So you've been at this weight loss thing for a while now, and all of a sudden you feel like no matter what you do, you're simply not moving towards your weight loss goal.
So what do you do? Simple - STOP! I don't mean the diet or the exercising, I mean mentally just stop, take a few deep breaths, take a few moments to collect your thoughts and start to notice all your changes you have made so far.
What do I mean by this? Well, let's begin by actually recognising your weight loss successes so far. For me, last week I lost 7lbs, this week so far I have 'only' lost 4. Seriously! my inner critic has been trying to devalue my successes with the word 'only', consequently making me feel that I not 'good enough'! When comparing last weeks weight loss to this weeks so far, ok, so it's not as high, but when you think that in just under 2 weeks I have lost 11lbs (!!!!!!!!!!), that inner critic can just take a very long walk off a very short pier. Actually, 11lbs is amazing!
But don't just look at the figures, look at yourself- again, I can only speak to you from personal experience, it's up to you to find your own highlights (I promise you the more you look the more there will be!). Personally, already I am finding that clothes are starting to fit and feel a little better, silly things like desk chairs & sun loungers are feeling slightly bigger, and I'm not heading towards the kitchen everytime I have an emotional need to fill.
No matter how small you think it is (or in reality how you think others will think it is), you must recognise (even write down!) all the changes you've noticed since you started your journey. Even if your journey started yesterday - what have you noticed already!
Every time your inner critic pops up, go grab your list of highlights, and really remind yourself of not only the weight you have lost, but all the positive changes in your life so far, and then square up to and challenge that inner critic.
With a list as long as yours, you can't be anything else but super successful. Believe in yourself, believe in your achievements and your ability to achieve even more than you already have done, and really see for yourself that the only thing that inner critic is good for is talking rubbish and wasting valuable thoughts and energy!
xx
Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label change. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
Weight Loss Result - Week 1
Last week I made a promise to myself - that for seven days I would get my head down and actually start losing weight and really see what I was capable of.
So every day I got my behind on the wii fit, and did between 20 - 30 minutes (almost) every day, a combination of yoga and just simply stepping up and down on the balance board for 10 minutes. The one day I didn't go on the wii, I was actually away at the in-laws, so instead took the dogs for a very nice long walk.
My diet has been a combination of food replacement bars & milkshakes, and small portioned dinners (by small I mean half the size I 'usually' have).
I haven't touched a packet of crisps, or drunk a single drop of alcohol (despite an over night stay at the in-laws which would normally mean plenty of both), and monitored quite closely what 'additional extras' I have with my food (i.e. table sauces, butter on bread etc).
So the result then - well, I am very pleased to report that this week I have lost a total of 7lbs!!!!!!! A definite whoop whoop me thinks!
Very pleased, and quite amazed that it didn't take as much effort on my part to achieve than previously perceived.
This week I will of course be following the same routine as I haven't felt deprived, or hungry at all. So fingers are well and truly crossed for another weight loss for next week! :D
So every day I got my behind on the wii fit, and did between 20 - 30 minutes (almost) every day, a combination of yoga and just simply stepping up and down on the balance board for 10 minutes. The one day I didn't go on the wii, I was actually away at the in-laws, so instead took the dogs for a very nice long walk.
My diet has been a combination of food replacement bars & milkshakes, and small portioned dinners (by small I mean half the size I 'usually' have).
I haven't touched a packet of crisps, or drunk a single drop of alcohol (despite an over night stay at the in-laws which would normally mean plenty of both), and monitored quite closely what 'additional extras' I have with my food (i.e. table sauces, butter on bread etc).
So the result then - well, I am very pleased to report that this week I have lost a total of 7lbs!!!!!!! A definite whoop whoop me thinks!
Very pleased, and quite amazed that it didn't take as much effort on my part to achieve than previously perceived.
This week I will of course be following the same routine as I haven't felt deprived, or hungry at all. So fingers are well and truly crossed for another weight loss for next week! :D
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Desperate Plea from a Desperate Dieter
It's a fact that whilst you are dieting / trying to lose weight, every day will bring forth a new challenge for you to over come.
Today, mine comes in the form of my other half. In short, the bread supply has run out, so he decided to make some himself using a sun-dried mediterranean tomato flour mix. Usually I wouldn't fault the logic. We used to make our own bread a lot before we moved house and fell out of the habit, so like I said, usually this would be normal sound thinking.
However: I am at present trying to follow quite a strict eating regime, which I am hoping will see me (finally!) losing quite a decent amount of weight.
Bread is one of those things I can't seem resist, I love it whether toasted or not. Whilst I find the taste quite heavenly, the effects on my digestive system can sometimes be hell. Not all the time - that's the kicker, just 'sometimes'. On a bad day, it can set off anything from bloating to stomach pains. Because of this, bread is one of the items on the 'naughty list' and must be avoided at all costs.
Now baring all of the above in mind, on a scale of 1-10 how cruel do you think it was that my other half decided to bake bread today (as opposed to actually going down to the local shops and buying some). No, not 10. The way I'm feeling right now it's shot up to 20, and that's only because I was the one who had to check on them and take them out of the oven when they were done whilst he was upstairs in the office working!!
You thought that was bad, I have the insult to add to the injury. Now my fella, he is a practical man, and to save on the electrics (or something), he always believes that whilst the 'oven is already on', he should take advantage and bake something else - sort of a two for one thing I imagine. That's all very well and good, but when he decides to make chocolate muffins, which I also have to not only smell, but check on and remove from the oven when done, isn't very helpful to the cause.
I've been sitting here over an hour, and I think I have just about got the urge to go eat under control. The urge to have a bread roll is much much stronger than the muffin, so am thinking I will need to do a bit of reconditioning 'tapping' to try and get this under control.
My point is this - those of us who are in need of and are trying to lose weight, got here for a reason. Namely we link a certain amount of pleasure in consuming certain things (we all know our weaknesses, mine is bread, cheese, crisps (pringles!) and alcohol - all of which are now firmly on my no no list). We want to lose weight, and unfortunately a change in attitude towards our 'favourite things' isn't going to happen over night.
To all those living with a serial dieter (shouldn't have mentioned cereal, that's another thing on my no no list), please remember that we are trying to change deep ingrained habits and to be perfectly frank, the most unhelpful thing you can do is (metaphorically) rub our faces in it by flaunting the 'good stuff'. It's like drinking alcohol in front of an alcoholic trying to get and stay sober - genuinely!
Whilst we are 'making the change' please be respectful and supportive of our needs and our weaknesses. Have your takeaways, chocolate, crisps, sweets etc by all means but please don't have them in front of us and especially don't keep going on about how good it tastes!
I promise it wont take too long for us to become empowered enough to be able to choose the right things, and not be bothered by 'the bad', or at least have the ability to consume sensibly and in moderation. But we must be given that chance in order to make the change - which is why not only support and understanding from the home front is so important, but also respect and appreciation for what we are trying to achieve.
Today, mine comes in the form of my other half. In short, the bread supply has run out, so he decided to make some himself using a sun-dried mediterranean tomato flour mix. Usually I wouldn't fault the logic. We used to make our own bread a lot before we moved house and fell out of the habit, so like I said, usually this would be normal sound thinking.
However: I am at present trying to follow quite a strict eating regime, which I am hoping will see me (finally!) losing quite a decent amount of weight.
Bread is one of those things I can't seem resist, I love it whether toasted or not. Whilst I find the taste quite heavenly, the effects on my digestive system can sometimes be hell. Not all the time - that's the kicker, just 'sometimes'. On a bad day, it can set off anything from bloating to stomach pains. Because of this, bread is one of the items on the 'naughty list' and must be avoided at all costs.
Now baring all of the above in mind, on a scale of 1-10 how cruel do you think it was that my other half decided to bake bread today (as opposed to actually going down to the local shops and buying some). No, not 10. The way I'm feeling right now it's shot up to 20, and that's only because I was the one who had to check on them and take them out of the oven when they were done whilst he was upstairs in the office working!!
You thought that was bad, I have the insult to add to the injury. Now my fella, he is a practical man, and to save on the electrics (or something), he always believes that whilst the 'oven is already on', he should take advantage and bake something else - sort of a two for one thing I imagine. That's all very well and good, but when he decides to make chocolate muffins, which I also have to not only smell, but check on and remove from the oven when done, isn't very helpful to the cause.
I've been sitting here over an hour, and I think I have just about got the urge to go eat under control. The urge to have a bread roll is much much stronger than the muffin, so am thinking I will need to do a bit of reconditioning 'tapping' to try and get this under control.
My point is this - those of us who are in need of and are trying to lose weight, got here for a reason. Namely we link a certain amount of pleasure in consuming certain things (we all know our weaknesses, mine is bread, cheese, crisps (pringles!) and alcohol - all of which are now firmly on my no no list). We want to lose weight, and unfortunately a change in attitude towards our 'favourite things' isn't going to happen over night.
To all those living with a serial dieter (shouldn't have mentioned cereal, that's another thing on my no no list), please remember that we are trying to change deep ingrained habits and to be perfectly frank, the most unhelpful thing you can do is (metaphorically) rub our faces in it by flaunting the 'good stuff'. It's like drinking alcohol in front of an alcoholic trying to get and stay sober - genuinely!
Whilst we are 'making the change' please be respectful and supportive of our needs and our weaknesses. Have your takeaways, chocolate, crisps, sweets etc by all means but please don't have them in front of us and especially don't keep going on about how good it tastes!
I promise it wont take too long for us to become empowered enough to be able to choose the right things, and not be bothered by 'the bad', or at least have the ability to consume sensibly and in moderation. But we must be given that chance in order to make the change - which is why not only support and understanding from the home front is so important, but also respect and appreciation for what we are trying to achieve.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
30 Day Kick Start Plan - Day 1
So you want to lose 30lbs in 30 days. Can it be done? should it be done?
There are lots of yay sayers and nay sayers on the subject – personally I haven’t made my mind up yet, the idea of losing 30lbs in 30 days is a very enticing one, and I suppose as in life, what seems impossible is actually very possible – it just depends on your attitude, approach and naturally your flexibility!
Right from the start I will stress that I will NOT be starving myself or depriving myself in any way shape or form in order to lose weight. I don’t condone starvation as a weight loss method as I fully believe in working WITH your body, not against it. Your body has the know how, we just have to put our listening ears on, and go with it.
In order to achieve a loss of 30lbs in 30 days, I believe that I need to address my diet, ‘have’ a daily routine in which exercise is incorporated and ensure that I remain motivated and focused throughout.
Writing up a daily success schedule has helped put into perspective everything I need and want to achieve on a daily basis – including exercise. So that this new schedule isn’t too overwhelming, my plan is to incorporate one new element at a time, so by the end of the 30 days I will be literally ‘living’ the dream – I’ll go into more detail about this success schedule in another blog.
For my diet, I am going to stick with what I know best - counting and logging calories. For some people they can’t stand the thought of this, for me, it’s how I regain control over what goes into my mouth.
As far as motivation and focus goes, this is where my iPhone comes in very handy! I’m not a techno geek by any stretch of the imagination (in fact I’m quite the opposite), but as it turns out, my iPhone can be quite an empowering tool for success! On it, I have Apps to look up count and track calories, ‘coaches’ who say something rude if you want to eat anything naughty (makes me laugh every time!), diary to record my thoughts, virtual images to show what being my goal weight looks like in comparison to the weight I am now, and best of all Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Thin – whereby I have a success journal, hypnosis track, and motivational videos, I even have a 30 day count app to tell me how many days are left to go!
Put that altogether, focusing and following through on a consistent daily basis should mean a loss of 30lbs in 30 days right?
Well, provided I follow through with my intentions, in 30 days, we’ll find out :D
There are lots of yay sayers and nay sayers on the subject – personally I haven’t made my mind up yet, the idea of losing 30lbs in 30 days is a very enticing one, and I suppose as in life, what seems impossible is actually very possible – it just depends on your attitude, approach and naturally your flexibility!
Right from the start I will stress that I will NOT be starving myself or depriving myself in any way shape or form in order to lose weight. I don’t condone starvation as a weight loss method as I fully believe in working WITH your body, not against it. Your body has the know how, we just have to put our listening ears on, and go with it.
In order to achieve a loss of 30lbs in 30 days, I believe that I need to address my diet, ‘have’ a daily routine in which exercise is incorporated and ensure that I remain motivated and focused throughout.
Writing up a daily success schedule has helped put into perspective everything I need and want to achieve on a daily basis – including exercise. So that this new schedule isn’t too overwhelming, my plan is to incorporate one new element at a time, so by the end of the 30 days I will be literally ‘living’ the dream – I’ll go into more detail about this success schedule in another blog.
For my diet, I am going to stick with what I know best - counting and logging calories. For some people they can’t stand the thought of this, for me, it’s how I regain control over what goes into my mouth.
As far as motivation and focus goes, this is where my iPhone comes in very handy! I’m not a techno geek by any stretch of the imagination (in fact I’m quite the opposite), but as it turns out, my iPhone can be quite an empowering tool for success! On it, I have Apps to look up count and track calories, ‘coaches’ who say something rude if you want to eat anything naughty (makes me laugh every time!), diary to record my thoughts, virtual images to show what being my goal weight looks like in comparison to the weight I am now, and best of all Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Thin – whereby I have a success journal, hypnosis track, and motivational videos, I even have a 30 day count app to tell me how many days are left to go!
Put that altogether, focusing and following through on a consistent daily basis should mean a loss of 30lbs in 30 days right?
Well, provided I follow through with my intentions, in 30 days, we’ll find out :D
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Weight Loss Dairy - 8th Sept 2010
She shoots - she scores!! Yes ladies and gentlemen, yesterday we were right back on track (and felt all the happier for it). I am loving how easily I got over my little blip, and got straight back down to business again - you know, life really is so much easier (and more fun) when you don't give yourself a hard time about silly little things.
Yesterday, I received my first compliment regarding my weight, from my mother of all people! As far as I am aware, she doesn't know that I've sent every single 'diet' to Hades. In fact I am sure she thinks I am actually 'on one' (which I'm not, I really can't stress that enough).
But yesterday after our singing group was over and I was packing everything away, she turned around and said to me 'so how much weight have you lost then'. Ahhhh my ma, we do tend to spit things out in an unfortunate tone - that's where I get that habit from you know. I replied about half a stone (well it was the last time I checked), and what was the response? 'Is that all?' (said sort of in disgust) 'you look like you've lost lots more than that, well, keep it up'. Way to go with the positive reinforcement! words were there, tone certainly wasn't tee hee.
Well you could have knocked me down with a kipper skipper! It was nice to hear, no matter in what form it took, that what I have been doing is certainly noticeable - go me!!
But I wonder, is it physical weight loss she is seeing, or is it because I am much more happier in myself, and that is shining through to the world? Either way, it's just one more piece of evidence proving that what I am doing right now for myself, is right for me right now.
My other cause of celebration yesterday was that for dinner, I had my very last weight watchers microwave meal - hurrah! Now despite what Paul McKenna suggests in his I can make you thin programme, no I am not going to go to the fridge / freezer and throw out all those untasteful low calorie diet foods. I have spent good money on them, and as much as I'm starting not to mind wasting food at meal times, I can't bring myself to waste full meals before I've even eaten them!
Now, don't get me wrong, weight watcher meals are 'ok'. Actually some do taste quite nice, but I'd rather have the real thing - home made, fresh, and baked in the oven, not nuked in the microwave! I did enjoy eaten them at the time, but now even more, I am enjoying the thought of only having fresh home cooked meals that make my mouth water - real unadulterated food!
I still have three tubs of slimfast milk shake to use up, and a few boxes of slim fast meal bars and no, I refuse to throw these out either. I wont have these every day, but sometimes, believe it or not, I do really fancy having a slimfast shake or a meal bar for one of my meals. So when I fancy, they are in the cupboard waiting for me. That's not to say I wont really enjoy seeing the back of them when they are all used up - and no, frankly when they are used up they wont be replaced. I'm just saying that at the moment, I can fit them easily and happily into my diet - I've already wasted the money by buying the stuff, I can't waste that money further by not using it.
So today then - big challenge is ahead of me! Other half has a gig up in Manchester of all places! So will be on my own for about twelve hours today (boo hoo).
My challenge today is to not allow El Saboteur (that's my new name for that little inner voice) to rear its ugly head. Honestly, there are lots of things I could be doing today and tonight, so need to focus on being productive, and not dwelling on the sofa again simply because I am on my own.
I think I'll take a leaf out of other halfs book and draw up a 'to do list' to keep me focused throughout the day, as it would be really good to be able to come back tomorrow and say that today was a complete success start to finish! :)
Yesterday, I received my first compliment regarding my weight, from my mother of all people! As far as I am aware, she doesn't know that I've sent every single 'diet' to Hades. In fact I am sure she thinks I am actually 'on one' (which I'm not, I really can't stress that enough).
But yesterday after our singing group was over and I was packing everything away, she turned around and said to me 'so how much weight have you lost then'. Ahhhh my ma, we do tend to spit things out in an unfortunate tone - that's where I get that habit from you know. I replied about half a stone (well it was the last time I checked), and what was the response? 'Is that all?' (said sort of in disgust) 'you look like you've lost lots more than that, well, keep it up'. Way to go with the positive reinforcement! words were there, tone certainly wasn't tee hee.
Well you could have knocked me down with a kipper skipper! It was nice to hear, no matter in what form it took, that what I have been doing is certainly noticeable - go me!!
But I wonder, is it physical weight loss she is seeing, or is it because I am much more happier in myself, and that is shining through to the world? Either way, it's just one more piece of evidence proving that what I am doing right now for myself, is right for me right now.
My other cause of celebration yesterday was that for dinner, I had my very last weight watchers microwave meal - hurrah! Now despite what Paul McKenna suggests in his I can make you thin programme, no I am not going to go to the fridge / freezer and throw out all those untasteful low calorie diet foods. I have spent good money on them, and as much as I'm starting not to mind wasting food at meal times, I can't bring myself to waste full meals before I've even eaten them!
Now, don't get me wrong, weight watcher meals are 'ok'. Actually some do taste quite nice, but I'd rather have the real thing - home made, fresh, and baked in the oven, not nuked in the microwave! I did enjoy eaten them at the time, but now even more, I am enjoying the thought of only having fresh home cooked meals that make my mouth water - real unadulterated food!
I still have three tubs of slimfast milk shake to use up, and a few boxes of slim fast meal bars and no, I refuse to throw these out either. I wont have these every day, but sometimes, believe it or not, I do really fancy having a slimfast shake or a meal bar for one of my meals. So when I fancy, they are in the cupboard waiting for me. That's not to say I wont really enjoy seeing the back of them when they are all used up - and no, frankly when they are used up they wont be replaced. I'm just saying that at the moment, I can fit them easily and happily into my diet - I've already wasted the money by buying the stuff, I can't waste that money further by not using it.
So today then - big challenge is ahead of me! Other half has a gig up in Manchester of all places! So will be on my own for about twelve hours today (boo hoo).
My challenge today is to not allow El Saboteur (that's my new name for that little inner voice) to rear its ugly head. Honestly, there are lots of things I could be doing today and tonight, so need to focus on being productive, and not dwelling on the sofa again simply because I am on my own.
I think I'll take a leaf out of other halfs book and draw up a 'to do list' to keep me focused throughout the day, as it would be really good to be able to come back tomorrow and say that today was a complete success start to finish! :)
Monday, 6 September 2010
Weight Loss Diary - 6th Sept 2010
Did I ever tell you how much I am loving life at the moment? Oh I did? Ok stuck record alert!
So yesterday then, can definitely say yesterday was fabulous! Firstly, other half was out selling himself at a wedding fair for most of it. Usually when he's out, that's my subconscious cue to eat like a pig and over stuff myself. Ah ha! but not this day! For breakfast I indulged myself and had cheese on toast. That's 1 slice of bread, 3 very thin slices of cheese, and nada else. I enjoyed every single scrummy bite, and about half way through I started to feel full, so put my knife & fork down and stopped.
Yes it taunted me, 'ah go on, just one more bite, you know you really want to'. But actually no I didn't, I listened to my body, and ignored that silly little voice inside my head that always wants more. To ensure I didn't get tempted into finishing it off I quickly put the rest of the toast in the bin - I didn't fancy eating cold cheese on toast later in the day! :P
What a buzz! Sounds daft that, getting a buzz from knowing when your body has had enough, and simply listening to it, and stopping.
In other news, yesterday I also started to go through my pc and have had a bit of a clear out. Bit random? no, still on topic I promise!!
You see, on my pc, I have created for myself so many diets, weight loss thermometers, weight loss records, and excel spreadsheets working out if I lost so many pounds then I'd reach my goal weight by such and such a date. I literally did a day by day weight loss forecast. These have all been deleted, and my goodness, not only did it feel weird doing so, it felt quite therapeutic!
Like I said before DOWN WITH DIETS!! ah ha! To follow through on that philosophy I get to free up quite a lot of computer disk space!! (as well as head space). So what was for dinner? Steak and chips ta! Served on a tea plate so yes it was a much smaller portion that I'd usually have, and yes I ate every last bite - and yes I kept double checking with my body to see when I was getting full. It was just by luck I think that the portion size I gave myself was just enough to satisfy the physical hunger.......Score!!!
This morning I will admit, a tiny part of me wants to hop onto the scales, I mean it's been three days now since I freed myself from the evil that is fad dieting! Thankfully that little voice was silenced almost as soon as it was raised. Tut tut little voice you should really know better than to interfere like that!
I can tell you now that the part of me with 'the little voice' is actually curious to see whether this new way of doing things will work, and in the very back of my mind probably thinks this is just another 'fad' and I'll end up my biggest yet.
However, the more dominant 'voice' (let's call it my inner coach), is somehow able to scream over little voice, and know jolly well that if I carry on the way I am doing, then not only will I be happy, and living life as full as I want it to be, but I'll also be losing weight and WILL reach that healthy weight / body shape that is right for me. In fact the coach voice is so strong inside my head, I have little choice but to listen and believe it!! And I can't even describe how good that feels, how good that makes ME feel about myself.
I think success is quite addictive, although to be perfect honest I'd rather have that as an addiction than getting on the scales every single day and getting depressed because the magic weight loss fairy has yet again failed to make me 9 stone over night.
So how do we start experiencing success? Well you have to start somewhere, so why not start by doing something small.
I challenge you today to seek out success, no matter how small. You've been putting off doing the ironing, but you've got off your bum and finished it - SUCCESS! You ate two slices of toast for breakfast instead of the usual three or four - SUCCESS!! You decided you would by pass the bakery and not have your usual mid morning sausage roll / cake / packet of crisps etc - SUCCESS!!! (one less spoon of sugar in your tea, making that phone call or sending that email you've been meaning to, paying that outstanding bill, turning off the TV and doing something else with your spare time this evening - all adds up to success!! BUT it HAS to be what YOU really want and what is relevant for YOU!(and not because someone else said that you 'had to'))
It doesn't matter how small it may feel at the time, if you have been able to do something that you have either been putting off, didn't think you had the will power, or just something you don't usually do but have now done - mark it up on the chalk board and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back for a job very well done!
There is another part of this challenge - once you have achieved that first success, don't brush it under the carpet. You have GOT to take a step back, and really appreciate what it is you have done - even if it's 'only' getting the vacuum out and vacuuming the carpet! The point is that this is YOUR achievement, YOUR success and you should not only feel proud of yourself for achieving it, but you ARE ALLOWED to bathe in the shiny glory that is your brilliance!
Because believe it or not, you are brilliant - you just may not have realised yet.
So go on - how are you going to be brilliant and achieve your own success today?
x-x-x
So yesterday then, can definitely say yesterday was fabulous! Firstly, other half was out selling himself at a wedding fair for most of it. Usually when he's out, that's my subconscious cue to eat like a pig and over stuff myself. Ah ha! but not this day! For breakfast I indulged myself and had cheese on toast. That's 1 slice of bread, 3 very thin slices of cheese, and nada else. I enjoyed every single scrummy bite, and about half way through I started to feel full, so put my knife & fork down and stopped.
Yes it taunted me, 'ah go on, just one more bite, you know you really want to'. But actually no I didn't, I listened to my body, and ignored that silly little voice inside my head that always wants more. To ensure I didn't get tempted into finishing it off I quickly put the rest of the toast in the bin - I didn't fancy eating cold cheese on toast later in the day! :P
What a buzz! Sounds daft that, getting a buzz from knowing when your body has had enough, and simply listening to it, and stopping.
In other news, yesterday I also started to go through my pc and have had a bit of a clear out. Bit random? no, still on topic I promise!!
You see, on my pc, I have created for myself so many diets, weight loss thermometers, weight loss records, and excel spreadsheets working out if I lost so many pounds then I'd reach my goal weight by such and such a date. I literally did a day by day weight loss forecast. These have all been deleted, and my goodness, not only did it feel weird doing so, it felt quite therapeutic!
Like I said before DOWN WITH DIETS!! ah ha! To follow through on that philosophy I get to free up quite a lot of computer disk space!! (as well as head space). So what was for dinner? Steak and chips ta! Served on a tea plate so yes it was a much smaller portion that I'd usually have, and yes I ate every last bite - and yes I kept double checking with my body to see when I was getting full. It was just by luck I think that the portion size I gave myself was just enough to satisfy the physical hunger.......Score!!!
This morning I will admit, a tiny part of me wants to hop onto the scales, I mean it's been three days now since I freed myself from the evil that is fad dieting! Thankfully that little voice was silenced almost as soon as it was raised. Tut tut little voice you should really know better than to interfere like that!
I can tell you now that the part of me with 'the little voice' is actually curious to see whether this new way of doing things will work, and in the very back of my mind probably thinks this is just another 'fad' and I'll end up my biggest yet.
However, the more dominant 'voice' (let's call it my inner coach), is somehow able to scream over little voice, and know jolly well that if I carry on the way I am doing, then not only will I be happy, and living life as full as I want it to be, but I'll also be losing weight and WILL reach that healthy weight / body shape that is right for me. In fact the coach voice is so strong inside my head, I have little choice but to listen and believe it!! And I can't even describe how good that feels, how good that makes ME feel about myself.
I think success is quite addictive, although to be perfect honest I'd rather have that as an addiction than getting on the scales every single day and getting depressed because the magic weight loss fairy has yet again failed to make me 9 stone over night.
So how do we start experiencing success? Well you have to start somewhere, so why not start by doing something small.
I challenge you today to seek out success, no matter how small. You've been putting off doing the ironing, but you've got off your bum and finished it - SUCCESS! You ate two slices of toast for breakfast instead of the usual three or four - SUCCESS!! You decided you would by pass the bakery and not have your usual mid morning sausage roll / cake / packet of crisps etc - SUCCESS!!! (one less spoon of sugar in your tea, making that phone call or sending that email you've been meaning to, paying that outstanding bill, turning off the TV and doing something else with your spare time this evening - all adds up to success!! BUT it HAS to be what YOU really want and what is relevant for YOU!(and not because someone else said that you 'had to'))
It doesn't matter how small it may feel at the time, if you have been able to do something that you have either been putting off, didn't think you had the will power, or just something you don't usually do but have now done - mark it up on the chalk board and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back for a job very well done!
There is another part of this challenge - once you have achieved that first success, don't brush it under the carpet. You have GOT to take a step back, and really appreciate what it is you have done - even if it's 'only' getting the vacuum out and vacuuming the carpet! The point is that this is YOUR achievement, YOUR success and you should not only feel proud of yourself for achieving it, but you ARE ALLOWED to bathe in the shiny glory that is your brilliance!
Because believe it or not, you are brilliant - you just may not have realised yet.
So go on - how are you going to be brilliant and achieve your own success today?
x-x-x
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Weight Loss Diary 5th Sept 2010
Yesterday I spent three fabulous hours sorting out my front garden! When we first moved to our new home, about two and a half months ago now, our garden was basically a gravel pit. The previous occupiers had covered the 'garden' in builders shingle (not even the pretty stuff!) and for the past sixteen years had been using it as a car park.
Even before we moved in, I told myself that this would be one of the first things I would sort out. It did of course mean moving all that shingle, finding weed repellent matting underneath, hoofing that up, then periodically trying to loosing what was compacted dead soil. After which came the expensive part - buying lots and lots of top soil, compost, bedding flowers, borders and finally the all important turf!
Progress was slow, but steady, as I was doing this mainly all by myself (and on the odd Saturday's ma would come over and help), and week by week, little by little, my little country garden began to emerge.
Yesterday, I was able to lay the final pieces of turf, plant the rockery, and even cover the foot of concrete on the very front edge with bark. Not for the first time on this project, I was able to stand back and really appreciate not only the time and hard work put in, but more importantly the end result!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not finished yet, I still have my white picket fence to buy / make / put up, a small border separating the grass bit from the 'driveway' bit, oh and let's not forget actually removing another large mound of shingle from the car park bit, flattening that out, and at some point laying paving slabs, or whatever I decide will suit best!
Even though I still have lots to do, my focus is on what I have already achieved - the lush green grass, the pretty flowers still full of colour, the Divine smell of freshly laid bark (sorry it's a fetish I never knew I had until yesterday!!).
So what's my point? Well, let's come back to the real topic of weight loss.
One of the first things I did this morning before taking doggy woof woof out for a walk, was stand in front of my full length mirror and just look at myself, and to be perfectly frank, I didn't dislike what I saw. Ok, so clothes are slightly more loose than I'd of expected (do I dare try a smaller size yet? My sources say no, not yet, maybe next week we'll be brave and see!!) but over all, even when doing a little spin, I can actually see a difference in me.
Now whether this is body shape, or just my own mental perception of me, I really can't say. But the point is I'm starting to look at myself differently, and that my friends is progress!
As with the garden, the initial external view wasn't ideal. It did the job yes, but wasn't what I personally wanted to see. But slowly, week by week, with a little bit consistent effort the results of my labours are beginning to show.
My focus isn't on 'all that weight I've still got to lose' (because let's not kid ourselves, I still have a long way to go on that front). Instead, I've turned my focus onto what I have already lost, and how in that mirror, I can very clearly see my end desired result.
Not only can I see my end result crystal clear, but I'm also beginning to LIVE as if I have already achieved my perfect size and perfect weight.
And that I feel calls for a massive WHOOP WHOOP!!
x-x-x
Even before we moved in, I told myself that this would be one of the first things I would sort out. It did of course mean moving all that shingle, finding weed repellent matting underneath, hoofing that up, then periodically trying to loosing what was compacted dead soil. After which came the expensive part - buying lots and lots of top soil, compost, bedding flowers, borders and finally the all important turf!
Progress was slow, but steady, as I was doing this mainly all by myself (and on the odd Saturday's ma would come over and help), and week by week, little by little, my little country garden began to emerge.
Yesterday, I was able to lay the final pieces of turf, plant the rockery, and even cover the foot of concrete on the very front edge with bark. Not for the first time on this project, I was able to stand back and really appreciate not only the time and hard work put in, but more importantly the end result!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not finished yet, I still have my white picket fence to buy / make / put up, a small border separating the grass bit from the 'driveway' bit, oh and let's not forget actually removing another large mound of shingle from the car park bit, flattening that out, and at some point laying paving slabs, or whatever I decide will suit best!
Even though I still have lots to do, my focus is on what I have already achieved - the lush green grass, the pretty flowers still full of colour, the Divine smell of freshly laid bark (sorry it's a fetish I never knew I had until yesterday!!).
So what's my point? Well, let's come back to the real topic of weight loss.
One of the first things I did this morning before taking doggy woof woof out for a walk, was stand in front of my full length mirror and just look at myself, and to be perfectly frank, I didn't dislike what I saw. Ok, so clothes are slightly more loose than I'd of expected (do I dare try a smaller size yet? My sources say no, not yet, maybe next week we'll be brave and see!!) but over all, even when doing a little spin, I can actually see a difference in me.
Now whether this is body shape, or just my own mental perception of me, I really can't say. But the point is I'm starting to look at myself differently, and that my friends is progress!
As with the garden, the initial external view wasn't ideal. It did the job yes, but wasn't what I personally wanted to see. But slowly, week by week, with a little bit consistent effort the results of my labours are beginning to show.
My focus isn't on 'all that weight I've still got to lose' (because let's not kid ourselves, I still have a long way to go on that front). Instead, I've turned my focus onto what I have already lost, and how in that mirror, I can very clearly see my end desired result.
Not only can I see my end result crystal clear, but I'm also beginning to LIVE as if I have already achieved my perfect size and perfect weight.
And that I feel calls for a massive WHOOP WHOOP!!
x-x-x
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Good Morning Me!!
This is a very strange feeling. I woke up this morning without the usual weight related hang ups. I didn't get up early, haven't exercised, and yet, I feel none of the usual guilt / annoyance / sense of failure that I usually do this time of a morning when I say I'll do something, but end up not.
As I said yesterday, such a huge weight has been (metaphorically) lifted from my shoulders, and now I am faced with a huge void of not knowing quite what to do with myself, how I 'should' be feeling or what I 'should' be doing.
Strangely, I had the most comfortable (and snuggly) nights sleep last night, and I have awoken this morning fresh and alert! Why strange? Because 'usually' I'm waking up, or tossing and turning, and when I wake up, I'm just as groggy in the morning as I was when I went to bed! But not last night, last night was simply sublime :D
As I was walking out of the bedroom, I noticed a couple of books on my dressing table this morning, both entitled 'change your life in seven days!'. I had to chuckle as I haven't even touched them yet, besides which, my feelings this morning were why wait seven days!? I'm changing right now!! I didn't believe it was possible to change 'just like that', but a switch has finally clicked in my brain, and now I believe that anything really is possible - even choosing to change your psychological mind set, and then 'just doing it'.
So onwards and upwards, as it's a Saturday I'll more than likely just do 'busy' jobs today, dog needs a trim, garden needs hoeing that sort of thing, and yes I'll probably get round to doing the housework too! (but we wont hold our breaths on that last one tee hee). I may even just spend a couple of hours sitting in the garden reading (don't gasp, I know, when does that ever happen!?).
The point is, I find myself in a position where there is so much I really want to be doing - none of which involves sitting on my behind, in doors, watching that thing in the corner called TV.
My time is now, not in seven days time, not 'when i reach my goal weight'.
It's right here, and right now. So let's go show the world what I'm really made of :D
As I said yesterday, such a huge weight has been (metaphorically) lifted from my shoulders, and now I am faced with a huge void of not knowing quite what to do with myself, how I 'should' be feeling or what I 'should' be doing.
Strangely, I had the most comfortable (and snuggly) nights sleep last night, and I have awoken this morning fresh and alert! Why strange? Because 'usually' I'm waking up, or tossing and turning, and when I wake up, I'm just as groggy in the morning as I was when I went to bed! But not last night, last night was simply sublime :D
As I was walking out of the bedroom, I noticed a couple of books on my dressing table this morning, both entitled 'change your life in seven days!'. I had to chuckle as I haven't even touched them yet, besides which, my feelings this morning were why wait seven days!? I'm changing right now!! I didn't believe it was possible to change 'just like that', but a switch has finally clicked in my brain, and now I believe that anything really is possible - even choosing to change your psychological mind set, and then 'just doing it'.
So onwards and upwards, as it's a Saturday I'll more than likely just do 'busy' jobs today, dog needs a trim, garden needs hoeing that sort of thing, and yes I'll probably get round to doing the housework too! (but we wont hold our breaths on that last one tee hee). I may even just spend a couple of hours sitting in the garden reading (don't gasp, I know, when does that ever happen!?).
The point is, I find myself in a position where there is so much I really want to be doing - none of which involves sitting on my behind, in doors, watching that thing in the corner called TV.
My time is now, not in seven days time, not 'when i reach my goal weight'.
It's right here, and right now. So let's go show the world what I'm really made of :D
Friday, 3 September 2010
Weight Loss Challenge - Final Review
I will warn you up front this will be one of my longest blogs yet!
Almost 40 days ago now I began my weight loss journey. As far as weight loss is concerned, I've lost half a stone, and I can say hand on heart I look no different. To me half a stone is just a drop in the ocean. Yes it's a start, not a very good one, but a start none the less. In that time I would have liked to have at least doubled that figure, but I didn't, and despite this, the challenge did achieve a necessary change!
When looking back at myself at the beginning of the challenge, on a psychological level I am looking at a completely different person. I see a person with numerous emotional and psychological ties that each in turn took a chunk out of my own personal happiness and overall well being.
Where these ties came from, well some I have my suspicions, some I'm sure if I sat and dwelled long enough I'd discover a deep and meaningful under lying cause and some I'm sure have no base in reality what-so-ever. Who knows, but more importantly, who cares!
Beware the ties that bind - for these are the restrictions you place upon yourself. Hang on a mo, I'll fetch the scissors.
So there I was back then, hating myself, hating the scales, hating food, and generally dissatisfied with life. Now there's a pretty picture ain't it!
I knew, as I still know now, my desired end result, not just with weight loss, but in life, career, home etc. The problem is knowing the destination is simply not good enough, even thinking you know how you're going to achieve your goals isn't enough. If you don't release that which is really tieing you down, even though you may think you're moving in the right direction, you're not.
I thought I had the answer. I was going to lose 1 lb every day, reach my goal weight quickly and be happy ever after. I was going to achieve this by restricting my calorie intake and exercising like there was no tomorrow. Before you all start tutting or shouting at me, I want you to note the over use of 'past tense' in the paragraph.
Good in theory? well no, but I thought it was. So on day one, I stepped on the scales, 2lbs off - great! Day two, I stepped on the scales, 1 lb off - still great! Day three, I stepped on the scales, another 1 lb off - this is going so well. Day three - um, so hungry I end up eating that blasted horse, now hung up on the fact that I've just undone the past three days. Day four, I stepped on the scales - oh bugga, I have. Feel really depressed and like a complete failure. Vow to do another week of the above before I step back on the scales. And so we go on. This is literally the rut I had gotten myself in.
Weighing yourself every single day, no matter how you try and dress it up, is an unhealthy obsession. It's an addiction, pure and simple.
So when Paul McKenna suggests as part of his I can make you thin plan, that maybe you only weigh yourself once every two weeks, or even just once a month, well in theory I could see the logic. But getting off those scales were really hard!! I had a real battle with myself, and in the beginning I'd justify to myself that I was having 'just a quick check' on my weight loss progress. So what happens, when the scales didn't move, or it went up (because I wasn't actually following the plan and reverted back to old habits), I'd get disheartened, feel like a failure and vow to do better. Which let's be honest, I never did.
I took some much needed time out this morning to reflect on my life and I suppose if I had made any headway what-so-ever.
Actually, when looking at where I am as opposed to where I was:
- I'm more aware of the feeling of actual hunger, and can recognise when the hunger is physical or emotional.
- I'm learning to accept that actually, I'm not so bad after all
- I've banished the scales. I don't need them right now, and I have no desire to continue to be dictated to by the results they show.
- I'm learning more about the correct portion sizes for me, and accept that smaller portions are not only fine, but normal!
Frankly this list could go on for quite a bit! But the most important revelation of all is that I will NEVER touch another so called 'diet' ever again!
I'm listening very carefully to what my body needs, and what it doesn't need is another 'crash diet'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only have liquids, or a combination of liquids and so called 'meals'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only eat certain foods on certain days, or count calories or 'points' or fat content or weigh and measure every thing!
My father once said to me 'everything in moderation', and you know, I never really appreciated this little saying - until now.
Beware the ties that bind - my true ties were feeling as if I had to 'diet' and constantly weigh myself in order to gain acceptance in the world.
Well I will tell you right now - NOT ANY MORE!!! My body knows what it wants, and you know what, I'm jolly well going to work WITH it and give it exactly what it wants, instead of working against it and trying to starve or restrict the energy it needs to live.
Don't think for one minute I have completely potty and am on the road for gaining a million pounds in weight and become Britain's fattest female! Oh no, on the contrary, I have every intention of only eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full even (gasp!) throwing away food I can't eat, or at least storing the left overs until such a time my body is physically hungry again.
My future is bright. My future is very shiny. My future involves reaching a healthy weight which is perfect for me. My future is freedom from those negative ties, freedom from diets, freedom from constantly weighing myself and obsessing that I 'Should' be this weight by this date.
I am putting my 'weight loss challenge' to bed now, once and for all. I'm not going to stop blogging by any stretch of the imagination, I enjoy it! so why stop!!?
And yes, I'll still report on my weight loss, and share, perhaps in more detail, all the things I'm learning and experiencing along the way.
Today I have realised that without all these binds, my future has suddenly become so squeezabley good! It's crazy but all this weight has been lifted completely from my shoulders!
I've got my zest for life back - and frankly I'm now just itching to go out and just live!
x-x-x
Almost 40 days ago now I began my weight loss journey. As far as weight loss is concerned, I've lost half a stone, and I can say hand on heart I look no different. To me half a stone is just a drop in the ocean. Yes it's a start, not a very good one, but a start none the less. In that time I would have liked to have at least doubled that figure, but I didn't, and despite this, the challenge did achieve a necessary change!
When looking back at myself at the beginning of the challenge, on a psychological level I am looking at a completely different person. I see a person with numerous emotional and psychological ties that each in turn took a chunk out of my own personal happiness and overall well being.
Where these ties came from, well some I have my suspicions, some I'm sure if I sat and dwelled long enough I'd discover a deep and meaningful under lying cause and some I'm sure have no base in reality what-so-ever. Who knows, but more importantly, who cares!
Beware the ties that bind - for these are the restrictions you place upon yourself. Hang on a mo, I'll fetch the scissors.
So there I was back then, hating myself, hating the scales, hating food, and generally dissatisfied with life. Now there's a pretty picture ain't it!
I knew, as I still know now, my desired end result, not just with weight loss, but in life, career, home etc. The problem is knowing the destination is simply not good enough, even thinking you know how you're going to achieve your goals isn't enough. If you don't release that which is really tieing you down, even though you may think you're moving in the right direction, you're not.
I thought I had the answer. I was going to lose 1 lb every day, reach my goal weight quickly and be happy ever after. I was going to achieve this by restricting my calorie intake and exercising like there was no tomorrow. Before you all start tutting or shouting at me, I want you to note the over use of 'past tense' in the paragraph.
Good in theory? well no, but I thought it was. So on day one, I stepped on the scales, 2lbs off - great! Day two, I stepped on the scales, 1 lb off - still great! Day three, I stepped on the scales, another 1 lb off - this is going so well. Day three - um, so hungry I end up eating that blasted horse, now hung up on the fact that I've just undone the past three days. Day four, I stepped on the scales - oh bugga, I have. Feel really depressed and like a complete failure. Vow to do another week of the above before I step back on the scales. And so we go on. This is literally the rut I had gotten myself in.
Weighing yourself every single day, no matter how you try and dress it up, is an unhealthy obsession. It's an addiction, pure and simple.
So when Paul McKenna suggests as part of his I can make you thin plan, that maybe you only weigh yourself once every two weeks, or even just once a month, well in theory I could see the logic. But getting off those scales were really hard!! I had a real battle with myself, and in the beginning I'd justify to myself that I was having 'just a quick check' on my weight loss progress. So what happens, when the scales didn't move, or it went up (because I wasn't actually following the plan and reverted back to old habits), I'd get disheartened, feel like a failure and vow to do better. Which let's be honest, I never did.
I took some much needed time out this morning to reflect on my life and I suppose if I had made any headway what-so-ever.
Actually, when looking at where I am as opposed to where I was:
- I'm more aware of the feeling of actual hunger, and can recognise when the hunger is physical or emotional.
- I'm learning to accept that actually, I'm not so bad after all
- I've banished the scales. I don't need them right now, and I have no desire to continue to be dictated to by the results they show.
- I'm learning more about the correct portion sizes for me, and accept that smaller portions are not only fine, but normal!
Frankly this list could go on for quite a bit! But the most important revelation of all is that I will NEVER touch another so called 'diet' ever again!
I'm listening very carefully to what my body needs, and what it doesn't need is another 'crash diet'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only have liquids, or a combination of liquids and so called 'meals'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only eat certain foods on certain days, or count calories or 'points' or fat content or weigh and measure every thing!
My father once said to me 'everything in moderation', and you know, I never really appreciated this little saying - until now.
Beware the ties that bind - my true ties were feeling as if I had to 'diet' and constantly weigh myself in order to gain acceptance in the world.
Well I will tell you right now - NOT ANY MORE!!! My body knows what it wants, and you know what, I'm jolly well going to work WITH it and give it exactly what it wants, instead of working against it and trying to starve or restrict the energy it needs to live.
Don't think for one minute I have completely potty and am on the road for gaining a million pounds in weight and become Britain's fattest female! Oh no, on the contrary, I have every intention of only eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full even (gasp!) throwing away food I can't eat, or at least storing the left overs until such a time my body is physically hungry again.
My future is bright. My future is very shiny. My future involves reaching a healthy weight which is perfect for me. My future is freedom from those negative ties, freedom from diets, freedom from constantly weighing myself and obsessing that I 'Should' be this weight by this date.
I am putting my 'weight loss challenge' to bed now, once and for all. I'm not going to stop blogging by any stretch of the imagination, I enjoy it! so why stop!!?
And yes, I'll still report on my weight loss, and share, perhaps in more detail, all the things I'm learning and experiencing along the way.
Today I have realised that without all these binds, my future has suddenly become so squeezabley good! It's crazy but all this weight has been lifted completely from my shoulders!
I've got my zest for life back - and frankly I'm now just itching to go out and just live!
x-x-x
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Eight
When they were up they were up, and when they were down they were down. Oi vey! Right now I guess you can really say that all positivity has gone right out of the window.
Yesterday was a slip up, I'll admit that right now. Had 2 slices of toast for lunch, and didn't eat them consciously. If I had of done I would have stopped half way through the first slice and chucked the rest in the bin. Consequently I felt bloated and quite sluggish afterwards. Dinner was exactly the same as I didn't chew the food slowly enough, and then I had the cheek to have a couple of slices of toast for supper. Ok, so my daily food intake is in reality less than what was the norm, but still, it doesn't take away the fact that I over filled my body unnecessarily.
The key to my self presumed failure yesterday I believe was actually not drinking enough water. Usually I'm sipping all day, but yesterday I only had one 750ml bottle. No where near enough! I'm used to having two or three of these! And on that note, I've just gone and grabbed my bottle and had a couple of sips.
On top of all this, I didn't fill in my success journey either - arrrgggghhhhhh what is going on with me!! I refuse to let myself self sabotage as I am doing so well!! I've lost almost half a stone already and it's only the 1st week! Breathing deeply, and getting a grip now.
When you're down, your brain really does start to come up with some crazy stuff. For example, I told myself that I had lost control over the house and haven't 'settled into country living as well as I hoped to'. More precisely, I'm not spending nearly enough time in the 'farmers wife' roll. You know, wearing my apron, baking, pottering in the garden, chasing the dog up the garden waving my rolling pin because he's stolen something freshly baked off the window sill whilst cooling. I have quite a romantic ideal of country life, and now I'm here, I don't find myself living it! It's not life how I imagined it to be, but that being said, It's up to me to live and take those actions which is in keeping with the life I want, and at the moment, simply I am not.
When a negative thought or emotion comes your way, you must grab your rolling pin and bash back a positive one. Sort of like the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
As I am here, I may as well deal with my own demons!
1. Yesterdays slip up. Ok, so bread intake was a little higher than normal, but that's ok. PM did say we were bound to have slip ups. The thing to do is to forgive ourselves, and move on. Well, ok. I have forgiven myself for yesterday, and am now more determined to keep on the right track. Just keep in mind that my first YouTube weigh in is in three weeks and I want it to be phenomenal! Besides which, I am feeling a huge difference in my eating habits, and portion sizes now. I don't need or want to eat so much, and I feel fuller and more satisfied a lot quicker. I have begun to actually enjoy food and think of it in a positive light. It has begun not to be in control of me, which frees my mind up to concentrate on other things - the void is a wonderful thing! We know what we did incorrectly yesterday, which is great because at least we really do know! Today, we just get back on the horse, and ride of into the sunset once more :D
2. Didn't drink enough yesterday? This is an easy peasy one! Yes ok so you didn't, just make sure you always have a bottle of water to hand again today and hey presto! problem solved :D
3. Didn't fill in the success journal - do it now then!...... Done!! Well that was easy. Oh and just remember you DID listen to the CD, so you haven't fallen off the wagon by any means!
4. The country life. So what do I really want from it? This isn't one for the blog, this is something I need to do on pen and paper, which I will do after I've finished blogging.
As you can see, the process is actually quite a simple one. Identify the negative, turn it into a positive and take the necessary action. Ok, so I didn't fill the journal in, BUT I listened to the CD, AND I can fill the journal in now (and I really honestly did! I put the laptop down, went upstairs and grabbed the journal, came back downstairs, filled it in, then carried on blogging). It really is that simple!!
Hey I'm feeling a lot better already :)
Yesterday was a slip up, I'll admit that right now. Had 2 slices of toast for lunch, and didn't eat them consciously. If I had of done I would have stopped half way through the first slice and chucked the rest in the bin. Consequently I felt bloated and quite sluggish afterwards. Dinner was exactly the same as I didn't chew the food slowly enough, and then I had the cheek to have a couple of slices of toast for supper. Ok, so my daily food intake is in reality less than what was the norm, but still, it doesn't take away the fact that I over filled my body unnecessarily.
The key to my self presumed failure yesterday I believe was actually not drinking enough water. Usually I'm sipping all day, but yesterday I only had one 750ml bottle. No where near enough! I'm used to having two or three of these! And on that note, I've just gone and grabbed my bottle and had a couple of sips.
On top of all this, I didn't fill in my success journey either - arrrgggghhhhhh what is going on with me!! I refuse to let myself self sabotage as I am doing so well!! I've lost almost half a stone already and it's only the 1st week! Breathing deeply, and getting a grip now.
When you're down, your brain really does start to come up with some crazy stuff. For example, I told myself that I had lost control over the house and haven't 'settled into country living as well as I hoped to'. More precisely, I'm not spending nearly enough time in the 'farmers wife' roll. You know, wearing my apron, baking, pottering in the garden, chasing the dog up the garden waving my rolling pin because he's stolen something freshly baked off the window sill whilst cooling. I have quite a romantic ideal of country life, and now I'm here, I don't find myself living it! It's not life how I imagined it to be, but that being said, It's up to me to live and take those actions which is in keeping with the life I want, and at the moment, simply I am not.
When a negative thought or emotion comes your way, you must grab your rolling pin and bash back a positive one. Sort of like the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
As I am here, I may as well deal with my own demons!
1. Yesterdays slip up. Ok, so bread intake was a little higher than normal, but that's ok. PM did say we were bound to have slip ups. The thing to do is to forgive ourselves, and move on. Well, ok. I have forgiven myself for yesterday, and am now more determined to keep on the right track. Just keep in mind that my first YouTube weigh in is in three weeks and I want it to be phenomenal! Besides which, I am feeling a huge difference in my eating habits, and portion sizes now. I don't need or want to eat so much, and I feel fuller and more satisfied a lot quicker. I have begun to actually enjoy food and think of it in a positive light. It has begun not to be in control of me, which frees my mind up to concentrate on other things - the void is a wonderful thing! We know what we did incorrectly yesterday, which is great because at least we really do know! Today, we just get back on the horse, and ride of into the sunset once more :D
2. Didn't drink enough yesterday? This is an easy peasy one! Yes ok so you didn't, just make sure you always have a bottle of water to hand again today and hey presto! problem solved :D
3. Didn't fill in the success journal - do it now then!...... Done!! Well that was easy. Oh and just remember you DID listen to the CD, so you haven't fallen off the wagon by any means!
4. The country life. So what do I really want from it? This isn't one for the blog, this is something I need to do on pen and paper, which I will do after I've finished blogging.
As you can see, the process is actually quite a simple one. Identify the negative, turn it into a positive and take the necessary action. Ok, so I didn't fill the journal in, BUT I listened to the CD, AND I can fill the journal in now (and I really honestly did! I put the laptop down, went upstairs and grabbed the journal, came back downstairs, filled it in, then carried on blogging). It really is that simple!!
Hey I'm feeling a lot better already :)
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Three
Yesterday I completed my first successful day of Paul McKenna's I can make you thin programme.
I was a little apprehensive as we had my other halfs family over for a BBQ, and I was adamant that this would not cause me to fall 'off the wagon'. Before deciding to commit to this programme, I had originally planned to not eat anything at all, as I have in the past over indulged when presented with lovely BBQ food!
However, according to the golden rules of this plan: 'when you're hungry EAT'. 'Eat what you like so long as you are hungry', 'when you're full, STOP eating' (I'm paraphrasing slightly here, but you get the gist). So with this at the forefront of my mind, I decided that I wanted to have some BBQ food, but I would chew slowly, and stop eating when satisfied.
Amazingly it more or less worked! Essentially I had a burger in a bun and a sausage in a roll. That's it. On the negative side, I could have easily stopped at just the burger, but felt as though I 'should' have the sausage as well so I ate it, it was nice, but I didn't get real enjoyment from doing so.
On the positive side, after eating the sausage in a roll, I didn't feel horrible & bloated, I just felt 'full', and when the chicken came out I didn't think twice about refusing. After the BBQ everyone had chocolate ice cream, everyone apart from me! I didn't fancy it, I was full enough! Instead I busied myself tidying the kitchen (ok not very social, but at least I didn't have to look at everyone eating icecream).
The other great thing is that I didn't feel for a single second that I was 'missing out' on anything, I ate what I felt I wanted and needed, and then simply stopped. That was quite a liberating experience!
What I found slightly difficult yesterday, and what I am trying to practice today, is actually gauging my hunger levels. This may sound odd, but I have spent my whole life either in starvation of completely bloated / over filled with food, so the real hunger signals my body tries to send me are a little feint right now! But that's ok, with practice I am sure I'll get better at this! But like PM has suggested, in these early stages if you don't know you are hungry, guess! If you have two mouthfuls and then find you are full, just stop.
So for now, I am going to follow this philosophy :)
Another thing worthy of note yesterday was that my other half asked whether I was 'on target' for the holiday. My response? I have no idea! This caused him a little concern as it gave him the impression that I had fallen off the wagon and had my head in the sand. But really nothing was further from the truth! Following PMs plan means I have to give the scales a wide berth for a while. By doing this I really have no idea how my actual weight loss is going (but please, it's only been 1 day give me a break!!).
Usually I measure my weight loss success by the scales alone. But with them out the picture how else do I do it? Simple answer is, I don't. I just crack on with life and in 30 days, then we'll see how successful I am.
For the first time in my life, I feel like these chains have been cut. I don't feel right now that I am a slave to the scales, and I feel so much happier and 'lighter' for it!
I was a little apprehensive as we had my other halfs family over for a BBQ, and I was adamant that this would not cause me to fall 'off the wagon'. Before deciding to commit to this programme, I had originally planned to not eat anything at all, as I have in the past over indulged when presented with lovely BBQ food!
However, according to the golden rules of this plan: 'when you're hungry EAT'. 'Eat what you like so long as you are hungry', 'when you're full, STOP eating' (I'm paraphrasing slightly here, but you get the gist). So with this at the forefront of my mind, I decided that I wanted to have some BBQ food, but I would chew slowly, and stop eating when satisfied.
Amazingly it more or less worked! Essentially I had a burger in a bun and a sausage in a roll. That's it. On the negative side, I could have easily stopped at just the burger, but felt as though I 'should' have the sausage as well so I ate it, it was nice, but I didn't get real enjoyment from doing so.
On the positive side, after eating the sausage in a roll, I didn't feel horrible & bloated, I just felt 'full', and when the chicken came out I didn't think twice about refusing. After the BBQ everyone had chocolate ice cream, everyone apart from me! I didn't fancy it, I was full enough! Instead I busied myself tidying the kitchen (ok not very social, but at least I didn't have to look at everyone eating icecream).
The other great thing is that I didn't feel for a single second that I was 'missing out' on anything, I ate what I felt I wanted and needed, and then simply stopped. That was quite a liberating experience!
What I found slightly difficult yesterday, and what I am trying to practice today, is actually gauging my hunger levels. This may sound odd, but I have spent my whole life either in starvation of completely bloated / over filled with food, so the real hunger signals my body tries to send me are a little feint right now! But that's ok, with practice I am sure I'll get better at this! But like PM has suggested, in these early stages if you don't know you are hungry, guess! If you have two mouthfuls and then find you are full, just stop.
So for now, I am going to follow this philosophy :)
Another thing worthy of note yesterday was that my other half asked whether I was 'on target' for the holiday. My response? I have no idea! This caused him a little concern as it gave him the impression that I had fallen off the wagon and had my head in the sand. But really nothing was further from the truth! Following PMs plan means I have to give the scales a wide berth for a while. By doing this I really have no idea how my actual weight loss is going (but please, it's only been 1 day give me a break!!).
Usually I measure my weight loss success by the scales alone. But with them out the picture how else do I do it? Simple answer is, I don't. I just crack on with life and in 30 days, then we'll see how successful I am.
For the first time in my life, I feel like these chains have been cut. I don't feel right now that I am a slave to the scales, and I feel so much happier and 'lighter' for it!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Weight Loss Challenge - Day Thirteen
Two days to go until weigh in, and have to say I am a little nervous. From this mornings results I doubt whether I will reach the 7lb goal, however, if I am sensible, there is no reason why I couldn't reach 6lbs - to be frank it fantastic anyway!
This week overall I have been quite proud of myself. I have continued to wake up at 6am, and all but 1 morning I have completed both a toning and an aerobic workout - although saying that, I've done toning exercises only so far this morning so after I have finished this I really have to get on that treadmill.
Despite changing my morning routine to include exercise, it is difficult to see at the moment what physical effect it has on my weight loss. I have begun to change my eating habits, and I know that this alone would have caused me to lose the amount of weight I have already done. Although I do realise that this is extremely early days, and with persistence, the results will become apparent.
That being said, I have noticed a rather obvious change in me emotionally. There are moments where I 'feel' less like a bowl of wobbly jelly, and more like a stick of celery (did you like the food reference there!). My moods have lightened and I'm generally feeling a slightly more happier and confident person.
If this is how I feel after almost a weeks worth of exercise and a little weight loss, imagine how I would feel when I do eventually reach my goal weight - imagine if I really did reach it by the cruise.....my goodness there really would be no stopping me!
So let's for a brief moment put my weight management coach head back on. Why wait to feel like that?
Being slim has more to do with state of mind than body fat. If you think and behave like a healthy person, your thoughts and actions will naturally follow suit, because this is what your mind is focusing on. If you think like a fat person, then a fat person you will be.
I've seen and experienced many times diet clubs / weight loss 'gurus' harping on about how it's important to visualise being at your goal weight.
Great! Well, I've seen myself at my goal weight for the past fifteen years or so, my image of what I'll look like, how I feel etc it's so crystal clear! And yet, here I am, still tackling this problem. Why?
Having a visual image, for me at least, is not enough. Mainly because deep down, perhaps I don't really believe I will ever attain that picture in my minds eye. Perhaps really I believe I am a resounding failure, doomed to spend my life 'trying' but not really trying to lose weight. Maybe I'm not meant to be happy and at my ideal weight......and that is a good demonstration of what I call my 'victim' voice. We all have one - it's that voice inside that says 'there is nothing we can do about it' (oh woe is me, why does this always happen to me, why can't I ever be happy / find the perfect partner / earn enough money etc etc). Pah!
Despite what miss victim voice thinks, in every situation you have the freedom of choice. Whether you believe it or not the only person in control of you is YOU. If you let your boss walk all over you - at the end of the day, you have chosen to put up with it - you don't like it, do something about it! Harsh? ah, but it's so true!!
So what choices does a girl like me have then?
I could have the state of mind that i am 'on a diet', put my life of hold until I've lost the weight, then magically everything is going to be alright. I will be slim, vibrant, and the happiest girl in the world. I will have an abundance of confidence and self belief, doors will be opened, and suddenly, the world has been filled with endless possibilities.
OR
I could believe, right now, that everything is going to be alright, of course I will be slim, but already I am vibrant and the happiest girl in the world. I already have an abundance of confidence and self belief. All doors are open and the world is just bursting with endless possibilities and opportunities.
And if you don't truly belive it yet? easy - blag it! It wont take long at all before you find yourself really believing, living and shaping your life the way that YOU want it to be.
Given the choice - which perspective would you rather take?
This week overall I have been quite proud of myself. I have continued to wake up at 6am, and all but 1 morning I have completed both a toning and an aerobic workout - although saying that, I've done toning exercises only so far this morning so after I have finished this I really have to get on that treadmill.
Despite changing my morning routine to include exercise, it is difficult to see at the moment what physical effect it has on my weight loss. I have begun to change my eating habits, and I know that this alone would have caused me to lose the amount of weight I have already done. Although I do realise that this is extremely early days, and with persistence, the results will become apparent.
That being said, I have noticed a rather obvious change in me emotionally. There are moments where I 'feel' less like a bowl of wobbly jelly, and more like a stick of celery (did you like the food reference there!). My moods have lightened and I'm generally feeling a slightly more happier and confident person.
If this is how I feel after almost a weeks worth of exercise and a little weight loss, imagine how I would feel when I do eventually reach my goal weight - imagine if I really did reach it by the cruise.....my goodness there really would be no stopping me!
So let's for a brief moment put my weight management coach head back on. Why wait to feel like that?
Being slim has more to do with state of mind than body fat. If you think and behave like a healthy person, your thoughts and actions will naturally follow suit, because this is what your mind is focusing on. If you think like a fat person, then a fat person you will be.
I've seen and experienced many times diet clubs / weight loss 'gurus' harping on about how it's important to visualise being at your goal weight.
Great! Well, I've seen myself at my goal weight for the past fifteen years or so, my image of what I'll look like, how I feel etc it's so crystal clear! And yet, here I am, still tackling this problem. Why?
Having a visual image, for me at least, is not enough. Mainly because deep down, perhaps I don't really believe I will ever attain that picture in my minds eye. Perhaps really I believe I am a resounding failure, doomed to spend my life 'trying' but not really trying to lose weight. Maybe I'm not meant to be happy and at my ideal weight......and that is a good demonstration of what I call my 'victim' voice. We all have one - it's that voice inside that says 'there is nothing we can do about it' (oh woe is me, why does this always happen to me, why can't I ever be happy / find the perfect partner / earn enough money etc etc). Pah!
Despite what miss victim voice thinks, in every situation you have the freedom of choice. Whether you believe it or not the only person in control of you is YOU. If you let your boss walk all over you - at the end of the day, you have chosen to put up with it - you don't like it, do something about it! Harsh? ah, but it's so true!!
So what choices does a girl like me have then?
I could have the state of mind that i am 'on a diet', put my life of hold until I've lost the weight, then magically everything is going to be alright. I will be slim, vibrant, and the happiest girl in the world. I will have an abundance of confidence and self belief, doors will be opened, and suddenly, the world has been filled with endless possibilities.
OR
I could believe, right now, that everything is going to be alright, of course I will be slim, but already I am vibrant and the happiest girl in the world. I already have an abundance of confidence and self belief. All doors are open and the world is just bursting with endless possibilities and opportunities.
And if you don't truly belive it yet? easy - blag it! It wont take long at all before you find yourself really believing, living and shaping your life the way that YOU want it to be.
Given the choice - which perspective would you rather take?
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