It’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and today was my last day of teaching for the week. It’s 8:40 pm and I’m in pajamas. On TV, a newish holiday movie is playing that is attempting to kindle that old Hollywood charm but is (sadly) missing the mark. Instead of watching the show, I find myself thinking about my weight loss journey instead. It’s been a long stretch between posts, so here are some things that are going well:
I’m on a 277-day streak for food journaling
I’m also on a 41-week streak of working out every day.
Every day I drink 64 ounces of water and take vitamins.
My gratitude journal is almost completely full.
I have really garnered some momentum on my journey and that makes me feel pretty great. Now that the holidays are here I am reflecting on what I want to achieve. At my last Weight Watcher meeting, we discussed having a strategy for Thanksgiving. At first, I thought I’d pre-track everything that I plan on eating, but now I don’t think that’s the way to go. I’m going to treat it like any other day. I’m going to eat what I want, track it all. What I’m doing now is working so I think I’ll just keep doing this.
To anyone taking the time to read this post, I say, let’s take on that attitude of gratitude, as we lift our glasses, and say,” Cheers to us!” as we keep becoming the best versions of ourselves.
Yesterday began with a hearty breakfast after my Saturday morning Weight Watchers meeting. We discussed how important it is to make our healthy lifestyle choices be sustainable. If we want to live the rest of our lives eating healthy, then we have to learn how to eat what we want but within limits. Feeling inspired, and thinking about the Belgam Waffles in my freezer as featured in yesterday’s social media post to my group:
I was satisfied, and really felt proud of myself, go me! I can eat what I love and still lose weight. Later in the day, I was feeling hungry again – I did a quick body check and it was legitimate internal hunger:
I walked into the kitchen and there on the toaster were the bakery cookies that were left over from my son’s birthday party Thursday night. I stood there thinking, “You’re going out to dinner with friends later. If you eat a cookie that means you are going to have to balance it out with a lighter dinner choice. You are going to see a show too – which means you may want a fancy cocktail…” Even after all that thinking, I was reminded by the meeting – “if this is going to be sustainable (for the rest of your life) if you want cookies you need to be able to work them in.” I tracked and ate four bakery cookies.
Of course, that wasn’t a strategic choice, it was an emotional choice. I was watching a Halloween show, and I wanted the cookies. I wanted that sense of sweetness and Halloween at that moment. I knew what I was doing and I was alright with my choice.
All would have worked out except, when I did go to dinner later, the food was not good, so I really ate very little. I went to the show Beautiful (it was so great if you have not seen this musical and you love Carol King, do see it). Once there, I did get a lovely seasonal cocktail with a fancy apple slice and Tito’s vodka that also went into my tracker. But, by the time I got home hours later, I was very hungry! And because I was so hungry, I did not handle that situation as well as I could have. I ate a bowl of cereal with skim milk, two enlightened bars, and 2 bags of Utz Halloween Pretzels with 3 thin slices of smoked gouda cheese. In the end, I felt a bit defeated and went to bed.
This honest reflection of my day and real awareness is the thing I want to celebrate this morning. In the past that could have been way worse. Worse, because I would have had a blind spot to what I was doing, and I would have most certainly eaten more. That would have been followed by a great deal of shame for being so weak. Now I see that it’s not weakness it was genuine unchecked hunger.
I have one more thing to share. Many years ago I read Geneen Roth’s book, Women, Food, and God, her Eating Guidelines were a game changer for me:
“The Eating Guidelines 1. Eat when you are hungry. 2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car. 3. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music. 4. Eat what your body wants. 5. Eat until you are satisfied. 6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others. 7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure.”
If you have a curious mind, you may want to try eating mindfully today. If your experience is like mine, you may find it’s easier to tell when you’ve eaten enough. You may also be more aware of the physical sensations of what you’re eating feeling more present during the experience.
A good teacher shows her students where to look, but not what to see. Watching is essential to learning but it does not work in a silo it needs to be coupled with three other attributes for learning: intention, engagement, and reflection. I know about this because I’ve written (with my co-author and friend Jill DeRosa) a book for teachers, WIRE for Agency, WIRE is a metacognitive framework (Watch, Intention, Reflect, Engage) to use with students so they may know themselves as learners. If you identify how learning happens, you can have a greater sense of agency in your life. Which brings me to this post. My weight loss journey has been a great lesson in personal agency because it’s something difficult that I am making happen. I am making it happen because I know myself as a learner, and today I want to reflect on what is going well.
Eating happy – I love this flavorPaying attention to portion sizes
Reflecting on Gratitude
I don’t think anyone has ever done anything important all on their own. When doing hard things, I have skill sets I employ like developing habits, strategizing, and perseverance. But that’s not allthinking about my weight loss journey (because this is very important to me) I know that it is my community of family and friends who are making a profound impact on my success. This is not a new discovery, but I think it’s important to take a beat for gratitude.
Reflecting on a New Habit
Daily weigh-ins are a relatively new habit for me that has made a very positive impact on my well-being. The data that this practice garners is helping me stay rational about the process. Today, was a little victory – the scale moved downward into a new… let’s call it a territory, and I know progress happening. Numbers don’t lie, they are concrete but it’s more than what the number is, it is understanding the context of their patterns. The scale is teaching me about myself. I am learning how my body responds to weight loss. I can see fairly predictable patterns and I know that if I stay the course, I will reach my goal. This has alleviated the emotional trigger that the scale used to provoke. Amazing.
Saturday’s Weight Watcher meeting focused on being aware of portion sizes. And, well, let’s face it, if you’re on a weight loss journey having a food scale in your backpack is as essential as a compass! You may lose your way without it. I credit a lot of my weight loss success to my kitchen scale, measuring cups, and spoons. So, here are three tips that you may find helpful…
Keep a kitchen scale visible make it easy to do this.
If you don’t want to spend the extra money on single servings, weigh out servings in grams and store them in snack bags. Sometimes I will put the snack bags inside the original box or bag so I can scan foods into my app more easily.
Try not to weigh and measure portions when you’re very hungry. Feeling hungry adds a level of stress that you just don’t need.
Is there anything special about being able to drop a perfect 28-gram serving of tortilla chips on a food scale? That is for you to decide. I can only tell you, that when that happens to me, I feel like I’m figuring out how to eat what I want and still lose weight. That feels like a win to me.
Who doesn’t love instant gratification? Getting what you want when you want it, is the best. This statement is more than an opinion, it reflects the true nature of the human brain. We have a genuine bias for getting an immediate reward. For many, bad habits thrive on instant gratification, and, over time, that can lead to a negative outcome. Dessert every night is appealing but (that will most assuredly) impact a weight loss journey. There is no joy in foregoing dessert but it will have a positive impact on the ultimate goal – losing weight. It all seems very unfair
Here is a tip to share that may remedy unhelpful habits. Making your day-to-day helpful habits pleasurable in some way. James Clear says, “Pleasure teaches your brain that a behavior is worth remembering and repeating.” (pg. 185 Atomic Habits) and I have to say, I have found this to be true…
This pill case is the cue to take my vitamins.
I like the colors of the pill case, and I enjoy unscrewing the top one and moving it to the bottom after taking my vitamins. This is an easy-to-do habit that gives me a little boost. I like the little pun on my lunchbox, it makes me smile. Closing the rings on my Apple Watch is very motivating to me, and I really like getting special badges. I enjoy spinning, and I like to join challenges on my Peloton. It makes me feel like I’m in a class, and the personal reward is to complete it.
All these small habits are defining who I am, and I am a person who lives a healthy lifestyle. I am not at goal (yet) but I’m already living the lifestyle. Making healthy habits both positive and visible is a game changer. Try it for yourself.
My featured image shows the harbor in my hometown. It’s filled with boats, and at first glance, paints an idyllic summer scene, bobbing boats at twilight. What you can’t see, is that today was unseasonably cool, and it felt as though summer was packing her bags because vacation had come to an end.
Change is tricky, it is both desired and feared depending on the situation. Change is exciting, or scary. It may leave you stronger or weaker, it may come on strong or gradually over time. But the one thing that is certain is that change will always come. It is the great equalizer, it happens to us all for nothing in this life is static. So how we cope with change matters and this is especially true on a weight loss journey.
The First Day of School
I fell right into step with change as if we were doing a familiar dance step. I packed my lunch, laid out my clothes, and planned for how to fit in activity after a busy day. I left my workout clothes in their usual position, resting on the hard wooden chair in my living room. When I got home, I began the ritual of putting away the lunch box and cleaning the vegetables that would be part of tonight’s dinner. Once dinner was cooking I didn’t overthink it, I quickly changed my clothes and did a 20-minute workout.
This is what living a healthy lifestyle looks like for me. This was a glimpse into my day on the precipice of change. As I reflect, I am full of gratitude. I see that all the work to establish strong healthy habits equipped me to cope with change. Everything happened seamlessly and required hardly any effort on my part. So as I wave goodbye to summer and all the wonderful gifts she brings, I realize the greatest gift of all is my lesson learned, “I am what I do.” I take this to heart and it comforts me.
When I first started losing weight I would have thoughts like, “I can’t believe it, it’s actually working.” Then I would reflect, and think, “Ok, so what did I do to make this happen? I had zero-point breakfasts and five-point lunches. I kept my points within a twenty-point maximum, and would roll over four points a day.” It’s true, reflection is a game-changer when it comes to weight loss; however, after, I would engage in a little “black and white” thinking” for my big takeaway: “So all I have to do, is make sure I do exactly that same thing this week.”
Time Out!
If only I had a coach on the sidelines who was able to see my faulty thinking. Someone who would call me over to correct my game, because the truth is, maybe I could do it exactly that way the following week, but certainly not forever. I get in trouble if I start making up little rituals that lead to superstitious thinking.
Rituals are complicated because they can be good or bad. Many helpful habits are born from little rituals that grow into systems that support successful weight loss (click here to read more on that). However, when ritualistic thinking is driven by black-and-white thinking, there is a big difference. When the ritual has more power than we do there is a problem.
My Evolution for Reclaiming My Power
Every week, I would go to Weight Watchers and “weigh in”. That number on the scale usurped my power. If the number went up and I had an amazing week, I felt demoralized. If the number went down, and I had a sense that I had “gotten away with it” I felt “lucky”. If the number reflected what I deemed an accurate result of my efforts, I felt validated. Do you see the problem? The scale had the power, not me.
When it occurred to me that the scale was more powerful than I was, I decided not to weigh in at all. I didn’t weigh in at Weight Watchers or at home. The thinking was, I would only weigh myself once a month to look at my progress over the long term. That really didn’t work, and the same problem persisted – the scale had the ultimate say in my progress.
Part of the learning that comes with a weight loss journey is to understand that the number on the scale isn’t the “be-all” in success. If I’m being rational, I know that the number on the scale is just a data point. I love data, I do. I think it helps to unravel complexities. So what if, I lean into the thing that is upsetting me the most? That was how I decided to weigh myself every day at home. In doing so, I took back my power, and I learned so much about my natural weight fluctuations. The scale does not hold the power anymore, it just offers useful pieces of information that I can use to benefit my results.
I am sharing this story with you today, with the hope that you will evaluate your own weight loss journey. Ask yourself:
Are any of my weight loss rituals driven by superstition?
If yes, what am I really afraid of?
How can I take this fear and use it to my advantage?
Dinnertime was always a struggle for me because by the end of the day, I’m tired and I don’t want to make any more decisions. So, I’d either: make something convenient that was not so helpful on a weight loss journey; or, get takeout (also not helpful and too expensive). I knew that If my weight loss journey was going to be successful, I knew dinnertime was something that I’d have to overcome.
Strategy #9: Building Better Systems
I had to build a better system that would accommodate my needs. A couple of things I know about myself:
I’m a planner. If I have a plan I will follow it.
I need a variety of food. I don’t want to eat the same thing every night. I would quit tomorrow if I had to eat grilled chicken over salad every night.
I need a little flexibility. If I have all the ingredients in the house for these recipes – I like the option of moving them around to suit my needs. Not everything is set in stone but there is enough structure so I don’t have to think too much.
Paprika helps me with every aspect of what I need to plan for dinner. I typically plan the beginning of each week (it’s nice because I can create grocery lists and export them on my Reminders). If I want to get SmartPoints values I use Weight Watchers or Skinny Girl, or sometimes I use the nutritional values to create a food.
Tonight is the last night for my planned dinners for the week. We are having Mexican Chicken, a Weight Watchers Recipe:
Mexican Chicken 2 Smart Points3 SmartPoints
I’m not trying to sell you on using Paprika or joining Weight Watchers, because I can’t know what will work for you. Only you know yourself. Do a little inventory about what is not working for you. Consider why it’s not working. Then build a better system. Try it out, reflect, and tweak it as you go. I promise you can find the solutions you need and make meaningful actionable changes that make your life better.
To be transparent, the title of this post is a bit misleading. There really are no shortcuts for weight loss… sorry. But stick with me anyway. Technology has been helping me in some very important ways to make my habits stick.
Strategy #6 Automating Good Habits
Weight Watchers – This app is motivating me to keep tracking my food. It makes it easy to figure out the nutritional values (we use SmartPoints). It gives me activity points and synchs with my smartwatch. There is an online community through connect, live coaching, and a suite of other services like fitness, articles, and recipes. It really offers everything a person could need.
Apple Smartwatch – I love this more than I thought I would. My sister had one and Christmas was coming up, and I didn’t know what to ask for so… why not an Apple Watch. I set fitness goals and it gives me these rewards. It links up with my sister, daughter, and some friends. It also synchs to my Peloton and my Weight Watchers App. I love it. Plus I use the timer often it helps me with my Two-Minute Rule and my other goals like reading for 20 minutes a day.
Peloton – Activity has to be something I love to do or I will not do it. I love Spinning. Before COVID-19 I went Spin at my local gym 3-4 times a week. When the pandemic hit I really missed it. Thanks to my husband, he bought me the Peloton, I have this incredible piece of equipment and now I ride every day. Find something you love doing then you’ll feel so much better and stronger as you travel your weight loss journey.
Paprika – Dinnertime has been the bane of my existence for many reasons. One: by the evening, I am tired and don’t want to make any more decisions. Deciding what to cook was so draining for me. Two: having a solid plan for what to make for dinner helps me manage my weight loss efforts. I know how many points (or calories) to save for dinner. Three: knowing what I need to have in the house helps me make smart food shopping lists. Plus, Paprika synchs to my Remind app on my iPhone, so I have my shopping list ready to go.
WordPress – Writing is an excellent way for me to reflect. So much important learning (consolidation) happens during reflection. I am the kind of person who wants a big community, and sharing my reflections with all of you is an important piece of why I have my weight loss mojo back.
Now you have my list of favorite apps. What are yours? If you are feeling up for making connections here I would welcome your comments because we can learn so much from each other. As always thank you for reading.
Reflection is a critical thing to a weight loss journey, and having a community in which to share is invaluable. I know enough now, that I don’t want to go it alone because I think better in the company of others. Here are some reflections members shared today when thinking about what is working for them when it comes to losing weight:
“Setting small goals really helps to motivate me to keep going.” To this, I say, “Me too!”
“Weight Watchers meetings help because this is the only place where we can talk about this issue for an hour with people who get it.” I can only say, “Same!”
“Tracking my points, even when I am over, is helpful because I can make them up as the week goes on.” If you saw me at the meeting, you’d see me shaking my head, whispering”Agreed.”
With the good comes the bad. We also did some work exploring what isn’t helpful when pursuing weight loss:
“Letting myself get too hungry. When I get too hungry, I’m in danger of overeating.” (that was my reflection).
“Not planning ahead when going out with friends.” It’s so easy to fall into unhealthy eating and drinking patterns when going out socially. We have those behaviors ingrained and it’s easy to lose control.
“When I don’t consistently track what I’m eating.” Food journaling is the number one habit that successful weight loss revolves around. Not putting food into our trackers is just another way to kid ourselves. It’s like we don’t want to see it but it’s not at all helpful and it just hurts our efforts.
Making a list of helpful/unhelpful behaviors for weight loss is a great vehicle for reflection. It clarifies a plan of action so that we can all get a little closer to reaching our goals.
Getting to Goal 