed, I mean giving myself up completely to the process, 24/7.
After initial success (I lost 100 pounds my first year and kept it off for two more! Huzzah!), I did what a lot of people do: I became a little too relaxed. I started to skip my weekly weigh-ins and meetings. I would miss a day or two of tracking my meals. I would blow off my daily walk. All the while telling myself, "I've got this! I'm invincible!"
WRONG.
Being too relaxed is a nice way of saying you're being lazy. And I've been lazy. I got so over-confident in my success, I just assumed knowing that I had done it once before would allow me to coast for a bit. How much could I really **** things up, right? Foolish boy. What it got me is 40 pounds heavier, winded, and cranky. I'm completely off my game when it comes to making informed choices. I've allowed myself to become completely out of control. I can have a peanut butter cup has given way to I can have ALL the peanut butter cups EVER MADE! Instead of taking a daily walk, I think about taking it. Just as soon as I eat all these peanut butter cups.
So much for being dedicated and knowing everything, right?
The only way to guarantee continued success at anything is to keep at it, 100%. If you don't, the results will not be the same. Period. If you give yourself permission to slack off, you're inviting failure. Trust me. That's where I've been these last two years. I've taken a long look in the mirror and recognize that while I am responsible for my accomplishments, I must also own up to and take responsibility for my mistakes. And for the record, let's not be afraid of the word failure. Let's acknowledge it for what it is. Failure: not achieving the desired end or ends. Doesn't mean you're ignorant. Doesn't mean you're a horrible, terrible person. You just didn't accomplish what you originally wanted to. End of story. Dry your eyes and put on your big boy (or big girl) pants and get over it. I say lovingly.
The nice thing about Weight Watchers (and about life, really) is that you can choose what direction you want to go in and turn things around. You can choose to succeed. You can choose how much effort you're willing to give. It's never too late to make a new commitment. That's where I'm at this very moment. I've accepted responsibility for my shortcomings, taking the lessons learned and observations made during my two years of rebellion and am vowing to give myself another chance. I deserve success. I deserve to be the best person I can be. As I said earlier, I've done this before. Of course I can do it again! It all comes down to actually doing it!
If you're not into the whole "kumbaya" thing about being a winner and how you deserve to succeed, fine. If you’ve been kicking yourself to make a change, consider this: h*ll, why not now? What have you got to lose (other than the chip on your shoulder, a gut and perhaps part of your big rear end, like me)? Do it because there's no reason not to. You can catch up with the winning attitude later.
This Month's Reality Check: Own up to who you are, all that you are and all that you're not, accept it, and move on from there! That's a perfect place to start.
As much as I'd love to hold my head high and smirk and agree with their excitement and praise, doing so would make me a big ol' phony. The reality is, I've been a member since 2008, but I haven't been a committed member since 2011. And by committed, I mean giving myself up completely to the process, 24/7.
After initial success (I lost 100 pounds my first year and kept it off for two more! Huzzah!), I did what a lot of people do: I became a little too relaxed. I started to skip my weekly weigh-ins and meetings. I would miss a day or two of tracking my meals. I would blow off my daily walk. All the while telling myself, "I've got this! I'm invincible!"
WRONG.
Being too relaxed is a nice way of saying you're being lazy. And I've been lazy. I got so over-confident in my success, I just assumed knowing that I had done it once before would allow me to coast for a bit. How much could I really **** things up, right? Foolish boy. What it got me is 40 pounds heavier, winded, and cranky. I'm completely off my game when it comes to making informed choices. I've allowed myself to become completely out of control. I can have a peanut butter cup has given way to I can have ALL the peanut butter cups EVER MADE! Instead of taking a daily walk, I think about taking it. Just as soon as I eat all these peanut butter cups.
So much for being dedicated and knowing everything, right?
The only way to guarantee continued success at anything is to keep at it, 100%. If you don't, the results will not be the same. Period. If you give yourself permission to slack off, you're inviting failure. Trust me. That's where I've been these last two years. I've taken a long look in the mirror and recognize that while I am responsible for my accomplishments, I must also own up to and take responsibility for my mistakes. And for the record, let's not be afraid of the word failure. Let's acknowledge it for what it is. Failure: not achieving the desired end or ends. Doesn't mean you're ignorant. Doesn't mean you're a horrible, terrible person. You just didn't accomplish what you originally wanted to. End of story. Dry your eyes and put on your big boy (or big girl) pants and get over it. I say lovingly.
The nice thing about Weight Watchers (and about life, really) is that you can choose what direction you want to go in and turn things around. You can choose to succeed. You can choose how much effort you're willing to give. It's never too late to make a new commitment. That's where I'm at this very moment. I've accepted responsibility for my shortcomings, taking the lessons learned and observations made during my two years of rebellion and am vowing to give myself another chance. I deserve success. I deserve to be the best person I can be. As I said earlier, I've done this before. Of course I can do it again! It all comes down to actually doing it!
If you're not into the whole "kumbaya" thing about being a winner and how you deserve to succeed, fine. If you’ve been kicking yourself to make a change, consider this: h*ll, why not now? What have you got to lose (other than the chip on your shoulder, a gut and perhaps part of your big rear end, like me)? Do it because there's no reason not to. You can catch up with the winning attitude later.
This Month's Reality Check: Own up to who you are, all that you are and all that you're not, accept it, and move on from there! That's a perfect place to start.
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