Grab a shovel

One of my very wise friends gave me a metaphor the other day that I've been able to apply to various aspects of my life: "Slipping into a hole is easy and sometimes fun, but digging yourself out is hard and takes a lot of work".

I've applied this to weight loss and in my personal life. Both areas I've slipped and fallen deeper into a hole and while I may not have hit rock bottom, I'm far enough down that I don't want to slip farther into the unknown abyss.

So, what's the plan? How do you start to dig your way out? How do you maintain your trajectory and not lose momentum? How do you not become discouraged? If you find out, let me know! There are a few things I've learned and most of which, I need to be reminded of daily and sometimes, hourly.

Have a plan. Make realistic goals. Recognize your accomplishments, no matter how small. If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. You may backslide a little bit but you haven't slipped all the way back down. Make small changes daily. Persevere.

Like I said, I have to be reminded of these things daily. It's been very hard for me to not let the negative talk seep into my thoughts. I have a mantra I've been trying to recite every day since January 1st. I have to say it out loud and throughout the day, just to remind myself that it's worth it and so am I. It sounds silly, but it does help. Even when I'm running (which I hate to do), I keep saying "You can do it, you're doing it, just a little bit farther, push a little harder".

I think part of it is just bucking up and dealing with it. My dad always says that you need to feel the emotion, cry, yell, do whatever you need to do. And then move on. Don't dwell on it. Experience it, feel it, move beyond it. Sometimes I have to stop, take a deep breath, remember this and do it.

So, buck up. Tell yourself you can do it and DO IT. Make the right decisions and DO IT. You can do it. I can do it. Dig yourself out of the hole and don't look back.

Va-cay!!!

I look forward to vacations as much as the next person. When you think of vacations, you typically think of relaxing, sightseeing, lounging, drinking, eating....definitely not exercising. That said, when you travel, you typically walk. A lot. I'm a lot more adventurous when I'm abroad than when I'm home, too. Why on earth would I use the Metro in LA?! Put me in New York, though, and I will walk or ride the subway before I even think about hailing a cab. I would never stick my thumb out for a ride in CA, but I've even been known to hitch-hike in Israel! In Mexico this summer, my sister and I went para sailing! There's something about being somewhere new and exciting that ignites a fire within me to try new things.

That all being said, I've tried to incorporate more activity into my vacations. In New Hampshire this past Fall, we went apple picking and I walked a little farther up the hill than I normally would've. When my BFF came out to CA for Thanksgiving, instead of sitting in a coffee shop and gabbing, we got our joe-to-go and strolled the streets. I'm leaving on Thursday for a long weekend in the South and am already planning on taking a couple runs and trying to stay active. You have to plan ahead and be deliberate (and by 'you', I really mean 'me'). That's step 1.

Step 2. Food. I've really tried to only eat foods that I've never had before, are specific to the locale or are the most-amazing-at-this-place kind of thing. For example, my friends in New Hampshire make amazing home-made Mac N Cheese. I rarely cook Mac N Cheese and even more rarely see them, so it was mandatory to eat their one-of-a-kind Mac N Cheese. I also feel obligated to try food that the place is known for; cheesecake in NY (even though I don't even like cheesecake!), deep-dish pizza in Chicago, cheese steaks in Philly, falafel in Israel, beer in Germany....you get the idea. I'm not going to waste my time on pizza in Mexico or Israel, but bring on the deconstructed enchilada casserole in Mexico! I suppose part of this logic is that I know I will only get the Hall's Mac N Cheese when I'm in NH, so I look forward to sharing that with them. When you connect a food/drink to an event or place, there are special memories that you create and isn't that part of what holiday celebrations are about? Elizabeth has a certain home-made snack mix only on New Years. She enjoys it that one day and looks forward to it and that, makes it special.

Step 3. Have a plan. I have to plan ahead. Don't get too hungry, take a few extra steps, make me-time, make the most of moderation. I suppose my trip this weekend may include some good 'ol Southern faire and I know beer is on it's way, but I'm also anticipating running. Must run. Or at least walk. :) Either way, I'll have a good time, be in good company and will get my butt in gear.

2010

Happy New Year!

I goofed a bit, I have to confess. I have a lot of blog ideas and so when I get them, I type a few lines to remind me about it later and then I can go back and write it up. Well, I did that today only to find that it kept the original date of SEPTEMBER! So, my current thoughts are labeled "Stressed?" in September 2009. Sorry!

Now that I'm effectively in 2010 though, let me tell you about my Christmas! I received, drum roll please.....a Bodybugg!! Woo-hoo!! Anyway, it's super cool...and kinda frustrating. I did really well yesterday and today with working out, staying active, etc. only to plug it in and there was nothing. Nothing to show for my 2 mile run/walk yesterday or my 3o minutes on the elliptical plus weights tonight. BLAST. I know I did it. Bodybugg apparently thinks I was "inactive" all day.

It is currently charging and so once I get over it, I'll strap it back on and off we go!

I don't know what motivates you to work out but for me, it's either habit once I finally get there or if I get out of it, anger. Anger totally motivates me. Frustration motivates me. Emotions towards others and even feelings I have. Whatever it is, I'm getting better at channeling it in the right direction. I suppose someday the feeling of health should motivate me, but really, right now, it's other driven and that's okay, so long as the job gets done right? Right.

Eating out?! YES!

My friend Elizabeth and I watch the Biggest Loser each week. While we live in different cities, we typically text during the show, so it feels like we are sitting in the same room watching!

This week Elizabeth commented on the part of the show in which they had to eat out every meal of every day for a week. She wished Bob and Jillian had focused more on eating out and tips for living your life in a world that thrives on fast food and convenience.

I don't eat out a lot anymore. Elizabeth and I used to eat out all the time! Eating out is still a big part of her life and knowing that she is on this journey too, she knows she needs to make wise decisions. The simple things include no cheese, sauce, limited to no alcohol, no dessert, no oil, etc. On the Biggest Loser this week they went to a Mexican restaurant and asked that the chips and salsa be removed from the table. There is NO WAY I could do that. I would much rather have a smaller meal than give up chips and salsa! Even if I only have 5 chips (which I've done before!).

Bob and Jillian suggested to order things baked, broiled, poached, grilled, steamed, seared, and raw (veggies). Once you read a few menus you begin to pick up on buzz words; pan-fried, crusted, fried, etc. Elizabeth and I would eat at Applebees a lot. We knew they had a WW menu so it made our options much easier; so long as we stuck to that menu! We could have an appetizer, meal and dessert and not feel guilty at all. We made the decision to eat at a safer restaurant and limit our temptation elsewhere.

Other tricks: dressing on the side, subbing veggies and/or fruit for fries or baked potato, look the restaurant up online and make wise choices, eat smaller meals during the day and then you may indulge a little more in the evening, exercise before your meal out, no bread/chips at the table, season with lemon as opposed to oils, have something small at home before you eat out. I've tried and done all these things. The key is just doing them. You have to make the change and the decision to do it.

You can! Change today! Get the dressing on the side, don't have the appetizer, order your chicken grilled, not fried! Baby steps. . . !

Stressed?

I know I'm the only person in the world who struggles with stress eating. I know no one understands my plight and I'm alone..... right. Needless to say, I'm not the only one. I wasn't the first and I certainly won't be the last. I'm not sure where in my life food became connected to emotion. Happy, sad, lonely, ecstatic, depressed, overjoyed, angry, hurt, overwhelmed...am I missing any? :) If it can be felt, I have eaten because of it.

But what did it get me? More sadness, more loneliness, more depression, more hurt, more anger...you get the picture. It was a sad downward spiral. Finally one day, I had had enough. It wasn't so much that I was ready to get my life on track, rather, I didn't want it to go where I was leading it. So I changed. That's the right mental place to be.

This past year has been racked with nursing school, long hours at the hospital, stressful exams, late nights studying, post-test celebrations, failed dating relationships (I know, I know, I shouldn't be dating during nursing school, but hello? I needed to have some fun too!), super-stressful boards and finally, celebrating the reward I've worked so hard for. RN. From the beginning of last year, I'm at the same weight. Yes, it's fluctuated a bit all year, up no more than 15 and down no more than 10. So basically, I've kept it within 25 lbs. Which sounds like a lot and it is, don't get me wrong, but I've maintained to a certain extent, too. That's what I have to keep telling myself. I didn't gain it all back.

Goals work well for me. I need to have something to work towards. I've talked about that before. In the past it was the Bay to Breakers race or the Triathlon. Now, it's changing a bit. I'm visiting a friend out of state in a few weeks. While I don't have to run across the country, it's a trip I'm looking forward to and a manageable goal. After that, I have a small race in April, then Bay to Breakers again in May and then who knows what? I can work that out. When I have a goal in mind, I'm less likely to stress-eat. I'm more focused. More driven. Aren't we all that way though? When you have a goal in mind and set yourself to it, you can't be moved.

We receive Cooking Light and WW magazines. It's like Christmas morning when they arrive! I grab my stickie post-it tabs and settle in, ready to start the salivating process!

These magazines have broadened our horizons and palates in amazing ways! I like both magazines for different reasons: WW gives NI and Points right there, but sometimes the portions are too small or the tastes just aren't quite there. Cooking Light gives NI as well, no Points, but you can figure it out. Their downfall is the Points value may be too high but their flavor is really good. We also have several WW cookbooks that we use. Between the magazines, cookbooks and our old faithfuls, we're set!


Like I said a few weeks ago, during this process, your taste buds may change. WW came out with a great Mac N Cheese recipe that we're in love with! My mom made it last week with lackluster results, but she had some extra help that may have negatively contributed to the Mac N Cheese outcome. I no longer crave the emptier 1/4 cup calories of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Instead, I can have a FULL cup (!) of WW Mac N Cheese!

Don't start the taste changes immediately. Try them gradually. One recipe a week. . .one new product a week. . . one day at a time.

Preparation

Isn't the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared"? It is actually. Thank goodness for Google!

It's such a simple motto to think of but difficult to put into practice. Preparation requires time, forethought, time, shopping, time. . .you get the picture. Who has time to do all this?

You will have to find time if you're on this journey for life. Granted, some weeks are better/worse than others, but I do believe that once you get into the habit, it becomes easier and just like second nature. And, just like a few days ago when I posted; baby steps. Small, significant changes daily.

I typically eat the same foods with little variation. We had chicken three nights in a row last week! Granted, they were all very different recipes, but good 'ol chicken, nonetheless. I've gotten into the habit of making a little extra dinner so there are leftovers for lunch the next day and a little extra for later in the week when the thought of making another meal is too much to handle. By Thursday or Friday, the kitchen is the last place I want to be. so we pull out the fridge contents and dig in! It's been very effective in numerous ways!

Even though we may eat similar foods weekly, we still need to plan, shop, chop, cook and eat! There are many ideas about 'once-a-month-cooking' styles. I haven't quite gotten there yet, but I was raised by a woman and now live with one who did this years ago. Every few weeks veggies get chopped and either frozen or placed in the fridge for lunches. Chicken gets pounded, boiled, weighed, bagged and frozen. Recently tomatoes were dried and canned as well as frozen. These simple steps save a lot of time later in the week. But again, it comes down to menu planning. I can't decide Sunday what I'll want to eat on Thursday (leftovers apparently). Debcat has taken to writing out a weekly menu that I take liberties with. Schedules change, tastes change, but we have a map to get us where we need to go. We can plan out Points and work-outs accordingly. It has helped us SO much! I may not feel like chicken on Monday, so I'll pull the pork from Wednesday and fix that instead. As long you have a PLAN, you're setting yourself up for success. I stole that from Starbucks! But it's been the motto the past 2 weeks.

Set yourself up for success. Plan for it. Envision it. If you mess up one day, that's okay. Get back on the wagon and move on. You plan for a trip. You don't just show up in Greece and expect it to be wonderful. You save, plan, research, get informed and then make the leap. Same with this area of your life. Plan. Save, research and make the informed changes. You can do it!