Having a plan is about more than being a planner.
So, I finally got my act together enough to lose 20 lbs without monitoring my every calorie 24/7 and without hitting the gym for two-a-days. Then, BAM! What was that? Oh, life! Yes, life happens. Life happens all the time. You can tell that life is happening when you use a phrase to excuse bad behaviors. Example - Your kid is watching 9 hours of TV a day, its ok, "its summer." Or, you finish off the last 3/4 cup of icing left in the fridge, its ok, "I don't want it to go to waste."
Life happened to me when I had to start going to physical therapy and then, after I just got ok with that, my husband e-mails and says his deployment is getting extended. LIFE!!! I get into full on, out of control mode. I can tell I feel out of control when my dishes go undone, I have laundry unfolded on the couch, and there is something crunchy in my mouth. Those of us with food issues know that no matter how conscious we are of the problem, food is still holds the #1 place in our deal with stress tool kit.
When life get stressful and out of control even little things can be overwhelming and I want to make the easy choices. Leave the laundry until tomorrow, do dishes later, and go through the drive through for dinner. Its true, sometimes my brain space is taken up by all the "stuff." of life. That is why I need a plan.
One time I heard another mom say, "I have a meal plan for the next 6 months." WHAT??? I don't even have a plan for lunch let alone the next 6 months. But you know what, having a plan is not so much about sitting on your high horse looking down at all those without a plan, but a smart strategy for dealing with life. If I know my plan is having oatmeal for breakfast every day, I can fall back on that no matter how much of my brain space is taken up with the stuff of life. I can use the energy of a good day to plan ahead and make a bad day not so bad.
I'm admitting that I don't have a great plan, but now I see the great value in having one. I will make a plan.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Three sets of Ten
Due to some lower back pain I've been having I'm in physical therapy and my workouts are restricted to walking.
Hearing the news that I should stick to walking only for awhile sent me into an unhealthy tail spin. All the negative and self-defeating thoughts came flooding in. "Why watch your calories if you can't workout?" This is a completely ridiculous thought. Shouldn't I watch my calories more? Oh, my, I just knew that after about 15 weeks of steady loss it would all be over, and what do you know, I did indeed gain a pound that first week of not exercising as I had been.
It is so strange that there is some sort of negative force in us that so wants to see us fail and go back to status quo. If our thoughts predict our failure often enough, we begin to believe that we are indeed going to fail. So many good habits can fall by the wayside lead by our negative thoughts. Even when I know the happiness of wearing a smaller size, my thoughts can lead me right back to commiserating with Dr. Chocolate Cake, PhD.
Perhaps while I am doing the prescribed exercises at physical therapy to strengthen my weak muscles, I should consider some exercises to strengthen my thought life. Things are hardly ever all or nothing and the all or nothing thinking (I must workout four days a week or I might as well just eat whatever I want) actually makes no sense at all, and only leads to discouragement and failure. Sure, I might not be burning the amount of calories that I am used to, but walking is better than sitting and will help me achieve my long term goals much more than giving up. It might be hard to have several weeks of not losing, or losing less than I had been, but why should I give up my healthy habits now?
It's always a good day to reset, restart, and refocus.
Hearing the news that I should stick to walking only for awhile sent me into an unhealthy tail spin. All the negative and self-defeating thoughts came flooding in. "Why watch your calories if you can't workout?" This is a completely ridiculous thought. Shouldn't I watch my calories more? Oh, my, I just knew that after about 15 weeks of steady loss it would all be over, and what do you know, I did indeed gain a pound that first week of not exercising as I had been.
It is so strange that there is some sort of negative force in us that so wants to see us fail and go back to status quo. If our thoughts predict our failure often enough, we begin to believe that we are indeed going to fail. So many good habits can fall by the wayside lead by our negative thoughts. Even when I know the happiness of wearing a smaller size, my thoughts can lead me right back to commiserating with Dr. Chocolate Cake, PhD.
Perhaps while I am doing the prescribed exercises at physical therapy to strengthen my weak muscles, I should consider some exercises to strengthen my thought life. Things are hardly ever all or nothing and the all or nothing thinking (I must workout four days a week or I might as well just eat whatever I want) actually makes no sense at all, and only leads to discouragement and failure. Sure, I might not be burning the amount of calories that I am used to, but walking is better than sitting and will help me achieve my long term goals much more than giving up. It might be hard to have several weeks of not losing, or losing less than I had been, but why should I give up my healthy habits now?
It's always a good day to reset, restart, and refocus.
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