TAKE CARE OF MYSELF daily focus -
Morning Mile before coffee - Day #97
Morning papers before internet - Day #72
Cronometer - Day #71
Golden Hour exercise before PJ's. Day #67
Oral Care before D2S Day #52
7k steps before frozen treat. Day #37
September health goals -
Calories 1299 calories or less. Actual =926. Four-week average = 1173
* Protein 35% or more. Actual 32% Four-week average = 35%
Mentorship with Real Food
notes from Foodaholic: The Seven Stages to Permanent Weight Loss,
The psychological stages one must go through, not only to lose weight but to keep it off.
Weight loss is a process.
1) Denial. When I was gaining weight I was in denial about it. I'd wear stretchy clothes, avoid the scale, avoid photographs, etc., all in an effort to deny the problem. The first stage of losing weight for good is coming out of "fat" denial.
2) The Decision. Once you realize there is a problem, whether it be 5 pounds or 105 pounds, there is a period of time that most people go through where they are deciding to do something. During this phase people are coming to terms with their weight, researching different weight loss methods and getting ready to change.
3) Action. This is the weight loss phase. This phase is individual. Some people do best in a group program, like Weight Watchers. There are many online programs now as well. When we write down what we eat, the amount and the calories, we get very clear on what we are doing. It's better than any diet you could go on because any diet you go on, you go off. Keeping track of what you put in your mouth is a practice you can keep up with for life.
4) Getting to Goal. Though it seems like reaching your goal weight would be the end, it isn't. Sometimes the goal needs to be changed as the initial goal may not have been realistic. That can be a process. If one does reach the initial goal, it's a psychological mine field. The feelings need to be worked through or many will regain the weight. If one does reach the initial goal it can be disappointing. No band plays, no fireworks go off when you step on the scale and see that number. It's a quiet thing. It helps to be prepared for that before it happens.
5) Learning to Stay There. In out diet mentality culture, there is the entrenched idea that we go on a diet, get to goal, and then we are done. Not so if you want to maintain that loss. I still have to work at it. I still keep records, weigh daily, exercise, etc. All the behaviors that got me to my goal need to continue or my weight starts to creep up. This can be shocking for people. If you know this going in it can really help to keep you going when you get here.
6) Accepting That This Is a Lifelong Journey. The reason many people regain weight is that they don't expect it to be so much work to keep it off long term. Weight maintenance is the same as the action phase of weight loss, it's just smaller amounts of weight. What I mean is that no one stays exactly the same weight, everyday, forever. We actually gain and lose small amounts of weight all the time. It's learning to work with that long term that allows people to keep it off for good.
I have no idea what the 7th one is. Maybe I need to slow down and read it again.
Stay motivated. Success loves persistence.
Learn to sing & dance in the rain.
Morning Mile before coffee - Day #95
