Happy Saturday ladies! It's a beautiful day here in Michigan and I woke up feeling refreshed, happy and ready to tackle my day. I have not only made my menu for the upcoming week, but I've been to the stored but I'm back and have all of my new purchases stored snugly in the cupboard. When I get done blogging I am going to replant my dying tree with the hopes of nursing it from it's death bed...wish me luck (I love that tree)!
Anyway, I wanted to share something with you this morning. Earlier this week I blogged that I had fallen off the wagon, so to speak, in regards to our lifestyle change. I haven't been doing well for a few weeks now and I want to get back on track. I have some challenges ahead with my visitors coming in the next few weeks and I want to be back on track so I can be strong when company is here. To start things off, I have decided that today I am going to fast. I don't know that we have ever talked about fasting in this blog before but it is something that I've always wanted to do just to prove to myself that I can. By fasting I can prove to myself that I am in total control of what goes into my body. I feel like I need to boost of confidence right now. I need to know that my emotions and boredom don't make these decisions for me.
I know that fasting is really scary for some people. They think of fasting and starvation pops into their mind. Well ladies, I assure you that not only am I not at risk of starving from a 24 hour fast (I have 1 or 2 extra meals stored around the hips), I also have no intentions or desires to starve myself. It isn't about the not eating for me, it's kind of like rebooting. Tomorrow morning when I wake up, I will start again. Also, no worries, while I might not be eating for a day, I will continue to drink lots and lots of water to stay hydrated.
I don't really have much more to say today. Sorry, no earth shatteringly insightful news. I just hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and keep pressing! Keep up the good work and stay strong!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Love Hunger #14
It's baaaacccckkk....I read some more Love Hunger tonight. The book produced an interesting checklist that summarized some of the dos and don'ts of weight loss. I thought I'd list them for others to see, plus typing them helps me remember them better.
1) Using smaller plates when eating and/or buy small plates to use on a regular basis
2) I will prepare a snack box (?) for others in my household to avoid so much food passing through my hands. Not sure what a snack box is but I keep Gavin's snacks handy so he can just grab them. I don't even have to look at them.
3) I will attempt to cook at times of the day when I'm not hungry or fatigued. Umm...when the heck is that time of day? I do usually cook after supper when I'm making something homemade that will last the week.
4) I will attempt to do more cooking and freezing on the weekend so I'm not around food so much on a daily basis. Plus it creates a healthy source of food throughout the week.
5) I will fight the urge to finish all the food on my plate even if it was part of my upbringing. I've gotten better about taking smaller portions in general so leaving food behind isn't a big issue.
6) I will not serve family style meals except when absolutely necessary. We still don't use the kitchen table much at all so the family style meals don't come into play yet.
7) If taking seconds or thirds is an issue for me, I will clean up the kitchen and put away food before sitting down to eat.
8) I will designate leftovers so they are not eaten haphazardly.
9) I will not be afraid of throwing away food.
10) I will slow down my pace of eating and remember that it takes at least twenty minutes for the signals of hunger to appear.
11) I won't accept food that I don't truly want at work, family gatherings, etc.
12) I will identify and keep in check any behavioral chain patterns that lead to overeating.
Behavioral chain patterns are patterns that are common occurrences in your life that lead to overeating and loss of control. Tiffany and I talked about these chain patterns this past week. I have a pattern of overeating at night when I'm bored, lonely, or even busy. My pattern looks like this:
do some work and check emails when I get home ---> have supper while watching tv ----> watch more tv and chat on the computer ------>maybe have a snack while watching tv shows -----> make sure Gavin showers and gets ready for bed ------> watch more tv and chat but eat more snacks because I'm really not that interested in the tv show or I'm bored with the computer -----> I think about still being single or about my thesis which brings about negative emotions ------> read or watch tv in bed, sometimes sneak to the kitchen for a snack to eat in bed------> go to sleep way too late
I have gotten better about snacking though....due to my regular use of the treadmill most nights, my appetite or interest in food has diminished. I just don't want to resort to that old pattern if my running routine changes. Then again.....why should my running routine change? hehe
1) Using smaller plates when eating and/or buy small plates to use on a regular basis
2) I will prepare a snack box (?) for others in my household to avoid so much food passing through my hands. Not sure what a snack box is but I keep Gavin's snacks handy so he can just grab them. I don't even have to look at them.
3) I will attempt to cook at times of the day when I'm not hungry or fatigued. Umm...when the heck is that time of day? I do usually cook after supper when I'm making something homemade that will last the week.
4) I will attempt to do more cooking and freezing on the weekend so I'm not around food so much on a daily basis. Plus it creates a healthy source of food throughout the week.
5) I will fight the urge to finish all the food on my plate even if it was part of my upbringing. I've gotten better about taking smaller portions in general so leaving food behind isn't a big issue.
6) I will not serve family style meals except when absolutely necessary. We still don't use the kitchen table much at all so the family style meals don't come into play yet.
7) If taking seconds or thirds is an issue for me, I will clean up the kitchen and put away food before sitting down to eat.
8) I will designate leftovers so they are not eaten haphazardly.
9) I will not be afraid of throwing away food.
10) I will slow down my pace of eating and remember that it takes at least twenty minutes for the signals of hunger to appear.
11) I won't accept food that I don't truly want at work, family gatherings, etc.
12) I will identify and keep in check any behavioral chain patterns that lead to overeating.
Behavioral chain patterns are patterns that are common occurrences in your life that lead to overeating and loss of control. Tiffany and I talked about these chain patterns this past week. I have a pattern of overeating at night when I'm bored, lonely, or even busy. My pattern looks like this:
do some work and check emails when I get home ---> have supper while watching tv ----> watch more tv and chat on the computer ------>maybe have a snack while watching tv shows -----> make sure Gavin showers and gets ready for bed ------> watch more tv and chat but eat more snacks because I'm really not that interested in the tv show or I'm bored with the computer -----> I think about still being single or about my thesis which brings about negative emotions ------> read or watch tv in bed, sometimes sneak to the kitchen for a snack to eat in bed------> go to sleep way too late
I have gotten better about snacking though....due to my regular use of the treadmill most nights, my appetite or interest in food has diminished. I just don't want to resort to that old pattern if my running routine changes. Then again.....why should my running routine change? hehe
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Update 2/26/2009
Howdy folks-
Weight Watchers had it's perks and downfalls today. Thanks to planning ahead, I made it to my 10am meeting rather than the 12:15pm meeting. I prefer the 10am meeting because I get the meeting done somewhat earlier in the day, plus there are more people at the 12:15pm meeting and it takes longer to get weighed. The personalities at the 12:15pm meeting are better though. Some select ladies at 10am totally control the conversation and brag half the time so I easily tune out and don't pay attention well. One lady in particular talked and talked today about all the compliments she gets at her gym. Who wants to speak up and talk about their successes when you hear a woman bragging about running 7 miles at the gym? The leader wants to hear about large and small successes but the atmosphere completely changes when people brag constantly. Blah. Part of me wants to just weigh in and leave from now on because I'm not learning anything earth shattering at the meetings lately.
That being said, I have lost 3.6 pounds this week so I'm back at 270 lbs. I didn't do a great job tracking my weight this week. I was very conscious about what was going into my mouth and when but I didn't total up points most days. Luckily, by running at night I decrease my appetite so snacking hasn't been so much of an issue. I'm really excited to reach my 20 lbs goal now.
I also got a pleasant surprise last night when I ran on the treadmill and used my heart rate monitor for the first time in years. The treadmill itself was recognizing the signal so I didn't have to stare at the small watch to see my beats per minute. I didn't expect this as the treadmill manual stated that only heart rate monitors of the same brand (can't remember the brand at the moment) work with the treadmill. I'm glad that Polar monitors seem to be so universal.
I should probably work soon but I want to lay out my goals quick.
1) I will continue to work out 4-5 days a week if not more. I typically take Thursdays off as a treat for doing well with Weight Watchers. I also take Friday or Saturday off since it's the weekend and I feel entitled.
2) I will try to sleep by 11pm each night. Some nights I can handle this...some nights falling asleep is a bitch.
3) We will only eat out 1-2 times a week. I'd like one of those times to be breakfast at The Cafe before Gavin goes to school. It's a great bonding time and great food.
Weight Watchers had it's perks and downfalls today. Thanks to planning ahead, I made it to my 10am meeting rather than the 12:15pm meeting. I prefer the 10am meeting because I get the meeting done somewhat earlier in the day, plus there are more people at the 12:15pm meeting and it takes longer to get weighed. The personalities at the 12:15pm meeting are better though. Some select ladies at 10am totally control the conversation and brag half the time so I easily tune out and don't pay attention well. One lady in particular talked and talked today about all the compliments she gets at her gym. Who wants to speak up and talk about their successes when you hear a woman bragging about running 7 miles at the gym? The leader wants to hear about large and small successes but the atmosphere completely changes when people brag constantly. Blah. Part of me wants to just weigh in and leave from now on because I'm not learning anything earth shattering at the meetings lately.
That being said, I have lost 3.6 pounds this week so I'm back at 270 lbs. I didn't do a great job tracking my weight this week. I was very conscious about what was going into my mouth and when but I didn't total up points most days. Luckily, by running at night I decrease my appetite so snacking hasn't been so much of an issue. I'm really excited to reach my 20 lbs goal now.
I also got a pleasant surprise last night when I ran on the treadmill and used my heart rate monitor for the first time in years. The treadmill itself was recognizing the signal so I didn't have to stare at the small watch to see my beats per minute. I didn't expect this as the treadmill manual stated that only heart rate monitors of the same brand (can't remember the brand at the moment) work with the treadmill. I'm glad that Polar monitors seem to be so universal.
I should probably work soon but I want to lay out my goals quick.
1) I will continue to work out 4-5 days a week if not more. I typically take Thursdays off as a treat for doing well with Weight Watchers. I also take Friday or Saturday off since it's the weekend and I feel entitled.
2) I will try to sleep by 11pm each night. Some nights I can handle this...some nights falling asleep is a bitch.
3) We will only eat out 1-2 times a week. I'd like one of those times to be breakfast at The Cafe before Gavin goes to school. It's a great bonding time and great food.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Soup's On!
So, I tried this recipe for the first time this week because I love soup and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this soup. My only complaint was that there needed to be a little more flavor and salt but I didn't put the bacon in because my bacon was moldy...who knew bacon got moldy. With the bacon, I imagine that this would be an excellent soup. This is a very creamy soup Jenny but much better for you than traditional cream-based soups. I hope you enjoy!
Smokey Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder:
4 slices bacon
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced celery and red onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tb. flour
1.5 c. chicken broth
1 can 12 oz. 2% evaporated milk
1 can cream corn
1 can diced tomatoes (well drained)
2 c. chopped roasted chicken (about 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken)
1 Tb. hickory flavored bbq
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1. Cook bacon in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned but not crisp. Stir in onions, celery, red peppers and garlic. Cook until veggies are tender.
2. Add thyme and flour. Mix well. Stir in broth and milk. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and stir continuously until soup thickens slightly.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
*I also added about 2 cups of fresh mushrooms because I like mushrooms. I cooked them with the rest of the veggies*
**This makes 6 servings. Nutrition information per serving:
270 calories
7.1 g total fat
24 g protein
30 g carbohydrate
3 g fiber
53 mg cholesterol
619 mg sodium
Smokey Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder:
4 slices bacon
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced celery and red onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tb. flour
1.5 c. chicken broth
1 can 12 oz. 2% evaporated milk
1 can cream corn
1 can diced tomatoes (well drained)
2 c. chopped roasted chicken (about 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken)
1 Tb. hickory flavored bbq
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1. Cook bacon in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned but not crisp. Stir in onions, celery, red peppers and garlic. Cook until veggies are tender.
2. Add thyme and flour. Mix well. Stir in broth and milk. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and stir continuously until soup thickens slightly.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
*I also added about 2 cups of fresh mushrooms because I like mushrooms. I cooked them with the rest of the veggies*
**This makes 6 servings. Nutrition information per serving:
270 calories
7.1 g total fat
24 g protein
30 g carbohydrate
3 g fiber
53 mg cholesterol
619 mg sodium
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sacrifice...
Sweat plus sacrifice equals success.
-Charlie Finley
I am so glad that you mentioned sacrifice in the comments section of one of the blog entries on self-discipline Leann. I’ve been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately and it seems a very appropriate topic to talk about as today is Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, as I’m sure you know, is the traditional day of gluttony before the Lenten fast begins. While most Catholics don’t observe the Lenten fast, most of them still give something up for the 40 days and 40 nights of Lent…sacrifice! While I’m a Lutheran and am under no religious obligation to give anything up, I always try to. I’ll be honest, most years I fail but I think this might be my year.
Now, onto sacrifice. In simple terms, sacrifice is the surrender of something for the sake of something else (generally deemed to be better). When we began this journey, we knew that there were habits and activities that we were going to have to abandon in order to accomplish our goals. We knew we were going to have to sacrifice some of the things we like such as eating out, snacking, lounging, napping and replace them with cooking at home, exercise, making smart decisions about food, normal sleeping hours etc. We were not blind to the fact that these sacrifices had to be made. Nor were we blind to the fact that we would struggle to make these sacrifices and we probably wouldn’t like them all that much (especially in the beginning).
Although I was prepared for these sacrifices, I was surprised by the others that I have had to make and will have to make in order to reach my health goals. First, time has been a big sacrifice. I’m sure you’ve all felt the time crunch. Coming home every night and devoting 30 minutes to an hour to exercise really makes my evenings feel shorter. Cooking meals takes much more time that it would require to run to Subway and grab my dinner. These activities cut into the time that I used to use to talk to people online or the phone. Seeing as all of my friends and family are billions of miles away from me, the time spent talking to them each night is very, very important to me. In addition, I have to spend more time cleaning my kitchen and do more laundry. Over a week, that time really adds up.
Another big sacrifice has been money surprisingly enough. Granted, I’m not spending as much eating out but eating well does not come cheap. It seems so wrong that the foods that are best for you are so expensive. Fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats are the most expensive things that I buy every week and I don’t even get the more expensive items. I tend to buy what’s on sale instead of what I really want. I was really hoping to save more money by not eating out that I have managed to since I started cooking primarily at home.
Sleep is a sacrifice that I have not made yet but am about too. I really want to work out at the fitness center at my apartment complex when it reopens next month. The only time I’m going to be able to do it is in the morning which means I will have to start getting out of bed by 5, Monday through Friday…AHHHHH!!!! I am very much pro-sleep so this will be a very big undertaking for me.
When we start to think about our sacrifices it can get a little depressing. However, I choose not to get depressed about the things I’m giving up and focus on what I’m working towards. To be honest, I’m not really giving up anything that is uber important to me. The things in life that I love are still here. I still have my friends and my family, and while I might not get to talk to them at the exact time that they or I wish, I still get to call and message them. Sure, it’s fun to eat out but I also really love to cook so the time sacrifice there isn’t a huge deal for me when I really think about it. I always feel great after I exercise so I probably shouldn’t be complaining about that either. Truth be told, there is nothing that I’m giving up that I will actually miss (except for maybe the sleep)! I guess we are at a point in our journey where we have to decide what things are worth giving up in order to accomplish our goals. I’ve decided that it’s ok to give up some of my time, money and sleep to accomplish my ultimate goal, improved health. In the long run, my sacrifices of time, money and sleep will probably be returned to me. As I age, I’ll pay less in medical bills, feel better and ideally live a longer life and the sleep thing…well there’s plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead!
-Charlie Finley
I am so glad that you mentioned sacrifice in the comments section of one of the blog entries on self-discipline Leann. I’ve been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately and it seems a very appropriate topic to talk about as today is Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday, as I’m sure you know, is the traditional day of gluttony before the Lenten fast begins. While most Catholics don’t observe the Lenten fast, most of them still give something up for the 40 days and 40 nights of Lent…sacrifice! While I’m a Lutheran and am under no religious obligation to give anything up, I always try to. I’ll be honest, most years I fail but I think this might be my year.
Now, onto sacrifice. In simple terms, sacrifice is the surrender of something for the sake of something else (generally deemed to be better). When we began this journey, we knew that there were habits and activities that we were going to have to abandon in order to accomplish our goals. We knew we were going to have to sacrifice some of the things we like such as eating out, snacking, lounging, napping and replace them with cooking at home, exercise, making smart decisions about food, normal sleeping hours etc. We were not blind to the fact that these sacrifices had to be made. Nor were we blind to the fact that we would struggle to make these sacrifices and we probably wouldn’t like them all that much (especially in the beginning).
Although I was prepared for these sacrifices, I was surprised by the others that I have had to make and will have to make in order to reach my health goals. First, time has been a big sacrifice. I’m sure you’ve all felt the time crunch. Coming home every night and devoting 30 minutes to an hour to exercise really makes my evenings feel shorter. Cooking meals takes much more time that it would require to run to Subway and grab my dinner. These activities cut into the time that I used to use to talk to people online or the phone. Seeing as all of my friends and family are billions of miles away from me, the time spent talking to them each night is very, very important to me. In addition, I have to spend more time cleaning my kitchen and do more laundry. Over a week, that time really adds up.
Another big sacrifice has been money surprisingly enough. Granted, I’m not spending as much eating out but eating well does not come cheap. It seems so wrong that the foods that are best for you are so expensive. Fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats are the most expensive things that I buy every week and I don’t even get the more expensive items. I tend to buy what’s on sale instead of what I really want. I was really hoping to save more money by not eating out that I have managed to since I started cooking primarily at home.
Sleep is a sacrifice that I have not made yet but am about too. I really want to work out at the fitness center at my apartment complex when it reopens next month. The only time I’m going to be able to do it is in the morning which means I will have to start getting out of bed by 5, Monday through Friday…AHHHHH!!!! I am very much pro-sleep so this will be a very big undertaking for me.
When we start to think about our sacrifices it can get a little depressing. However, I choose not to get depressed about the things I’m giving up and focus on what I’m working towards. To be honest, I’m not really giving up anything that is uber important to me. The things in life that I love are still here. I still have my friends and my family, and while I might not get to talk to them at the exact time that they or I wish, I still get to call and message them. Sure, it’s fun to eat out but I also really love to cook so the time sacrifice there isn’t a huge deal for me when I really think about it. I always feel great after I exercise so I probably shouldn’t be complaining about that either. Truth be told, there is nothing that I’m giving up that I will actually miss (except for maybe the sleep)! I guess we are at a point in our journey where we have to decide what things are worth giving up in order to accomplish our goals. I’ve decided that it’s ok to give up some of my time, money and sleep to accomplish my ultimate goal, improved health. In the long run, my sacrifices of time, money and sleep will probably be returned to me. As I age, I’ll pay less in medical bills, feel better and ideally live a longer life and the sleep thing…well there’s plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead!
Sleepless in Ames....
Sorry about the retarded title...I actually don't like the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" but I am restless at the moment and it's freaking 2:06am. I have tried sleeping for hours and it's just not happening yet. I didn't nap during the day or anything stupid like that. When Gavin and I got home, I did my next running routine. I ran for one minute and walked 4 minutes for 45 minutes....it was about an hour total when you factor in the warm-up and cool-down. I then proceeded to do the dishes and eat some supper. I sat on the couch to prepare to watch my Monday shows (Jon and Kate Plus Eight and Big World, Little People) but immediately passed out. I don't even remember thinking "gosh I'm tired"...I was just out. I woke up at 10:30pm and have been way too perky since.
My run went really well. I know that running/walking interval wasn't that crazy difficult but any change in intensity and difficulty scares me. I don't want to over do it and develop a negative attitude about running.
It was nice having some quiet time to myself though. I've been meaning to dust and organize some parts of my bedroom so I got those tasks done tonight. And I located my heart rate monitor!!!! I am so happy that I found it. It still works too...I tested it out. I had expected the battery to be dead. I also went through my tennis shoe collection and tossed a few pairs. I have a tendency to hold onto shoes forever even if I don't wear them at all.
I don't have any information or questions from Love Hunger. I've gone through all my notes so far and haven't read any further yet in my book. I may stay at Gavin's basketball practice tonight and read a couple more chapters so I have more material. I don't want to set the book aside and never finish it. I've only come across a couple interesting tidbits of information from Weight Watchers.
I guess one of their studies discovered that people eat out 5.8 times a week on average. Doesn't that seem crazy high? But I guess some people always eat out for lunch so it can add up fast.
They also did another study about women alone. A survey asked women what they fantasize about more....food or sex. About 70% fantasized about food while 58% thought about sex at least 10 times a day. It is scary that women get so much pleasure from food that it alters their fantasies. But I can relate...I often think about the desserts at The Cafe or some other treat prior to thinking about the opposite sex. I'm attaching the link to the article in case you want to read more.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4355144/Women-think-about-food-more-than-sex.html
Time to try and sleep again!
My run went really well. I know that running/walking interval wasn't that crazy difficult but any change in intensity and difficulty scares me. I don't want to over do it and develop a negative attitude about running.
It was nice having some quiet time to myself though. I've been meaning to dust and organize some parts of my bedroom so I got those tasks done tonight. And I located my heart rate monitor!!!! I am so happy that I found it. It still works too...I tested it out. I had expected the battery to be dead. I also went through my tennis shoe collection and tossed a few pairs. I have a tendency to hold onto shoes forever even if I don't wear them at all.
I don't have any information or questions from Love Hunger. I've gone through all my notes so far and haven't read any further yet in my book. I may stay at Gavin's basketball practice tonight and read a couple more chapters so I have more material. I don't want to set the book aside and never finish it. I've only come across a couple interesting tidbits of information from Weight Watchers.
I guess one of their studies discovered that people eat out 5.8 times a week on average. Doesn't that seem crazy high? But I guess some people always eat out for lunch so it can add up fast.
They also did another study about women alone. A survey asked women what they fantasize about more....food or sex. About 70% fantasized about food while 58% thought about sex at least 10 times a day. It is scary that women get so much pleasure from food that it alters their fantasies. But I can relate...I often think about the desserts at The Cafe or some other treat prior to thinking about the opposite sex. I'm attaching the link to the article in case you want to read more.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4355144/Women-think-about-food-more-than-sex.html
Time to try and sleep again!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Life Story
Ok ladies-
I don't know how to add a file to this blog. It doesn't seem to be an option. I'm going to email you the document. If you want to read it fine. If not just delete or save it for when you have time.
I don't know how to add a file to this blog. It doesn't seem to be an option. I'm going to email you the document. If you want to read it fine. If not just delete or save it for when you have time.
Persistence...
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
- Calvin Coolidge
Here we are at persistence, the 5th pillar of self-discipline. This is possibly the most important of the 5 pillars that we have discussed. Now, all 5 of the pillars are imperative but persistence is how we accomplish our goals over time. Persistence is our ability to maintain action regardless of our feelings. We press on even when we feel like quitting.
This week has been a very challenging week for me. I was doing really well and when my parent's arrived I fell back onto some of my bad habits. I don't know what it is about having my parent's around (whether they're here or I'm there) there is always overindulgence going on. It could be the fact that with my parents come an excessive amount of snack foods (they eat a lot of crap) or maybe it's just my mind-set, 'Mom's here...eat a donut!' Regardless, their visit started a downward spiral the culminated this week. It's not an excuse and I don't want it to seem like I'm blaming them, it's just how this situation has played out. You're probably asking, what does this have to do with self-discipline. I will tell you, plenty.
In the past, this is the point where I would give up. I would decide that I'm actually happy with my life and I don't need to lose weight. I have friends and family who love me just as I am and I would continue on the path to self-destruction. Today, I say OH HELLLLL NO!!! Yes, my friends and family love me just as I am but I, ME, NICOLE, am not happy with myself right now. I have lost 26.5 pounds (although I know I have gained some of this back) and I refuse to give up. I might not be motivated to cook so I just eat out; I might not be motivated to exercise so I just chill when I get home, but I will be damned if I'm going to let all of my hard work go to waste. I'm 25% to my initial goal of 100 pounds. I am not wasting that. So, how do I pick up and trudge on when I have no motivation? Persistence!
We all know that as we're working towards our goals, that motivation waxes and wanes, similar to the action of waves hitting the shore. There are days or weeks when we feel motivated and others when we don't. Well ladies, take comfort. At the end of the day it's not our motivation that produces results, it's our actions. Our bodies doesn't care if we want to be exercising or not, if we do the work, the results are the same regardless of our feelings. Even when we could care less, persistence allows us to keep taking action even when we don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore we keep accumulating results. And let's be honest ladies, results can be quite motivating themselves. If we remain persistent and keep pressing on, we will lose weight and improve our health. When we receive compliments about our appearance, and drop a jeans size, we will become more motivated to keep on keeping on :)
I really think that with persistence our outcomes are limitless. We can accomplish our weight and fitness goals and we can maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sure, there are still going to be days when all we want to do is stay in bed but with a little persistence, we will get up and get it done. Alright ladies, I think that's all from me on self-discipline. Have a great day, stay strong and press on!!!
- Calvin Coolidge
Here we are at persistence, the 5th pillar of self-discipline. This is possibly the most important of the 5 pillars that we have discussed. Now, all 5 of the pillars are imperative but persistence is how we accomplish our goals over time. Persistence is our ability to maintain action regardless of our feelings. We press on even when we feel like quitting.
This week has been a very challenging week for me. I was doing really well and when my parent's arrived I fell back onto some of my bad habits. I don't know what it is about having my parent's around (whether they're here or I'm there) there is always overindulgence going on. It could be the fact that with my parents come an excessive amount of snack foods (they eat a lot of crap) or maybe it's just my mind-set, 'Mom's here...eat a donut!' Regardless, their visit started a downward spiral the culminated this week. It's not an excuse and I don't want it to seem like I'm blaming them, it's just how this situation has played out. You're probably asking, what does this have to do with self-discipline. I will tell you, plenty.
In the past, this is the point where I would give up. I would decide that I'm actually happy with my life and I don't need to lose weight. I have friends and family who love me just as I am and I would continue on the path to self-destruction. Today, I say OH HELLLLL NO!!! Yes, my friends and family love me just as I am but I, ME, NICOLE, am not happy with myself right now. I have lost 26.5 pounds (although I know I have gained some of this back) and I refuse to give up. I might not be motivated to cook so I just eat out; I might not be motivated to exercise so I just chill when I get home, but I will be damned if I'm going to let all of my hard work go to waste. I'm 25% to my initial goal of 100 pounds. I am not wasting that. So, how do I pick up and trudge on when I have no motivation? Persistence!
We all know that as we're working towards our goals, that motivation waxes and wanes, similar to the action of waves hitting the shore. There are days or weeks when we feel motivated and others when we don't. Well ladies, take comfort. At the end of the day it's not our motivation that produces results, it's our actions. Our bodies doesn't care if we want to be exercising or not, if we do the work, the results are the same regardless of our feelings. Even when we could care less, persistence allows us to keep taking action even when we don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore we keep accumulating results. And let's be honest ladies, results can be quite motivating themselves. If we remain persistent and keep pressing on, we will lose weight and improve our health. When we receive compliments about our appearance, and drop a jeans size, we will become more motivated to keep on keeping on :)
I really think that with persistence our outcomes are limitless. We can accomplish our weight and fitness goals and we can maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sure, there are still going to be days when all we want to do is stay in bed but with a little persistence, we will get up and get it done. Alright ladies, I think that's all from me on self-discipline. Have a great day, stay strong and press on!!!
Time flies....
Yea....one more week left in this month. Normally I wouldn't care but March is going to be sooooooo busy. I can feel my thesis coming down hard on me but so be it. It needs to get done and hopefully it's all written by the end of March. I once again wasted a lot of time in February. I could be a lot further with my work but I'm so complacent about graduating. Maybe I'll start feeling the urgency in March.
I'm not happy about my food choices today despite the fun I had with my family in Cedar falls. We had a delicious Blooming Onion thing for an appetizer and it was very good but I didn't need to pick at it so much. I should have ate more of my salad. I also got a Double Mocha to drink on the way home because I wanted something to keep me awake. It occurred to me that I got fancy hot chocolate and didn't get coffee when I walked out. Yea, chocolate has caffeine in it but I needed more of a pick me up. I also got a candy bar to eat. I wasn't even hungry and I got a treat to eat in the car. Is it okay for me to scrutinize and criticize my eating so often? I feel like I'm so critical lately and I hate feeling guilty because of food. But maybe I should criticize or reflect often so I stop bad habits like unconscious eating and emotional eating. I just don't want to judge myself each time I have a treat or indulge in "bad food".
I still haven't written my life story as requested by Love Hunger. You'll see it posted randomly one of these days.
I'm now in the Modifying Behaviors Part II section of the book. The main focus is minimizing your contact with food. Reading that sentence makes me think that the topic is silly. You are always going to have food in your life. It's like the book's suggestion to never have food in sight in your home. It's not helping you develop a healthy relationship with food. Anyway....the book suggests that you prep your meals the night before so when you get home from work you can just put your casserole or whatever right in the oven and not torture yourself by searching the fridge or cupboards. I can understand this since a person's will power to eat healthy seems to diminish when we are famished or tired after a long day of work. They also suggest putting snacks in one specific place so you don't scavenge and come across things that you shouldn't eat on a regular basis. I try to keep all my snacks in the cupboard by my fridge so I don't see Tuna Helper and want to make that when I'm hungry. I miss Tuna Helper LOL.
They also ask you to think about when you do most of your impuse eating. I've already shared that I do mine at night usually. I'll wander into the kitchen when I'm watching tv at 10pm and think I need a sandwich or some left over pasta. I've done better with this during the past week though. I also make impulse decisions when I'm running errands while hungry and I'll want to visit Taco John's or some other high calorie establishment.
Many of these tips or suggestions can relate directly to Nicole's past blog entry. Prepping a meal the night before or not driving down the main road in your town to avoid fast food reminders may take up more time but they help you in the long run so you can override bad habits.
I know this blog is long already but there are only a couple more points left in my notes so I'll crank them out now. The chapter also talks about taking second or third helpings when having a meal. The book flat out states that you should not serve meals in a family style. You shouldn't bring the pot of food or casserole dish to the table. food should stay on the stove or it should be put into left over containers as soon as everyone has their helpings. Supposedly families are more likely to take additional helpings when the food is just sitting out in front of them at the table. Gavin and I aren't using our kitchen table yet but it's an upcoming goal. I always thought it was more family-oriented if you brought the food to the table but I can see the author's point. I just need to stick with my orignial plan and put away the left overs before I even eat so I'm not likely to over eat. Another valid point is that you shouldn't be afraid to throw food away. Sometimes it is just for the best.
Don't accept food you don't truly want! When does this happen? Do you always eat treats when someone brings them to work? Do you always reach into the candy jar when you're in the secretary's office? Do you always snack and overeat at your Grandma's? When else do you eat when you truly aren't hunger or interested in the food? As I hinted, I always seem to grab candy in the secretary's office at work. And when I visit my Grandma Stika, I always snack and I'm not always hungry.
Ok, this is plenty long enough. Until next time.....
I'm not happy about my food choices today despite the fun I had with my family in Cedar falls. We had a delicious Blooming Onion thing for an appetizer and it was very good but I didn't need to pick at it so much. I should have ate more of my salad. I also got a Double Mocha to drink on the way home because I wanted something to keep me awake. It occurred to me that I got fancy hot chocolate and didn't get coffee when I walked out. Yea, chocolate has caffeine in it but I needed more of a pick me up. I also got a candy bar to eat. I wasn't even hungry and I got a treat to eat in the car. Is it okay for me to scrutinize and criticize my eating so often? I feel like I'm so critical lately and I hate feeling guilty because of food. But maybe I should criticize or reflect often so I stop bad habits like unconscious eating and emotional eating. I just don't want to judge myself each time I have a treat or indulge in "bad food".
I still haven't written my life story as requested by Love Hunger. You'll see it posted randomly one of these days.
I'm now in the Modifying Behaviors Part II section of the book. The main focus is minimizing your contact with food. Reading that sentence makes me think that the topic is silly. You are always going to have food in your life. It's like the book's suggestion to never have food in sight in your home. It's not helping you develop a healthy relationship with food. Anyway....the book suggests that you prep your meals the night before so when you get home from work you can just put your casserole or whatever right in the oven and not torture yourself by searching the fridge or cupboards. I can understand this since a person's will power to eat healthy seems to diminish when we are famished or tired after a long day of work. They also suggest putting snacks in one specific place so you don't scavenge and come across things that you shouldn't eat on a regular basis. I try to keep all my snacks in the cupboard by my fridge so I don't see Tuna Helper and want to make that when I'm hungry. I miss Tuna Helper LOL.
They also ask you to think about when you do most of your impuse eating. I've already shared that I do mine at night usually. I'll wander into the kitchen when I'm watching tv at 10pm and think I need a sandwich or some left over pasta. I've done better with this during the past week though. I also make impulse decisions when I'm running errands while hungry and I'll want to visit Taco John's or some other high calorie establishment.
Many of these tips or suggestions can relate directly to Nicole's past blog entry. Prepping a meal the night before or not driving down the main road in your town to avoid fast food reminders may take up more time but they help you in the long run so you can override bad habits.
I know this blog is long already but there are only a couple more points left in my notes so I'll crank them out now. The chapter also talks about taking second or third helpings when having a meal. The book flat out states that you should not serve meals in a family style. You shouldn't bring the pot of food or casserole dish to the table. food should stay on the stove or it should be put into left over containers as soon as everyone has their helpings. Supposedly families are more likely to take additional helpings when the food is just sitting out in front of them at the table. Gavin and I aren't using our kitchen table yet but it's an upcoming goal. I always thought it was more family-oriented if you brought the food to the table but I can see the author's point. I just need to stick with my orignial plan and put away the left overs before I even eat so I'm not likely to over eat. Another valid point is that you shouldn't be afraid to throw food away. Sometimes it is just for the best.
Don't accept food you don't truly want! When does this happen? Do you always eat treats when someone brings them to work? Do you always reach into the candy jar when you're in the secretary's office? Do you always snack and overeat at your Grandma's? When else do you eat when you truly aren't hunger or interested in the food? As I hinted, I always seem to grab candy in the secretary's office at work. And when I visit my Grandma Stika, I always snack and I'm not always hungry.
Ok, this is plenty long enough. Until next time.....
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Industry...
Sorry about the late post on our 4th pillar of self-discipline. Ironically (or maybe not, I'm always unsure about the proper use of the word) I'm writing about self-discipline this week yet I have none to speak of. Have no fear...I am addressing the situation today! Anyway, late is better than never, especially when what is late is important and I think the concept of industry is!
To accomplish our goals we need to be industrious, there is no way to get around it. So far, everything with self-discipline has been hard. We have to accept that we honestly aren't very good at it (for now), we have to have the willpower to get on the right path and then there's hard work which is inherently hard (or it would be called easy work); on the flip side of the coin, being industrious isn't generally hard but rather, time consuming which can be a problem. We have all openly admitted that among the myriad of factors that have lead to defeat in the past, lack of sufficient time is a major issue. The 4th pillar is going to make us confront this enemy and crush it.
So, what do I mean by something is time consuming but not difficult? Imagine that you have a baby (and Jenny you will know this better than the rest of us). Every day you have to change dirty diapers. Now, changing a diaper isn't a difficult skill...granted, diapers I change never look as good as they do when a mom does it but it's a task that honestly takes little skill, however, you add up the time you spend every day, wiping, patting, drying, lotioning and it fills a pretty big chunk of your time most days.
I think we should think of our weight loss/health goals as a baby. Babies are hard all of the time, especially at the beginning where you're not really sure what you're doing. However, there are also simple tasks, like changing diapers that aren't as hard. The periphery stuff that we're doing to aid in our goals is kind of like the diaper changing business. This blog, for example, is a perfect example of the industry of what we're doing. It's not physically difficult to write in this blog and stay in contact; however, it is a massive time commitment (especially when we've been doing as well as we have lately...go us)!!!!
I personally really like to blog and I think Jenny does too, but there are also areas that require us to be industrious when we really might not want to. Some times we just have to put the time in. An example that I think we can all relate to deals with food. Eating well is a challenge for us, it's hard at times, and was really hard in the beginning...this is not an industry issue. Buying groceries, on the other hand, is industry at it's finest (or worst, I can't quite decide)! It is not difficult or physically challenging to go to the store and buy groceries but the time commitment is monumental. Not only do I have to sit down ahead of time and plan a menu in order to make a shopping list, I then have to go to the store, fight with hordes of people, select my groceries, wait in the check out line for sometimes 45 minutes, come home, lug the bags up the stairs and then put everything away....bah! While this process is necessary, it's generally not fun and little bit annoying. However, it must be done. There are no grocery ferries that will do their thing and cause my cupboards to be magically stocked with food and the necessary supplies. Sadly, I just have to put the time in.
Life is full of moments where we have to be industrious. Every day we do small things that add up in time. We brush our teeth, shower, get dressed, go to the bathroom, apply deodorant etc. These are things that we simply must do, we hardly even think about them as time consuming activities but they are. What we now have to do, is make the industrious things that will help us with our goals become second nature to us also. Every time I have to pee I don't think, oh shoot, it's going to eat 2 minutes of my day. However, when I go to have a snack I think I could just eat these chips that are here and won't waste my time or I could take 2 minutes to cut up an apple and eat that...I think I'll go with the chips and save myself time.
I think industry has been the hardest of the pillars for me to relate to when it comes specifically to weight loss/fitness but it is an important step in self-discipline regardless of application. WE all need to be more industrious every day. Maybe it's not that we're not industrious at all, but maybe we need to decide what activities we should be focusing our time on. Is it more important to exercise or watch a movie? Exercising would take less but I have to make the decision to go that route.
Here's what we have so far: acceptance, willpower, hard work, industry and I'll be finishing with persistence. I really feel like these are excellent pillars and they have offered insight for me and I hope you ladies are getting something out of them as well. Keep up the good work and stay strong!
To accomplish our goals we need to be industrious, there is no way to get around it. So far, everything with self-discipline has been hard. We have to accept that we honestly aren't very good at it (for now), we have to have the willpower to get on the right path and then there's hard work which is inherently hard (or it would be called easy work); on the flip side of the coin, being industrious isn't generally hard but rather, time consuming which can be a problem. We have all openly admitted that among the myriad of factors that have lead to defeat in the past, lack of sufficient time is a major issue. The 4th pillar is going to make us confront this enemy and crush it.
So, what do I mean by something is time consuming but not difficult? Imagine that you have a baby (and Jenny you will know this better than the rest of us). Every day you have to change dirty diapers. Now, changing a diaper isn't a difficult skill...granted, diapers I change never look as good as they do when a mom does it but it's a task that honestly takes little skill, however, you add up the time you spend every day, wiping, patting, drying, lotioning and it fills a pretty big chunk of your time most days.
I think we should think of our weight loss/health goals as a baby. Babies are hard all of the time, especially at the beginning where you're not really sure what you're doing. However, there are also simple tasks, like changing diapers that aren't as hard. The periphery stuff that we're doing to aid in our goals is kind of like the diaper changing business. This blog, for example, is a perfect example of the industry of what we're doing. It's not physically difficult to write in this blog and stay in contact; however, it is a massive time commitment (especially when we've been doing as well as we have lately...go us)!!!!
I personally really like to blog and I think Jenny does too, but there are also areas that require us to be industrious when we really might not want to. Some times we just have to put the time in. An example that I think we can all relate to deals with food. Eating well is a challenge for us, it's hard at times, and was really hard in the beginning...this is not an industry issue. Buying groceries, on the other hand, is industry at it's finest (or worst, I can't quite decide)! It is not difficult or physically challenging to go to the store and buy groceries but the time commitment is monumental. Not only do I have to sit down ahead of time and plan a menu in order to make a shopping list, I then have to go to the store, fight with hordes of people, select my groceries, wait in the check out line for sometimes 45 minutes, come home, lug the bags up the stairs and then put everything away....bah! While this process is necessary, it's generally not fun and little bit annoying. However, it must be done. There are no grocery ferries that will do their thing and cause my cupboards to be magically stocked with food and the necessary supplies. Sadly, I just have to put the time in.
Life is full of moments where we have to be industrious. Every day we do small things that add up in time. We brush our teeth, shower, get dressed, go to the bathroom, apply deodorant etc. These are things that we simply must do, we hardly even think about them as time consuming activities but they are. What we now have to do, is make the industrious things that will help us with our goals become second nature to us also. Every time I have to pee I don't think, oh shoot, it's going to eat 2 minutes of my day. However, when I go to have a snack I think I could just eat these chips that are here and won't waste my time or I could take 2 minutes to cut up an apple and eat that...I think I'll go with the chips and save myself time.
I think industry has been the hardest of the pillars for me to relate to when it comes specifically to weight loss/fitness but it is an important step in self-discipline regardless of application. WE all need to be more industrious every day. Maybe it's not that we're not industrious at all, but maybe we need to decide what activities we should be focusing our time on. Is it more important to exercise or watch a movie? Exercising would take less but I have to make the decision to go that route.
Here's what we have so far: acceptance, willpower, hard work, industry and I'll be finishing with persistence. I really feel like these are excellent pillars and they have offered insight for me and I hope you ladies are getting something out of them as well. Keep up the good work and stay strong!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I love visual aids
So...I have been tracking my weight using the online tools from Weight Watchers. Just another way to hold myself accountable so from time to time I'll post this I think. I'll probably only do it around milestones. As a graduate student and scholar I love visual aids, line graphs, etc....yes I am a nerd!!!
You can see a horizontal line toward the bottom and that is my 10% goal. Based on my starting weight, I need to lose 28 lbs to reach that 10% goal. I guess that's the first thing I'd like to accomplish when utilizing this feature at weight watchers.
Just a little bit frustrated...
So, I realize that I posted on here earlier today. I'm not turning into Jenny but I just needed to share my frustration with you ladies. I think it's very important for my fitness goals to make sure that I'm working in my target heart rate range. What better way to ensure this than to go out and buy myself a heart rate monitor. Let me tell you, not as much fun as it sounds. Not only are they a little on the pricey side, it sounds like most of them don't work. If I want to be be guaranteed to get one that will consistently work, I have to shell out over $100...ahh! It's not even just a matter of justifying the cost, I simply cannot pay that much. I guess I just need to keep researching until I find the right one...
Sex
If that title doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will. I've discovered that after running on the treadmill, the feeling I get is comparable to sex....odd yes but very positive! So either I've gotten below quality sex for years or running is just that good! I feel amazing afterwards when I shower. My only wish is that I had the energy and time to run in the morning so I'd have that energy for most of the day. I've been running in the evening.
I went to Weight Watcher's today. I told the leader the truth. Told her that I fell off the wagon but unlike my other attempts, I wasn't going to quit. I'm paying for this program and dammit I'm sticking with it. I sort of want to prove myself to her. I can tell she doesn't know what to tell me sometimes especially when she sees me undo my hard work. My current weight is 273.6 lbs and I was at 268.8 the last time I went to a meeting. The gain isn't horrible but I'm unhappy that I'm above the 270 lbs mark. I WILL BE AT 250 BEFORE SUMMER HITS!
Back in November, I became interested in getting a scale to measure my food with but didn't want to shell out the money. I told myself I'd wait until I had my taxes done. That being said, I bought a scale at Weight Watcher's. I really wanted one because serving sizes are often given in ounces, especially with cheese and pasta, and it irritates me. Now I can accurate measure my food intake when it comes to portion size.
The last part of the discipline chapter in Love Hunger asked that you write your life story so you (or others) understand your background, character, etc. I don't expect you two to do this unless you truly want to but I will be writing mine soon. I think it will be neat to think back to my early childhood and document the important events and behaviors in my life. The story isn't supposed to sound like a obituary either. You aren't supposed to dwell on food or eating. It's just a recount of how you got to where you are today. It might help me understand some of my other quirks too. I don't anger easily but I have an extremely hard time forgiving people. I'm very OCD about somethings in life. Maybe reflecting on things will help me figure out my life more. Maybe some of those things lead to my poor health behaviors.
Back to work....
I went to Weight Watcher's today. I told the leader the truth. Told her that I fell off the wagon but unlike my other attempts, I wasn't going to quit. I'm paying for this program and dammit I'm sticking with it. I sort of want to prove myself to her. I can tell she doesn't know what to tell me sometimes especially when she sees me undo my hard work. My current weight is 273.6 lbs and I was at 268.8 the last time I went to a meeting. The gain isn't horrible but I'm unhappy that I'm above the 270 lbs mark. I WILL BE AT 250 BEFORE SUMMER HITS!
Back in November, I became interested in getting a scale to measure my food with but didn't want to shell out the money. I told myself I'd wait until I had my taxes done. That being said, I bought a scale at Weight Watcher's. I really wanted one because serving sizes are often given in ounces, especially with cheese and pasta, and it irritates me. Now I can accurate measure my food intake when it comes to portion size.
The last part of the discipline chapter in Love Hunger asked that you write your life story so you (or others) understand your background, character, etc. I don't expect you two to do this unless you truly want to but I will be writing mine soon. I think it will be neat to think back to my early childhood and document the important events and behaviors in my life. The story isn't supposed to sound like a obituary either. You aren't supposed to dwell on food or eating. It's just a recount of how you got to where you are today. It might help me understand some of my other quirks too. I don't anger easily but I have an extremely hard time forgiving people. I'm very OCD about somethings in life. Maybe reflecting on things will help me figure out my life more. Maybe some of those things lead to my poor health behaviors.
Back to work....
Hard work...
The 3rd pillar of self-discipline that I want to discuss with you fine ladies is hard work. I don't really think it should shock any of us to learn this fact. I think we have come to the conclusion all on our own that self-discipline is hard, which in turn makes carrying out self-discipline hard work. The website that I have been using as a reference let me down in it's discussion of hard work. The author went on and on about the computer game that he created and how he has been the recipient of many awards because of his hard work. While, I don't doubt that he worked hard and that he is now reaping the benefits, he focused more on the praise and accolades than on the concept of hard work. So, sadly ladies, you are stuck with my thoughts on hard work.
None of us is a stranger to hard work. We've all worked hard academically and held jobs while doing so (not to mention Jenny was a full time, single parent on top of being a student). We were raised in families where our parents worked hard to provide for their children and families. We understand the demands of hard work, the challenge of it all. Now what we have to do is take our ability to work hard and apply it towards our weight loss and fitness goals.
I want you ladies to think about something for me. Think of a time when accomplished a major goal in your life. I'm not talking about the small accomplishments that we all make. I want you to remember something big...possibly life altering (at least at the time). Now, think about what you did in order to accomplish this goal. My guess is that there was an awful lot of hard work that went into your success. If it was an academic accomplishment I feel safe assuming that there were hours of studying and prep involved; if it was athletic, there were probably days, weeks and maybe months of practice and drills involved. I was very involved in music, speech and theater in high school (yes, you can mock me if you want) but by my senior year, I had the female lead in the musical and play, I was the only person to attend every honor choir that my school participated in, I received superior ratings at solo contest, I was the lead in the All-State reader's theater for speech, All-State performer in individual speech and I presented for a dozen clubs and organizations that year. Funny enough, my leading competitor in all of these activities actually started a rumor that I paid off our coaches and instructors to get the roles and awards that I did. She and I were neck in neck in talent (actually, to be honest, she was better than me when it came to singing) but there was a big difference between us, she never worked hard. She had God given talent and didn't work to improve it. I was had natural talent, but had to work hard to be her competition. She hated me because she wanted the roles I got, she wanted to be the one who was asked to perform for special events. What she never realized is that she should be mad at herself and not me. If she had had a better attitude and had worked to improve her art she would have been able to sing circles around me (I would still have been the better actress!) :) Now, I am not sharing this with you to leave you in awe of my acting and singing abilities (which are both very underdeveloped these days). I just feel like it is such a great example of the way hard work can affect outcomes. I worked my ass off for years when it came to music and theater. I sang whenever I could (I drive my family nuts), I ran lines and just pretended to practice my acting skills (even when I didn't have a part). I knew what I wanted and I worked hard to get there. In the end, it worked out.
I guess my question now becomes, how in the world do we apply the hard work that we are capable of to our weight loss/fitness goals? We am obviously capable of hard work, so how do we take our success in other areas and shunt it towards our health objectives? In the end, I think it comes down to self-discipline. We have to know what we're capable of at this moment in time (acceptance), set a goal, a course of action and execute it (willpower) and then work our asses off to accomplish this goal (hard work). This process has worked for us all before, now we have to make in work in the facet of our lives.
So, moral of the story...stay strong! Keep running, dancing, walking, moving! Keep making healthier choices when it comes to diet, eating out less, and fighting cravings. Don't give up when we falter...use willpower and hard work to get/stay on track. We are stronger than we know and can accomplish our goals ladies!
Keep up the good work and STAY STRONG!!!
None of us is a stranger to hard work. We've all worked hard academically and held jobs while doing so (not to mention Jenny was a full time, single parent on top of being a student). We were raised in families where our parents worked hard to provide for their children and families. We understand the demands of hard work, the challenge of it all. Now what we have to do is take our ability to work hard and apply it towards our weight loss and fitness goals.
I want you ladies to think about something for me. Think of a time when accomplished a major goal in your life. I'm not talking about the small accomplishments that we all make. I want you to remember something big...possibly life altering (at least at the time). Now, think about what you did in order to accomplish this goal. My guess is that there was an awful lot of hard work that went into your success. If it was an academic accomplishment I feel safe assuming that there were hours of studying and prep involved; if it was athletic, there were probably days, weeks and maybe months of practice and drills involved. I was very involved in music, speech and theater in high school (yes, you can mock me if you want) but by my senior year, I had the female lead in the musical and play, I was the only person to attend every honor choir that my school participated in, I received superior ratings at solo contest, I was the lead in the All-State reader's theater for speech, All-State performer in individual speech and I presented for a dozen clubs and organizations that year. Funny enough, my leading competitor in all of these activities actually started a rumor that I paid off our coaches and instructors to get the roles and awards that I did. She and I were neck in neck in talent (actually, to be honest, she was better than me when it came to singing) but there was a big difference between us, she never worked hard. She had God given talent and didn't work to improve it. I was had natural talent, but had to work hard to be her competition. She hated me because she wanted the roles I got, she wanted to be the one who was asked to perform for special events. What she never realized is that she should be mad at herself and not me. If she had had a better attitude and had worked to improve her art she would have been able to sing circles around me (I would still have been the better actress!) :) Now, I am not sharing this with you to leave you in awe of my acting and singing abilities (which are both very underdeveloped these days). I just feel like it is such a great example of the way hard work can affect outcomes. I worked my ass off for years when it came to music and theater. I sang whenever I could (I drive my family nuts), I ran lines and just pretended to practice my acting skills (even when I didn't have a part). I knew what I wanted and I worked hard to get there. In the end, it worked out.
I guess my question now becomes, how in the world do we apply the hard work that we are capable of to our weight loss/fitness goals? We am obviously capable of hard work, so how do we take our success in other areas and shunt it towards our health objectives? In the end, I think it comes down to self-discipline. We have to know what we're capable of at this moment in time (acceptance), set a goal, a course of action and execute it (willpower) and then work our asses off to accomplish this goal (hard work). This process has worked for us all before, now we have to make in work in the facet of our lives.
So, moral of the story...stay strong! Keep running, dancing, walking, moving! Keep making healthier choices when it comes to diet, eating out less, and fighting cravings. Don't give up when we falter...use willpower and hard work to get/stay on track. We are stronger than we know and can accomplish our goals ladies!
Keep up the good work and STAY STRONG!!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Willpower...
Yesterday I started talking about the 5 pillars of self-discipline and began with acceptance. Tonight, I will be shifting the focus of our conversation to willpower (something I seem to be lacking at the moment).
It seems to me that willpower is not a very popular notion these days. As Americans, we want things our way and we rarely want to put any effort into getting it, especially where health is concerned. If we want to get skinny we get liposuction or take a magic pill that will miraculously cure us of our obesity without the unpleasantry of eating right or exercising. Why work hard and lose 100 pounds in 15 months when you can have surgery to bypass your stomach and lose 100 pounds in 6?!?!? Who cares if you'll fight malnourishment for the rest of your life or you could die from bleeding out into your abdomen when the procedure ruptures...you'll be skinny at least! Now, I'm not dogging on the people who have these surgeries or those who try diet pills (even though it doesn't seem like it...I know what it's like to give up on everything else); I'm simply trying to demonstrate how we have moved away from willpower and turned to quick/easy fixes. Let's be honest and just come right out and say what these pills and surgeries are: substitutes for willpower. It's not pretty, but there it is. If we want to survive on this journey and keep working towards self-discipline, it is important that we find our willpower and have faith that it works.
So, what in the world is willpower? It's easily defined, willpower is the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior. The website I found defined willpower as the ability to set a course of action and then engage it. I think both of these definitions are excellent because, although there are slight differences, the main concept is the same, we have to control our path, it's all us...nobody else.
Now, will power is not perfect and it's not eternal. Self-discipline can be constant whereas willpower cannot. Imagine willpower as a temporary boost, a surge in greatness to get you on the right path. I love analogies (I'm sure you've caught onto this by now) so I will share the analogy from the website I found with you in regard to will power. And I quote:
"Willpower is the spearhead of self-discipline. To use a World War II analogy, willpower would be D-Day, the Normandy Invasion. It was the gigantic battle that turned the tide of the war and got things moving in a new direction, even though it took another year to reach VE Day (Victory in Europe). To make that kind of effort every day of the war would have been impossible."
If we approach willpower the way the author of this site does, it would make sense to focus on willpower more heavily in the beginning of this challenge than later on. It is now in the early stage of the game that we need to get ourselves on the right path. I think buying your treadmill Jenny was a surge of willpower. You had the money, could have spent in on a myriad of things, but chose to spend it wisely. Now, you've had some set backs but those set backs will not lose you the war. Getting on your treadmill yesterday was another good use of willpower. I think you really needed a good day to get back on the right track...a few more days and you're right back where you need to be.
So, how does one go about the application of willpower? Like with all good things in life, there are steps to follow:
1. Choose your objective: I want to lose 100 pounds in a safe and permanent manner without pills or surgical intervention
2. Create a plan of attack: this should be detailed, instead of just saying I want to cook at home and make smarter choices about my food, you should detail how you're going to accomplish this. I will buy healthier groceries, find recipes and make a menu at the beginning of each week. DO THIS FOR ALL OF YOUR GOALS.
3. Execute the plan: DO IT!!! This is the time for action. Attack all at once. It's not a gradual thing. Now, you can't change everything immediately but the change you want to make right now, like the cooking at home thing, needs to happen NOW, not later, NOW!!!
I think the last important concept to discuss in regard to willpower is that you're not necessarily directly affecting your diet or exercise when applying willpower. What you're doing is changing the environment around you to make your goals more realistic. Going back to the WWII example, D day did not win the war, but it changed the environment. Our boys now had a beachhead established and it made the execution of other attacks easier, their environment aided them in their success. Sure, they still struggled, there were still battles. Life was still challenging but it was possible to overcome those challenges. It's the same for us. Just because we use our willpower and make things a little bit easier for us now doesn't mean that it's a cake walk from here on out. We're going to struggle, there will be challenges, but hey...at least we don't have to worry about being run down by tanks!
Alright, I think that's enough for tonight. Sorry if this blog is a little bit all over the place, I'm feeling a bit spacey tonight! Have a great one ladies and keep up the good work!
It seems to me that willpower is not a very popular notion these days. As Americans, we want things our way and we rarely want to put any effort into getting it, especially where health is concerned. If we want to get skinny we get liposuction or take a magic pill that will miraculously cure us of our obesity without the unpleasantry of eating right or exercising. Why work hard and lose 100 pounds in 15 months when you can have surgery to bypass your stomach and lose 100 pounds in 6?!?!? Who cares if you'll fight malnourishment for the rest of your life or you could die from bleeding out into your abdomen when the procedure ruptures...you'll be skinny at least! Now, I'm not dogging on the people who have these surgeries or those who try diet pills (even though it doesn't seem like it...I know what it's like to give up on everything else); I'm simply trying to demonstrate how we have moved away from willpower and turned to quick/easy fixes. Let's be honest and just come right out and say what these pills and surgeries are: substitutes for willpower. It's not pretty, but there it is. If we want to survive on this journey and keep working towards self-discipline, it is important that we find our willpower and have faith that it works.
So, what in the world is willpower? It's easily defined, willpower is the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior. The website I found defined willpower as the ability to set a course of action and then engage it. I think both of these definitions are excellent because, although there are slight differences, the main concept is the same, we have to control our path, it's all us...nobody else.
Now, will power is not perfect and it's not eternal. Self-discipline can be constant whereas willpower cannot. Imagine willpower as a temporary boost, a surge in greatness to get you on the right path. I love analogies (I'm sure you've caught onto this by now) so I will share the analogy from the website I found with you in regard to will power. And I quote:
"Willpower is the spearhead of self-discipline. To use a World War II analogy, willpower would be D-Day, the Normandy Invasion. It was the gigantic battle that turned the tide of the war and got things moving in a new direction, even though it took another year to reach VE Day (Victory in Europe). To make that kind of effort every day of the war would have been impossible."
If we approach willpower the way the author of this site does, it would make sense to focus on willpower more heavily in the beginning of this challenge than later on. It is now in the early stage of the game that we need to get ourselves on the right path. I think buying your treadmill Jenny was a surge of willpower. You had the money, could have spent in on a myriad of things, but chose to spend it wisely. Now, you've had some set backs but those set backs will not lose you the war. Getting on your treadmill yesterday was another good use of willpower. I think you really needed a good day to get back on the right track...a few more days and you're right back where you need to be.
So, how does one go about the application of willpower? Like with all good things in life, there are steps to follow:
1. Choose your objective: I want to lose 100 pounds in a safe and permanent manner without pills or surgical intervention
2. Create a plan of attack: this should be detailed, instead of just saying I want to cook at home and make smarter choices about my food, you should detail how you're going to accomplish this. I will buy healthier groceries, find recipes and make a menu at the beginning of each week. DO THIS FOR ALL OF YOUR GOALS.
3. Execute the plan: DO IT!!! This is the time for action. Attack all at once. It's not a gradual thing. Now, you can't change everything immediately but the change you want to make right now, like the cooking at home thing, needs to happen NOW, not later, NOW!!!
I think the last important concept to discuss in regard to willpower is that you're not necessarily directly affecting your diet or exercise when applying willpower. What you're doing is changing the environment around you to make your goals more realistic. Going back to the WWII example, D day did not win the war, but it changed the environment. Our boys now had a beachhead established and it made the execution of other attacks easier, their environment aided them in their success. Sure, they still struggled, there were still battles. Life was still challenging but it was possible to overcome those challenges. It's the same for us. Just because we use our willpower and make things a little bit easier for us now doesn't mean that it's a cake walk from here on out. We're going to struggle, there will be challenges, but hey...at least we don't have to worry about being run down by tanks!
Alright, I think that's enough for tonight. Sorry if this blog is a little bit all over the place, I'm feeling a bit spacey tonight! Have a great one ladies and keep up the good work!
Woohoo!!
Howdy ladies-
Well I went to bed last night......at 10:00pm!!! I was so tired because I didn't nap during the day and I ran between 6-7:30pm and tuckered myself out. Instead of just running and wiping myself out, I used the first week and first day of my running program. It was very simple. Basically you run for 30 seconds and then walk for 4 minutes and you repeat that pattern for 35 minutes. I did alter it slightly at times because for some cycles, running only 30 seconds was easy so I bumped it up to a minute. I could have gone longer than 35 minutes but I made myself stop so I didn't ruin my hamstrings for days. My legs feel fine (so far) today and I look forward to running either tonight or tomorrow night. It was really fun running while I watched Seinfeld and family guy. It helped the time pass by faster since my mind was halfway distracted with comedy. I was hungry when I finished running but I only wanted good stuff. The apple I ate afterward was amazing and I made a sandwich with sour dough bread, fresh veggies, and ham. I still have to have a slice of cheddar cheese on my sandwiches but I use real cheese, not that processed sliced crap made by Kraft.
I did notice that my heart rate monitor in my treadmill wasn't horribly consistent. Sometimes it would work well and my heart rate would be in the right range but at other times it would say my pulse was between 74-90 bpm. Considering how much I was panting, I know my heart rate was always above 140 bpm. The sensors are on the handle bars so I don't see how I could be messing up the process. And my hands were plenty sweaty so the signal should have been conducted well. I just wanted to make sure I was between 143-168 bpm so I was in my target heart rate range.
Ironically the next part of Love Hunger is about discipline. If I come across any repeating information I'll leave it out so we aren't reading the same stuff more than once. Plus I can already tell that I like Nicole's source a little more when it comes to this subject. The first question asks, "How were you disciplined as a child?" If I remember correctly I was spanked, yelled at, and had things/activities taken away from me if I was rotten. How were you disciplined when you were older? I remember being yelled at as a teenager about a multitude of things but my parents never grounded me. And since I worked when I was older, they couldn't take the car away or really keep me at home. But I didn't do things that were that horrible until around the time I got pregnant. But even at that time, the fact that I disappointed people seemed to be punishment enough. I think my constant worry about disappointing people could be a negative and positive for my weight loss. I don't want people to think "oh jeez, she still can't manage to get her weight under control" but at the same time I need to do this for ME and not worry about what people think.
The first part of the chapter then makes suggestions about maintaining discipline with your diet. The first suggestion states that you should not keep any food out in the open so its always out of sight therefore out of mind. I think this one is a crock. You have to diet and change your lifestyle so you can trust yourself with food and simply hiding it doesn't seem to promote that. I think its fine to leave fruit on the table. I'd like to think that leaving healthy snacks out in the open makes you more likely to want those when you're hungry.
They also suggest that you put healthy stuff in the front of your fridge or cupboards. Not sure what I think of this because I know that I still have junk food if it's in the apartment. I don't simply forget even if a box of Wheat Thins is hiding my licorice. But maybe that works for others. I also hate to hide food in the fridge because then it may not get eaten before it expires. I'm not fond of wasting money.
They also mention something that I've suggested in the past (I feel so smart!). You are encouraged to change travel routes so you aren't tempted by fast food, restaurants, or even grocery stores. This is why I typically avoid Lincoln Way when I drive through Ames since all the tempting places are located close to this street.
They also suggest that you use salad plates or small plates when you eat so you are disciplined about portions. I've considered doing this but haven't made the transition yet. I also like this last suggestion. Put extra food away BEfORE you eat. Don't let it sit on the stove or table during the meal. Another one of those out of sight out of mind deals. I always let the food sit on the stove and I do often go back for seconds since it's right there. I was taught to let food cool though before you put it away so it doesn't create condensation all over the tupperware. I'm sure I can handle some condensation though. It's worth it if it helps me shed pounds.
The last part about discipline requires a big task. I'll talk about it next time since we have plenty to read and do on here for now. Not sure why I'm all about blogging lately but its better than never blogging at all.
Well I went to bed last night......at 10:00pm!!! I was so tired because I didn't nap during the day and I ran between 6-7:30pm and tuckered myself out. Instead of just running and wiping myself out, I used the first week and first day of my running program. It was very simple. Basically you run for 30 seconds and then walk for 4 minutes and you repeat that pattern for 35 minutes. I did alter it slightly at times because for some cycles, running only 30 seconds was easy so I bumped it up to a minute. I could have gone longer than 35 minutes but I made myself stop so I didn't ruin my hamstrings for days. My legs feel fine (so far) today and I look forward to running either tonight or tomorrow night. It was really fun running while I watched Seinfeld and family guy. It helped the time pass by faster since my mind was halfway distracted with comedy. I was hungry when I finished running but I only wanted good stuff. The apple I ate afterward was amazing and I made a sandwich with sour dough bread, fresh veggies, and ham. I still have to have a slice of cheddar cheese on my sandwiches but I use real cheese, not that processed sliced crap made by Kraft.
I did notice that my heart rate monitor in my treadmill wasn't horribly consistent. Sometimes it would work well and my heart rate would be in the right range but at other times it would say my pulse was between 74-90 bpm. Considering how much I was panting, I know my heart rate was always above 140 bpm. The sensors are on the handle bars so I don't see how I could be messing up the process. And my hands were plenty sweaty so the signal should have been conducted well. I just wanted to make sure I was between 143-168 bpm so I was in my target heart rate range.
Ironically the next part of Love Hunger is about discipline. If I come across any repeating information I'll leave it out so we aren't reading the same stuff more than once. Plus I can already tell that I like Nicole's source a little more when it comes to this subject. The first question asks, "How were you disciplined as a child?" If I remember correctly I was spanked, yelled at, and had things/activities taken away from me if I was rotten. How were you disciplined when you were older? I remember being yelled at as a teenager about a multitude of things but my parents never grounded me. And since I worked when I was older, they couldn't take the car away or really keep me at home. But I didn't do things that were that horrible until around the time I got pregnant. But even at that time, the fact that I disappointed people seemed to be punishment enough. I think my constant worry about disappointing people could be a negative and positive for my weight loss. I don't want people to think "oh jeez, she still can't manage to get her weight under control" but at the same time I need to do this for ME and not worry about what people think.
The first part of the chapter then makes suggestions about maintaining discipline with your diet. The first suggestion states that you should not keep any food out in the open so its always out of sight therefore out of mind. I think this one is a crock. You have to diet and change your lifestyle so you can trust yourself with food and simply hiding it doesn't seem to promote that. I think its fine to leave fruit on the table. I'd like to think that leaving healthy snacks out in the open makes you more likely to want those when you're hungry.
They also suggest that you put healthy stuff in the front of your fridge or cupboards. Not sure what I think of this because I know that I still have junk food if it's in the apartment. I don't simply forget even if a box of Wheat Thins is hiding my licorice. But maybe that works for others. I also hate to hide food in the fridge because then it may not get eaten before it expires. I'm not fond of wasting money.
They also mention something that I've suggested in the past (I feel so smart!). You are encouraged to change travel routes so you aren't tempted by fast food, restaurants, or even grocery stores. This is why I typically avoid Lincoln Way when I drive through Ames since all the tempting places are located close to this street.
They also suggest that you use salad plates or small plates when you eat so you are disciplined about portions. I've considered doing this but haven't made the transition yet. I also like this last suggestion. Put extra food away BEfORE you eat. Don't let it sit on the stove or table during the meal. Another one of those out of sight out of mind deals. I always let the food sit on the stove and I do often go back for seconds since it's right there. I was taught to let food cool though before you put it away so it doesn't create condensation all over the tupperware. I'm sure I can handle some condensation though. It's worth it if it helps me shed pounds.
The last part about discipline requires a big task. I'll talk about it next time since we have plenty to read and do on here for now. Not sure why I'm all about blogging lately but its better than never blogging at all.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Acceptance...
Jenny, what wonderful blogging you accomplished today! I fully intend on answering your questions but probably not tonight. Tonight I want to continue on with my thoughts about discipline, however, I don't want you to think I ignored your deep questions with insightful and personal answers!
Over the next 5 nights, I would like to discuss the 5 pillars of discipline. Remember, I stole most of this from someone else but I think it's quite relevant. In regards to self-discipline, the 5 pillars are acceptance, will power, hard work, industry and persistence or A WHIP. Tonight, I will be focusing on acceptance.
I think acceptance is a really important pillar for us in our current state. We are all still beginners, as such, we must start at the very beginning. Acceptance is simply assessing where we are at this moment in time, accepting it as true and progressing from there in a reasonable yet challenging way. Simple, right?!?!? Maybe.
Going back to the weight lifting analogy from yesterday. Imagine a young woman who wants to train her biceps. If she has very little practice with bicep curls, it is very important for her to choose the proper weight to start with. If she over estimates her ability, she will begin with weights that are too difficult to lift, she will get sore or injured, she will quit and not make improvements. Conversely, if she under estimates her strength, she will start with weights much too light for her, not be challenged, not make improvements, and give up because it's simply not working. By properly assessing her current capabilities, she will be able to find an adequate amount of weight that will not only allow her to do her exercises but will also allow her to challenge herself and improve her muscle mass. The same holds true for self-discipline. I know that I have a small amount of self-discipline when it comes to regular exercise. I've been surprised to find that I have a higher level of self-discipline than I thought when it comes to smarter eating. Now that I've accepted my levels, I can move forward.
The most important factors rising from acceptance is that is allows us to develop a realistic game plan for our journey. I know that I need to start slow and small with the regular exercise. I need to make myself exercise 3-4 times a week for 20-30 minutes. I've been doing that for a month now and it really seems to be working. This is possible but it's also a challenge. When this no longer becomes a challenge, then I must add more time, or another day. The example that the author used to convey this idea of a realistic game plan was in regard to waking time. He knew a man who woke up at 10:00 a.m. every day. His goal was to start getting out of bed at 5...ick, but it's true. He said that he had tried it but could never accomplish this goal. I think it's safe to assume he couldn't accomplish this goal because he had not accepted his current ability level and was aiming for a goal that was too far out of reach. Instead, he was instructed to start getting up 15-30 minutes earlier each day. When that became easy, move ahead again. By taking it step by step, he was able to get out of bed at 5 and he now does so seven days a week. Now, I'm not saying that we have to get up at the ass crack of dawn everyday, but you can see how we have to slowly step towards our goals. We must find the balance between realistic expectations and constant challenge.
Alright, I think that sums up acceptance. Tomorrow I shall share thoughts on will power. Have a great night ladies and stay strong! I know you can do well!!!
Over the next 5 nights, I would like to discuss the 5 pillars of discipline. Remember, I stole most of this from someone else but I think it's quite relevant. In regards to self-discipline, the 5 pillars are acceptance, will power, hard work, industry and persistence or A WHIP. Tonight, I will be focusing on acceptance.
I think acceptance is a really important pillar for us in our current state. We are all still beginners, as such, we must start at the very beginning. Acceptance is simply assessing where we are at this moment in time, accepting it as true and progressing from there in a reasonable yet challenging way. Simple, right?!?!? Maybe.
Going back to the weight lifting analogy from yesterday. Imagine a young woman who wants to train her biceps. If she has very little practice with bicep curls, it is very important for her to choose the proper weight to start with. If she over estimates her ability, she will begin with weights that are too difficult to lift, she will get sore or injured, she will quit and not make improvements. Conversely, if she under estimates her strength, she will start with weights much too light for her, not be challenged, not make improvements, and give up because it's simply not working. By properly assessing her current capabilities, she will be able to find an adequate amount of weight that will not only allow her to do her exercises but will also allow her to challenge herself and improve her muscle mass. The same holds true for self-discipline. I know that I have a small amount of self-discipline when it comes to regular exercise. I've been surprised to find that I have a higher level of self-discipline than I thought when it comes to smarter eating. Now that I've accepted my levels, I can move forward.
The most important factors rising from acceptance is that is allows us to develop a realistic game plan for our journey. I know that I need to start slow and small with the regular exercise. I need to make myself exercise 3-4 times a week for 20-30 minutes. I've been doing that for a month now and it really seems to be working. This is possible but it's also a challenge. When this no longer becomes a challenge, then I must add more time, or another day. The example that the author used to convey this idea of a realistic game plan was in regard to waking time. He knew a man who woke up at 10:00 a.m. every day. His goal was to start getting out of bed at 5...ick, but it's true. He said that he had tried it but could never accomplish this goal. I think it's safe to assume he couldn't accomplish this goal because he had not accepted his current ability level and was aiming for a goal that was too far out of reach. Instead, he was instructed to start getting up 15-30 minutes earlier each day. When that became easy, move ahead again. By taking it step by step, he was able to get out of bed at 5 and he now does so seven days a week. Now, I'm not saying that we have to get up at the ass crack of dawn everyday, but you can see how we have to slowly step towards our goals. We must find the balance between realistic expectations and constant challenge.
Alright, I think that sums up acceptance. Tomorrow I shall share thoughts on will power. Have a great night ladies and stay strong! I know you can do well!!!
Love Hunger #13
I swear this is the last entry for today. When I get on a roll, I like to blog a lot since I have lots of notes written.
Modifying Behaviors Part I Section 3
Eliminating Cues Associated with Eating Activities
Do you do any of the following activities:
eating in the car?
eating while shopping or walking around in public?
eating while working at your desk?
eating snacks in a break room or someone else's desk (candy dish for example)?
eating while walking around the house?
eating while cooking?
eating while preparing food, meals, or snacks for others?
eating while on the telephone?
eating while reading?
eating while at the movies?
eating while doing errands (grabbing candy at the check out or from candy dishes)?
I'm proud to say I don't do much of those activities. I rarely eat in the car. I only eat when I'm traveling to or from Waukon. We've actually reduced the amount of stops or don't buy food when we stop on most trips. I also rarely eat when shopping. Sometimes we get a pretzel at the mall but I have a hard time carrying things and eating at the same time.
I eat at my desk at home....something that needs to stop. I do it less though but I want to quit it completely. It helps that I rarely use my PC now. I rarely eat snacks at work in the lounge. I'm not a big cake person and it seems like we only have birthday cakes when it comes to food being shared. I eat less candy from the secretary's candy bucket too. Luckily they usually only stock it with chocolate candy and I'm not a big fan.
I don't eat when walking around the house or while cooking. I'm not a big taste tester. I'm not coordinated enough to eat when walking around and doing stuff. I only eat when I'm sitting. Sometimes I eat on the phone but I try not to since it's rude. I can't eat when reading, I need both hands. I'm usually good when we go to the movies. I don't like popcorn much so that's easily avoided. I also hate paying so much for candy so I avoid those treats too. I usually sneak in a bag of skittles for Gavin and have a few from his bag.
I also don't eat much when running errands. I have to be damn hungry for the candy or food by a check out to look good. My main vice is eating while the television is on. The habit is so strong now so it's tough to break. But discipline isn't easy so I better get ready for some struggles!
Modifying Behaviors Part I Section 3
Eliminating Cues Associated with Eating Activities
Do you do any of the following activities:
eating in the car?
eating while shopping or walking around in public?
eating while working at your desk?
eating snacks in a break room or someone else's desk (candy dish for example)?
eating while walking around the house?
eating while cooking?
eating while preparing food, meals, or snacks for others?
eating while on the telephone?
eating while reading?
eating while at the movies?
eating while doing errands (grabbing candy at the check out or from candy dishes)?
I'm proud to say I don't do much of those activities. I rarely eat in the car. I only eat when I'm traveling to or from Waukon. We've actually reduced the amount of stops or don't buy food when we stop on most trips. I also rarely eat when shopping. Sometimes we get a pretzel at the mall but I have a hard time carrying things and eating at the same time.
I eat at my desk at home....something that needs to stop. I do it less though but I want to quit it completely. It helps that I rarely use my PC now. I rarely eat snacks at work in the lounge. I'm not a big cake person and it seems like we only have birthday cakes when it comes to food being shared. I eat less candy from the secretary's candy bucket too. Luckily they usually only stock it with chocolate candy and I'm not a big fan.
I don't eat when walking around the house or while cooking. I'm not a big taste tester. I'm not coordinated enough to eat when walking around and doing stuff. I only eat when I'm sitting. Sometimes I eat on the phone but I try not to since it's rude. I can't eat when reading, I need both hands. I'm usually good when we go to the movies. I don't like popcorn much so that's easily avoided. I also hate paying so much for candy so I avoid those treats too. I usually sneak in a bag of skittles for Gavin and have a few from his bag.
I also don't eat much when running errands. I have to be damn hungry for the candy or food by a check out to look good. My main vice is eating while the television is on. The habit is so strong now so it's tough to break. But discipline isn't easy so I better get ready for some struggles!
Love Hunger #12
Modifying Behaviors Part I-Section 2
This section requires to think about your eating as an addiction. I do personally think that my diet involves an addiction to food. If you don't think you have an actual addiction to food you can just skip over this section of Love Hunger.
Name the ways that your addiction to food has hurt you or others in your life.
My addiction to food has harmed my health. I don't feel the affects (I can't tell my overall cholesterol or triglycerides are high) but I do feel more lathargic and less energetic. My fitness has also gone down severely since high school.
I think my son and I would do more if I were at a healthier weight. Not only would we do more activities, but that extra physical activity would help maintain my weight loss and fitness. I think the poor boy lives a relatively boring life since I'm always so tired at night or on the weekends.
My self-esteem blows. I'd be more confident, pleasant, and fun if I liked how I looked on a regular basis. I'd also be more social and I'd go out more if I was happier with my appearance.
I also think my addiction has hurt my finances. I think about all the money I've spent on eating out and it's scary. I could have saved that money for loan repayment or for Gavin's savings account. Yeesh.
I've hurt my career. I am in an area that expects fitness and a fit looking body. If I had interviewed for PE jobs prior to grad school, I think a lot of people would have not considered me since I'm not slim. I may have the same problem when it comes to lecturing or research jobs because that expectation of skinniness and fitness exists throughout the realm of kinesiology.
Name the good things you lost as a result of your addiction.
This one is tough. I think I've lost some respect at work since I'm one of the heaviest in the department. I often assume that people wonder about my lifestyle since I look the way I look. I think more people would take me seriously or more seriously if I was thin and fit like my other coworkers in pedagogy.
I'm afraid I've lost years of my life due to my calorie intake and food choices. I'm afraid I've caused damage to my cardiovascular system and that will catch up to me when I'm older. My maternal side of the family also has severe issues with colon cancer and diet is directly linked to it's occurrence.
I've lost opportunities to meet possible boyfriends or new friends in general. I know you should date someone that likes you for who you are....not what you look like. But you have to admit that most men are drawn to thinner women. Back when I was actively trying to date (2007 mainly), a lot of guys told me that they loved my personality but I know my weight was an issue. Since I don't like to dress up much anymore, I don't go out much and I don't meet new people very often. Kind of hard to make new friends or meet a nice guy if I never go out.
I've lost important time that should have been spent with Gavin. I think back to the summers and weekends that were spent being very inactive. We should have ridden our bikes more. We should have gone on more hikes. I think he'd more interested in sports if I wasn't so lazy and tired. He's going to be a teenager and more unwilling to hang with his mom before I know it and I'll wish that I could go back to his elementary years. I don't want him to think back to his childhood and only remember his mom being in college and being tired all the time.
I've lost important parts of my personality. I used to be so outgoing, loud, and fun. I've become more reserved and quiet because I'm so worried what people think about my appearance. I used to love being a leader but now I tend to hang back and let others do that.
Imagine what your life will be like if you don't change.
I can see myself being sick when I'm in my thirties. I can see myself developing diabetes or blood pressure issues. I can also see myself getting much larger and totally giving up in regards to my appearance. I'll also deal with mental health issues like depression. I'll die an earlier death and my life will not have high quality.
I also see myself staying single or settling for a man that isn't right for me. I also think that I won't be married for life. I bet I'll divorce or be part of an unhappy marriage since I'll be unhappy with myself. I won't have a job that I'm truly happy with. I'll settle for something that pays the bills but doesn't utilize my education. My son will become more inactive and less healthy due to my lifestyle too.
I won't go out much, only for work or for food. I'll participate in activities that allow me to be sedentary on a regular basis. Due to being ashamed, I won't see my immediate family as much.
Wow that all sounds like a drag.
This section requires to think about your eating as an addiction. I do personally think that my diet involves an addiction to food. If you don't think you have an actual addiction to food you can just skip over this section of Love Hunger.
Name the ways that your addiction to food has hurt you or others in your life.
My addiction to food has harmed my health. I don't feel the affects (I can't tell my overall cholesterol or triglycerides are high) but I do feel more lathargic and less energetic. My fitness has also gone down severely since high school.
I think my son and I would do more if I were at a healthier weight. Not only would we do more activities, but that extra physical activity would help maintain my weight loss and fitness. I think the poor boy lives a relatively boring life since I'm always so tired at night or on the weekends.
My self-esteem blows. I'd be more confident, pleasant, and fun if I liked how I looked on a regular basis. I'd also be more social and I'd go out more if I was happier with my appearance.
I also think my addiction has hurt my finances. I think about all the money I've spent on eating out and it's scary. I could have saved that money for loan repayment or for Gavin's savings account. Yeesh.
I've hurt my career. I am in an area that expects fitness and a fit looking body. If I had interviewed for PE jobs prior to grad school, I think a lot of people would have not considered me since I'm not slim. I may have the same problem when it comes to lecturing or research jobs because that expectation of skinniness and fitness exists throughout the realm of kinesiology.
Name the good things you lost as a result of your addiction.
This one is tough. I think I've lost some respect at work since I'm one of the heaviest in the department. I often assume that people wonder about my lifestyle since I look the way I look. I think more people would take me seriously or more seriously if I was thin and fit like my other coworkers in pedagogy.
I'm afraid I've lost years of my life due to my calorie intake and food choices. I'm afraid I've caused damage to my cardiovascular system and that will catch up to me when I'm older. My maternal side of the family also has severe issues with colon cancer and diet is directly linked to it's occurrence.
I've lost opportunities to meet possible boyfriends or new friends in general. I know you should date someone that likes you for who you are....not what you look like. But you have to admit that most men are drawn to thinner women. Back when I was actively trying to date (2007 mainly), a lot of guys told me that they loved my personality but I know my weight was an issue. Since I don't like to dress up much anymore, I don't go out much and I don't meet new people very often. Kind of hard to make new friends or meet a nice guy if I never go out.
I've lost important time that should have been spent with Gavin. I think back to the summers and weekends that were spent being very inactive. We should have ridden our bikes more. We should have gone on more hikes. I think he'd more interested in sports if I wasn't so lazy and tired. He's going to be a teenager and more unwilling to hang with his mom before I know it and I'll wish that I could go back to his elementary years. I don't want him to think back to his childhood and only remember his mom being in college and being tired all the time.
I've lost important parts of my personality. I used to be so outgoing, loud, and fun. I've become more reserved and quiet because I'm so worried what people think about my appearance. I used to love being a leader but now I tend to hang back and let others do that.
Imagine what your life will be like if you don't change.
I can see myself being sick when I'm in my thirties. I can see myself developing diabetes or blood pressure issues. I can also see myself getting much larger and totally giving up in regards to my appearance. I'll also deal with mental health issues like depression. I'll die an earlier death and my life will not have high quality.
I also see myself staying single or settling for a man that isn't right for me. I also think that I won't be married for life. I bet I'll divorce or be part of an unhappy marriage since I'll be unhappy with myself. I won't have a job that I'm truly happy with. I'll settle for something that pays the bills but doesn't utilize my education. My son will become more inactive and less healthy due to my lifestyle too.
I won't go out much, only for work or for food. I'll participate in activities that allow me to be sedentary on a regular basis. Due to being ashamed, I won't see my immediate family as much.
Wow that all sounds like a drag.
Love Hunger #11
Modifying Behaviors Part I
Where do you eat breakfast?
I rarely eat breakfast. If I do eat breakfast, it's usually a cereal bar or something simple. I'll eat the cereal bar or banana at work when I have a break or nothing to do. I rarely eat breakfast at home. It's not like I enjoy skipping breakfast but I'm rarely hungry in the morning. If I force myself to eat, I usually feel sick most of the morning. If I start sleeping better and exercising regularly, I bet I'd be more hungry in the morning.
Where do you eat lunch? The location of my lunch varies quite a bit. If I am at home, I eat at the coffee table in the living room. If I'm at work I'll eat in the lab or graduate lounge.
Where do you eat supper? Gavin and I eat dinner at the coffee table in the living room. We use our kitchen table once in awhile....maybe. We developed the bad habit of eating in front of the tv when we moved to our current apartment. I keep saying that I want us to use our kitchen table regularly but I'm usually so tired at night and it seems easier to just relax and sit in the living room. A lot of things would change positively if we ate in the kitchen with no tv on.
Do you eat at your desk when working?
Well I don't have a desk at work so I don't eat at work in that environment. I do eat at my computer desk at home though. My keyboard can prove it since I'm messy. I take a break at work and separate food from my job. I don't separate food from work when I'm at home though.
Where do you keep your snacks? I have a specific cupboard that I keep snacks for both me and Gavin. I typically keep my stuff on a high shelf and Gavin's food is lower. I try to keep a fiber one bar or something similar in my work bags. I don't keep snacks anywhere else because I don't keep many snacks around.
How could you make your eating areas special? Well using our kitchen table would make eating more separate from life and special. I also have nice glasses that rarely get used so I'm sure Gavin would get a kick out of that. I also think that getting sparkling grape juice would add to some of our meals in the kitchen. My mom does that sometimes and it always made the meal more fun when I'm younger. Heck I still get excited when we have sparkling grape juice when we visit. It seems silly to let the fancy dishes or glasses just sit in the cupboard. I really want to have Gavin start helping with the cooking process too so that would add some "specialness". We haven't use the cookbooks he's gotten for Christmas yet. I think he'd be more willing to try new things if he had a hand in making the new foods.
I think this section of the book targets those people that eat when they commute or eat while they work. It's much easier to overeat when you're distracted with work or other tasks. The same comes into play when you sit in front of the tv.
Where do you eat breakfast?
I rarely eat breakfast. If I do eat breakfast, it's usually a cereal bar or something simple. I'll eat the cereal bar or banana at work when I have a break or nothing to do. I rarely eat breakfast at home. It's not like I enjoy skipping breakfast but I'm rarely hungry in the morning. If I force myself to eat, I usually feel sick most of the morning. If I start sleeping better and exercising regularly, I bet I'd be more hungry in the morning.
Where do you eat lunch? The location of my lunch varies quite a bit. If I am at home, I eat at the coffee table in the living room. If I'm at work I'll eat in the lab or graduate lounge.
Where do you eat supper? Gavin and I eat dinner at the coffee table in the living room. We use our kitchen table once in awhile....maybe. We developed the bad habit of eating in front of the tv when we moved to our current apartment. I keep saying that I want us to use our kitchen table regularly but I'm usually so tired at night and it seems easier to just relax and sit in the living room. A lot of things would change positively if we ate in the kitchen with no tv on.
Do you eat at your desk when working?
Well I don't have a desk at work so I don't eat at work in that environment. I do eat at my computer desk at home though. My keyboard can prove it since I'm messy. I take a break at work and separate food from my job. I don't separate food from work when I'm at home though.
Where do you keep your snacks? I have a specific cupboard that I keep snacks for both me and Gavin. I typically keep my stuff on a high shelf and Gavin's food is lower. I try to keep a fiber one bar or something similar in my work bags. I don't keep snacks anywhere else because I don't keep many snacks around.
How could you make your eating areas special? Well using our kitchen table would make eating more separate from life and special. I also have nice glasses that rarely get used so I'm sure Gavin would get a kick out of that. I also think that getting sparkling grape juice would add to some of our meals in the kitchen. My mom does that sometimes and it always made the meal more fun when I'm younger. Heck I still get excited when we have sparkling grape juice when we visit. It seems silly to let the fancy dishes or glasses just sit in the cupboard. I really want to have Gavin start helping with the cooking process too so that would add some "specialness". We haven't use the cookbooks he's gotten for Christmas yet. I think he'd be more willing to try new things if he had a hand in making the new foods.
I think this section of the book targets those people that eat when they commute or eat while they work. It's much easier to overeat when you're distracted with work or other tasks. The same comes into play when you sit in front of the tv.
Some random thoughts.....
Hey ladies-
I'm just going to reflect about my current dieting/life style change situation. I feel like I'm back to point A again. Not sure how much I've gained back. I haven't weighed myself since I went to Weight Watchers. I don't think I've been there now for three weeks. I just need to get my ass there and accept my weight gain so I can get back on track and become accountable. It's just embarassing to get weighed and see all my hard work undone. Blah.
Like I mentioned in the comment for Nicole's recent entry...my main issue is at night. I eat way too much when I'm up alone. I've also developed that "oh well" attitude. I tell myself that "you've already undone your hard work so you might as well eat some more". I also have those days where I tell myself that I'm going to restart and get my act together.....tomorrow. I'll have the "last supper" mentality and allow myself to eat whatever I want the rest of the day but I don't start fresh the next day. I either slip back into my "I don't care" mood or once again say that I'll start Weight Watchers the next day. Blah.
When Nicole stayed here last week, she noticed an important piece of information provided on my Biggest Loser calendar. The information discussed the importance of sleep in the weight loss process. My sleep schedule is still so messed up. I stay up way too late (usually until 2am) and then I'm so tired during the day. I've cut out most of my napping and I still have issues falling asleep at night! I haven't had normal sleeping patterns for a long time. This issue stems back to high school, before Gavin was born. Sleep aids don't help much. I used to take Tylonel PM or otc medications but most don't work on me anymore. Plus I hate taking that stuff in the first place. I just need to act like I'm 26 and go to bed around 11pm and get up at 7pm each day.
I've also been eating out way too much. My eating out once a week goal/rule went out the window two weeks ago. I'm so easily swayed lately when it comes to my food choices. I'll seriously be at work and hear someone mention a restaurant and then I think about it way too much and before I know it, Gavin and I are eating there for supper. It's quite sad. I need to set up that rule again so my discipline is reinstated in that area. I stopped carrying my wallet with me so much because if I don't have money on me....I can't get fast food or eat out. Let's just hope I don't get pulled over since I usually don't have my license on me!
I'm also not utilizing my treadmill enough. I wanted to start my structured running program the week I got the treadmill but have not done so. The initial workouts seem so easy and stupid but it's necessary to start out slow and easy so I build up to the hard stuff. The inner athlete in me has a hard time accepting this so I just run for random amounts of time and don't really follow a routine. I know for a fact that a regular running routine would lead to better sleeping too.
Well I just wanted to call attention to my issues (even though its not too positive) since it helps to explain my behavior so far this year plus it never hurts to visually see the information myself. Here are my goals:
1) No more late night eating unless I'm truly hungry. If I'm truly hungry, I need to have a small, sensible snack.
2) I will start my running program this week.
3) I will only eat out once a week.
4) I will return to Weight Watchers. I'm still paying for it so I should still be going....even if the results are negative or disappointing.
I'm just going to reflect about my current dieting/life style change situation. I feel like I'm back to point A again. Not sure how much I've gained back. I haven't weighed myself since I went to Weight Watchers. I don't think I've been there now for three weeks. I just need to get my ass there and accept my weight gain so I can get back on track and become accountable. It's just embarassing to get weighed and see all my hard work undone. Blah.
Like I mentioned in the comment for Nicole's recent entry...my main issue is at night. I eat way too much when I'm up alone. I've also developed that "oh well" attitude. I tell myself that "you've already undone your hard work so you might as well eat some more". I also have those days where I tell myself that I'm going to restart and get my act together.....tomorrow. I'll have the "last supper" mentality and allow myself to eat whatever I want the rest of the day but I don't start fresh the next day. I either slip back into my "I don't care" mood or once again say that I'll start Weight Watchers the next day. Blah.
When Nicole stayed here last week, she noticed an important piece of information provided on my Biggest Loser calendar. The information discussed the importance of sleep in the weight loss process. My sleep schedule is still so messed up. I stay up way too late (usually until 2am) and then I'm so tired during the day. I've cut out most of my napping and I still have issues falling asleep at night! I haven't had normal sleeping patterns for a long time. This issue stems back to high school, before Gavin was born. Sleep aids don't help much. I used to take Tylonel PM or otc medications but most don't work on me anymore. Plus I hate taking that stuff in the first place. I just need to act like I'm 26 and go to bed around 11pm and get up at 7pm each day.
I've also been eating out way too much. My eating out once a week goal/rule went out the window two weeks ago. I'm so easily swayed lately when it comes to my food choices. I'll seriously be at work and hear someone mention a restaurant and then I think about it way too much and before I know it, Gavin and I are eating there for supper. It's quite sad. I need to set up that rule again so my discipline is reinstated in that area. I stopped carrying my wallet with me so much because if I don't have money on me....I can't get fast food or eat out. Let's just hope I don't get pulled over since I usually don't have my license on me!
I'm also not utilizing my treadmill enough. I wanted to start my structured running program the week I got the treadmill but have not done so. The initial workouts seem so easy and stupid but it's necessary to start out slow and easy so I build up to the hard stuff. The inner athlete in me has a hard time accepting this so I just run for random amounts of time and don't really follow a routine. I know for a fact that a regular running routine would lead to better sleeping too.
Well I just wanted to call attention to my issues (even though its not too positive) since it helps to explain my behavior so far this year plus it never hurts to visually see the information myself. Here are my goals:
1) No more late night eating unless I'm truly hungry. If I'm truly hungry, I need to have a small, sensible snack.
2) I will start my running program this week.
3) I will only eat out once a week.
4) I will return to Weight Watchers. I'm still paying for it so I should still be going....even if the results are negative or disappointing.
Monday, February 16, 2009
More thoughts on discipline...
I am officially back from my hiatus and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. Earlier this month, I decided that my theme for the month of February would be discipline. I have tried to remain disciplined in my daily struggles and, with the notable exception of when I was back in Iowa, have been doing a really good job maintaining discipline in regard to food and exercise. We have all commented on how discipline is, quite possibly, the most difficult hurdle to get over as we move forward in our lifestyle change. I've been trying to find ways to make self-discipline less difficult and easier to apply in my daily life and think I have stumbled across an interesting resource. In an effort to remain disciplined myself, I am going to break my blog up this week into 6 entries (much like the dude who I stole a lot of this from) did. Not only does it make sense to break it down this way, but it will also require discipline on my part to stick to my schedule.
When I went searching for self-discipline online today, my hopes were to find a good definition for this concept. Maybe it's just me, but often times I find it very difficult to truly define everyday ideas such as discipline. While I found a variety of definitions for self-discipline, most of which made it sound absolutely horrible, this is the one I found that best fits how I see it:
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
I like this idea of self-discipline for many reasons but mostly because we are dealing with a lot of emotions in this journey and our emotions and attitudes tend to make a very large impact on the way we approach the task at hand. When life is easy (things are getting done, we're well rested, we're happy) it seems we are more capable of doing well. When things get tricky, we're stressed at work/school, our love lives suck, we're frustrated with friends/family/men, we lose our grip on the goals we have. I think that once we teach ourselves to say, 'hey, I don't care if my cow died and I got this funny rash on my right elbow, I still need to eat well and exercise,' we will be completely successful in our attempt at changing our lives. Now, just saying this is easy, putting these words into action is an entirely different matter.
If life were easy, none of us would be overweight anymore, we'd have mastered several languages, have perfect relationships etc. However, as we already know, life is not easy. So, if life is inherently difficult, how does one master the elusive art of self-discipline?!?!? We have to practice and work damn hard at it, that's how! The website I was on used a really good analogy that I'll share with you because it's something we can easily relate too. From the mind of someone far wiser than me:
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become. Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some — if you can hold your breath a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has developed their discipline to the same degree. Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build self-discipline.
I really like this analogy because I feel that it is so relevant for us. This explanation allows us to be human. So many things in weight loss demand perfection...this is simply not feasible. We have to start small and build up our abilities. This holds true in all skills, whether we want to improve muscle mass, self-discipline, piano, basket weaving etc. we have to start with the fundamental/basic skills, master them and then continually add new challenges.
So, homework time (as if you don't have enough to do already). If you want to work on improving your discipline, join me in trying to build up your discipline muscles (does that sound dirty to anybody else?!?!?). I propose that we each pick 1, small thing to tackle this week as far as discipline is concerned. Don't make it earth shattering, just something that will require discipline. For me, I am going to crack down on my post dinner snack. While I have been doing really well, I have been allowing myself an illegal snack most nights. This week, I will not engage in post dinner snacking unless my stomach is literally growling at me.
OK, enough for today. Good luck ladies and stay strong!
When I went searching for self-discipline online today, my hopes were to find a good definition for this concept. Maybe it's just me, but often times I find it very difficult to truly define everyday ideas such as discipline. While I found a variety of definitions for self-discipline, most of which made it sound absolutely horrible, this is the one I found that best fits how I see it:
Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.
I like this idea of self-discipline for many reasons but mostly because we are dealing with a lot of emotions in this journey and our emotions and attitudes tend to make a very large impact on the way we approach the task at hand. When life is easy (things are getting done, we're well rested, we're happy) it seems we are more capable of doing well. When things get tricky, we're stressed at work/school, our love lives suck, we're frustrated with friends/family/men, we lose our grip on the goals we have. I think that once we teach ourselves to say, 'hey, I don't care if my cow died and I got this funny rash on my right elbow, I still need to eat well and exercise,' we will be completely successful in our attempt at changing our lives. Now, just saying this is easy, putting these words into action is an entirely different matter.
If life were easy, none of us would be overweight anymore, we'd have mastered several languages, have perfect relationships etc. However, as we already know, life is not easy. So, if life is inherently difficult, how does one master the elusive art of self-discipline?!?!? We have to practice and work damn hard at it, that's how! The website I was on used a really good analogy that I'll share with you because it's something we can easily relate too. From the mind of someone far wiser than me:
My philosophy of how to build self-discipline is best explained by an analogy. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. The less you train it, the weaker you become. Just as everyone has different muscular strength, we all possess different levels of self-discipline. Everyone has some — if you can hold your breath a few seconds, you have some self-discipline. But not everyone has developed their discipline to the same degree. Just as it takes muscle to build muscle, it takes self-discipline to build self-discipline.
I really like this analogy because I feel that it is so relevant for us. This explanation allows us to be human. So many things in weight loss demand perfection...this is simply not feasible. We have to start small and build up our abilities. This holds true in all skills, whether we want to improve muscle mass, self-discipline, piano, basket weaving etc. we have to start with the fundamental/basic skills, master them and then continually add new challenges.
So, homework time (as if you don't have enough to do already). If you want to work on improving your discipline, join me in trying to build up your discipline muscles (does that sound dirty to anybody else?!?!?). I propose that we each pick 1, small thing to tackle this week as far as discipline is concerned. Don't make it earth shattering, just something that will require discipline. For me, I am going to crack down on my post dinner snack. While I have been doing really well, I have been allowing myself an illegal snack most nights. This week, I will not engage in post dinner snacking unless my stomach is literally growling at me.
OK, enough for today. Good luck ladies and stay strong!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Love Hunger #10
Some random thoughts first:
The movie "Wanted" is amazing. I love James McAvoy.
Secondly, I wish it wouldn't snow anymore but I doubt the weather will cooperate.
Did you know that 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories?
The next section of Love Hunger pertains to having control over your strengths. You're supposed to finish the following sentences:
I feel I am in control of..........
People have told me I am really good at........
If I could be known for one thing, I would want it to be......
I feel like I am in control of my life at home. I control what happens under the roof of our apartment. I control how my son is raised. I control what I put into my body.
People have told me I am really good at writing, leadership/organization, parenting, and tennis.
If I could be known for one thing I would want to be known for my friendship. Money, jobs, and boyfriends are all great but friendship really makes the world go round. It pertains to romantic relationships, family, and actual friends. I really do value the golden rule and believe that I get what I give when it comes to being a good pal.
I had a hard time completing the first two sentences as I struggle with control in many aspects of my life right now. Due to changes at work and school, I have lack the control I desire. Lately I have lacked a lot of control with my eating. It's becoming a stress reliever...yikes.
I also don't feel like I'm that great at many things anymore. I used to be good at sports and more social aspects of life. I hate how work and school have taken over so many things in my life.
The movie "Wanted" is amazing. I love James McAvoy.
Secondly, I wish it wouldn't snow anymore but I doubt the weather will cooperate.
Did you know that 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories?
The next section of Love Hunger pertains to having control over your strengths. You're supposed to finish the following sentences:
I feel I am in control of..........
People have told me I am really good at........
If I could be known for one thing, I would want it to be......
I feel like I am in control of my life at home. I control what happens under the roof of our apartment. I control how my son is raised. I control what I put into my body.
People have told me I am really good at writing, leadership/organization, parenting, and tennis.
If I could be known for one thing I would want to be known for my friendship. Money, jobs, and boyfriends are all great but friendship really makes the world go round. It pertains to romantic relationships, family, and actual friends. I really do value the golden rule and believe that I get what I give when it comes to being a good pal.
I had a hard time completing the first two sentences as I struggle with control in many aspects of my life right now. Due to changes at work and school, I have lack the control I desire. Lately I have lacked a lot of control with my eating. It's becoming a stress reliever...yikes.
I also don't feel like I'm that great at many things anymore. I used to be good at sports and more social aspects of life. I hate how work and school have taken over so many things in my life.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Love Hunger #9
Journaling your food intake! It's a pain in the ass but it works! I haven't journaled in weeks though and it had adversely affected my weight loss. It's amazing how a person doesn't do something that works! Then again if we always did what worked we'd use more calories that we take in and not be in our current situations.
The next part of Love Hunger is about exercise. The chapter had a large introduction about the benefits of exercise. I'll list them even though we are aware of most. Exercise:
1) increases metabolic rate so it will become easier to burn off fat if you consistently exercise.
2) burns fat. It's important to intake an adequate amount of calories though because your body will start to burn lean body mass if it doesn't have enough fuel. The last thing you want to do is burn off the muscles you develop and tone.
3) reduces your appetite and keeps your hunger in check. If you exercise regularly and feel hunger...its usually a guarantee that your body truly needs fuel and hunger is not emotional.
4) reduces the affects of stress and depression
5) helps with weight maintenance
6) decreases the risk of heart disease
7) prevents constipation (odd one to list but good to know)
It's important to work out in your target heart zone. I know that both you and I are familiar with this Nicole but I didn't know if LeAnn knew about it. You first calculate your maximum heart rate. (220-age = max heart rate) My maximum heart rate is 194 beats per minute. To find your target heart zone you use percentages of that maximum heart rate. I typically use 60-80% of my target heart. Some exercise novices use 40-60%. Sometimes I use the lower range if I am using an exercise that I'm not familiar with or good at. If I swim I use the lower range because I suck at swimming and it doesn't take much for me to get tired.
Based on that 60-80% usage, my target heart rate is 116-155 beats per minute. I try to keep myself in the 130s when I exercise. The book also recommends that people that want to lose weight exercise 5-7 days a week. People that are maintaining weight exercise 3-4 days a week. Some psychological references suggest that overweight people exercise 7 days a week...no minimum days are recommended. Overweight people are also recommended to exercise at least 60 minutes a day to promote weight loss. The CDC and other organizations usually use a recommendation of at least 30 minutes which is decieving for the overweight/obese population. Yes, exericsing 30 minutes a day is better than nothing though.
How long has it been since you've consistently exercised? (months on end without changing your habits) I havent exercised regularly since I particpated in team sports in high school. After the middle of basketball season in 2001, I stopped exercising 5 days a week. It was downhill from then on.
Can you find an exercise partner? The only person I could really exercise with is Tiffany. She works full time now and coordinating our schedules isn't the easiest thing to do. We always say that we'll go for a walk, play raquetball, ride our bikes, etc. but it doesn't happen often. We alos used to play tennis a lot but she has chronic injuries with her elbows so I haven't played her in more than a year. I could try to exercise with someone in our grad deparment but I don't really feel close to anyone anymore. I guess in essence Gavin is my exercise partner. He's the one that joins me on bike rides and hikes when the weather is pleasant.
Here are some more points that Love Hunger listed in regards to exercise:
1) Remember that slow and steady wins the race
2) Diversify your activities so boredom doesn't become an issue
3) Activity in any form counts...housework, manual labor, extra walking, etc
4) find that exercise partner!
5) Allow yourself enough time for exericse....don't try to squeeze it in. It should be a priority.
6) Make exercise fun
The next part of Love Hunger is about exercise. The chapter had a large introduction about the benefits of exercise. I'll list them even though we are aware of most. Exercise:
1) increases metabolic rate so it will become easier to burn off fat if you consistently exercise.
2) burns fat. It's important to intake an adequate amount of calories though because your body will start to burn lean body mass if it doesn't have enough fuel. The last thing you want to do is burn off the muscles you develop and tone.
3) reduces your appetite and keeps your hunger in check. If you exercise regularly and feel hunger...its usually a guarantee that your body truly needs fuel and hunger is not emotional.
4) reduces the affects of stress and depression
5) helps with weight maintenance
6) decreases the risk of heart disease
7) prevents constipation (odd one to list but good to know)
It's important to work out in your target heart zone. I know that both you and I are familiar with this Nicole but I didn't know if LeAnn knew about it. You first calculate your maximum heart rate. (220-age = max heart rate) My maximum heart rate is 194 beats per minute. To find your target heart zone you use percentages of that maximum heart rate. I typically use 60-80% of my target heart. Some exercise novices use 40-60%. Sometimes I use the lower range if I am using an exercise that I'm not familiar with or good at. If I swim I use the lower range because I suck at swimming and it doesn't take much for me to get tired.
Based on that 60-80% usage, my target heart rate is 116-155 beats per minute. I try to keep myself in the 130s when I exercise. The book also recommends that people that want to lose weight exercise 5-7 days a week. People that are maintaining weight exercise 3-4 days a week. Some psychological references suggest that overweight people exercise 7 days a week...no minimum days are recommended. Overweight people are also recommended to exercise at least 60 minutes a day to promote weight loss. The CDC and other organizations usually use a recommendation of at least 30 minutes which is decieving for the overweight/obese population. Yes, exericsing 30 minutes a day is better than nothing though.
How long has it been since you've consistently exercised? (months on end without changing your habits) I havent exercised regularly since I particpated in team sports in high school. After the middle of basketball season in 2001, I stopped exercising 5 days a week. It was downhill from then on.
Can you find an exercise partner? The only person I could really exercise with is Tiffany. She works full time now and coordinating our schedules isn't the easiest thing to do. We always say that we'll go for a walk, play raquetball, ride our bikes, etc. but it doesn't happen often. We alos used to play tennis a lot but she has chronic injuries with her elbows so I haven't played her in more than a year. I could try to exercise with someone in our grad deparment but I don't really feel close to anyone anymore. I guess in essence Gavin is my exercise partner. He's the one that joins me on bike rides and hikes when the weather is pleasant.
Here are some more points that Love Hunger listed in regards to exercise:
1) Remember that slow and steady wins the race
2) Diversify your activities so boredom doesn't become an issue
3) Activity in any form counts...housework, manual labor, extra walking, etc
4) find that exercise partner!
5) Allow yourself enough time for exericse....don't try to squeeze it in. It should be a priority.
6) Make exercise fun
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