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Are you struggling to manage your weight? Read on to see if my knowledge, successes and failures can help you. Please comment and pass along to anyone who you think could benefit from this Blog. Be Healthy!



Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Lapse versus Relapse

I'm in a tough place.  Things are busy, and I feel like I am always playing catch up.  There will be another 3 weeks of this until my schedule relaxes.

My focus has changed.  I am trying to allot time for chores and duties.  I am always going to the next place.  It has made consistency tough.  I have no time to be active.  When I do make time for a break, it is to get caught up on sleep.

This is a lapse, a SHORT time reversal of habits.  I still choose health when eating, but the choices I have are slightly less healthy to begin with.  No pigging out, no extra desires, just not able to do exactly what I would like.  I don't have the mental capacity to fight for it right now.  So the new goal is to maintain, don't gain, get get by and hopefully soon things get better.

I am not in a mindset of relapse where everything is out the window.  I am not giving up, just giving in...temporarily. Honestly, part of the answer lies in my walk.  A physical walk can be beneficial, a spiritual walk is necessary for me.  Lord, you know my heart.

224.4

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fighting with my Goal

Goals are important.  Without them, we just wish.  I have had a goal for a while.  I have made long term goals and kind of hoped for the best.  In reality, for me, I need daily accountability. 

The last couple of weeks has been stressful, and my schedule seems to be controlled by others.  When that happens, eating and activity can lose their place in the priority scheme.  Long term goals are a good place to start, but success lies in the details.

If you were driving from NY to LA, would you simply have the goal of driving west?  I guess you could following the sun, but what if you got lost?  What if you have to make choices at night....ok nerds, on a cloudy night?  The point is that we need short term goals or plans.  We should use tools to help us to be knowledgeable about our choices.

Driving is a science that is made efficient by GPS.  We can know how much time or gas it will take.  Exercise science is no different.  We can examine calories taken it and expended.  We can monitor our weight to evaluate how we are doing.  We can even add more activity to help get to our destination.

Set goals, don't drive blind.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tough Week

Today's weight 224.4.

Disappointing to be up, but long term no big deal.  Having my kids in town changed schedules and definitely changed eating and exercise.  It also put me behind on a project.

Keep the gain minimal and get back to the program.  That's the answer.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Being Consistently Inconsistent

I tell my clients all of the time that your road to wellness is not linear.  But just like our weight loss goals, we want to control the lumps.  No huge gains or loss.  More of a consistent rolling loss.  Try to be perfect, and many will fall off the wagon.  Try to do too much too quickly, and you are probably doing something that isn't totally healthy.

Be consistent.  Keep efforting towards your healthy lifestyle.  It is out there.  There is no reason that we cannot be one of them, you know the skinny ones.  Even if you don't get to skinny, skinner is a healthy proposition for someone who carries too much body fat.

This morning I was at a 15 month low 220.8.  It is real exciting, but there is a chance that tomorrow my weight is a little higher.  No panic and no celebration.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Temptations Everywhere

I went for a walk last night around 7:00.  I think it was still near 100 degrees, literally.  I have a 5K or 3.1 mile path I walk.  While walking I pass a couple of schools/parks.  Last night, the same ice cream trunk came up behind me three times and turned on the creepy music, went to the park and waited.  Came up behind me, went to the school and waited.  It was hard watching everyone enjoy their ice cold treats as I continued to mop the sweat from my brow.

I didn't succomb (I didn't have any money).  Victory!  Today 222.8

Monday, August 8, 2011

Accountability Revisited

I know when I do wrong.  I don't want to get on the scale.

This weekend was a good weekend.  I ate out once, thank you chicken express, but mostly planned well and ate heathfully.  I was down for the weekend.  This morning I was at 223.8.  It is so pleasing and rewarding to see the scale change that dreaded number.  Yet it can be so difficult to always choose the right foods, even knowing when the scale will frown on us.

When I stay accountable, regardless if the scale goes up or down, I am usually better about my choices.  Every day will not be a day that results in the scale lowering its numeric feedback.  That is ok.  No big deal.  Ideally, we want to maintain or lose more than we gain (obviously) but trying to be perfect or feeling guilty won't help you find longterm success.  Remember this is a mental battle for most of us, and you must give your mind a break. 

Either way, get on the scale.  Look online and understand what going to chicken express means to your calorie count, transfat intake, or whatever else.  Ignorance is not bliss.  That's what got us here to begin with. 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Separating Habits

I love going to movies.  I go to about 100 + per year.  The problem is the food being served there is terribly unhealthy.  Yet much of it has intoxicating smells.  It is hard to walk in and not think popcorn or hotdog, especially if you are in the habit of splurging.

So the challenge is to enjoy one without the other.  I used to be good at it, but now it is very difficult.  Like anything else, it is important to have a plan.  Not go hungry.  Bring an empty water bottle to fill. I can do this.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Scale will Lie to You

Ok, well your weight is your weight.  There is no fudging the number.  The number is based on everything in your body.  That includes waste to be excreted.  You could be carrying more water or fecal matter (sorry) than the last time you weighed in.

Today when I weighed in, I weighed only 225.8.  I did not eat so little or exercise so much that I lost more than four pounds. That said, the scale is an important accountability tool.  It can be beneficial to log food and activity and then have immediate feedback the next morning.  I tell my clients to weigh daily, but record differences weekly. 

Monday, August 1, 2011

Week Off

I relaxed for the last week.  I ate what I wanted and did what I wanted.  The result, a gain of 4 or 5 pounds.  Weighed in at exactly 230.0.  I have a lot of work to do.  I am planning on having a very focused August.  I need to for myself.

It will also demostrate what I want my clients, students and children to see.  But mostly, I need the change.  I want to be able to do more with my knowledge.  I don't want to sit on the sidelines any longer.  Worst case, if I am called to go or to do, I want to be able to accept and succeed.

Moral of the story, breaks might be needed..mentally, physically or whatever, but you can always minimize the damage.  The good news is that Today is a new day to make healthy choices.