Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Focus on what works- the real life test and it worked

March 18th 2009 14:09
Today, post chocolate slab (eg huge Cadbury bar) , fatigued and stressed from my Uni deadlineswhich are almost killing me, iit was like I was a different person. Usually I'd be craving sugar, starches and figure 'why not? I have already blown it'? "I'm tired and need comfort food. Todayhad the regular triggesr. I had been going on 4-5 hours sleep because of Uni commitments, was tired, pressured etc. But instead of the usual 'recipe' for lapse, I found new strength. When I'd start to feel discouraged by the set back, I'd immediatly switch to 'think what you have done well on the road to weight loss'. Sometime things did not immediatley come to mind, but it did give a different focus and diverted it away from 'giving in'. And on the way home I got a call from the family 'bring chocolate' I did bring it, had little and had some licorice, but not nearly what I would have done and again, am not beating myself up about it. Just moving on. So, I am going to do an 'experiment' for the next week:


Stop defeat thinking and immediately think (and write down if possible) successes I have had in in actions, behaviour or attitude

Study the successful aspects and work out how to get them into my life more (not just with weight loss)

Get 7 hours sleep for the next week. (I have been averaging 4-5 in the past week and did a lot last year. Not good and encourages weight gain due to hormones released when the body does not have rest.

Celebrate the 1% successes and build on those

Visualise myself at size 16 (more on visualisation tomorrow)

Until next time..
B
93
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


Look at what IS working

March 17th 2009 13:54
So often, when we slip up-- not just in our weight loss efforts, but in life in general, we focus on 'what went wrong' and 'there I go again' or 'I just don't have what it takes to overcome this' or 'what is the source of the problem?'. It is important to look at causes but so often we get so involved in the problem that we forget to look at what we are doing right, what is working and how we can do more of that and less of what isn't working. By focusing on the 'working' part of a situation, we do a few things:

Remind ourselves (and prove to ourselves) that we do 'have what it takes' and this is proof.


Provide clues to skills, behaviour and mindsets that we could transfer to other parts of the situation to reduce the problem

Start channeling hte messages in our brain in a different direction. Giving ourselves a 'different place to stand'.

Puitting energy into what will succeed rather than what has failed

Provide a more constructive backdrop for reflecting on and solving the problem

The field of Positive Psychology is loaded with examples of how looking at what works (it may only be a 1% thing that is working) with the purpose of seeing how to fit that into other aspects of our life.

I gave into the chocolate slab today. I am facing my third or fourth night in a row of 2am bedtime and am stressed. Not an excuse. An explanation. But something is different this time. All day today, through fatigue, cold and stress (my three triggers for de railing weight loss efforts) I specifically tried to bring to mind areas of success I have had on this journey. What they were, what made them that way and what could I take with me. And guess what? I have a totally differnt mindset to the chocolate slab I chased down with diet coke (go figure). Instead of 'oh, I blew it now so tomorrow I'll just eat what i want', my head is filled with 'ok, you had a chocolate, list recent successes, what was behind them and start right now, building on those. I swear it is keeping me from the cookie jar, the 7/11 for more sweets and most likely a day tomorrow of going off.

Until next time........
B
101
Vote
Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


Small victories may just be the BIG ones

March 16th 2009 15:08
Today I actually did ok. It was a danger fraught day with my three big triggers for overeating the wrong things: fatigue, stress and cold. I have been up til 1:30 am for the past three nights marking papers and I still have more to do while also finish planning the new class that I start Wed night-my first time teaching it. It was cold and I am a warm weather person.

But, today, I did not give in. I sat at the computer most of the day and many times was tempted to go out and get a chocolate (one would not hurt, but I was thinking BIG slab). I had that craving feeling-almost like an addict would feel- for something sweet and just reminded myself that 'if I keep doing the same thing, I really can't expect a different result'. So I reached for a glass of water and many cups of tea. I did no walking today and the 'all or nothing thinking' tempts me to think that is a set back that will cancel any good I did today, but I did not give in to it. Small success, but I think in some ways our small successes are the most significant because they often have taken a battle to achieve. I think we should celebrate our small successes and not dismiss them.

I often tell clients in my consulting practice about the 1% principle. It is better to change 5 things by 1% then build on another 1% and so on rather than aim for a big 100% change which is rarely sustainable. One percenters are small. But they turn into 2, 3 and 4 percent as we build on them and they are more sustainable. My one percent today was not snacking after dinner and just having water. Small act, but huge victory for me.

What are your 1% successes? Don't dismiss them. Behind every 1% success is a bigger one waiting to happen! The road to my Size 16 (and your goals whatever they may be) might just be paved with 1% victories.

Till next time.............
73
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


An important note on context and perspective

March 15th 2009 10:52
I think it is important for me to say that I know that many people in the world- probably some reading this blog- would give ANYTHING to have battles with cheesecake, cupcakes and even 85 pounds of excess weight, be the biggest thing they had to deal with. I thought about this and how many people are suffering, struggling and facing terrible situations financially, relationally, health wise and work wise. I thought 'so where does a blog like this one fit in?'. When I write about my ongoing struggle to get on a consistenty eating and exercise plan to lose weight, another voice inside me says 'there are people dying, people who have just received terrible health news, people who have lost jobs, family, beloved pets, and YOU are writing about resisting sweets and trying to walk 10,000 steps a day regularly'.

The conclusion I came to was that the daily entries I will share about my battles are just one slice from my life. One small miniscule thing of importance in the wider world, but to me and others who are as overweight as I am, it does present serious health issues. So it is meant to be a 'slice' of one person's journey which just may encourage one other person to know they aren't alone in this battle. I will share 'what I try' and 'how it worked' -- what the 'tapes inside my head were playing' etc. I have drank gallons of coffee in coffee shops with friends battling the same, seen many on almost every talk show and weight loss program. I know my 'fellow weight loss warriors' are out there


[ Click here to read more ]
73
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


"All or nothing" thinking

March 14th 2009 13:39
Do you ever find yourself applying 'all or nothing' thinking? It goes like this: "I give in to a chocolate (or a lemon mini cheescake) and then after the 'event', think 'well, I've blown it now, probably gained one or two of my hard lost pounds back and have now seriously set progress back. So, I may as well just eat some more, or at least indulge in something else since I have blown it.' Doesn't make sense and I am sure there is a perfectionism there behind it.' But that is what got me into trouble Friday with the lemon cheesecake (Thursday, I took a client to lunch at a restaurant that was far from a 'weight loss' friendly one.)

These all or nothing thinking episodes last a few days. The 'trigger digression' Thursday with the lunch continued with the cheesecake Friday, then on to Friday night at the Festival l with Gelati and sweets and today (Saturday) ate mints like they were going out of style and then had homemade chocolate and a cake at the Festival. Tomorrow, I will break the cycle and try to get away from this 'all or nothing thinking


[ Click here to read more ]
85
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


Cupcakes call me by name, cheesecake is out to get me

March 14th 2009 02:18
Sometimes it seems that way, but I know that ultimately it is my responsibility and I am the one making the choice. Yesterday was a good example of the contradiction that goes on inside. I walked back to my car after a Faculty meeting at the University I teach at. Overwhelmed by all the marking I had ahead of me, I found myself craving one of the many sweets in the Farmer's Market below the parking garage where I parked.

As I took the 5 minute walk from Uni to car, there was a war going on inside me head. "I am craving one of those sweets at the PC Cafe. I'm tired, stressed and need a break, why not?" said the instant gratification voice in me. "Why not? I'll tell you why not, think of how much you want to get out of size 22 pants, wear what you want, and not feel frumpy' said the voice of reason and discipline. Funny how the IG (instant gratification voice) often wins out over VOR1 (voice of reason). Which then leads to the third voice VOR2 (voice of regret


[ Click here to read more ]
73
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


Welcome

March 13th 2009 08:09
This post will describe the erratic journey to finally shed the 85 lbs I need to. Those of you who have not had this battle will think I am a candidate for an 'institution', those of you who have had this battle will probably read many of the posts by me and others and say 'ah, I'm not alone'. The aim of this is to see the humour in the batte, help each other and ultimately claim victory instead of victimhood! My name is boomerang because I plan on returning to my pre-baby weight. My youngest is 22 this year, so I think it is long over due! Come share the journey with me. Let's laugh, cry and encourage each other!
70
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Boomerang - Category: No Category
   


More Posts
March 2009
7 Posts
Older Posts
7 Posts dating from March 2009
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ]

Boomerang's Blogs

I have no other blogs :(
Moderated by Boomerang
Copyright © 2012 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]