A Pound of Cure: Take Care of YOURSELF!

Week Two: Lost 1.6 pounds for a total of 8.2 in two weeks. YAY! The process was relatively painless. I did feel that I had done better than 1.6 pounds actually BUT when you're in the process of weight loss, there's a lot of shifting that is going on....and not all of it shows up on the scale! There is something to be said for being able to run further, longer, faster with less effort and sweat! I feel like I am getting stronger and more fit. That counts, too!



I am now at 69.8 pounds to goal. I have a little over 7 months to get there. Or as close as possible. I realize that this will not be a linear process. I will have my ups and downs. This week I actually felt more in control of my eating and I sure did spend a lot more time exercising. The focus this week at weight loss church was on, what else, VOTING! Yikes, it's everywhere! The kind of voting we were discussing were either yes or no votes that help us take care of ourselves. Seems as though I'm not the only one who puts everyone and everything ahead of my own wants and needs. This seems to be a fairly common dilemma for us female caretaker types. In this case we were encouraged to vote NO to that thought and vote YES to the idea that our wants and needs are just as important as those around us and should receive equal value, attention, and care. We were asked to vote NO to always saying YES. When we take on too much it creates stress, which sometimes leads to emotional overeating, it causes us to not have time to exercise or plan ahead our food for the day which can set us up for unwise "on the run" food choices. Another NO vote needs to be cast for situations or people who undermine our success. To the extent possible, our environment should be managed and/or controlled. If we know that a certain restaurant spells disaster for our eating plan, we need to not attend or ask (be assertive) that plans be switched if possible to another restaurant that supports our choices better. Ditto for people who are always trying to tempt you with large helpings or food that is overloaded with fat, sugar and calories. It's time to stand up for yourself and tell them, nicely, "no thanks"!  Vote YES to including things in your life that make you happy: a massage, a bike ride, time to read, a bubble bath, a long walk with a friend, the dog, or your ipod. Whatever it is that will add to your success instead of taking you further from the goals you have set. That's it for this week...next meeting we are to report on what we did this week to take care of ourselves.
I'll be sure to give you all the details!