America's Top [Role] Models

Thursday, January 21, 2010

I'm not too interested in the undernourished waifs who display couture or coiffure. What impresses me is you people, SparkPeople, who open your hearts and minds to me day by day and show me fabulous TRENDS I could not have imagined on my own . . .the trends I refer to are new ways of thinking about food, new habits of choice for the way I act around food, and new steps of an active lifestyle.

Especially you guys on the Beck Diet Solution Team: when you share on a forum or a blog or a comment box, it's like one of those Coast Guard icebreakers opening a new path in my stubborn hard-headedness. Reading your thoughts and experiences is almost like "practicing" more healthful thinking and decision-making.

Sure, I blow it, plenty of times. But I hear the echo of AMKRUNNER's Jan 11 blog: "Just because I made poor decisions a couple times today DOES NOT mean I have to write off the entire day... It stops now. I choose to make the best decisions for my body for the rest of the day and night. I choose not to let a slip up determine my fate and make me feel worse about it."

While I'm getting dressed I might ruminate on ID_VANDAL's Jan 21 blog: "I'm back together today and promise NO STRESS EATING!"

MAZZYR's reminders are staying in my head: "I CAN read Advantage Cards and motivate myself daily!"

SLIMMERJESSE's Jan 20 blog title came to mind later: "Do I need this? No! I put it back," which I took the liberty of applying to unplanned food.

When I faced a tough choice, I reviewed the renowned quote NANCY- shared on Jan 18, "...Here is an opportunity for me to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary."

I am even beginning to whisper those scary words KELLYGRN courageously penned on Jan 15, "I have to learn to be hungry & not worry about not having any food."

You guys are giving me a script that really works for me. "When the treats are calling I can say to myself 'I AM THE BOSS OF ME!' " --FLUTTERBY)L( Jan 20

GLAMOURGIRL-9 reminds me, "Slow and steady wins the race!"

What NUSLE5 said on Jan 9 has reverberated for me: "Food is a waste when it's overeating just as much as when I toss it."

So many more have helped me in a concrete way. Too many to list, the SparkPeople whose forum messages or comments or blogs have been exactly the spur that got me over a rough spot. You dear friends are definitely America's top models as far as I'm concerned, practical and effective role models that make the path a little less steep for this often-weary trekker.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BIGLITTLEWOMAN 1/21/2010 10:31PM

You are really soaking up the good advice and you are inspiring. Report Inappropriate Comment

ANNANN63 1/21/2010 6:57PM

Lovely post. It is really wonderful to learn tools to help us achieve our goals. We will win. Report Inappropriate Comment

MAZZYR 1/21/2010 6:08PM

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It's about building the habits

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

RUN2RIDE says on her SparkPage, "It's not really about maintaining the weight, it's about maintaining the HABITS that maintain my weight!" I want to start thinking this way. Although I'm a year away from maintaining, I know this mindset will help me now.

So for me, "It's not really about losing the weight; it's about building the HABITS that will cause the weight to come off." I am seeing a bit of this already with baby-stepping through the Beck Diet Solution. But I am stubborn, so it is tough.

No choice. I have set my foot on this path, and I'm not turning back. Not turning away. Day 11, here I come!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ANNANN63 1/21/2010 6:59PM

I did day 11 today. Report Inappropriate Comment

GABBYANNIE 1/21/2010 2:29PM

I really like this blog. I read it yesterday and thought about it later in the day. It's so true!!!! That's exactly what I want to do. Change my habits so I can change me. Report Inappropriate Comment

MAZZYR 1/20/2010 2:36PM

Run2Ride (Becky) is one smart lady, and so are you. Maintaining or building good habits are a good thing! Report Inappropriate Comment

NANCY- 1/20/2010 11:12AM

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DAY 10: Set an achievable goal

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

My goal is to lose 5 pounds. When I lose 5 pounds, I will celebrate it with my SparkTeam and I will reward myself by getting my hair done at the nearby cosmetology school.

It isn't intuitive to celebrate this small loss, especially in view of how far I have to go and how long I have allowed myself to be obese, but my initial and overarching goal was to complete the assignments in the Beck Diet Solution and to follow the prescription as given. So I'm going to cooperate.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

VEUVEGIRL 1/19/2010 7:49AM

That is a wonderful goal, Love it!! Great way to start off right! Report Inappropriate Comment

DAY 9: Get Moving - Make an Exercise Plan

Monday, January 18, 2010

I will walk 3 miles three times a week. (My husband and I have a set route at a mall near our house, so even on bitterly cold or snowy days we can walk 3 miles. It takes us an hour...perhaps a later goal will address that!)

I will attend the strength training class at my church twice a week. If I am prevented from going for some reason, I will do the exercises on my own at home and not wimp out.

I will park further away from the door of my destination.

I will record my exercise daily on the goals & accountability forum.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

BETTA13 1/18/2010 11:08PM

Excellent plan...have you checked out the workouts on SP? They have some great ideas for home. Report Inappropriate Comment

GETN2GOAL 1/18/2010 10:29PM

Good Plan. Wishing you success with your goals. Report Inappropriate Comment

Food Does Not Care

Sunday, January 17, 2010

I was feeling pretty blue when I stopped to get gas. I had been indulging in a major pity party. To comfort myself I broke two of my policies: I bought chips, which is not a "worth it" item and not one of the treats I allow myself. And I also got a large coffee and put four flavored creams in it. One of my own "rules" I've been generally successful with is to always buy the smallest size available, and to stick with one cream in coffee.

It seems silly to me now to have made such an irrational set of choices, but at the time it seemed like the obvious way to make myself feel better. You might guess the result of this comical/sad foray: this set of crunchy/creamy carbs did not do the trick. The chips didn't taste nearly as good as I remembered (unlike the Oreo cookies I sneaked recently, when during the first bite I said out loud, "Oh, wow, these are amazing. No wonder they're 53 calories apiece.") The first swallow of fatty/sweet coffee tasted delicious, but I hardly noticed the rest of it.

I guess disappointment began to restore some logical mental process, for as I drove along I began to ask myself the following question: If even "cheating" did not help my melancholy mood, what should I try? I guess someone was praying for me, because what came to mind was the idea that it wasn't reasonable to feel so weepy, because of all the people who really care about me. That seemed like a valid concept, so I started naming them. I have been blessed with a loyal, affectionate family. I have a couple close friends who love me unconditionally. I have a supportive group of friends in my church who genuinely care about me.

I'm not saying this line of meditation will keep me from stupid eating next time. But I did have an additional thought, one that hit me like a brick, one that I hope will at least give me pause. FOOD DOES NOT CARE. It has no substance, no reality of uplift to offer me. FOOD DOES NOT CARE. In contrast, God has provided all these people: people who should be a source of my feeling really good, having a treasure so rich and valuable in my life. But what I turned my thoughts to when I was down was junk food. FOOD DOES NOT CARE.

It looks a little funny on a response card. But I think it's going to be one of my most important ones.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MAZZYR 1/18/2010 6:20PM

Lol, it sounds like eating unplanned food isn't as much fun as it used to be. That's a good thing! Thinking of all my blessings always cheers me. Have a nice day. Mazzy Comment edited on: 1/18/2010 6:21:49 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

LEGOLAS6 1/18/2010 12:36PM

What an amazing and thought provoking insight. Food does not care. So many people turn to food as if it is a good friend, but it does not care. Thank you so much for such a simple but very valuable idea. God Bless. Report Inappropriate Comment

HISLIONESS28 1/18/2010 11:38AM

My husband and I are doing this together.... (finally). Last night he commented that once he lost his weight he was going to go get the biggest, largest, ... (I don't even remember what it was ~ some type of junk food).... and I stopped him right then and said, "Why would you do that to yourself" You would probably hate the test of it by then anyhow... He agreed. We are training our taste buds to enjoy new flavors. And hopefully those flavors sustain our ummm, need for food longer than any amount of junk food ever has. Therefore, when we choose to (rationalize) pounce into a bag of chips... one of the reasons they don't taste the way we want them too is because we aren't even hungry..... I am working so hard to change my lifestyle... I refuse to 'reward myself' with any sort of food. Cheating on me defeats my purpose, right? Keep your eyes on the prize ~ a new you. Preachin' to the choir ~ Andee Report Inappropriate Comment

KCOLEMA 1/18/2010 11:27AM

I LOVE that! Food does not care! :) I need to write that one down too! Report Inappropriate Comment

BETTA13 1/18/2010 9:25AM

Excellent enlightenment! And we feel so yucky afterwards...even the day after sometimes, depending on how far we go with the binge. YOU GO GIRL! Report Inappropriate Comment

MACKEYW 1/17/2010 9:18PM

I understand. After Haloween someone brouht a whole shopping bag of potatoe chips into teh staff room. I could not resist I had to have a bag. They were YUCK with a capital YUCK. They did not taste like I anted them too. EVR SINCE THOGH i HAVE NOT WANTED TO EAT CHIPS. tHE COOKIE HOWEVER, i DO ALLOW MY SELF THAT. hOWEVER NOW i EAT ONE AND NOT THE WHOLE BAG. aND THEN IT IS A TREAT AND NOT A CHEAT Report Inappropriate Comment