Monday, April 30, 2007
Day 3, again and again
The good news is I am really noticing how many bites I take while standing. It is apparent I would have no choice but to lose weight if I ate only when sitting - Problem is - I have the damn thing in my mouth before I realise it - but now I am realising it (albeit AFTER the fact) but that's a first step.
I must make some ressponse cards for this and put them all over my fridge and cupboard.
Let's see - things I have trouble with (eating and standing): Peanut butter. I love a spoonful of peanut butter! I put some in the dogs chew toys every morning before I leave for work (keeps them busy all day) But I have trouble putting that jar away before I've had my own spoonful (or two). Cookies, leftovers after dinner. And, testing while cooking. I have taken cooking classes and they tell you you ALWAYS MUST taste as you cook to know if you need more of this or that... I guess if I can limited to just when I am preparing a special meal (for a dinner party or something) then that wouldn't be too bad.
I have to remember that when I stand up and eat I don't notice how much is really going in there - it doesn't seem like much - but its been enough to get me to 200 + lbs! So - I am going to buy a SMALL jar of peanut butter (rather then the BIG one) and I am going to buy canned dog food to put in their toys - I surely won't be tempted to have a spoonful then! and I am going to put a BIG sign on my cookies - G O S I T D O W N !
To give myself credit (which brings us nicely to DAY 4 - giving yourself credit) I have become more aware of what I have been doing subconciously and out of habit and when I did realise I was eating standing up I would immediatly go sit down with it - it's a start. I have decided to continue moving forward with other steps as I continue to work on mastering step 3.
Tomorrow I will post about step Five! I'm off to read my response cards!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Day 2 - Choose Two Plans
Here is my plan A: Best Life diet - I found this on Oprah's web site and sounds like it will suit me for the long term and it will be doable (healthy enough) even when pregnant.
- eliminate alcohol
- have a glass of water with every meal
- stop eating 2 hours before bed
- eat 3 meals and 1 snack (aim for 150 - 200 cal. snacks)
- allow only one or 2 soft drinks per week (I modified this from the original)
- elimnate all foods containing transfat (read labels)
- eliminate all fried foods
- eat whole grains only -no regular pasta or white bread
- eliminate high fat dairy - use only fat free or low fat choices (yogurt, milk, cheese etc)
- try to eat more vegetables then any other food group
- go easy on potatoes, corn and peas (too starchy)
- eat 2 servings of beans per week
- eat at least 2 servings of fruit per day
- severely limit all desserts/snacks with more than 8 g of sugar. aim for no more than 1 per week.. (my own modification)
- gradually increase exercise to 150 minutes 4 times per week and 2 sessions of strength training of at least 6 to 10 exercises
- only eat when you are feeling: weak and lightheaded (stomach acids turning), very uncomfortable (irritable and unable to concentrait), uncontrollably hungry (rumbling stomach)
- Stop eating wen you are more or less satisfied, when you feel like you could eat just a little bit more.
- Weigh yourself once per week.
To Maintain: add in 150 cal of the eliminated foods only IF you continue to exercise and add 1 strength training session.
PLAN B - Weight Watchers
The book advises that you do not begin this diet until Day 15. However, I plan to start some aspects of it - I am going to start drinking more water and eating more fruit in the meantime.
Last night I automatically stopped eating my dinner at a restaurant when I noticed I was getting full. I am not sure I ever did that before, automatically. I was able to bring some home! YAY me!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Beck Diet Solution- Day 1
I believe that the universe has delivered to me a wonderful learning oppotunity by way of a book I came across yesterday. On a whim, last night I suggested to Karl that we go to Chapter's. Normally I have to talk him into a trip to the bookstore but he was easily persuaded and said "sure." Right away. Even at the moment I was pleasently surprised. I had wanted to look for a diet book called "The Portion Teller Plan" which shows what a healthy portion of a variety of foods look like. I almost ordered it online yesterday but something stopped me. At Chapters I first went to look for books about the Law of Attraction and ended up choosing Dr. Wayne Dyers book "The Power of Intention" although the book I was looking for was "Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires" by Esther & Jerry Hicks. I then made my way to the Diet books and found the portion control book. As I looked through It I found it interesting, but from my experiences of having bought many diet books in the past, it would just end up on my bookshelf like all the others - increasing my guilt. I was drawn to the bright pink hardcover The Beck Diet Solution Book. There was nothing really interesting about the cover or anything indicating what the book was about - by all appearances it was just another diet book. As soon as I read the inside cover I was certain that I had manifested this book and made the decision to purchase it on the spot.
Last night when we got home, I read the first 4 chapters. As I read I kept thinking "This book is ABOUT ME! This author knows exactly whats going on in my head! I am not crazy - I am normal and there is HOPE! There is no doubt I manifested this into my life! One of the examples, even used my name! It really felt like this book was written personally for me.
And so now, I commit myself to the Beck Diet Solution. Today being:
Day ONE
Today I am to make a list of all of the reasons/advantages/benefits of losing weight. Order them by importantce to me and copy them on an index card which I will read a minimum of twice a day.
- I will have a healthy pregnancy
- My pants won't wear out between the legs before the rest wear out
- a regular towel will go all the way around me and maybe even look cute
- I will feel more comfortable being naked in the sauna
- Karl will be proud of me
- I will be proud of me
- My children will never know me as fat
- I will look sexy not frumpy
- Bending over will be easier
- Walking and climbing stairs will not leave me huffing and puffing
- Friends won't make comments about my large sized chest
- I will be able to get a fabulous haircut instead of worrying if my face will look too fat
- I will be able to cross my legs again
- I won't dread getting dressed up for an evening out
- I will be able to look in a full length mirror with pride
- I will not be ashamed to say my weight out loud
- My feet won't hurt
- Shopping for clothes will be more fun and have more variety
- I want to wear underwear that's cute - not industrial
- I won't be embarrassed to have my picture taken
- I'll fit better into movie theatre seats
- I will have more energy to be a good mom and wife
I will read my index cards daily at 11:30 and 3:00 pm as these are the times I tend towards craving sugar. I will set my email reminders to remind me to do this.
Looking forward to day two tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Scale of 1 to 10
What is your path right now? How clear is it? Where will it take you in 5-10 years? How would you rate the path itself if you were to view it outside of time?"
For example, in observing your health status, rate the path you’re on. Is your health declining or improving? Are your diet and exercise habits making you stronger and fitter and more resistant to disease, or are you becoming weaker and sicker? What path are you on?
When you think about what path you’re on, rather than just your current position, you’ll become much more aware of where you really are on a scale of 1-10. Life is a journey, not a destination. When you get stuck at a 7, your path is the problem — it’s your path that’s really a 3 because it isn’t moving you forward. You’ve stagnated."
Friday, April 13, 2007
Courage.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.- Anais Nin
Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.- Amelia Earhart
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." You must do the thing you think you cannot do.- Eleanor Roosevelt
I've been reading about courage lately. How it relates to the Law of Attraction and how it can improve my life. I have a new perspective of courage now. It's not just for firefighters and soldiers and people with deadly diseases. Courage, or the lack of it deeply effects day to day life. It dulls our conciousness, it festers and it prevents us from living our true life, being our true self. I believe that this informtion is what I need to make some serious changes in my life. And as the law of attraction says - the univerise is currently providing me with all sorts of new ideas and information about courage - even the newest Oprah magazine, that I bought on a whim has a thought provoking, inspiring section about courage!
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them.- Orison Swett Marden
Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.- John Quincy Adams
There is an exercise in Oprah's magazine that says to summon your courage and confront that inner voice of fear. Write down the things you know are absolutely true in your life. Once you have done that, write down what life would look like if you lived as though those things were 100% true.
I plan to work on this exercise this weekend. I wonder where it will lead...
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.- Dale Carnegie