Is it a fact universally acknowledged that when one is 5'6" tall and weighs 182 lbs (per this week's doctor appointment), that one must lose weight? argh! I have high blood pressure and am going on medication today. The good news is that if I just lose the weight, I will likely have a corresponding drop in blood pressure, allowing me to discontinue with said medication. Thus, I must lose weight ASAP. Before this doctor appointment, I knew that I "should" lose weight "someday". But now its official and I must do it NOW. Oh, poo.
Being serious and all that about losing weight
immediately, I am dedicated to reading through each one of the many weight loss books I have purchased that heretofore have remained dusty and unread. I know I need help. Of course we all know if we reduce caloric intake and increase exertion we will lose weight. What we don't know, is how to get oneself to do it. And to do it NOW. I have the perfect ideas about how to do it SOMEDAY. But
now is rather a different matter altogether. It turns out, that in the "now"--I really don't want to. I prefer to plan to do it someday in the future. I enjoy dreaming about it and imagining myself doing it perfectly. I prefer the perfection of day-dreaming to the messy imperfection of the here and now. Nothing like a scary doctor appointment to awaken one one and bring desperation, if not yet motivation.
So here goes: I am reading "
Think Thin, Be Thin" (sub-titled "101 Psychological Ways to Lose Weight") by Doris Wild Helmering and Dianne Hales. Here is what I have learned so far:
The "more exposure effect" is the proven principle (advertisers adhere to) that the more you see, hear, or read a message--the more
positively you view it. Conversely, we also crave novelty and variety.
Once a person believes change is possible, change occurs.
When you make one small change, you open the door to make more changes.
Your thoughts determine how you feel and behave. Your thoughts determine what you eat and whether or not you work out.
You have about 60K thoughts per day: (a) some are accurate, precise, and logical; (b) some are inaccurate and self-defeating. I am trying to monitor my thoughts and find out what are the inaccurate and self-defeating ones so I can transform them to empowering ones.
It is helpful to visualize a line in front of you, after which you cross over, your new life will begin. For me, I want the new life to be one where I am slender, fit, flexible, strong and energetic (not to mention fun and sexy). I need to practice seeing myself cross over that line.
A study of successful versus un-successful people shows that the distinction between the two groups has to do with goals versus wishes. Clear, specific, achievable goal setting is a practice among the successful people, whereas "wishes" characterize the losers.
For each goal I set, I need to (a) see it; (b) say it; and (c) write it.
It is important to commit to something, so the book had me write out and sign this statement: I, Kerri Warmus, will continue to read "Think Thin, Be Thin" and put some of the suggestions to work for me.
I am working on goal setting and have set a goal that in six weeks (March 27th), I will fit into size 10 pants. I am currently wearing size 12 and they are too tight around the middle. I am finding after just one day of setting this goal, that it is making me take my behavior-of-the-moment more seriously. It isn't as easy to say "oh, I'll start tomorrow" when you have seen, said, and written a goal of being a size 10 in 6 weeks. So I am experiencing the power of goal setting already. I have never liked to be so structured, as it usually causes me to rebel. But most of my rebellious behavior bites me in the butt and it's time to rebel only when it is in my best interest--rather than as a matter of habit.
I am working on a set of daily goals. So far, I have:
1. Plan for success, meaning I need to plan (the night before or the morning of) to have a successful day of healthy habits;
2. Carry some fruit in my purse in case of emergencies;
3. Read, at a minimum, 5 pages of my current book-of-the-moment healthy book;
4. Blog about my experiences to keep me on track and accountable;
5. Ride my horse or do yoga;
6. Take vitamins;
7. Drink at least 6 glasses of water;
8. Eat greens with every meal or 3x per day;
9. Make and drink a juice using my juicer;
10. 20 minutes of aerobics (choose: jog, dance, DVD, bike ride);
11. Eat at least 3 fruits;
12. Measure my blood pressure;
13. No watching movies until after 9pm;
I think I'll print these out and check them off each day and report on my successes. I hope you have a happy, healthy day today!
