I write this blog post for my
dear comrades on our health journey. You
know who you are. If this touches
others, then that is just awesome.
Most of us have been on our
healthy journey for anywhere between one to four plus years. During this time frame, I think it is safe
to say, that all of us have come a long way, baby!!!!!!! We have endured several months of a Phase 1
type program, with very stringent guidelines, without many optional choices
coming into play. Then as we progressed,
we moved into a Phase 2 type program, which allowed for a slow transition “back
into the real world.” I think it is safe
to say that most of us made this transition extremely slowly, not only out of
trying to see what our bodies would do, and how they would react to the
institution of certain foods back into our systems, but probably the strongest
reason … FEAR!!!
Yes, I said it … FEAR!!!! We were afraid of the scale, afraid of
certain food groups, afraid we would lapse back into very bad habits, and yes, just
afraid of going back into the abyss. I
think it is also safe to say that we all reacted to and responded to this fear
in many different ways. I am sure among
these responses were: 1) putting food
into our diet … then taking it back out.
2) Because of what the scale may have done in number (1), we then
reverted completely back to Phase 1. 3) Then
when the scale was friendly again, we repeated number (1). Then probably repeated number (2). And on, and on, and on.
Then we became a bit more secure
in our new lifestyle and noticed that after we let our bodies respond to new
additions back into our diet, we did slowly slip into a Phase 2 cycle where we
had somewhat of a balance of lean proteins, veggies and fruits, our protein
shakes, and maybe, just maybe a whole grain.
Some of us may have not done whole grains and may actually not be doing
them to this day. But, Phase 2 became
more comfortable and not quite so scary.
During all the time of Phase 1
and Phase 2, we were also becoming more and more active in the gym, working
with our trainer, or participating in outside activities that promoted a
healthy exercise regime. We may have
found that we increased our exercise levels, but really did not tweak our Phase
2 diet intake or get a healthy balance to our nutrition/exercise level. NOTE TO SELF!!!!!!
As the months and even years
progressed, we may have found that as we progressed, we blinked an eye, and
found that we were really truly living in the “real world.” What a liberating feeling to know that we
have made a lifestyle change and not a “diet” change, and we have found that we
can actually go day to day, eat healthily, and maintain our weight range nicely.
The downfall to this new “freedom”
comes the threat of becoming a bit too comfortable and slowly but surely
letting trigger foods back into our lives.
Trigger foods by themselves are not the culprit, but they can be a red
flag if they lead to a more sustained unhealthy lifestyle and take us out of
our game.
I have heard so many of my
comrades on this journey state how frustrated they have become, as everything
tends to be getting harder. You would
think that as time passed, things would get easier, but this is certainly not
the case. Understood! Completely understood!
It seems that our willpower was
stronger when we still had weight to lose, or initially on the journey, or
progressing into Phase 2. Now here we
are anywhere from one to 4 years later, and where is our willpower?
I remember our health educator
saying you CAN NOT rely on willpower.
Boy, do I now know that to be words of truth. Willpower will help sometimes, possibly even
most times, but certainly not EVERY time.
I am a firm believer of what ends up working long term is the comfort
learned from experiencing over and over and over and over, and did I say over
again, and again, and again the trials and tribulations of what our bodies do
and how they perform. Not until we
learn and allow ourselves to become comfortable with the scale fluctuations,
the cravings, and the best ways to live in the real world will we ever function
frustration free. Life is not a
utopia, and frustration will never be completely gone, but I firmly believe it is possible for it
only to exist at maybe 5% or less in our lives.
But this does not come easy, it is not without fight, and I know I am
not there completely yet, even after 4+ years!
I have decided to try to put some
forms of action together to help us through these frustrating times. They are
certainly not cure-all’s, but maybe, just maybe they will make things a bit
easier. If these do not work, then we
will try others. My motto for these are
going to be DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET ENERGIZED!!
Weekends (or whatever your most difficult
time is) – our support group recently spoke about weekends. Our group exercises strenuously with our
trainer throughout the week. We are so
vulnerable on the weekend for so many different reasons 1) our bodies are tired
and recuperating from the workouts, 2) we are hungrier because our bodies are
in recovery mode, 3) our social lives are so different on the weekend, 4) what
works for us during the week, doesn’t necessarily work for us on weekends due
to number (1), number (2), and number (3)
DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET ENERGIZED!
Hungrier? -- Come up with a new healthy recipe that is
super delicious, something you may not have time to fix throughout the week, or
you save for those “craving” weekends. Fix it and enjoy it!!! I recently added a pasta dish to my weekend
menu that is both delicious and healthy, and it was so SATISFYING. DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET ENERGIZED!
Not Satisfied? – Plan your
treat. If you like a specific dessert
or appetizer, identify it, plan it in your food prep, and allow yourself to
indulge. I would almost go out on the
limb and say it is OK to do this on a weekend basis, a monthly basis, whatever
is satisfying (JUST NOT DAILY). To
allow yourself to never have your special treat, to me is a perfect GPS to
disappointment and frustration. I love
bread pudding. Derby Dinner Playhouse
has delicious bread pudding. I have
season tickets to Derby Dinner. If you
look at my calendar right now, you will see Derby Dinner on my calendar for
October 12, and right next to that entry is “bread pudding!” This keeps me sane. I don’t have bread pudding every day, every
week, every month … but I do have it every time I go to Derby Dinner Playhouse,
which is about every 8 to 10 weeks!!!
DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET ENERGIZED!!!
Bored during down time and
thinking about food? – redirect your thoughts.
On the weekend, I have more downtime, and less exercise time, as I tend
to use these days for my needed rest time from the gym. Thus, I get easily bored, and I find myself
when I am resting, of course, thinking about food. When I stop and really tune into my feelings,
I may not even be hungry, but rather bored, as I am just more idle. I have begun to get up off the couch, and
clean a room in my house. Clean out a
closet, a drawer. May not sound
exciting, but I bet all of us love that feeling when our house is tidier, or
our closet is cleaned out, to stand back and look at it, and enjoy the
declutter. There is truth in decluttering your life as being beneficial. If you are not a cleaner, or your house is
already clean (so not mine) then crochet, read, take the dog for a walk, write
a letter to a friend you have not seen in a while, catch up with your DVR. Just occupy your mind, so you take the focus
off food!!! DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET
ENERGIZED!!!
Feel Alone? -- Sometimes we just feel we are on an island,
and everyone else is normal, we are not, everyone else is skinny, we are not,
everyone else can have what they want, and we cannot. Find your tribe!!!!!!! We are blessed to have such a wonderful
support group. I thank God every day for
each and every one of you. We are all
just a text away from a cheery reply, an empathetic reply, words of
encouragement, and suggestions for getting through a particular incidence. Use your tribe!!! DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET ENERGIZED!!!
We have done all this and we
still failed? – First and foremost, let’s forgive ourselves. If we wouldn’t say it to someone else, let’s not say it to ourselves. We are warriors!!
I am a firm believer that God
puts all of us exactly where we are supposed to be with exactly the right
people. DON’T GET FRUSTRATED … GET
ENERGIZED!!!