...only have a few bites! Seriously! There is no reason to ever deprive yourself of the things you enjoy to eat. The quantity, yes! You can't fill yourself with your favorite foods AND be healthy. PERIOD. It's not going to happen. Either you want to do the things to bring health. Or you don't. If you are not able to control the amounts of food you consume, you are accepting your current state of health. You have agreed to stay there too.
With our bodies and the desire for weight loss, our mind is more powerful than we give it credit. It plays tricks on us. We play tricks on it. We try to fool ourselves and say that "tomorrow I will do better." If you say this, you are basically saying that right now isn't a good time. That you are not worth the time or the effort. Waiting until tomorrow is procrastination. Think about it. If you REALLY want to do something about your health, if that desire is true, then right now is the time to make the change. Anything other than "right now" means you aren't serious with taking care of yourself. So the next question would be, why? Why are you not worth the effort right now? I have found myself saying these same questions to myself. Some days, I don't want to hear it. Other days, I ponder, try to figure it out, and usually, I have the ability to do better "now."
Over the last few days, getting back into my typical workout and making better food choices, I lost that extra weight I found during Thanksgiving. :o) I am starting to believe myself that it really isn't that hard to maintain if you only listen to yourself. Stop ignoring the inner voice that wants to make good choices. I had such a hard time before because I didn't want to hear myself. I would give myself excuses why now isn't the right time to do better and how tomorrow would be. There is so much psychology in weight loss and health maintenance. I honestly believe that if we are honest with ourselves, we can overcome many of the obstacles that we have put there. But if we aren't honest with ourselves, we are working against ourselves, and that doesn't work when trying to achieve a better lifestyle.
One of the biggest hangups I had when I was going through my life in a binge state, was looking at foods as being "bad" and "good." When having a bad day, how easy is it to justify eating the "bad" foods? You had a bad day, you deserve to relax and have some of the food that makes you feel good. Honestly, if you have had a bad day, eating a bunch of carrots and brocolli isn't going to cut it. But if there isn't such a thing as "bad" and "good" in foods, how much more free you are when a bad day comes around! That alone will help free up brain space to deal with the day itself. No guilt because you jammed a half a dozen of the nearest cookie down your throat. If a cookie makes you happy and feel better, enjoy your cookie! 1 cookie won't make you gain weight, 1 cookie won't keep you from loosing weight either. It's the ones you eat after that one that cause the trouble. Sometimes, when I have had the kind of day where I used to binge after the kids are in bed, I now just have a bite of something, if anything at all and then I go do my workout. After my workout, any desire for food is usually gone. If not, just have a bite. Seriously. I know that the saying goes to "replace negative behaviors for positive" and I agree with that. But often times, when you are just getting started on your journey, or if you have partially or even completely fallen off the wagon, that isn't easy and it's the little hang-ups that make it hard to get started or to continue. I spent years saying "I'll do better tomorrow" and tomorrow took years to come. So if you are starting to be serious and ready to make the changes needed to get on your journey and stay there, cut yourself some slack and take things slow. Slow and steady wins the race.
I really would like to finish my secondary goal of loosing 10 more pounds before the end of the year, but realistically, it most likely won't happen. I have 31 days, it's the holidays, life is beyond busy, and if even one virus gets into the house, there is no way I'll be able to focus on such a goal. Just the pressure of the goal itself is enough to make me want to eat. So, I'll give it a good effort, maybe I'll reach the goal, probably won't, and I am okay with the outcome because I am okay with where I am. Take the pressure away and you have more control. Just getting through December at my current weight is a huge accomplishment and I can't discredit myself for that.
So you CAN have your cake and eat it too. Enjoy a few bites and get moving!! Who wouldn't want to enjoy the foods they like AND wear the size and have the health they truly desire? It is possible and I am proving it to myself each day!!
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