Day 10 - Set a realistic goal

Saturday, August 11, 2012

This is so important - 'if you don't know where you are going, any path will take you there'.

Knowing your goal means that every time you make a decision, you can decide if this is helping you to your goal - or not.

My goal is to maintain my new weight. I want to hover around the 58-59kg mark, and decide that a weigh in of 60.5 is a call for urgent and immediate action.
Other minor goals (which really make achieving the main goal possible) are 1000+ fitness minutes per month, 6 serves of fruit and vege daily & striving for general good eating habits.


Yesterday I decided to take a day off tracking. I was going to a friend's place for dinner.
I did everything wrong. Ate mindlessly, standing up, ate junk food that I did not even really want and drank too much wine.
Thankfully today is a new day.

I am back to healthy eating. I have chosen a Upper body ST workout from SP to do this afternoon. I have done some PF exercises. I am sitting to eat. Not reading or on the computer.

I am keeping my reasons for maintaining my weight front of mind.
To have discipline. To keep depression away. To have more energy. To be a good role model for my children. To look good in my jeans!

I hope you are keeping your eyes on the goal too

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

WENDYJM4 8/12/2012 6:26AM

yes today is a new day. Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 9 - Make an exercise plan

Friday, August 10, 2012

Its about planning exercise. Making time for it. Making it a priority. Making it happen.

Beck talks a lot about self sabotaging thoughts - and she is right to be raising this, continuously. It is so easy to say 'I do enough exercise'.
I am exercising hard at the moment - my July goals were to exercise for 1000 minutes. And my monthly goals from now on are to do 1000 minutes.

The thing is, I am not doing enough ST.
I go to pilates once a week, which is great - but I often don't do much else in the way of ST.

I need to do ST 3 more times per week. Plus I need to do my pelvic floor (kegel) exercises daily.

[Don't get me started on pelvic floor exercises. They are not just for women. They are not just for those who have had a baby. They are not just for those with a continence problem. They are for everyone, every day, for life!]

Monday
PF Exercises

Tues
Pilates
PF Exercises

Wed
PF Exercises
ST (Lower)

Thurs
2 hour bike ride
PF exercises

Fri
PF Exercises
ST (Core)

Sat
Either 90 minutes bike ride, or spin class
PF Exercises

Sun
PF Exercises
ST (Upper)

I am setting alarms on my phone to remind me daily to do these.

Now that sounds like an exercise plan!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ROSGETSSERIOUS 8/11/2012 3:03PM

Great idea to use your phone to remind you! Report Inappropriate Comment

SLENDERELLA61 8/11/2012 2:25PM

You are working that Beck!! Good for you!! ST is important. Good for you for recognizing it. Does your pilates give you a full body workout? If so, that is 2 sessions per week for each group. Good. And you've got 210 minutes of cardio each week plus pilates. Does pilates get your heart rate up enough to count as cardio? If so, that is cardio 3 days per week. Not bad. Best wishes for all the benefits of your active life!! -Marsha Report Inappropriate Comment

PHEBESS 8/11/2012 2:05PM

ST is the one thing I manage to do each and every day. Stretches, strength training for upper, lower, and core, and then some balance work. Keeps me strong, limber, and hopefully will keep me going long into my golden years! (I'm just entering the silver ones, LOL) Report Inappropriate Comment

MRSRACHELS 8/11/2012 10:46AM

sounds Report Inappropriate Comment

WATERMELLEN 8/11/2012 10:12AM

Heading to the gym RIGHT NOW for ST!! Yeah!! Report Inappropriate Comment

WENDYJM4 8/11/2012 1:39AM

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Beck Day 8 - Create time and energy

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Reading this, I can see that in my last year on SP I have already adopted some 'thin thinking' habits. As I am going through the 6 week program - some days are going to be non issues for me. Like this one.

Being the main carer of two young children, whenever I get time off - I am exercising. Its funny to talk to other mums who say 'A morning off - I'd go back to bed with a book'. Not me - I know that exercise gives me more energy than sleep/rest will.
Or worse, are those who say 'I wanted to go for a run, but I could not leave the house with a dirty floor/pile of unwashed clothes/breakfast dishes still in the sink'. Again, I need exercise more than a perfectly clean house!

I make a point of cooking double batches of food, so I can put something in the freezer for the times that I run out of time or don't feel like cooking. Takeaway food used to be once every week or so - now it is probably once every two or three months!

Every week we stock the house with fresh meat, fruit, vege and whole grains (mostly) so preparing healthy foods is not difficult.

So what can I learn from this?
As life gets busy - and it will. I am going back to study next year, still with my children not a school yet - so finding time to exercising and eat right will be even more difficult.
So, I will never (hardly) use the excuse that I don't have time.
I will make time.
My health and happiness is really important - and if I can't allocate time to this, then I have my priorities all wrong.


I still need to concentrate on
- Keeping my reasons for maintaining my weight at the front of my mind
- Sitting down to eat
- Eating with less distractions (not at the computer, or in front of TV, or whilst reading)
- Eating slowly. Chewing well, putting fork down, taking a drink
- Giving myself credit for good behaviour

I weighed in yesterday, unofficially (since my weigh in day is Wednesday) at a new low. 57kg (125.5 lbs) - this is great news ahead of next weeks holiday. Plus, I have already done 435 fitness minutes this month - great progress towards my 1000 fitness minutes target.
I have been eating well inside my range all week.
Some of Beck's Thin thinking ideas I am already doing!
Credit for all that!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

WENDYJM4 8/10/2012 5:29AM

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WATERMELLEN 8/9/2012 8:51PM

Good for you! You're doing a great job with planning and exercising. I also went back to school when my kids were small: what are you planning to study? It was challenging, but really worth it! Report Inappropriate Comment

SLENDERELLA61 8/9/2012 8:36PM

You deserve BIG CREDIT for everything you do, including big batch cooking, stocking house with healthy foods, using any spare moments for exercise -- wow, you've got it goin' on. Very impressive!! -Marsha Report Inappropriate Comment

Beck day 7 - Arrange your environment

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

So, Beck advises that you set up your environment to support you in your goals. You know - get rid of junk food from your house (and handbag, and car, and desk) if you can. Put healthy foods where they are easy to reach - and less healthy foods where you can't see/reach them.
Oh, and put small dishes in easy reach - to encourage smaller portions.

We don't have a lot of junk food in the house.
Wine - in a cupboard under the stairs
Museli bars - in a dark corner of the cupboard
Fruit - on the counter

We have some big bowls that I used to use for pasta, museli etc - I have stopped using them, except as serving bowls.

The one change I made recently was to put the bread away in the cupboard. My husband buys some lovely wholemeal bread from the market each week - and we were leaving it on the bench. On a couple of occasions I have inhaled multiple slices with honey or peanut butter, before I know what I am doing.
Much easier since I made a conscious decision to put the bread out of sight!


So, I am also
- trying to eat slowly and mindfully
- sitting down to eat
- giving myself credit

I shared an apple with my daughter today - 2 quarters each.
I ate mine at the computer, and turned around to grab the second quarter, only to realise that I had already eaten both of them!
Now, its only half an apple - but it just shows, if you are not paying attention, you eat more than you think!

Have a great day!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ROSGETSSERIOUS 8/9/2012 12:18PM

I think that this is a key strategy to be successful - if it isn't in the house I can't eat it and no excuses! Report Inappropriate Comment

ILIKETOZUMBA 8/9/2012 11:12AM

Sounds great! I love the plate size trick - using a "salad plate" or "lunch plate" for my meals instead of a great big dinner plate. It can be really helpful! And hey, at least honey and/or peanut butter (on whole grain bread, no less!) are nutritious. :) Report Inappropriate Comment

SWAZY33 8/9/2012 9:45AM

great info Report Inappropriate Comment

WATERMELLEN 8/9/2012 8:05AM

That "rearranging the environment" thing turned out to be very important for me. If I open the cupboard and see the peanut butter, I'll want a spoonful. Or if I open the fridge and see the cheese . . . same thing. It helps a lot to have these items out of sight for me! Report Inappropriate Comment

SLENDERELLA61 8/9/2012 8:03AM

Great going!! Putting the bread away and using the big pasta bowls for serving dishes makes so much sense. Sounds like you didn't have a long way to go on arranging your environment, but you did it!! Thanks for sharing the quarter apple experience. You are so right, when you aren't paying attention it is so easy to eat more than you think. Take care. You are doing great!! Report Inappropriate Comment

Beck Day 6 - Find a diet coach

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Beck asks you to find a Diet Coach - someone to support and encourage you, keep you motivated, help problem solve etc.

I am going to take the easy way out, and say that my Spark community is my diet coach.
This is where I always come when I am struggling - either beating myself up for a binge, or planning a strategy for a holiday/social event, or losing motivation etc. And all you wonderful people come through every time.

I am not sure if Beck would approve.

I don't really want to ask a friend or family member to play that role. Most people I know would probably say 'You never needed to lose weight in the first place, but now you have - and thats OK too. Now get on with life'. And obviously, my concern with 'getting on with life' is allowing my bad habits to derail my maintenance - and I will be back where I started.
I do have one friend who is on my wavelength on this - so whilst I wont ask her to be my diet coach - I will discuss things with her as they come up.

I suppose I want to be that thin person, who thinks and acts like a thin person. They don't often talk about food and temptation and bingeing etc but they just quietly follow a few personal rules that allow them to maintain their weight.

So, I pledge to
- keep you posted during the Beck 6 weeks program
- keep connected with SP into the future - especially if I find my habits are wavering
- revisit the Beck book as required (she admits that her book is a little like a diet coach)
- call on my friend when I need a little more personal support

I am also
- sitting down to eat
- mindfully eating (as much as I can with my kids squabbling etc)

Oh - and give myself credit
- I am still doing this
- I put down the fork, and moved to the dinner table from the couch after almost eating dinner in front of TV last night
- I am back at the lower end of my maintenance weight range through very disciplined eating,
- I am planning my food in advance, as much as I can

Thanks to all of you for being so supportive to me.
(I thought I should give you credit too!)

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MAUREENV2 10/2/2012 8:48PM

How did it work out using sp as your diet coach? I am up to Day 6 in Beck's book and don't really have anyone I want to ask to do this. Thanks for any help you can give me. Report Inappropriate Comment

SLENDERELLA61 8/8/2012 7:30AM

You are doing great! I'll be out of town Aug 13-19, but I'll try to remember to check out your blogs when I can. Please feel free to SparkMail me if you need something specific. I don't have all the answers, but I have enjoyed Beck coaching on SP and have gained something each time I have officially coached someone here. Have you posted your Advantages Responses that you have listed on your card? I'd be interested. -Marsha Report Inappropriate Comment

WATERMELLEN 8/7/2012 6:32PM

You are doing great with Beck. My Beck diet coach was SLENDERELLA here on SP and that worked just fine! So I'm thinking your SP and "real" friends can coach you too; Beck really is all about the maiintaining thing too because it's changing how you think! Report Inappropriate Comment