June 2023 – Page 2 – Getting to Goal

5 – 6

June 10, 2023 Just Write2 Comments

Everyone reading this right now has one important quality in common; you’re a human. Unless you’re an alien from outer space and if you’re the latter… “Welcome to planet Earth!”

At last week’s Weight Watcher meeting a question came up, “But why does my weight fluctuate so much? Like how much is normal? Here is the good news, weight fluctuation is totally normal for humans!

Daily weight fluctuation is normal. The average adult’s weight fluctuates up to 5 or 6 pounds per day. It all comes down to what and when you eat, drink, exercise, and even sleep.
Healthline.com to read the complete article click here.

Wait, what? Is that true? After doing some “internet research” it seems that 2-4 or 5-6 pounds within a few days span is the average. That is for people who are not actively trying to lose weight. If you’re watching what you eat, your fluctuation is likely to be less. This makes sense to me. My weight can fluctuate anywhere from .5 lbs – 3 lbs. I thought that 3 lbs was so much, but really it’s either average or less than average according to most sources I found.

The bottom line: Weight fluctuation is normal, but if the scale rises 5 or more pounds for longer than a day or two, chances are it’s more than simply water weight.
Shape, Magazine, to read the full article , click here

I’m a big believer in demystification. Demystification means making something easier to understand, or less complex by using plain language that is both clear and simple. So whatever is hanging you up on your weight loss journey, my best advice is to do some reading, and reflecting on your journey.

Hazy Vision

June 7, 2023 Just Write6 Comments

How long have my habits been serving me?

110 days food tracking (everything I eat)
97 consecutive days of closing all my activity rings on my Apple Watch
A Peloton streak of 17 weeks (never missing one day)

Today (for the first time) people asked, “Jenn, have you lost weight?” That’s what it took for others to notice my weight loss. If you are on a weight loss journey in hopes of external praise from others, it may be a long road for you. I think weight loss has to be something you do for yourself.

Keeping it Simple

June 6, 2023June 6, 2023 Just WriteLeave a comment

On those days when motivation is low and reaching for what’s easy seems way more appealing than what was planned, don’t doubt yourself. We are built to conserve energy, and easy beats complicated hands down.

My habits are working with little effort on my part because of repetition. It’s not about how long you do something that matters, it’s the frequency. Here is my morning routine (which is really a bunch of easy-to-do habits strung together):

Wake up and go downstairs and weigh in.
Record my weight in my WW app.
Take my Apple Watch off the charger and put it on.
Get a cup of coffee, turn on the news, and play Wordle
Make a simple breakfast
Eat, take my vitamins, drink water

Not one of these habits is difficult to do. Each one holds a small reward, the weigh-in (for me) shows data trends that reveal how my body weight fluctuates while losing weight. I like to see it, so this works for me. If you’re the kind of person who would get completely bummed out with a gain after following the plan the day before, this is not a good habit for you. In each thing you do, there should be an opportunity for joy. The Apple Watch is very motivating for me because I enjoy closing my rings. However, if you are not motivated by external rewards, this may not be a helpful habit.

We are all so different, and knowing yourself is a huge asset if you embark on a weight loss journey. So think about what you can do to make this process a bit easier.

When Change Comes Knocking…

June 4, 2023 Just WriteLeave a comment

A big part of my weight loss success stems from my belonging to a supportive community. As a #WeightWatchers member, I get to go to weekly meetings where I learn techniques for how to improve my health while losing weight. I have deep feelings of gratitude and respect for these people because they are generous, funny, and frank about how their weight loss journey is going.

Yesterday’s meeting was about the importance of mindset. It gave me the chills because I wrote about this topic in Just Play prior to going to the meeting! While unpacking this concept a member said, “You say ‘have a positive mindset’ and I do, but does it really help? Nothing is changing?” Wow! At that moment, I was a witness to a change in action. Change comes when you are unsatisfied with things as they are, and if you reach out to others for help, well that is a power move.

What if?

If you’re unhappy with how things are going on your weight loss journey, ask a question that begins with, “What if…” because it may help you unlock personal change. Here is what I know for sure if you want something like weight loss (or anything really) you are worth the effort it will take to achieve it.

Just Play

June 3, 2023 Just Write1 Comment

When I reflect on my past, I find that there were times when I felt like an outsider looking in. Everyone was learning or doing a “thing” that I wanted to do too, but I couldn’t get the hang of it. If it didn’t come easy, it obviously wasn’t for me. Now I know that in those cases I had a fixed mindset and that impeded my ability to adapt and learn.

Click here to watch this video of Carol Dweck, to learn more.

In the case of weight loss, I remember feeling so overwhelmed by the process, “I have to eat every day, what food is ok to eat? Right now, I haven’t eaten anything yet I’m perfect, I’m going to mess up.” and then would give up. Then the other extreme, was that I’d be so rigid, “I can only eat these foods. If I eat these foods, I lose weight and if I don’t I’ll gain weight.” that was exhausting and wasn’t sustainable. My problem was that I was only thinking about the food. The food wasn’t the issue, the food wasn’t doing something to me, it was my behaviors that needed to change.

My inability to figure out how to make weight loss work for me would set off a series of negative thoughts. I would think, “How can you let your eating get out of control?” It felt a lot like a character flaw. My weight would go up and down in a mirror image of my personal struggles. If any of this sounds familiar, then you would understand what I was going through. This was painful.

Automaticity Set Me Free

Paul McCartney, the Edge, or Jake Kiszka don’t have to think about how to play the guitar they just play…

the Edge

JakeKiszka

Watching these guitarists makes it plain to see, they are fluid with their motions and aren’t thinking about how to play. It’s not about the guitar. Since they’re not thinking of the mechanics of playing, they can focus on the creativity and joy of playing. Automaticity means getting to a place where you don’t have to use up all your mental energy learning how to do something. They play guitar because they love it. It’s part of who they are. Doing something because you love it is its own reward and consequently intensifies how skilled you become. This is true for weight loss too.

Cultivate the habits that will bring you success
Practice these habits (repetition matters more than time)
Let yourself fall in love with the process and experience joy

At first glance, habits seem overly predictable and even monotonous. Actions define being. What do you want? Who do you want to be? If you want to lose weight and be a person who lives a healthy lifestyle then your habits (not your skill) will be the thing that grants you access to be on the inside. Once that happens weight loss will follow and it will not feel like work, and the number on the scale week to week will not hold all the power. You will be empowered, and you will find joy in the process.