Yesterday Jack posted a challenge to run a 5K on November 14th.....which was thrown down by Kelly, btw.
Jack, do you have any idea how long its been since I've run?!? seriously.....
And yet I still keep thinking about it....went to sleep last night thinking about it....woke up thinking about it.
I used to run, once upon a time. Not a very serious runner, mind you. But at least for a few years, the Corps made me do it. And afterwards I ran sporadically....until the kids came along....and life got in the way...and...and...and....do you realize that the "babies" I had that got in the way of running are now adults?!? And I had viral pneumonia...twice....and...and....
Oh, who am I kidding?
Ok, Jack and Kelly. You're on. I can do this. Let's see...that's 46 days from now. That's enough time to get ready....
__________________
By the way, I did redeem myself slightly yesterday by eating a "fresh fruit only" dinner, and going for a two mile walk with hubby. I felt really good on that walk! Nothing hurt and I felt really energized. Haven't felt that good on a walk in years!
I really love Google Maps. I can pretty much pinpoint my exact route around the neighborhood by punching in the intersections I go through and it gives me the distance to tenths of a mile. And the cool thing is being able to drag the route around in order to achieve the exact distance I want. You all probably know this already....so, just saying.
Well, short post today. Have a good one, all!
___________
P.S. I just wanted to add that I looked up this mysterious C25K that you ppl keep mentioning, and found the site. Better yet, I downloaded the app to my adroid and am starting tonight. I'm going to have to cram 9 weeks of training into 46 days...I can do this.
And I had a salad for lunch, so I'm behaving.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Day 38 Continued....
Ok, so I'm blowing it today. My co-workers took me to lunch for my birthday (which was over the weekend), and one of them brought in a cake, too. That, combined with the graduation party on Saturday and the minimal walking....I've put on two of the pounds I lost.
Dang! A bump in the road....
Tomorrow is another day, right?
Dang! A bump in the road....
Tomorrow is another day, right?
Day 38 Kicking the Pop Machine
Ok, so I give myself away by saying "pop". Yep, a Midwesterner here. For everyone else, that means "kicking the coke machine" or "kicking the soda machine".
Onwards...
"Kicking the pop machine" is a phrase I learned from this previously mentioned friend of mine who teaches personal growth classes. It goes like this. You approach a pop machine with the required change, deposit it, press a button, and out comes your choice. Next day, repeat. The day after that, repeat. Then one day you walk up, deposit your money, press a button and nothing happens. Nothing. No pop. No "sold out" message. Nothing. So what do you do? Push the button again....and again....then the coin return...then another selection. Still nothing happens. Then you kick it, trying desperately to get it to respond in the way you are used to.
Making changes in your life, including those that impact other people (like family members when you are dieting) is sorta like being the pop machine. All along you've been behaving in a certain, predictable way. But on the day that you stop being predictable, you interrupt that routine. And guess what. People like routine.
The process of changing your life and deciding to get healthier means that there will be lots of button pushing and pop-machine kicking going on during the adjustment period. And I don't mean only from other people.
Sometimes the "people" kicking the machine are the "itty bitty shitty committee" (IBSC) in your head. The little impulses that make you want to go back to the old, comfortable ways of doing things. And the more you stick to your plan, the more they turn up the heat and try to get you to go back to the old way of doing things.
There are two very important lessons to be learned from this analogy.
1.) Unplug the pop machine! Remember, you may try several, maybe even dozens of times to get that machine to spit out the pop you want (the expected response), but if the pop never comes, eventually you stop trying. The same is true when you begin changing things for yourself. If you have family or friends that are pushing your buttons and kicking your pop machine, expecting you to order that pizza, head for the fast food joint or otherwise try to get you back into old behavior patterns, if you stand firm and stick to your plan, eventually they wear themselves out trying and move on to other things.
2.) Beware the IBSC! They may be more powerful than a resistant spouse, probably because they know you better and are sneakier! Your inner voice, those little impulses that tempt you, are the ones that need retraining the most. They attach emotions to eating, and changes in your diet cause different emotions to occur. The committee is only interested in repeating the original emotions and the behavior that produces them. So when you begin to make changes in your eating habits, your brain looks for ways to get you back into your old behavior. The committee is very good at making you feel all sorts of things that will cause you to revert to old ways of behaving. They are NOT your friends. Fire the committee! This means that you need to remember that a period of change will always be accompanied by emotional changes and upheaval. Its normal. Working past it is where your success lies. If the inner voice of temptation is screaming, busy your mind with something else, and crank up the volume!
One phrase my committee is really good at is this: "Oh, this one thing won't matter...."
What are your committees good at?
Onwards...
"Kicking the pop machine" is a phrase I learned from this previously mentioned friend of mine who teaches personal growth classes. It goes like this. You approach a pop machine with the required change, deposit it, press a button, and out comes your choice. Next day, repeat. The day after that, repeat. Then one day you walk up, deposit your money, press a button and nothing happens. Nothing. No pop. No "sold out" message. Nothing. So what do you do? Push the button again....and again....then the coin return...then another selection. Still nothing happens. Then you kick it, trying desperately to get it to respond in the way you are used to.
Making changes in your life, including those that impact other people (like family members when you are dieting) is sorta like being the pop machine. All along you've been behaving in a certain, predictable way. But on the day that you stop being predictable, you interrupt that routine. And guess what. People like routine.
The process of changing your life and deciding to get healthier means that there will be lots of button pushing and pop-machine kicking going on during the adjustment period. And I don't mean only from other people.
Sometimes the "people" kicking the machine are the "itty bitty shitty committee" (IBSC) in your head. The little impulses that make you want to go back to the old, comfortable ways of doing things. And the more you stick to your plan, the more they turn up the heat and try to get you to go back to the old way of doing things.
There are two very important lessons to be learned from this analogy.
1.) Unplug the pop machine! Remember, you may try several, maybe even dozens of times to get that machine to spit out the pop you want (the expected response), but if the pop never comes, eventually you stop trying. The same is true when you begin changing things for yourself. If you have family or friends that are pushing your buttons and kicking your pop machine, expecting you to order that pizza, head for the fast food joint or otherwise try to get you back into old behavior patterns, if you stand firm and stick to your plan, eventually they wear themselves out trying and move on to other things.
2.) Beware the IBSC! They may be more powerful than a resistant spouse, probably because they know you better and are sneakier! Your inner voice, those little impulses that tempt you, are the ones that need retraining the most. They attach emotions to eating, and changes in your diet cause different emotions to occur. The committee is only interested in repeating the original emotions and the behavior that produces them. So when you begin to make changes in your eating habits, your brain looks for ways to get you back into your old behavior. The committee is very good at making you feel all sorts of things that will cause you to revert to old ways of behaving. They are NOT your friends. Fire the committee! This means that you need to remember that a period of change will always be accompanied by emotional changes and upheaval. Its normal. Working past it is where your success lies. If the inner voice of temptation is screaming, busy your mind with something else, and crank up the volume!
One phrase my committee is really good at is this: "Oh, this one thing won't matter...."
What are your committees good at?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Day 37 Thanks and Welcome, and Catabolic Foods
First off, I want to thank Patrick, over at responsibility199 for the shout-out, and subsequent new followers! I appreciate the vote of confidence in choosing to follow my blog. I hope to not disappoint!
Second, I want to welcome all my followers. This is exciting for me, as you are my first-ever blog followers! Again, i hope you all find something of value in what I post.
____________
Have you heard the term "catabolic food"? I first ran across the term a few years ago. It refers to food that supposedly burns more calories in digestion than the food itself actually contains, resulting in a "negative calorie" net intake.
I'll admit it. I'm a bit skeptical. But I do find it intriguing, and am currently looking for more supporting information from reliable sources. Meanwhile there are dozens of sites out there that have lists of these so-called negative calorie foods. As might be expected, nearly all of the foods are fruits and vegetables, with a bit of seafood thrown in to cover the protein area.
What I find comforting about this list is that its consistent with other diet food lists: a large variety of fruits & veggies, and no demand for some off-the-wall quantity of one particular food.
What's really going through my head is how to cross-reference all these lists and find "super-foods" that offer the most in healthful benefits. Just adding a few of these to any diet can't help but be an improvement, right?
One food that keeps popping up is hot peppers. So far, I find them to be negative-calorie, anti-inflammatory, and loaded with anti-oxidants. Seranno chiles, which fall at the top of the anti-inflammatory scale, look sorta like a skinny jalapeno, a bit longer, and sometimes varied in color. They are typically hotter than jalapenos, so if you are unaccustomed to spicy food, you should go a bit easy on these. I love to put them in a pot of chili. But I think I'm going to look for some new recipes that use them, to add to our menu (besides the obvious salsa).
___________
OOH!! OOH!!! I just found one that sounds awesome! Tequila Lime Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen uncooked extra-large shrimp (about 25 shrimp)
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp lime zest
1 tbs chili powder
2 oz of premium tequila
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 small stalk celery, chopped fine
2 bay leaves
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped fine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cilantro
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup raw long-grain rice
Directions:
1) Defrost shrimp by running under cold water for 5 minutes.
2) Prepare rice.
3) Heat olive oil in 4-qt skillet on medium, saute the onion, celery, garlic until soft.
4) Add shrimp, salt and pepper, saute 5 minutes until shells are pink.
5) Stir in remaining ingredients, cover, simmer for 15 minutes.
6) Makes 4 servings of about 6 shrimp with sauce over rice
This is going on the menu for Wednesday! I'll let you know how it goes!
Second, I want to welcome all my followers. This is exciting for me, as you are my first-ever blog followers! Again, i hope you all find something of value in what I post.
____________
Have you heard the term "catabolic food"? I first ran across the term a few years ago. It refers to food that supposedly burns more calories in digestion than the food itself actually contains, resulting in a "negative calorie" net intake.
I'll admit it. I'm a bit skeptical. But I do find it intriguing, and am currently looking for more supporting information from reliable sources. Meanwhile there are dozens of sites out there that have lists of these so-called negative calorie foods. As might be expected, nearly all of the foods are fruits and vegetables, with a bit of seafood thrown in to cover the protein area.
What I find comforting about this list is that its consistent with other diet food lists: a large variety of fruits & veggies, and no demand for some off-the-wall quantity of one particular food.
What's really going through my head is how to cross-reference all these lists and find "super-foods" that offer the most in healthful benefits. Just adding a few of these to any diet can't help but be an improvement, right?
One food that keeps popping up is hot peppers. So far, I find them to be negative-calorie, anti-inflammatory, and loaded with anti-oxidants. Seranno chiles, which fall at the top of the anti-inflammatory scale, look sorta like a skinny jalapeno, a bit longer, and sometimes varied in color. They are typically hotter than jalapenos, so if you are unaccustomed to spicy food, you should go a bit easy on these. I love to put them in a pot of chili. But I think I'm going to look for some new recipes that use them, to add to our menu (besides the obvious salsa).
___________
OOH!! OOH!!! I just found one that sounds awesome! Tequila Lime Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen uncooked extra-large shrimp (about 25 shrimp)
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp lime zest
1 tbs chili powder
2 oz of premium tequila
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 small stalk celery, chopped fine
2 bay leaves
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped fine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cilantro
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup raw long-grain rice
Directions:
1) Defrost shrimp by running under cold water for 5 minutes.
2) Prepare rice.
3) Heat olive oil in 4-qt skillet on medium, saute the onion, celery, garlic until soft.
4) Add shrimp, salt and pepper, saute 5 minutes until shells are pink.
5) Stir in remaining ingredients, cover, simmer for 15 minutes.
6) Makes 4 servings of about 6 shrimp with sauce over rice
This is going on the menu for Wednesday! I'll let you know how it goes!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Days 35 & 36 Inflammation and Health
First of all, my update/check in.
Didn't get on the scale yesterday or today, but I'll recap my intake: yesterday I had two chicken soft tacos made with flour tortillas, refried beans, a tablespoon of rice, cheese, salsa and guacamole, a handful of corn chips with guacamole and salsa mixed, two Bud Light Limes, two forks full of lemon cake, coffee with creamer (in the morning), and a glass of riesling wine (before bed). I have to add that the food/beer was at a graduation party, and other than the tiny bit of cake, I completely avoided the ridiculous amount fo cookies and sweets.
Today, in order to combat yesterday's not-so-great diet, I had a bowl of the squash soup I made the other day, two pieces of whole grain seeded bread, coffee, and water. Really wasn't all the hungry today. I also went for a two mile brisk walk this evening with the hubby.
Eh, tomorrow will be a good day!
_____
Now on to the topic of the day: Inflammation and Health
We've all heard many times that increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in our diet is a good start to getting healthier. Likewise, we all know that decreasing the amount of saturated fats is also a good thing.
But one thing we don't hear much about is inflammation and how it is linked to our health and diet.
Chronic inflammation that occurs throughout the body is associated with 4 of the leading causes of disease and death for both men and women in the US: heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. The reasons are becoming clear as researchers discover that this systemic inflammation, linked to the foods we eat, produces a certain protein, called C-reactive protein, that is produced by the liver during periods of inflammation. Having an elevated level of this protein in the blood stream for prolonged periods of time is what researchers believe is a contributing factor to disease.
Ok, so that's a lot of nebulous scientific jargon that sounds a bit interesting, but how do I relate that to my diet? How do I use that info to help me make better choices in my life? Eat more veggies. Yeah, got that. But which ones? Are some better than others? Do some actually cause inflammation? How do I choose?
Well, one tool I've found to help me make better choices is NutritionData.com. Its a great website for checking out the foods I eat for things like calories, fat content, protein content, etc. But it also has additional indicators that show things like Inflammation Factor, Estimated Glycemic Load, Nutrient Balance and Protein Quality.
So this Inflammation Factor is a rating system that indicates a food's tendency to induce inflammation in the body. The higher, or more positive, the number, the better the food is for you because it is anti-inflammatory. While it may be difficult, if not impossible to eat only foods that are positive, NutritionData's website states that the goal should be to balance out the lower (negative) numbers with the higher positive numbers, with a net positive number being the goal.
Well, now I at least have a tool that will help me, but how do I find these anti-inflammatory foods? You can find an extensive list here. There are pages and pages of foods listed that have very high anti-inflammatory qualities, some of the highest being hot peppers, ginger root, garlic, fish oil from salmon, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, and onions.
The reason I'm excited about this website (besides being free) is that my process of changing my diet and lifestyle is intended to be gradual and sustainable, and any tool I find to help me with that will just make things that much easier. I really want my changes to involve things that I like, that my family likes, and that I can continue to do without causing major disruptions in "how we do things". Basically, I want to "switch things out", one bad thing for one good thing.
Small, steady changes.
That being said, my plan is to incorporate one additional highly anti-inflammatory food into each meal for the next week. This will be my test period to see how things go over with the troupes.
By the way, olive oil is a positive (anti-inflammatory) food. YAY!!! That goes along with my earlier post on switching fats to lose fat.
I'll let you know what changes I make and how well they go over.
Didn't get on the scale yesterday or today, but I'll recap my intake: yesterday I had two chicken soft tacos made with flour tortillas, refried beans, a tablespoon of rice, cheese, salsa and guacamole, a handful of corn chips with guacamole and salsa mixed, two Bud Light Limes, two forks full of lemon cake, coffee with creamer (in the morning), and a glass of riesling wine (before bed). I have to add that the food/beer was at a graduation party, and other than the tiny bit of cake, I completely avoided the ridiculous amount fo cookies and sweets.
Today, in order to combat yesterday's not-so-great diet, I had a bowl of the squash soup I made the other day, two pieces of whole grain seeded bread, coffee, and water. Really wasn't all the hungry today. I also went for a two mile brisk walk this evening with the hubby.
Eh, tomorrow will be a good day!
_____
Now on to the topic of the day: Inflammation and Health
We've all heard many times that increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in our diet is a good start to getting healthier. Likewise, we all know that decreasing the amount of saturated fats is also a good thing.
But one thing we don't hear much about is inflammation and how it is linked to our health and diet.
Chronic inflammation that occurs throughout the body is associated with 4 of the leading causes of disease and death for both men and women in the US: heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. The reasons are becoming clear as researchers discover that this systemic inflammation, linked to the foods we eat, produces a certain protein, called C-reactive protein, that is produced by the liver during periods of inflammation. Having an elevated level of this protein in the blood stream for prolonged periods of time is what researchers believe is a contributing factor to disease.
Ok, so that's a lot of nebulous scientific jargon that sounds a bit interesting, but how do I relate that to my diet? How do I use that info to help me make better choices in my life? Eat more veggies. Yeah, got that. But which ones? Are some better than others? Do some actually cause inflammation? How do I choose?
Well, one tool I've found to help me make better choices is NutritionData.com. Its a great website for checking out the foods I eat for things like calories, fat content, protein content, etc. But it also has additional indicators that show things like Inflammation Factor, Estimated Glycemic Load, Nutrient Balance and Protein Quality.
So this Inflammation Factor is a rating system that indicates a food's tendency to induce inflammation in the body. The higher, or more positive, the number, the better the food is for you because it is anti-inflammatory. While it may be difficult, if not impossible to eat only foods that are positive, NutritionData's website states that the goal should be to balance out the lower (negative) numbers with the higher positive numbers, with a net positive number being the goal.
Well, now I at least have a tool that will help me, but how do I find these anti-inflammatory foods? You can find an extensive list here. There are pages and pages of foods listed that have very high anti-inflammatory qualities, some of the highest being hot peppers, ginger root, garlic, fish oil from salmon, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, and onions.
The reason I'm excited about this website (besides being free) is that my process of changing my diet and lifestyle is intended to be gradual and sustainable, and any tool I find to help me with that will just make things that much easier. I really want my changes to involve things that I like, that my family likes, and that I can continue to do without causing major disruptions in "how we do things". Basically, I want to "switch things out", one bad thing for one good thing.
Small, steady changes.
That being said, my plan is to incorporate one additional highly anti-inflammatory food into each meal for the next week. This will be my test period to see how things go over with the troupes.
By the way, olive oil is a positive (anti-inflammatory) food. YAY!!! That goes along with my earlier post on switching fats to lose fat.
I'll let you know what changes I make and how well they go over.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Day 34 The Harvest Moon was calling me...
So...this year's autumnal equinox coincided with a beautiful full harvest moon, and despite the fact that the magic was rather lost on my family, I decided to make a Harvest inspired dinner. Admittedly some of the things were **not** diet, but I tried to select recipes that used healthy ingredients, all fresh stuff, minimal butter and saturated fats, lots of veggies...that sort of thing.
The menu: roast pork chops with rosemary-garlic-mustard glaze and baked over carrots, onions and parsnips; mashed potatoes with basil-garlic-olive oil and blended with low-fat yogurt; butternut squash soup made with carrots, squash, onions, celery, veggie broth and topped with curried apples. And the very last item is maple oatmeal scones,
Now before anyone starts thinking that I totally blew it here, I want to point out that I ate exactly 1/2 of a pork chop (about 200 calories), about 3-4 each of parsnips and carrots (maybe 50 calories), a half bowl of the butternut squash soup (95 calories), and 1/2 of a maple scone (about 200 calories). I skipped the mashed potatoes altogether. And we had mulled cider to drink (about 90 calories).
Note: the scone recipe used whole wheat flour and oatmeal, and contained a whopping 1/2 cup sugar in the entire batch of dough (which made 18 scones).
Admittedly this was not an ideal dinner, especially with the scone. But the big accomplishment for me was portion control. And I actually felt good both physically and mentally because I didn't stuff myself. So I can eat tasty non-diet food and still not blow it.
And here is the pretty Harvest Moon!
The menu: roast pork chops with rosemary-garlic-mustard glaze and baked over carrots, onions and parsnips; mashed potatoes with basil-garlic-olive oil and blended with low-fat yogurt; butternut squash soup made with carrots, squash, onions, celery, veggie broth and topped with curried apples. And the very last item is maple oatmeal scones,
Now before anyone starts thinking that I totally blew it here, I want to point out that I ate exactly 1/2 of a pork chop (about 200 calories), about 3-4 each of parsnips and carrots (maybe 50 calories), a half bowl of the butternut squash soup (95 calories), and 1/2 of a maple scone (about 200 calories). I skipped the mashed potatoes altogether. And we had mulled cider to drink (about 90 calories).
Note: the scone recipe used whole wheat flour and oatmeal, and contained a whopping 1/2 cup sugar in the entire batch of dough (which made 18 scones).
Admittedly this was not an ideal dinner, especially with the scone. But the big accomplishment for me was portion control. And I actually felt good both physically and mentally because I didn't stuff myself. So I can eat tasty non-diet food and still not blow it.
And here is the pretty Harvest Moon!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Day 33 Don't Should on Yourself
A good friend of mine teaches personal growth seminars. The seminars are focused on helping people recognize the beliefs and behaviors that hold them back from achieving their dreams, that sabotage their relationships, and generally serve to keep them "stuck" in their current mind-set. Very insightful this friend of mine, and very blunt....straightforward...in other words, very good at calling me on my sh*t. But on the flip side, he is totally non-judgemental about it. There is no condemnation in his observations, only honesty and curiousity. And he has said to me on more than one occasion "Don't should on yourself".....(read "don't sh*t on yourself")....don't beat yourself up in ways that serve no purpose...it only makes a mess.
Last week Lanie Painie posted on polarizing words, like always/never, and the idea that one stumble = complete failure (she doesn't feel this way, she was observing it is someone else). I've thought of her post several times this week, and it really coincides with my friend's "Don't should on yourself" phrase.
When assessing our progress (or lack of it), it's important to:
1) Be honest: we will not make progress if we constantly fool ourselves and make excuses about our choices in foods/quantity/frequency, and about exercise or lack thereof. My friend is always an observer, always ready to look at a choice or behavior and wonder about it. "Hmm, that's interesting. I just did such-and-such. What's that all about? How could I have done that differently?".
Example: I ate a donut. Hmm, that's interesting. That's not consistent with my goals. What's that all about? Well, the boss brought them in for our meeting and I couldn't resist. So my boss brings in donuts and I feel compelled to eat one, even though I know that they're bad for me. Did I feel like I needed to be part of the group? Was it the sight of them that did it? The smell? All of the above? How could I do that differently? I could ask the boss if he/she'd consider something healthier next time. I could be sure to eat breakfast before meetings so I'm not hungry and feeling tempted in that way. I could bring my own snack to the meeting. And at the very least, I could eat HALF a donut instead. Heck, you could even suggest that the boss bring in those little donut holes. One of those is better than the whole donut! The important thing is to observe without judgement, and then explore future possibilities. Think about the things you CAN do instead of the things you CAN'T. You can't change the past. Which leads to.....
2.) Don't should on yourself: don't internally berate yourself for past mistakes. It won't change a damn thing. The mistakes have been made and no amount of beating yourself up is going to un-do it. Better to accept that you made a choice that is not consistent with your goals, and that moment has passed. This moment presents an opportunity to make a better choice. And then make it. End of story. No should-ing. Observe the chain of events that lead to the mistake, and look for the triggers that caused them. Don't judge, just notice what they are. And look for different possibilities.
I think the "should-ing" is a way to prolong the self-sabotage. We punish ourselves for making the mistake by making more of them. It's a way of subconsciously telling ourselves that we don't deserve to be successful.
Stop the madness! We all deserve to be successful.
Winston Churchill said "If you're going through hell, keep going". I love that phrase. I even got it on a fridge magnet, and whenever my kids are struggling (or I'm struggling) I point it out to them. If I'm going through a bad situation, what is the sense of stopping to smell the rotten roses? Why linger? Why prolong the misery? Get moving! If you're running along a stretch of burning coals, you're not going to stand still, are ya? Heck no! If anything, you run faster and straighter toward the end.
Should-ing on yourself is the same as standing still on the hot coals. It makes the pain more intense. Is the goal more pain?
Last week Lanie Painie posted on polarizing words, like always/never, and the idea that one stumble = complete failure (she doesn't feel this way, she was observing it is someone else). I've thought of her post several times this week, and it really coincides with my friend's "Don't should on yourself" phrase.
When assessing our progress (or lack of it), it's important to:
1) Be honest: we will not make progress if we constantly fool ourselves and make excuses about our choices in foods/quantity/frequency, and about exercise or lack thereof. My friend is always an observer, always ready to look at a choice or behavior and wonder about it. "Hmm, that's interesting. I just did such-and-such. What's that all about? How could I have done that differently?".
Example: I ate a donut. Hmm, that's interesting. That's not consistent with my goals. What's that all about? Well, the boss brought them in for our meeting and I couldn't resist. So my boss brings in donuts and I feel compelled to eat one, even though I know that they're bad for me. Did I feel like I needed to be part of the group? Was it the sight of them that did it? The smell? All of the above? How could I do that differently? I could ask the boss if he/she'd consider something healthier next time. I could be sure to eat breakfast before meetings so I'm not hungry and feeling tempted in that way. I could bring my own snack to the meeting. And at the very least, I could eat HALF a donut instead. Heck, you could even suggest that the boss bring in those little donut holes. One of those is better than the whole donut! The important thing is to observe without judgement, and then explore future possibilities. Think about the things you CAN do instead of the things you CAN'T. You can't change the past. Which leads to.....
2.) Don't should on yourself: don't internally berate yourself for past mistakes. It won't change a damn thing. The mistakes have been made and no amount of beating yourself up is going to un-do it. Better to accept that you made a choice that is not consistent with your goals, and that moment has passed. This moment presents an opportunity to make a better choice. And then make it. End of story. No should-ing. Observe the chain of events that lead to the mistake, and look for the triggers that caused them. Don't judge, just notice what they are. And look for different possibilities.
I think the "should-ing" is a way to prolong the self-sabotage. We punish ourselves for making the mistake by making more of them. It's a way of subconsciously telling ourselves that we don't deserve to be successful.
Stop the madness! We all deserve to be successful.
Winston Churchill said "If you're going through hell, keep going". I love that phrase. I even got it on a fridge magnet, and whenever my kids are struggling (or I'm struggling) I point it out to them. If I'm going through a bad situation, what is the sense of stopping to smell the rotten roses? Why linger? Why prolong the misery? Get moving! If you're running along a stretch of burning coals, you're not going to stand still, are ya? Heck no! If anything, you run faster and straighter toward the end.
Should-ing on yourself is the same as standing still on the hot coals. It makes the pain more intense. Is the goal more pain?
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