Where attention goes, energy flows

Feb 21, 2013

I reached my goal weight and then set another, and another, and a few more.  I finally decided on a goal weight of 160 pounds.  This is where I feel healthy and where my body seems comfortable.  So why am I sitting at 164 pounds!!  My lowest was 159 pounds.  Okay, Let me start by saying that I know that we fluctuate because of many different factors.  However, my brain is on a runaway train track telling me I am screwing up.  So I come on to OH and lo and behold! I find the article written just for me.  Just when I need it.  You can find it on your home page just like I did.  It was an article about how to shift focus from regain to loss.  It was about those little aha moments when you go, WHOA!  How did that happen and what is my part in it??  I loved this article because it spoke to the heart of what I do to myself in those moments.  I blame.  I shame.  I beat the crap out of.  And then I feel bad so I eat more.  This was an excellent article giving clear action to avoid this vicious cycle.  YEEHAW!  It asked 5 questions and since I needed a topic for my blog this time, I figured I would answer them here for me and whoever reads this to see and hopefully get something out of. 

Instead of wasting time and energy on negative thinking and shame which for me is a useless emotion, I wanted to focus on the positive and some action steps.  So here goes my action:

1. What are you doing differently at home or work that has contributed to weight gain?  I have NOT been doing my weekly cooking on Sundays.  I used to cook several chicken breasts with different flavoring on them.  I also boiled eggs to have on hand.  I would them weigh them and put them into serving sizes and bag them up.  Flip them into my purse and boom.  Lunch taken care of.  Only I got so sick of eggs the thought of eating another one right now kind of makes me feel a little sick.  I also notice that I have gotten busier at work and my ability to take an actual lunch break has been diminished.  Another thing I have noticed is that it's the dead of winter and I don't exercise like I do in the other seasons.  At home also I am trying to eat when the kids eat instead of eat when I am hungry which means that later at night, I want to snack snack snack.  hmmmm...i didn't realize how many thing were changing.  This is interesting! 

2. Has access to food changed?  Shopping habits or portion sizes changed?  YES!  I allowed miniature candies into my house over Christmas!  Crap!  Because I know one miniature will not make me sick.  So guess what?  I justify having one.  I don't allow ice cream in my house for just this reason.  I get single serve for the kids and they eat it and its gone out of the house.  But that candy jar?  Dang that candy jar!  Because I am not planning out my meals with Sunday cooking, I shop more during the week.  I pick up those quick meals instead of cooking better foods at home.  So that adds calories, salt, preservatives....oh dear.  And while I am still great at using small plates and making sure I get in protein and veggies before all else, I stopped weighing my food.  I will just bet you my eyes are lying to me again about what a portion is.  Oh this is good stuff....so to speak.

3.  Do you multitask as you eat?  Lord I try not too.  I try to eat at a table and not in front of a television.  But at work, I often eat in front of a computer screen with a million files open around me, while returning calls and writing notes.  ugh.  I miss the days when I could take 20 minutes and do nothing but eat.  More responsibility and more money and more challenge is awesome and i love it!  But it has taken a toll on my ability to concentrate on the food I eat.  Oh dear.  Lots of room for improvement.

4.  Have I developed self care habits that bring pleasure and support weight loss?  IF yes, have they changed?  IF no, how could I?  I stopped weighing myself.  I just realized that.  The battery died in my scale.  It is one of those button jobs and I would have had to go to the big town 30 miles away to get one so I just kept putting it off.  3 months later I still have no scale and no battery.  I don't exercise as well due to the weather right now.  And i like the way I feel after a good brisk walk in the fresh air.  It clears my head and alleviates stress.  We moved furniture around and I didn't pull in the WII so I haven't danced with my daughter in forever.  I love doing that.  HMMM!  My goodness when I started I didn't think I would have much to answer in these questions!  Amazing!  And something strange...I don't feel ashamed of what I am writing more than I feel excited that I can DO something about every single thing I have written...aside from making it 80 degrees and sunny in Iowa in the winter..lol. 

5. What 3 actions am I willing to take this week to support shifting my energy from regain to loss?  OH!  I am so excited!  This is where I need to be careful because I will jump in, try to change everything all at once and make NONE of it an actual habit!  Okay so first three things in this first week of change are going to be:

Habit 1!  Sunday cooking day is coming back!  Break out the crock pot and let it do the cooking for me!  This truly is easier than coming home and trying to figure out what to make because nothing is ready to go.  It will save me time, energy and calories.  My kids will benefit by eating healthier and getting some time with mom, both when we cook and prepare on Sundays, and during the week when I have a few more minutes to listen to what happened that day at school.  Winning situation! 

Habit 2!  Sorry kids, you aren't going to like this one!  That candy dish is about to become filled with pretty rocks and/or sand and a candle.  That candy is out of here!  I will honor my kid's right to an occasional sugar treat but it will have to be a regular size candy less often.  Those mini's are the devil!  They still get their kid treat but mom doesn't have the temptation.  Winning situation for mostly mom but kids will forgive me...eventually! 

Habit 3!  Get that WII hooked up and use it!  We have fun when we dance!  Movement feels good.  The kids and I sleep better after we move.  Time to get busy and commit to doing this! 

Now, I don't want to get overwhelmed but there are a couple more things that aren't going to hurt to throw in here.  I am going to buy the battery and put it in the scale.  I will wait to make it a habit to weigh myself until next week so I don't tip my hand.  But this is something simple that needs to happen. 

AHHHH!  I feel better already.  My attention is now flowing toward a positive direction and so is my energy.  I don't feel locked into place by shame and embarrassment.  I feel like some small changes are what I need, and what I CAN do to feel better.  This rocks!  IF only everything were this easy!  I will update you and let you know how my 3 habits are going! 

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