Category: #holidays

It was a weird day. I was starving and I ate my sandwich by 9:30 in the morning! I knew that decision had potential for trouble, but the day got very busy and I managed to pace myself with the rest of my lunch. Then after a quick drop-in at Stop and Shop, I cooked some turkey chili and quinoa. It was ok, and even better than that – it was quick and easy.

The holidays are making their way closer and closer and I’m feeling it. In my mind, I imagine what I want to look like, how I want to feel, and I know that I probably won’t be there. I’m not down on myself, I’m proud of my accomplishments. I am maintaining significant weight loss, and I am not that far from Lifetime. However, part of me is bothered that I allowed myself to lose my focus and be in this position. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a process and I’m learning as I go.

Spin at 5:15 am tomorrow, so I’m off to bed. Keep positive, be happy with yourself where you are right now. I promise I’m going to try to do the same.

Accomplishing a goal feels amazing! Today I did just that – 14 days no desserts, cookies, or sweets. It feels really good to know that I set a goal and achieved it. It’s especially true when I’m working on a bigger goal – getting back to Lifetime status.

A little goal goes a long way. The new goal is get to bed earlier and to get activity. I didn’t do that today… but I’ll try again tomorrow. Resilience, persistence, optimism, and patients. I’ll get there.

We had professional development today. With professional development comes snacks. The holidays are getting closer, the pressure is on, and everywhere I look I see some degree of challenge. Despite all of this, I am still on plan, and here are some great choices I made today:

1. I drank lots of water.
2. I snacked on halos instead of candy.
3. I ordered a salad and got my salad dressing on the side.
4. I packed a healthy lunch for tomorrow.
5. I prepped vegetables to have on hand in the refrigerator.
6. I remembered to breathe when I was feeling stressed.
7. I monitored internal hunger cues today.
8. I signed up for a spin class for tomorrow.
9. I selected fruit instead of cake for dessert.
10. I accepted a complement about my weight loss.

A word of advice, we don’t always have to live in the struggle. We can take a break from all that and just count all the good decisions we make along the way. Sometimes it’s just nice to acknowledge the good stuff.

The holiday rush is in full fledged freak out mode. I find myself running around with a constant mild hum of anxiety running beneath every decision. I do love this time of year, but it’s also stressful. I have to regroup tomorrow and see where I stand in terms of gifts, and making arrangements for parties and family get togethers.

So it’s no wonder that between the holiday rush, work, and family I have been missing my spin classes. I’ve been staying up too late working and so I have to cancel because I just can’t do it all on three or four hours of sleep. The next challenge I’m going to take on once my Sugar-Free Challenge is done is bedtime routines and regular activity.

I combine bedtime and activity because I really can’t have one without the other. I think creating a challenge to keep it consistent is really going to help me get through this beautiful albeit stressful time of year. Speaking of which tomorrow is my weigh-in day and I”m hoping for a positive outcome. I really did my best this week. I’m proud of my efforts and even if I don’t get a good number on the scale I hope I’ll be satisfied with what I did accomplish.

This post is dedicated to anyone who is struggling to hold on to their weight loss journey. I know how you feel. I know how scary it can be when you feel the good habits you’ve worked so hard to establish start to wane and fade. There is a palpable fear that slowly the weight gain will start again. That’s an awful way to feel, and if you’re there right now, believe this, you’re not alone.

Open up your perspective and think back on your journey. There is an ebb and flow for living a healthier lifestyle. If you’re new to this journey, know a healthy lifestyle requires a lot energy so don’t give up yet. Hang on. If you just hang on you will make it through this hard spot. In the meantime, try not to waste your precious energy on fear, disappointment, or stress. Even if you’re unsure on the inside, be brave on the outside.

This is hard but I can do this. Say that over and over and eventually you’ll believe it because it’s the truth.

If I were to go back and reread my posts I would see my whole journey laid out in front of me up to this point. Through this process of daily blogging, II have learned, and continue to learn so much about myself. I have learned:

1. how to recognize external hunger from internal hunger.
2. that tracking my food each day helps me stay accountable.
3. weighing and measuring my portions helps me maintain control.
4. I need supportive in person and virtual communities to help me.
5. sleep is very important for weight loss and I need to work on this.
6. I enjoy activity, it makes me feel good physically and mentally.
7. writing helps me to sort through this process and organize myself.
8. my beliefs are very powerful and shape my outcomes.
9. I like to cook new recipes, and eat good food.
10. weight loss is difficult and yet it can be done.

What’s next for me as I continue down this path? I don’t know, lately I’ve been hungry but I’m also still on antibiotics and I think that may have something to do with it. I have had a very good week on plan. The only areas I need to improve are activity, and sleep. I need to get more of both! I hope you are having good experiences and are feeling confident. If you are not, don’t beat yourself up, just start over. More tomorrow.