Back to the basics

I haven’t posted in awhile again. No surprise huh? Things are going fine. Work continues to be in continual state of flux, but I’m working hard to stay calm in all of it. Scale is up a bit, back to 261. I know what caused it and I’m ready to get back under control. I spent some time thinking about the tricks that really work for me and set me up for success. I’ve decided there are about 6 that really help me stay on the right path to health. I’ve spent some time writing them out for myself. Figured I might as well share here!

-Pop is not a food group
It has no business being in my diet as a daily staple. There is no benefit to it whatsoever. Not even hydration since the caffeine in it actually has a dehydrating effect. I am committing to pop being a Saturday only treat. I did this when I started my journey and its time to get back to it. I had none on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Headaches ensued, but I know it will be worth the sacrifice.

-White bread, white pasta, and white rice are not my friend

Following this simple rule combined with the pop one above makes eating out so much easier. It also makes eating out less appealling! We never have the white stuff in our house so eating at home never tempts me in this regard. But, I have gotten into the habit of throwing this rule of thumb out the window when I eat out which is DANGEROUS. Bread before dinner? Sure! Fast food cheeseburger? Sure! Pasta? Sure! When I the simple fact that simple white carbs are not my friend I get two rewards. One – the options at restaurants are minimal. Two – as a result my desire to eat out is greatly reduced.

-Don’t wear clothes that make you feel frumpy

This is one I’ve gotten (pardon the pun) sloppy about lately. I don’t have any clothes that are too small but I do have some that are either too big or too short. Pants have been a major issue. I’ve got pants that fit in both the too big and too short categories but none that fit in the “just right”. The quest to find pants that fit well is very expensive and very aggravating, but it must be done. Walking around in frumpy clothes makes me feel frumpy and affects every single aspect of my life.

-Gum can count as dessert

I’ve gotten myself into the habit of craving something sweet after every meal. This is obviously problematic. When I first started this journey I used gum to fill that void. Time to do the same again.

-Have an achievable, visual goal to aim towards

There is a pair of shorts I picked up at a garage sale that I can get on but can’t get buttoned. I think I’m about 20 pounds off from these fitting well. I’ve got a goal to get these on by July 1st. That’s 17 weeks…20 pounds. A weight loss rate that is doable for me.

-View every choice as an opportunity

Ok, I get that this sounds cliche but it really works for me. If everytime I pass up pop I think of it as a sacrifice…passing up pop gets old really fast. If everytime I have a salad or skip a dessert or donut feels like a sacrifice…again, it gets old really quickly. Its important to view these choices as what they are…opportunities. Opportunities to put my health first. Opportunities to feel better. Opportunities to further my life. It may sound dumb, but you should try it. If you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t have X, try to change the way you think about it. There is a reward behind all of these choices when put all together. This thinking can actually work really well with exercise too, though I haven’t gotten all that great at implementing it just yet!

Comments

Julie says:

March 1, 2012 at 11:19 pm

Yeah! It’s was so good to see your post!! Opportunities, instead of sacrifices..love it. I have a teenage daughter who tends to be negative, and I’m always telling her, for every negative comment, she needs to say 5 positive ones. Thanks again for your post!!