Weigh-in day. I am down 1.6 for a total of 5.4 pounds. Only 94.6 more to go!!
I got on the treadmill a little later than I wanted today so I only got in 20 minutes, but I made those 20 minutes count.. Yesterday I did some running intervals and I really felt it this morning. I am tickled that I did not "diet" this week, but still lost 1.6 pounds.
Today is the last day of February. I have been doing this for one calendar month! So far my habits are.
1. Working out every day - no excuses
2. Limiting my eating to 4 times a day
Last night I ran into one of the teachers at our parish school. The one and only race I have ever run is the Maple Syrup 5K three years ago. Sally also ran in that race. I told her I was planning to do it again this year. There, I committed myself. But I had also already contacted the race director for an application. Melisa (daughter number 2) is also planning to do that race. We won't be running it together because I am sure she will leave me in the dust within the first 10 seconds. This year I am taking my walkman and headphones. And while I am running that race I will be thinking of my friend Deb(Jinx) and knowing that she is giving me a long distance "thumbs up!"
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Today's reading from "100 Days of Weight Loss" is about mindless eating. Eating because it's there. I have really made some progress here. I have found myself finishing up something just to finish, and stopping myself right then and there. Because I have limited my meals to four and nothing in between, mindless eating isn't much of a problem for me. If it is for you, the author recommends practicing that "resistance" muscle by learning to ignore food - things like hors deuvres or food samples at grocery stores - tasting while cooking, that kind of thing. She recommends using this phrase often, "I don't eat food just because it's there."
In the "Beck Diet Solution" book, Dr. Beck talks about ending overeating. Quitting when you are full - not overfull, not stuffed, but pleasantly full. I have discovered that this is a pleasant feeling. I am going make a special effort to pay attention to that this week. I also want to do a better job of remembering to savor each bite. Several times I found myself not paying attention and ended up eating more than I needed.
Saturday
Day 27: 100 Days Challenge - Eat Dessert When It's Special
Just got off the treadmill. I really wish I could bottle up the feeling of accomplishment and spray it around when I'm tempted to skip the workout. More and more, I am loving the Never Say Diet book. Have you ever read something and thought "I could have written that?" The other day Chantel was talking about what it was like to grow up fat. When I was a kid, weight really wasn't much of an issue. I was hyperactive and my poor mother was sick. Our neighbor (my mother's best friend) had a sister who owned a dance studio. One day a week I spent the day at the dance studio. I took tap, ballet, acrobatics, and baton twirling. It gave my mother a badly needed break once a week, and at one dollar for the day, it was a bargain. I can remember that as recital times drew near, my mother would encourage me to ride my bike so that my little pot belly wouldn't be so prominent under my costumes. Weight wasn't really a problem because I was so active, but even back then I had the seeds of compulsive eating lying under the soil. As the years went by, my mother became sicker and sicker. They had no diagnosis at the time and even if they had, they didn't have the technology or the drugs to treat it. In typical oldest child fashion, I took my mother's sickness as a sign of my failings. Children are powerless over things like that and the only control I had was what went into my mouth.
When I was twelve, my mother died. I was the caretaker of my two brothers and baby sister after school and on Saturdays. I was not nearly as active as I had been, and the eating accellerated. It was the worst time in my life to be overeating and not moving. My weight began to inch up but I still wasn't that concerned. We had bigger problems in our house with my dad trying to keep everything together and be both mom and dad.
Within a year my dad re-married. Our new stepmother was a registered nurse. She was also taking Bishop Sewing Classes and was very good at sewing. I can remember as a teenager, she was measuring me for a dress I needed for something - can't remember what - and one of my aunts on my dad's side was visiting. As Mom was measuring me, my aunt said, "be sure to add extra inches for her big butt." Mom and I were embarrassed and didn't say anything. I think we were shocked that someone could be so incredibly rude, and - yes- cruel. When we didn't answer, she repeated it. I can't remember what my mom said, but I can remember in great detail how I felt. I can't imagine what was going through my aunt's mind saying something like that. I'll bet she forgot it long ago, and yet the memory remains with me.
***********************
Today's topic from "100 Days of Weight Loss" is about eating dessert when it's special. Special would mean not only that the dessert is tasteworthy, but that it is eaten at a special occasion and with people you love. When I think about this, I think of the times I swayed from my "diet" and how I had the mindset that one dessert would ruin it. And when I succumbed to that dessert, where was I? Usually at a family gathering for one of the holidays. And not only did I eat the dessert, but I very likely went on to eat to oblivion, long after the food even tasted good because, after all, I had already blown it. In this 21 day habit cycle, I have allowed myself anything I want to eat, and I have found that the stuff I usually crave just isn't all that appealing anymore. It's beginning to lose its power.
The "Beck Diet Solution" is about preventing unplanned eating. At this stage of the game the only "planning" I'm doing is the spacing of my four meals. I'm not sure I will ever get to the point where I am writing everything down and counting every calorie. My jaws clench just thinking about it. I am getting used to the four meals and once I have done that for 21 days, then I will think about the next habit.
When I was twelve, my mother died. I was the caretaker of my two brothers and baby sister after school and on Saturdays. I was not nearly as active as I had been, and the eating accellerated. It was the worst time in my life to be overeating and not moving. My weight began to inch up but I still wasn't that concerned. We had bigger problems in our house with my dad trying to keep everything together and be both mom and dad.
Within a year my dad re-married. Our new stepmother was a registered nurse. She was also taking Bishop Sewing Classes and was very good at sewing. I can remember as a teenager, she was measuring me for a dress I needed for something - can't remember what - and one of my aunts on my dad's side was visiting. As Mom was measuring me, my aunt said, "be sure to add extra inches for her big butt." Mom and I were embarrassed and didn't say anything. I think we were shocked that someone could be so incredibly rude, and - yes- cruel. When we didn't answer, she repeated it. I can't remember what my mom said, but I can remember in great detail how I felt. I can't imagine what was going through my aunt's mind saying something like that. I'll bet she forgot it long ago, and yet the memory remains with me.
***********************
Today's topic from "100 Days of Weight Loss" is about eating dessert when it's special. Special would mean not only that the dessert is tasteworthy, but that it is eaten at a special occasion and with people you love. When I think about this, I think of the times I swayed from my "diet" and how I had the mindset that one dessert would ruin it. And when I succumbed to that dessert, where was I? Usually at a family gathering for one of the holidays. And not only did I eat the dessert, but I very likely went on to eat to oblivion, long after the food even tasted good because, after all, I had already blown it. In this 21 day habit cycle, I have allowed myself anything I want to eat, and I have found that the stuff I usually crave just isn't all that appealing anymore. It's beginning to lose its power.
The "Beck Diet Solution" is about preventing unplanned eating. At this stage of the game the only "planning" I'm doing is the spacing of my four meals. I'm not sure I will ever get to the point where I am writing everything down and counting every calorie. My jaws clench just thinking about it. I am getting used to the four meals and once I have done that for 21 days, then I will think about the next habit.
Friday
Day 26: 100 Days Challenge - When Food disappoints you
Good morning,
I decided to update my background. I'm putting my snowmen away for another year. I'm headed for the treadmill. Updates later!
*******************
Well, I messed up. I did today's lesson yesterday and totally skipped the section on savoring - except I thought I wrote on that. I'm losing my mind. Today totally got away from me. I stuck to my 4 meals, but they were much larger than they needed to be. I will do better tomorrow. It's all about learning, isn't it? In the past I would have chucked the day and started over tomorrow. Nope - not any more.
I decided to update my background. I'm putting my snowmen away for another year. I'm headed for the treadmill. Updates later!
*******************
Well, I messed up. I did today's lesson yesterday and totally skipped the section on savoring - except I thought I wrote on that. I'm losing my mind. Today totally got away from me. I stuck to my 4 meals, but they were much larger than they needed to be. I will do better tomorrow. It's all about learning, isn't it? In the past I would have chucked the day and started over tomorrow. Nope - not any more.
Thursday
Day 25: 100 days Challenge - When food disappoints you
I know, I know, I need to update yesterday's topic. I had a chore to do yesterday that took me most of the day and I got behind. But, the good new is, I'm still on track. I'll be back later.
************
Okay, I updated yesterday's topics. Our wireless has been cutting in and out. I think they are making adjustments to our tower. As of today, we are one fourth of the way through the 100 Days Challenge. I have achieved the habit of working out and am working on the habit of limiting my encounters with food to 4 times a day. So now I am putting 2 stickers on my calendar every day. I am so tickled with myself! Oh, a random fact - I heard on the radio yesterday that this week is National Eating Disorders week. Last night I went to a soup supper at our church. Supper was my 4th meal of the day. There wasn't much. I had a small bowl of potato soup and and dipped 2 small pieces of French bread in it. When I came home, my stomach was growling a bit, but exercised that "resistance" muscle and emerged victorious. Part of what helped me was knowing that I was accountable here, but I also wanted to be able to paste that sticker on the calendar that Nina gave me for Christmas.
***********************
Today's topic in 100 Days of Weight Loss is about anticipating that wonderful food that you love, but it doesn't measure up to your enjoyment level. The example the author used was a piece of cake that a lady had looked forward to all day. It was dry and crumbly. She kept eating in the hope that it would improve. But remember what we read about the first two bites of any food? The majority of satisfaction with regard to taste and texture comes in those first two bites. It doesn't get any better after that. Don't keep shoveling it in hoping that it will.
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From the Beck Diet Solultion the topic of monitoring your food intake continues. I will explore this when I get to that phase of my plan.
*********************
I was reading the Never Say Diet book on the treadmill this morning. I will update my thoughts on this later as I have to leave for a meeting.
************
Okay, I updated yesterday's topics. Our wireless has been cutting in and out. I think they are making adjustments to our tower. As of today, we are one fourth of the way through the 100 Days Challenge. I have achieved the habit of working out and am working on the habit of limiting my encounters with food to 4 times a day. So now I am putting 2 stickers on my calendar every day. I am so tickled with myself! Oh, a random fact - I heard on the radio yesterday that this week is National Eating Disorders week. Last night I went to a soup supper at our church. Supper was my 4th meal of the day. There wasn't much. I had a small bowl of potato soup and and dipped 2 small pieces of French bread in it. When I came home, my stomach was growling a bit, but exercised that "resistance" muscle and emerged victorious. Part of what helped me was knowing that I was accountable here, but I also wanted to be able to paste that sticker on the calendar that Nina gave me for Christmas.
***********************
Today's topic in 100 Days of Weight Loss is about anticipating that wonderful food that you love, but it doesn't measure up to your enjoyment level. The example the author used was a piece of cake that a lady had looked forward to all day. It was dry and crumbly. She kept eating in the hope that it would improve. But remember what we read about the first two bites of any food? The majority of satisfaction with regard to taste and texture comes in those first two bites. It doesn't get any better after that. Don't keep shoveling it in hoping that it will.
**********************
From the Beck Diet Solultion the topic of monitoring your food intake continues. I will explore this when I get to that phase of my plan.
*********************
I was reading the Never Say Diet book on the treadmill this morning. I will update my thoughts on this later as I have to leave for a meeting.
Wednesday
Day 24: 100 Days Challenge - Eat for satisfaction
Last night was quite a challenge. My sabotaging voice kept telling me to eat. There is no way on earth that I could have needed to eat. I emerged victorious, however, and feel really good about it this morning. I just kept reminding myself of that wonderful sense of victory I would have this morning if I just held fast. The thing is that when this is going on, there is a feeling of urgency that drowns out the voice of reason. If other steps are not in place, it is easy to just succumb. There is a feeling that this struggle will always be there, and in a sense it will be, but remember what the Beck Solution book said about the "resistance muscle" vs the "giving in" muscle. It was helpful for me to remember that I wasn't refraining from something, I was exercising my resistance muscle. Exercise that muscle and the whole process becomes easier eventually. As time goes on, and we begin to see results, that strengthens our resolve. But at this point it is a leap of faith. My body isn't showing results, but I know that soon the baby steps will have their effect. Same way with the house. The general look is still clutter, but the refrigerator, the bathroom closet, my dresser drawer, and my closet are getting in shape. These things don't show, but they provide a place for things to be put away and soon the look of the house will begin to change. It's all in the baby steps.
I'm headed for the treadmill - updates later.
*********** Very late update**********
Today's lesson from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about taking back your power with regard to food. Rather than ban certain foods from your food plan, include them in smaller amounts and then savor them to the utmost. Foods tend to be much more attractive when you know you can't have them. One of my favorites, as my family will tell you, is M&Ms. So, I have been including them in one of my 4 daily meals. Today, the thought of M&Ms just didn't appeal to me. Hmmm I wonder why it is that forbidden foods always taste better. Maybe my inner brat rebelling.
************
The Beck Diet Solution talks about monitoring your eating. Writing it down etc. Good idea, but as I said before, my baby step habit this month is making sure I eat only 4 times in a day. This is what works for me.
I'm headed for the treadmill - updates later.
*********** Very late update**********
Today's lesson from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about taking back your power with regard to food. Rather than ban certain foods from your food plan, include them in smaller amounts and then savor them to the utmost. Foods tend to be much more attractive when you know you can't have them. One of my favorites, as my family will tell you, is M&Ms. So, I have been including them in one of my 4 daily meals. Today, the thought of M&Ms just didn't appeal to me. Hmmm I wonder why it is that forbidden foods always taste better. Maybe my inner brat rebelling.
************
The Beck Diet Solution talks about monitoring your eating. Writing it down etc. Good idea, but as I said before, my baby step habit this month is making sure I eat only 4 times in a day. This is what works for me.
Tuesday
Day 23: 100 Days Challenge - Savoring
Back in the groove today. I got up and got that treadmill time in early. Felt really good!
Oddly enough, my morning was much more productive - go figure. Madison is getting into a kind of routine here so I'm able to plan my day and get things done. If the temp is up tomorrow, I think I'll go outside again. Outside is my favorite workout.
No Biggest Loser again tonight. Grrrrrr.
I didn't do my lesson reading on the treadmill today. I'm reading a third book that I really, really like! I bought it a while ago with a lot of other books and never got into it. It's titled Never Say Diet
by Chantel Hobbs. She has lost over 200 pounds and I love her no-nonsense, no excuses approach to weight loss. In fact, weight loss was a by product of her quest to be healthy. I will go into more detail as time goes on.
Last night's Hoarders episode was enlightening. One of the hoarders kept things because of the memories that were attached to them. There is that link between hoarding things and hoarding pounds again. What is the payoff for hoarding either one (and there is a payoff or we wouldn't hang onto them) and making ourselves miserable? There was a little boy who cried because they threw away a broken plate that had belonged to Grandma. He said he felt like they were throwing Grandma away. Been there! And with weight? Are we afraid that we are throwing pieces of ourselves away when we lose weight? That we're losing ourselves?
I have a meeting so I'll be back later to update today's lessons.
*******************
I'm back from the meeting - reminding myself that I don't need to eat.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about savoring your food. In this exercise, the author recommends taking 1/4 tsp size bites of your food and really savoring the taste and texture. When you are this aware of what you are eating, you are usually satisfied with less because you have received maximum pleasure from each bite.
In the Beck Diet Solution book we begin our diet. I'm a day ahead there. We are to write up a food plan and then stick with it. I am not there yet.
In fact, I have altered my rules for this 21 days. No one but a compulsive eater would understand that confining my eating to 4 meals a day is more than a baby step for me. I was trying to take to big a chunk. I am not counting my calories so I am probably going over my allotment, but I am going to take that restriction off and concentrate on the four meals for now. I have learned my lesson about moving too fast and burning out within the month. So in addition to my exercise habit, I am now creating the habit of limiting my eating to four meals a day.
Oddly enough, my morning was much more productive - go figure. Madison is getting into a kind of routine here so I'm able to plan my day and get things done. If the temp is up tomorrow, I think I'll go outside again. Outside is my favorite workout.
No Biggest Loser again tonight. Grrrrrr.
I didn't do my lesson reading on the treadmill today. I'm reading a third book that I really, really like! I bought it a while ago with a lot of other books and never got into it. It's titled Never Say Diet
by Chantel Hobbs. She has lost over 200 pounds and I love her no-nonsense, no excuses approach to weight loss. In fact, weight loss was a by product of her quest to be healthy. I will go into more detail as time goes on.Last night's Hoarders episode was enlightening. One of the hoarders kept things because of the memories that were attached to them. There is that link between hoarding things and hoarding pounds again. What is the payoff for hoarding either one (and there is a payoff or we wouldn't hang onto them) and making ourselves miserable? There was a little boy who cried because they threw away a broken plate that had belonged to Grandma. He said he felt like they were throwing Grandma away. Been there! And with weight? Are we afraid that we are throwing pieces of ourselves away when we lose weight? That we're losing ourselves?
I have a meeting so I'll be back later to update today's lessons.
*******************
I'm back from the meeting - reminding myself that I don't need to eat.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about savoring your food. In this exercise, the author recommends taking 1/4 tsp size bites of your food and really savoring the taste and texture. When you are this aware of what you are eating, you are usually satisfied with less because you have received maximum pleasure from each bite.
In the Beck Diet Solution book we begin our diet. I'm a day ahead there. We are to write up a food plan and then stick with it. I am not there yet.
In fact, I have altered my rules for this 21 days. No one but a compulsive eater would understand that confining my eating to 4 meals a day is more than a baby step for me. I was trying to take to big a chunk. I am not counting my calories so I am probably going over my allotment, but I am going to take that restriction off and concentrate on the four meals for now. I have learned my lesson about moving too fast and burning out within the month. So in addition to my exercise habit, I am now creating the habit of limiting my eating to four meals a day.
Monday
Day 22: 100 days of weight loss - Multitask with food
Now that my exercise habit is established, it's time to look at the food. As I wrote this past week, my first step on the food plan is to "organize" my meals into 4. The only rule is that 2000 calories is the limit. 2000 calories is fairly generous, but I want to establish the habit of eating only 4 times a day - not grazing here and there. I haven't been on the treadmill yet today. That will be later, so I haven't done today's reading yet.
Evening update **************
Today is a perfect example of why I try to get my workout done first thing in the morning. I planned to do it this afternoon and completely forgot about it until it was time to blog and I realized I hadn't done the reading. Okay, done is done. I will put it behind me - do some yoga stretches and call it good.
Today's food was so so. I stuck to four meals, but I went over the 2000. That old voice of sabotage was right there urging me to just have a complete blowout and get back on track tomorrow. Nope - not gonna do it. Compounding bad decisions by making more bad decisions is how I got here in the first place. So I told my inner brat to be quiet and I went in and did some decluttering in the bedroom. So now, on to today's lesson.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss - Multitask with food. I must admit that I was not all that impressed with this topic. Multitasking with food is a big problem for me. Other than conversing with those at the table, I don't see any reason to multitask with food. I was turned off by the sentence "if you choose to eat while you're watching the movies or TV . . ." Uh uh. Not for me. This morning's breakfast was great. The only multitasking I did was talking with Harold and 2 grandkids (who had spent the night) while eating breakfast. I'm not worried about losing awareness - what I'm trying to do is disassociate food from so many of my daily activities. As it was, I had to keep reminding myself all day that there are only 4 times I would be eating. So that was that.
In the Beck Diet Solution today's reading is about starting the food plan. The one section that leaped out at me was about the sabotaging thoughts that come flooding in when one makes a slip. That's where I was today. I knew I had gone over my allotment, but I refused to let it derail me. I might have been wiser to get used to limiting the number of times I eat for a while before limiting the amount.
So that was my day. I am heating water for tea and finishing up my chores so I can watch this week's episode of Hoarders.
Evening update **************
Today is a perfect example of why I try to get my workout done first thing in the morning. I planned to do it this afternoon and completely forgot about it until it was time to blog and I realized I hadn't done the reading. Okay, done is done. I will put it behind me - do some yoga stretches and call it good.
Today's food was so so. I stuck to four meals, but I went over the 2000. That old voice of sabotage was right there urging me to just have a complete blowout and get back on track tomorrow. Nope - not gonna do it. Compounding bad decisions by making more bad decisions is how I got here in the first place. So I told my inner brat to be quiet and I went in and did some decluttering in the bedroom. So now, on to today's lesson.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss - Multitask with food. I must admit that I was not all that impressed with this topic. Multitasking with food is a big problem for me. Other than conversing with those at the table, I don't see any reason to multitask with food. I was turned off by the sentence "if you choose to eat while you're watching the movies or TV . . ." Uh uh. Not for me. This morning's breakfast was great. The only multitasking I did was talking with Harold and 2 grandkids (who had spent the night) while eating breakfast. I'm not worried about losing awareness - what I'm trying to do is disassociate food from so many of my daily activities. As it was, I had to keep reminding myself all day that there are only 4 times I would be eating. So that was that.
In the Beck Diet Solution today's reading is about starting the food plan. The one section that leaped out at me was about the sabotaging thoughts that come flooding in when one makes a slip. That's where I was today. I knew I had gone over my allotment, but I refused to let it derail me. I might have been wiser to get used to limiting the number of times I eat for a while before limiting the amount.
So that was my day. I am heating water for tea and finishing up my chores so I can watch this week's episode of Hoarders.
Sunday
Day 21: 100 Days of Weight Loss - Eating with awareness
I just finished my walk/jog outside. I am down 2.2 this week for a net loss of 3.8 only 96.2 to go! LOL! Actually I am only focusing on 5 pounds at a time. Looking at the big picture is just too overwhelming. I mentioned that I watch Hoarders on Monday nights. Whether we hoard stuff or pounds, sometimes we just need to zone in on small chunks. Earlier I related the decluttering of our house to my weight loss journey. So far, the incremental progress is not visible. But that doesn't matter. If someone walks in our house and sees clutter, that's okay because I know I am dealing with it. The same is true of - in Flylady's words - Body Clutter. No one can see the 3.8 pound loss, but I know it's there. As the weeks go by it will be more visible. People may notice and comment, but my journey isn't about that. I learned long ago that sometimes the people closest to you are the least likely to be encouraging. But that's okay. This isn't about them. It's about me and how I feel about myself. It is no longer about vanity, or trying to please people. It's about me being the best Me I can be. That's not going to be good enough for some people, but again, though it may make me sad because that kind of support would be nice, it's not going to be the determining factor in what I'm doing. That's been my mistake for too many year, both with house clutter and with body clutter. My motives are now to do what I do because it gives me joy. When I get up in the morning, even though I am in the beginning stages of getting this house and this body in order, I can open the refrigerator and see a concrete example of working the plan. Opening my refrigerator makes me smile. Putting a sticker on my calendar makes me smile. As time goes on and the decluttering spreads, there will be more and more to make me smile. And when I smile, I feel happy, and when I feel happy everything is easier to deal with. Soon happiness takes over your life and you wonder why you waited so long and wasted so much time and joy.
**********************************
Since I went outside this morning, I haven't done today's reading yet. I will be back later tonight to update.
Nina, Diane, Deb - thanks so much for the support!
*********Evening Update**********
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about being aware of what we are eating. Paying attention to flavors and textures. No distractions like the TV or the computer (my biggest no no) or eating while driving. No multi-tasking while eating! We are reminded that we eat for two reasons - fuel and enjoyment. Neither of the functions needs to be accompanied by anything except perhaps the company of others.
In the Beck Diet Solution book we are encouraged to plan for tomorrow. A few minutes spend planning saves a lot of time in the long run. Now that I'm home more and my life is less structured, I need to plan ahead - especially since there are many more variables in my life as far as kids go. It is too easy to get caught up doing "filler" things and accomplishing nothing. I just checked tomorrow's menu plan. Bean Soup. It's a good thing I planned ahead because the beans need to be soaked. It took me 1 minute to put those beans in a bowl of water, but saved me a lot of time in having to come up with an alternative meal for tomorrow. Less stress, more calm, more awareness at meal time.
**************************
I have officially completed 21 straight days of working out. I have 21 stickers on my calendar. Exercise is now a habit. Tomorrow I start the next phase - my food plan. I explained yesterday what that would be. I will award myself a sticker for each day I accomplish my goal in that area. I'm excited and nervous - but I can commit to 21 days. I can. I will.
**********************************
Since I went outside this morning, I haven't done today's reading yet. I will be back later tonight to update.
Nina, Diane, Deb - thanks so much for the support!
*********Evening Update**********
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss is about being aware of what we are eating. Paying attention to flavors and textures. No distractions like the TV or the computer (my biggest no no) or eating while driving. No multi-tasking while eating! We are reminded that we eat for two reasons - fuel and enjoyment. Neither of the functions needs to be accompanied by anything except perhaps the company of others.
In the Beck Diet Solution book we are encouraged to plan for tomorrow. A few minutes spend planning saves a lot of time in the long run. Now that I'm home more and my life is less structured, I need to plan ahead - especially since there are many more variables in my life as far as kids go. It is too easy to get caught up doing "filler" things and accomplishing nothing. I just checked tomorrow's menu plan. Bean Soup. It's a good thing I planned ahead because the beans need to be soaked. It took me 1 minute to put those beans in a bowl of water, but saved me a lot of time in having to come up with an alternative meal for tomorrow. Less stress, more calm, more awareness at meal time.
**************************
I have officially completed 21 straight days of working out. I have 21 stickers on my calendar. Exercise is now a habit. Tomorrow I start the next phase - my food plan. I explained yesterday what that would be. I will award myself a sticker for each day I accomplish my goal in that area. I'm excited and nervous - but I can commit to 21 days. I can. I will.
Saturday
Day 20 - 100 Days of Weight Loss - Half-off Special
Today's reading from 100 Day of Weight Loss is about monitoring your portion sizes. One suggestion is to picture the size of a portion you would usually eat and then take half of that. This kind of goes along with what I was posted earlier about asking for a doggie bag to be brought when my meal is served in a restaurant. The chapter goes on to offer other suggestions for limiting your portion size. One is telling yourself you will not go back for seconds. Of course this doesn't mean loading your plate with double the amount in the first place. Another suggestion is to decide in advance how much you are going to eat. This is actually a very powerful tool. I've used it successfully at wedding receptions and family gatherings. It's all about reclaiming your own power and not letting anything - food or people - to derail your efforts.
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The Beck Diet Solution reading for today deals with mindset techniques for dealing with cravings. I loved this chapter because it give me something to "do" rather than something not to do. I don't know if that makes sense. I might have written about it yesterday. How it's easier to do something than to refrain from doing something. If I'm not supposed to eat at night, then I need something to fill that gap. When I quit smoking 10 years ago, part of what made quitting so hard was the fact that I didn't know how to make a substitute for whatever it was that smoking did for me. In my smoking days, I could combat compulsive overeating by periods of eating less, and smoking was an important tool in that arsenal. When I quit smoking I lost my "crutch." A cigarette was the period on the end of a meal. It signaled that it was time to stop eating. It was something to look forward to when the food was gone. Only a smoker could understand this, I suspect.
Monday I institute my food plan. I will have 21 days straight of working out to my credit. 21 smiley faces on the calendar that Nicola gave me for Christmas. Exercise is now a habit. Not working out is not an option. Today I was excited about a project. I was tempted to skip the workout, but I knew how great I would feel afterward, and how disappointed in myself I would be if I didn't work out. I got on the treadmill for 20 minutes. It's not the length, it's the consistency. I'm glad that I didn't skip the treadmill today because later I was feeling bad about how I look. I am so tired of trying not to catch glimpses of myself in mirrors. I'm tired of not having things fit right. I'm tired of not ever feeling like I look nice.
So, Monday starts the food plan. For 21 days I will commit to following it. I will start with a 2000 calorie plan divided into 4 meals. (blood sugar, remember?) I have a nutritional tracker. There will be no rules about what I can and cannot eat (within reason) but my food has to fit within the 2000 calorie framework. After 21 days I will fine tune my food choices but for now it is important for me to contain my eating to 4 times a day and to know that I am accountable here.
When I'm on the treadmill, I have a routine. Today I set the incline to 4, the speed to 3, and read for the whole 20 minutes. There is another book that I am reading in conjunction with the 100 Days and the Beck Diet Solution. I'll write more on that book later.
***********************
The Beck Diet Solution reading for today deals with mindset techniques for dealing with cravings. I loved this chapter because it give me something to "do" rather than something not to do. I don't know if that makes sense. I might have written about it yesterday. How it's easier to do something than to refrain from doing something. If I'm not supposed to eat at night, then I need something to fill that gap. When I quit smoking 10 years ago, part of what made quitting so hard was the fact that I didn't know how to make a substitute for whatever it was that smoking did for me. In my smoking days, I could combat compulsive overeating by periods of eating less, and smoking was an important tool in that arsenal. When I quit smoking I lost my "crutch." A cigarette was the period on the end of a meal. It signaled that it was time to stop eating. It was something to look forward to when the food was gone. Only a smoker could understand this, I suspect.
Monday I institute my food plan. I will have 21 days straight of working out to my credit. 21 smiley faces on the calendar that Nicola gave me for Christmas. Exercise is now a habit. Not working out is not an option. Today I was excited about a project. I was tempted to skip the workout, but I knew how great I would feel afterward, and how disappointed in myself I would be if I didn't work out. I got on the treadmill for 20 minutes. It's not the length, it's the consistency. I'm glad that I didn't skip the treadmill today because later I was feeling bad about how I look. I am so tired of trying not to catch glimpses of myself in mirrors. I'm tired of not having things fit right. I'm tired of not ever feeling like I look nice.
So, Monday starts the food plan. For 21 days I will commit to following it. I will start with a 2000 calorie plan divided into 4 meals. (blood sugar, remember?) I have a nutritional tracker. There will be no rules about what I can and cannot eat (within reason) but my food has to fit within the 2000 calorie framework. After 21 days I will fine tune my food choices but for now it is important for me to contain my eating to 4 times a day and to know that I am accountable here.
When I'm on the treadmill, I have a routine. Today I set the incline to 4, the speed to 3, and read for the whole 20 minutes. There is another book that I am reading in conjunction with the 100 Days and the Beck Diet Solution. I'll write more on that book later.
Friday
Day 19 Hundred Days Challenge - Eat Reasonable Amounts
Will be back to update. We finally got our wireless working.
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Oooops, spoke too soon. Wireless not working. Grrrrrr
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Anyway, the reading for Day 19 is about learning to recognize a serving size. Over the years the portion sizes in this country have gotten progressively larger so that we no longer know what constitutes one serving. Yesterday, while running errands, I bought a single serving size of baked potato chips. That's one ounce, folks. I don't think I've ever eaten just one ounce of potato chips - not in recent memory anyway. I made it a point to eat them slowly. I made that one ounce bag last for 20 minutes. I savored each bite and made it last as long as possible. When I finished the bag, I was finished eating. I didn't crave more. However, if I had been eating from a 6 oz bag in my usual fashion, I probably could have polished off the bigger bag in less time. We all know the science behind this, how it takes the brain 20 minutes to register that you have eaten, etc. But if I was a logical person with regard to eating, I wouldn't have a weight problem to begin with. For me it's all about slowing down and appreciating the moment. I am learning to do that in other areas of my life. Now it's time to apply that to eating.
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Oooops, spoke too soon. Wireless not working. Grrrrrr
****************************
Anyway, the reading for Day 19 is about learning to recognize a serving size. Over the years the portion sizes in this country have gotten progressively larger so that we no longer know what constitutes one serving. Yesterday, while running errands, I bought a single serving size of baked potato chips. That's one ounce, folks. I don't think I've ever eaten just one ounce of potato chips - not in recent memory anyway. I made it a point to eat them slowly. I made that one ounce bag last for 20 minutes. I savored each bite and made it last as long as possible. When I finished the bag, I was finished eating. I didn't crave more. However, if I had been eating from a 6 oz bag in my usual fashion, I probably could have polished off the bigger bag in less time. We all know the science behind this, how it takes the brain 20 minutes to register that you have eaten, etc. But if I was a logical person with regard to eating, I wouldn't have a weight problem to begin with. For me it's all about slowing down and appreciating the moment. I am learning to do that in other areas of my life. Now it's time to apply that to eating.
Day 18 Hundred Days Challenge - Retrain Eating Habits
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weightloss is about learning to leave a little on the plate in order to reprogram our "Clean Plate" thinking. The author suggests starting small - one pea at a time, so to speak. One thing I've started doing is asking the waitress to bring a takeout container when my food is served. Half of a restaurant serving is more than enough.
Record the thoughts and feelings you have while doing this exercise. I know for me, when I eat at a restaurant, there is always that feeling of "this is the only time I'll be able to eat this, I just can't waste it." But we know from yesterday's reading that it is wasted one way or another if I eat it just because it's there.
Today's reading and most likely tomorrow's are not really relevant for me in that it is about allowing yourself to experience hunger. I can't really do that, but I can try an stop eating in between meals.
Record the thoughts and feelings you have while doing this exercise. I know for me, when I eat at a restaurant, there is always that feeling of "this is the only time I'll be able to eat this, I just can't waste it." But we know from yesterday's reading that it is wasted one way or another if I eat it just because it's there.
Today's reading and most likely tomorrow's are not really relevant for me in that it is about allowing yourself to experience hunger. I can't really do that, but I can try an stop eating in between meals.
Wednesday
Day 17 - 100 Days Challenge - Stop Wasting Food
No diet book is complete without a chapter on how our mothers made us clean our plates in deference to the starving children in India, China, Armenia, Italy . . .
We all know, we knew it then, that cleaning our plates does not feed one hungry child. I think the message was supposed to be "be grateful for what you have because others are not so blessed." Unfortunately, our childish minds skewed the message. Today's reading from "100 Days of Weight Loss" explores the meaning of waste. It seems so common sense that many of us miss it. You can waste food by throwing it in the garbage can, or you can waste food by treating yourself like a garbage can. Puts it in perspective, don't you think?
The Beck Diet Solution talks today about differentiating hunger from craving or just plain boredom. For me, hunger is fairly easy to identify because my blood sugar drops and I get the clammy shakes. The challenge for me is that when this hits, I HAVE TO EAT and NOW. If I let myself get to that point, it's too late because I start shoveling in food just to get my blood sugar up. I don't enjoy it then, so I go back later for the "entertainment" value. I don't have a choice but to schedule meals at certain times. For me, that takes the guesswork out of it, but, I often eat at times when there is no meal or snack planned. That's entertainment or emotional eating. I have a feeling that if I could conquer that, I would be home free.
We all know, we knew it then, that cleaning our plates does not feed one hungry child. I think the message was supposed to be "be grateful for what you have because others are not so blessed." Unfortunately, our childish minds skewed the message. Today's reading from "100 Days of Weight Loss" explores the meaning of waste. It seems so common sense that many of us miss it. You can waste food by throwing it in the garbage can, or you can waste food by treating yourself like a garbage can. Puts it in perspective, don't you think?
The Beck Diet Solution talks today about differentiating hunger from craving or just plain boredom. For me, hunger is fairly easy to identify because my blood sugar drops and I get the clammy shakes. The challenge for me is that when this hits, I HAVE TO EAT and NOW. If I let myself get to that point, it's too late because I start shoveling in food just to get my blood sugar up. I don't enjoy it then, so I go back later for the "entertainment" value. I don't have a choice but to schedule meals at certain times. For me, that takes the guesswork out of it, but, I often eat at times when there is no meal or snack planned. That's entertainment or emotional eating. I have a feeling that if I could conquer that, I would be home free.
Day 16 - 100 days challenge - Nurturing power of food
I didn't post yesterday - completely forgot.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss talks about the nurturing power of food. I learned about that at an early age. My mother died when I was a child and it was food that saw me through the tough years that followed. I can't remember a time when I didn't use food to soothe the hurts in my life, to celebrate the joys in my life, to block out the worry in my life. When food is used in this way, it makes the business of losing weight all the harder. When recognition from other people isn't there - food is. When we feel as if no one cares, food can mask the hurt . . . for a while. I would venture to say that, barring some physical reason, emotional eating is the basis for most obesity. It's easy to blame our parents or other people, but the ultimate responsibility for our condition lies with us.
The Beck Diet solution continues on with the business of setting up an exercise program, but that was already in place before I opened the book.
Today's reading from 100 Days of Weight Loss talks about the nurturing power of food. I learned about that at an early age. My mother died when I was a child and it was food that saw me through the tough years that followed. I can't remember a time when I didn't use food to soothe the hurts in my life, to celebrate the joys in my life, to block out the worry in my life. When food is used in this way, it makes the business of losing weight all the harder. When recognition from other people isn't there - food is. When we feel as if no one cares, food can mask the hurt . . . for a while. I would venture to say that, barring some physical reason, emotional eating is the basis for most obesity. It's easy to blame our parents or other people, but the ultimate responsibility for our condition lies with us.
The Beck Diet solution continues on with the business of setting up an exercise program, but that was already in place before I opened the book.
Monday
Day 15: 100 Days Challenge - First Two Bites
Got up and got on the treadmill - that's 15 days straight! This week I am going to work on food issues in preparation for starting my food plan next week.
Today's Focus from the 100 Days of Weight Loss is "First Two Bites"
Today's reading is about appreciating the flavors of food.We actually only really appreciate the first two bites. All of the flavor satisfaction the we will receive is in those initial bites. After that, the author says, we are just feeding.
Today's lesson:
Today's Focus from the 100 Days of Weight Loss is "First Two Bites"
Today's reading is about appreciating the flavors of food.We actually only really appreciate the first two bites. All of the flavor satisfaction the we will receive is in those initial bites. After that, the author says, we are just feeding.
Today's lesson:
1. Choose one of your favorite foods and then focus on all the details and tastes of the first two bites. Let yourself appreciate the flavors.
I tried this with a piece of cheesecake.
2. After the first two bites, stop eating and get rid of the rest of the food. In your notebook, write down the details about this experience.
I actually ate more than two bites, but I did not eat the whole piece. It really is true that once you eat the first two bites, if the rest isn't sitting in front of you, you really don't crave it. But the key is getting the rest of it out of sight. At least for me it is.
3. With each food you eat today, pay close attention to the first two bites. Notice how they taste in comparison to the rest of the food.
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From the Beck book:
Today's reading was a continuation of yesterday's in that we are instructed to choose an exercise program. The book says that exercise is necessary if you want to lose weight. Researchers are now saying that exercise has no bearing on weight loss. What they don't take into consideration is that when you exercise, the weight you lose is mostly fat, not lean muscle mass. I think it's disingenuous to lead the public to believe that exercise plays no role in weight loss. Besides allowing more fat loss and less muscle loss, exercise is good for the heart, tones the body, alleviates mild depression and stress, and just plain makes a body feel good. Exercise is one of those "just do it" kind of things.
I tried this with a piece of cheesecake.
2. After the first two bites, stop eating and get rid of the rest of the food. In your notebook, write down the details about this experience.
I actually ate more than two bites, but I did not eat the whole piece. It really is true that once you eat the first two bites, if the rest isn't sitting in front of you, you really don't crave it. But the key is getting the rest of it out of sight. At least for me it is.
3. With each food you eat today, pay close attention to the first two bites. Notice how they taste in comparison to the rest of the food.
************************
From the Beck book:
Today's reading was a continuation of yesterday's in that we are instructed to choose an exercise program. The book says that exercise is necessary if you want to lose weight. Researchers are now saying that exercise has no bearing on weight loss. What they don't take into consideration is that when you exercise, the weight you lose is mostly fat, not lean muscle mass. I think it's disingenuous to lead the public to believe that exercise plays no role in weight loss. Besides allowing more fat loss and less muscle loss, exercise is good for the heart, tones the body, alleviates mild depression and stress, and just plain makes a body feel good. Exercise is one of those "just do it" kind of things.
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