Enlightenment and Hope

This week is all about looking into one's life and looking at what is working, what is not working and how to change those old habits that aren't working.

Now we're talking about the tough stuff...looking inward and finding our own strengths and acknowledging and changing our weaknesses.  What does this have to do with weight loss?  It has everything to do with weight loss.   Why do we eat?  We eat because we are hungry, we eat because we are bored, we eat because we are upset, we eat because we are celebrating, we eat because we eat!!!

What was it about losing weight that was important to you?  For me it was the fact that I couldn't do any of the things that I used to do.  I could hardly walk without getting tired, there was no way that I was running anywhere and then there were all of the health issues I had.  I had been in the hospital with pneumonia, I was taking five different medications every day, my cholesterol was off the charts, my blood pressure was inching up and I was turning 50.  My father passed away from a heart attack when he was 50, both my mother and my sister had heart valve replacements when they were 50 and here I was going down the same path...

I walked into Weight Watchers and I became a convert, I tracked everything that went into my mouth, I tracked my exercise, I tracked my feelings, I tracked my sleep, if it could be tracked I tracked it.  And you know what I learned?  I learned that I ate when I was upset, I ate when I didn't feel like I had any control over whatever the situation was and I ate when I was bored.  I also learned I had to learn about what was going on inside of me!  Instead of being upset about a situation and drowning my sorrows in food, I learned to face the situation, ask for support if I needed it and move on.  I stopped letting things fester inside of me and I started dealing with things that bothered me.  This is the scary things we have to face when we start making positive changes in our lives, sometimes we have to look in the mirror and say I'm not okay with myself and I am going to make changes in my life.  There were lots of times I had to look in the mirror and say that but after a few months (or years in my case!!!) I am finally able to look in the mirror and say I know who I am and I am okay with myself.

Does that mean that I never have problems?  Does it mean that just because I have achieved my goal weight that life is always easy?  No...it means that I have learned the tools necessary to take care of myself, to stand up for myself when I need to, that I have finally said I am just as important as the next person.

Writing in a journal has helped me to explore these issues, I write them in a journal that belongs to me.  I still keep track of things going on in my life, I track what I eat because again I ask you if you aren't tracking, what did you eat two days ago for breakfast?  If you don't write it down you can't own it, whether it is food, exercise or emotions.  Am I always happy when I look at my tracker, heck no!!!  But the beauty of it is that tomorrow is another day or my next meal is a new beginning.  I have that power!!!  I am in control of my own life and frankly I can't blame it on anyone else...IT is my LIFE!!!

There is hope.  There is always another option and as long as I am around, you can always talk with me.  Hope is what you make it, you can look at a situation as hopeful or hopeless.  It is all in how you look at it.  Take control of your life and make it your own life.  If you need help, come see me on Thursday evening!  We will take this journey together!!!

Until Thursday!
Carol

Variety is the Spice of Life

BOREDOM

It's easy to fall into food ruts.  After all, we know how to track familiar foods - no looking things up, no meals to plan.  Plus they are safe and comfortable.  But eating the same foods over and over can get boring-and boring is not Good!  It can lead to feelings of deprivation (and we all know what that leads to!)  When we stick to the same things every day, we miss out on the nutrients our bodies need.

Let's talk about how we can define strategies to avoid boredom, how can we spice up our menus.  If you are coming to the meeting this week, bring boxes or lists of the foods that help you get through the week.

We need to make sure we are aware of the signs of boredom..the food blahs...you know, chicken, rice and a vegetable one night and rice, chicken and a vegetable the next night...makes you want to run right out and order a pizza after too many nights of the same thing!  We are so fortunate that we can try different foods, different fruits and vegetables depending on the time of the season.

Shake it up!!!!!  After all if everything stayed the same, life would be pretty Boring!!

Here is a Poem I thought was appropriate...

Choices

Some people sit - some people try;
Some people laugh - some people cry;

Some people will - some people won't
Some people do - some people don't.

Some people believe and develop a plan;
Some people doubt - never think that they can;

Some people face hurdles and give it their best;
Some people back down when faced with a test

Some people complain of their miserable lot;
Some people are thankful for all that they've got;

And when it's all over - when it comes to an end-
Some people lose out and some people win.

We all have a choice - we all have a say;
We are spectators in life or we get in and play;

Whichever we choose - how we handle life's game;
The choices are ours - no one else to blame.

Until Thursday,

Carol

It's not a Diet, it's a Lifestyle!!!

So often I hear people say "When I am at my goal weight, I can enjoy my life again." or "I only have five more pounds and I can go back to enjoying my life."  


I too believed that was what would happen to me, but what I finally realized is that Weight Watchers is all about lifestyle.  I think one of the most powerful aspects of the PointsPlus plan is that it allows us to enjoy our life.  If someone had told me that I would never have the opportunity to have a piece of cheesecake, a glass of wine or a chocolate bar again for the rest of my life, I would have run from the room screaming!!! What you have to understand is that you are making a lifestyle change that will stay with you for the remainder of your life. Fad diets do not work -- yo-yo'ing does not work. What Weight Watchers teaches all of us is that when you make the decision to change your lifestyle, it is a change that you will pursue for the rest of your life. Is that worth it to be at a weight you desire, and to be in a physical and mental space you desire? You Bet!!


Weight Watchers taught me strategies for avoiding feeling deprived, both physically and mentally.  I realized that only when I feel satisfied - in both my mind and my body - can the weight loss process be sustainable for the long-term.


How can I do this?

• I spice up my menu by trying new recipes and new foods
• I use smaller plates and bowls
• I have learned to eat mindfully - I enjoy my food instead of wolfing it down while watching TV, checking e-mail or driving (I can't remember the last time I went through a fast food drive in!!!)
• I appreciate my surroundings. I have surrounded myself with great companions and people with a winning lifestyle and attitude.
• I take my time when I am eating because it takes my brain 20 minutes for it to register the signal that my stomach is full!

I used to equate "trying to lose weight" with "limiting the amount" of food that I could eat.  I have learned that I don't have to think these thoughts. You can carefully track what you eat and still enjoy the foods you like.


Finally, always remember that you can indulge yourself.  You can eat the foods you love -- whether you want a brownie in the breakroom, your favorite pasta dish for a night on the town or a great omelette on the weekend.  That's what your weekly PointsPlus Allowance are for!!!


What has perceptions about Weight Watchers have changed since you joined?


Come join us this Thursday night for St. Patrick's Day in Placerville!!!  You will love the meeting!!!


Until Thursday,


Carol